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  Dragons are Forever

  The Dragons of the North, Volume 1

  H. M. Gooden

  Published by H. M. Gooden, 2018.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  DRAGONS ARE FOREVER

  First edition. June 27, 2018.

  Copyright © 2018 H. M. Gooden.

  Written by H. M. Gooden.

  Also by H. M. Gooden

  The Dragons of the North

  Dragons are Forever

  The Rise of the Light

  The Stone Dragon

  The Phoenix and the Witch

  Watch for more at H. M. Gooden’s site.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Also By H. M. Gooden

  Dedication

  CHAPTER 1 HOME

  CHAPTER 2 SURPRISE

  CHAPTER 3 ENGAGED

  CHAPTER 4 GOODBYE

  CHAPTER 5 THE JOURNEY

  CHAPTER 6 MEET THE INLAWS

  CHAPTER 7 SETTLING IN

  CHAPTER 8 WEDDING PLANNER

  CHAPTER 9 WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN?

  CHAPTER 10 NYK, NYK, NO WAY

  CHAPTER 11 A TERRITORIAL DISPUTE

  CHAPTER 12 TROLLING FOR A REACTION

  CHAPTER 13 HOMECOMING

  CHAPTER 14 REUNION

  CHAPTER 15 THE JOINING

  CHAPTER 16 HONEYMOON

  CHAPTER 17 THE FAMILY WAY

  CHAPTER 18 GREAT EXPECTATIONS

  CHAPTER 19 WHAT TO EXPECT

  CHAPTER 20 AFTERMATH

  CHAPTER 21 FAMILY AND FRIENDS

  CHAPTER 22 VANESSA

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  Further Reading: The Stone Dragon

  Also By H. M. Gooden

  About the Author

  To my husband, Thomas.

  You are my Jake.

  Thanks for all your support,

  and for giving me our little dragons.

  CHAPTER 1 HOME

  The water felt soothing and cool between her toes, and Mai sighed as she wiggled them lazily. She stretched out her long greenish blue body under the bridge, safe beneath the cover of the thick fog that hid the water from prying human eyes. She looked around in the greyness and smiled smugly as she looked at him. He was lying on his back, similarly relaxed and at home in the water, letting it buoy him without effort. She let her gaze follow his golden scales down from the top of his beautiful head, decorated with long whiskers, to his powerful hind legs. Mai felt her heart warm.

  He caught her staring and quirked an elegantly shaped brow at her.

  "You've got a funny look on your face love. What's going through your head right now?"

  His deep voice sent a thrill down her back, as it always had, and she felt the heat in her chest drop a bit lower into her stomach. She still couldn't believe her luck, even though it had been over a year since she'd first met him.

  When they'd met, Mai had been a perpetually frightened, watery soul. She'd been completely lost in the world that she'd woken up to, after over a hundred years napping in the form of a stone dragon in a local park. But from the moment she'd seen Jake, something in her deepest being had screamed out that he was her future, and no matter what the cost, she needed him in her life. Magically, in more ways than one, he had ended up with her. She thought, hoped, that he felt the same way about her. Of course being a typical guy, he hadn't given her much in the way of sweet words or promises. Still, he treated her like gold and was great with her friends, and as Vanessa had told her more than once, that was a keeper if ever she'd seen one.

  She smiled at him, noticing that he was still watching her with curiosity and shook her head.

  "I'm just looking at you, that's all. How did I get so lucky to meet you? With all of the world and time between us, how did we end up together here?"

  Jake smiled at her and floated closer, putting one of his large golden claws on her smaller greenish-blue one.

  "It was meant to be. That's the only answer I've been able to come up with. You're from a different time and continent, so there's no way that this isn't simply destiny in action. Somewhere, someone wrote this in the big book of things that were supposed to happen. I, personally, have never been so grateful."

  Jake stopped talking and Mai watched as he seemed to struggle to find words, then stopped again, shaking his head before looking away from her into the fog.

  "We should go." Jake said abruptly. "I think we've been here longer than we said we were going to be. Vanessa's probably waiting."

  Mai looked at her watch then gave herself a mental smack. Duh. She didn't have a watch when she was in her dragon form.

  "Sure. I'm getting hungry, so you're probably right. Should we change now?"

  Jake looked around, then shook his head.

  "Right under the bridge, when we get to the shallow part. We may as well stay as warm as we can for a little longer."

  Mai inclined her head in agreement, then swam sinuously through the water in her elongated dragon's body, a ripple of blue-green in the otherwise still water. She came up smoothly into the depression where the bridge met a small green hill, before turning back into her everyday human form. If anyone had been able to see her through the fog, they would have been shocked to see a large, brilliant azure-coloured Chinese dragon of about ten feet in length shimmer into the form of a much smaller, pretty girl of about five feet, six inches with waist length hair covering her naked body.

  Luckily, and also by design, no one could see her except the man she loved. While she could have kept her clothes on throughout her shifts, she didn't enjoy wearing wet garments. Whenever she was shifting near water, she made sure to tuck them away safely for dressing in afterward. They quickly dressed in clothing more appropriate for early spring in San Francisco, before holding hands and walking slowly up the small incline.

  They looked like any other young couple out for a walk. He was much taller at almost six feet with golden brown hair and eyes, with the rugged look of someone who spent a lot of time outside. She was an elegant contrast to that, with shiny blue-black hair and deep blue almond shaped eyes, and the regal features of ancient royalty. In San Francisco, the pairing was so commonplace that no one looked twice as they walked along the path to the parking lot. But Mai knew just how unusual they were and always worried that someone would notice and stop them. She never felt completely at ease until they were alone, so it wasn't until they got to Jake's car that she let herself breathe more deeply.

  "Should we call first?" Jake asked, as he put the car in gear, looking over his shoulder as he reversed with one hand, easily and calmly exiting the parking lot and entering the light traffic that was Park Drive in the evening.

  Mai looked at her arm, at her actual watch this time, before she grabbed her phone.

  "I'll just text that we're on our way. It's not like we're going anywhere tonight, so I'm sure that being a little late is okay. Vanessa probably won't mind. Chances are, she's totally forgotten what time it is anyway."

  Mai texted, smiling fondly when thinking about her friend. Vanessa was everything that she wasn't- outgoing, spontaneous, and vibrant. Mai often felt like a wallflower in comparison, but for some reason, Vanessa kept dragging her along, always making sure that she was included in everything. They were complete opposites in so many ways, but it seemed to work for their friendship. Mai had never had a best friend before, so she couldn't compare what was normal, but she loved her like a sister and would do anything she could for her.

  She looked up just in time to see the car pulling up to the three-story brownstone apartment she shared with Vanessa. It was dark inside
and Mai frowned before turning to Jake.

  "That's weird. None of the lights are on. Do you think she's okay? She hasn't texted yet, but that doesn't always mean anything with her."

  Jake squinted, looking at the third floor windows of the apartment.

  "Hmm, I don't know. Things don't look unusual from here, but the lights are definitely off. Let's check it out. Maybe send her another text?"

  Mai nodded, thumbs moving quickly before she undid her seatbelt and opened the door. She had a weird tickle on the back of her neck and the feeling that things weren't quite what they seemed ran through her with an irritating prickle. She didn't feel or see any signs of evil, although that wasn't really her strong suit, so the absence didn't reassure her. She followed closely behind Jake, wondering if this was one of the stupid things that people did in horror movies, before mentally scolding herself.

  Like she needed more to worry about!

  She had her keys out between her fingers as Vanessa had taught her when she first gave them to her. A girl couldn't be too careful, she'd warned, and keys could be like knives if you used them right. Vanessa had looked gleeful that day describing where to put them and Mai remembered feeling surprised that she'd known as many ways to hurt people as she had.

  Reaching the landing outside the apartment, Mai took a moment to listen, but heard only silence. Nothing smelled funny either, she thought as she sniffed the air, although her sense of smell as a human wasn't nearly as good as it was when she was in her dragon form.

  She unlocked the door and waited as Jake gestured for her to follow him, using his bulky frame to enter and block most of the doorway. She knew that he was being protective, and while Vanessa didn't like it when guys did that sort of thing for her, it made Mai feel safe when Jake did it. He took a few steps into the room and she followed carefully behind him. She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting, but the kitchen area was quiet, and the lights were out. Jake motioned her to wait before he went ahead, checking out the main living area in front of the windows, then looking into the bedrooms and bathroom before coming back and turning the light on in the kitchen.

  "There's no one here and everything looks normal. I don't know where she is." Mai looked down at her phone, wondering if she'd had a response to her text, but it was still dark.

  "Nothing here, either."

  Mai was confused. Vanessa maybe wasn't the most punctual person she'd ever met, but they were late, and she wasn't here or responding to her texts, which wasn't normal for her.

  Jake stood, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest, and looked at her with concern. "Where do you think she could be?"

  Mai bit her lip. It wasn't like her friend at all.

  "I'm not sure. Maybe she got held up on set? She was supposed to be shooting some scenes there, maybe they ran late?"

  "That would explain the lack of texting too. She wouldn't be able to have her phone on her during that. Why don't we take a drive over? Check it out?" Jake suggested.

  Mai agreed, feeling better with a plan. "Sure. Let me just use the washroom quickly and I'll be right back."

  Mai crossed the living room and turned the light on in the bathroom as she closed the door. She could feel how ordinary the apartment was and wasn't sure what she'd expected to find when she'd first seen it was dark. After the last few years, with everything that had happened to her, she felt like she was always on edge. Sometimes she forgot that events could be delayed for normal reasons when she'd become used to evil soul-suckers being the cause of people acting funny or not showing up. She looked at herself in the mirror and felt a sense of disconnect.

  Her face was the same as it had always been, but with a touch of makeup that no proper Chinese girl would have worn when she was a teen the first time around. Her clothes were perfectly appropriate, but still felt revealing and tight compared to what she'd used to wear. She looked, in fact, like every other twenty year old woman around, but still felt she should be dressed in the more modest style common in the early 1900s. She only had one dress now, and that was only for special occasions, which she compared to the daily ankle length dresses she used to wear when working in the laundry with her aunt.

  She watched in the mirror as her face crumpled with sadness at the thought of her Aunt Alice. She'd been her only remaining family after her parents had died and her loss still felt fresh. It was over a hundred years ago, according to the calendar, but only months in her heart. Her aunt had taught her so much during the time they'd lived together, not quite mother-daughter, not sisters, but entwined in only the way that two lonely people can be when all your other loved ones have left you behind.

  Her aunt had been her confidant, had known about her powers and tried to talk her through them, even though she hadn't had any power herself. She'd even tried to guide her in control of her water magic when Mai had first started to come into her gift. While her aunt had been able to fill in some of their families' magical history for her, it hadn't been as much as Mai had wished, although it had been more than her parents had told her before they left for Hong Kong.

  Growing up, her parents had shielded her from the world of magic, afraid of the repercussions in the new world they lived. Racism against other humans had been so common that they didn't need to also draw attention to themselves by using magic. Mai hadn't known anything about the fantastical world of magic and creatures until strange things had first started to happen to her in her early teens. Her aunt had been there for her, always supportive and loving, even while being a fierce taskmaster at the laundry that she owned.

  Then the earthquake shattered everything. Mai still remembered the last glimpse she'd had of her aunt, telling her to go and help others as she ran back into the business that was their livelihood. A small and determined woman, her aunt had a strength bigger than the body her spirit wore. When Mai had first woken up in San Francisco, she'd tried to find her aunt, but she'd been gone. Over one hundred years had passed. While Mai had found some evidence that she'd probably survived the earthquake and subsequent fires, the record keeping during that period was spotty at best, especially for the area around Chinatown. Aunt Alice had disappeared, as so many did back then. Living lives with no documents to support they had even existed. Mai had found a bill of sale for the laundry a few years later, but it had been signed with a different name. Her aunt was long gone, but Mai still missed her with a pain that was fresh.

  She heard Jake call her name from the other room, a note of concern hidden in his deep tones, and she realized she'd taken way too long reminiscing.

  "Coming!" Mai yelled, embarrassed by her trip to the past. She wiped away the trails left by a few errant tears that had escaped their prison. Taking a deep breath, Mai reminded herself how lucky she was. She had Vanessa and Jake, as well as other good friends in Cat, Zahara and Evelyn. She had a roof, good food, and a job to support herself honorably, even if it was in show biz. As she left the room, switching the light off behind her, she also shut off the lonely niggling feeling that even with all her blessings, without her family, she'd always be alone in the world.

  CHAPTER 2 SURPRISE

  The drive was a short one, with the girls' apartment only a five minute trip away from the set. When they arrived, they noticed the parking lot was as full as it was during the day, and surmised with relief that shooting was still ongoing. They entered the door beside the craft service food tables and stood there, watching the scene that was being shot. As Mai had hoped, Vanessa was there with a few of her other actor friends. Mai felt her stomach grumble and looked at the food table longingly, before she turned her imploring eyes to Jake.

  "I'm really hungry. Do you think you can find someone to ask how much longer this is going to be? Because this food is looking really good right now and I don't want to ruin my appetite if we're going somewhere else soon."

  Jake smiled down at her and lightly grasped her chin. "Of course, my little dragon. I'd do anything for you."

  He said it in a lig
ht, joking manner, but as Mai looked into his eyes and felt his hand on her face, she melted again. His eyes became intense as he lowered his head to give her a kiss. But as always, it was hard to stay light. Mai felt herself responding with a hunger from which they both reluctantly had to pull away. Mai backed up, breathing heavily, and looked around in embarrassment. She relaxed when she saw that no one had noticed. Jake smiled at her and shook his head before going over to ask the director's assistant how things were progressing.

  Mai wasn't sure how much more she could handle. She felt an overwhelming need to be with Jake at all times and fought against the strength of it daily. He'd never pushed in any way, always staying relaxed and letting her lead the physical stage their relationship was at, but it was herself that she was worried about. This was an intensity of love that went far beyond anything she was comfortable with and she knew it had reached the point where she would consider selling her soul for him. Which was saying a lot, considering the amount of souls that she'd seen go missing over the previous year. She couldn't imagine her life without Jake now and was finding it hard to resist taking their relationship to a more intimate level. The struggle between her feelings and her upbringing was a battle that she'd fought almost constantly from the moment they'd met.

  She watched him talking to others and was amazed by how comfortable he seemed around everyone, given his hidden differences. He was the epitome of the strong, silent type, but he also possessed a solid energy that made others comfortable around him, drawing people in to conversation. She had no idea what they were talking about, but the group had grown, and several people were now laughing at something Jake had said. He had the look on his face that she'd seen when he told a joke that was a little off-color. The expression was sort of mischievous and guilty, which made him seem about seven, and was likely the reason why no one ever gave him a hard time about those jokes. The conversation continued for a few more minutes, before Jake nodded at something the director's assistant had said and walked back to her.