Loved by the Dragon Collection Read online

  I feel like a whale in this dress. Is it really pretty? Who am I kidding? I’m gorgeous. It’s not like I need breathe for the next hour or so. Maybe I should have Mahasti loosen the laces a little if I want to eat at the reception.

  “Are you ready?” Chloe slipped inside the gauzy tent and stopped in her tracks. “Oh, sweetie, you look stunning.”

  Marcy turned away from the mirror and smoothed her trembling hands over the skirt of her gown. The sweetheart neckline and corseted bodice flattered her generous bustline, emphasizing her waist and curvy hips. “I feel like a princess.”

  “You look like one,” Chloe assured her. “Here. Teo asked me to give you this as a finishing touch.”

  Chloe stepped over to her best friend and tucked a single, pink hibiscus flower into her hair over her left ear. Marcy reached up and touched the silken petals.

  “Is my mom seated? I didn’t think she’d ever leave after giving me Abuela’s old cross.”

  “Yup, she’s with Dad and Annette,” Chloe confirmed. “Your brother is waiting outside the tent to walk you down the aisle.”

  Marcy drew in a deep breath, her insides quivering with excitement. “I’m ready. I want to have a peek at everyone first.”

  “Um… maybe we should just get you outside for the wedding. I have something to tell you, but I don’t want to make you nervous before your big moment.”

  “I’m already so nervous I could puke, chica. Just tell me. Rip it off like a Band-aid.”

  “It’s their mothers,” Chloe whispered, parting the tent for Marcy to have a peek. “They both showed up about two minutes ago as I was passing by. Saul and Teo have been staring at them, but…”

  “Everyone’s waiting on you to give the signal for the wedding to begin,” Marcy finished. And the guys were stuck waiting at the altar.

  “I still can’t believe Ēostre is here.” Chloe let out a shaky breath.

  “Teo told me his mother would be here, but not Saul’s.” Marcy’s belly would have flopped if the corset boning didn’t anchor it in place. It became a lead weight instead, an oppressive burden in the center of her body threatening to bring up the tiny sandwich and sips of tea she’d had for breakfast.

  “Saul wasn’t expecting her to wake from her long sleep for at least another fifty years, if not longer.”

  “I’ve seen Ēostre’s photograph in your house. It’s really her.” Marcy bit her lower lip and studied the fair-skinned, regal woman in the moonlight colored dress. Every inch of her screamed sophistication but there was also a sadness in her face. She sat beside Marcy’s mother-in-law to be, an ethereal vision with flowing golden hair. Both female dragons were polar opposites, closely resembled by their handsome sons.

  “At least we can meet the in-laws together,” Chloe said, attempting to lighten the mood.

  Why does that seem scarier somehow? Two mother dragons meeting the humans their sons fell for. Panic fluttered in Marcy’s stomach. “Teo’s mom looks like a classical actress or something. She’s gorgeous.”

  “Not more beautiful than you on your wedding day. Don’t you forget that.”

  “Oh my God,” Marcy squeaked. “What if she hates me? What if she thinks a human isn’t worthy of her son? I can barely pronounce her name!”

  “Marcy, hon, relax.” Chloe pulled her away from the tent’s entrance. “All that matters is what Teo thinks, but it won’t hurt to rehearse her name a few times. Say it with me. Xochiquetzal. Girl, you got this. If you can say that mouthful of syllables she named your husband, you can say her name.”

  They practiced calm respirations and speaking dragon names for another five minutes before a pleasant voice called from beyond the tent. “Knock, knock.”

  Chloe and Marcy shot each other uncertain gazes. “Come in,” Marcy replied.

  The curtain parted to admit the ancient dragoness soon to become Marcy’s mother-in-law. Xochi’s gold dress flowed like liquid against her bronzed limbs, but the smile she flashed Marcy was radiant and genuine. “Ēostre and I both wished to meet you, but I feared the both of us would overwhelm at once.”

  Up close at a conversational distance, the similarities between mother and son became more apparent. He had her high cheekbones, her flawless complexion, and the same vivid green eyes. She wore her black hair in an elaborate semi-updo, held in place by a few sparkling ruby clips.

  “I apologize for my mate’s absence from the festivities,” Xochi said to her. “As I understand, it is tradition among humans to don something borrowed and something blue. I would be honored if you accept both from me.”

  “I…” Marcy must have looked like a deer in the headlights because Chloe nudged her gently from behind. “Thank you, Xochiquetzal. I’d be honored.”

  “Xochi is more than fine,” she assured Marcy.

  Oh thank God! Marcy smiled. “Xochi, then.”

  The elegant dragoness opened a small clutch bag with an expensive designer label then offered a slender box to Marcy. “Something blue for you, and my gift.”

  “They’re gorgeous, Xochi.” Marcy held up the chandelier-style earrings. Polished beads of obsidian paired with sapphires and pearls for a stunning tiered drape.

  “I hoped you would like them. Now, this one I should like returned after the wedding. This bracelet belonged to my mother. She plucked the oysters from the deep herself, fascinated by the treasure they offered.”

  Pearls, Marcy determined, were favored in Teo’s family. Chloe helped her clasp the double strand around her wrist.

  “Perfect,” Xochi declared. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and kissed Marcy’s cheek. “I look forward to having you as my daughter.”

  The regal woman stepped outside to return to her seat, leaving Marcy stunned. Chloe hugged her then did some quick, last minute adjustments to Marcy’s veil.

  “She liked me,” Marcy whispered, stunned.

  “Of course she did, silly. There’s nothing about you to dislike,” Chloe replied.

  Marcy let the worry wash away with her next exhaled breath, excitement replacing the jitters. Teo is outside waiting for me, she thought, and the blooming warmth of happiness in her chest spread out to her fingers and her toes. “Ok, let’s do this.”

  Chloe grinned. “Count to five, then follow me out.”

  One, I’m beautiful in this dress. Two, I love Teo. Three, I’m marrying a dragon. Four, today is my day. Five… I have never been so happy.

  Marcy emerged from the tent.

  I will not pass out on my wedding day. I will not pass out.

  Leiv had surprised them all by volunteering to play the piano. His skillful fingers began her wedding march once everyone took their places. Among the human revelers, family members, and business associates, members of the supernatural world littered the seats in the audience.

  All of her family, save for her estranged father, awaited her on the bride’s side of the aisle. Her former employer and his wife smiled at her from their seats, as supportive following the end of her employment as he had been during their years together.

  Teo waited for her at the end of the aisle, a proudly beaming man in an immaculate white tuxedo jacket. His black hair flowed in sleek weaves over his shoulders, and he’d never looked hotter.

  Marcy’s heart raced with every step.

  As Maid of Honor, Chloe went down the green aisle first and joined Saul at the front. Astrid followed behind her, the world’s cutest flower girl in her cream and gold dress.

  Marcy’s older brother Alejandro led her the entire way. He kissed her cheek before passing her hands to Teo.

  The priest, an old man in his late sixties, spoke briefly about the importance of marriage then asked the bride and groom to exchange their pe
rsonal vows.

  Teo lifted Marcy’s hands to his lips and looked deep into her eyes. “On our wedding day, my dear Marceline, there are many things I wish to say to you. My life became irreversibly changed from the moment I met you five years ago. You are the air I breathe and the sun to lighten every dark path. You are worth more to me than any amount of treasure and all of my wealth. Without you, I could not be poorer.”

  There goes my makeup. Yup. It’s gone.

  “When we first met, Teo, I knew you were unlike any other man I’d ever met. Those weeks with you on the island showed me your heart. Your kindness and your empathy. You filled my empty life with happiness and joy, and I couldn’t love you more for it.”

  Their friends and family ceased to exist when she and Teo kissed. Saul cleared his throat and the pair parted with flushed cheeks and embarrassed smiles. Instead of rice their guests threw rose petals or blew bubbles.

  Afterward, their guests moved to a secondary tent with banquet tables beneath and a wooden dance floor lay on the ground. A string quartet played soft music. Their four tiered cake was a confectionary masterpiece of icing and tropical flowers.

  “Before we all dine, I wish to share a dance with my Marceline,” Teo announced. He kissed Marcy’s hand and drew her with him to the large open space in the center.

  Everyone watched them and several cameras flashed from various tables. Their hired wedding photographer crouched down a few feet away as Teo pulled her into his arms for a slow waltz. After a few minutes, other couples joined them, with Saul and Chloe leading the way. Thor escorted Saul’s mother and Watatsumi accompanied Xochi.

  “What is so funny?” Teo murmured against her ear.

  “All these dragons,” she whispered back, “and my family has absolutely no idea.”

  “One day, we will tell them the truth.” A soft kiss against her brow followed his promise. “When you are ready.”

  She wouldn’t be able to hide the truth from her family forever, but for today, she would let them continue on in blissful ignorance.

  “Look, Maximilian has asked one of your many cousins to dance.” Teo directed her gaze to the handsome, auburn-haired dragon as he twirled a dark-haired young woman across the floor. The male dragons in attendance had a common trait, sporting broad shoulders and tall frames. Marcy’s human guests, unaware of the predators in their midst, swooned over them all.

  “So he really doesn’t harbor any ill-will about Chloe killing Brigid? You made it sound like he doesn’t care, but he looks…” She had yet to see a true smile on Maximilian’s face. He carried the mature features of a man in his mid-forties, revealing touches of silver in his neatly trimmed goatee.

  “No, I may have exaggerated. He is saddened, of course. Brigid was his only offspring. But he also understands she instigated by challenging Chloe. It could not be avoided, and Brigid had a reputation for cruelty.”

  “What about the others?”

  “Some are worried mingling will reveal our kind. Others, like Maximilian, are of the belief we cannot stay hidden forever. The Council has called a meeting a month from now, but this is not the pleasant talk we should be having on our special day, my love.”

  “Sorry.” She lifted onto her tiptoes and kissed him. Applause and friendly cheers erupted all around them.

  “Save it for the honeymoon!” Alejandro called out, a sentiment which Saul seconded. Marcy’s brother and her best friend’s husband had hit it off since his arrival at the estate.

  The rest of the evening passed by in a joy filled haze. Chloe introduced Marcy to her own mother-in-law and while Ēostre’s welcome was less warm than Xochi’s had been, it was equally genuine. Toward the end of the evening Teo and Marcy cut into their cake and fed each other small bites.

  Their loved ones sent them off with hugs, kisses, tears, and well wishes. Then Mahasti swept them away after the limousine was out of sight.

  Teo surprised her with a Tuscan villa in the Italian countryside. Marcy had learned early on to expect extravagant gifts as dragons rarely did anything small. The magnificent home held familiar furnishings from her Texas apartment and Teo’s island home.

  “I have another surprise for you.”

  “Another? Teo, this house is more than enough. Too much.”

  “I promise you will be pleased.”

  An easel covered in red silk waited for them in the bedroom.

  “My wedding gift to you, my bride.” Teo removed the protective sheet from the canvas to reveal the million dollar watercolor portrait.

  “My painting!” she cried, raising both hands to her mouth. “But we auctioned this!”

  “Once it was entered into the auction rolls, I was unable to remove it. However, I couldn’t bear to think of another person possessing your work and paid a colleague to purchase it.”

  Tears came to Marcy’s eyes then she threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him. She giggled at his exaggerated kisses and leaned back to gaze into her husband’s green eyes. “I’m so glad you and Saul concocted my vacation.”

  Teo’s eyes widened. “You knew? You are not upset?”

  “No, silly. It makes me happy. You make me happy.”

  Teo cast his gaze toward the bed and his lips turned up in a devilish smile. “I brought the fuzzy cuffs.”

  “Mmm. Did you bring our riding crop, too?”

  “How could I forget?”

  “Well, you haven’t been a naughty dragon.” Marcy trailed her fingers over his chest, freeing his shirt buttons as she went. “In fact, I think my very good dragon deserves a reward.”

  Epilogue

  4 years later

  “I still can’t believe Maximilian is running for Governor of California.” Marcy sipped her lemonade, settled down in comfort on a chaise with pillows propped up all around her. A cell phone beside her bowl of snacks connected to the small Bluetooth clip curved around her ear.

  “The Council feels as you do,” her husband replied. By his dry tone she could easily picture his face. “Dragons have always been in politics, but they worry about this modern age. He will draw attention to himself and all of us.”

  “Then maybe in this modern age it’s time to come out into the open. What’s the world going to do? Send cruise missiles after you? You guys own them.”

  “Several have voiced the same opinion, Watatsumi among them. My mother and Ēostre have taken his side, but my father is vehemently against it. Many of the older dragons despise the thought of revealing themselves.”

  “Why do they hate it so much?”

  “If we are in the open, we cannot manipulate humans as easily. Besides, this affects more than dragonkind. Once we are out, humans will realize magic exists. It is not a choice for us alone to make.”

  “I guess I can understand. The dragons alone shouldn’t make the decision.”

  “Exactly. Maximilian and Ēostre have called for a great Conclave to convene, with the leaders of the many shifter tribes.”

  “Those two have certainly been working together a lot.”

  “They share many views and Ēostre has always been involved in human politics. Maximilian has asked her to run his campaign.”

  “Aunt Marcy, Aunt Marcy!”

  Teo’s warm chuckle caressed Marcy’s ear. “I can see you have your hands full. We will return by this eve. I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” Marcy returned the sentiment just as Svetlana rushed onto the chaise and nestled in against her side. Chuckling, the Latina ran her fingers through the little girl’s wavy hair. “Are you in trouble, little one?”

  The child shook her head quickly then buried her small face into Marcy’s shirt.

  “I think you are. Where’s your mama and p
apa?”

  “Papa with the bees,” Svetlana confided. Mahasti and Leiv’s little girl resembled her mother the most, inheriting the djinn’s thick black hair and brown sugar complexion. She had Leiv’s warm chocolate eyes and personable nature. The couple was eager to see if she had also inherited her father’s ability to shift.

  “I caught these little troublemakers in the pasture, scaring the goats again,” Chloe announced, chuckling as she stepped into view hand in hand with her own child.

  Astrid skimmed her bare toes over the ground, sulking while she directed her big blue eyes to the grass at her feet. “It’s my fault. I told her it would be fun if we chased them and pretended we were Daddy and Uncle Teo.”

  “Those goats are our food, sweetie. They’re not toys, and they’re not there for you guys to terrorize. Your daddy and uncle respect the animals and never hunt for sport. They hunt when they are hungry.”

  “I know,” Astrid mumbled. She turned her apologetic face up to Chloe and frowned. “I’m sorry, Mommy.”

  “It’s okay. Just don’t do it again. One day, you’ll be a big dragon, too, and you can hunt with your Daddy. But you should never have fun making an animal afraid of you.”

  “Okay. Can Svetlana and I go to help Uncle Leiv with the bees?”

  “Wanna help Papa,” Svetlana said.

  “Only if you listen to everything he tells you. If he says no, you both better come back to me right away. Got it?”

  “Yay!”

  The kids scrambled away to become pests, practically hand in hand.

  “She’s getting so damned tall, Chloe. Look at her.”

  “I noticed. There’s barely anything written about dragon halflings, so we’re wondering if the slow childhood aging is over and she’ll sprout up like a normal little girl after all.”

  “Well, she is almost nine.”

  “At least you and Teo will have our experiences to tell you what to expect. What about your little guy in there? Did you both settle on a name yet?” Chloe dropped her eyes to Marcy’s round belly.