Chapter 2
Keira looked down at the list in front of her, tapping the shaft of her quill against the pot of ink. A streak of sunlight fell from the window across her shoulder, highlighting the rich chestnut browns of her hair. Adjusting the quill in her hand, she added something more to the list, before setting the instrument back in its stand and nodding to herself. It was the season of Advent, and with the Christmas Feast Day fast approaching, Keira wanted to make sure nothing had been overlooked. The menus for the Christmas season had already been planned with Cook, while Thomas had been tasked with finding a troupe that would entertain the residents and guests at Storbrook Castle. It would not be a large gathering – Keira’s family would be the only guests for the season – but it was the first time she would be celebrating the feast with Aaron, and she wanted everything to be perfect.
Keira smiled to herself as she leaned back in the chair, jumping in surprise a moment later when a pair of warm hands descended lightly on her shoulders. She looked up with a smile into Aaron’s tawny eyes as he stepped around the chair, his warm lips descending on hers for a quick kiss. When he pulled away a moment later, the color of his eyes had been swallowed up in a blaze of flames, reminding Keira that the man she had married was not like other men, for just beneath the surface of his human guise burned a creature of such strength and power that just the mention of the beast made people hide themselves in fear. The thought excited Keira, and she reached up her hand to pull the beast back to her, opening her mouth to him as he responded hungrily. His hands were tangled in her hair when he pulled himself away with an audible intake of breath. He pushed himself upright and leaned his weight against Keira’s desk.
“You seemed very intent in what you were doing,” he said.
“Just putting some finishing touches on my plans for Christmas,” she said. “Thomas has found a troupe willing to risk their lives and provide entertainment at Storbrook.” In fact, most people refused to venture anywhere near Storbrook Castle, where a dragon was rumored to have its lair. What they didn’t know was that the dragon could disguise himself in human form, and often walked amongst them.
“Thomas is certainly resourceful,” Aaron replied, “and seems to have no qualms about spending gold from the dragon’s hoard. I wonder how much this entertainment is going to cost me.” In Aaron’s tone there was a grudging respect for his steward, one of the few people who knew the true identity of the dragon. Keira stood up and slipped her arms around Aaron’s waist.
“Is the dragon really so miserly that he begrudges a few coins spent on the entertainment of his guests?” she asked. The dragon laughed, and pulled his wife hard against his firm body.
“The only thing the dragon truly treasures is you,” he said, his eyes glowing as he kissed her. He pulled away a moment later, resting his forehead against hers.
“It looks like we will have another guest for Christmas,” he said, drawing away to look into her eyes.
“We will? Cathryn and Favian?”
“No. Max.”
“Max? Who is Max?”
“Do you remember Beatrix and James?” he said, and Keira nodded. Beatrix was Aaron’s aunt, and she and her husband James had been at Keira and Aaron’s blood-binding ceremony a few months before. “Do you remember me telling you that James had fathered two children before he met Beatrix?” Again Keira nodded. “Max is James’s son. From what I’ve heard, he is earning quite a reputation in the city as a rake and a cad. It must run in his genes,” Aaron added cynically. “Beatrix has asked me to send for him in the hopes I can talk some sense into him.”
Keira pulled herself out of Aaron’s arms and took a step back. “Can you?”
Aaron shrugged. “I can only try. As Master, it falls to me to bring him into line.” Keira nodded slowly.
“All right. So tell me about him. How old is he?”
“He’s thirty-five, charming and handsome. Women adore him, his friends admire him, and his enemies, which includes most of the husbands in the city, are jealous of him. He treads a fine line between recklessness and caution, and it is amazing he hasn’t spilled the secret of what he is over the whole city. Or maybe he has, but his friends have been too drunk to give it any attention,” Aaron added dryly.
“So you think that being away from the city will help?”
“I’m not sure, but Beatrix thinks I will be able to influence him where others have failed.”
“Why?”
Aaron turned away and stared out the window at the mountains surrounding Storbrook. “Because my own past has been rather checkered,” he finally replied.
“Yes, but Aaron, you rejected humanity. You stayed away from people. You didn’t drink and carouse with them.”
“You are right, but only partly,” Aaron said, turning around to look at her. “For many years I did shun all humanity. But for a while, after Favian tracked me down and forced me into the human world, I went to the opposite extreme. Part of it was because I could – humans are attracted to dragons without knowing why. And part of it was to prove that I was right all along – that people are selfish and irresponsible, and that love makes you weak. I used people, and they allowed themselves to be used. I took advantage of all that the women had to offer, both giving and taking a momentary pleasure that their married lives did not afford.” Aaron smiled grimly. “They loved me for it!”
Keira stared at Aaron wide-eyed as she drew in a deep breath before he went on. “I drank with their husbands, matching drink for drink, and they thought I was a great sport even though I trounced them at cards. And the women could not stay away from me – I could ask for anything and they were happy to give it. So you see, I know what Max is doing – I know how powerful and important it makes you feel, and I know how meaningless it all is.” Keira took a step backwards, holding up her hand when Aaron started to move towards her.
“I knew you had been with other women, Aaron, but married woman?” she said. “How many?”
“Keira,” Aaron said, “they did not mean anything to me. And I certainly didn’t mean anything to them either.”
“Really? Did you just sleep with them once, or did you have ongoing affairs?”
“Keira, please.”
“Tell me, Aaron.”
“Sometimes once or twice, other times more. But Keira, that’s in the past. They meant nothing to me.”
“But you still slept with them. How do I know that I am not as meaningless to you as they were?”
“The fact that I married you should tell you that!” Aaron said sharply. He took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair as he did so. “I love you, Keira,” he said, his tone softening. He reached for her hands, grabbing them when she tried to move away, and took a step towards her.
“I cannot take back things I have done, as much as I may wish to,” he said. “But believe me when I say that you hold my heart, and there is no-one else I have ever loved as I love you.”
Keira stared up at him, still unsure for a moment, but when Aaron wrapped his arms around her, she allowed him to pull her close, resting her head against his chest. It stung a little, knowing there had been so many others before her, but she could not doubt the love he had for her. They stood in silence for a few moments until she finally pulled away.
“So you want to invite Max for Christmas?”
Aaron nodded. “But only if you are comfortable with him being here.”
“What about Anna?”
Anna. The name hung between them as the memories of what had happened came rushing back. Anna had been abducted the previous autumn by Edmund, who had planned to kill her as revenge against Keira and Aaron. They had found the teenage girl before Edmund could carry out his threat, but ever since the attack she had become even more difficult and self-absorbed than she had been before.
Keira pulled her thoughts back to the present as Aaron responded.
“Anna is far too young and naive to interest a man like Max, and Max is too
worldly wise to allow a rude and distrustful girl like Anna to get under his skin. I would never do anything to place Anna in harm’s way. I have failed her and your father once, but I will not do so again. However, I suspect she will ignore Max, and he will do the same.”
“You are not responsible for what happened to Anna, Aaron. If it hadn’t been for you, we would never have found Anna in time.”
“If it hadn’t been for me,” Aaron responded wryly, “Edmund would never have turned his sights on her. It was my presence that flamed his jealousy for you, and when he turned his anger to Anna, it was only because you were beyond his reach.”
Keira shook her head, knowing the futility of continuing the argument. “Go ahead and invite Max for Christmas,” she said. “It will be nice to have more company over the festive season, and if he is as charming as you say, he will be a welcome diversion through the dreary months of winter.”