The Christmas Dragon's Heart (Christmas Valley Shifters Book 2) Read online

  “I’d love that,” she said quietly. “I’d love traveling with you. And I’d love to spend time with you—not like here, where people are constantly interrupting.”

  “It’s a deal then” Raul’s smile widened.

  In the bright light of the morning sun, his hair gleamed like gold. His green eyes were dark and warm, filled with the light of his inner fire. There was something different about him now. It was as if she could feel his power shine through him.

  But the way he looked at her was still exactly the same. The heat in his eyes was that of desire, and when he slid his hand gently down her side, she felt herself shiver with need at the heat of his touch.

  “So, about the mating,” she said breathlessly, feeling wetness slick between her thighs already. “How exactly does it work?”

  “Traditionally,” Raul murmured, rolling them around so that she came to rest below him. “It would happen on a pile of gold. But after yesterday, I feel that we deserve a bed.”

  “Definitely.” Claire gasped when he lowered his head to wickedly lick a small, hot circle around her aching nipple.

  “Fortunately,” he then continued, “my dragon thought ahead, and I found this in my pockets last night.”

  He reached out for the drawer of the nightstand. Claire’s eyes widened when he drew out strings of gleaming pearls, chains of gold, bracelets encrusted with rubies and sapphires—and there, among all the bright jewelry, the uncut gem that was his dragon’s heart.

  Raul pressed a kiss to her chest, right to the place between her breasts. Then he placed his dragon’s heart there.

  Next, he took hold of her hands. In awe, Claire watched as he slipped the bracelets onto her, every single one worth more than she’d earned in her entire life. He placed more necklaces around her neck, adding to the simple chain of gold that had already heated up against her skin.

  And then he took hold of a single, long chain of gold, the links heavy and wide.

  His hand clasped hers. Instinctively, she entwined her fingers with his. His eyes shone with the inner power of his dragon as he wound the chain around their clasped hands, chaining them together. The metal was warm against her skin, and it felt strangely alive.

  “Now,” he murmured, looking at her with eyes so full of desire and love that she trembled beneath the weight of it, “now I claim you as my mate. Our bond will be eternal. Our hearts and souls will be one.”

  “Yes,” she breathed, raising her free hand to clutch his strong shoulder, pulling him closer. “Claim me, my dragon.”

  When he pushed inside her, she gasped at the incredible sensation. He was so hot against her skin that she couldn’t even feel the heat of the metal anymore. All she could think of was Raul.

  He took her with shallow thrusts at first, every motion making her moan as he rocked into her, her inner walls clutching at him. He filled her so perfectly that she clenched her thighs around his hips, aching to feel him even deeper.

  A first wave of pleasure began to gather inside her. The heat of her need filled her—and at the same time, Raul’s gold grew hotter as well.

  It didn’t burn her, even though it felt as if it should. Instead, the heat was strangely pleasant. It pulsed against her, and her body pulsed in answer.

  With every thrust of Raul’s hips, her clit throbbed, a pulse of desire running through her entire body. Her nerves were aflame with need—and then, it felt like the jewelry on her skin burst into flame.

  Claire cried out as orgasm hit her. It rushed through her, filling her with ecstasy that sizzled along every nerve until she arched against Raul.

  Simultaneously, the golden chain that tied their hands together seemed to turn into liquid fire.

  When she opened her eyes, breathless and still shuddering with the force of her climax, it looked for a moment as if living flames engulfed their hands. But it didn’t hurt. As she watched, the metal seemed to melt and shift.

  And then Raul thrust into her again, and she felt another wave of pleasure build, this one even stronger.

  He lowered his head, his lips nuzzling against her breast. Between them, she could feel his heart stone pulse, filled with the same heat that swept through her at his touch.

  His lips found her nipple. She moaned as his tongue rasped against it. Helplessly, she clenched around his erection, feeling him hot and large inside her. When she lifted her hips a little, he pushed even deeper—and now every thrust seemed to push right against the spot inside her that sent waves of exquisite heat through her.

  She gasped, arching—and then his teeth closed around her nipple. As his tongue teased the sensitive, hard bud, another wave of orgasm came crashing over her.

  This time, it didn’t stop. It went on and on, every wave of pleasure driving her even higher. In the end, there were tears in her eyes and she held on to Raul’s shoulders for dear life. With every pulse of ecstasy, she clenched around his shaft, her nails digging into his skin, needing more, needing him.

  And then his own climax overwhelmed him at last.

  This time, she could feel it—not only the incredible sensation of his length throbbing inside her, but his pleasure flooding her body and heart through the bond between them.

  Her mind was completely open to him, and his to hers. It was as if the bright flames of the endless climax had burned straight through any and all barriers between them.

  Now, they were truly bound together—heart to heart, body to body, soul to soul.

  As Raul spilled himself inside her, his heat filling her as his strong body rocked against her, one final time a wave of pleasure rose up inside her. And when it broke over her, she offered no resistance.

  She let herself be carried away by it, safe in her mate’s arms. Ecstasy filled every nerve, every thought, burned through her until even the deepest, loneliest corners of her heart were filled by Raul’s bright flame.

  She couldn’t say how long it lasted, or how many minutes passed until her pulse finally calmed and she realized where she was.

  She was still in Raul’s bed, held safely in Raul’s arms.

  She was completely exhausted—and she’d never felt better in her entire life.

  “That was incredible,” she said softly, raising her hand to press it against Raul’s chest. Then her eyes widened.

  The chain that he’d wound around their joined hands was gone. Instead, there was a new, golden bracelet that wrapped tightly around her wrist. There was no opening mechanism that she could see, no seam or hinge. It looked as if it had simply melted into place.

  Raul raised his own wrist, holding it next to hers. He wore the same bracelet.

  “Now we’re truly mated,” he said. His voice sounded hoarse and a little tired—but completely and utterly happy.

  She reached out to trace a finger along the gold encircling his wrist. “Did you do that?”

  “My dragon likes the thought of my gold on you,” he said with a hint of that delicious possessiveness that made her shiver.

  "Matched bracelets... Your dragon is a romantic," she murmured, and then she snuggled closer, smiling up at him. "I'm learning all these things about dragons I never knew."

  "The fairy tales left out a lot." He settled into a more comfortable position, drawing her tightly against him. "What's your schedule like today? If you've got time, we can go back and explore that ice cave a little. My dragon wants to spend time with his hoard, now that it’s finally been returned to him."

  "He must be pretty pleased about that," Claire said, watching how his eyes lit up a little with the gleam of flames.

  "He's ecstatic." Raul chuckled. "As am I, but for different reasons. I've got you here with me, in my arms. My mate. We're both alive, and my power has been returned. From now on, I'll be able to keep you safe, no matter what."

  Claire's smile widened. Even though she hoped his protection wouldn't be necessary in the future, after all they'd been through, it was reassuring to know that there was a huge, powerful fire dragon at her beck and call.<
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  "I need to spend some time with Dylan—check up on how his schoolwork is going, before he vanishes to make sheep’s eyes at his crush again. Oh—and I'll need to call Dara, and see about finding us a new accountant now."

  "Meanwhile, I'll deal with our former accountant." Raul kissed her one last time, then stood.

  The sunlight shone onto his impressive muscles, and Claire watched as he dressed, enjoying the view of his flexing six pack, and the knowledge that this stunningly gorgeous, sexy man was all hers now.

  Even without a ring on her finger, there was now a bracelet around her arm—and a connection between their hearts that throbbed with his adoration and desire for her.

  "Oh, there'll be a ring too," he said throatily, pausing to give her another of his dark, promising looks that made everything inside her coil with need for him.

  "Dragons love celebrations and reasons for gifts. And while we’re mated now, my dragon absolutely wants a huge human wedding. Anything to see you decorated in our jewelry."

  Claire couldn't stop smiling. It was hard to believe that just a day ago, she'd thought that she'd have to watch Raul die in front of her.

  "Let's deal with our work first," she said, stretching teasingly beneath the cover. "And then, this afternoon, you can show me your hoard..."

  Chapter Twenty: Raul

  As usual, Christmas had arrived much more quickly than they'd expected.

  With Malcolm in jail and Raul's hoard finally in his possession again, it seemed as if the usual work of running the Snow Castle should be easy to deal with. Of course Raul, who hadn't had a big family Christmas since he was a child, soon found out that it was a lot more work than he'd anticipated.

  "Careful with the tree," he called out for what felt like the twentieth time that day.

  A ladder carried by two workers just barely missed the string of lights he'd put up himself. Earlier, a different pair of workers had nearly managed to unseat the little dragon, which Claire had won at the auction, from its perch high atop the tree.

  "Sorry, boss," one of the men shouted. "Nearly done now."

  As Raul watched, a final string of lights went up to complete the hall's decoration.

  They'd opted to have the tree in the large hall opposite the castle’s huge marble staircase leading to the guest wing. The ceiling was high enough here that they could string lights and decorations from wall to wall to form a sort of artificial starry sky.

  There was also enough space that the guests could gather all around the tree, and there could be dancing if people felt like it. The ballroom had already been set with tables and chairs, and decorated for the elaborate Christmas dinner which the restaurant would serve tomorrow.

  Everything was going as planned—but in the whirlwind of preparations that had eaten their time, Raul and Claire hadn't had much time to talk about their own plans for the future.

  Maybe it’s for the best, Raul thought nervously. There was something he'd thought about—but it wasn't anything he dared to put into words yet. It might be impossible. Too much time might have passed. And if it didn't work out...

  "Hey," Dylan said, stopping for a moment to look up at the ceiling in surprise. "Nice work! What did you want to talk about?"

  “I’ve got our little surprise all figured out.” Raul dropped his voice when one of the workers wandered closer again.

  Through the other door, several children swarmed into the room, followed by parents looking tired but happy, dusted with snow.

  Quickly, Raul pressed a little box into Dylan’s hand. It had arrived in the mail this morning—just in time.

  “This evening—you know where?” he whispered.

  Dylan smirked. “You can count on me. But remember—no word to anyone that I’m involved in this.”

  “I swear it on my dragon’s heart,” Raul said earnestly.

  The rest of the day passed by in a flurry. There was so much to do that he and Claire only managed to meet up briefly. Their lunch together was disturbed after five minutes by her beeping phone and yet another catastrophe threatening to ruin the Christmas preparations.

  “Is it okay if I leave you here?” she asked him with worried eyes.

  Through the bond, he could feel her reluctance. He knew that she’d been looking forward to getting to spend at least half an hour together before tackling the chaos once more. But he could also feel her resolve—no matter how high the pressure, she always managed to wrestle things back into order.

  She loved her job. And having seen how much children and adults alike were looking forward to their fairytale Christmas in the Snow Castle, Raul was beginning to understand where she found the strength to take on so much work.

  He sent back a wave of love and reassurance.

  “Go and deal with your Santa emergency,” he said gently. “I’ll see you tonight at our Christmas Eve party. Meanwhile, I’ve got what feels like another mile of fairy lights to untangle.”

  “It’ll all be worth it,” Claire promised him, and didn’t resist when he pulled her into a quick kiss.

  “Mm.” She sighed against his lips.

  The golden bracelet around his arm pulsed with warmth. He breathed in deeply, inhaling her scent. She smelled warm, like vanilla and cinnamon—with a hint of his own shower gel, from when they’d showered together in the morning.

  The memory sent a powerful wave of desire through him, and he saw her eyes widen in response.

  Then her phone beeped again, and she cringed.

  “Sorry. See you this evening. I love you.”

  “Love you too,” he said warmly. He watched as she flushed a little with happiness before she remembered that she’d been summoned to deal with the problem of a Santa who’d gotten lost on his way to the castle.

  He waited until she’d left the hotel restaurant, then pulled out his phone to text Mrs. Henderson.

  Everything’s working according to plan. Tell her you found a back-up Santa in Christmas Valley when she arrives.

  A few seconds later, his phone blinked to announce her reply.

  Done. I’ll keep her distracted.

  Thanks, he replied, then put his phone away again.

  Just a few hours left until their Christmas Eve party. He couldn’t wait to see her reaction to his surprise...

  ***

  It was dark outside. Above Raul, the moon was shining. Before him, the Snow Castle rose. Light was spilling outside from every window. Everywhere he looked, there were festive decorations: fairy lights on the balconies, candles at windows, colorful trees in the garden.

  A short while ago, children had played here, while the adults chatted excitedly. But now, everyone was gathered inside, where Claire would have opened the evening’s party with a little speech before the kids would sing carols.

  Raul checked his watch. At the same moment, a shadow slipped out of the castle, quickly running towards him.

  Moments later, he could make out the familiar form of Dylan.

  The boy high-fived him as soon as he was close enough. “Everything ready?”

  Raul nodded and pointed at the storage shack behind him. “Everything’s done. All that’s left is our Rudolf.”

  Dylan stuck out his tongue at him but then pulled the little box from his pocket, which Raul had handed to him earlier. He opened it, revealing a red nose with elastic strings tied to it.

  Then Dylan put it on. As soon as he pressed a tiny button, the nose lit up in a bright red.

  Just in time, Raul bit back his laugh. “Perfect,” he said. “Seriously, this will be amazing.”

  “No word to anyone that I was involved in this,” Dylan reminded him, and then made his way into the shack.

  He’d already shifted when Raul followed behind him. Instead of Dylan, now a young stag stood at the center of the shed, the bright, glowing nose still attached to his head.

  And there, behind him, stood a small sleigh with their former sleigh driver Tom Walden, now dressed up in a Santa costume.

  “Can’
t say I’ve done this before,” Tom said, grinning at Raul, “but I’ve always wanted to fly. Couldn’t get me into one of those airplanes, but I figure a dragon is safer than that. We’ve always said that a dragon is good luck, here in Christmas Valley.”

  “I promise I’ll keep you both safe.” Raul grinned back. “It would be terrible PR to let Santa drop from the sky.”

  A few minutes later, they’d put the harness on Dylan. It had been fitted for ponies, but while the fit was not perfect on the body of Dylan’s stag, they managed to close all buckles and pull everything into place.

  “Ready?” Raul asked.

  The stag and their Santa nodded. Together, they pushed the sleigh out of the shed. It was filled with bags of little presents Raul had ordered from the people of Christmas Valley during the past week: small boxes of cookies, little toys and chocolate. It was enough that they’d be able to leave a gift for every child and adult.

  Then their driver took his position on the sleigh, and Raul shifted.

  Once more the wild joy of being a dragon rushed through him. Fire filled him, his blood sizzling with it, and he wanted to open his jaw and roar at the stars.

  Instead, he carefully spread his wings, taking care to move slowly and silently. It only took one beat of his wings to lift off the ground.

  He hovered in place over the sleigh, grabbing it with his hind legs, while he carefully wrapped the claws of one front leg around Dylan.

  And then he rose and soared.

  The driver let out a sudden, excited whoop, then clutched his hand in front of his mouth.

  “Sorry,” he said—although he didn’t sound particularly apologetic.

  Not that Raul blamed him, for now the same excitement was rushing through him.

  Would it work? Humans couldn’t see dragons, that’s how dragon shifters had kept their secret for so long. If anyone looked outside right now, all they’d see was a flying sleigh with Santa in it, pulled by a stag—or rather, a red-nosed reindeer.