Chapter One: Byron

“Nothing’s happening.” Byron scanned the room, searching for the one. But all he saw were happy couples, sitting around tables and laughing at intimate jokes, or groups of friends chatting and smiling, enjoying their afternoon.

“Byron...” Sophie nearly choked on her HoneyClaw Beer. “Give it time. You have only been here for an hour.”

Byron’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure you are not making this whole thing up? I find the whole notion of a magical matchmaking tavern frankly absurd.”

“Making it up?” Sophie coughed and cleared her throat. “Believe me, if you stay in Wishing Moon Bay long enough, you’ll hear the rumor about this place.”

“I don’t doubt I’d hear a rumor about this place.” Byron glanced at the weapons hung from the walls. “It looks as if it’s been plucked from another century.”

“Maybe it has,” Sophie said before lowering her voice. “No one knows the history of The Lonely Tavern...except maybe Morwenna.”

“The witch who jingles when she pours drinks?” Byron asked as he glanced at the gray-haired woman behind the bar, where she was humming to herself while polishing a metal tankard. He could faintly hear the clinking of the metal charms covering her black dress over the background noise of the tavern.

“The one and only.” Sophie grinned. “I like her. She’s kooky with an extra side of quirky.” Sophie sucked in a breath. “But I digress. If you stayed in Wishing Moon Bay long enough, you would hear the rumors that this place is like matchmaker central.”

Byron shook his head. “Are you sure that’s not the romantic in you talking?”

“Says the man with one of the most romantic names in the world...Byron.” She pretended to swoon, her eyes wide as she clasped her hands together and fluttered her eyelashes like a lovelorn fool. Then she giggled and picked up her drink. “It’s a pity you don’t live up to the name. Maybe if you took up poetry, you’d discover your romanticism.”

“It wouldn’t help if I did,” Byron said. “Since the only person I would want to be romantic with is my mate and I have not met her.”

“Yet,” Sophie said firmly. “Give it time.”

“I have the sinking feeling that when I eventually return to Cairnnor, it will be without a mate, or any chance of an heir, and only an apology to my family for failing them and allowing our ancestral home to fall into the hands of my cad of a cousin.” Byron took a sip of the so-called bread beer The Lonely Tavern was supposedly infamous for. The sour tang on his tongue felt right at home with his emotions.

“A cad?” Sophie snorted. “What on earth do you mean by that? I thought your cousin was happily mated.”

“There’s a rumor that Oswald, my dearest cousin, and his new wife aren’t even mates and that they’re ‘fake dating’ in order to secure my family’s side of the fortune.”

Sophie shook her head. “I still think that’s a stupid rule, and that you are now pressured into finding a mate of your own is ridiculous.”

Byron shrugged. “Rules are rules, and these rules have been around as long as any, according to the history books.”

“Well, if he’s cheating, can’t you?” Sophie lowered her voice.

“Cheat?” Byron scoffed. “You mean find a fake mate?”

Sophie tilted her head and looked away. “Why not?”

Byron shook his head. “There’s no way I’d be able to pull that off, even if I tried. I feel I may struggle to win my actual mate over, even with fate on my side, let alone find someone to be in a fake relationship with me. I don’t know the first thing when it comes to matters of the heart.”

“Well, let’s just hope that the tavern is on your side.” Sophie gave him a mischievous smile.

“Are you sure this wasn’t a ruse to get me to ‘hang out’ with you at a bar?” Byron asked as he took a swig of beer. “You know I’m not a fan of this sort of establishment.”

“It was not a ruse,” Sophie told him. “But I did think it might do you good to have a change of scenery for a while. Regardless of whether or not you find your mate.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Byron placed his tankard down on the counter and ran his finger around the top, his eyes a little out of focus. He had to admit there was something charming about drinking from the outdated drinkware, but glasses were certainly more practical.

“You know what it means.” Sophie gave him a knowing look before her face became a bit more serious. “Your mother told me that you’ve been getting a lot of pressure from your family.”

“Yes,” Byron sighed. “As the only son, everyone seems to have made it their duty to find my mate.”

“That can’t make any of this any easier.” Sophie gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “But just remember that when—and it will be ‘when’—you find her, that you don’t let all that pressure cause you to rush things. Make sure you take time to enjoy the moment.”

“We’ll cross that bridge if—when we get to it.” Byron rested his chin on his hand.

If we get to it, his dragon grumbled.

“It’ll work out.” She covered his hand with hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

If only Sophie were the one, his dragon said miserably. She’s smart, not afraid to speak her mind, and a good friend.

But she is only a friend. And fate has decided that’s all she’ll ever be to us, Byron said. A friend he loved dearly, but she was not his mate and there would never be anything between them other than friendship.

As he lifted his beer to his lips, the hairs on the back of his neck tingled. His brows bunched together as he rubbed his neck absently. Usually, he could hold his liquor. But maybe the beer in the tavern was magical and had a greater effect than normal liquor. Perhaps the sourness of the bread beer masked its strength.

Or maybe...His dragon bristled with expectation.

Do you honestly believe the tavern is ‘matchmaker central’?Byron rolled his eyes.

“Couples?” The tavern door opened as the yell filled the air, fueled by indignation.

Byron, along with most of the other people in the tavern, turned to look at the tall woman sporting a checkered work shirt with its sleeves rolled up and its bottom tucked into faded jeans. Her hair didn’t frame her strong brow and sharp eyes. Instead, it was hidden beneath a bandana, and her heavy work boots thudded loudly as she stormed toward the bar, a large piece of colored parchment grasped in her hand.

“Couples!” she repeated as she reached the bar and slammed the poster in her hand down onto the solid wood. “Hello, Sophie,” she said as an afterthought and smiled at Sophie.

“Hey, Cassie,” Sophie’s mouth tugged up at the corners, her attention on the poster on the bar.

While Byron’s attention was fixed exclusively on the irate woman, whose very presence made his heart sing, and his mouth want to burst into poetry. Something that he never thought would be possible.

Our mate,his dragon murmured in awe as they gazed at her imposing stature.

“A competition?” Sophie said as she read the poster.

“For couples,” Cassie said in a most accusing tone. “Morwenna, why is the competition only open to couples?”

“How should I know?” Morwenna snapped as she ushered a trail of imps, carrying a platter of cheeses, away from the bar. “Table two.”

“Well, these are your posters, aren’t they?” Cassie drummed her fingers on the offending poster. “It does say ‘organized and hosted by The Lonely Tavern.’”

“I will not stand for these accusations. Do I look like someone who organizes couples’ competitions?” Morwenna asked as she drifted down the bar to stand in front of Cassie. “Ash?” Her voice carried to the other end of the bar where a man in a leather jacket sat talking quietly to someone dressed in sailor’s garb.

“Wen?” Ash’s head snapped up at the sound of Morwenna calling his name.

Morwenna gnashed her teeth together before she plucked the poster off the bar and held it up to Ash. “Is this you?”

“Doesn’t look like me,” Ash said without breaking into a smile. “If my face was on a wanted poster they’d have chosen a high-quality cotton paper instead of that aged parchment.”

“Don’t try to be smart with me,” Morwenna retorted. “Did you, or did you not, set up this competition? Because if you did, you know you are supposed to ask my permission before you launch any promotional activities within my premises. And I expect a tithe based on the value of the prize.” She held up the poster and read it. “‘Life-changing and sagely wisdom’ sounds pretty expensive to me.”

“Nothing to do with me.” Ash shrugged and turned back to his conversation.

“Oh.” Morwenna tilted her head and chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment. “In that case, I guess we’re hosting a couples’ competition with a prize of life-changing and sagely wisdom.” She placed the poster back down on the bar. “Whatever that means.”

“So you did put the poster all over town?” Cassie asked. “People have even been finding these up in the mountain hunting lodges.”

She is a firecracker, Byron’s dragon said.

It’s a good thing we don’t get burned,Byron replied.

“All the way up there?” Morwenna asked, eyes wide.

“That’s right.” Cassie jutted her chin forward.

“Sam here just said they even found a few in their ship’s head when they were sailing here from Stesia,” Ash called.

“From Stesia?” Morwenna gulped and closed her eyes for a moment. “Yes, I guess I did make these posters. And plaster them all over town. And hike out to the mountains, and stick them in ships...heads.” She shuddered. “To make sure as many people saw them as possible.”

“Impressive.” Sophia nodded.

“And I’ve got just one question.” Cassie leaned onto the bar.

“Did I use a sleigh pulled by nine reindeer to deliver all these posters?” Morwenna sounded like she would have liked to know the answer to that herself.

“Why is it couples only?”

“Because this is The Lonely Tavern! It doesn’t do things by halves, only better halves.” Morwenna threw up her hands and hurried away toward Ash.

“Where are you going?” Cassie looked like she was about to dive over the bar after her.

“To make Ash call my bartender and tell him he’s got some overtime coming up,” Morwenna called back. “This place is about to be fuller than a wet sailor’s sock.”

“And the prize?” Cassie yelled after Morwenna’s retreating back, but she got no answer.

“Cassie.” Sophie placed her hand on Cassie’s shoulder and guided her onto a barstool. “Take a breath.”

“Sorry.” Cassie sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It’s just this competition. This prize is exactly what I need.”

“What is the prize?” Byron asked, and for the first time, it was as if Cassie realized he was there. “You said it was wisdom or the like?”

“Oh, Byron, this is Cassie. Cassie, this is Byron,” Sophie introduced them as she saw Cassie’s eyes wander to Byron.

“Your dragon shifter friend from Cairnnor,” Cassie smiled at him

She makes my heart flutter like the delicate wings of a hornet, Byron told his dragon.

Oh! his dragon gasped, impressed. That is the most poetic thing you have ever said. But maybe keep it to yourself for now.

“The same,” Sophie said, looking more than a little smug.

Cassie nodded. “Sophie’s mentioned you.”

But did Sophie tell Cassie why we came to the tavern? Does she know we are searching for our mate? Byron’s dragon asked.

We are not searching for our mate,Byron said. We have found her.

But should he tell her now in front of everyone? They had no idea how she might react.

Especially since she seems more than a little hung up on the word ‘couples,’ his dragon said.

How did people normally do this? Approach someone they were interested in, or tell someone they were your mate? Byron had always thought that it would just happen, but now that he was sitting here looking at the love of his life, he had no idea what to do or say.

“It’s good to meet you finally, Cassie,” Byron said, resisting the urge to reach out and offer her his hand. His mom had often told Byron and his sisters stories about how that first touch between a shifter and their mate was electrifying, and that scared him.

What if that one touch repelled her?

“Has Sophie been telling you stories about me?” Cassie narrowed her eyes at Sophie.

“I have not,” Sophie said, casting Byron a quizzical look. “Have I, Byron?”

“No,” Byron replied.

Sophie knows, his dragon said. Or she at least suspects.

Do you think she’s going to tell Cassie?his dragon asked.

I doubt it. We both know how discreet Sophie is, Byron replied.

“So, are you going to enter the competition?” Sophie asked as she tugged the poster off the bar and held it up to read in the dim candlelight of the tavern.

“You did hear me say that the requirement was being in a couple?” Cassie raised an eyebrow. “And you know how I feel about that.”

“I think everyone in the tavern heard you,” Sophie replied easily.

Cassie glanced around the tavern. “I could have been a little more discreet.”

“But then you would not be you.” Sophie set the poster down on the bar. “I think you should enter.”

“Couples,” Cassie said slowly and with great emphasis, while tapping a finger on the poster.

“And that’s where fate has stepped in,” Sophie said. “Byron here could do with some sagely advice himself. You should enter together.”

“What?” Cassie asked. “I mean, why?”

“Why what?” Sophie asked innocently.

“Why would Byron enter the competition with me?” Cassie asked, her gaze resting on the dragon shifter who was lost for words.

This is perfect,his dragon told him.

I’m not so sure, Byron said. He went to open his mouth to say something, but no sound came out.

This is our chance to win Cassie’s heart and soul, while also helping her win the competition,his dragon said. We’ve got the perfect excuse to bond with her.

Byron knew his dragon might be right. It was an ideal way to get to know his mate and convince her that being a couple could be a good thing.

But he sensed that there was a deep-rooted reason Cassie was offended by the couples’ competition.

And if he got this wrong, he might lose his mate.

And his family’s fortune.

All at once.