Chapter 11 #2
Sephie’s face lost all color. No doubt at the horror of knowing how Ben had really died, but also, Ranulf believed, at the realization of the danger her own parents had been in yesterday.
Her jaw tightened. “What will happen to him now? Will you tell the police about him?”
“What would we tell them?” Ranulf scoffed. “That Wallis believes in the existence of dragons and their treasure and that he’s already killed three people in his search for them?”
Sephie shook her head. “He would be classed as insane and end up in a mental institution. Three meals a day, free heating, and no responsibilities? That’s far too lenient for the things he’s done.”
Relief flooded Ranulf’s chest. “What do you think should happen to him?”
“Truthfully?”
“Always.”
Some of the color returned to her cheeks. “Zoey’s parents died in a plane crash, you said?”
“Arranged by Wallis.”
“And he threw Ben McGregor out of his helicopter?”
“Yes.”
Her lips thinned. “Then I believe he ought to meet the same fate as his three victims and should plunge to his death from a great height. Preferably after being released from the talons of one of the dragons he’s been searching for all these years.
He would never be able to tell anyone else about them or even see their treasure, let alone steal any of it. ”
“You truly are magnificent,” Ranulf admired warmly.
She grimaced. “I probably sound a bit bloodthirsty, but he really does deserve to die a painful death rather than live out the rest of his life being taken care of in a mental hospital.”
He inclined his head. “I will put your proposal to my brothers and their mates. But I think I can already say that they will heartily agree with your suggestion.”
“Good.” She nodded abruptly. “What happened in the church earlier? You asked me to close my eyes. I heard Wallis gasp and then a gurgling sound. When I opened my eyes again, he was gone, but I could smell blood.”
“Ah.” Ranulf winced. “I severed his hand, the one holding the detonator, with my talons. He screamed and then went into shock.”
“You…cut off his hand…with your talons?” she repeated incredulously.
He lifted his hand, revealing the six-inch talons that had now taken the place of his fingers.
“Oh my God!” she gasped, staring at those lethal weapons. “You really are a dragon.”
“I really am.”
She took a hesitant step forward. “Can I—can I touch them?”
“You can touch any part of me whenever you wish.”
She gave a choked laugh. “I want to touch you all the time, so I’d be careful about giving me carte blanche if I were you.”
“Whenever you wish, my Sephie,” he stated again, heat burning in his eyes.
She stepped forward to reach out and tentatively touch the tips of his talons. “Ooh, sharp!” She quickly drew her hand back.
“I didn’t cut you?” Ranulf frowned as he withdrew his talons to take her hand in his and check for himself that she was unharmed. The last thing he or his dragon ever wished to do was to hurt his mate in any way.
“I’m fine,” she dismissed.
Ranulf released her hand to look up at her. “What will happen between us now?”
“I don’t— Oh. Yes.” She nodded, smiling slightly.
“First, let me assure you I’m not shocked or in the least distressed at learning you and your brothers are dragon shifters.
Or that I’m your fated mate. The first’s a bit of a surprise, but the second part I’m absolutely thrilled about.
If I’m being completely honest, it’s pretty bloody amazing. ”
Ranulf could see by her glowing smile that she really wasn’t freaked out by that knowledge. Which was…slightly worrying.
Perhaps, inwardly, Sephie was freaking out, and the moment she and her parents left the castle she was going to insist on them calling the local police to report Wallis for having held them all prisoner the previous day, and also to inform them that that man was now locked up in Drake House.
“Don’t look so worried, Ranulf,” she said with a chuckle.
“I’m really okay with what you’ve told me.
More than okay at the thought of being your mate.
” A blush flooded her cheeks. “Please, don’t worry,” she pleaded again.
“I’m just going to need a little time to explain the situation to my parents. ”
“About that… We have homes all over the globe and move every twenty to thirty years or so. Because of not aging. We’re coming up to that stage of things now.
Sometimes we just fall asleep with our treasure for those years.
Other times, we live in one of our other homes.
With the advent of Belle and Zoey into our lives, we will be moving in the next year or so.
If you agree to become my mate, you would need to leave with me and necessarily part from your parents. ”
“Maybe,” she returned enigmatically.
“There is no other way, Sephie.”
“Let’s just wait and see, hm?” she encouraged. “For now, I would like you to kiss me good morning—it’s late, so we don’t have time to do more than that—and then I’m going to need the rest of the day to deal with stuff. But I promise I will come back tonight.”
“Okay,” he accepted.
“And I’m going to want to see all of your beautiful and powerful dragon when I do,” she warned.
“Of course.”
“And please, please don’t do anything about Wallis before I get back.” Her eyes narrowed. “I would like to be here when one of you flies him to the top of the mountain and drops him from that great height!”
So bloodthirsty, Ranulf admired again. “It will probably be Hunter accompanied by Zoey, as it was her parents Wallis killed.”
“Fair enough.” Sephie nodded. “What does a girl have to do around here to get her dragon shifter lover to kiss her?” she challenged.
Ranulf laughed—he couldn’t believe he actually laughed—at her teasing words and expression.
Before he kissed the hell out of her.
After all, there was no guarantee that he would ever be able to kiss her again.