Chapter Nine

OLLIE

I hadn't even thought what Archer's—the Talbots'— house would be like. I'd assumed a normal suburban semi, like my parents had. Or perhaps a larger detached house, like Mr and Mrs Shaw's. This house was nothing like those. It was a tourist guide come to life.

Uneven dark wood beams criss-crossed small red bricks, which looked like they'd settled over the centuries so that now they formed crooked lines. The windows were leaded, revealing diamonds of glass that shone in the setting sun. Immensely tall chimneys looked as if they might topple over at any moment, though given how long they'd been there, I guessed they were stronger than they looked. This was a house that had seen history made.

I followed Archer through the heavy, ancient-looking door and gaped. The enormous hall had a stone fireplace, and was that a minstrels' gallery on the first floor? All that was missing was a suit of armour.

"Mia can show you around," Archer said. "I'd better clear out a room for you."

That put paid to my ideas of butlers and maids. Before I could do anything more than put my bag down on the stone-flagged floor, a red-haired dragon catapulted out of a nearby room and hurtled over to me, fury in his face.

"Who the fuck are you?" Smoke curled from his nostrils, and he looked an instant away from shifting. He was broad-shouldered and tall, and loomed over me threateningly.

Archer stepped swiftly between us. "He's my guest." The growl in his voice was doing all sorts of things to my dick even though I should have been more worried about having my head ripped off by the strange dragon. " Our guest. Back off."

The dragon snorted furiously. "Of course he fucking is. One rule for you and one for everyone else. You're a fucking hypocrite." He turned on his heel and strode to the front door, wrenched it open and slammed it behind him so hard that I wondered if the old house might collapse as a result.

I held my breath, waiting to see what Archer would do after such a flagrant show of disrespect.

To my amazement, he shook his head slightly and when he turned, his usual stern expression had faded, leaving only weariness. "Sorry about that," he said to me, and that was new—a head of family apologising. "Thank you for keeping your cool."

"No problem. I mean, he didn't know a strange dragon would be coming into his home." My voice rose questioningly on the word home. I assumed he lived here, but I could be wrong.

Unfortunately, my attempt to be gracious sounded like a criticism of Archer for not warning the other dragon. With an annoyed grunt, he started up the staircase.

I watched him go, not only for the view of his tight arse and amazing shoulders but to ensure he was out of hearing before I turned to Mia and raised my eyebrows in query.

"My other brother, Tim," she said, with a sigh. "I don't know what's got into him but since his first term at uni last autumn, he's been an absolute pain." She dumped her case on the flagstones. "Let me give you the guided tour."

There was a formal dining room with a long dark-wood table, elegant looking chairs, and exquisite silver candlesticks that could have done with a bit of polish. On the other side of the hall was an equally unwelcoming room with a hard-looking sofa and chairs. It appeared to be remarkably unlived-in.

"We tend to live in the kitchen and the sitting room," Mia said.

The sitting room felt cosy the instant I entered it, with modern, comfortable furniture. A fire burned in the grate, and I was relieved to see a television tucked in a corner.

"This is where we spend most of our time," Mia said. "It's the most comfortable room and also the cheapest to heat. But I haven't shown you the pièce de résistance yet."

She hadn't? I was already feeling as if this were some sort of movie set, except that modern items were strewn amidst the old-fashioned stuff. She led me to one final door and opened it with a flourish. "The library."

"Oh my God, this is awesome ." It was the largest room yet, its walls lined with shelves of leather-bound books. The windows over the moat had more of those diamond shapes, casting intricate patterns of light across the wooden floorboards. A large stone fireplace dominated one wall, framed by dark wood panelling that added warmth to the room. In the centre of the room stood a table and chairs, while a comfy-looking sofa beckoned me from where it was placed by the window. The room had a peaceful atmosphere, as if it were separate from the rest of the world.

"Ollie," Mia called from beside the fireplace, and I realised I was rooted to the spot, taking in the slightly musty smell and the beauty of the place. "Come here," she said, and fiddled with a carving on the panelling. With a slow, grinding noise, a wooden section opened.

I gaped. "What the—"

Cautiously, I pushed the panel all the way open and stuck my head inside. It was a large, empty cupboard.

"Our priest hole," she said. "Catholic priests who'd sneak around the countryside to celebrate Mass would hide in here if the authorities caught wind of their presence. Family tradition says King Charles hid here for a while when he was trying to escape to France, but I don't think it's true—he'd have made us lords or something if it were."

"So you're not lords or something?" I didn't know what the other something was.

She laughed. "No, we're as normal as they come. We just live in an amazing house."

"I'd never have guessed the priest hole was there. Do you use it for anything?"

"For hide and seek when we were smaller, but now…" she shrugged. "Apart from the fun of it, it's no real use."

Mia led the way back to the sitting room, where at least it was warm. This house was freezing, even though I was still wearing my jacket.

"Should I give your brother a hand clearing out the room?"

She'd thrown herself down into an armchair and looked up at me, her eyes dancing. "I think he'd love you to give him a hand another time, but best to leave it when he's just had a run-in with Tim. He gets growly."

I'd noticed. And I liked it. I'd more than liked the way he'd stood in front of me so closely, protecting me. I squashed those thoughts, remembering my promise to Jack. Remembering, more importantly, the reason for my promise to Jack. Even if Archer had been interested in me—and he so obviously wasn't—it would be a disaster big enough to eclipse even the incident with the nail gun if I were to cause this dragon experiment to fail by banging my host.

I sat in the chair closest to the fire and tried not to imagine being nakedly entwined with Archer Talbot on the rug in front of it, lit by flickering firelight. Not entirely successfully, if I were honest.

ARCHER

I couldn't sleep. We'd all gone to bed at about the same time, and I'd been yawning as I headed up the stairs. But in the silence of my room, all I could think was there was a strange dragon in my home. In the heart of my territory. I didn't trust him.

The more I thought about Ollie, the more I thought I'd been set up. He'd been so careful to tell me how he'd tagged along by accident to the moot. He'd disarmed Mia and, to some extent, me with his prattling and excitement about the house. But every family would have considered long and hard which dragons to take to represent them at the moot. Ollie wasn't what he seemed. The bright chatter was a cover. It had to be. No one confronted life with that constant level of excitement.

He was also very young to have been a family representative. Early twenties, I thought. That, and the fact he was so damn attractive, made me wonder if he was a honey trap. It was difficult to see how anyone could resist the way his light-hearted grins lit his face.

I'd make sure I was ultra careful with the information I gave him. Over supper, which the three of us had shared around the kitchen table, he'd asked questions about my family. They could have been innocently interested questions, but I didn't think they were.

Although…what he'd said about me springing his arrival on Tim had actually been right. Damn it. Clenching my jaw, I reached for my phone.

I shouldn't have brought a strange dragon here without giving you a heads up. His name's Ollie Shaw and he's staying for up to three months. I'll fill you in tomorrow .

About to tell him there were leftovers for him in the fridge, I noticed it was gone midnight. He'd either have already found them, or he'd be staying with a friend. At least, that was where I thought he went when he stayed out. But I didn't know, and he wasn't going to tell me.

Tomorrow, I'd have to introduce Ollie to the wider family. The whole point of this experiment was to get us used to having an unknown dragon on our territory in a somewhat unplanned way. Which meant, to be true to the spirit of what Margaret was trying to do, I should let Ollie mix in his own way with the rest of the family.

I didn't want him to do that. I didn't know what he might discover and report back to his family.

Shit. My head was pounding, Tim had left me on read, and across the landing, Ollie Shaw was undoubtedly sleeping peacefully. He probably looked like an angel with those knowing, bright blue eyes closed.

There was no way I was going to get to sleep. I threw back the covers and climbed out of bed, only then realising how cold the room was. I'd watched the way Ollie, with apparent casualness, had laid his coat over his lap earlier. He'd be used to insulation and double glazing. I couldn't afford to heat the whole house just to make him comfortable, but I'd taken a heater from the library and set it up in his room a couple of hours before bedtime. It should have taken the chill off the air.

There was only one way to settle myself and that was to fly. Heading outside, I shifted and flew around my home, marking the boundaries of the land, though not of my territory. That encompassed all of Winchester and some way beyond. Sometimes, I loved that fact. Sometimes, like tonight, it was a burden.

There were so many threats to keep track of, so many ways my family could be harmed if I wasn't constantly vigilant. And now I had a new threat—one I'd invited into the heart of my family. I'd had no choice in the matter, but that wouldn't absolve me of responsibility if things went wrong.

Even the beauty of the stars above and my home below me didn't ease my fears. Not tonight. Not now Ollie Shaw was here.

OLLIE

I could have kissed Mia for how easy she was to talk to while Archer sat and brooded, first over supper and then over hot chocolate in the sitting room. I was beginning to realise that, though brooding was sexy, it was kind of limiting when it came to conversation.

The bedroom I'd been given was much more comfortable than I'd feared it would be. I'd expected formal furniture and an ancient four-poster bed, in which I'd have worried all night about creepy-crawlies falling off the rotting canopy onto my face. Although the wardrobe was an imposing antique, the bedside-table was modern, and a bed straight out of Ikea made the room welcoming.

I messaged Jack. So far, so good . No need to mention the hot-chocolate stain on the rug in front of the fire. I didn't think Archer or Mia had noticed, and I was determined to find some stain remover in the kitchen cupboards tomorrow so I could get rid of it. I thought about creeping downstairs to do it now, but I wasn't sure where Tim was and how well he'd taken on board the fact I was a guest.

Jack replied instantly. What are the rest of them like? What are they asking you? Remember not to tell them anything useful .

Archer said I could call him Archer . Somehow, my words failed to communicate the thrill of having been given that permission. So far all they want to know is if I have any allergies or food preferences. You should see this house—it's right out of Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre or something. Hang on a minute .

I scrambled out of bed, drew back thick, velvet curtains, and opened the casement window. Holding my phone out, I took a photo and sent it to him.

???? All I can see is black.

It's a moat. A MOAT!

Shit! I can't believe I passed on this .

Which, belatedly, reminded me. How's Lisa?

That led to a whole bunch of pregnancy talk. I was happy to hear she was doing better now, but even happier that she'd decided not to attend the moot. Because otherwise, I'd never have come to this house with a moat.

And I'd never have met Archer Talbot, who practically made me swoon every time he looked at me. My old tutor had contaminated my vocabulary by making me read all those Victorian novels, but swoon was the only word that fitted. I wanted so badly to bang Archer, but I also wanted to sit and stare at his dark beauty and tremble at his commanding presence, and—yeah. Ms Darrow's love of Jane Eyre had definitely done something to my brain.

When I signed off from Jack, I realised I'd left the window open, letting all the not-completely-frigid air escape. Leaning out to pull it shut, I paused. The beat of dragon wings overhead was unmistakable, but there was too much cloud cover for me to see anything.

I was about to give up searching the sky when the moon emerged from behind a cloud, lighting the landscape brightly. I drew in a sharp breath. In the near-distance stood a tall tower, like something out of a fantasy film. On that tower, a huge black dragon perched.

Even from this distance, I knew it was Archer. His body language was undeniable—he was protecting his lands. Protecting his family. Protecting me.

My cheeks heated, and I yanked the window closed. Of course he wasn't. I was simply along for the ride, like always. But the thought of him out there, looking after me, kept me warm as I snuggled down into bed again, and it followed me into my dreams.