Falk Clan Tales - Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Alexsander groaned in his sleep. What the heck is that noise? The shrill sound had him sitting up in bed and wiping the sleep from his eyes. Fuck. He’d only gone to bed a couple of hours ago. No way. He rolled over and buried his head under the fluffy warm pillow, willing that awful ringing noise to just go away.
Ah, finally. Just when his eyes closed, the blasted thing went off again. He sat up in a tangle of sheets and growled. Who dared disrupt his sleep? Seething, his Dragon close to the surface, Sander puffed out a cold breath that left tiny icicles hanging from the huge silver-edged mirror that hung in his room.
He threw off the heavy brocade blanket and leapt from his bead. He stormed off down the stairs that led from his sleeping quarters to the main part of the castle.
Whoever was ringing that absurdly loud bell was about to see what happened when you roused a sleeping Dragon. Grrr. After travelling all day yesterday, he felt a bit hungry after all. Some fairytales got it right.
What time was it anyway? His stomach growled, his head pounded, he was, all in all, a very cranky Dragon. After his flight, he’d stripped his clothes off, took a steaming hot shower, and fell onto the soft heather-gray bed that his new sister-in-law had picked out for his bedroom.
Just one more mark against him. I am sorry Callius. If only I could give you more. Shame swept over him as he recalled his thoughtlessness. He hadn’t been interested in choosing furniture or color schemes for his decor. He’d given Fred full reign over his quarter of the castle. He still had a difficult time thinking of his brother’s wife in terms of her preferred nickname, but Fred insisted.
He tried to shake off his shame at disrespecting his brother’s efforts by showing their home the least possible amount of attentiveness. The only thing Sander had been interested in was having a workroom with natural lighting and enough wall space to hang his art. In fact, it was the first and only thing he checked when he got in last night.
He’d been pleasantly surprised to see the remarkable job Callius’ wife had done. The muted grays and silvers complemented the tapestries he’d sent on ahead to Castle Falk. He smiled involuntarily. If only he’d be around long enough to get used to the sound of their name on a castle, he shook his head at the melancholic thought.
Sander rubbed a hand across his face. What was he doing anyway? Maybe he could simply ignore the bell ringer and go back to his bed. He turned and started back to his room when the interloper began pounding on the door.
Boom. Boom. BOOM. That was it. Clearly, this person couldn’t take a hint. He’d just have to deal with it himself. I wonder if Callius has any ketchup in the fridge. He preferred the tangy condiment atop freshly charred meat most days. To prove the point his stomach growled.
He stalked down the hall and pulled open the front door. Sander was ready to tear into the fool who dared wake a Dragon from his bed, only to find the air stolen from his lungs. A pair of sparkling eyes the color of blue sapphires opened wide as the dainty waif who owned them took in his nude form from head to toe.
Snow was falling around her in huge, white flakes and the tiny thing shivered in the doorway. Beautiful was too mundane a word to describe her. Sander could hardly think of one appropriate for such loveliness.
The fairy gasped, her mouth opened and closed as if she wanted to speak, but words seemed to fail her as well. Sander knew he should do something, but he remained immobile. Stunned by the vision before him. He felt his Dragon surge and he stilled the beast with a command.
He should have dressed, he realized belatedly. He should say something. Anything. He shook his head to clear it of the fog that seemed to surround his brain. Wait, why should I do anything? This woman wasn’t welcome. She was a trespasser. But that thought didn’t stop shame from staining his cheeks pink, but still, he didn’t move. He stood tall and proud and naked as the day he hatched.
“Well? What do you want?”
His voice was gravelly and stern. He barely recognized it. Cruel of the Fates to bring this creature to his door when his heart was almost frozen through. He narrowed his eyes in anger. The fairy continued to stare at him. Her soft bow of a mouth opened and closed several more times.
Sander’s lips closed in a hard line. He couldn’t help the turn of his thoughts when he looked at her pretty mouth. Full pink lips without any paint or glitter. Begging to be kissed. Were they as soft as they seemed?
He could certainly find better uses for them than to simply open and shut like a fish out of water. In fact, they’d look heavenly wrapped around his firm cock. A thought that made said member stand at attention. Unfamiliar heat flared inside of him and Sander hissed at the strength of it.
He preferred the cold. He was used to it. The flaming heat of his arousal was as unwelcomed as it was unfamiliar. This woman was dangerous. He held himself rigid and ignored the stirring that was awakening deep in his loins. Nudity didn’t bother him. He was a Dragon. Proud, regal, strong. He did not even blink as his body betrayed his interest.
The fairy; however, was most definitely embarrassed by it. Normals and their hang-ups. He’d have loved the opportunity to wipe her free of those silly notions, only one thing stopped him. He looked down at his mangled hand in disgust. He was not fit for fairies.
Just when he thought to close the door and pretend none of their strange meeting ever happened, the vision spoke. Her voice was stronger than he imagined it would be. Clear and businesslike, it still sounded sweet as honey to his ears. Bloody hell.
“Um, I’m sorry, that is, I beg your pardon, but can I come in? I’m freezing out here, and Mr. Falk is expecting me,” she met his eyes as she spoke.
“It’s normally cold in winter, and I’m sorry to say I am not expecting you.”
“I said Mr. Falk was-”
“I am Mr. Falk.”
“No, you’re not Mr. Falk. I met him at the castle-warming a few months ago-”
Sander felt guilt flare up at the mention of the party. Callius and Fred had invited him, but he’d declined. As he had all of the invitations he’d received from them. In fact, he’d completely withdrawn from his brothers after they were freed. Unlike them, he had no hopes for the future.
“Look, even though I have no idea who you are, I doubt very much that Mr. and Mrs. Falk would approve of you answering the door in your birthday suit. Now, excuse me, I’ll wait in here if you don’t mind,” she pushed past him, her pert little nose high in the air.
Sander grinned as she swept by, careful not to let an inch of her touch his nude frame. Pity. He hadn’t wanted to come when his brother called, but maybe he should be grateful to him. Though he was resigned to his fate, he found himself intrigued by the woman. Even more so now that she proved she was no fairy, but more like a minx.
“Look, miss, I’m Alexsander Falk and you can’t just barge into my house uninvited-”
“Oh, no. Are you one of the brothers? I’m so sorry, I’m Ms. Gifford,” she held out her hand, and then withdrew it when her eyes wandered a little south. She blushed furiously but met his gaze head on. The minx was clearly fighting not to look down again.
“I’m sorry, but, you see, I was, I am, invited. Invited, hired and paid for,” she thrust a piece of paper into his mangled hand, and Sander held himself still.
He waited for the usual disgust and judgement to mar her perfect features. When neither came, and the hand that held out the paper remained firm, he lifted an eyebrow. She’d certainly seen the thing that made him more outcast to Dragons than being a prisoner had.
Still, she showed no signs of either pity or horror. She simply waited for him to take the parchment. He looked at it and after reading it briefly, he recognized it was a receipt of sorts.
“Now, my catering company, Present Tastes, was hired by Callius and Fred Falk to host their Christmas party. It’s tonight.”
“What? No. Absolutely not. Cancel it immediately.”
“I can’t do that. They’ve already invited everyone. Besides it’s for charity.”
“What the devil are you talking about? Have it when they come home.”
“But I can’t do that. Tonight, is Christmas Eve.”
“What do I care? Look, if it’s money you want, I’ll write you a check-”
“Ew. Who are you? Scrooge’s long-lost brother or something? No, you can’t buy me off. The guests aren’t just people from town with money, some of them are the actual kids who go to the Macconwood-Nighthawk Teen Outreach Program. Not to mention their counselors and the philanthropists who are funding the program. Some of these kids have nowhere else to go. Their families either can’t afford to celebrate the holidays, or they don’t even have families,” she said, her voice growing angrier as she went on.
“And I care because?”
“Um, because you’re a human being?”
“That’s debatable. Now, please, leave,” he hated his curt manner, but he had no choice. Sander simply hated Christmas and he found being around her almost painful. She made him want. A feeling he hadn’t experienced in an age or more. It was most unwelcome.
“Well, I’m not leaving. You get Mr. Falk, the nice one, on the phone, please, and he’ll tell you I belong here.”
It was the way she said that last bit that made Sander narrow his eyes. It felt right somehow. She belongs here. With me. His Dragon perked up inside his mind’s eye, and Sander had to fight to not let him out. He growled, but the minx simply folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.
“Seriously, dude, I’ve delivered lunch to preschoolers who have more attitude than that. Now, look, if you could go put on some clothes maybe we can talk about this like adults?”
Sander stood there. He alternately wanted to toss her out on her bum and to scoop her up and carry her to his room, caveman-style. He’d never felt such a warring inside of him. She infuriated him, intrigued him, heck, she even woke his beast. The little minx.
“Well? Get some clothes on and then get on the phone. Shoo.” She said and waved her tiny hands towards the hallway.
He had never been shooed before in his life. Sander didn’t know whether to growl or laugh. One thing he did know for certain, was that she was losing the battle not to take-a-peek at his nudity.
The idea both aroused his curiosity and amused him. He turned his body a fraction of an inch so that he was standing directly in front of her own rather pleasing form and waited. Aha. Success. The small movement caused her gaze to drop, just for a second. So, she is not all business after all.
Sander grinned wickedly. He won that round. Her sparkling, blue eyes widened as she took in his size and girth. She gasped and closed her eyes just as he felt himself harden even more under her intense gaze.
Heat flashed through him for the second time since he’d laid eyes on her. What would it be like if she reached down with her soft feminine hands and wrapped them around his now fully erect cock? Sander hissed out a breath.
Shock made his own gaze widen. What started out as a bit of fun, left him practically crazed with desire for the dark-haired beauty. Her eyes wandered a little more boldly down his body, Sander felt them as if they were hands on his skin. He sucked in a breath, listening as her heart pounded inside her chest.
He frowned as his own heart sped up. He’d only been having a bit of sport, but he hadn’t expected to feel this way. Desire and longing welled up inside of him.
The minx’s cheeks turned a dusky shade of pink, and her blue eyes darted up to his. He was shocked by the heat he saw in them. She was bold and so incredibly beautiful.
Too much beauty and innocence for the likes of me. She deserved someone whole who could worship her. Someone capable of giving her his heart.
He turned away first, breaking contact. Not all things are fair game. His Dragon was a predator, and he recognized prey. This pert little human was off-limits.
That’s the only reason your loins are stirring. She is prey, for the taking, but you will not indulge, he told himself sternly.
His heart was too deeply encased in ice to ever be free to love.