Amber Dragon Trilogy: Book One

Chapter Two : Chumara’s POV

I shudder at the growl in his voice as he spoke, “Well Mr. White, I assume,” I say trying to sound as sweet as possible. “It is nice to meet you” he leaned into the counter like he wanted to tell me a secret. I could not help but to lean in myself to get more of that mesmerizing scent. “It definitely is,” he whispers, before leaning back tapping on the counter and turning to walk away, I casually say “I look forward to hearing from your sexy self” as he waves bye from the door. When he was out of sight, I mentally kicked myself for not saying something more, “I really need to be on my A-game when he reaches out to me cause I know I can win this man over,” I thought throughout that day and night. Over the following two days Ambrose started texting me, I thought it might have been weird with how close he was wanting to get since I did just meet him a few days ago, but I guess the mate connection does play in that favor. It has also been a pleasant change since I have gotten used to seeing him come in for his morning goodies.

On day four, Ambrose texts saying he is coming into the bakery for lunch. I close the bakery early and busied myself cleaning up the store since I did close it down just for him. I even sent Lili on errands trying to get some one-on-one time. I told her to take her sweet time giving her a few extra bucks. Turning on some nature sounds I sat down to read one of the new drafts Storm handed me this morning thinking he changed his mind, just as he pulls up out front of the shop in a brand new 2022 Jaguar. “Well, hello, Mr. CEO,” I mock getting up from the table I was sitting at in front of the window reading over Storm’s work. I move quickly going behind the counter to get some coffee brewing as he walks in the door looking like the wet dream, I had a few days ago. I silently gush over the fact that he is in yet another Prada suit, sea blue this time around. I look him over as he shakes his hair loose and gets comfortable in the booth closest to the display case where I am standing. I am mesmerized for a moment staring at his chest, pressing firm against his blood red button up shirt, I roll my eyes inward facing facts, Ambrose most definitely has a personal tailor. He softly calls my name, pulling my focus back, “yes?” I ask, not meeting his gaze, “I’m glad you had the time to see me,” He, says sweetly. “Well of course Mr. Ambrose, you are a loving, loyal, customer and I am happy to meet with you besides, you have become one of my favorite customers,” I say trying for a nonchalant temperament in order to keep myself level. However, Blaze reminded me that it does not work like that, because as soon as I looked up from preparing our coffee, I saw a shadow of a pout cross those magnificent lips. Blaze lost her s**t, calling me foolish saying she wanted to take control. I look away from Ambrose as he spoke while holding blaze back. “So, you just meet up with any loyal customer?” he questions meekly before continuing.

“Please, leave off the Mr. it’s just Ambrose, or better yet, I think I would prefer Rose rolling off those Juicy, luscious, lips, but Rose is only for you and no one else” he says with eyes full of passion. I grab our drinks and head over to the table, I simply say “Okay,” batting my eye lashes in excitement and sitting down, I look up just in time to see him wink at me. Glancing down from the rim of my mug I watch as he traces the rim of his mug with his finger and think to myself “there will come a day where you will trace me with those fingers.” Blaze growls in pleasure from the thought. He speaks up softly, “I am being honest with you Chumara, I don’t think you have been taking my text serious on how I really feel,” I look at him confused sipping on my coffee he sighs & I watch as his chest rises and falls, making me want to rest my head on it and listen to his heartbeat. He continues with “it’s one of the reasons I had to meet with you today” he says pulling me from musing about laying in his embrace. I look him in the eyes noticing his intense stare. He starts opening up, telling me “The first time he caught my scent, it nearly caused him to fall out of his SUV.” I laughed, thinking there is no way my scent did that. He simply grabs my hand and starts tracing the back of it with his thumb, looking thoughtful he whispers “your scent called to my beast” more so to himself than me. Ambrose smiles ruefully then looks back at me and continues saying “I walked in the door of your bakery expecting to find a Pineapple scone giving off the scent, but instead I find a fiery little redhead that was to die for. I knew then, I had to have you.”

Blushing from how sweet this man was, I blurt out how his intoxicating smell caught me off guard the first time, and that it was one of the reasons I rushed to the back distancing myself from him. Ambrose furrows his brows looking at me confused, “One of the reasons?” I shyly say, yes, glancing at the red bird that just landed on the window ledge. The frown faded from his brow as he asked me curiously, “What’s the other?” I take a deep breath and tell him my reasons trying not to trip over my words. “Well, if I’m being honest you take up a room Ambrose, I almost couldn’t breathe when you walked in. When I looked into your green eyes and saw the deepest emeralds reflected back at me, that split second before I ran, they reminded me of a bedtime story about a dragon savior my mother once told me about as a girl. Not to mention you walked in cleaner than anyone I know in that tight suit, you had to be showing off those muscles on purpose, hell the only thing I wanted to do was wrap myself in your arms.” I let it all out in a single breath, rushed baring myself to him hoping I didn’t seem too much like a hopeless romantic.

He just simply smiles chuckling sweetly. He readies himself to say something else, I am sure it was important as he frowns deeply for a moment lost in his thoughts. Just as Storm walks by outside and stops, spinning around to look directly at me with the biggest smile ever. She leans on the window pressing her face to it, tapping out an old nursery rhyme trying to get my attention, I ignore her. Focusing back on Ambrose, who I could now tell was more interested in my sister than me, by the large grin on his face, as he watched Storm breathe heavy on the glass. I wave my hand in his face telling him to continue what he was going to say and to ignore my creep of a sibling.

Just as she stops and heads to the door, opening it and walks in, moving right by him and coming directly to my side of the booth and says, “Mara can I speak with you in the office for a moment?” I sigh hoping she will get the hint, but she just stands there staring at us, tapping her foot. I gesture, one moment to Ambrose, “I am coming,” I tell her in annoyance, we made our way to the office when she says jokingly “so this is the man that keeps me up at night,” I laugh, confused, “What?” as I pull out my office chair and sit down. Storm reaches over grabbing the door swinging it closed, replying, “you have been keeping me up rambling about him so in turn he has been keeping me up, but I must say he is attractive, so I am not mad,” as she sits against the edge of my desk. I grin and say, “well gosh thank you for your sisterly approval,” Storm gives a small smile before it drops and she looks down at me deeply before saying, “I researched the CEO and before you get mad and call me overprotective, knowing I am paranoid, there is great news and even better tid bits. One, I found nothing negative on him and two his lineage is almost like our own,” pausing, she starts to pace the tiny area between the couch and my desk, continuing to explain, “Which will be great in the long run learning more about our species history and why uncle went crazy.” I gasp at the unexpected information asking, “Are you sure because his scent is giving off earth dragon undertones and they have thriving dragon clans?, So if he is a earth dragon then why is his lineage at it’s end, or is he just in hiding?” Storm eyes me with suspicion but says “Yes I’m sure but you are right about his smell, maybe his age helps him in having the ability to change it, remember, mom did, and she could alter ours as well.” I nod my head in agreement remembering mom hiding us from a group of hunters. Storm claps her hands together and a big grin crosses her lips before she says “Oh, and from what I can tell the paper trail connects him with the white dragon, like I don’t know if he has worked with him or not but at this point, I think he could even be him.”

I sink back in my seat slightly amazed, “The white dragon no way,” I whisper softly, Storm stops pacing to walk over and reach down to pat me on the knee. “Yup the legendary one, the one in all our childhood stories the savior of dragons. Your little Ambrose could very well be a relative to him,” she sneers before saying, “so if Ambrose is actually your mate, then there is a chance you might get to meet the reclusive dragon.” Her phone then suddenly rings she grabs it out her hoodie pocket reading the caller id, the growl she let off made me jump in alarm. I grab her hand pulling her attention, when she declines the call, closing her eyes and breathing deeply, “Thanks sis, look Ima head out.” She pulls away turning to leave, I stand, reminding her “I do know when something is wrong, I’m not stupid nor a child, like Trilla, you have been acting strange since my moon cycle started,” I say, halting her before she grabs the door handle. She looks over her shoulder and smiles I saw the ghost of my mother and it made me sad for what I knew Storm was hiding. Storm clears her throat before saying “Yeah you’re not a child, and you are far from stupid but that does not change the fact that I am still our keeper, till you get your second seal there is nothing for us to talk about, so I suggest you be safe, figure out what kind of dragon your mate is and enjoy because it looks to me like I now have two rituals to prep for you”. “I love you, now no more of this you go back out to him, and Ima head out the back door.” She grabs my hands in hers and says “goodbye” as she turns opening the door going through the back of the kitchen to leave.

I shake my head and walk back out of the office just in time to see Ambrose getting off the phone, I nosily ask, “who was that?” going over to the warmer and grabbing a brownie, trying not to fume over storm. I could not understand why she was hiding anything from me at this point, maybe that flower was a sign that uncle was in town. Ambrose spoke up almost bored; pulling my focus back saying, “Just one of my investors, and new protégé Nikolai,” He clears his throat before asking, “You know, I was wondering what you are doing tomorrow night for dinner, I would love to take you on a proper date?” changing the subject completely. I smile, Nikolai forgotten, my sister an afterthought before I say through bites of brownie that I would love to go out to dinner with him. I finish my angry snack and walk back over to the booth sitting across from him, suddenly wanting to know more about him. So, we talk a little bit about our different interest as well as styles that we like to follow. I started to fish for why he suddenly wanted to know my dress size when he gets a text.

He opens it apologizing saying it was work related, after replying to the message. He says, “Sorry beautiful but I have to go.” I do not question him, as I walk him to the door, Blaze started to give off sad vibes, but I let her know that it was time for reality. As he stops and asks before walking out the door, “Can I have a hug?” I agree and he leans in wrapping his wonderfully large arms around my waist. I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck hugging him tighter than I meant to, pressing up against his entire frame before saying Good-bye.

I finish cleaning up and head home after picking up a few groceries from the local farmer’s market. Once home, I get myself comfortable, unload the groceries and head to the study to look at the paperwork Storm pulled up on Ambrose. As I read over the material, only two things crossed my mind; one, Ambrose is definitely amazing, and two, my sister must be a part time spy. Storm really did have some explaining to do and she was not going to get out of it seal or no seal. I reached over to pick up the desk phone and call Storm when I knocked over an old photo album. “s**t,” I exclaim hurrying to pick up the scattered photos. Storm already pitches a fit when anyone was in here because she stores a lot of mom’s things here. As I am picking everything up, I came across an old photo of my mom and uncle when they were younger, and I immediately burst into tears asking no one in particular the question why. Storm hearing me, burst in the study rushing to my side where I was still on the ground among the photos, she wraps her arms around me telling me it’s going to be ok. I simply look her in the eyes and ask, “when did you get home,” she laughs and says “Trilla is staying late on campus, let’s go get a drink.” Later that night after Storm convinces me to go to the local bar to get over remembering the night mom died; we sat at our usual table, we order a few drinks and wings. I slowly started to feel better and began telling her about Ambrose asking me out and how I know he is my mate from Blaze’s reactions. When Storm stops me and says, “are you sure you aren’t just full of lust and that Blaze is actually speaking to you about him?” I reply with an absolute, “Yes!, I’m sure, Storm once you meet him even you will feel it,” Storm cuts her eyes at me “No not yet, I still want to go through mom’s things, just in case Blaze is confused. Your birthday is coming up and you know as a female dragon our primal instincts take over right before sealing day.” I was getting ready to argue my point, when Blaze purrs and I whisper, “here he comes,” under my breath, Storm looks to the door when suddenly Ambrose and some beautiful fair skin guy walks into the bar.

I see they are talking about what looks to be business related by the frowns they were wearing and the serious hush tones they were using. Storm speaks up, “hey look there, it’s that firm nice ass, you were just talking about,” she then turns looking me over, her eyes glow faintly, however, not enough for the local humans to notice. She leans back letting out a long sigh and states with acknowledgment, “You two really do have a connection don’t you, I can see the threads in your eyes when you look at him?” I look back at her with a sense of satisfaction that she finally does not doubt Blaze or me and that she actually used the ability to see fate lines that mom passed on to her. That was a good sign I could see that Storm was starting to heal from mom’s death, because Storm usually steers clear of the magic our mother used. “Besides,” Storm then, says causing me to look her way, “Even if I didn’t see them just then, your aura would have given you both away. I admit I slightly noticed it earlier in the bakery, seems I need to go get moms ritual manuals instead of her guidebooks huh.”

I simply laugh saying, “Yep,” while stealing a glance at Ambrose and his friend at the bar. Storm and I finish our drinks, heading for the door to leave when Rose unexpectedly grabs my hand, as Storm, and I were walking out. He spins me around embracing me, where I stood in between his legs, as he sat on the stool. Storm laughs and says she will see me at the car, she just got a door alert that Trilla just got home, and she was going to call her to see if she wanted anything on our way back to the house. I wave her off wrapping my arms around Rose’s neck. I look him in the eyes and smile thinking I’m going to enjoy calling him Rose just as I say, “why hello Rose, how can I help you. The friend that he came in with scoffs “why hello Rose,” taking a sip of his beer.

Ambrose rolls his eyes ignoring him as he kisses me on the hand saying he will see me in the morning, he spins me back out and winks saying, “now go on, I want to watch that ass wave at me, as you walk away.” His friend and I both burst out laughing on Q, as I sway just a little harder than was needed, on my way out of the bar. That night I had another dream, this time, hotter than the last, so real I actually had to change the sheets; these dreams were becoming a bit of a nuisance. The morning was bliss with the exception of a little cleaning up, Storm even woke up earlier than me and made breakfast. Trilla and I were at the island eating when Storm comes in freshly showered saying she needed to head over to the neighboring town to meet with her editor. She also reminded us to be watchful cause she found another rose but this time it was laying on her meditation deck out in the middle of the woods. She informs us she feels someone we know was playing a joke, so she reached out to a friend for help. We say, “okay that we understand the seriousness of the situation,” after we say our goodbyes to her, we go back to eating. Soon as we hear Storm’s car pull away, Trilla burst out almost panicking, “it can’t be uncle can it,” I gesture calmly, no it’s not. Thinking I will not let whatever the hell this was ruin my night.

I tell her to finish and get ready cause she will be manning the front of the store today. Trilla sighs and says, “fine, are we taking your car or mine?” I almost choke, on my bite of French toast, “obviously not yours,” I say through bites of food and laughter, she just shrugs her shoulders and clears away her mess, going up stairs to finish getting ready. Once we were done and ready to leave, we made our way to the bakery. There we were greeted to the loveliest sight of Ambrose parked in the back of the shop. We park next to him and get out of the car. Lili remarks that he was the reason she had to do all the work today, punching Ambrose in the arm as she made her way into the bakery.

Everything was smooth sailing as Trilla was out front killing it and my new Rose was fixing odds and ends around the bakery, “for a CEO, he really was quite handy,” Blaze mused as we watched Ambrose finish fixing the front window blind. I go into my office to go over some inventory papers when Ambrose comes in asking if there was anything else he could help with before he took off to the office. I tell him “No,” but that I would like to talk to him about our date tonight. He gives a sexy grin walking into the office cracking the door behind him; I began trying to get him to tell me where we are going tonight, but he just kept being playful and not saying anything, just that I need to be dress to impress.

The door chimes and Ambrose stiffens, his head swirls toward the office door. Ambrose flares his nostrils for a second stepping away from the desk peeking out front and growls, “I told that joker to meet me at the office,” he huffs hanging his head and says, “be right back, beautiful.” I lean in my chair and watch him walk out the door. I twiddle my thumbs starting to wonder how Lili was doing and who just walked in my store pulling my mates attention, as Blaze pushes to go. So I get up deciding to do my inventory later, I round the corner of my office speaking to a few customers as I made my way up front. I see Ambrose standing next to the pretty, pale man from last night as I make my way to the front of the display case to talk with him. I hear Ambrose say, “Hey Nik, answer me,” but the guy is frozen where he stands, Ambrose pats him on the back to get his focus, but he is staring really hard at something. Ambrose says to him “Nik, are you okay? Dude, what are you looking at? Do I need to get you out of here?” Nik stiffens, I noticed him following Lili behind the counter with his eyes going black. I step out in front of the man and Ambrose introduces me quickly to Nik as Nikolai Petrov.

I soon realize what the look in his eyes meant as he was staring at Lili. I ready myself to fight because that was definitely the look of a vampire hunting. I ask him “Why are you staring at my little sister like that?” Nikolai pulls his attention away from Lili for a moment. He looks back at me in confusion saying softly “Your little sister?” before looking back at Trilla. Blaze roars, “kill him,” but I push her down as the hunting look fades from his eyes. “Yes, she is my half-sister through our mother,” “Now, why were you staring at her like that?” I demanded; Nikolai forces the words “She is my mate” through his clenched teeth. “I can’t believe what I am saying,” he states, running his fingers through his hair, never breaking his gaze, then makes a comment on how captivatingly gorgeous she is. I stop and look at him with concern, “Just who are you, cause if you think you are getting near my 19-year-old sister you have another thing coming?” I threatened, because I was not going to accept just anyone coming in claiming to be her mate.

He looks back at me grinning and says almost animal like “she is only 19, wow, she sure is blessed where it counts”. “What?” I yell at him startling the customers seated nearby. I push by Ambrose suddenly colliding with his brick wall of a chest trying to slap Nik, but Rose swiftly stops me holding me back wrapping his arms around my waist and holding my wrists in his warm, large hands. I can feel him nuzzle the top of my head, his scent momentarily distracting me from Nikolai, “I will take care of this, Mara,” Ambrose, says looking at Nik shaking his head. I pull away to see Rose sneer at Nik and say, “Isn’t this an interesting town?” I growl at Nik before giving Ambrose a smile and swatting him on the chest telling him I will see him later and to get the asshole out of my bakery. I get back to work helping Lili as Nik looks at Ambrose and comments, “You have a feisty one on your hands,” Ambrose chuckles saying, “I love that fiery attitude.”

While helping behind the counter, I notice Lili is trying extremely hard not to look in Ambrose’s direction. So, I ask her “are you okay?” Lili says fidgeting with her apron. “Who is the guy Ambrose is speaking with?” I respond, “that was Nikolai, he is one of the investors working with Ambrose,” she blushes and just nods her head. Later while we are closing the bakery, I ask Trilla again “are you sure you’re alright,” cause even after the guys left, she was still in another world. She tells me she heard Anaia’s voice, “Wait, who? when?” I ask her, turning out the lights for the front of the bakery, as she puts up the last of the chairs. “My dragon” she says freezing up “when that drool worthy vamp walked in” she whispers the rest, I rush over to her grabbing her in a bear hug, she wiggles out screaming, “what’s wrong with you?” I laugh tearing up saying that’s the first time your dragon spoke that means it’s almost time to get your first seal.” I gush, forgetting she just mentioned that her dragon reacted to Nikolai.

“Any who, let’s head home now, so I can get ready for my date and Storm can give you the big coming of age speech.” So, we finish cleaning and locking up then quickly head home. While in the shower at home, Storm comes in my room saying there was a fancy box left on the porch for me. I step out the shower in time to see her place it on the foot of my bed. I began drying off thinking about what to wear, as I walk over to where the box is resting on the bed, with a note that reads “Thought this would be as perfect, as you are, and I hope you like it, xoxo, Ambrose.” I pick up the letter waving it by my nose taking in the masculine cologne that was certainly his, my head starts swimming thinking of all the possibilities with this man and what he is willing to do for me. I get dressed and stand in front of the mirror amazed at the figure staring back at me.