Abandon (Halfblood Club Book 3) Read online

  He accepted that and absorbed it. She could see it running through his mind and saw the moment that he came to grips with being the object of her hunt. A brilliant grin broke over his features. “Trust me; I will take good care of you.”

  Trust him? She barely knew the real him. “I need to know more about you than just your sexual habits.”

  His smile reached into her soul. “Was that the extent of your research?”

  “Well, it was my main concern.” She felt her face heating in the onslaught of his amusement. “That and your bloodlines. I needed someone who would be able to stake a claim on me and get the council to enforce it.”

  He pondered her declaration. “And from what you have learned while going through my documents?”

  “You are old. You are one of the Sleepers, those who came to earth and slept centuries away in the mountains.”

  “I am indeed. I could not find a mate amongst my own generation. No one felt right. So I went to sleep.” He moved to face her, bracketing her with his hands beside her head on the lip of the pool. “And I only woke up fifty years ago. When my mate entered the world as an egg.”

  That shocked her cold. But the kiss that he delivered did a wonderful job of heating her up. His lips were magic against hers, his body not touching her anywhere but her lips.

  She felt her blood pounding in her veins as she tried to raise her hands to grip his hair. He stopped her as he simply moved away.

  “Come with me.” With a surge of water sheeting from him he left the pool and held his hand out for her to take. It was now or never. She had to choose.

  Her trembling, pruney hand slipped into his and he drew her from the water with a whoosh. Naked and wet, she padded after him as he led the way through the tunnels, back to his house.

  A fire was in his study, warming the smaller room. A cushioned bench sat in front of the fireplace and she was escorted to the seat. He disappeared from her view for a few moments until he came back with his hands full of hair brushes and combs.

  “Your hair needs some serious untangling, I brought all the tools that I thought necessary for the job.”

  “And you are just going to do it? Brush my hair for me?” Her face must have shown her astonishment.

  “If you will sit still.” He took a stance behind her and started to gently untangle her long black locks.

  She was completely at a loss. No one had combed her hair for her since she was a very tall hatchling. It made her feel warm and safe, and protected.

  He began his work at the base of her hair and slowly worked his way up using spray-on conditioners, combs and brushes as the tangles called for it. Each lock of strands was carefully braided to keep them neat and he moved on to the next.

  It took him the better part of two hours to tidy her hair. Some of the tangles were so ingrained as to require teasing of individual hairs out of the mess.

  “There. All done.” He set aside his implements of torture. “You really should brush it a few times a day, or keep it in a braid.”

  “I haven’t washed it since last week, until today. And I drove here with the wind in my hair. I must have been a sight.” A blush would have formed, but it was too little too late. She was naked in front of the fire with a dragon as her hairdresser. It was far too late to blush.

  “You need some rest, Graylin. Let me take you to bed.” He held out his hand once again. She took it again, and quietly followed him to his bedroom. Repairs had been made to the linens and furnishings, but the rest was just as she had last seen it. With one exception.

  A large wardrobe was occupying a space previously occupied by an empty wall. She opened it and looked astonished at all the women’s clothing there. All in her size.

  “You went shopping for me?”

  “I knew that you would probably be naked when I found you, so I shopped around and made a few selections.”

  “That was very thoughtful. And kind of creepy.” She yawned in exhaustion. She hadn’t realized how tired she was until this moment.

  He drew back the covers for her and, once she had climbed in, he tucked her in and got into the bed on the other side. “Goodnight, Graylin. We will talk more in the morning.”

  He leaned back and closed his eyes. She looked over and felt a twinge of disappointment. Fatigue quickly washed over her and she was out like a light, all her lust banked for the next day.

  Chapter Seven

  The smells of breakfast woke her. A tray being lowered into place over her got her to open her eyes more than anything else would have. She sat up as he held the bed-tray in place and surveyed his offering. Eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, fruit, juice and coffee. Everything a growing carnivore needed.

  “Thank you, Rikard. This is very thoughtful.” She tucked in to the meal and groaned in delight at the flavours bursting on her tongue. She had been eating dehydrated food for only a week, but it seemed like forever.

  “I found your camping gear and figured that a change might be welcome from the dry rations and peanut butter sandwiches.” He grinned at her, and in is white starched shirt, open at the collar, and blue jeans, he looked a lot more casual than she had ever imagined him.

  “So, what do you have planned for today?” She tried to be coy, but while munching on a strip of bacon, it was tough to pull off.

  He snatched a sausage from her tray. “Well, you are going to get dressed and we are going to Realm to register you with the council. As you are an adult, you have to appear in person.”

  “I thought that it was handled by you when we first... you know.” She waved her hand to indicate the bed.

  “If you had been pregnant, then yes. But as you are not, it means that you need to register your pedigree with the council.” He gave her neck and shoulders a look, “Why aren’t you pregnant by the way? You were in heat when we mated.”

  “Uh, anti-pregnancy spell? It has been most useful over the years.”

  “Again you have told me of a spell that I have never seen or heard of before. Tell me, is the tale they are telling of a living Archive true?”

  “What are they saying?”

  “That there is a female Archive, unaffiliated with any council, and she was a member of your little group of friends.”

  Graylin tensed. “Do they know where she is?”

  “No, not yet. But they are looking, with every means they have.”

  George closed her eyes and thanked the powers for small favours. The more time Jinx had, the better her chance of escaping a fate of incarceration.

  She methodically made her way through the food, her previous enjoyment squelched by the news about Jinx.

  “Are my clothes dry yet?” She changed the topic with her usual subtlety.

  “I am afraid not. You will have to wear something from your new wardrobe.”

  “You actually picked out clothing for me? I thought that was a dream.”

  “Well, your mother did help.” He opened the wardrobe and gestured to the collection of clothing within. “She gave me your sizes. I made the selections.”

  “So, we are really going to Realm?” She stood and made her way to the dozen dresses, selection of jeans and pile of t-shirts. The underwear was in a drawer, as were socks and stockings. “Um, I don’t wear stockings. I just wear dresses with bare legs.”

  “Hmm. Not proper, but with your skin tone, you can pull it off.” He eyed her legs. If she wasn’t mistaken, he licked his lips.

  Perhaps putting on an extra layer wouldn’t hurt. A garter belt was in the lingerie drawer and after selecting a matching set of bra and panties she slipped it on and began to carefully work the silk of the stocking up her thigh.

  It took patience and a good manicure to put on stockings; she had to be extra careful as her nails hadn’t had any attention for a week. Rikard was no help. He had pulled up a chair to watch her.

  As the straps fastened the stockings, she sighed with relief. It was the hardest part of getting dressed, and she had done it without a run.

&nbs
p; The dress she selected was understated, yet daring enough to push the line between her underwear and her outerwear. Fortunately, she had chosen a matching color.

  “Alright. I am ready. Shall we go?” With a little digging she had found shoes in yet another drawer. They fit perfectly. Black satin stilettos that matched her bra, and the trim on the dress.

  The possessive lust in his eyes was unmistakable. “I have been ready since I saw you in the cave, but yes. Let’s go.”

  The dress was a combination of cotton and satin. It was full enough to fall to her ankles and swirl when she moved, and swirl it did as she waited for Rikard to change forms and hover outside the balcony.

  Each flap of his wings blew the dress around her ankles and every now and then it flared up to reveal a hint of thigh. As he held steady, she jumped to his neck and settled astride it with a minimum of fuss.

  As soon as she was settled his heavy wings took them high into the sky. She could feel the power of his muscles under her and carefully kept herself from settling too tightly against him.

  One of the last things she wanted was to arrive in Realm aroused and flustered. Leaning forward and letting the ridge of his neck rub against her clit would do precisely that.

  The braids that he had placed into her hair were still in place and actually kept her from having her hair witch-locked as they entered the portal into Realm two miles in the air.

  As they exited the gateway they came out into something that George had never seen. Over a dozen dragons were waiting for them, and followed them down to the courtyard where her mother waited, standing next to a male that shared George’s eye colour.

  She had wondered where it had come from.

  Her dismount was graceful, a lifetime of climbing off dragons, and she stood in front of Rikard’s dragon form and did not leave it until he shifted to escort her.

  He stood beside her, formal robes swirling around him, and she marvelled at the outlay of magic that it must have cost to clothe himself. He held out his arm and she took it.

  As one, they approached her parents, stopping only a few feet in front of them.

  “Mom. I am glad to see you are in good shape after your ordeal.” She nodded to her mother and a wink was Arabel’s response. “Father. It is nice to have seen your face at long last.”

  “Daughter, I am Matthias. And I am your father.” He looked over her shoulder to the crowd of men that had transformed from their dragon shapes. “And as such it is my responsibility to make sure that you have the best possible mate of all of the candidates.”

  She inclined her head to her male parent. “Father. It is nice to have seen your face at long last.”

  “It is with you in mind that I have called upon the males who are here today. They will compete for your admiration and for the right to be your mate. It is my right as your father to do this, and your duty as my daughter to comply.”

  George was not as surprised as she thought she would be. It seemed right and proper that they be given a chance. But... “Rikard, will you join them in trying to win me?” Her gaze searched his. He was angry, but resigned.

  “I will indeed take all comers for your hand. No one shall part me from my destined mate.” He stood aside and gave her hand over to the keeping of Arabel. “Keep her safe for me lady. I will return when I have been victorious.”

  Chapter Eight

  Matthias was revelling in his role as father. He had complete control. “The first competition will be to race to the goblin territory and bring back one of their stones of illumination. We will be able to tell by the scent where you got it from.”

  “Are you ready?” The candidates nodded. “Then go!” The first part of the competition was simply the fight to shift shape in the crowd. Rikard was off in a second, having simply shifted first into warrior form to lift him above the crowd, then into full dragon form and away.

  She watched him disappear into the strange new skyline and turned to her mom. “Well, I guess I stepped in it this time.”

  “You did indeed.”

  “Why are you standing so close to Matthias?” Graylin had a feeling she knew the answer.

  “Because we are formally bonding as mates. With you as proof of our fertility, they want to see if I can bear another female.”

  “Do you mind?”

  Arabel remained quiet for a moment. “It was not a part of my life that I had considered open for change. With hiding your existence from the council, I just wanted to let you have all the choices.” She smiled and winked at Graylin. “And the sex is better than I remember it.”

  “So, is mating in dragon form fun? I have never gotten to try it.”

  “It can be, just remember that there are consequences.”

  “Arabel, would you please introduce me to my daughter directly?” The dark husky voice preceded Matthias. His dark handsome looks and golden bronze skin were traits that no doubt contributed to her own coloring. He was also probably very popular with the magical women who filled Realm. Graylin had been hearing rumours for years.

  “Matthias, Chairman of the Dragon Council, meet your daughter, Graylin Treel. She is an egg-hatch, and has three exceptional friends who are embroiled with the various councils as we speak.”

  Arabel rolled her eyes and completed the introductions. “Graylin, meet your father. He has risen high in the ranks of the council and is delighted to be a father after all this time.”

  “Pleased to meet you.” They both shook hands, then dropped them with a complete loss for words.

  “Matthias, just so you know. Rikard is my choice. He always has been.” The heavy thump of wing beats caught her attention and she looked toward the sound. Rikard was racing another dragon of similar size and it was a neck and neck competition. In the end, it came down to grip.

  Rikard’s opponent lost his grip on the glowing rock that he held and had to retrieve it. This let Rikard land on the parapet and hand the stone to Matthias.

  Bemused, her father simply watched Rikard change back to clothed human form. The rock that he held was only an inch long.

  The rock that had over balanced the other dragon was several feet long.

  As the other dragons came in and dropped their offerings, a similar size was found. All large rocks weighing hundreds of pounds.

  “I declare the winner Rikard! His offering was the best.”

  “But why? His rock was not the largest!” A wave of disgruntled voices agreed with the lone complaint.

  “No, but it was taken from the home of the goblin king. That increases its value over that taken from the mines.” Some of the other dragons looked a little perturbed at that. “Let me remind you that I never told you where to obtain the stones. The value of my daughter is in question. Keep that in mind as you begin the next two challenges.”

  Two more? Matthias was serious about this apparently. Normally she would have been happy that Rikard had chosen the best stone to bring back, but with two more challenges, she didn’t know how he would fare.

  “The next challenge will take place inside. Please follow me.” Matthias held Arabel’s hand and gestured for Graylin to take his arm. She did, and into the council chamber they went. He escorted her to a small ante chamber off the main council hall and she paced up and down, alone. Waiting for whatever the next challenge was.

  * * * *

  Arabel almost fainted when Matthias announced the next event. “The next challenge is to learn a spell and use it on Graylin. Each scroll is for a single use only, and the spell will be erased from your memory the instant that you cast it.”

  She looked over at him, appalled. “Are you sure that it is safe?”

  “The room she is in has a dampening field. No injury can come to her while she is in there.” He murmured it to her and it stopped the seething fear in her, but didn’t calm her beyond that.

  His voice once again rose to address the assembled men. “Take a scroll from the table and open it. Each has a number on it and that is the order in which you wil
l try the spell on my daughter. You have five minutes.”

  In an orderly fashion, they each took one of the scrolls and began to read, a few cracked smiles as they realized what the spell was for. Arabel felt suspicious. She went up behind Rikard and glanced at the spell.

  Her own mouth twisted up in amusement at the contents. If the males could get this to work, Graylin would have a heckuva time making her choice.

  * * * *

  Graylin had almost worn a groove in the floor when the door opened. “Mom, what are you doing here, and what is that scarf for?”

  “The next challenge has been set up. The men will come in, one at a time, and try a spell on you. To make sure that you don’t cheat and pick Rikard, we need to blindfold you.”

  “Wait. You are letting these guys cast spells at me?”

  “Yes. It’s to determine their magical competency. They were just given the scrolls and have had five minutes to learn it.” Her mouth twisted, “According to Matthias, as long as you are in this room, you cannot be damaged. I would stay in here if I was you.”

  “How about if I just run screaming into Realm?” She perched on a chair and took the blindfold from her mother.

  “Then we would have a flight instead, and the fastest one to mate you would win. I am not a huge fan of rape.”

  That sent a chill down her spine. “Right. When do they come in?”

  “As soon as your blindfold is on, and I am out of here.”

  She tied the black silk across her eyes and tightened it. “Okay. Bring it on.”

  The door shut softly, and when it opened the next time, she knew it was not her mother.

  The whispered words slid over her, bringing a feeling of joy and laughter to her soul. It was relaxing and lightening. The magic distorted the voice, but she didn’t feel anything aside from the cheerful wave that passed over her. Whoever it was left the room a few seconds later.

  The second had much the same effect. A small trill of arousal snaked through her and she began to suspect that the spell was for attraction or something similar.