First Cursed [Diablo Falls] Page 5

  “Okay… And where is home, exactly?”

  “Oh. Did I not make it clear? Home will have to be here. With you. You are to care for this child. There is no other way, I am afraid.”

  Jamie turns to me and I watch his face go pale. He stares at the old man. “But we’re talking about a dragon?”

  “For at least the first year, yes. Then he or she will begin learning their human form, which they will maintain as their primary form for most of their life.”

  “So, once I am able to bring the child back, you want me to raise it, like a baby?”

  “Precisely,” the elder dragon says.

  Jamie just closes his eyes and rubs his face.

  ** SECOND EPILOGUE **

  ONE YEAR LATER

  HAZEL

  “Hazel! Hazel! It’s happening! Come quick!” Jamie’s voice is full of excitement as he calls.

  I race across the house and to the baby’s room, where Jamie’s leaning over the cradle. When I peek inside, I don’t see the teal-green and purple creature that’s been living with us this past year. Instead, I see a dark-skinned little boy with curly black hair and the chubbiest little cheeks. He’s totally naked, but doesn’t seem to be the least bit cold.

  “Oh, my god!” I reach down and scoop the baby into my arms and feel the heat coming off him in waves. “Hello darling boy!”

  I hand him to Jamie. He nuzzles the baby’s nose, which makes the baby squeal with delight.

  “What should we call him?” I ask. We were told to wait until the human form emerged before settling on a name.

  “Gosh, it’s hard. But suddenly Cephariel seems like too much name for a kid.”

  “Yeah, that’s definitely a bit heavy and dragon-ish.” I smile and coo at the baby. We’ve known for a year that he’d appear like this one day, but to actually meet him is surreal. “Hello baby.”

  “How about Raphael?” Jamie asks, as if it were up to me.

  “Oh, I love it. It kind of goes with his other name, too. What do you think?” I touch my finger to the baby’s hand and he clutches it. “Shall we call you Raphael?”

  Jamie smiles and holds the baby out in front of us. “I dub thee, Raphael, dragon boy.” He turns to me and I can’t get over how happy he looks. Everything about him is beaming.

  “I’ve been waiting for this day for a year, Hazel. And now that it’s here…”

  He gets down on one knee, sets Raphael on his leg, and takes my hand. “Hazel Bishop, magic brought us together, and magic brought us this little guy. It feels like we’re doing everything backward. When I came here I had no plans, no direction, and no real purpose. And it seems now like coming here was my destiny. Now I have you, and Raphael, it would be my honor if you’d make it official.” He pulls an emerald ring out of his pocket and holds it out for me. “How do you feel about being a dragon mama?”

  I kneel down next to him and wipe a tear from my cheek. “That sounds hot.” I bite my lip.

  Jamie leans in and kisses me and my body warms under his touch. “I love you, Hazel Bishop.”

  I realize how deeply I know his love—truly know it to be real and authentic and mine. I feel safe with him and he’s expressed the same thing to me. We’re so lucky, and when I think about it I feel like my heart could burst.

  “I love you, Jamie Ross, through and through.”

  I think about Marissa and smile as I send a silent thank you into the wind. There’s no spite in it, well, not much anyway. I am grateful to her—even if she meant to harm me, she brought Jamie and me together and made me understand love magic a little better.

  Skip shuffles into the room and stop in his tracks, staring at the baby. “Oh my dear goddess.” He blinks once and then looks at me. “He better not pull on my tail.”

  I laugh. “Don’t worry, Skip. If he does, you can pull on his.”

  Raphael claps as we kiss. “Mama! Papa!” A tiny puff of smoke wafts from his nose and he swats at it, laughing as it eludes him. “More!”

  Jamie smiles and wraps his arm around my waist. “What do you think? You up for more?”

  I think about the past year and catalog all that’s happened. We’re still waiting for Jamie’s first shift. He’s started getting little snippets of mental connection with the clan so we know it’s not too far off. I’m preparing myself not to freak out when wakes up next to me one day as a dragon. Romeo assures us that it won’t be all that dramatic, but I’ve seen a couple of full-sized dragons and I don’t know if the bed can handle it. On a positive note, now that Raphael has found his human form, we can take him out and do more in town—as a proper family. The thought fills me with happiness.

  Jamie’s taken on an important role in the shifter community, and he’s done a lot to help the dragons reconnect with society in Diablo Falls. It’s been a whirlwind of learning and exploration, of deepening magic which has only helped my business grow, and yeah… there’s still the crazy amazing sex. So… am I up for more?

  I lean in and nibble Jamie’s earlobe. “You bet.”

  About Fiona Starr

  Fiona Starr lives her happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her hunky husband and their fleet of fur babies.

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  I write Contemporary and Paranormal Romance with varying levels of steam. Some collections are short quickies, some are longer for lingering over, but all of them are sexy, sweet, and happily ever after!

  The Blaze Family Romance Collection!

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  The Diablo Falls Paranormal Romance Collection

  First Cursed

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  First Fangs by Zara Zenia

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