Chapter Five
Eoin waited for Angie outside the shop. He leaned against the vehicle Angie loved riding in, his red Ferrari. Viktor and Ken were cleaning the leftover decorating mess at the castle and would drive themselves home with one of his many cars. The three of them had worked hard to accomplish the impossible.
Even Nick, the gargoyle, had flown from his chained perch on the castle roof to string up lights. Using his vampiric speed, Viktor had decked the hall with boughs of fake holly. And Ken, with Eoin’s help in dragon form, had decorated the Christmas tree. Eoin took the top half and Ken the lower. Surprisingly, it had gone very well. He now owed the vampire, werewolf, and gargoyle a favor.
The lights flicked off inside the shop just before Angie strode out the exit. She locked the door and spotted him. “What are you doing here?” Bags hung from her arms—obviously her shopping trip with Beth had been successful. Beth had texted him frequent updates on their progress until leaving Angie at the shop.
Eoin plucked Angie’s burdens from her grasp and pecked her on the cheek. “Did you buy me anything?” He peeked inside the bags.
Angie gave him a little swat on the fingers. “Don’t be a spoilsport. Those are for tomorrow. And don’t think I did notice you didn’t answer my question.” She trailed behind him as he returned to his car and set her shopping bags in the trunk.
“I didn’t think I needed a reason to pick you up from work.” He went over to the passenger side and opened her door. “I’ve done it before.”
“In dragon form.” She settled inside the car and buckled. “Not in my beautiful baby.” She stroked her fingers over the dashboard.
Eoin strolled to the driver-side. She was a suspicious little dragon and he was very curious one. What were in those bags? “I like to mix things up. Keep things fresh.”
“You haven’t been reading my magazines again, have you?”
“No, I will not make that mistake again. The menstrual cycle should have remained a mystery for my entire life. I’ll be more careful in the future.” If she didn’t want him reading those magazines, she shouldn’t leave them open in the bathroom. He had wanted to burn his eyes after getting swept up in reading that article. An interesting title on the cover had caught his attention though. Something about making your mate beg in bed. He would be sure to leave the magazine open on that page for Angie to read. Once she was in a better mood.
The traffic was horrendous. Everyone and their second cousins were on the road. Last-minute shoppers. At least the delay would give Ken and Viktor a chance to escape before he arrived with Angie. If she spotted them driving from the castle, the surprise would be spoiled.
Angie leaned her back against the door and eyed him carefully from her seat. “What’s up?”
“What you mean?”
“You hate traffic.” Her gaze narrowed. “You haven’t so much as sworn or cussed or gestured at a single vehicle or pedestrian.”
“You know me well, but it’s Christmas and I’m full of Christmas spirit.” He blew a kiss at a passing vehicle. “See.”
“What the fuck?” Angie twisted and pressed her face to the window. “Was that a car full of geese?”
“Goose shifters to be exact.” That reminded him—he had a real goose in the oven that he had to check once Angie’s surprise was done. He had set it in the oven late and could only hope it would be done soon. “They are probably heading south for the holiday.”
“You’re pulling my leg again.”
He grinned. “Only the south thing.”
The closer they got to the mountain, the more rural the area grew until only forest surrounded them. Eoin eased off the road and parked on the shoulder. “I have a surprise for you.”
“I knew it. You are up to something.” She leaned forward, her smile wide. She sounded more and more like herself.
He lifted a blindfold. If they drove a little farther, she would see the castle lit up from the distance. He wanted her closer before she saw.
She lifted her hand as leaned forward. “Wait. This isn’t like the hot spring mud bath thing you tried to surprise me with last month.”
Eoin growled at the memory. “In defense, I never heard of mud leeches.” He snorted and the car filled with smoke. “You weren’t the only one scarred from that experience. I had one attached to my—”
“I know, I know. I was the one who had to pull it off.”
He shuddered. “This is better. I promise.” He tossed her a reproachful glare. “Stop bringing up that story. It gives me nightmares.”
The glare she gave him in return was worthy of any warrior queen. “Never. Even our great-great grandchildren will hear it.”
The clenched not of anxiety that had been constricting his heart loosened. His Angie was coming back.
She twisted around so he could tie the blindfold over her eyes before he drove the remaining distance to the castle. He parked in the courtyard and helped Angie out of the car.
The wind had a bite and it blew stronger at this altitude. And she shivered and instinctively pressed against him. He turned her around and removed the blindfold.
Golden lights twinkle around the front door. Nick had decorated front towers so they glowed. Eoin and Viktor had built a drawbridge of lights that led to the courtyard. Angie gasped and pointed at the garage. “You’ve got a waving gingerbread man just like the deer.” She twirled around and leaped into his arms, pressing her lips to his. “You managed this all for me?”
The lights flickered.
“Oh, and they blink all at the same time! How did you manage that?”
“I didn’t.” Was this something that Viktor and Ken had concocted?
The lights flickered once more and then went out, leaving them in a blanket of night. “Well, shit.” He set Angie aside. “Wait here.” And strode toward the dark castle. He slammed open the entrance doors. Nothing. Not a light or sound or twinkle.
“I bet it’s a breaker.” Angie squeezed past him. “Why don’t you check the box while I start a fire?”
Eoin could see well enough in the dark to navigate in his home of over one hundred years. In silence, he descended into the dungeon and made his way past the prison cells to the area that housed the modern conveniences from this age, such as a hot water heater and the electrical box. Except, they didn’t have breakers. They had a fuse box. At one point, the city had tried to force Eoin to upgrade the electrical system of the castle. A fireball had changed their minds. Looking back now, maybe he should have listened.
The lid squealed as he tugged it open, but he couldn’t make out which fuse was burnt in the dark. He used a little stream of fire from his throat to light the room as he went through the fuses. He couldn’t flame this way indefinitely. It gave him a sore throat and heartburn. He should have brought a flashlight or a candle.
He snapped his fingers and swallowed his flame. Inside Viktor’s old jail cell was a candelabra. Eoin lit the wicks with his breath. Candelabra in hand, he returned to the fuse box and the small collection of replacements that he kept inside of it. One by one, he went through looking for the right type of fuse to replace the burnt one. He dropped his head. No success. He had used his whole supply. The stores might not even sell them anymore.
Eoin returned to Angie. She sat by the fireplace with kindling and wood and a limited amount of matches.
“Why don’t you use your flame?” he asked.
“Because I’ll set the whole room on fire like last time. I don’t have the same control as you.”
He crossed his arms and dragged his foot through the dry, dead pine needles thick on the floor. “We won’t have electricity tonight. We blew a fuse and I have no replacement.”
“Aren’t fuse boxes outdated and dangerous?” She let a match, setting the flame to the kindling. “We’ll have to get an upgrade after the holidays.”
Eoin ground his teeth and nodded, unable to use words.
“We can just spend the night by the fire. We’ll gather blankets and pillows and we can get some take-out. Maybe that Indian restaurant you wanted to try is still open.”
Eoin’s heart rocketed against his tonsils. Dinner. Leaving Angie to play with matches, Eoin hurried to the kitchen. It was too much to hope that the fuse had not affected the kitchen. He came to a halt in the dark area. “Fuck.” He drew out the short word for a very long time before crossing to check the oven. He set the candelabra on the counter and pulled out the roasting goose. The skin was pale and dry but not golden yet. He cut into the flesh and found it too raw to eat in human form.
Angie strolled in behind him and glanced at the goose. “We can shift to dragon form and share it.” She ran her hand lightly over his spine. Petting him. Trying to comfort him. When he was the one trying to make her happy. “Or we can use this charcoal.” She held up a handful of dark lumps from a plate by the sink. “We could barbecue the goose.”
“Those are not charcoal. Those were the cookies, remember?” Eoin closed his eyes and fisted the knife.
“Oh honey.” She hugged him from behind. “You worked so hard. I’m sorry. It’s just not your Christmas this year.”
Deflating in her arms, Eoin set aside the knife and turned to lean against his mate. She tangled her fingers with his and guided him back to the foyer. For some reason, she carried the plate of charcoal cookies.
“The night is ruined. I can’t believe the stupid fuse box couldn’t function for one more hour. What a time for it to blow.” Technically, he understood that he had drawn too much current with all the decorations and the ancient equipment couldn’t handle the load. But he wasn’t in the mood to be rational. “I wanted this to be perfect.”
Angie set the plate of cookies by the fireplace and nibbled one. “These really aren’t bad. Sweet yet bitter. You might have invented something new.” She swept the floor with her gaze. “Did you ever water the tree? There are needles everywhere.”
“Water?” At his shout, the cats hiding within the Christmas tree jumped to the ground and scattered. A downpour of pine needles fell to the floor. He gritted his teeth together, hands fisted, smoke trailing out of his nostrils. This was the worst holiday he had ever had. Even the one he’d spent with Viktor in the dungeon had been better. Eoin probably scarred Angie even worse and she would always hate Christmas. Forever.
Twisting, he blew the growing flame inside his chest into the fireplace. Embers flew from the blast. Sparks rose to the foyer’s ceiling and floated down.
Angie clapped her hands over her mouth. Her eyes wide as she stared behind him.
Slowly, he twisted back toward the tree. It started small. Tongues of flame licked along the dry, crispy branches. The flames flared and within seconds the Christmas bulbs exploded from the heat.
Angie ducked, covering her head with her hands.
He stepped in front of her, taking the hits of broken glass. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.” He’d set Christmas on fire.
“You get the large extinguisher while I grabbed the small one from our bedroom.” Angie took off running before he could reply. They had gotten quite coordinated at extinguishing fires since moving in together. Just a few weeks ago, she had set the whole living room a flame because of rats.
He kept a set of large extinguishers in the main hall closet next to the brooms and bags of sand. When he returned, Angie was already at the tree, taking care of the smaller flames, so he went to work on the larger fire. Within minutes, they had everything under control once more.
The room smelled of smoke and ash with a hint winter. Angie turned her ash smudged face toward him. “This is why we can’t have nice things.” She laughed while she spoke.
Eoin set the extinguishers aside and flopped on his back in front of the fireplace.
Angie threw a few logs on the dying embers.
He gazed up into her beautiful, dirty face. “I wrecked Christmas.”
Angie straddled his hips and leaned forward, hovering over his face. “You saved it.” She brushed her lips over his.
He could feel her struggle not to smile. It lightened the burden he carried. Maybe he hadn’t scarred her? His arm slipped around her waist, his palm on her lower back felt her warmth even through her shirt.
She nipped along his jaw and made a delicious female noise. “This has been the most fun I’ve had on Christmas Eve. I will never ever forget it.”
He glanced at her. “You have a weird sense of fun.”
“I’m a dragon. Don’t judge me.”
Eoin felt the lingering echo of her bite. He sat up with shifter speed, supporting Angie so she wouldn’t fall back. He sensed her relax totally in his hold. “I would never judge you.”
She pressed up so close that their breath mingled. Her gaze lowered, thick lashes hiding her eyes. “I have a present for you.”
“I know. I saw the bags.” He had left her gift in their bedroom, thank all the gods. Or it would be ashes with the tree.
“No, those are just things I am going to give you at Ken’s party tomorrow.” She sighed and ran her fingertips along his jaw. “This is something special that I finally figured out this afternoon.” She ran her gaze over the smoke-filled and soot-stained walls and floor. “This seems at the perfect moment.”
His heart raced. “I love surprises. Where is it?”
Angie pulled a little white stick, which she had placed inside a clear plastic bag, out of her back pocket. She said it in his open palm.
Eoin gave a slow blink. A magic wand? Maybe a weird pen? He didn’t want to appear ungrateful but he had no clue what this meant. There was a little window in the white plastic stick with a positive sign. His stomach dropped and he couldn’t remember how to breathe. He took a quick glance at Angie.
She took his hand and set it over her stomach. Her belly was warm and firm. A little rounded, but he loved all of Angie’s rounded curves.
“You’ve been moody.” His voice cracked.
She nodded. “And hungry.”
“You’re pregnant?” His brain cells popped. “It’s mine?”
She slapped his forehead with the heel of her hand. “Of course, it’s yours.”
“But…but we only been mated for less than a year.” His heart ached to the point of bursting. He blinked the wetness from his eyes. It usually took dragon mates years and years to make life.
She chewed her bottom lip. Her gaze wary.
“That’s a record,” he whispered. Burying his face in her neck, he breathed her in. The intoxicating blend of her scent filled his lungs. He kissed her. And oh, did he kiss her. It held the same wild heat that had bonded him to her from the very first time they had met. But it also held something new—a raw, possessive claiming. Breathless, he pulled away.
“You’re happy?” She smoothed her hand over his stubbled head.
“This egg is the best present anyone has ever given me.” He wanted a huge family with hatchlings, grand hatchlings, and great grand hatchlings.
“Egg?” Angie paled.
Eoin caressed her belly. “Maybe eggs.”
“Say what?”