Dragon Romance: Dragon Fire (Paranormal Shapeshifter Hero Protector Firefighter Romance) (Fantasy Shifter Werewolf BBW Pregnancy Women’s Fiction Short Stories) (87 page)

“I think it is a risk to deal with other dragon shifters at all, but one can never know what would happen if we don’t try. Extending a friendly invitation to the Norwegians could turn out well.” I gave her my honest opinion and she smiled in appreciation.

“Well, if we all are in agreement and think we should…why not give it a try?”

“Good, my men will fly out come night fall, it should be a simple day’s trip, and we will appear as only messengers,” Kato, the current special guard leader, spoke up and made everything real. Not long after the meeting was adjourned, and I stepped close to the princess.

“If I may have a moment, Princess Emily?”

She smiled welcomingly and stepped to the side with me.

“You don’t have to address me so formally you know, to you I’d like to be just Emily.” She brushed her hair out of her eyes and then touched my arm lightly. “And don’t feel like you have to compete for my hand or anything, just be yourself.”

Her words were kind, but I read what she meant underneath them. She
had
picked up on my brief territorial reaction earlier. I could not control it, when she first saw Luke I had such an urge to claim her.

“You are kind; I hope I didn’t…offend you at all with my brief lapse earlier. And so close to your father, how embarrassing.”

Emily laughed softly and touched my arm once more.

“Not at all, I’m sure my father just saw it as a good expression of competition. I think it was a good sign, it means you like me,” she smiled playfully and I chuckled.

“That is a given. I know you will come to like me soon as well.”

She giggled softly and shook her head at me almost fondly.

“Really? How are you so sure?”

I had her complete attention and I was glad of it. Luke was obviously standing by the door, waiting for her, but she hadn’t noticed.

“Well for one, I can be very charming. Also I am handsome and smart, so it is obvious you should choose me,” I said and Emily laughed again. “Is your day busy?”

“Actually after lunchtime I should be free if you want to hang out.”

“I would like to take you to dinner if that’s alright.”

“Of course, I’d love that,” she nodded and then touched my arm yet again, that time it was a lingering caress. I took her hand loosely in mine and leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek.

“I will meet you at seven then, in the courtyard.”

She nodded and smiled up at me as if she truly looked forward to it. I let her go, I might as well give
Luke
a fighting chance. Not surprisingly he quickly got her attention, but my father called me so I followed him out of the room.

“So you’re competing with Luke Hart for Emily’s hand? That has to be the prettiest fighter I’ve ever seen. He is just as good as his father,” my father came up behind me and commented on Emily and Luke together.

“Yes, it is best not to make a competition out of things. This is Emily’s choice; it depends on who
she
likes most.”

“You are too good for your
own
good. Come we have much to prepare for, if the Norwegian clan pays us a visit, we can’t be caught stooped over and poking at fire.”

I snorted and then spent the rest of the day coming up with suggestions to present to the king with father. Possible meetings, events, and the like.

When the time neared for me to meet with Emily I excused myself from my father’s company and flew home at the speed of sound to freshen up. Afterwards I quickly set up a picnic of sorts in a nearby meadow behind the castle. It looked out over one of the many rivers in Maine and was quite picturesque. Once I had everything ready I flew to the castle and made my way to the courtyard. Emily was just walking out from the west wing.

“Rune! There you are.” She was happy to see me and surprised me with a close embrace once we met.

“How are you?” I asked her and she shrugged slightly.

“I was beginning to grow bored after my last court appearance. Then I looked forward to dinner with you,” she smiled up at me sweetly and I took her hand.

“I planned something simple, just outside of the castle.”

“Since it’s outside of the castle I am already having a fantastic time.”

I laughed and then led her leisurely towards the meadow.

“You seem quieter than I initially thought you’d be,” she observed and I glanced down at her with a quirked brow.

“Perhaps I am just nervous?”

“You? Really? Oh you don’t have to be nervous around me Rune, I like you,” she said honestly and I smiled.

“And now I’ve gotten you to admit you like me, I’d say that puts me ahead,” I teased and she laughed.

“Oh
that
’s your plan? Feign shyness and get me to coddle you,” she nudged me playfully and I chuckled.

“Well that would only go so far, now that you
like
me, I really have to charm you, soon you’ll admit you love me.”

Emily laughed again and we finally reached the picnic I set up. I had laid out a blanket and set up a small floor seating table for the two of us. Next to it was a container of food and around the blanket were a few flame lit lamps.

“Oh Rune, you set this up?”

“All by myself.”

She smiled at me and I saw her eyes twinkle.

“It’s lovely, I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone set up a picnic for me before.” She let go of my hand and seemed to skip over to the blanket. I watched her sit and then she gestured for me to join her. “Don’t leave me hanging,” she said and I quickly sat next to her, our shoulders touching.

“I would never think of it. I’ve prepared quite the feast for us,” I said and she seemed impressed.

“
Really
? Like what?”

I opened the basket I packed and pulled out plates and cutlery. After that I produced a bottle of red wine and two bags of potato chips, followed by two roast beef sandwiches and I left dessert for later. Emily giggled when she took everything in and then it grew into full laughter.

“This looks divine Rune, you’ve outdone yourself,” she said jokingly and I inclined my head.

“Anything for you princess.”

She held my gaze for a moment and I felt the charge of attraction between us. It was strong and sudden. I leaned towards her and she met me half way. Our lips touched, softly at first, and then a fire seemed to spark in both of us and we kissed each other with passion. I felt the heat threaten to consume me in lust and I did not want to come on too strong so soon. I broke the kiss and we both took a moment to catch our breath.

“Whoa…I—didn’t expect that,” she whispered and I held her gaze again.

“I try not to be overly confident but…my plan is working,” I said and she dissolved into a fit of giggles.

*****

Luke

“So
where
are you going to take the princess?” Dean was visiting the special guard main building; it was just off the castle grounds. The building was used for meetings with the king. Otherwise we had training grounds near the beaches and met up for any announcements of lesser importance at any warrior’s house.

“I’m taking her someplace nice, don’t worry about it. Plus, I know better than to tell you, next thing I know you and mom will show up peeking through a window.”

“Ah, so there will be windows…” he said and we both laughed. “Alright I only stopped by to see how you were, I’m on the way to go hunt for a goat.”

“Neal’s goats matured? He let them out?”

“Yup, hunting season is on. It was his largest flock so far too.”

The dragon in me wanted to go hunting with Dean, but I had better things to do…particularly a more beautiful person to be with.

“Alright go ahead and bring a goat back to your wife,” I said and Dean chuckled.

“She does know how to cook a good goat,” he said and then waved before he left.

I finished what I was doing, filing a report on the whereabouts of the guard and whatnot. My mind kept straying to Emily. Yesterday Rune got to her first and I know they went out or something yesterday as well. I tried not to think about Rune too much. I didn’t want this to be a competition, because that would only take the focus off of Emily where it should be.

After I gave my report to the king’s assistant I left the castle, shifted, and then flew to my house. Emily would be waiting for me to pick her up from the castle and I had about thirty minutes to do so. I was going to take her out on my father’s boat. We’d have an early dinner and just relax on the Penobscot. I made sure the boat was okay where I readied it in the castle’s reserved marina on the river. Then I went to get Emily from the castle. I landed on her balcony and shifted back just as she walked out, surprise registered on her features.

“Oh it’s you,” she said and I ginned.

“Sorry to just drop in,” I said and she laughed.

“That’s fine, I was just putting on shoes.” Emily waved me into the room and I followed after her. She had a
huge
bedroom and a large canopy bed. Of course that’s one of the first things I would notice. The second being Emily sitting at her vanity and sliding on her boots.

“So where are we going? Or is this your elaborate plan to get me into bed…?” she asked saucily and I chuckled.

“Trust me that wouldn’t be a problem,” I replied and walked slowly towards her, she glanced up at me with a quirked eyebrow. “But I simply came to whisk you away. I thought a short flight would be nice.”

“That actually sounds great, I haven’t had the chance to get out all day. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever see much past this area…ever,” she sighed and, unconsciously, I reached out and brushed her hair out of her face.

“I’m sure you will. Depending on how these meetings with other dragon clans go, maybe we’ll all be moving to Europe soon,” I hurried to say something in order to cover up my touching her. I wasn’t sure if she would take offense or not.

“Imagine that…uprooting all the families here. Then they would have to learn probably the most difficult languages
to
learn,” she sighed and looked up at me with soft eyes.

That entire moment felt so natural it actually tugged at my chest. I had never felt much for any female, yet Emily was bringing all of these strange feelings out in me.

“That’s looking way into the future. Right now we can pretend nothing else exists, but taking to the sky,” I couldn’t help but grin at my poetic comment.

“That actually wasn’t as corny as it should have been,” she said and we both laughed.

Emily got up and then we walked out to her huge balcony. I watched her shift, she was a sleek dragon, her skin a smoky white and her eyes had turned color, becoming almost completely gold. She looked at me and in her eyes I saw she was telling me to shift already. I pulled the consuming fire from my core and it took over me like a blanket, soon I was aware of my larger body. Emily nudged me with her shoulder before she spread her wings and then lifted from the balcony. I lifted into the air behind her and then led her around the castle grounds before heading towards the river.

The air was nice and cool for late August. I led Emily the long way to where I parked the boat and once we reached the marina we both landed at the end of the dock where there were no boats or any wandering eyes.

“You’re taking me on a boat?” she asked with eagerness in her voice.

“Yeah I thought spending some time on the river would be cool, you don’t get seasick or anything do you?” I should have asked her earlier, before we got all the way out to the marina.

“No I’m not…though what would you do if I was?”

“I’d have to think on my feet, we’d probably end up sitting right there on the dock all evening.”

She laughed and I led her to my father’s boat. It wasn’t a small skipper or anything. The boat had everything from a kitchenette to a cabin and common area.

“Wow this is a
nice
boat, it’s yours?”

“It was my father’s, he built it himself, then Dean helped him and then I did. Dean didn’t want the boat after he passed, so I took it.”

Emily’s eyes softened and she reached out to squeeze my arm comfortingly before she wandered around inside, looking at everything.

“Once I get the boat out on the river, we can go out to the deck and hang out.”

“Okay…wait you have a captain’s license?” she was impressed and I smiled a little cockily.

“Yes I do,” she laughed at my tone and then I went to untie the boat before maneuvering it out of the dock. After Emily had a thorough look around she joined me at the wheel and we had a moment of comfortable silence.

“So what did you do today?” she asked me almost suddenly and I glanced at her before replying.

“I was at the castle and special guard building, back and forth. Mostly filing reports. With Ajax gone I had to take over the paperwork end of his job. Soon I’ll have to do that as well as lead the men on missions.”