Page 71 of The Loneliest Dragon at Christmas
Avery laughed. Carrie rested her head back down on the cushion.
“Now I have a present for you,” Jack announced.
“What? But it isn’t Christmas yet!”
Avery had presents for Jack. He’d tried not to go overboard, aware of Jack’s concerns about their differences regarding money. It had been difficult. He’d wanted to buy everything for Jack. In the end, Avery had bought him several second-hand cookbooks and a dragon-scale cloak made from his own dragon scales.
He’d kept a few scales over the years when he’d shed. They could be made into clothing items by a blacksmith. Usually, knights wore this sort of thing, as they were excellent for defence. But he thought Jack would look fetching in a cloak made from his dragon scales.
Normally, dragon-scale cloaks were ridiculously expensive, but since he’d supplied his own, it had been very reasonably priced. At least, he thought so.
“Consider this an early Christmas present,” Jack said. “Actually, I wanted to give you this the first time I came over.” He handed Avery a small package wrapped in brown paper.
“What is it?” Avery asked. He turned the package over in his hand.
“You’ll have to open it to see.”
Fingers trembling with excitement, Avery carefully undid the wrapping. He wanted to tear the paper away, but instead, he savoured the delicious reveal as he pulled it back. “It’s a book!”
Avery ran his fingers along the pages, an old book, well-used. He could feel the love tingling in his fingers. He lifted the book to his nose and inhaled.
Turning the book, he read the cover aloud, “Susie and Tommy Bake for Christmas: A Christmas Classic.” Avery’s head snapped up. “Jack! How did you know?”
Jack frowned. “How did I know what?”
Avery dashed to a bookshelf. “I have one of these books. I hadn’t realised it was a series.” Avery grabbed the book he searched for. “See!Susie and Tommy Decorate for Christmas. It’s the same series.” He held out the books to Jack.
“It is too.” Jack laughed. “Where did you get this?”
“From my mother. It was a favourite of hers.” If Avery had known it had been a series, he’d have scoured the bookstores, searching for them.
“This one was a favourite of mine too,” Jack said. “My parents used to read it to us.”
“Really?”
Jack nodded. “I went out and found a copy.”
Avery clutched the books to his chest. “I love it so. Thank you. Can we read it tonight? Now?”
Jack grinned. “I’ll get more hot chocolate.”
CHAPTER 36
They lay on the rug in the library, dozing, watching the flames flicker along the logs in the fireplace, whilst being surrounded by the Christmas decorations and tree.
“So what does mating a dragon entail?” Jack asked.
Avery sat up, eyes wild, his hair tousled around his shoulders. “Jack! What do you mean, what does mating a dragon entail? You don’t know? You said yes to mating with me and you don’t know what it involves?”
Jack propped himself up on his elbow. “I don’t know all the details.” He stroked Avery’s arm. “But I know it means being bonded to you for life. And that’s what I wanted. I want you, a life with you.”
“I want that too,” Avery said a little breathlessly. He frowned. “But you should still know what it means before agreeing to mate.”
“All right.” Jack sat up and kissed Avery. “Well, why don’t you tell me? Then I can agree to be your mate once I know all the details.”
Avery huffed. “It’s a big deal. Once we go through the ritual, it is irreversible. You cannot take it back. We will be able to sensethe other and speak telepathically. You will share my lifespan. So once we’ve bonded, you’ll live as long as I do.”
Jack’s eyes widened as he took that in. “How long do dragons normally live?”
