Falk Clan Tales - Chapter 72: Chapter 72

Castor had been quite pleased at the outcome of his meeting in the city of Manhattan with Marissa’s uncle. But that town! So busy and crawling with people. He hated everything about it.
“It grows on you,” Marissa had said.
“So do warts,” was his snarled reply.
He did not like the place, but he was well received by the businesses there. The gems he’d created had proved quite valuable. About a hundred million times more valuable than they’d been sitting on the sand in their previous states. Made sense since they were but rocks and shells before his Dragon’s fire had touched them.
The older Lion Shifter had practically danced when he’d tested the largest of the stones. The blue garnet was a rare gem indeed. His Dragon’s own rose was named for the gem, so it made sense to him.
Of course, Castor had learned something new every day since he’d attained his freedom. The world was a lot larger than the dungeon from whence he’d come. Now that he’d solved the issue of his wealth, he had only to share the news with the one person on the planet who mattered most to him.
“You have brought me a real treasure trove, son,” the Lion had exclaimed before he departed.
“Nay, my real treasure waits for me at work. Hector has sent you the information to wire the finds to my accounts, yes?”
“Yes, Mr. Falk. Everything has been handled, you have my word.”
“Thank you, Mr. Leopold.”
And with that, he’d left the jeweler with a case full of gems and a signed contract.
“What now?” Hector asked.
“I want to do something for Jozette. A surprise.”
“I know!” Marissa jumped up and down excitedly.
The two Lions had been instrumental in what followed. They took Castor to a few Shifter friendly banks and businesses to grab a set of specially tailored clothes, a few odds and ends, and means of transportation.
He was surprised to see these places were more than happy to set a Dragon Shifter up with credit cards aplenty. After making some rather splendid purchases, Castor was ready to get his mate.
It seemed his kind had quite the reputation and wasn’t that handy! Flowers in hand, he did not want to think about anything but getting back to her. His sweet mate was the only thing his Dragon wanted in this world.
Money and material things were hardly consequential to a man who’d spent five long centuries in chains. But he understood the importance. Knew they meant he could and would provide for his real treasure. His sweet mate. His Jozette.
Es meus.
Once he arrived at the bookstore, he waited for her to look up. Had the driver honk the horn, actually. She was so surprised!
Her face lit up when she saw him and came rushing out. He could hardly wait to spin her around and kiss her sweet coconut and sea foam scented skin.
“I have news,” he’d started to say.
“Me too,” she replied.
Castor would never interrupt his love when she had something to say. Her excitement was his own, but while he waited for her to continue, she shook her head.
“No, no. This was your surprise first, tell me what’s going on.”
“I insist.”
Tenderly, he kissed her neck, nibbling the mark he’d given her. Like a beacon, it drew him, and he wondered if the partition separating them from their driver was really soundproofed. Modern wonders never did cease, he thought amusedly.
Castor,” Jozette said, leaning into him as he continued to lick and nibble.
“Yes, my love,” he said.
She pulled herself away from him, taking his hands in hers, and meeting his stare with her big, luminous eyes. Fuck, he loved her eyes. So warm and so deep a brown, so big, they could swallow him whole. And he would go willingly.
In fact, there was little in this world that sounded better to him than losing himself in Jozette’s eyes. Unless it was, of course, losing himself in her body. Or her heart. Yes. That.
“I found them. Or, actually, they found me,” she said, but he was confused.
“Who?” he asked, baffled.
“Your brothers.”
The words sat there, plain as the day. And yet, he could not comprehend them.
“What?”
“I said,” she explained, grinning up at him. “Your brothers are waiting for us.”
“They are? You did? How?”
“Let me give the driver the address, then I’ll explain.”
Castor held Jozette’s hand as she told him about her encounter with a tall blonde female who claimed to be married to one Callius Falk. Castor’s mouth went dry, and he felt her small hand squeeze his.
“Are you alright?” she asked.
“Yes,” he replied, pressing his forehead to hers.
“I’m a little overwhelmed.”
“Of course,” she murmured. “I’m sorry if I was thoughtless. I was just so excited for you to meet your real family, but if you don’t want to go, I can call⁠—”
“No! Jozette, my love, do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
Castor took her face in his hands and kissed her head and her lips.
“Castor? What?”
“You’ve already given me a family. You are family, my love.”
“Oh,” she gasped, tears welling in her beautiful eyes.
“No! Don’t cry. You see, that’s what this all was. This was me asking you to marry me, to be my family in every way. However long I have here, I want to be with you. Will you, please?”
“Yes,” she said, laughing, and pressed her mouth to his in a kiss full of promise and hope.
Just then, the car slowed, and the driver got out and opened their door. Castor exited first, offering Jozette his hand. Before them was an enormous home, a castle, really. Beautiful and looming from its perch on the shore.
The winter wind had Castor tucking Jozette closer to his side as they walked to the front door. She was his anchor, his strength, and his peace. The calm before the storm, he thought as he raised his hand to rap on the thing.
“Oh,” Jozette gasped when the door opened before Castor’s knuckles ever made contact.
“I am Callius Falk,” a tall, dark-haired man said in a deep, gruff voice. Behind him stood three other adult males, all large, all strong looking, and all smelling of Dragon.
Castor stood his ground, gently easing himself in front of his mate. Head tilted back, he dared any of the four before him to do anything in front of her at their own peril.
“OMG! Guys, will you back the hell up? Hi! I’m Joss, come on in!”
A short woman with a rounded frame and head full of curls pushed and shoved the males, handing a squirming toddler to one, until she was standing by the door and holding it wide.
“Castor,” he said, and nodded to his mate. “This is Jozette.”
“Wonderful! You work in the bookstore, right? My little Eddie loves your stories,” she said, smiling at his mate, and Castor nodded approvingly.
Once inside, the other females welcomed them warmly even as their males stood, frowning and sizing him up. What did he expect?
Castor smiled as Jozette, obviously already acquainted, knelt down and greeted the children. They were beautiful young dragonlings, and his heart swelled with both pride and sadness. Would he live long enough to see her carry their young? He hoped the gods granted him that.
“You say your name is Castor Falk?” Callius asked.
He turned to face the four men and replied in a low voice so as not to upset either the females or the young ones. He took a breath and met each of their stares as he did so.
“I am Castor Falk, named for my father. My mother was the Lady Igraine. She was killed after birthing me, and the heinous Chief Dragomir had me locked in the bowels of his keep below the regular dungeons for the last 500 years.”
“What?”
“How can it be so?”
“I only know it is so, for I am here,” Castor replied.
“Our father fell on his sword after Igraine was beheaded—” Callius growled.
“Yes, but that happened after my birth. She was already pregnant when our father left the castle to wage battle for Dragomir,” Castor said, telling the story as he knew it.
“It rings true, Cal,” Edric replied. “Father was gone many months that time.”
“And Igraine was kept hidden, and we thrust in irons,” Nikolai said.
“What else do you know? What news of Dragomir now?” Aleksander asked.
“Well,” Castor said, clearing his throat. “You should also know the Blackthorne Clan has been vanquished by a band of his own Dragons. They were tired of his lies and tyranny. His castle is burnt to the ground.”
“Fucking hell.”
“Good riddance!”
“About bloody time.”
The chorus of answers coming from the other Dragons met Castor’s approving ears, and he nodded. Callius was the only one who did not reply, but he could see the older man was deep in thought.
“Brother?” Callius asked, gold eyes boring into Castor’s.
“I believe him,” Edric said.
“He has father’s chin,” Aleksander murmured.
“And his mother’s hair,” Nikolai agreed.
The four Falk brothers made a circle around Callius, then, as if as one, they each placed a hand on him. At first, he flinched, and Jozette yelled at them to get off him.
“Just wait,” Joselyn told his mate, and he met her worried gaze, nodding before he was seized by a rush of power.
Inside his mind’s eye, Castor saw his Dragon surrounded by his kin. The four Dragons were enormous, especially the black and gold which belonged to Callius. They were red, white, and green next.
Callius the FireDragon, Edric the ThunderDragon, Aleksander the IceDragon, and Nikolai the EnergyDragon. Each with their own powers and roses. Each transmitting memories to him and shared pasts. It was unbelievable and his own ChangeDragon roared with happiness when the multitude of memories stopped assailing him.
“That was,” Castor gasped, falling to his knees.
“Are you okay?” Jozette joined him, and he looked at her and smiled.
“Yes, I am well, love. Very well.”
He saw a hand in front of him and took it, grinning as his brother helped him stand. In turn, Castor helped Jozette.
“Welcome home, brother,” Callius said, grinning widely at Castor.