Page 3 of Witch's Bells and Mistletoe

I wonder if I should tell her that relaxing isn’t a battle one is waging. Folding my arms across my chest, I scrutinize her little setup more closely and snort quietly to myself. The entire situation is absurd. Despite cooling, the coffee barely seems touched, and the book is within reach but has never been opened. There is even a throw blanket folded tidily on the arm of the chair but otherwise ignored. It is as if she checked off a list of things she imagined to be used for relaxing and has armed herself with them instead of simply enjoying herself. The Katherine I know couldn’t possibly find gazing out the window for hours on end enjoyable.

But it could be amusing to see her try to convince both of us otherwise.

“That you do,” I agree easily and adjust my duffle bag on my shoulder. We are just meeting for a few days, but I like to be prepared. “Well then, I’ll leave you to your relaxing and go see about my room.”

I lift my keycard demonstratively. She gives it, and then me, a confused look.

“Wait, is that all? You’re just going to go up to your room?”

A chuckle rumbles from my chest that sends another burst of color up into her cheeks. “I wouldn’t dream of taking you away from your much needed relaxation. You go to it and make yourself quite comfortable. I suspect that I’ll see you when I pass through a bit later.”

Katherine blinks at that. “Pass through? I thought you have a meeting with your cousin?”

“Of course, but not everything must be done sitting around in here. My cousin and I like to do a bit of exploring around the places we visit. I’d invite you along but I can see that you are valuing your rest right now. Perhaps later if you are feeling recovered enough,” I tease. “There are all sorts of things to keep guests entertained. Snowshoeing, a winter market in town, skiing. My cousin and I, for instance, are quite interested in the hot springs. Having a soak while indulging in clan business is not something a dragon will miss. A nice little walk over to the nearby hot spring spa and then a fine steak dinner.”

A look of longing crosses her face, and she gives her book a miserable look before forcing a smile to her plush lips. Picking up her book, she resolutely drops back into her chair and reaches for her coffee.

“Sounds divine, but I think I’m all set for a most relaxing day,” she replies.

Stubborn female. I laugh inwardly in delight, though I force back another smile to nod in sober agreement.

“Just as I would have assumed. Perhaps later,” I purr.

I wait until I give her my back and head toward the elevator before I allow an ungodly smile to light my face. I’ve patiently waited for her to come around to seeing things my way. I may not have the treasure to show me the way to a proper dragoness to mate, but over the last few years I’ve decided that I do not need it. Katherine is mine, and I’ve demonstrated this in every way I can think of. It is an instinct that curls through me that demands I keep her beneath my wing. Of course, I’m not so foolish to say this to a female who tries to slip from my hold at every opportunity. But I am a patient male and will lure her in. As for the treasure, I want it now for another reason—to bond us with its magic should she accept me. Otherwise what I’m doing now is all for my clan.

Truthfully, it will be great fun seeing how much it will take her to crack and give in to what she really wants.

Everything she wants.

Chapter 3

KATHERINE

I give up all pretense of trying to read after an hour. I can’t concentrate on the book when Adeon’s words continue to tease me. That he is somewhere here in this same hotel and getting ready to have an adventure while I sit here pretending not to be utterly bored is enough to distract me from whatever pleasure I would have gotten from the book. I enjoy reading, but it is one of those pursuits for the end of the day to help me unwind and prepare to sleep if I’m not already so exhausted that I drift off the moment my head hits the pillow—which admittedly has been the case of late.

But right now I’m full of energy and itching to do something—anything. Normally I would exhaust it by picking up something that needed to be done around the coven house or work in the garden, but here I have zero outlet and only temptation to forego my plans for relaxation. And I blame it all on that dratted dragon!

I narrow my eyes at the discarded book for a moment as if it shares part of the blame for not being interesting enough before glancing over to the hall he disappeared down. The elevators are tucked out of the way back there for the sake of the hotel’s ambiance. There is a central staircase with beautifully carved bannisters as well for those who wish to prove their fitness by trotting up and down it. Regardless, I have a full view of both and haven’t seen so much as a glimpse of Adeon since he went up to his room. I know he hasn’t left yet.

I toy with the string of pearls around my neck, my lips pursing. I really don’t relish the idea of just walking into one of the dragon’s games, but sitting here by myself isn’t exactly inspiring. I could beat him to it and get there first to enjoy the hot springs in peace, but going alone doesn’t really appeal to me either. In fact, if I’m honest with myself, I’m getting a little tired of my own company and the quiet that is broken up only by guests coming and going through the lobby at the opposite end of the floor.

Whereas I had intentionally ignored the activity before, Adeon’s invitation has now made me uncomfortably aware of the fact that others are mingling and going out for the day to enjoy the light snow and the seasonal activities the hotel offers while I sit here and do nothing. Judging by the sound of happy voices and laughter that follows them, I’m quite certain that I must be the only guest who is not out having a good time.

Perhaps I should just go up to his room and accept his invitation. No doubt he is sitting there with a smug smile on his face just waiting for me to make an appearance. I huff softly in amusement. He obviously knows me too well, though we’ve only been acquaintances for a couple of years now. But then, he’s always had my number. I never would’ve entertained any man running roughshod over me when it came to my authority within the coven house. No one else would have made it past the front gate—but I had a strange fascination with Adeon from the start, and frankly I hadn’t believed he would be there long anyway. Then it simply became practical and comfortable having him around. Clearly comfortable enough that he knows all too well that, without anything else to distract me or requiring my attention, I’d quickly grow restless and seek him out.

I give a mental shrug. I might as well just get it over with.

Rising to my feet, I smooth my skirt and head toward the lobby. I will just get his room number from the receptionist. I’m nearly to the desk when the door opens, and I come close to being run down by the guest who hurries inside. He growls when I’m forced to quickly sidestep out of his way, and I catch a gleam of startling golden eyes that shoot me an annoyed look from a humanoid face sprinkled with patterns of dark red scales along his cheekbones, jaws, and brow. Several horns protrude from his brow, with the largest pair curling back over his head. I catch myself gaping not just at his appearance but also his blatant rudeness as he pushes his way ahead of me and approaches the front desk. My mouth snaps shut and my lips thin with anger, but I fall into step behind him as I mentally shuffle through the various species that have stepped out of the shadows.

He isn’t a faun or satyr… not with those scales, and the horns are all wrong. There is a niggling of familiarity to his appearance though, as if I should know it.

He leans forward, the deep rumble of his voice pitched low enough that I can’t make out what he says while still maintaining a polite distance. Truthfully, I don’t care what his name is or anything about him—I’m more interested in making sure he isn’t wasting my time by flirting with the young woman behind the desk. Now that I’ve decided on my course of action, I want to enjoy the rest of the day with whatever plan Adeon has up his sleeve. I smile privately to myself. Even if the meeting with his cousin isn’t a ruse—and I’m still withholding judgment on that, though it is true he had no way to know that I would be here—I’m sure that he has already planned to have the rest of the day alone with me with the intention of enjoying the hotel together.

Suddenly I’m very much looking forward to it. While Adeon has been my shadow for a while now, we’ve rarely had an opportunity to do much on our own. It could be fun. Now if only this behemoth would get out of my way so that we can get to it.

At the way she’s blushing and giggling I suspect that the guest in front of me is indeed flirting, and I roll my eyes with disgust. Of course he would have no consideration for anyone waiting in line behind him.

I’m about to rudely prod his back when I catch a glimpse of Adeon descending the stairs. The tension immediately drains out of me, and I turn with a smile, relieved that I no longer have to wait on the jackass in front of me. The dragon returns my smile, looking quite sharp in his rust-colored sweater, but then his eyes shift to the male in front of me and his smile widens further.

---