Falk Clan Tales - Chapter 79: Chapter 79

Sunny hopped out of her old, beat up, little Jeep Wrangler, patting the faded yellow door as she hefted the three dozen bagels, and a bag of other goodies she’d brought, along with some things from the garden center, in her capable hands. She’d always wished her hands were dainty and pretty, with long fingers and painted nails, but that wasn’t in the works for a gal who liked to dig in dirt all day.
Her feminine affinities had to be satisfied with pedicures when she had the time. Painted toes and colorful crocs were her go to when she needed an ego boost, which was why she’d been up half the night carefully applying hot pink polish to her ten little piggies.
Nerves assailed her as she walked down the newly paved driveway, admiring the stones and the image they made on the ground. The picture was like a heraldic crest—a Dragon soaring above a jagged rock with a giant wave behind them. She could not believe it. Her fated mate was a legendary creature of magic and mystery.
Sunny had a Dragon. Her very own flying, fire-breathing Dragon. Wow. Just wow.
She’d called just about everyone she knew to get information on Devine Graystone, Dragon Shifter, Falk Clan member, new construction business owner—and her fated mate. Luckily, her mother was friends with Winifred Falk.
The Werewolf was a former bartender and was mated to Callius Falk, the Alpha of the Dragon Clan that had settled in Maccon City, with the permission of Rafe Maccon, Werewolf Alpha, of course, a few years ago. She’d seen them infrequently at the store and in town, and they were good, honest people.
But Sunny always looked for the best in folks. It was part of the curse of her name. She snorted and climbed the stairs, admiring the wraparound patio of the extravagant beach mansion her mate not only lived in, but had designed as well. Graystone Builders Inc. was fairly new, but already they had plans to further develop some vacant lots right along the pine barrens and close to the ocean.
Prime real estate indeed, but Sunny did not care about that stuff. She was not at all materialistic, but she admired beauty, and this house and its view was beautiful. She’d turned to stare at the crashing waves, a small smile of contentment teasing at the corner of her lips. The Atlantic was wild and beautiful, and she’d loved it ever since she was a little girl.
How it must be wonderful to go to sleep at night listening to Mother Nature’s lullaby, she mused fancifully.
“You’re late,” an angry voice sounded behind her, and Sunny startled. She did not hear him approach or open the door, and when she turned, he stole her breath.
The man was dressed in a pair of sweats and nothing else. His muscled torso glistened with sweat, as if he’d been working out. or, sniff, was back from a change. She smelled the faint scent of smoke, scales, and the woods clinging to his skin.
“Did you just get back? I wish I would have known, I would have run with you⁠—”
“Dragons don’t run. We fly,” he growled and turned back inside, leaving her to follow.
Okay, so he was rude, she thought, shrugging as she carried the bags inside. Sunny would just have to nice it out of him—you'll catch more flies with honey, she recalled the saying and moved to follow the big, ornery beast.
But before she took more than one step, he was already turning and taking the bags from her hands, careful not to touch her though. Warmth surged through her at the gesture, and she knew it was silly, but his showing even the slightest manners was a good sign.
“Thank you.”
He didn’t answer, his stormy gaze rested on her for a millisecond before he turned his back and stomped towards an enormous kitchen that looked as though no one ever used it. She ran her fingertips along the stainless-steel appliances and the stone countertops.
“Beautiful. What is this? It’s not marble,” she remarked, liking the feel of the cold, strong rock.
The color was fascinating—a deep midnight black with blue with black accents, highly glossed, and somehow, it went perfectly with the warm wood cabinets and high-end appliances.
“Quartz, or as my kind call it, galaxy stone,” he muttered, and she noticed then that his eyes were the same stormy combination of colors as the stone she’d just admired.
A blend of sapphire and onyx. Looking at his eyes was like looking through a telescope at a galaxy far, far away. It was aptly named, indeed.
Breathtaking.
“I brought bagels,” she said, grinning as he set the bags on the counter.
“I told you not to,” he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “This is not a social call, Wolf.”
“My name is Sunny, and, come on, you gotta eat. I mean, I don’t know much about Dragons,” Sunny replied, moving past him to unload the groceries she’d brought.
“But I figure, you are bigger than Wolves, and we eat a lot, so you must eat more. I got eggs, bacon, veggies, bagels, butter, three kinds of cream cheese,” she rambled on, chatting away while she moved about the kitchen with more confidence than she felt.
“Sunny,” he warned, but she ignored him.
“Great frying pans. And this stove, wow. I love a good kitchen setup. I mean, I grew up in an RV, so this is like wow.”
And just like that, she told him all about her upbringing. This was her mate. She knew it down to her marrow, even if he needed convincing. Devine watched her a moment, then started helping.
He washed and sliced the veggies. Grabbing plates and utensils, he set them on the counter. She talked about her siblings and parents, and he muttered his responses, but he was talking to her, and that was a plus.
There was something broken about this man, this Dragon, and until she knew what it was, she could not make it right. A fixer by nature, Sunny could not help herself. Fated mates were tricky. A blessing, most would say, but in some ways, she thought it unfair.
They might be fated, but Sunny believed in personal choices. This could be great—they could be great together. Or not. It would all depend on what each was willing to put into it.
Her Wolf whined and scratched, the animal needing to be closer to him. She could not understand why he was not mounting her, marking her already. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she placed bagels in an empty basket and took out a skillet to start some bacon. As if he knew she was not going to relent, her ornery Dragon hissed out an annoyed breath and walked to the coffeemaker. Good. She loved coffee. In fact, Sunny was useless without it.
“How do you like your eggs?” she asked brightly, hoping for the best as was her nature.
“I don’t like eggs,” he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Everybody likes eggs. I know, I’ll surprise you,” she said, challenge accepted.
“I don’t like surprises either,” he muttered, glaring at her before sitting down at the counter. She hid her grin when he started poking through the bagels until he found a half burnt salt one.
Score one for me.
Sunny had asked the girl at the bagel store to give her every well done bagel they had. Something told her Dragons preferred their food extra toasty, and she was not wrong. He ate six while she finished up the bacon and cracked two dozen eggs into a bowl.
Ten minutes later, she had a fluffy platter of perfectly scrambled eggs with shredded cheese, diced jalapeno peppers, scallions, and a little fresh dill smattered across the top, along with bacon, sausage, and two ham steaks.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” she asked. “Dig in before I eat it all.”
“A tiny thing like you? Yeah, right,” he grumbled.
“Do not even throw that gauntlet down,” she said, chewing a bite of the fruit salad she’d made a side. “Don’t let this body fool you, I can eat.” Sunny snorted, waiting for him to laugh, but he just looked at her curiously.
“That was a joke,” she told him. “Cause I’m what my mom calls pleasantly plump. And no, that is not a criticism. I am very pleasant, and I am plump. I love food. That Werewolf gene that makes us have super metabolism must have skipped me, or mine is just broken⁠—”
“You are pleasant, I will give you that, but your body looks fine to me, Sunny Daye,” he murmured.
Sunny’s smile went into eclipse at that compliment, and she felt her cheeks burn with joy. He thought she looked fine. Well, well, wasn’t that nice?
“Eat,” he growled, and she nodded, dutifully scooping food into her plate.
Devine huffed out a breath she could only categorize as annoyed, but it didn’t last. Sunny was fairly certain she hit the nail on the head when he moaned after the first bite. Maybe food was the way to this grumpy Dragon’s heart?
Score two for the she-Wolf.
“Like it?” she asked, worrying her lip between her teeth.
“It’s okay,” he replied, not giving an inch.
She smirked, returning to her food, knowing full well it was a good breakfast. Though, she wished he didn’t dress while she’d been cooking. Sunny was looking forward to a pleasant view with her meal, but Mr. CrankyPants had ruined her plans.
Sigh.
He ate quietly, and clothed, having already pulled on a hoodie over his massive muscles. Sunny was just about to say something when the door opened.
“Hey Dev, did you cook? Something smells fantasti—oh, wow, you have a guest,” a giant of a man walked in. He resembled Devine, same chin, slightly bigger nose, and his hair was different. He had dark roots and silver-tipped tresses, and his eyes glittered like the stainless-steel knife she’d used to slice her bagel in half.
With eyes and hair that color, Sunny could only imagine what his beast looked like. He stood there, looking curiously, and Sunny smiled politely. It was simply her nature to be kind to strangers. She extended a hand and introduced herself, having no other choice as Dev had not said a word.
“Hi, I’m Sunny.”
“Yes, you are,” the male replied, shaking her hand eagerly. “Like a ray of sunshine, aren’t you, little Wolf? Ha ha. I’m Nicholas, this lump’s more charming, better looking, and slightly older brother,” he informed her with a saucy waggle of his eyebrows.
“I see,” she replied, laughing with him. “Won’t you join us?”
“There’s not enough,” Devine interrupted.
“Oh, come on, brother, there’s plenty,” Nicholas said, sitting right next to Sunny.
“So, have you known Dev long?”
“Not long. Just a day,” she replied, shrugging her shoulders, and still waiting for him to say something—anything.
Disappointed that Dev did not join the conversation, Sunny and Nick bantered easily. Truth was, she had a good time, even if she was slightly hurt by Dev ignoring her. Still, she made the most of it. That was just her way.
Breakfast turned out to be entertaining as hell. At least from Sunny’s perspective it did, but Devine had been correct. There was not enough food for two Dragons and a Wolf Shifter, but that was okay. She’d taken the day off of work. That meant she could eat again earlier than her usual lunchtime.