The Old Dragon of the Mountain's Christmas (Dragon Lords of Valdier #9) (9 page)

Christoff watched as the young girl struggled to her feet. His gaze swept over the stiff material that made up her lower leg. She was quiet while she pulled on her high top boot, coat, scarf, and gloves. Bo danced around her with the tennis ball in his mouth, waiting to go out.

He rose from the chair where he had been watching Edna and Shelly decorate the tree with colorful lights and balls. Glancing at Spark, he motioned for the symbiot to follow Crystal and Bo. He nodded when he caught Edna’s warm look of appreciation.

He grabbed his coat off the peg by the door and stepped outside, pulling the door closed behind him. Bo and Spark were running through the snow chasing each other and trying to snatch the green ball away. Crystal had walked over and sat down on the edge of the swing. Christoff walked over to stand next to her. For several long minutes, they just watched the two creatures play.

“What’s it like where you came from?” Crystal suddenly asked in a soft voice.

Christoff glanced down at her for a moment, noting the haunted look in her eyes. He stepped closer to the swing and sat down beside her. He could feel the pain that was radiating out from her.

“It is very beautiful,” he replied, picturing the valley and the mountains surrounding it. “Or it was.”

“Was? What happened to it?” Crystal asked, turning to look at him in curiosity.

Christoff shrugged. “My mountain erupted. I am not sure how much damage was done. The first time it did, there was a lot of damage… and several of my people were killed, including my parents,” he explained in a somber tone.

“What did you do?” Crystal asked.

“I went to the mountain to calm it,” he said, looking out over the yard.

“Did you? Did you calm the mountain?” She asked.

“Yes,” he murmured. “For several centuries until it would not sleep any longer.”

Christoff heard Crystal’s swift inhalation of air. He smiled at her when she stared at him in awe. He had never had anyone look at him like that before.

Well, except Edna last night,
he thought with a grin.

“How? I mean? Seriously? Centuries? Cool,” she muttered.

“Yes,” he replied in amusement. “It is very cold out.”

“No, cool, that you could calm a mountain,” she corrected, her voice dropping as it turned sad again.

“Why are you sad? I can smell your pain?” Christoff asked in curiosity this time.

Crystal tucked her head in her jacket and turned her gaze down to the floor. A mutinous expression crossed her face and she held up her left leg. He frowned when she nodded at it.

“I shouldn’t have lived,” she whispered.

“Why do you believe that?” He asked.

“My friend Stacy was supposed to sit in the back seat with me, but we had gotten into a fight,” she said with a sniff. “It was so stupid. I don’t even remember why we were mad at each other.”

“What happened?”

Crystal stared at her leg and wiped an angry tear away. He could see her struggling to compose herself and waited. He knew what her grief was like. He had felt the same way for many years after his parent’s deaths. It was only as time passed and he grew older that he understood that life and death came without any guarantees.

“Stacy’s mom lost control on an icy patch of road and went over the side of the highway. I remember the car rolling and rolling and rolling. I didn’t think it was ever going to stop,” Crystal said, her voice haunted by the memory. “Stacy wasn’t wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the car. Her mom was pinned by the steering wheel. That whole front of the car was smashed in. I was in the back seat. My lower leg was crushed. When I woke up again, it was gone. Now… now, I’m just broken.”

Christoff scowled. “Why do you call yourself broken? I do not see you as broken,” he asked.

Crystal looked up at him. Angry tears glittered in her eyes as she stared defiantly at him. She pursed her lips and refused to answer.

“You think it is because you are different from the other younglings?” He asked, tilting his head to study her. “They have been mean to you?”

Crystal bowed her head, shaking it in denial. “No,” she admitted. “It’s just, I can’t do the things the other kids can do.”

“If your friend Stacy had lived and lost a part of her leg, would you think of her as broken?” He asked.

“Of course not,” Crystal muttered. “She’d still be my best friend.”

“You can walk. I have seen you. Other younglings can also do this, yes?” He pointed out.

“Yes, but not like I used to,” she snapped, sitting up to glare at him. “I know what you are trying to do. Mom and the counselor I’ve been going to have tried the same thing.”

“But, they do not understand what it feels like to not be whole,” he added in a quiet voice, putting her feelings into words. “I do. I… was… am like you, not quite whole.”

Crystal frowned and looked him over. “You don’t look broken to me,” she replied.

Christoff looked at where Bo and Spark were now sitting on the porch. He glanced at Crystal and grinned. Standing up, he held his hand out to her.

“Would you like to go for a sleigh ride?” He asked.

“A sleigh ride?” Crystal asked in confusion, looking around the yard. “Grandma doesn’t have a sleigh.”

Christoff winked. “She may not have one, but I do,” he assured her. “Come, let us see if your mother and Edna would like to go for ride.”

“What does this have to do with you and me being broken?” Crystal asked with a sardonic twist to her lips.

“Everything,” he promised.

“Okay,” Crystal replied with a shrug. “But this isn’t going to work.”

Christoff smiled down at Crystal, but didn’t respond. Instead, he opened the door to the cabin and peeked inside. Edna looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

“I would like to take you, Shelly, and Crystal for a sleigh ride,” Christoff said formerly.

Edna smiled in confusion. “But, I don’t have a sleigh. All I have is the skid for hauling wood and Gloria can’t pull all of us even if I did,” she said, walking toward him.

“I have a sleigh,” he promised. “I want to show Crystal that even those that are different are not necessarily broken.”

“Oh!” Edna exclaimed, glancing at where Shelly was standing and listening. “Let’s go for a sleigh ride.”

“Crystal?” Shelly asked in a worried tone.

“It is time for her to heal,” Christoff murmured. “Come.”

*.*.*

Christoff stepped back and shut the door. He motioned for Crystal to follow him. She stopped on the middle step, her expression mutinous again.

With a wave of his hand, his symbiot swept down the steps around Crystal. It turned to liquid before reforming into a sleigh similar to what they used back on his world. He watched Crystal’s mouth drop open before it snapped shut when he grinned at her.

“You still need a horse to pull it,” she informed him with a raised eyebrow.

“Not a horse, but a dragon,” he said, stepping back and shifting.

“Holy sh…!” Crystal started to say before clamping her mouth shut when the door behind her opened.

“What the fuck?” Shelly choked out in disbelief.

“Mom!” Crystal growled in disapproval at her mother’s language, glancing over her shoulder.

Edna’s laughter echoed through the yard. “Go,” she said, waving her hand.

“But… What if Jack comes back while we’re gone?” Shelly muttered, trying to push back into the house.

“Then, he’ll wait for us,” Edna said firmly, pushing her daughter between her shoulder blades. “It will take him hours to get to Shelby, find clothes to fit Christoff and return. Come on.”

Shelly glared at her mother. “Since when did you become so adventuresome,” she demanded, pulling her hat down over her ears and starting across the porch.

“Come on, mom!” Crystal laughed, climbing into the sleigh. “It even made steps for me!”

“Awesome,” Shelly replied weakly as she descended the steps and crossed the snow covered path to the sleigh. “How is that… that thing supposed to pull this?”

Christoff turned his head and snorted at Shelly. Stepping in front of the sleigh, he growled out a command to his symbiot to create a harness for him. Within seconds, golden straps formed over Christoff’s chest.

“It’s not a thing, mom, it’s Christoff. He’s a dragon, too,” Crystal breathed.

“I… Why is the seat so warm?” Shelly asked nervously as she sat down. “It feels like this thing has a built in heater.”

Edna laughed again. “And a blanket it would appear,” she giggled when a thin blanket suddenly flowed over their laps. “Hang on. We’re ready when you are, Christoff,” she called out.

Christoff snorted again and took off. He might not be as big as the other dragons, but all the work on the mountain and climbing had built up his muscles. He wasn’t tall, but he was thickly built and had a tremendous endurance.

He tossed his head and drew in a deep breath of frigid air, enjoying the feeling of being outside. He briefly glanced over his shoulder and fluttered his deformed wings before winking at Crystal. Her eyes grew round as she understood what he meant by being broken as well. A small, trembling smile pulled her lips upward and she nodded to him.

A feeling of warmth and happiness flooded him and he broke into a trot as he headed up the path to the upper meadow. The snow wasn’t as deep on the path and he could have gone faster, but he was enjoying the slow, steady pace.

It be more fun with my mate,
his dragon snorted, glancing back at where Edna was talking with Shelly.

In time,
Christoff cautioned.
Last night was a first for both of us. I do not want to scare her away. We came close to losing her.

Not no more,
his dragon argued.
She ready. I call.

No! Her family is just now accepting this,
Christoff argued.

They accept my mate, too,
his dragon snapped.

Christoff could feel his dragon straining to break free of his control. He couldn’t blame him. After last night, he could feel the change in him. He felt the empty void that had been tearing him apart seal, making him whole for the first time in his life. His dragon wanted his mate as well.

Soon,
Christoff promised.

Better,
his dragon pouted.
I ready. I horny.

Christoff laughed.
Just keep it hidden. I would hate to shock Shelly any more than we have, not to mention Crystal is too young to see a fully aroused male dragon.

His dragon shrugged.
She close her eyes,
he suggested.

Christoff released a groan. His dragon was not going to make this easy – on either of them. He just hoped that he could keep control until after Edna’s family left. If not, they might be getting an eyeful after all.

It was late that night before Jack, Shelly and Crystal left. Christoff stood on the porch with his arms wrapped around Edna. Jack had returned in time for dinner and had listened in bewildered amusement as Crystal told him about the sleigh ride. Afterwards, they had sat around the brightly lit tree. Shelly, Edna, and Crystal sang songs of bells and snowmen and other lively tunes while he and Jack sat listening and talking.

Christoff’s eyes darkened to a deep gold as he remembered the other man’s heartfelt thanks as he watched his daughter. He could feel the love the man had for her, and his pain. He remembered the look in his own father’s eyes so long ago.

“She will be alright,” Christoff murmured.

Jack sipped on the hot mug of chocolate that Shelly had handed him a few minutes before. Christoff had chosen the dark amber liquid that Edna had poured into her coffee earlier. Jack had turned it down, explaining that he would be driving and the roads would be hazardous enough without him adding alcohol to it.

“How do you know? Granted, she is like a different girl than the one that was here earlier, but

I worry,” Jack said with a sigh.

“All parents do,” Christoff replied. “I see the same look in your eyes that was in my father and mother’s. I did not want to disappoint them. They believed in me when I did not believe in myself. Crystal will be the same. She will fight at first because she will not disappoint you, but in the end, it will be because she does not want to disappoint herself.”

“I hope you’re right,” Jack said. “I really hope you are right.”

Christoff smiled as he remembered the hug that Crystal had given him before she left. He hadn’t known what to do at first. It was Edna’s nod of encouragement that had him wrapping his arms awkwardly around the young girl.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Christoff leaned back and smiled. “We are given certain tasks in life. It is not the task, but the way we handle them that will guide who we are to become. You are strong and beautiful, just like your mother and grandmother. Never forget the power inside you.”

“Did you ever forget?” Crystal asked softly.

Christoff knew he could lie, but he wouldn’t. He stared into Crystal’s anxious green eyes and nodded. Yes, he had forgotten for a time.

“We all forget at one time or another,” he admitted ruefully.

*.*.*

“Let’s go inside,” Christoff murmured. “I don’t want you getting cold.”

Edna laughed and looked down at the sweater that she was wearing. Normally, she would have a pair of thermals, several shirts, her thickest jacket, hat, gloves, scarves, and anything else she could think of to keep warm. Since last night, she felt like a different woman; one with a built in heater that would make menopause look like a day in the sauna.

Christoff felt her pull away from him so she could see his face. He returned her gaze with a steady one of his own. He knew she wanted to know what happened last night.

Tell her,
his dragon snorted.
Then I get my mate.

“What happened last night?” Edna asked, confirming his fear. “Ever since we made love – ever since you bit me – I feel different.”

“That is because you are,” he murmured, looking out over the yard. “My dragon wants his mate.”

“Your dragon – how?” Edna asked in confusion. “I mean there aren’t any girl dragons around and I’m not about to let you….”

Christoff shook his head. “My dragon wants his mate,” he whispered, taking a step closer to her. “In here.”

He watched as she followed his finger down to where it was pointing at her chest. A frown creased her brow. She looked back up at him and shook her head.

“I don’t understand,” she whispered.

“Do you trust me?” He asked in a husky voice.

She blinked several times before she scowled at him. “Of course I trust you,” she said.

“Then, come to me,” he growled in a deeper, rough tone. “Come to me, my mate.”

*.*.*

Edna gasped when she felt a primitive reaction to his command. Her eyes widened when she heard a whisper echo in her head. She turned to look out at the yard. Everything seemed clearer, more vivid than before. Blinking, she looked down at her hands and saw them shimmering with a pale, green light before she blinked again and she saw…

Claws?
She squeaked.

Turning, she stumbled when she almost tripped over her tail. Freezing on the porch, she turned around again, slower this time. A hiccup escaped her when she saw her reflection in the window. She swallowed as she looked into the familiar, yet unfamiliar, green eyes staring back at her. The expression in them, she knew, it was the face that went with the eyes that she didn’t.

Christoff,
she whispered in terror.

I am here,
he murmured.

She turned her head to stare at the ruby and silver dragon standing in the snow just off the porch. He was looking at her with an expression of hope and fear. She opened her mouth to lick her suddenly dry lips and discovered sharp teeth instead.

What am I?
She asked, beginning to tremble.

You are beautiful. You are Edna. You are my true mate,
he replied, taking a step closer to the porch.
Will you come to me?

Edna blinked several times as the shock of what happened washed through her. She looked down at her body again. This time noting the delicate scales and the tiny ruby and silver pattern etched into them. She felt warm, but not unbearable.

It dragon fire,
a soft, tentative voice whispered.

What?! Who? What is going on?
Edna demanded, turning in a circle and knocking against the swing, causing it to rock wildly back and forth.

I your dragon,
the voice replied.
My mate call to me. I go.

What? Wait a minute? Your mate? Christoff said his dragon needed his mate. Can I change back?
Edna asked desperately.

“Yes,” Christoff said, stepping up onto the porch.

Edna turned her head, surprised to see Christoff in his two-legged form. She trembled when he reached out to tenderly stroke her jaw. A soft purr escaped her and her eyelashes closed for a moment at his touch.

“Think of yourself as Edna,” he whispered.

Edna opened her eyes and stared back at Christoff. She started when she saw her hand lift to touch his chest. Staring at it, she turned it over. It was back to normal. Her head jerked up to stare at him.

“What happened?” She asked in a husky, slightly strained tone.

“It is the dragon fire,” he admitted, touching her jaw with the tips of his fingers. “It can only be given to a true mate. You survived the gift from my dragon. He watched as his mate was born. She lives inside you now. But, just as I need you, he needs her. He is lonely.”

And horny,
his dragon interjected.

She watched Christoff wince. “And horny,” he added with a grimace. “He insisted I tell you that.”

“I wonder where he gets that from,” she commented dryly.

Christoff shrugged. “I have centuries to make up for – and so does he,” he muttered.

“Did he tell you that as well?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

*.*.*

Christoff gave her that boyish grin that melted her heart. A soft chuckle escaped her. In just two days, he had totally wrapped her around his little finger. For a moment, Edna thought of the beauty of Christoff’s ruby and silver dragon. A wave of heat flashed through her and she could feel
he
r dragon shifting uncomfortably.

Let me guess. You’re horny, too, aren’t you?
Edna asked with a sigh.

A soft snort sounded through her head.
He very cute,
her dragon admitted.

Alright, have fun,
Edna replied.
Just don’t do anything I wouldn’t.

Almost immediately, Edna released a groan. She probably shouldn’t have said that considering everything she and Christoff had done last night. In a flash, she felt the odd shifting again before the world righted itself. With a snort, she bounded off the porch and turned, waving her tail in the air. A moment later, the loud roar of the male sounded behind her as she ran up the path to the high meadow. She had almost made it when she felt the sting of his teeth as he sank them into her neck. A sudden wave of fire poured through her.

Not again,
Edna groaned as the heat built and she felt her body burst into waves of feverish desire.

Yes, mine!
Christoff’s dragon roared, pulling her tail to the side so he could mount her from behind.
Yes!

Fire exploded inside the small dragon as the male’s long cock slid between the protective slit until it was embedded deep inside her. Her dragon shuddered with pleasure as her mate took her for the first time. Edna had to admit, it was having a profound effect on her as well.

The male continued to breathe his fire into her bloodstream, letting it spread through her until she was writhing under him. He kept his tail wrapped around hers so that she could not try to escape him. Positioning his larger frame over her, he held her captive beneath his body as he began to rock back and forth in a slow, possessive mating that sent bursts of pleasure coursing through her.

The female groaned when she felt her mate shift his weight. The move pushed him deeper into her, pulling a hoarse cry as he sought her womb. The rough, thick cock stroked her softer channel and she grew slick and hot. As the heat built, she tilted her hips up so that he could push even deeper. A series of low, rough grunts escaped them as they came together in a primitive mating that shook the ground.

Edna gasped when her dragon was suddenly released. The emptiness from where he had been impaled in her left her feeling off balanced and desperate. That feeling was quickly swept away when he rolled her over onto her back and sank down until their bellies rubbed as he slid back into her. She snapped at him, desperate to ignite her own fire inside him. It took three tries before she was able to grab the soft underside of his neck.

Biting down, she breathed her own fire into him. A searing triumph soared through her when she heard his roar and his cock thickened and began to pulse inside her. Her own body reacted to the overwhelming heat and fisted him in a tight hold as she pulsed around him, pulling out both of their orgasms until he collapsed on top of her with a soft groan.

Mine,
he growled, licking her jaw.
Mine.