dragon archives 03 - loved by a dragon

  Loved by a Dragon

  Book III of The Dragon Archives

  Linda K. Hopkins

  Published by Linda K. Hopkins at Kindle Direct Publishing

  Copyright 2015 Linda K. Hopkins

  Kindle Edition, License Notes

  Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  By Linda K. Hopkins

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my fans who have encouraged me to keep telling the tales about dragons.

  Chapter 1

  It was early winter, but already the weather was cold. Snow lay on the ground, and the rivers and lakes were covered in a thick layer of ice. Keira stood at the edge of the frozen river watching the five wolves on the opposite bank. She and Aaron, her husband of three months, had just been in the village, visiting her parents, but they had stopped in the forest before continuing their journey home to Storbrook. The wolves were huge; big gray beasts, with yellow eyes that stared at her alert and unblinking in the dull light of dusk. They watched her with an intense hunger, but made no move to cross the icy wasteland. At the front of the pack stood the alpha male, his posture tall and erect, while a smaller female stood at his side. They were gaunt, the deprivations of winter obvious in their dull coats. The male stood still, growling low, but his eyes were focused not on Keira, but on the creature that stood behind her. The breeze shifted slightly, blowing away from Keira and towards the wolves, and the ears of the male rose upright as he bared his teeth, his growl becoming louder. The female moved nervously at his side, but her eyes were on Keira, and after a moment she took a tentative step forward. The male’s growls grew louder, but the she-wolf ignored him, moving cautiously across the ice.

  Keira could feel the hot breath of the wild beast standing behind her, its hulking presence an impenetrable barrier to her escape. It was infinitely more dangerous than the wolves, but Keira felt no fear. Instead, her attention was completely focused on the small pack across the river, and she watched them curiously. The alpha male was watching the beast nervously, but the female, clearly not familiar with the threat, continued to pick her way across the ice. Keira was well aware of her precarious position – if the wolves managed to reach her, she could be ripped to shreds. But she knew that the beast behind her would attack the wolves before they got that close. The she-wolf was growing bolder, her tentative steps becoming more confident as she stood near the middle of the river, where a thin channel of water cut its way through the ice. A low growl rumbled through the air behind Keira, and the female paused, her eyes seeking out the threat as she sniffed the air. She glanced back at her mate, still standing on the riverbank, but before she had a chance to retreat, a burst of flame shot over Keira’s head. The blaze caught the wolf’s coat, and with a yelp she turned and ran, bounding between the other wolves and disappearing amongst the trees as the rest of the pack turned and followed.

  “You set that wolf alight,” Keira said, her eyes still on the retreating forms.

  “Don’t spare it too much pity,” the dragon said. “It would have killed you if given a chance. Besides, it will soon seek relief in the cool snow, which will put out the flames.”

  Keira turned to look at the dragon. “Like other wild beasts, it was just looking to assuage its hunger.”

  “That is true,” the dragon replied, “and if it had set its sights on any other creature in this forest, I would not have interfered. But it was hungering after you, my sweet, and that is quite unacceptable.”

  Keira smiled as she stretched out a hand to stroke the smooth scales on the dragon’s neck. “I love you,” she said.

  The dragon smiled, revealing a mouth of sharp, pointed teeth. His scales glimmered and shone a pale gold in the dull light, while huge wings lay folded across his broad back. A tail, armed with fierce spikes, curled around his body, the tip stretching beyond where Keira stood and curling around her protectively. He bent his long neck, lowering his massive head with its sharp horns which stood stark against the light, and brought his eyes down to her level. They were blazing as brightly as the fire that had streamed from his mouth, and his breath was hot and musky. “And I love you, my beautiful wife.”

  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 entertai
nment 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 Beatrice and James?” he said, and Keira nodded. Beatrice 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 Beatrice?” 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. “Beatrice 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 Beatrice 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.”

  Chapter 3

  Anna pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders as she slipped out the side door and picked her way through the snow towards the distant corner of the gardens. The air was frigid, and Anna curled her hands into fists within her mittens in an effort to maintain the warmth in her fingers. Before her the gardens were covered in a shimmering blanket of silver-white, while behind her the pristine covering had been marred by the trail of her fur-lined feet pushing through the snow, a record of her passing. The trees had long since lost their leaves, and hoar frost clung to the bare branches, the delicate feathering sparkling in the weak rays of winter sun and presenting a stark contrast against the deep blue of the sky. Silence hung in the air, with just the faintest voice occasionally drifting on a wayward breeze from the direction of the towering heap of stone that formed the walls of Storbrook Castle. To Anna, the walls of Storbrook seemed at times to be more like a prison than a sanctuary, and it was at these times that she felt the need to escape the thick walls, dark passages, and smoky
halls. Treading through the snow, Anna filled her lungs with the cold air, then released it slowly, watching as it hung in a small cloud for a moment before dissipating. Peace flooded her mind with each breath, blowing away the dark, depressing thoughts which so often plagued her.

  There was a wooden bench in the far corner of the garden, and it was to this that Anna made her way. The seat of the bench was buried under three inches of snow, smooth and unspoiled until Anna swiped her hand through the thick powder and pushed it onto the ground below. She sat down cautiously – the seat of the bench was cold – before slowly relaxing against the backrest. At her approach, a robin had flown into the branches of a nearby tree, but after a few moments it fluttered back to the ground, foraging around the base of the tree as Anna watched. The winter sun was shining feebly on the glittering landscape, and Anna lifted her face so she could feel the warming rays on her cheeks. She closed her eyes and allowed the serenity of the moment to filter through her mind.

  A shout in the distant courtyard startled her, nudging open the door that held back the memories of her abduction the previous autumn. They no longer had the power to terrify her, as they had at first, but they still managed to bring a mild sense of panic. She had been nothing more than a tool in Edmund’s hands – an opportunity for him to exact his revenge against Keira for her rejection, and when Anna had stumbled across his path that fateful day, he had seen in her the means by which he could obtain his retribution. Anna no longer recalled the individual events of that terrible afternoon, at least not in her waking hours. The way he had dragged her, pulling her stumbling through the woods, was now just a blur, but she could not forget the terror that had gripped her that day. And although she could not recall the exact moment when Aaron had arrived, pulling Edmund from her, she remembered the flood of relief when she realized she was free from him, and that her persecutor was dead.