"You look amazing. I think Accalia fits you well." Jake kissed her cheek. "As does Tanwen." He added. "Thank you. Ivan picked out the dress and shoes. I feel like Cinderella." "As you should, you are a princess." "I am just a human with a little too much spunk." "We like the spunk." Draven's arms came around her waist and squeezed her.
"Draven, have you met Jake and Samuel." "Not officially, but I heard about you boys from the others. I was on the outside that day. Thank you for helping our Tanwen." He held out his hand and they all shook.
"Never thought I would see a day when we would shake hands with wolves, on our land no less." Draven kept a protective arm around her waist, and she leaned into him.
"I think the whole wolf community was relieved to have the fighting over. None of us shifters wanted it." Jake explained. "We usually keep to our own up here, but I agree, it is nice to not be listening for alarms, or worrying about the ones that live outside the manor." Draven looked over his shoulder and yelled at some guy that had walked past.
"Well, enjoy yourselves, and welcome to our home. Do not go far, I want a dance when the music starts." Draven kissed her forehead. "You are number eleven on the list." She laughed as he walked away. "Nice guy." Jake said "He is now." She blushed as she looked at Samuel.
"Are all the dragons so big and meaty?" Samuel looked around. "I hope you mean that in a good way, and not for dinner." Ella raised an eyebrow. "Oh! No! I meant, like muscle bound. I thought wolves were stacked, but damn, these men are ripped." Samuel looked around again.
"Yeah, and completely off limits to me. Rule of the house, I cannot touch or have relations with anyone in the house. So I get to look all day, but never test out the goods" Ella giggled. "Ouch." "Yeah, it is painful sometimes." She blushed as she was caught staring at Sal.
"Well, I know a few wolves that could relieve some stress." Samuel wiggled his eyebrows. "Samuel!" Ella pretended to be offended. "What, I didn't mean me!" He tipped his head in the direction of Thannus, who was watching her as he talked to Allan. A smile crept onto his lips and she looked away.
"You know he has it bad for you." Jake nudged her. "I shot him." Ella laughed. "And he thought it was sexy as hell. His words, not mine." Jake held up his hands. "Heard he is good with the ladies too." Jake teased. "Stop it." Ella laughed.
"I am not going to screw..." Ella stopped as she made eye contact with a man behind a group of people. He was tall, had dark brown hair that played at his collar, wide shoulders and was as solid as a house. He was beyond beautiful. There was something about him...something dangerous, yet not. He held her gaze, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.
"Ella? Hey?" She felt a shake to her arm, and she turned back to Samuel. "You ok?" "Yeah, I just...I..." She looked back, then to Samuel again. "Excuse me for a minute." "Ella, what is it?" Samuel asked. "Something, someone. I...I don't know." She turned to find Sal or Allan, but Jake and Samuel were at her sides.
"I am fine." She tried. "Not by the look on your face. We are your protectors too." Jake put his hand the small of her back and followed as she walked to Sal. "Ella?" He immediately put down his drink and came to her, taking her arms in his hands.
"What's wrong?" Sal looked her over. "A man. There is a man here, and..." She turned and scanned the crowd. "Ella, what man?" Sal asked, but her brain was processing weird feelings. Something she was not used to." "Ella!" Sal shook her.
"Sal, there is a man here, and he was watching me, and it feels...odd. Dangerous, but not. I can't explain it." Ella tried. "Where?" Sal was looking around. "He was over there." She pointed. "What did he look like?" Sal had her at his side and Jake and Samuel were on guard.
YOU ARE READING
Finding The Red Dragon
FantasyPaleontologist Ella Harding is a hard-headed, stubborn, spitfire of a woman that has fought her entire life against those that tell her something cannot be done. So when she is passed over for a promotion that she has been working on for years, to g...