Page 13 of Valentine's Day Treasure

Grah doi what?

Love of burning. We fear no one today—the world best fear us.

Got it. Be safe.

You as well.

After a few moments, Heather came out the door, with her blonde hair braided in one plait down her back. She smiled when she saw him as a dragon.

Yer hair.

She touched the braid.

“You like it?”

Aye,he rumbled.Love it.

She smiled at him and held his spiky face in her soft hands. She kissed him on the forehead, then walked around him, running her hand down his neck. He shivered with the pleasure of her touch, and dipped his head to nip her on the butt as she went by.

“Hey!” she said, laughing, pushing at his snout. “What about my pendant?” she asked, her voice growing serious.

The angel father of the One True Mates had left a powerful pendant with the mother of each of them.

Bring it if you want,Graeme said inruhi,remembering the last time she’d needed it, it had come to her by magic.

“I don’t think I want it,” she said.

Up you go, then.

Graeme folded his legs and dropped to his belly. Heather climbed on top of his back, straddling him like a horse, then leaned forward, gripping him with her thighs, legs hanging down between spikes and wingmounts.

Graeme stood.We’re going straight up. Remember your training?

“Aye,” Heather said, imitating his brogue.

Graeme shivered, rattling Heather in her seat and making her laugh. Because of the trees, he had to take off vertically. They didn’t fly as much as either of them would like, but they practiced this takeoff often, so Heather always knew what her growing belly felt like on his back.

Graeme slowly rose on his back legs until he was nearly upright. Snow continued to fall heavily all around, steaming into mist, and creating a little cloud of steam around them already. He paid close attention to Heather’s grip and balance as he moved. He shivered again, harder this time, and when she stayed solid in her seat, he spoke in her mind.

Hup. Hie. Ha.Go!

Onhup,he bent his back legs, onhie, he opened his strong wings wide, onha, he beat the air once. Heather leaned forward, gripping him tight with knees and arms, and ongo,he jumped into flight.

“Whoo!” Heather shouted as they left the ground.

Graeme cleared the trees, disguised them with magic, and then leveled off immediately, loving the weight of his mate on his back, but not wanting to go too high until he knew how she was doing.

All good?

“Great!” she shouted into the slipstream.

He chuckled to himself, loving that she felt better. It was going to be a good day.

He banked and flew east, reaching the catamount statue quickly, but only giving it a passing glance. He’d been there enough times to know it was not a suitable place for Rhen’s gold. They would check the bear statue and the wolf statue, but Graeme thought neither would prove to be an adequate location to hide this treasure.

What he wanted was a deep cave or, better yet, a waterfall.

9—Just Enough Meat

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