Treasure Lane Dragons: Complete Series (BBW Paranormal Dragon Shapeshifter Romance) (17 page)

“I’m so sorry I ever let you out of my sight, my love,” Devon murmured into her ear, and Gemma smiled. She cuddled closer to him, not minding the sweat or their mutual disheveled state. If she could have, she would have stayed like that forever.

“As long as you come and find me again every time, I don’t mind.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Devon

The gold moon shone brightly above them, so round and close that Devon thought he could almost reach up and touch it. In his younger days, he’d tried to do just that. The gold moon had been witness to many of his more petulant, wild days, and now, it would watch again as he once and for all became a dragon of worth. His hands grasped Gemma’s, and though he appreciated the sight of mother moon from the corner of his eye, his gaze rested entirely on her.

It was like they were alone in the night, no one there to bother them or get in their way. But they weren’t alone.

The Goldplains brothers stood guard to either side of them, the golden dragons as strict as always in their ancient roles as healers and guides. Cillian stood further, watching with that amused smirk of his planted firmly on his lips. And then, so far away that he might not have been there at all for all the difference it made, stood Romulus Redblade, Remington’s younger brother and the new Redblade elder dragon.

There was a story there, Devon was sure of it, but he neither cared nor wanted to hear of it on his most joyous of days.

The wedding party waited until the moon was at its highest, dousing them with its golden yellow light, so warm and welcoming. At least for a dragon. Gemma was breathtaking as always. She wore a midnight blue silk gown that went down to the ground, the empire waist cinching at just the right spot to show off her delicious breasts (Devon had made a note to himself to lavish plenty of attention on them when the ceremony was done and he could
truly
focus on his bride), and the dragon stone glowed with its dark hue on her chest.

She was a vision, a sight he hoped to always be able to stare at in wonder and amazement. His former life seemed so far away, as if it had never happened at all, and he couldn’t have been gladder for it. All those nights partying, bedding women he couldn’t care less about and causing every manner of trouble now seemed little more than child’s play. Mere escapism, a way to kill his time while fate caught up with him.

And here she was, his fate, his heart, his everything – Gemma Teeley, a goldsmith from Gold Valley.

He could still hardly believe that this was truly happening. To the very last moment, he had been sure something would go wrong. The skies would fall, the earth would crumble, and he would be left without the woman he so adored. The last hurdle had been telling her about his arrangement with the council. That his snap decision to tell her that she had to marry him had come from necessity as much as it had come from the heart.

But that with each moment they spent together, and even more with the time they spent apart, he understood that there could be no other in his life.

It would be her and her alone that his heart would beat for, and without her, he would be a broken dragon and a broken man. It seemed like such a small thing to tell her after what they’d gone through with Remington, but Devon knew that it was the only way their union could be whole. Thankfully, Gemma’s opinion on the matter was the same as his – however it happened, they were glad that it had happened.

Consequences and all.

Apollo nudged him slightly, breaking Devon’s endless reverie – the time was upon them. He nervously cleared his throat. It was the damndest thing. Devon Bluewing had never been nervous in his life before meeting Gemma Teeley, and now it seemed he spent most of his days a little out of his head. It was a small price to pay in the name of sharing his life with her.

He took her hands in his and received a nervous smile in return. He grinned back at her, hopefully reassuring, but feeling just a tad goofy – another thing he’d never been but now didn’t mind. It was a blessing that the ceremony was a short one and more of a formality than something to be worried about (though the shindig he would have to put up for Gold Valley was certainly something that would give him a few gray hairs – most unbefitting for a dragon!), because Devon could give no promises on how long he could keep from throwing Gemma over his shoulder and wandering off to the dungeons with her again.

“Gem, before the dragonkin, before my elders, my ancients and the gold moon, I promise to you my everything. My heart, my body, my mind, my
hoard
.” The last word was always stressed, as it was arguably the most important commitment a dragon could ever make. He paused, gazing into her gorgeous green eyes. He wanted to be absolutely certain she knew how much she meant to him, in the presence of the council and his elders, who were certainly looking down on him on his happiest of days.

“It is all yours. At your command, they will crumble into dust or conquer the greatest of foes. Do with them as you wish.” Devon squeezed her delicate hands, so cool next to his intense heat. “Do you accept?” he asked, not managing to keep his voice from cracking a little.

His heart leapt as she nodded, the corners of her mouth curved in a little smile, though he could see the tremor that went through her as he spoke each word.

“I do,” she said – the simplest and most beautiful two words that could ever leave her mouth.

“With this stone, I signify all of my offerings to you. Wear it, and I will be yours. Discard it, and I will crumble,” he spoke, letting go of her hands and putting his palms around the dragon stone. The small, odd pendant disappeared in his grasp, and under his breath, he spoke the ancient words. The council echoed every word, each member saying what he said in unison after him.

Dragon magic was a peculiar thing, so powerful on its own, yet so insistent on having others complement it. Perhaps it was one of those safeguards to keep them from slaughtering one another.

Gemma’s skin was invitingly silky against his fingers, and the familiar hunger blazed in him once more, even as he was concentrating on his task. The words came forth, inscribed in the soul of each dragon. The dim, dark glow disappeared, replaced by a bright blue sparkle that crackled between his fingertips, making Gemma gasp. A few moments later, Devon pulled back his hands, revealing a breathtaking sapphire pendant in place of the dragon stone.

From the pendant, gold seemed to seep forward, covering the simple chain that the pendant had been hanging on, until it was brighter than any gold Devon held in his hoard. He knew that if their love blossomed, so too would the gold gleam, and if their love was lost, the gold would mar and turn an ugly shade of brown.

As the last bits of chain were covered with gold, Cillian Greenmeadow whooped, and Apollo patted Devon on the back.

“Never thought I would see the day! Devon Bluewing, an honest dragon!” Apollo chuckled, his wheaten hair falling crazily on his face.

“Indeed,” Alexander agreed, the somber twin inclining his head in congratulation to the newlyweds. Devon grinned like the happiest man in Treasure Lane. He pulled Gemma into his embrace, hugging her against him and covering her mouth with his, kissing her with not just the passion of a lover, but now the belonging of a husband.

“I will never let you go again,” he whispered as he broke the kiss. And he meant it.

EPILOGUE

Gemma

When Gemma had thought she couldn’t dance any more or laugh any harder, she’d been proven wrong time and time again. Now, her feet were sore and her voice was hoarse as if she’d been screaming on rollercoasters for days on end, and for the most part, it felt like she’d been doing just that. She grinned happily as she overlooked Gold Valley from half-way up the trail that led to the Bluewing mansion. To
her
mansion.

The town was bathed in light and laughter, loud music pumping into the air in what seemed like an endless celebration of joy. It felt like every single person in town had joined in on the festivities, glad to share in Gemma and Devon’s happiness. She sat on the green grass, her sandals next to her, and her toes digging around in the fresh grass. The party had taken its toll on her, and she was perfectly content to just enjoy a moment away from the hustle and bustle.

It was still hard to get used to the person she had become. That she was no longer just Gemma Teeley, but Gemma Bluewing, the billionaire dragon’s mate. But, it wasn’t something that she found in any way, shape or form unpleasant. Oh no. She was glad to be a dragon’s bride. As far as she was concerned, he could have been a farmer in Alabama or a fisherman in Alaska for all she cared, she just wanted to be with him.

The cocky façade that Devon had held up so dearly for the public, had hidden a kind, courageous man and one who made her heart beat like nothing else and her skin tingle with anticipation for his touch every time he was near. It was bliss.

And the fact that it felt so good (both just being around him and, well, the other stuff) was probably also why Gemma and Devon had kept so long from making an official announcement to the town. Almost a month had passed from their ceremony under the gold moon. They had spent the time wisely – never leaving one another’s sight for more than a few moments.

Devon had shown her all the secrets of the mansion, eager to share his world. And she had been glad to learn, showing him some tricks of the trade as well. Apparently, in her eagerness to make him run around, Gemma had found some nooks and crannies in the mansion that even the fabled Bluewing didn’t know about. Of course, they’d put them to great use right away. And, whenever she had the time, Gemma had taken to solving another great mystery waiting to be unraveled – cataloging the exact contents of the Bluewing hoard.

She imagined it would give her a lifetime of work, but for a goldsmith there was no greater joy than to learn and appreciate the fine craftsmanship of artists that had come before her. Even Devon had taken to the idea. It meant having her with him whenever he went to inspect the caverns, and her company was something he couldn’t seem to get enough of. The feeling was entirely mutual.

“Tired already, my love?” Devon’s voice called, his strong, limber body coming up the hillside with effortless steps, as if he hadn’t been dancing the night away for the past ten hours. Dawn was almost breaking over the mountains, the first pinkish-yellow rays peeking over the horizon.

“No, just thought I’d take a breather,” Gemma admitted, smiling to her husband. Devon crouched down on his haunches next to her and kissed her gently on the lips, the way he often did. She smiled and rested her hand on his knee, feeling his taut muscles underneath the black fabric. The emerald and sapphire bangle around her wrist jangled a little as she moved her hand, and reflexively, she brought her hand up to the sapphire pendant that hung around her neck.

Feeling the cool stone under her touch soothed her. Just like the dragon stone before it, she knew that it would always bring Devon to her. Without fail.

“I think your parents are taking quite a shine to me,” Devon boasted, chuckling. Gemma snorted.

“You’re a Bluewing. I don’t think it takes much for them to give you the title of ‘Best Son-In-Law Ever’. They loved you before they knew you. As does all of Gold Valley.”

“I’d like to think they’ll love me more now that I am with you.”

“You mean now that you’re not being a complete jerk?”

“And that, sure,” Devon admitted, smirking slightly. Gemma giggled at the face he made. Yes, Devon Bluewing was certainly easier to love when he wasn’t being a complete bastard. She was the first one to attest to that, though she had to admit that the bad boy side of him held a certain charm to it. 

Devon took her hand in his and kissed it. Heat spread where his lips met her skin, and she shuddered a little as the flames reached her spine and then down to her core. It seemed physically impossible to
not
want him.  Somehow, coming back to Gold Valley had given her all the things she thought she had lost for good – a sense of purpose, something to strive for and to look forward to. No longer was she the odd one out, always searching for where she belonged.

Now, she knew. She belonged next to her dragon, guiding him when he couldn’t see straight, supporting him when he couldn’t go any further. And though she had thought that her life was not destined to be spent with gold and the fine craft of her family, here too had she been proven wrong. And she was glad for it.

“It’s a beautiful sunrise,” Gemma remarked softly, gazing at the skyline. Devon leant back next to her and sat down as well, snaking an arm around her. She leant against his touch, resting her head on his shoulder, on her dragon’s shoulder.

“Never as beautiful as you,” Devon said, kissing her honey-gold curls. Gemma smiled, squeezing his palm. Who could have thought that happiness, while so hard to find, felt so easy to hold on to? Whatever happened, Gemma was safe in the knowledge that together, they could face any odds and overcome whatever challenges in their way. And, hell, she didn’t mind a few challenges – it kept her on her toes, and a little rebellion was good for the soul. That much she had learned.
 

B
ILLIONAIRE
D
RAGON’S
M
ATE

T
REASURE
L
ANE
D
RAGONS

B
OOK 2

BY

Anya Nowlan
CHAPTER ONE

Cillian

Cillian Greenmeadow was not your average dragon. Sure, he had the build of one – that tall, broad-shouldered, lean but strapped with strength look they all seemed to carry, right along with the bright, always slightly amused emerald green eyes. And he may even have had the personality of one, always treating the world like it owed him one great favor, but he wasn’t really like all the rest of his dragonkin brothers.