I love seeing him smile wide and it deepens his laugh lines. I will always remember him with this wicked grin and his glorious body standing in the light from the window. His eyes are sensual stars flashing with the hottest violet fire imaginable. A desperate ache fills me."How will we ever let him go?" I whisper internally to my wolf. I don't get an answer. No whine. No brush of fur inside me... nothing. I feel so incredibly lonely. I need my wolf to help me keep away the thoughts of losing Sarn and she's unresponsive."Why are you crying?" he asks as he wipes a tear from my cheek. He brings his finger to his lips and licks it away.I offer a trembling smile. "I don't exactly know, dragon. You make me happy?" I reply leaving it as a question because I cannot tell him that it will kill me to see him go. For so long I've dreamed of him-his arms around me, our bodies smelling of sex, and the sweet ache between my thighs. To actually have this happening and knowing it can't last is to
Even with a bride I've never felt such a powerful connection of energy during my release. My violet light should have exploded and wrapped Sierra within its warmth. Like the last time, it remained elusive. I don't wish to feel this dejected sensation I've had both times we've made love. It brings all the reasons I'm here to the forefront.Unleashing my dragon and soaring through the sky helps. I love the sound of Sierra's laughter. I fly us over the main collection of bear cabins and hear her shout greetings to the children and females who stop what they're doing and watch.I've never relished having people see a bride riding me. It's always been a personal, somewhat intimate experience. I'm sure the humans at my castle have caught sight of me with a bride from time to time, though it's never acknowledged. The last thing a bride would do is wave to them. Sierra is different, and I'm delighted to see smiling faces on these children. One day, when all the dragons gain transcended mates
It's another hour before we leave the bed and only because we are wasting away to nothing without food. A basket waits on the doorstep that apparently Sierra expected. "They will restock the fridge and cupboards today while we're out," she tells me. "They honor you with gifts of food.""I pay for the food," I tell her because it's true.She smiles as she shakes her head. "No, silly dragon, you pay Dmitri. The bears couldn't care less about money. They take care of me when I'm here. Nikka, Dmitri's mate, says it's because I spread happiness. Bears are different from other beastkind. Their way's older. Small changes occurred for a while, but with peace within the beastkind world, most have gone back to caring for their men and enjoying it. The only difference is now their females have the option to do more. The help they've given me proves it isn't just the men they care for. I think the bears are special and often misunderstood."I can only give her a slight grunt. I don't explain th
It's been two months since the day in the meadow. The day I fell even more in love with my dragon. I know he's ashamed that I watched him break down. I also know it's the best thing he could ever do for himself. He holds so much pain inside.And speaking of inside. My wolf remains silent. She hasn't poked her wild impulses into me once during the past two months. I can shift, but it takes an extra bit of concentration and it no longer feels as natural. I'm beyond worried and it's the reason I'm making this trip today.Veda and Tyboll's cabin is far from the bear clan. They choose to live way out here and have for more than twenty years. The bears whisper of them when they think I'm not paying attention. They love these two and respect them greatly. They're bear shifting witches. Something I've never heard of before.Nikka told me more about them with the help of a she-bear to speak for her. She said the witches are expecting me. When I asked why, her reply was that they contacted he
Everything inside me turns cold. A mate. The yearning in my heart for so damn long. And now I'm in love with Sarn. I fold my arms in front of me and lower my head onto them. Tears spill from my eyes at the injustice of what I'm being told. It's unfair... no that's too mild, it's tragic. I always expected to be so happy when I discovered my mate.Veda's hand rubs across my back. I don't even want to know who it is. I want nothing more than to curl up on the floor and never move again. I'm containing a scream because if I start I will never stop. I cannot do this to Sarn. My poor, poor dragon.I cry for a long time while Tyboll and Veda remain silent. When I finally lift my head, Veda hands me a tissue. I blow my nose in a very unladylike manner. Veda pushes my teacup in front of me and I take a sip of the now tepid liquid."Thank you," I say softly, my voice raw from crying.It's time I discover who will be my life partner. I must be strong. Even though a life without Sarn is more t
I am forever cursed. It is nothing I haven't earned. Sierra doesn't deserve this, though. We lie in our bed with her curled tight within my arms. She sleeps after hours of tears. I've remained awake throughout the night. I reached my decision within minutes of her telling me the truth of our fate. It is the only course that I can possibly take. Prolonging this torture will only kill her slowly. I want her to remember the wonderful times we've had. With me back in my realm, the wolf-mating bond should weaken. Sierra needs to go on with her life and find happiness with someone who is not cursed.I'm having trouble leaving the bed because I know it will wake her. She will never forgive me for this and I don't wish to see recrimination in her eyes. When I've almost given up on doing that which I must do, Dmitri appears in the room.His eyes reflect sadness. "The witches sent me and my mate waits at our home to care for Sierra after you're gone," he whispers.I have no idea how the witch
Half of my castle is destroyed and the other half is almost unlivable. I've charged into the walls until they crumble under my pounding fists and hostile body. I do not leave the castle during daylight and I haven't seen the sun in years.When darkness falls, the true nightmares begin. This is when I cause most of the destruction. Flying is the only thing that offers any comfort at all. I fly until minutes before the sun begins to rise so I can avoid the light. When your soul is black, the rest of the world should take heed.During the day, I sleep in fitful snatches of torment. Sometimes, I wake up with Sierra's scent on the edge of my consciousness. Often, and these are the worst, I don't see her in my dreams at all. I see each of my brides, one after the other, with looks of pity on their faces and it swallows me alive until I'm awake and destroying more of my castle walls.My life is hell. Each minute ticks away faster and faster. This time between brides usually slows down and
I'm holding my father and Talya's newborn baby. She's incredible. I love her smell, her softness, and her little wrinkles of baby fat that make me want to pinch her. I've smiled more in the past few days than during the past twenty-four years.Life goes on and this birth proves it. My father has nine children. My siblings all came for the birth and brought their mates, even Roland.Derrick is perfect for my brother. It took seven years for my brother to find him. Roland told me he saw Derrick across a room and he knew instantly. It was so bittersweet for me, though I was incredibly happy for him. They live with the Northeast Clan where Derrick comes from. They tell me stories of Nicolas, a fellow wolf, and his pack-cats and wolves much like my father's mixed pack. My brother is deliriously happy and I'm happy for him.I've written the clan history and gathered information from anyone willing to speak to me. Some of the stories from the female cats have been hard to listen to. It's i