Chapter Seven: Carys

"So, what now?" Carys slipped her hand into Varn's and relished the sense of connection they shared as he helped her from the boat onto the shore.

"What do you want to do?" Varn turned his eyes toward the sky.

Carys followed his gaze. The sun was quickly sinking toward the distant horizon, and soon the temperature would dip even further. She shivered, and he instantly wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, sharing his body temperature with her. Her chills vanished as she felt the intense heat radiating from his whole body. Carys leaned into him, enjoying being this close to Varn. She hadn't been held for so long.

"This is just fine." She snuggled closer to him, and he laughed, a deep rumble that emanated from his chest.

"You'll get no arguments from me."He held her tighter and leaned down, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head.

Carys sighed, enjoying the moment. But then she straightened up. "Though we might have to settle for a stroll through town to my aunt's. She has a welcome home party planned. If only I'd had ‘meeting my fated mate' in my schedule, I might have been able to have her plan it for a different day."

"Oh." He sounded crestfallen as he stepped away. "Then we should go."

"Hey." She reached for him as he leaned down to retrieve the picnic basket. Grasping his sleeve, she pulled him toward her and wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck. "You are coming to the party, too."

"I don't want to intrude," he began.

"Intrude?" She snorted and then covered her face with her hand. As she fought not to blush, she said, "You have no idea how happy my family will be. They have been trying to marry me off for years."

"You're teasing me," Varn murmured.

"Just a little," she replied. "But not about how happy they will be." She inched closer to him. "Especially if you have treasure."

He chuckled and placed his hand on the small of her back, drawing her to him until there was no space between them. "You are the only treasure I will ever need."

"That's fine by me." She licked her lips, and then he claimed her mouth in a searing kiss.

A first date and a first kiss. This was an unexpected turn of events.

As their kiss broke, he inched away from her. "I also have a large hoard of gold and jewels that I would love to show you. It's…tradition."

Her expression clouded, and she ducked her head and took his hand, leading him up the bank to the pathway that led around the lake. She was more than familiar with dragon hoards, and the connection a dragon shared with their treasure. "I would love to see your treasure." Sometime, she finished in her head. Right now, she did not have the heart to tell him she had to leave in a few days. That people were depending on her and she could not drop everything. Not even for love.

Not even for her mate.

But that discussion could wait. For now, she just wanted to enjoy the time she had with Varn.

They trudged their way around the lake, taking the road that led back to town. Carys felt almost torn for the first time in her life. Torn between her responsibilities and her desires.

There had never really been a moment in her entire career when she didn't know where she belonged, where she wanted to spend her time. She had always been mindful of her responsibilities, and that others relied on her—sometimes for extremely important things—a fact that was not lost on her.

But now, as a dusting of snow swirled around her and Varn in the evening sun, she didn't want to return to any kind of responsibility. Whether that was the party being thrown in her honor, or the fact that she had an important meeting far across the sea to attend. All she really wanted to do was spend time with Varn, doing anything, as long as they were together.

She felt a pang of guilt. Her family had apparently been planning this coming home party for some time, and these negotiations she had to attend had been long in the making. How on earth could she now be seriously thinking whether Varn was more important than either?

The two of them would have to make compromises for her work.

But as she glanced up at him, and saw his deep, dark gaze on her, she knew that this feeling was now a part of her. Carys took a deep breath of the sharp, cold air. They would make it work. From what she now knew about Varn, he had not had a dissimilar life to her. He would understand. Perhaps they'd even be able to work together.

Now that would be something.

"What are you thinking about?" Varn asked in a low, curious tone.

"Just what our lives might look like together," she said.

"And what does it look like?" Varn asked.

Carys looked down for a moment. "Do you have many responsibilities, Varn? Ties to people or places? Things that have to be addressed, no matter what?"

Varn blew out a breath, which fogged up in a cloud in front of his face. "I used to. There was a time when I felt like I didn't belong to myself, that I had no time for anything other than work, and for my betters."

"How did you find it?"

Varn frowned. "I used to think I liked it. Well, I did not like it, but I was proud of the fact that I was important, I suppose. That people relied on me."

"And now?" Carys looked up at him.

"Now I have none of those things. Since the fall of the old dragon regime, everything I thought was important is gone. I was lost, directionless, and bitter for a long time. But now?" He met her eye. "I think I prefer it now."

Carys smiled at him, but as she looked away, it turned into more of a grimace. She was not looking forward to telling him that she was much like the person Varn was glad he no longer was.

Her doubts were forgotten when she looked up to see several warm, glowing lights in the distance. At first, she thought it was the lights of town, but they hadn't been walking for very long, and as she squinted into the falling snow, she realized that some of them were moving.

"Do you smell that?" Varn asked.

Carys inhaled, and the scent of chestnuts, wood smoke, and spices washed over her, chasing away any thoughts of having to talk with Varn away.

"It's a Christmas market, all the way out here?" Carys asked.

"It would seem so."

"Should we go and check it out?" Carys asked.

Varn paused. "Didn't you need to be back for that party?"

Carys nodded. He was right. But she wasn't ready for this first date to finish yet. "I'm sure they'll be more than understanding if we're a little late, considering the circumstances."

Varn broke into a smile. "I'm sure they will be."

Carys once again took his hand in hers and together they stepped off the path and waded through the ankle-deep snow, holding onto each other any time they tripped up in the deep snow with a laugh.

They were soon amongst pitched canvas tents, which sparkled like frost in the lantern lights. Small crowds of people wrapped up in cloaks and scarves meandered between them, full of smiles and ‘merry meets' as they perused the various offerings.

In the center of the market was a large fire with log benches around where people sat and chatted and drank and ate, as sparks drifted up into the night air, occasionally forming the shape of reindeer or polar bears or any number of festive creatures.

As Carys walked through the gathering, they peered into a few of the tents to see things on offer, from carved wooden toys and sparkling ornaments to traditional teas and yuletide spell ingredients.

"Hey, look at that." Carys pointed into a tent filled with snow globes.

"Huh." Varn saw the snow globe of a dragon in flight, floating impossibly in the small glass panorama, over a wintry beach scene. Occasionally, a small stream of blue fire came from its open mouth, causing the snowflakes within to swirl up dramatically.

"We should get it." Carys reached into her purse.

"I've never been one for collectibles."

"Not for us, silly." Carys laughed. "For Koralyn. We're celebrating her first winter solstice, after all."

"That's something we all have in common then," Varn chuckled as he caught the stall owner's attention. "Perhaps we should buy two." Varn glanced at her.

"For who?"

"Well…one day…perhaps we'll be celebrating our child's first yuletide."

Carys blinked at him. Perhaps she hadn't been the only one thinking about what their future together might look like.

"If that's what you want, of course." Varn finished quickly.

"Perhaps one day I will, but we've got some time until we need to decide," Carys laughed, a little more nervously than she had hoped.

If Varn was already dreaming of them being settled down enough for children, she really wasn't sure if he was ready to hear that she wasn't nearly finished with work and traveling.

After buying the snow globe, and a cup of warming mulled cider each, they made their way out of the little market, and continued toward the outskirts of Wishing Moon Bay, staying on the quieter roads away from the festivities as they made their way to her aunt's.

She had spent more time than most in places where safety was not always guaranteed in her line of duty. But she could not recall the last time she was this nervous as she and Varn rounded the street corner and headed toward Aunt Elsbeth's house.

They would welcome him with open arms. She knew that for certain. Sure, there might be some remarks—particularly about their tardiness, which was unheard of from her—but they would be good-natured and playful. Certainly, there would be no malice toward her dragon-shifter mate.

So why did her stomach churn with apprehension? Perhaps it was the significance of this moment—introducing Varn to her family, in her hometown, for the first time. It felt like a momentous step, one that would irrevocably intertwine their lives and futures.

Or perhaps it was because this afternoon had been so perfect. A dream. But once she walked into her aunt's house, they would be back in the real world.

As they approached the cheerfully lit house, Carys could hear the muffled sounds of music and laughter drifting out to greet them. The scent of her aunt's famous spiced cider perfumed the crisp evening air. Carys paused at the bottom of the porch steps and turned to face Varn.

"Ready?" She searched his eyes, which glowed with unmasked desire in the deepening twilight, making her shiver.

"With you by my side, I'm ready for anything." Varn's deep voice was steady and sure. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

He sure said the cheesiest things. But she liked it. Varn was so steady. Like a rock, solid and unwavering.

"You might think twice when you meet my aunt's coven. She looked up at him, and then together, they climbed the porch steps and stood before the front door.

Should she knock or go straight inside?

Carys felt kind of stupid as she stood there, her hand clenched at her side. She hadn't ever knocked on her aunt's door. They were family.

But after meeting Varn, after spending the afternoon with him…she felt different.

But before she had to solve the dilemma, the door swung open, revealing Aunt Elsbeth's beaming face. "Carys, you're home! And Varn. Welcome!" She engulfed Carys in a warm hug before taking her and pulling her inside the house. "Everyone is so excited. A dragon shifter in the family. We have never had one of those before. Well, apart from Flint, of course."

Carys glanced up at her mate and he flashed her a smile that made her stomach flip. But then they were inside the house. The door closed on the world outside, and she only hoped that she could hold on to the magic spell that had been cast over them since they left the tavern.

For tonight, and for the rest of their lives.