The Loneliest Dragon at Christmas (An MM Monster Christmas #2)

Chapter 35

CHAPTER 35

M ine.

Avery smiled as he stared at their joined hands as they walked to Avery’s home.

Mine.

Jack loved him, loved him like Avery loved Jack. And Jack had agreed to be his mate. His dragon purred in the back of his head, content and satisfied.

Mate.

Jack’s siblings had all congratulated them. Then Jack’s whole neighbourhood had approached, eager to talk to the dragon. After almost an hour, they’d left to go back to Avery’s apartments. They wanted privacy and to spend Christmas Eve just the two of them in Avery’s den.

And Avery wanted to perform the mating ritual with Jack. He vibrated with eagerness.

Mine. All mine.

Although, maybe Jack needed a few days to get used to the idea. Avery needed to be careful and not rush his witch.

A few people glanced their way as they walked, staring at Avery’s bare legs and feet pressing into the snow. Thankfully, Avery at least had Grady’s coat. And his dragon’s blood kept him warm.

They reached Avery’s apartments. Daniel greeted them at the door. He took Jack’s and Grady’s coats.

“Shouldn’t you be done for the day, Daniel?” Avery asked.

“I am about to leave,” Daniel said, completely unfazed by Avery’s nudity. “Cook has left already.”

“Good,” Avery said.

Jack held Carrie in his hands. She’d been tucked inside his coat. He carried her through to the library, where her cushion lay.

“I left some clothes for you in the library, sir,” Daniel said. “And Duke Azer wrote a note before he left.” Daniel handed it to Avery.

Avery hesitated. He took the small beige note in his hand. “Thank you, Daniel.”

“I’ll be off now, sir.” Daniel gave a bow. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Daniel,” Avery said but struggled to think of anything but the note in his hand.

Daniel paused as he passed the library. “And Master…a…Jack. Cook told me to inform you that she left a few things for you in the kitchen.”

“Thanks, Daniel,” Jack called from the library. “Merry Christmas.”

Avery stayed in the hallway, staring at the note he held in his hand. How could something so small feel so terrifying?

He’d not really thought much about his father after his conversation with Jack. He’d deliberately tried not to think about him. And now he held a note from his father in his hand.

Avery had been scrawled on the front.

Jack approached him. He touched Avery’s arm. “You all right?”

“I’m… I’m not sure.” Avery opened the note.

He began to read,

Avery,

I must confess that I have always considered you to be a rather weak-willed dragon. You’ve always had a rather subservient manner about you that is in no way befitting a dragon with your bloodline. This combined with your propensity to align yourself with those far beneath you concerned me.

But today I saw another side to you, strong and willing to fight. I saw glimpses of the dragon in you. It’s just a shame a witch brought it out.

After consideration, I have decided that I will continue paying for your living expenses and providing you with an allowance. My only stipulation is that you do not draw attention to yourself in any unnecessary manner. Considering you have never done so, I assume this shall not be a problem for you.

Sincerely, Duke Azer

Avery stared at the letter. He let out a slow breath. “Well, that’s some good news, I suppose.” He folded the note. “He is not cutting off my allowance and will continue paying for my living costs.”

“That’s something.” Jack stroked his arm.

Avery nodded, feeling numb. “Yes. I suppose it is.”

Jack stroked his arm. “Anything else?”

“A few things. But I don’t really want to think of it now.” Avery walked to the library.

Jack followed.

As Avery passed a table, he opened a drawer, dropped the letter in, and shut it away.

Avery had a complicated relationship with his father, a painful and confusing relationship. He cared for his father. He loved him even. He always had. He’d always wanted his father’s approval and love. But Avery had always known what he was to his father. A responsibility. A duty. A mistake.

It had cut him deep for years. But today, although it still hurt, it ached less.

Because now Avery had Jack. Jack, who cared for him, who loved him, and who never made Avery feel like he was something less than wonderful. He turned and looked to Jack, whose brown eyes watched him warily, filled with concern.

Avery stepped forward and embraced him. “Thank you,” Avery murmured against Jack’s neck.

“For what?” Jack wrapped his arms around Avery, holding him tight.

“For loving me,” Avery said.

Jack pressed a kiss to his hair. “You don’t ever need to thank me for that. Never.” He squeezed Avery. “And we can talk about your father whenever you are ready.”

Avery pulled back. He nodded. “But not today. Or tomorrow. Maybe not for a while. I want to celebrate and enjoy Christmas with you.” He smiled. “Now what do you think of the tree?”

Jack looked. “It’s perfect.”

Jack disappeared for a few minutes into the kitchen. He returned with hot chocolate as well as a plate of vanilla crescent cookies Jack had brought earlier and a plate of chocolate tarts left by Cook.

Joy rushing through his veins, they opened the boxes of decorations. Snowflakes made of glass glistened. A variety of blown glass birds and woodland creatures lay nestled in soft tissue paper, which crinkled when Avery touched it. Bright hand-painted baubles of red, gold, and silver gleamed.

Avery stroked the baubles. “So how do we start?”

Jack chuckled. “We just start.” Jack picked up a box of baubles and stood.

Avery rose and followed him to the tree. “But how do we know where to put them?”

Jack handed him a bauble. “Just go with your heart.”

Avery took the red bauble. He turned to the tree. Reaching out, he hung the bauble from a branch. It swayed as it settled. “Like that?”

Jack handed him another one. “Just like that.”

They spent the next hour decorating and gorging themselves on hot chocolate, cookies, and tarts. Avery decided every Christmas Eve should be spent eating cookies and tarts and drinking hot chocolate. It could be their Christmas Eve tradition.

“What do you think, Carrie?” Avery asked once the tree was decorated. “Doesn’t it look perfect?”

Carrie lifted her head from the cushion in front of the fireplace. Blinking her eyes open, she stared at the tree.

“She thinks it looks magnificent.” Jack wrapped his arm around Avery’s waist.

Avery laughed. Carrie rested her head back down on the cushion.

“Now I have a present for you,” Jack announced.

“What? But it isn’t Christmas yet!”

Avery had presents for Jack. He’d tried not to go overboard, aware of Jack’s concerns about their differences regarding money. It had been difficult. He’d wanted to buy everything for Jack. In the end, Avery had bought him several second-hand cookbooks and a dragon-scale cloak made from his own dragon scales.

He’d kept a few scales over the years when he’d shed. They could be made into clothing items by a blacksmith. Usually, knights wore this sort of thing, as they were excellent for defence. But he thought Jack would look fetching in a cloak made from his dragon scales.

Normally, dragon-scale cloaks were ridiculously expensive, but since he’d supplied his own, it had been very reasonably priced. At least, he thought so.

“Consider this an early Christmas present,” Jack said. “Actually, I wanted to give you this the first time I came over.” He handed Avery a small package wrapped in brown paper.

“What is it?” Avery asked. He turned the package over in his hand.

“You’ll have to open it to see.”

Fingers trembling with excitement, Avery carefully undid the wrapping. He wanted to tear the paper away, but instead, he savoured the delicious reveal as he pulled it back. “It’s a book!”

Avery ran his fingers along the pages, an old book, well-used. He could feel the love tingling in his fingers. He lifted the book to his nose and inhaled.

Turning the book, he read the cover aloud, “ Susie and Tommy Bake for Christmas: A Christmas Classic .” Avery’s head snapped up. “Jack! How did you know?”

Jack frowned. “How did I know what?”

Avery dashed to a bookshelf. “I have one of these books. I hadn’t realised it was a series.” Avery grabbed the book he searched for. “See! Susie and Tommy Decorate for Christmas . It’s the same series.” He held out the books to Jack.

“It is too.” Jack laughed. “Where did you get this?”

“From my mother. It was a favourite of hers.” If Avery had known it had been a series, he’d have scoured the bookstores, searching for them.

“This one was a favourite of mine too,” Jack said. “My parents used to read it to us.”

“Really?”

Jack nodded. “I went out and found a copy.”

Avery clutched the books to his chest. “I love it so. Thank you. Can we read it tonight? Now?”

Jack grinned. “I’ll get more hot chocolate.”