Page 40 of The Rowan's Stone
Theron peers at the clock on the wall. “I texted you twenty minutes ago. Where have you been?”
“Working on a surprise for Daire,” I retort. “And I’m sorry I’m late.” I walk over and peek at the screen on the computer. “Agnes? You think she’s the matriarch?”
He turns around to face the monitor. “A surprise for Daire, huh? He doesn’t like surprises. Maybe you should have asked him first?” he comments.
I bite my lip. Maybe I should have, but honestly, I couldn’t stand going in his room and I don’t think he could either. “If he doesn’t like it, I’ll help him change it. Now please tell me what you found?”
He types a few commands into the computer and shows me the results. “Once we had our discussion the other day, I decided to start my search during the time period of the massacre. Not surprisingly, there’s no correspondence for the years immediately prior or following the incident, so I went back ten years. Once I had a starting point, I read each document. They were all written by the same person—Agnes MacAllister. Once I had a name, I pulled all correspondence related to her and found her first letter to the council, which was sent about forty years prior. She identified herself as the matriarch of the MacAllisters and head of bloodline seven, and asked to be instated to her seat on the council. I’m guessing they agreed, because there are council meeting notes with her name on them.”
My fingers are tingling with excitement. To be this close to the next step feels unreal. Holding the blank parchment up in front of us, I query, “Is Agnes MacAllister the matriarch?”
No.
Frustrated, I think about it for a second, then realize I should have been more specific. “Was Agnes MacAllister the matriarch during the time of the MacAllister massacre?” I hold my breath and wait for it to answer.
Yes.
One more answer, please, pretty please. “Did Agnes MacAllister live in the Kingdom of Dragons?” Crossing my fingers, I hold my breath again.
Yes.
“Yes!” I shout and begin dancing around the room. “We have a verified lead.” I turn to smile at Theron and notice he’s on his phone. Grabbing it out of his hand, I continue dancing around the room. “Dance with me!”
Theron snags me around the waist and pulls my body flush with his. He stares down at me, and slowly, his impassive face stretches into a…smile. A real, full-blown smile. My heart literally stops beating in my chest. He’s smiling. For me. Stunned, my hand reaches up and traces his smile.Absolute perfection.When it starts to fade, I shake my head no. “Wait, I haven’t captured this moment yet.” He starts smiling again, and I reach up and snap his photo quickly. I smile. “Thank you. I’ll always have this photo to remember this moment.”
“We don’t know if we can find her yet,” he reminds me.
“What? No…I wanted a photo to remember the first time you smiled at me.” I cup his jaw, even though the smile is gone now. “I was speechless there for a second.”
Pink tinges his features while his gaze lingers on my lips, and time stops for a brief moment. He slides his hand up the side of my body and down the arm hanging at my side, making me arch into him, and he inhales sharply. I feel his hand caressing mine, then he leans down and drops a kiss on the corner of my mouth before he steps back.
Clearing his throat, he brings his phone up and shoots off a text to someone. He must have grabbed it from my hand when I thought he was caressing it.
“Seriously? I thought—” I stop talking. Damn man blows hot and cold. I stare at the phone in his hand, not wanting to see his impassive face. “Never mind. I’ll go pack.”
Putting the phone in his pocket, he pulls my body back into his. “Arden, stop. I don’t want something rushed when we’re up against the clock. I want every minute I can steal. So when you’re ready for everything I have to give you, tell me, give me the words, but be very sure, Arden. The part of me that yearns for you isn’t the icy, controlled version standing in front of you. It’s consuming and raw, and once unleashed, I won’t be denied. I’ll claim every single inch of you.” Even his voice is full of hunger. “Maybe we have time for a small demonstration.”
And with those words, he lays waste to my lips. His kiss is consuming and raw and powerful, full of everything he stated and more. He opens himself up and gives me a glimpse of the passion he’s holding for me, and I fall into it, into him, surrendering myself.
Even though I know he’s hanging onto his control by a thread, I want him to know he’s not alone. Weeks of tantalizing torture and brief moments have been driving me crazy, and I meet his kiss with the need clamoring inside of me, claiming him in return.
Groaning, he pulls back and rubs a thumb over my lips. His violet eyes are dark and stormy, like he’s in the thick of battle. For me. Swallowing, I read the absolute truth in his eyes and know it’s only a matter of time.
“You’ll have your words, Theron,” I assure him, my voice husky with desire. “Soon. Even if we have to steal away to a secret place where the world can’t find us.” His eyes light up with my words. “I’m going to get packed.” Leaving him in the lab, I manage to walk to my room before sliding to the floor in a puddle.
“Damn, he packs a punch.”
* * *
Valerian calls Theronabout an hour later. The council approved our visit, or I should saymyvisit. They are not aware Valerian and I are mates, only that a witch is searching for her history. Valerian and a dragon elder will meet us in the morning, then we have two days to find what we need, and that’s it.
I’m standing at the foot of my bed with my bag open, wondering what I should pack. I decide to pack workout clothes that can double as an outfit. Tennis shoes and hiking boots. Jeans and a few sweaters. Plus, the usual essentials. I lay the parchment paper and my mother’s letter beside the bag, so I don’t forget it. Skimming the room, I spot the Killian blades and pick them up to put them in there too. When my hand closes around them, they…sigh. They feel different than they did before, and I wonder if it’s because my Elven power is unlocked. Maybe when we look for my father, I can research the blades. Going back to packing, I try to decide which final things to add. Toiletries, of course. I wonder if I should pack my armor.
Someone knocks on the door. “Come in,” I call out. Hearing the door open, I turn around and see Meri standing there. Squealing, I drag her into a big hug. With the battle and my Elven training, I hadn’t seen in her a couple of weeks.
“Ommph, mfmmf,” she mumbles. “Trying to breathe here.”
I apologize and release her with a laugh. “I forget how tiny you are sometimes. What are you doing here?”
