Moonbeam

Chapter 2

4 millennia ago

ELENA

It had been eight years since my father was freed from Etan, and four years since I became Mrs. Blake Leaf. It had been the most amazing four years. He was my soul mate. He treated me not just like the princess of Paegeia but the queen of his heart.

And he was one hell of a romantic! The night he’d asked me to marry him had been magical.

He’d written me daily poems—I was a sucker for them. We had a date planned and he’d taken me on a special trip on my father’s yacht.

We spoke aloud a lot that night; he’d been guarded with his mind. A whole ten and a half months after I could read his mind, it happened for Blake. We’d spent almost an entire year in silence, using only our minds to communicate with one another. We did it so long that it actually started to worry our parents.

But whenever he had surprises planned for me, I couldn’t get a peep out of him. He was highly skilled at hiding things he didn’t want me to know.

I struggled to such a degree that it left me with headaches, yet I still had no idea what he had planned.

But on that night, I forgot about everything.

Dessert was set. The chef who had gone with us gave Blake a basket. He started to strip down. I yearned for him; he still refused to break the promise of chastity he’d made my mother. For a moment, I got lost in my mind, searching for the delicious memory of the only night he’d given in and slept with me.

“Where are we going?”

“Wait and see.” He unbuttoned his shirt. I stared at him and reluctantly turned around.

“Stop thinking about that,” he said, making me laugh. “It’s not that easy for me either.”

I shook my head. I can’t help it.

When I turned around, I grunted. He was buck naked with only the basket in his hand.

“Stop,” he warned and I laughed again.

I tried to think of anything else, but it was hard not to think of his perfectly sculpted body and with me lying…

“Elena!” he roared.

“Sorry!”

He shook his head as he helped me up onto the ledge of the yacht.

“Seriously, woman.” His lopsided smile and smoldering eyes made my knees go weak.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and leaped into the air.

I couldn’t help but shout out, “Woohoo!” It was an awesome feeling.

He morphed into his dragon form and held me in his paw because of the tiny excuse for a dress I had on.

I was always trying to get him to forget about my mother’s promise, but Blake had turned into such a good boy that sometimes I ached for the bad boy he used to be.

I felt the landing. It was gracious, but I still felt it.

He opened his palm. We were on a mountaintop. The stars shone brilliantly. The huge, full moon illuminated the landscape below.

The trees were behind us. A blanket was spread out in the clearing. A lantern shed warm light over the pillows stacked on the blanket.

He’d come here before our date. I saw it from him, and then he closed off his mind.

“How do you do that?” I muttered.

“Easy,” he said. He pulled on his pants and picked up his shirt, pulling his arms into the sleeves. He didn’t button up his shirt. He grabbed me and kissed me fiercely.

My hormones raged.

He laughed. “You are driving me insane with your thoughts.”

I grunted; I got nothing from him whatsoever. I hated this.

“Oh, it’s payback time,” he whispered.

I hated it. Ten months were hardly worth payback. That’s was how long it had taken for Blake to hear my thoughts. And what happened? He’d gone and found a way to block me out.

We settled on the blanket. He popped a bottle of champagne. Nothing special about that. I had secretly hoped he would just ask me, but I had always been disappointed on date nights when champagne was popped and no question came. I knew my father was behind this. How many times he’d asked him for my hand already, I didn’t know. A lot. But my dad just kept telling him, “It’s not time yet.”

The champagne meant absolutely nothing.

He read Shakespeare aloud as I listened. The faint light didn’t affect his eyes. He was stirring up things again that shouldn’t be stirred up.

I was lying with my head on his stomach while he lay on his back, reading from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

We shared dragon kisses. They were almost the same as Italian kisses, but instead of the chocolate, it was covered with an orange-flavored caramel topping and filled with a dark chili-chocolate ice cream. He’d packed it in ice to keep it cold.

It was to die for.

“The end,” Blake said, finished with the book.

“Beautiful. Now where is my poem?” I asked and he smiled.

“What if I tell you there is no poem tonight?”

“Four years of daily poems and tonight you don’t have one? Nah. I don’t buy it.”

He laughed, shifted, and slid a rumpled piece of paper from his back pocket.

He hated it when I read his poems while he was watching me, but I didn’t care.

He handed it over and held it tight so I couldn’t get it.

“Seriously,” I complained. “You’re going to tear it.”

He laughed and let go.

I pushed myself up and kneeled, unfolding it.

It was a long one.

I have dreamed of the light

Since the dark crawled at my soul.

It felt as if I would break,

Then you came and made me whole.

“Aww.” He just smiled and shook his head.

Finally, I can breathe,

as you drove my demons away.

And no matter what may happen,

I know with you I’m meant to stay.

So I thank the heavens each day

that you are by my side.

Never losing faith in me,

you’ll always be my guide.

Okay this was going to be one of those poems that made me cry. I could just feel it.

And if the world crashes down,

my life would be complete.

With you by my side,

never missing a beat.

There’s only one thing left

that will change our life.

What I want to know is…

will you be my wife?

My heart fluttered as I read the last sentence. Tears welled up in my eyes. My dad had finally said yes.

“You’re serious?”

He beamed. I flung my arms around his neck and kissed him.

“Yes, yes. A million times yes,” I cried. “When did you ask him?”

“Last week, but he told me he had to think. I think Constance actually put her foot down this time.”

I squealed gleefully and planted my lips on his.

His thoughts streamed into my head and I chuckled with my lips still pressed against his.

“This was why…”

“Yes, that was why I had to shield you off. I didn’t want to spoil anything.” He got up and took out a small jewelry box from was inside the basket. He gave it to me.

I opened the box and gasped. A large stone glittered, nestled in black velvet.

“The gem’s called a dragon stone,” he said. “It belonged to your grandmother. The band is brand-new, though. It took about three days to make this beauty.”

“It’s dazzling.”

He took the ring out of its box and put it on my finger, kissing my knuckles softly. He looked up at me through his thick lashes. “You are beautiful.”

I sighed and smiled like an i***t. Could I be any happier? I grabbed and kissed him again.

All sorts of feelings awoke, and for once he didn’t stop. He lowered me to the ground.

My legs twirled around his waist. His body pressed hard on mine.

I was going to lose it.

When my breathing became heavier he stopped, grunted and pushed himself off me.

“Seriously?!” I huffed.

“I made a promise, Elena.”

“To a ghost, Blake. She’s not here.” Anger laced my tone.

“Don’t be like that. Please.” He pulled me into his arms. His lips touched my earlobe. “You have no idea how hard this is for me.”

“It doesn’t look hard,” I whined.

“Well,” he said, and I could tell that he was grinning. “It is.”

The magical night ended.

I never thought I could dislike my mom. Why did she have to threaten him like that? Still, forgiving him was easy. He was trying his best to keep his promise. And nothing I was going to say would break his will.

He took me straight to the castle after the mountain. I hated that I had to say goodbye to him again. Why couldn’t we just go to his place instead?

He had a beautiful apartment on the coast. I loved that place so much. My father never let me sleep over.

“Soon they can’t say anything.” Blake didn’t change back from his dragon form and I knew why. The temptation was always strongest during goodbyes.

“Yes, you’d better hope my dad sets the date soon and not three years from now.”

His dragon face fell. Yep. I saw the cussing in his mind.

“Sleep tight.” I laughed.

He growled. “Sleep tight, princess.”

“Fly safe.”

“I will.”

“Sweet dreams,” I said.

“My dreams can’t possibly be sweeter than what my life is right now.” He was still flapping his wings, hovering in the air. “I will go on my knees tonight and pray that it won’t be three years from today.”

I laughed and went into my room.

I hated saying goodbye.

I went to my father and Constance’s room and knocked on their door.

“Enter,” Constance said. I opened the door, ran inside, and jumped onto their bed. My dad was already asleep.

“Look!” I yelled.

She squealed, sharing my excitement. “It is gorgeous, Elena! Tell me everything. How did he ask you?”

I showed her the poem. My father opened his one eye.

“Thank you, Daddy,” I fell on him and kissed him on the burnt side of his face.

“Uh-huh. Where is he?”

“Not here.” I sighed. “Don’t.” I was so not having this conversation with him.

“It’s gorgeous, Elena,” Constance gushed. “He sure knows how to write a poem.”

“He sure does.” I took it from her and hugged her.

“Thank you,” I whispered in her ear. “I know the Silver Annex foot came out.”

She laughed.

“It was time. I couldn’t handle his disappointment any longer,” she whispered back.

I said goodnight and left.

My phone rang. It was Blake.

“You show them?” he asked.

“Yes, I did,” I said and put the phone on my bed as I walked into my closet.

“Elena, I swear if you undress in front of me again, I’m going to switch off my phone.”

I laughed. “I’ll get undressed in my closet.”

I put my sexy nighties on.

He grunted appreciatively and then started to laugh.

“What, I can’t wear this now?” I said when he refused to look at me.

“This is so unfair,” he said and then his face disappeared.

I ran to my Cammy and phoned him again. It just rang.

I tried a few more times, but he didn’t answer.

He hadn’t just put the phone down on me, had he?

I phoned him again. He didn’t answer. It went to voicemail.

Pick up. Pick up. Pick up!

I wanted to cry. So that attempt was a big no. I shouldn’t have done that.

I chucked my phone in the drawer, climbed into bed, and pulled the covers over my head.

I hated this so much. So, so much. All because of a stupid promise. My engagement ring’s gem glowed under the covers. It was gorgeous. Unique.

I heard something outside my door. I pulled the covers from my face and stared at the door.

Was someone here? I called Blake a few times in my thoughts, but he was too far out of reach.

I immediately went into Dragonian mode. I climbed out of bed and grabbed the ornament that stood on my nightstand.

Looking down at my nighties, I sighed and rolled my eyes. I shouldn’t have worn these stupid nighties. If I had to fight…the image in my head was comical.

I wrapped my duvet around my torso. Gripping the ornament like a weapon underneath the duvet, I walked to the door.

I reached out slowly and cracked open the door.

Blake. He leaned against the wall, wearing only his jeans. He didn’t seem impressed, not one bit. With arms folded, his entire demeanor screamed bad boy.

The door swung open and I pulled him inside.

Our lips touched. We didn’t speak. We just kissed as if Paegeia’s survival depended on it. He shouldn’t have come.

He pushed me against the wall. Hard. He pulled the blanket off me, revealing my nighties and the ornament I’d hidden underneath the blanket.

He chuckled. “Love, you can wield fire and lightning, and you grabbed a nightstand knickknack?”

“Shut up.” I pulled him closer to me.

He groaned as our bodies slammed together. His hands roved over me.

When his lips brushed the skin on my neck softly, goosebumps skittered all over my body. “If your mother shows up to haunt my ass, you are going to do the explaining,” he spoke fast.

“It will be my pleasure,” I said. We both laughed.

Fiercely, he kissed me. His hands grabbed my thighs, lifting me up from the floor. My legs curled around his waist as he pushed his body against mine.

He was built to last. Everything about him was driving me crazy. His kisses became faster as he shredded my nighties off with one tug.

His hands fiddled with his jeans. A tearing sound filled the room.

He pressed his lips against mine. Our tongues danced. It was a dance only we knew.

He pressed hard into me again. His thrusts were vigorous, achingly urgent, and powerful. In less than two minutes I had to suppress moans.

I was rushed to euphoria.