Falk Clan Tales - Chapter 76: Chapter 76
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Devine jumped up in his bed. For one, long, drawn out moment, he could still hear them screaming—the sounds of his Clan folk as they hunted him and his brother in the halls, fighting for freedom from a tyrant.
Didn’t they know he was following orders? Didn’t they know he was only trying to keep his brother alive? So much pain, regret, and death—countless Dragons had died that day, and the others had fled never to be heard of again.
Screams of ghosts from the revolution that had freed him and his brother from that monstrous rock still stuck there in the middle of the frozen sea made up the song that woke Devine every single morning he still breathed.
He supposed he should be grateful, but just like everything else in his life, each day was another sad disappointment. As usual, it took him a moment to realize where he was—safe, I am safe. It was the truth. Devine was safe, his brother too.
Why am I still here when so many aren’t? Do I deserve to be here?
He could not answer those questions, but facts were facts. Devine was still breathing. Warm, fed, and safe in their new home on the shores of the Atlantic, with the Falk brothers castle a couple of hundred feet down the lane. He had found those legendary brothers in a roundabout sort of way.
The property technically belonged to the Falk Clan, but those good brothers had granted Devine and Nicholas a small parcel for themselves, making them members without all the pomp and circumstance of traditional Dragon Clans.
Theirs was a modern group. The Falk brothers, Castor in particular, had taken Nicholas and Dev under their wings—made them a part of what they were trying to build on the shores of the Atlantic.
They were the only Dragon Shifter Clan to settle in the new world, and it was so much different from the one they’d been raised in. He still could not believe it.
Devine did not deserve their forgiveness and trust, but he took it—for his brother’s sake. Devine had no other choice. Dragons were territorial creatures, but the modern world was so close now.
They could not afford to wage wars against one another. When Dragons formed a Clan, it was best if all dwelled close by. Sometimes, in the same castle, er, house, if possible. And if not possible then as close as they could get without drawing eyes.
Devine and Nicholas had both agreed trying to add to Castle Falk was not ideal with five wings already, it would be a monstrosity on the Jersey Shore. So, they’d opted for their own dwelling, carving two distinct homes out of the one structure.
Together and separate.
The distinct wings of their home were necessary so he and his brother could have some privacy. It was still not a castle, but it would serve them well. Really, it should have been perfect. But as Devine looked out at the stormy seas from his large bedroom window, he felt that familiar hollow nothingness he’d brought with him unintentionally from the Isle of Pain expand inside his chest.
That feeling of distance between himself and his Dragon was growing daily. A Dragon needed his maiden fair, and his brother was pushing him to find one. But how? And who? Devine was not made for a mate. He would see Nicholas settled, and then, he would fade away.
That was his destiny, though the knowledge was little comfort as he stood up and paced his bedroom discontentedly. The actual room was fine. Builders before they’d been warriors, he and his brother had spent the better part of the last year constructing the perfect modern beach house with every luxury they could afford.
Having a nice little hoard of treasures had helped, of course. Dragons were very good at gathering riches, it was part of their nature. Money seemed to flow towards them. In just a year, he and Nicholas had quadrupled their net worth with little help from the Falk brothers. They had enough to live very comfortably without having to work for, well, forever.
But idle claws were tempted to do the devil’s work, or so his father had always said.
So, they’d designed and built their home, and Nicholas was making plans for another on the next lot. Pushy Dragon, he had taken it upon himself to incorporate their business, calling it Graystone Builders Inc. He was taking meetings all week to get the necessary permits. Until then, Devine was on his own.
Having just finished construction in the last week, Devine was proud of their accomplishments. Materials were new now, and building was not the same as it had been. Learning about modern advances had been educational and had kept their Dragon’s busy. Fast learners, skilled workers, the two of them.
It was not conceit if it was true. Reasonable? Yes. The Graystone brothers’ were very good at building and their four story home was a testament to that—two separate wings with their own entrances and private garages gave them the opportunity for privacy while the common dining room, kitchen, and large siting room were all shared.
Done in neutral colors—lots of bone and beige, the house boasted warm hardwood floors, the best modern appliances, heating and cooling amenities, and every floor cabinet had stone countertops, matching the dining tables and kitchen islands, quartz of course.
Each wing had a master bedroom and bath, several smaller bedrooms with two full bathrooms on every floor, designated home office spaces, theater rooms, game rooms, and parlors with fireplaces. There were small kitchenettes in each wing, and one enormous kitchen on the ground floor where there was also a formal dining room for large parties.
King-sized beds, sleek furniture, and large, comfortable sofas and chairs were placed thoughtfully throughout bedrooms and sitting rooms. Beach access was private of course, as was the entire strip where they lived with the Atlantic at their door and the intracoastal across the street, behind them.
All in all, the house was really quite striking.
Nicholas had insisted on a two level wrap-around porch encompassing the entire structure. Devine had not objected to that, or to the large pool and patio off the side of the house. He’d enjoyed swimming after work when the days had grown so warm, he thought his scales would burn. New jersey had the strangest weather patterns of any place he’d seen. It was damn near tropical in the summer, and cold as the tundra in winter. Strange, but also awesome.
The pool had been a stroke of brilliance on his brother’s part. The Falk dragonlings had certainly enjoyed breaking in the water slide and diving board for them. It was growing colder now, with the approach of winter, and Devine wondered if they would see the young as often.
Of all the things he had ever wanted, his own young had been topmost on his Dragon’s list. Of course, that was not in the cards for him. He would never find his mate, simply did not deserve one.
Rubbing a hand over his face, Devine walked to the large floor to ceiling window that faced the ocean and watched the waves battering against the shore. Winter would soon be here, and he had to prepare. Nicholas was busy working on the new project, and it was up to Dev to winterize the house.
All the patio furniture was wrapped up and stored in the shed, the pool had been covered, and the filters all shut off. The gutters still needed cleaning, and securing, and he wanted to recheck the weatherstripping around every window and door. But really, Devine was anxious about one thing and that was his own private sanctuary. His rooftop greenhouse.
Pride filled him when he thought of the structure as he planned his day. Growing things was not necessarily part of a Dragon’s nature, but one of the Falk brothers’ mates had suggested it as a hobby, and after chatting with Nicholas, Devine had agreed.
A greenhouse would be perfect. It had been challenging to design the proper roof with the harsh winters and scorching summers New Jersey was prone to. But it was called the Garden State for a reason, and Nicholas had been optimistic they could make something of it.
Besides, Devine needed a hobby. Ever since they’d fled the Isle of Pain, making one bad decision after the next, his Dragon had not felt right. It was like the beast was broken. Even now the creature stirred weakly, his growl a faint echo of what it used to be. It was a bad sign.
Devine grunted and watched the waves solemnly. Nicholas had not understood why he had been eager to accept the Falk Clan’s offer to stay. It made no sense to his brother that he would want to live on the same shores of the waters that had almost killed him. No, Nick didn’t understand, but Devine did.
His Dragon needed a reason, and his human side liked the reminder of what he had done to anchor him in reality. Before the madness that claimed single Dragons came for him too, Devine needed to create a safe place for Nicholas to carry on their name. Maybe then he could salvage it, remove the taint he’d brought the Graystone crest for serving that ripe bastard for so long.
Dragomir is dead, he reminded himself. He can’t hurt you any longer.
The daily reminder was enough to make him grateful he was still breathing. Devine had to face his truth every day, then maybe he could hang on a bit longer, see that Nick was alright. Too often did Dragons think themselves immortal, but that was not the truth. His QuartzDragon—nicknamed SpikeDragon because of his unique ability to loose bony spines from his tail and back during battle—was all too mortal, as his time beneath the salty cold waters could attest.
Devine and his brother had fled the castle after the revolt, only to find the secret prisoner Dragomir had kept from his people. After freeing him, they discovered what he was—a ChangeDragon, and stupidly believing the old rumors, they had tried to kill him. Good thing Castor Falk was strong as fuck and had found his brothers to aid him, otherwise Devine might have done the unthinkable and killed an innocent.
They’d come to New Jersey, hunting the ChangeDragon they had freed because of a stupid age old misunderstanding. Castor Falk had not been dealt a good hand, but he’d found his brothers, the legendary Falks. Against all odds, Castor tracked his kin and even claimed a mate. But Devine and Nicholas found him, and it was the worst and best thing that ever happened to them.
The Graystone brothers attacked Castor and he had tossed Devine’s Dragon into the cold sea which had almost drowned him. His Dragon was too heavy to swim, the stones in his spine sinking him to the sandy bottom. It had been enlightening, and humbling, and made him more determined than ever to see to Nicholas’ future.
He still did not know why Castor had saved him or why he’d stood up for Devine’s brother afterwards. They were the ones who had hunted him, for fuck’s sake. And yet, he granted them mercy.
The Falk Dragons could have killed Nicholas and Devine, but they did not. Instead, they welcomed them into their territory and made them part of their Clan—even if they called it a family.
It was all very confusing. But Devine could see that Nicholas was grateful, and his brother had even seemed to settle into a routine. Who was he to question anything? He just had to keep going for Nick’s sake.
There was no chance for a happy one for himself. Too much blood on his hands But until the day his Dragon was no more, Devine had a job and today that was prepping the greenhouse for winter.
“The day has dawned, and I am already weary,” he murmured, stepping into the shower to wash the sleep from his eyes.
Nick had been grumbling lately about their lineage and their duty to carry on their name. The constant whining an annoying buzz in Dev’s ear.
“We must see about having our own young, Dev. Yes, that is the key to this life, as the Falk brothers have done. We need mates,” he’d said after one particularly long night—and several cases of whiskey. Ever since then, neither one had mentioned it again, but it was heavy on Devine’s mind.
Mate, his Dragon whispered.
Devine felt his beast’s soul-deep longing keenly. But how was he going to find a mate in this too big modern world?
Didn’t they know he was following orders? Didn’t they know he was only trying to keep his brother alive? So much pain, regret, and death—countless Dragons had died that day, and the others had fled never to be heard of again.
Screams of ghosts from the revolution that had freed him and his brother from that monstrous rock still stuck there in the middle of the frozen sea made up the song that woke Devine every single morning he still breathed.
He supposed he should be grateful, but just like everything else in his life, each day was another sad disappointment. As usual, it took him a moment to realize where he was—safe, I am safe. It was the truth. Devine was safe, his brother too.
Why am I still here when so many aren’t? Do I deserve to be here?
He could not answer those questions, but facts were facts. Devine was still breathing. Warm, fed, and safe in their new home on the shores of the Atlantic, with the Falk brothers castle a couple of hundred feet down the lane. He had found those legendary brothers in a roundabout sort of way.
The property technically belonged to the Falk Clan, but those good brothers had granted Devine and Nicholas a small parcel for themselves, making them members without all the pomp and circumstance of traditional Dragon Clans.
Theirs was a modern group. The Falk brothers, Castor in particular, had taken Nicholas and Dev under their wings—made them a part of what they were trying to build on the shores of the Atlantic.
They were the only Dragon Shifter Clan to settle in the new world, and it was so much different from the one they’d been raised in. He still could not believe it.
Devine did not deserve their forgiveness and trust, but he took it—for his brother’s sake. Devine had no other choice. Dragons were territorial creatures, but the modern world was so close now.
They could not afford to wage wars against one another. When Dragons formed a Clan, it was best if all dwelled close by. Sometimes, in the same castle, er, house, if possible. And if not possible then as close as they could get without drawing eyes.
Devine and Nicholas had both agreed trying to add to Castle Falk was not ideal with five wings already, it would be a monstrosity on the Jersey Shore. So, they’d opted for their own dwelling, carving two distinct homes out of the one structure.
Together and separate.
The distinct wings of their home were necessary so he and his brother could have some privacy. It was still not a castle, but it would serve them well. Really, it should have been perfect. But as Devine looked out at the stormy seas from his large bedroom window, he felt that familiar hollow nothingness he’d brought with him unintentionally from the Isle of Pain expand inside his chest.
That feeling of distance between himself and his Dragon was growing daily. A Dragon needed his maiden fair, and his brother was pushing him to find one. But how? And who? Devine was not made for a mate. He would see Nicholas settled, and then, he would fade away.
That was his destiny, though the knowledge was little comfort as he stood up and paced his bedroom discontentedly. The actual room was fine. Builders before they’d been warriors, he and his brother had spent the better part of the last year constructing the perfect modern beach house with every luxury they could afford.
Having a nice little hoard of treasures had helped, of course. Dragons were very good at gathering riches, it was part of their nature. Money seemed to flow towards them. In just a year, he and Nicholas had quadrupled their net worth with little help from the Falk brothers. They had enough to live very comfortably without having to work for, well, forever.
But idle claws were tempted to do the devil’s work, or so his father had always said.
So, they’d designed and built their home, and Nicholas was making plans for another on the next lot. Pushy Dragon, he had taken it upon himself to incorporate their business, calling it Graystone Builders Inc. He was taking meetings all week to get the necessary permits. Until then, Devine was on his own.
Having just finished construction in the last week, Devine was proud of their accomplishments. Materials were new now, and building was not the same as it had been. Learning about modern advances had been educational and had kept their Dragon’s busy. Fast learners, skilled workers, the two of them.
It was not conceit if it was true. Reasonable? Yes. The Graystone brothers’ were very good at building and their four story home was a testament to that—two separate wings with their own entrances and private garages gave them the opportunity for privacy while the common dining room, kitchen, and large siting room were all shared.
Done in neutral colors—lots of bone and beige, the house boasted warm hardwood floors, the best modern appliances, heating and cooling amenities, and every floor cabinet had stone countertops, matching the dining tables and kitchen islands, quartz of course.
Each wing had a master bedroom and bath, several smaller bedrooms with two full bathrooms on every floor, designated home office spaces, theater rooms, game rooms, and parlors with fireplaces. There were small kitchenettes in each wing, and one enormous kitchen on the ground floor where there was also a formal dining room for large parties.
King-sized beds, sleek furniture, and large, comfortable sofas and chairs were placed thoughtfully throughout bedrooms and sitting rooms. Beach access was private of course, as was the entire strip where they lived with the Atlantic at their door and the intracoastal across the street, behind them.
All in all, the house was really quite striking.
Nicholas had insisted on a two level wrap-around porch encompassing the entire structure. Devine had not objected to that, or to the large pool and patio off the side of the house. He’d enjoyed swimming after work when the days had grown so warm, he thought his scales would burn. New jersey had the strangest weather patterns of any place he’d seen. It was damn near tropical in the summer, and cold as the tundra in winter. Strange, but also awesome.
The pool had been a stroke of brilliance on his brother’s part. The Falk dragonlings had certainly enjoyed breaking in the water slide and diving board for them. It was growing colder now, with the approach of winter, and Devine wondered if they would see the young as often.
Of all the things he had ever wanted, his own young had been topmost on his Dragon’s list. Of course, that was not in the cards for him. He would never find his mate, simply did not deserve one.
Rubbing a hand over his face, Devine walked to the large floor to ceiling window that faced the ocean and watched the waves battering against the shore. Winter would soon be here, and he had to prepare. Nicholas was busy working on the new project, and it was up to Dev to winterize the house.
All the patio furniture was wrapped up and stored in the shed, the pool had been covered, and the filters all shut off. The gutters still needed cleaning, and securing, and he wanted to recheck the weatherstripping around every window and door. But really, Devine was anxious about one thing and that was his own private sanctuary. His rooftop greenhouse.
Pride filled him when he thought of the structure as he planned his day. Growing things was not necessarily part of a Dragon’s nature, but one of the Falk brothers’ mates had suggested it as a hobby, and after chatting with Nicholas, Devine had agreed.
A greenhouse would be perfect. It had been challenging to design the proper roof with the harsh winters and scorching summers New Jersey was prone to. But it was called the Garden State for a reason, and Nicholas had been optimistic they could make something of it.
Besides, Devine needed a hobby. Ever since they’d fled the Isle of Pain, making one bad decision after the next, his Dragon had not felt right. It was like the beast was broken. Even now the creature stirred weakly, his growl a faint echo of what it used to be. It was a bad sign.
Devine grunted and watched the waves solemnly. Nicholas had not understood why he had been eager to accept the Falk Clan’s offer to stay. It made no sense to his brother that he would want to live on the same shores of the waters that had almost killed him. No, Nick didn’t understand, but Devine did.
His Dragon needed a reason, and his human side liked the reminder of what he had done to anchor him in reality. Before the madness that claimed single Dragons came for him too, Devine needed to create a safe place for Nicholas to carry on their name. Maybe then he could salvage it, remove the taint he’d brought the Graystone crest for serving that ripe bastard for so long.
Dragomir is dead, he reminded himself. He can’t hurt you any longer.
The daily reminder was enough to make him grateful he was still breathing. Devine had to face his truth every day, then maybe he could hang on a bit longer, see that Nick was alright. Too often did Dragons think themselves immortal, but that was not the truth. His QuartzDragon—nicknamed SpikeDragon because of his unique ability to loose bony spines from his tail and back during battle—was all too mortal, as his time beneath the salty cold waters could attest.
Devine and his brother had fled the castle after the revolt, only to find the secret prisoner Dragomir had kept from his people. After freeing him, they discovered what he was—a ChangeDragon, and stupidly believing the old rumors, they had tried to kill him. Good thing Castor Falk was strong as fuck and had found his brothers to aid him, otherwise Devine might have done the unthinkable and killed an innocent.
They’d come to New Jersey, hunting the ChangeDragon they had freed because of a stupid age old misunderstanding. Castor Falk had not been dealt a good hand, but he’d found his brothers, the legendary Falks. Against all odds, Castor tracked his kin and even claimed a mate. But Devine and Nicholas found him, and it was the worst and best thing that ever happened to them.
The Graystone brothers attacked Castor and he had tossed Devine’s Dragon into the cold sea which had almost drowned him. His Dragon was too heavy to swim, the stones in his spine sinking him to the sandy bottom. It had been enlightening, and humbling, and made him more determined than ever to see to Nicholas’ future.
He still did not know why Castor had saved him or why he’d stood up for Devine’s brother afterwards. They were the ones who had hunted him, for fuck’s sake. And yet, he granted them mercy.
The Falk Dragons could have killed Nicholas and Devine, but they did not. Instead, they welcomed them into their territory and made them part of their Clan—even if they called it a family.
It was all very confusing. But Devine could see that Nicholas was grateful, and his brother had even seemed to settle into a routine. Who was he to question anything? He just had to keep going for Nick’s sake.
There was no chance for a happy one for himself. Too much blood on his hands But until the day his Dragon was no more, Devine had a job and today that was prepping the greenhouse for winter.
“The day has dawned, and I am already weary,” he murmured, stepping into the shower to wash the sleep from his eyes.
Nick had been grumbling lately about their lineage and their duty to carry on their name. The constant whining an annoying buzz in Dev’s ear.
“We must see about having our own young, Dev. Yes, that is the key to this life, as the Falk brothers have done. We need mates,” he’d said after one particularly long night—and several cases of whiskey. Ever since then, neither one had mentioned it again, but it was heavy on Devine’s mind.
Mate, his Dragon whispered.
Devine felt his beast’s soul-deep longing keenly. But how was he going to find a mate in this too big modern world?
End of Falk Clan Tales Chapter 76. Continue reading Chapter 77 or return to Falk Clan Tales book page.