“I miss Aisling.”
Kyran wrapped an arm around her. “We all do. It’s why we put a tree up for her.”
“She’ll make it back, won’t she?”
“She’d bloody well better, or we’ll go find her.”
River nodded. “If anyone can accomplish her mission, it’s Aisling.”
They paused for a moment more before they turned to walk to the next tree and saw Balladyn standing off to the side, holding Breac. River realized that the flocked tree with pinecones was his. She was glad that he had done it. It wasn’t as heavily decorated as many of the others, but it suited the Dark. Others might think him complex, but he wasn’t. Not like some might expect.
His gaze met hers, and they shared a smile.
“I think Breac has a favorite uncle,” she said.
Balladyn’s grin widened. “That’s good since he’s my favorite nephew.”
“Careful,” Kyran warned with a smile. “He’ll wrap you around his finger pretty quick.”
“I think that ship has already sailed,” Balladyn replied.
They laughed softly.
River walked to Balladyn and put her hand on his arm. “Let me know when you get tired of holding him.”
“You two enjoy the night. Little Man and I will be just fine,” Balladyn told her.
Kyran put his hand on her back. “Come on, sweetheart.”
River walked away, but her eyes lingered on Balladyn and Breac until she had no choice but to face forward. “I love our big family. It might not be perfect, but it’s ours. Good or bad, we stick together.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
She quite liked the lighted path among the tall trees of the forest. It was romantic and special, a moment she would never forget. River smiled up at Kyran. Just when she didn’t think she could love him any more, he did something that made her heart melt all over again. There had been so many things that had to go just right for them to even meet. Many more for the love between them to blossom and grow. They were proof that some things were destined.
When the path ended, a massive tree drenched in flowers caught her attention. She gasped because she knew the Reapers had done this for Erith.
“Erith?” River whispered because she was crying again and didn’t want her voice to break.
Kyran nodded. They joined the growing group of Reapers and mates. Erith stood to River’s left, tears falling unchecked down her face as Cael stood beside her with his arm around her.
“We’re not quite done,” Kyran whispered. “You’ll each find a gift under there with your name. Look for the paper that matches your tree.”
River was hesitant to walk forward, but the other mates joined her as soon as she did. She squatted and looked among the presents. Lifting the first one, she saw Breda’s name and passed it down to the Fae. The mates shifted gifts until they each had theirs. River stood and took her box back to Kyran.
He nodded. “Open it.”
She carefully unwrapped it to find a white velvet box inside. When she lifted the lid, she found a peacock ornament like the ones on her tree.
“It’s to hang on Erith’s tree.”
River turned around and pointed toward the top near a cluster of amaryllis and white daisies. “There.”
Kyran used his magic and hung the ornament just where she pointed.
It didn’t take long for the other mates to suspend their ornaments on the tree. Erith’s tears came quicker, but she wasn’t the only one crying. Their family stood around the magnificent tree and everything it represented for them.
No one knew what would come tomorrow, but they had this night. They reminded themselves and each other of their love and their bond. Like any family, they had their ups and downs, but they stuck together no matter what. Just as they would with whatever they had to face next.
Thank you for reading DARK ALPHA’S SILENT NIGHT! I hope you loved this slice of life as much as I loved writing it. Next up in the Reaper series is DARK ALPHA’S PASSION.
Power is a dangerous game.
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If you love the Dragon King series, you’ll be thrilled to know Cullen gets his HEA in the next book, DRAGON UNBOUND…
He’s never been tempted…until her.
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Excerpt of DRAGON UNBOUND
Dragon Kings, Book 3
In a new story brimming with sizzling heat and untold mysteries, New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant brings together a devilishly handsome Dragon King and a woman who dares to challenge him.
He’s never been tempted…until her.
Sexy. Mysterious. Dangerous. He's an immortal Dragon King bound by ancient rules and eternal magic. Cullen has one objective: find and destroy the evil that threatens the new home of the dragons. Just when he’s closing in, he’s ambushed and finds a stunning warrior woman fighting alongside him. No amount of magic could prepare him for the beguiling lass who spurns his advances and defies him.
From the moment Tamlyn takes a stand against her kind, she’s had to fight one perilous battle after another. Staying alive is an endless struggle, and the lines between good and evil are blurred with every encounter. She’s always stood alone—until she comes to the aid of an irresistibly handsome stranger. Cullen will force her to face truths she’s been running from…even as enemies plot to destroy them both.
This was Cullen’s favorite time of day. He loved seeing the sunlight chase away the darkness and bathe the world in its radiance. But, most of all, he loved being able to fly freely. It wasn’t something any of the Dragon Kings had been able to do in eons, not since they sent the dragons away and hid from the mortals.
His heart was both joyful and wrenched at the same time. The fact that these dragons were the descendants of those on Earth brought a smile to his face. Just as it did knowing they were safe and free to live as they were supposed to.
On the other hand, his gut churned with bitterness and regret that the Kings had once had a world like Zora, but things had gone badly, leaving them only one choice. Sadness weighed heavily upon him at what he and the other Kings had lost. Their world might not have been perfect, but it was as close as it could be in his eyes. Earth was a place where he had to search to find beauty. Something that had once been everywhere before the humans cut down forests, drained lakes, moved rivers, and blasted mountains, all to cover it with concrete and build shopping malls or houses. How much longer could it continue before they depleted Earth of all her resources? What would the tedious, wrathful mortals do then?