A Shade of Vampire 14: A Dawn of Strength (17 page)

I
didn’t let
myself get distracted again. Even when we passed Griffin with Becky, we continued walking. They appeared to be too wrapped up in each other anyway to notice us.

Gavin and Zinnia had considered Griffin too newly turned and unstable in his abilities to fight, so they’d insisted that he stayed in the mountains with the humans. Even though Griffin and Becky had just spent many hours together in the Black Heights, they couldn’t seem to get enough of each other. I still felt nothing but thrilled for him—it certainly helped to ease the guilt I felt whenever he looked my way.

Arriving outside the entrance to the Black Heights, I felt my palms begin to sweat. I moved to push open the door, but Caleb held me back—apparently sensing my discomfort. He looked down at me with concern.

“Do you want to take a moment?” he asked.

It was uncanny how he seemed to know me better than I knew myself sometimes.

I swallowed hard and nodded. “Yeah.”

I turned to face the clearing that had served as our battleground only hours ago. The dead witches and vampires had been scraped off the ground and disposed of—I didn’t know where. But the signs of the mighty struggle still remained etched on the charred grass.

I began to replay the last conversation I’d had with the fire breathers. Instead of stealing me away, they’d agreed to consider remaining on this island and finding mates from the human girls who lived here. But the more I thought about our discussion, the more I realized how many holes there were in my representation to my father of how “settled” things were with the dragons.

What exactly did they even mean by “needing females”? Were they looking for partners—lovers—or just… baby machines? I’d assumed at the time they’d meant the former—that they’d romance and fall in love with a girl. But I had no idea how these bizarre creatures’ minds worked. Consensual to them could hold an entirely different meaning to us.

My gut clenched.
I should have used my brain before offering up the island’s entire population of single women.

And once the dragons had made their choices, would they take the girls back to their realm forever?

What was stopping them from stealing away all the girls and then swiping me as well? Were these noble creatures, or were they brutes? Given my recent escapades with Caleb, I didn’t exactly have a pleasant taste left over in my mouth when it came to the dealings of various types of supernaturals.

I realized I was ignoring Caleb’s advice to not dwell on what-ifs, but right now, I couldn’t help myself.

Doubt upon doubt assailed my mind, until I reached the point of being overwhelmed.

Caleb had meant for me to take a moment to gather my calm before stepping inside. I’d just gone and triggered the beginnings of a nervous breakdown.

But it was clear that waiting any longer before stepping inside would only make things worse. So I stopped pacing up and down and moved toward the door.

Caleb gripped the back of my shoulder blades, digging his fingers into my tense muscles. “Take a deep breath, Maiden of Fire.”

Although he’d called me it in jest, somehow that name combined with the release of tension in my muscles made my breathing steadier, my thoughts a little less frenzied.

I caught his hand and held it tight as we walked through the entrance. We moved quickly to the chamber where I’d left them all. I was relieved when we heard deep voices echoing down the corridor toward us—at least they hadn’t left to wander around some other part of the island and their voices didn’t sound angry. Still, my hand was shaking as I pushed open the door to their room.

When we stepped inside, a hushed silence fell about the chamber as all eyes fixed on Caleb and me.

“I’m sorry for the wait,” I said, looking from one to the other and doing my best to feign confidence. Even though I’d seen them all together before in their humanoid forms on guiding them in here, it was still a shock to the system to be suddenly subjected to a whole room full of these fierce, disquietingly powerful men.

I was amazed by how unfazed Caleb was by them. I didn’t detect even the slightest quickening in his breathing, though he kept a strong hold on me as we walked into the center of the room. Caleb had been through so much in his life, I supposed he was fearless in the face of most things.

Jeriad stepped to the front of the crowd and towered over me. I held his aquamarine gaze as steadily as I could.

“We’ve decided we want this island’s human females.”

My heart hammered against my chest. “I-I’m glad you were able to come to a decision,” I said. “I do have some questions for you. Shall we take a seat?” I gestured toward the benches lining the edges of the room.

Caleb and I waited for the dragons to sit down first. Then, seeing that they’d left a space for us a few feet away from Jeriad, we sat next to him.

I wet my lower lip, trying to figure out the most diplomatic way to phrase my first question. “Jeriad, what do you mean exactly by wanting The Shade’s human females?”

His dark eyebrows furrowed. “Did I not tell you already?”

“You indicated that your species need females to help you procreate.” I gave him a small, nervous smile. “But I mean, a lot of things happen between a male and female’s first meeting and having a child… right?”

I watched him closely, gauging his reaction. The blood drained from my face as his eyes narrowed on me.

“What’s the purpose of that question?” he asked.

“I want to understand how you dragons work. Here on Earth, there are certain procedures for these things, while certain behaviors are considered unacceptable.”

Jeriad exchanged glances with his comrades. Then, to my surprise, they all burst out chuckling. Their laughter was deep—almost melodious—and seemed to well up from the very pits of their stomachs.

Jeriad faced me once again. “Tell me, maiden, what your…
procedures
are. I think we’d all take delight in hearing them.”

Taken aback, I began stumbling for words. “Well, our procedures are usually like this. A man and woman meet. They’re either attracted to each other, or they aren’t. Only if both feel attraction do they keep seeing each other. After some time, they either fall deeply in love, or they don’t. Only if both feel love for one another do they consider spending the rest of their lives together—which will often result in having children.”

I paused.

Jeriad raised a brow. “That’s it?”

“Mm.” I nodded. “Pretty much.”

Another wave of chuckling made its way round the chamber.

“You humans are backward creatures, aren’t you?” Jeriad smirked.

I widened my eyes at him. “Excuse me?”

Jeriad stood up and closed the distance between him and me. He placed his hands on his knees as he bent down until his face was inches away from mine. “Let’s put it this way, princess,” he said softly, “if there’s anything we dragons need to be taught while here on Earth, it’s not the artistry of romance.”

Artistry of romance?

Who talks like that?

I was relieved that he’d used the word “romance”, but left in a daze by the passion blazing in his eyes. The hairs on my arms stood on end as he looked at me, even as his proximity heated me up like an oven. Tearing my eyes away from him, I stood up myself and took a few steps back from him.

“Okay.” I let out a deep breath. “So, uh, we’re cool?”

He cocked his head to one side.

“I-I mean, we appear to be on the same page. In other words, you’re looking for love.”

A small smile crept across Jeriad’s lips as he nodded. “You have no idea, damsel, of the type of love we’re capable of… If you’d stayed in our realm long enough to meet our prince, one conversation with him would have been all it would have taken to drive you to forget this vampire.”

Caleb’s jaw tensed. My hands balled into fists as I felt them begin to heat up.

“If you’re still entertaining any notions that I am to be swayed,” I said heatedly, “I suggest you drop them now, dragon. Nothing, and I repeat, nothing, could replace this man in my eyes. Not a dragon. Not a werewolf. Not a god. Nor a whole planet swarming with all three.”

The warm light of the lanterns lining the walls flickered in Jeriad’s eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest. “If you say so,” he said, a hint of amusement playing across his face. “We won’t waste our time in pursuing you.”

I paused, waiting for my body to cool down before continuing, “And—once you have courted and chosen your partners—would you want to take them back to The Hearthlands?”

“If our lovers so desired,” Jeriad said. “Now we’ve discovered a gate, we would certainly wish for our offspring to return there.”

“Okay.” I sat back down next to Caleb, lifting his arm and sliding it around me as I kept my eyes on Jeriad. There was something strangely charming about these dragons. Their words should have come across as arrogant and presumptuous. But somehow, they didn’t. I’d only gotten irritated because they’d made Caleb feel uncomfortable and, while I didn’t believe for a moment that their prince could make me forget Caleb, I couldn’t ignore the confidence that oozed from every pore of their skin. I didn’t doubt that they were expert lovers and would be capable of making any woman very, very happy.

The door creaked open behind us. I whirled around to see my parents enter the room.

“Hi, Mom and Dad,” I said, beckoning them over toward us. “So Jeriad and I have been having a little talk and we’ve come to a clearer understanding. They want to stay here and
romance
our single ladies.”

My father looked around at the crowd. “How many of you wish to stay?” he asked.

“I would estimate just one hundred of us to start with,” Jeriad replied. “Some of our group here with me now—ten or so—will return to inform the royal family, and come back again to the island with the prince—for whom finding a partner is a priority.”

One hundred dragons. That would provide us all with a nice amount of protection.

“What type of accommodation is your preference?” my mother asked. “We have witches here skilled in constructing almost anything.”

“We like mountains,” Jeriad said instantly. “The chambers within this range could be made suitable for us with some guidance on our part to the witches.”

“We’ll arrange for a meeting then, with you and our witches, and you can detail your requirements and preferences,” my mother said.

“And, um, what do you do for food?” I asked nervously, recalling their appetite for ogre flesh.

Jeriad’s gaze once again fell upon my face. “We shall remain primarily in these forms while we remain on this island, and we will eat as the humans do.”

I let out a sigh of relief. Brett and Bella would still be terrified when they discovered that the dragons were to remain with us permanently, but at least they would be a little less menacing in their humanoid forms.

“When will you leave for your prince?” my father asked.

“As soon as this meeting is over.”

I took that as my cue to leave. I’d asked them everything I’d wanted to ask them for now—and, assuming they were telling the truth, I was satisfied that I’d done the right thing by letting them mingle with the island’s large population of human woman.

I reached out a hand to Jeriad. “I’ll see you again soon, no doubt.”

He gripped my hand, the warmth of his skin melding with my own. His touch was surprisingly gentle for a man of his prowess, though I supposed it had been quite deliberate, since he was touching a
damsel
.

Drawing away, Caleb and I headed out of the Black Heights while my parents stayed behind to talk with them further. As we entered into the clearing, I asked, “What should we do now…?”

As I gazed up at him, my voice trailed off. I was surprised by how intensely he was staring at me. Ignoring my question, he swept me off my feet and raced with me in his arms up the side of the mountain. As our cabin came into view—thankfully unscathed in the battle—I realized where he was headed.

He flew up the porch steps and barged through the door. Closing the door behind us with his heel, he carried me straight to our bedroom. Laying my head against the pillows, he climbed over me and straddled my hips. He placed his hands either side of my head and lowered his face until his lips were so close I could practically taste them.

Finally, he answered my question in a whisper. “It’s been a long night. I think we should sleep.”

“Sleep, huh? You don’t exactly strike me as tired.”

“I’m never tired when I’m with you.” Breathing heavily, he ran his mouth down my throat toward my chest, leaving a trail of kisses.

“Then you’re going to be one tired vampire in a hundred years’ time,” I managed to whisper back. His touch was lighting me on fire again. I hoped I wouldn’t become too hot or lose control and start spouting flames.

He paused, raising his head to look me in the eye. “Just a hundred?”

“Well, more. But we need to figure out how to turn me into a vampire without me going wild like my brother.”

He dipped his head again and continued caressing my body, but I could tell that something was bothering him. After he’d undressed me, I beckoned him toward me and pulled him into my arms. Twining my legs with his, I rested his head against my chest. “I meant what I said to those dragons, Caleb,” I said softly. “I’m yours… and if you hold onto me, I always will be.”

His hold around me tightened. Positioning himself so that he was level with me on the pillows, he gazed into my eyes. “Is it possible for ice to hold onto fire?”

I slipped my hand into his. “You’re holding onto me now,” I whispered, pressing my lips against his cheek. “Just don’t let go.”

Inhaling deeply, he reached for the back of my head and drew me closer before I could pull away again. He shut his eyes, and his lips closed around mine hungrily. I moaned, relishing the feel of his tongue exploring my mouth.

Finally, he lifted his head. My heart swelled as he smiled down at me, his chocolate-brown eyes lighting up.

“I still might not admit to belonging in your world, Rose,” he said. “But I can no longer deny that I belong with you.”