Page 40 of The Dragon of her Dreams

Her shoulders fell, and she looked utterly crestfallen, but she nodded, resigned. “Yeah, okay. I suppose that’s a good compromise.”

Relieved that she wouldn’t be flying off to the castle without me, I tugged on my clothes, adding an extra thin layer under my shirt in case I’d gone soft after being in the South. “I won’t be long,” I told her, rushing forward to kiss her pouting lips. The room was heating up, and the fire was beginning to truly blaze. “Stay here. The fire should last until I get back. Try to stay warm.”

I went to the door, gave her one more smile and headed out into the cold. The temperature had dropped, even though it was barely lunchtime. Storm clouds gathered overhead, and I could smell the snow on the wind coming our way.

Great.

We weren’t leaving the house today no matter what clothes I brought her. Vanya wouldn’t venture out in this kind of weather.

I went straight to Dymitri’s house, and his daughter, Matilda, was there darning some socks and baby clothes.

“Hey Jaegar,” she called out, waving me inside. “Come on in. What can I help you with?”

“Ah... your warmest clothes,” I said, with an awkward shrug. “Or something of your sister’s maybe?”

Matilda raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest with a chuckle. “I don’t think my dresses are going to fit you, Jaegar.”

I rolled my eyes at her ridiculous sense of humor. “It’s forVanya.”

Matilda’s eyes widened. “The princess from Bravadok?”

I nodded, immediately feeling like I was drowning. “Yeah. She came back with me and she’s freezing.”

Matilda tilted her head, her assessing gaze narrowing on me. “She came back with you? Why?”

I huffed and refused to answer her question. “Can you just help me? Please?”

She squinted at me, then sighed. “You know, you really need to just... share your feelings with people. Open up a bit. You’re so much like my dad.” Then she turned away and walked into one of the bedrooms.

I waited for a few moments, looking around at Dymitri and Sarah’s beautiful home. It was small like all the homes in town, though it was probably three times the size of my own. The inside was well made, and the furnishings were brightly colored.

The contrast to my own little house was quite stark and confronting, and I was struck with the inexplicable desire to do some renovations on my mother’s home. The insulation needed to be replaced, as did the front door. It was so warm in here by comparison, and I knew that Vanya would have been so much happier to have come back to a house like this.

It wasn’t a palace, or even an extravagant house, but it was beautiful and comfortable. It had the feeling of a real home.

“Here you go,” Matilda said, bustling back into the living area, her arms full of clothes. “If I remember correctly, Vanya is super skinny, so she’ll need lots of layers. And here’re my boots too.” She handed everything over and stepped back to grab some socks.

I couldn’t express the amount of gratitude I felt in my heart in that moment. “Thanks, Tilly. This means a lot.”

She rolled her eyes at me this time. “Go on.”

I rushed back to my house, noticing, not for the first time, the cracks in the front door and the missing sections of the thatched roof. For someone who’d been so desperately hoping to find his fated mate soon, I certainly hadn’t done a great job of feathering my nest.

That needs to change, and soon.

I knocked once, then pushed open the door. “I’m back.”

Vanya had moved over to the couch. She was still wrapped in many blankets, but she was closer to the fire and her pale skin had a hint of pink now. “Hey,” she said, smiling softly.

I held out all the clothes I’d gathered. “Here you go. There’s lots of layers so you’ll be warm.” I placed the clothes on the couch, then went back to the front door. There was a huge draft blowing through the cracks, which only added to the discomfort of the space.

What can I do to fix it on such short notice?

I went to the cupboard and grabbed an old wool blanket and a hammer. Once I found a couple of nails, I covered the door with the blanket and tacked it in place. Immediately the whistling of the wind through the door quieted. It was rudimentary at best, but it definitely helped a little. I turned back to face my mate and licked my lips, clearing my throat.

She was staring at me, unmoving.

I gestured to the door and heaved a sigh. “I’m sorry about the state of this place. It needs a little work.”

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