A Dragonlings’ Easter:
Dragonlings of Valdier
By S. E. Smith
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my husband Steve for believing in me and being proud enough of me to give me the courage to follow my dream. I would also like to give a special thank you to my sister and best friend Linda, who not only encouraged me to write but who also read the manuscript. Also to my other friends who believe in me: Julie, Jackie, Lisa, Sally, Elizabeth (Beth) and Narelle. The girls that keep me going!
—S. E. Smith
Science Fiction Romance
A Dragonlings’ Easter: Dragonlings of Valdier
Copyright © 2014 by S. E. Smith
First E-Book Published March 2014
Cover Design by Melody Simmons
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission from the author.
All characters, places, and events in this book are fictitious or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations are strictly coincidental.
Synopsis
When Abby creates a set of Easter Eggs for each Dragonling she has no idea she is about to start a new tradition on Valdier. What happens when the men and the dragonlings take the hunt for the colorful eggs to heart? Laughter and a whole lot of crispy eggs!
Author’s Note:
For those who have not read the Dragon Lords of Valdier, here is a little background.
The Valdier are dragon shifters who have a golden symbiot, yes, symbiot, just the way I want them to be called as they are a character all themselves. The Valdier consist of three parts: the dragon, the man/woman, and their symbiot companion. They are friends with the Curizan (a species able to harness the energy around them) and the Sarafin Warriors (a cat shifting species). The following is a character relationship for those new to the series:
Zoran Reykill, Leader of the Valdier mated to Abby Tanner: one son: Zohar
Mandra Reykill mated to Ariel Hamm: one son: Jabir
Kelan Reykill mated to Trisha Grove: one son: Bálint
Trelon Reykill mated to Cara Truman: twin daughters:
Amber and Jade
Creon Reykill mated to Carmen Walker: twin daughters: Spring and Phoenix
Paul Grove true mate to Morian Reykill
Vox d’Rojah: King of the Sarafin Warriors mated to Riley St. Claire: son: Roam.
Ha’ven Ha’darra, Prince of the Curizan mated to Emma Watson: daughter: Alice.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Epilogue
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chapter 1
“What are you doing?” Zoran Reykill asked, wrapping his arms around his mate’s waist and pulling her back against him.
Abby relaxed against him as she studied the last Easter egg she had designed. Each softball size egg had a miniature replica of a dragonling in the center. She had even made one for Vox and Riley’s new ‘cub’, Roam.
She had been feeling whimsical and all the new flowers blooming had made her think of Easter back on her mountain. Now, a row of the colorful glass and semi-precious jeweled eggs lined the workbench in the large studio set on the upper level of the palace. She reached out and gently touched the colorful blown glass egg featuring their son, Zohar.
“I was thinking of Easter,” Abby admitted with a sigh. “My grandparents loved the different holidays. Every Easter, we would spend hours dyeing eggs and decorating them up. Then my grandfather would get up extra early and hide them.” She laughed as she tilted her head back to gaze up into his eyes. “I never did find them all. Edna would bring Bo up and he would invariably find the ones I missed and roll in them.”
Zoran frowned in confusion as he stared down at the delicate egg. It still amazed him the beauty and attention to detail Abby was able to recreate with bits of glass. It reminded him of her and their son; beautiful and precious. His arms tightened and a low growl rumbled from him as he bent his head to press his lips against her neck.
His tongue swept over the silky flesh three times before he felt his dragon stir in excitement. He pressed against her to let her feel his arousal. Her swift inhale of breath and the tilt of her head to expose more of her throat to him told him she was not immune to his desire.
“Zohar?” He asked in a husky growl.
“Your mom and Paul have him,” Abby groaned. “They…” Her voice died when his hands moved up to cup her breasts.
“Good,” he whispered before he called to his dragon.
Abby’s loud moan echoed through the room as the intense heat of the dragon’s fire swept through her. Her dragon answered her mate’s call immediately with a passion of her own. Pale blue, gold and white scales rippled up over her arms as he breathed into her. Shivers of desire wracked her body as she gripped the strong arms holding her.
“Zoran,” Abby groaned hungrily.
The sound of ripping cloth echoed loudly in the room as sharp claws cut through the tunic covering her clothes. Soon, her shirt and skirt lay in tattered remains on the floor along with it. Refusing to give in easily, Abby twisted in Zoran’s arms as he reluctantly pulled back.
Her dark blue eyes flashed with fire as she stepped to the side and shifted. Her dragon, excited at the idea of the chase, bounded with delight. She ran her long tongue around his wrist before she turned and rushed for the open doors overlooking the gardens far below.
She paused for a moment to glance back over her shoulder at her mate as she gripped the stone railing. With a soft snort, she turned back around and launched herself into the air. A loud roar followed her as she swept through the cool evening air and over the walls of the palace.
*.*.*
Abby lifted her face to the refreshing breeze as she flew. She could feel the heat of Zoran’s dragon as he caught up with her. She loved how he flew closer to her until their wings actually brushed against each other at times. As the large meadow not far from palace came into view, he rose until he was flying slightly above her. She knew he was scanning the area to make sure it was safe.
I love being able to fly. I don’t think I will ever get tired of it, she murmured to him.
This is what I will never get never tire of, Zoran responded with a low growl.
Abby’s gasp turned to a soft delighted chuckle as the large dragon above her suddenly wrapped his tail around hers, spinning her in midair. The moment her soft underside was exposed, he gripped her front claws in his and drew her closer. Her soft cry filled the air as he impaled her.
Zoran groaned as he slowly sank toward the ground far below. He fought hard to stay focused until his back legs touched down in the waist high grass. He carefully released her front claws, watching as she sank back on the ground with her wings rising to fold up along his body. His wings continued to beat as he sank further down until he rested over her, caging her under him. He lowered his head so he could run his long tongue along her jaw.
I love you, Abby, he groaned as he settled deeper into her. So very, very much.
Abby rubbed her long, slender cheek against his, letting him know how much his words meant to her. Her front claws clutched at his forearms as he began rocking faster. Soon, their combined cries echoed in the sea of waist high purple grass.
A low moan escaped her much later as she felt
Zoran withdraw from her. Without a word she shifted at the same time as he did. Now, instead of massive wings caging her body, Zoran’s strong arms held her close to him. She snuggled closer and sighed as she stared up at the glittering stars.
“What is it?” Zoran asked in a husky voice, gently brushing her long hair back from her face.
She smiled as she gazed up at the night sky. Two moons, one a quarter full and the other just a sliver shone along with the stars. Her eyes moved to his when he leaned over her, blocking out everything but his face creased in concern.
She raised her hand and gently ran her fingers along his jaw. “Nothing…,” she started to say before his low growl of displeasure stopped her. She released another sigh and let her hand drop to her chest. “I was just thinking of my grandparents. I miss them. I miss the fun we had on my mountain.”
“Fun? Such as this Easter egg hunt you did with them?” He asked with a frown.
“Yes, like the Easter egg hunt. I always dreamed of one day sharing that with my own children,” she admitted. “Easter is just one of the holidays. I’ve never really asked what type of holidays you have here.”
Zoran shrugged. “We celebrate the birth of a new youngling. Those that farm celebrate the new crops. We enjoy each day we are given. When we were at war with the Curizan and Sarafin…” He paused for a moment as the memory of those dark days swept through his mind. “We learned to appreciate each day we are given. There is no need for a holiday,” he finished quietly.
Abby’s eyes burned for a moment before she blinked them clear. “What about your Gods and Goddesses? I’ve been here for over a year but I’ve never seen you celebrate them. I know your mom is a Priestess to them.”
“We accept them as they accept us. They have no wish for us to celebrate them. They are a part of us. It would be like celebrating ourselves,” he explained, confused. “Why would I wish to do that?”
“I don’t know. I just wondered,” she whispered, looking away so he couldn’t see the sadness in her eyes. “Sometimes I just miss some of the things from home.”
Zoran’s eyes turned dark with concern. He gently cupped her chin and turned her face so she was forced to look at him. It tore at him when she was unhappy. His eyes glittered with determination as an idea formed in his mind.
“There is no reason we cannot have this Easter egg hunt. I think it would be good for Zohar to learn things from your world. He should know these things,” he stated firmly. “Tomorrow, we will have this hunt.”
Abby giggled at the look in her mate’s eyes. She had discovered when Zoran had that look, he wouldn’t change his mind. She slid her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, hugging him to her before laying back to look up at him with an excited smile.
“We need to plan it. I’ll organize everything tomorrow. Riley will love it. She was talking to me earlier about it when I showed her the egg I designed for Roam. Ha’ven and Emma are coming as well. I’d like them to be here. Oh, I’ll need to make another egg for their daughter Alice. I know Emma will enjoy it. I’ll let the other girls know as well and we can boil the eggs and the kids can help us color them and…” She never got to finish her plans.
Zoran, mesmerized by her glowing face, pulled her closer so he could kiss her. Now, it is time for the man to take his woman, he thought as he deepened the kiss.
Chapter 2
“What are they doing?” Trelon asked as he stepped into the kitchen of the palace the next morning.
He tried to hold onto his daughter, Jade’s, wiggling body before he finally gave up. Setting her down on the floor, he watched as she crawled over to her twin sister, Amber, who was eyeing Roam, Vox and Riley’s son, with a mischievous grin. Trelon scowled when he saw the twinkle in their eyes. They were up to something and that usually meant bad news… for him.
“They are dyeing eggs,” Kelan replied holding Bálint by his ankles as his son climbed over his shoulder to hang upside down and babble at Jade and Amber. He grimaced when he felt the wetness of drool as it soaked the back of his shirt. “Trisha said the children will look for them.”
“Why would they want to look for them? And why are they making them different colors?” Vox asked.
He glanced at Riley to see if she was watching him. They had arrived yesterday to visit with Carmen and Creon. At first, he couldn’t understand why she was so excited when they woke up this morning. He had thought it was because Roam had finally slept through the night for the first time. When she had popped out of bed and said that she was going to help color eggs, he thought he had misunderstood her. That was before he discovered the other women were in the kitchen talking about the same thing. Now, his eyes glittered with mischief as he whispered to their son.
“Go get them,” he murmured under his breath before setting Roam down on the floor.
“You are going to get smacked again,” Riley warned him without turning around. “The girls are not chew toys.”
“What?” Vox asked innocently.
A hiss filled the air before a loud crash followed it. Riley threw an exasperated glance at Vox before she folded her arms and tapped her foot. She looked pointedly at where her son now sat under a crate, hissing at Amber while Jade sat on top of the crate holding him in. Amber had changed into a brilliant red and pink dragonling. She snorted and blew a puff of smoke at the hissing cub while Jade’s purple and pink dragonling tried to grab the twitching tail sticking out the other side.
A screeching yowl, followed by crying filled the room when Jade was successful and chomped down on Roam’s furry tail. Roam’s whimper and tear-filled eyes blinked out from under the crate as he shifted back into a toddler. Jade, upset she had lost her current chew toy, shifted as well and started to cry.
“He’ll never win against the two of them,” Trelon warned Vox under his breath as he lifted Jade up into his arms so Vox could rescue Roam. “Even I can’t sneak up on them. They have this weird way of knowing when I’m close to them.”
Everyone turned when Abby cried out in surprise. Zohar had managed to climb up onto the table and was splashing in the colorful bowls. Cara laughed and reached for Amber who decided that Zohar was having way too much fun on his own.
“Oh Zohar, no sweetheart. You aren’t supposed to bathe in the bowls,” Abby laughed as she tried to grab her son. “Zoran, help me!”
She squealed as Zohar, covered in blue, yellow, red, orange and purple dye shook his little body. Color flew everywhere, drawing Spring and Phoenix’s attention away from where they had been chasing the eggs they had stolen.
“It is for Easter. The Easter Bunny comes and hides the eggs for kids to find,” Paul explained to Vox as he grimaced and wiped the colorful water off his face. He brushed a kiss over Morian’s lips as she wiped a spot he missed. “Thank you,” he whispered in a husky voice.
“My pleasure,” she replied with a grin. “Especially since you protected me from the worst of it.”
“A rabbit hides eggs?” Kelan asked, puzzled. “Those are the long-eared creatures that I saw on your ranch, aren’t they? I don’t remember seeing them hiding colorful eggs.”
Ariel chuckled as she pulled Jabir out from under the table. He had crawled under it, chasing one of the eggs Spring had been playing with a few moments earlier. She cradled him in her arms as he clutched his prize, a bright blue egg, in his small hands.
Mandra looked over her shoulder to stare at the small oval object. “Why would they hide them? Why not just eat them?”
Ariel playfully slapped his hand when he tried to take the egg away to study it. “That’s Jabir’s prize. He found it. It was originally based on the German Easter Hare which gave children brightly colored eggs and toys for those who were being good.”
Carmen looked at her sister in surprise. “A hare-y Santa Claus?” She asked with a quiet chuckle.
“Who is Santa Claus?” Creon asked as knelt down to accept the purple egg Phoenix held out to him.
“That’s a whole different holiday,
” Abby said with a sigh as she wiped fruitlessly at Zohar who was now a multi-colored little boy. “You, young man, are going to be as colorful as the eggs for a few days.”
Zohar squealed with delight and clapped his hands. Laughter filled the kitchen area drawing smiles from everyone, including the kitchen staff that stood to the side. The women looked between each other with delight. It would be interesting to see how the kids did on their first Easter egg hunt the next morning.
Chapter 3
“Is everything ready?” Trisha asked Morian who was watching Cara and Pearl round up the kids who were scattered about the smaller garden area wrestling with each other or chasing a dozen small golden rabbits.
“Yes, we are just waiting for Ha’ven and Emma,” Morian responded. “Ha’ven wanted Emma and Alice both to rest for a bit after their journey.”
“I’m so glad they could make it even if Alice is too young to join in. Are the symbiots ready?” Trisha asked before turning to watch Cara as she came bounding up to them.
“Are you kidding? We have like a hundred golden rabbits out there hiding eggs! This is the most awesome Easter ever!! It is even better than the time I made that automatic egg launcher. I could shoot fifty eggs a minute through the thing,” Cara said with a sigh. “The problem was it didn’t shoot very straight and the buttheads in Alpha Sigma Jerk-offs stole it before the competition.”
“You didn’t tell us about that,” Trisha said as she handed a basket of eggs to Bio, Kelan’s symbiot that had adopted her as well. He was in the shape of a huge rabbit for the occasion. “What happened?”
Cara shook her head in disgust and rolled her eyes. “They didn’t have a clue what they were doing and overfilled it. One got stuck and it exploded inside their sorority house. They had splattered eggs everywhere! The bad thing was they had the nerve to try to blame me for it.”
“What did you do?” Trelon asked as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “I can return to Earth and take care of them if you wish.”