Searching for Thanksgiving E-Book

S.E. Smith

• Herausgeber: Montana Publishing LLC
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Dragonlings of Valdier
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 199

Beschreibung

In search of Thanksgiving...
When the older dragonlings share a magical tale of unfulfilled love and Thanksgiving, Morah Reykill and the younger dragonlings vow to find Thanksgiving and help her heal. Unaware of the twists of fate awaiting them, the young dragonlings’ path intersects with more than a lonely young human woman, but also with a fugitive dragon warrior burdened by a haunting past.
In the dragon-shifting world of Valdier, Crystal Anderson seeks solace from the dangers that threatened her on Earth. The tranquility she craves eludes her when she senses she is being watched. Determined to protect her newfound peace, she confronts the dark shape lurking in the woods outside her cottage… and discovers another wounded soul.
Devon Reykill lives in isolation, haunted and hunted by others of his kind. His carefully maintained secrecy unravels when his symbiot brings Crystal into his life, forcing him to confront not only his own demons but also the complex reactions of his dragon and symbiot.
Devon’s carefully laid plans for escape dissolve into chaos when a group of dragonlings suddenly appear. When he is captured, a newfound family emerges, offering unexpected support and love, and Crystal becomes a beacon of healing for him, despite her own scars.
Immerse yourself in this enchanting tale, where the dragonlings embark on a quest that unravels the true meaning of Thanksgiving, weaving together the threads of family, love, and newfound purpose. A NY Times and USA Today bestselling author, the internationally acclaimed S.E. Smith presents a new action-packed story of mischief and adventure in this adorable novella! Iconic characters and unpredictable twists have won her a legion of fans. Over TWO MILLION books sold!

Leseprobe

SEARCHING FOR THANKSGIVING

A DRAGONLINGS OF VALDIER SHORT

S.E. SMITH

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank my husband Steve for believing in me and being proud enough of me to give me the courage to follow my dream. I would also like to give a special thank you to my sister and best friend Linda, who not only encouraged me to write but who also read the manuscript. Also to my other friends who believe in me: Christel, Jolanda, Julie, Jackie, Lisa, Sally, Elizabeth (Beth), Laurelle, and Narelle. The girls that keep me going!

And a special thanks to Paul Heitsch, David Brenin, Samantha Cook, Suzanne Elise Freeman, and PJ Ochlan—the awesome voices behind my audiobooks!

—S.E. Smith

Searching for Thanksgiving

Dragonlings of Valdier

Copyright © 2024 by Susan E. Smith

First E-Book Published November 2024

Cover Design by Laurelle Santamaria

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission from the author.

No parts of the author’s work may be used for AI training without express written permission from the author.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events, or organizations are strictly coincidental and not intended by the author.

Summary: As Morah Reykill and the dragonlings embark on a quest inspired by a tale of unfulfilled love and Thanksgiving, their path intersects with a lonely human woman and a fugitive dragon warrior, leading to an unexpected family formation and a healing journey that unravels the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

ISBN: 9781959584865 (eBook)

ISBN: 9781959584957 (Paperback)

Family Life – Kids’ Adventures | Romance (love) | Science Fiction—Aliens | Paranormal – Shifters, Magic | Fantasy | Holiday | Novella

Published by Montana Publishing, LLC

& SE Smith of Florida Inc. www.sesmithfl.com

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Epilogue

About the Author

In search of Thanksgiving...

When the older dragonlings share a magical tale of unfulfilled love and Thanksgiving, Morah Reykill and the younger dragonlings vow to find Thanksgiving and help her heal. Unaware of the twists of fate awaiting them, the young dragonlings’ path intersects with more than a lonely young human woman, but also with a fugitive dragon warrior burdened by a haunting past.

In the dragon-shifting world of Valdier, Crystal Anderson seeks solace from the dangers that threatened her on Earth. The tranquility she craves eludes her when she senses she is being watched. Determined to protect her newfound peace, she confronts the dark shape lurking in the woods outside her cottage… and discovers another wounded soul.

Devon Reykill lives in isolation, haunted and hunted by others of his kind. His carefully maintained secrecy unravels when his symbiot brings Crystal into his life, forcing him to confront not only his own demons but also the complex reactions of his dragon and symbiot.

Devon’s carefully laid plans for escape dissolve into chaos when a group of dragonlings suddenly appear. When he is captured, a newfound family emerges, offering unexpected support and love, and Crystal becomes a beacon of healing for him, despite her own scars.

Immerse yourself in this enchanting tale, where the dragonlings embark on a quest that unravels the true meaning of Thanksgiving, weaving together the threads of family, love, and newfound purpose.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Paul Grove: Human / Morian Reykill: Valdier

Daughter: Morah

Abby Tanner: Human / Zoran Reykill: Valdier

Son: Zohar

Daughter: Aurora

Trisha Grove: Human / Kelan Reykill: Valdier

Son: Bálint

Ariel Hamm: Human / Mandra Reykill: Valdier

Son: Jabir

Son: Hamlet

Carmen Walker: Human / Kelan Reykill: Valdier

Daughters: Spring and Phoenix

Cara Truman: Human / Trelon Reykill: Valdier

Daughters: Amber and Jade

Son: James

Melina: Human / Cree/Calo: Valdier

Daughter: Hope

Riley St. Claire: Human / Vox d’Rojah: Sarafin

Son: Roam

Daughters: Sacha and Pearl

Tina St. Claire: Human / Viper d’Rojah: Sarafin

Son: Leo

Emma Watson: Human / Ha’ven Ha’darra: Curizan

Daughter: Alice

Samara Lee-Stephens: Human / Adalard Ha’darra: Curizan

Daughter: Adaline

Raffvin Reykill: Valdier (deceased) Uncle to the Dragon Lords biological father of Devon Reykill

Rissa d’Rojah: Sarafin (deceased) / Collen: Valdier (deceased)

Devon Reykill: Valdier/Sarafin

Son of Rissa d’Rojah and Raffvin Reykill

Fugitive hiding from the Dragon Lords

Crystal Anderson: Human

Granddaughter of Edna Grey

Daughter of Shelly and Jack Anderson

Shelly and Jack Anderson: Human

Parents of Crystal

Edna Grey: Human / Christoff Anatu: Valdier

Aikaterina, Arilla, and Arosa: known as goddesses

Spark: Christoff’s symbiot

Stripe: Devon’s symbiot

Princess Buttercup: Morah’s symbiot

Rainbow: Hope’s symbiot

Crash: Paul and Morian’s symbiot

Prime: James’ symbiot

1

The Massive Cavern Beneath The Palace of Valdier:

Prince Ha’ven Ha’darra of the Curizan strode into the noisy workroom, clutching a small piece of fabric in his hand. He warily scanned the room. The last thing he wanted was for any of the women to know why he wanted a meeting with the other fathers. He weaved his way through the hodgepodge of parts, tables, and equipment in the underground workshop, and as he came closer, Kelan Reykill met his gaze.

It looked like the Valdier prince was discussing a design with his younger brother, Creon, and Dulce, one of the lead designers for the underground amusement park that Kelan’s sister-in-law Cara had designed. At the sight of Ha’ven, however, Kelan wrapped up the conversation, and the group split up. Kelan and Creon started across the room in his direction, and Kelan raised an eyebrow at the wild look in Ha’ven’s eyes.

“What’s the matter?” Kelan demanded.

“I need a—” He paused as he felt the energy in the room expanding. He took a deep breath, and it settled back to its former state.

“What’s the matter? Are you losing control? Do you want me to send for Emma?” Creon asked, gripping his forearm.

Ha’ven sighed and shook his head. “No. I… need a meeting with you—well, with all the dads.”

Creon and Kelan looked at each other with wide eyes before they muttered an expletive under their breaths and took off. Ha’ven impatiently waited as the two brothers rounded up the rest of the group. He fingered the material in his hand with a growing sense of panic.

What am I going to do? This might cause another war!

The thought of going to war with the men he respected and thought of as family made his stomach turn. He followed the group into a nearby office.

He nervously paced back and forth, silently counting as the men entered. Creon, Kelan, Zoran, Mandra, Viper, Vox, Paul, Cree, Calo, his own brother, Adalard… A low growl of frustration filled him when he noticed that Trelon was missing. He was about to ask when Trelon darted into the room with an apologetic grin.

“Sorry. When I heard there was a meeting with everyone, I figured it probably had something to do with my kids. Cara assured me that it wasn’t… at least not with Amber and Jade. They are helping Trisha and Morian make cookies,” Trelon breathlessly said before he slid into an empty chair at the long table.

“What’s the matter, Ha’ven?” Adalard quietly inquired, the way he was studying Ha’ven made it clear that he could see his brother’s energy pulsing.

The muscles in Ha’ven’s throat worked up and down as he tried to form the right words. He finally gave up, released a low savage curse, and tossed the material he had been clutching since early this morning onto the center of the table. His eyes flashed to Kelan as he imagined releasing his anger on the man.

Kelan frowned, leaned forward, and picked up the thin, dainty piece of material. Ha’ven gave a sharp nod when Kelan dropped the fabric as if he had been burned and sat back in his chair. Grim satisfaction coursed through Ha’ven that he wasn’t the only one who was shocked… disturbed… and horrified… at the realization of what was occurring.

Paul Grove reached over, picked up the fabric, and examined it before he looked at Ha’ven with barely suppressed amusement. “Ha’ven, you called an emergency meeting to discuss… bras?” Paul asked.

“Not just any bra! That bra— That bra belongs to Alice!” Ha’ven thundered, slapping his palms on the table.

He winced when the table cracked down the center. All the men except his brother, Adalard, scrambled out of the way. He glared at Adalard when his brother grinned and quickly repaired the damage he had caused. He pointed his finger at his brother and snarled.

“You think this is funny? Wait until you have to deal with the horny, aura-seeing boy who fancies Adaline!” Ha’ven snapped before he rounded on Kelan.

Kelan blanched. Ha’ven straightened, folding his arms across his chest, and he breathed deeply, trying to control his panic.

“Is this the first time you’ve folded Alice’s clothes? Amber and Jade have been wearing these for months now. You should have heard them shrieking the first time I pulled them out of the drying unit.” Trelon’s voice faded and he shook his head at the memory. “Yeah, the first time is a bit of a shock. It isn’t nearly as bad as when they both started their— Ouch! Why did you kick me?” he demanded, glaring at his brother.

“Because Kelan would like to live to see another day?” Creon retorted with a chuckle.

Trelon’s huff of exasperation and the rueful, commiserating look he gave Ha’ven was helping him calm down a little. Maybe he was overreacting… a touch.

Ha’ven pulled out the chair at the end of the table and warily flopped into it, studying the range of expressions on the men’s faces. Mandra and Viper looked relieved while Zoran grimaced and shook his head. Aurora, Zoran’s infant daughter, was still too young to worry about, but the kids grew fast! One day the Valdier king would appreciate his concern!

Ha’ven moodily studied the rest of the group. Cree and Calo were fastidiously looking at everything in the room except Alice’s pink training bra. Adalard had an expression that was a cross between wariness and sympathy. Vox looked clueless.

Nothing new there, Ha’ven thought with a sardonic shake of his head.

Creon’s eyes kept moving from the pink fabric to Vox, waiting for the inevitable outburst once the Sarafin understood the problem. Kelan’s eyes were beginning to show some panic, which made satisfaction course through Ha’ven. Only Paul sat calmly with an amused expression on his face.

“What do you find so amusing about this? You’ve got a daughter,” Ha’ven pointed out.

Paul chuckled. “Actually, I have two daughters. Have you forgotten that one of them is married to Kelan? I’ve already been through what you are experiencing. Trust me when I say, you’ll survive.”

“I know I’ll survive. I’m just not sure Kelan’s son will if he keeps looking at Alice the way he does,” he warned.

Kelan slammed his hands on the table and rose to his feet with a growl. “Are you threatening Bálint?”

“YES! I’ll threaten any damn male who looks at my daughter!” Ha’ven snapped.

“What’s wrong with Bálint looking at Alice? They’ve grown up together,” Vox said.

Trelon lifted his arms above his head and yawned. “Obviously, you haven’t been paying enough attention, Vox. Haven’t you noticed the way Roam is always sniffing around Spring?”

Vox scoffed. “You don’t think— They are just kids— Roam isn’t⁠—”

Trelon lounged back in his chair and waited. Almost immediately, the Sarafin King’s eyes locked on the pink fabric, and he paled. Vox launched himself to his feet with his hands on the table.

“That’s it. We’re at war,” Vox announced.

2

“War? How the hell did we go from training bras to war?” Zoran demanded.

Vox flashed his teeth, shifted one hand into his leopard’s paw, and dangled the dainty pink bra from his sharp claws like a battle banner. Ha’ven bit back a growl. It took everything in him not to snatch his daughter’s brassiere from the man’s claws.

“I’ll tell you how. I’ve got two daughters. You’ll understand better when Aurora gets older! If you think I’m going to let some horny dragon or lightbulb-glowing Curizan near them, you can think twice! If we are at war, then that will take care of it,” Vox snarled.

The door behind them suddenly opened. Ha’ven muttered a curse, grabbed Alice’s bra, and stuffed it into his pocket. All the men stood. Well, all of them except Trelon who continued to recline as if he didn’t have a care in the world—at least until he noticed that it was his mate standing in the doorway. He straightened with alarm.

“What’s wrong? Have the girls escaped? They haven’t blown anyone up, have they?” Trelon asked.

“Not this time, but I’m afraid James might have. Riley just called to tell me that she heard an explosion and squeals in the garden.” Cara paused and looked around at the men with a suspicious expression. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Ha’ven said with a glare of warning at the other men.

“We aren’t doing anything,” Creon hastily agreed.

“Just going over some new plans,” Mandra added with a grin.

“Ha’ven and Vox are declaring war,” Trelon responded.

“War?” She snorted. “I seriously doubt that Emma and Riley would agree with that.”

“Riley can’t keep me from going to war if I want to go to war,” Vox muttered.

Ha’ven snorted. Vox shot him a heated glare, and Ha’ven looked innocently down at the tips of his boots. He grimaced when Trelon continued.

“It wasn’t the girls. They can’t blame this on us this time. Ha’ven just figured out that Alice is growing up. He found her training bra,” Trelon replied with a grin.

Ha’ven ran his hand down his face when Cara choked out a laugh and looked at him. He could feel his face heating. He was thankful that he had retrieved Alice’s bra; and that, Emma wasn’t here to witness his fatherly meltdown.

Everything will be alright. You can’t keep Alice little forever.

A low groan slipped from him when Emma’s amused voice rang through his mind. He should have known she would immediately connect with him the second she sensed he was losing control.

I can try, he silently responded.

Emma’s soft laughter filtered through his mind. Can you please try without going to war? I really love coming here, and Alice would be heartbroken if she couldn’t see her friends.

I guess, he grudgingly agreed.

Thank you. I love you. So does Alice… just… don’t let her know you have been showing off her new bra. We don’t want her to go to war with you.

Ha’ven grimaced and curled his fingers around the soft fabric in his pocket. The last thing he wanted to deal with was an embarrassed, outraged teenager with phenomenal powers! He sighed and plopped down into his chair with a resigned grunt.

It took a moment for him to realize that everyone in the room had grown silent and was watching him with an expectant expression. He grimaced again and shook his head.

“I guess going to war isn’t a solution,” he grudgingly agreed before he sent another heated glare at Kelan. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to be keeping my eye on Alice!”

“Well, now that we’ve settled this growing pain, I believe Dulce and Cara needed some assistance with the new ride they were working on for the fall festival,” Paul said, pushing back against the table and rising.

“Thank you, Paul,” Cara said with a laugh.

Ha’ven leaned back in his chair as the group rose one at a time and shuffled out of the room. He steepled his fingers and moodily stared through the glass partition at the activity on the other side without really seeing it. He relaxed when he felt Emma’s soothing touch again.

Bálint is wonderful, and you think of Kelan as a brother. Can you think of anyone who would be better for Alice?

What if he breaks her heart?

Emma’s sigh washed over him. Why don’t we wait to see what happens? We still have a few years before we need to worry.

A few years!

“Hey, Ha’ven. You wouldn’t be interested in helping Viper and me, would you?” Trelon asked from the doorway.

He turned in his seat and raised an eyebrow. “What do you need?”

Trelon gave him a crooked grin. “How good are you at repairing trees?”

3

The night before:

“Roam, I don’t think this is such a good idea,” Bálint said, watching as his best friend crouched to scratch at the loose soil.

The black-striped, young white tiger rolled his eyes and shook his head. “If we want to go fishing early tomorrow morning, we’re gonna need worms. If we don’t, we’re not gonna catch anything. This is the perfect place to find them. You heard Spring talking about all the worms she saw at dinner.”

“Yes, but she was talking about how happy and important the worms are for her garden. If you take the worms out, then she won’t be happy,” Bálint warned.

Roam set down the bucket he had found outside the garden shed and straightened. He pursed his lips in annoyance. It wasn’t like they were going to take all the worms in the garden. They just needed a dozen or so. If they didn’t use them all, he would return them. It wasn’t like Spring knew exactly how many worms she had in the new garden she was creating!

“Do you want to go fishing or not?” he demanded, placing his dirty hands on his hips and glaring at Bálint.

“Yeah, but… we could use the fake worms like we always do,” Bálint defended.

“And how many fish do we normally catch with those?”

Bálint shifted from one foot to the other and looked sheepishly at him. “None. That’s okay, though. It is fun to try. Besides, Alice doesn’t want me to hurt them,” he defended.

“We’re not hurting the fish. We’re going to eat them! Plus, Alice isn’t going with us this time. Now, hold the flashlight steady,” Roam ordered.

Roam pulled up another one of Spring’s freshly planted flowers and set it to the side of the hole. The worms seemed to like the loose soil. He would replant all of Spring’s flowers when he was done. She would never know he was there.

Ten minutes later, he grinned at Bálint as he held up the bucket of squirming worms desperately trying to tunnel their way back into the dirt. He had found way more than two dozen worms! They could fish the whole week on them.

Bálint ruefully shook his head and sighed as he looked around the garden. Roam followed the beam of the flashlight. The harsh light made the garden look worse than it really was… he hoped.

Spring going to be so mad at us, his cat warned with a groan.

It isn’t that bad!

His cat snorted in response. He rolled his eyes. His cat was always trying to warn him about upsetting Spring. Sure, his cat was usually right, but Spring always forgave him. It wasn’t like he tried to make her mad. It just came naturally… the same as with his mom and dad. His dad was always doing something that upset his mom, and all they ever did was kiss and cuddle afterwards.

Not that Spring and I will ever do that, he thought with a grimace. Girls are yucky and weird.

Spring not yucky and weird! his cat snarled.

Roam rubbed his stomach. She is… but in a good way. I like her weirdness. She doesn’t mind worms or getting dirty… and she makes the best hiding places underground, he defended.

She NOT yucky! He was about to argue with his cat when Bálint spoke.

“I don’t want to be you when Spring finds out what you’ve done.”

Roam scowled and studied the garden. Sure, the plants might not be in the pretty rows that Spring had them in, but they were close. And yeah, there might be a few places where he dug a little too deep or piled the dirt higher, but it gave the garden character.

Spring would appreciate character in her garden. She was always talking about how this plant looked better up high, and this one needed to be in front of that one to make it stand out. It wasn’t like he didn’t listen to everything Spring said. It was just that he didn’t understand most of it.

He reached out and nudged a broken stem with his foot. It just needed a little water, and it would be good. He looked longingly at the bucket of worms.

“I’ll come back after our fishing trip and clean things up some more. She’ll never know,” he replied with a confident grin.

We going to be in so much trouble, his cat muttered before thankfully shutting him out.

* * *

Early the next morning, Spring stared at her once beautiful garden. She wiped angry tears from her cheeks, leaving behind dirty streaks. Her garden was littered with piles of dirt, dozens of small holes, as well as wilting and broken plants. The whole thing looked as if her dad and the other dads had played a game of Tackle the Dragon in the middle of it.

“Here you go, Spring,” Jabir said.

Spring looked at the bright green worm Jabir was carefully holding in the palms of his hands. She reached for the wiggling body, carefully lifted it, and sniffed. Whoever did this was going to pay!

“What did he say?” she demanded.

Jabir squinched his nose and looked at her with a confused frown before it cleared when she held up the worm. He chuckled and shook his head.

“I don’t speak worm, but if I was to guess from the footprints, I’d say it was Roam or Leo,” he replied.

Spring pursed her lips. Roam!

“It can’t be Leo. Sacha and Hope chased him up a tree over an hour ago and he’s still there,” Phoenix said, coming to put her arm around her sister’s waist. “I’m sorry about your garden, Spring. I’ll help you make it right.”

“Oh, I’m going to make it right, alright! That shifty cat-shifter is going to pay big time for this! He was asking me all kinds of questions last night about the worms in my garden. I should have known he was fishing around for something. He is clueless when it comes to plants!” Spring growled.

“But he loves fishing,” Jabir said.

Spring gave Jabir a sharp-tooth grin. “If he wants worms, I’ll give him worms.”

“Spring, what are you planning on doing?” Phoenix asked.

Spring turned to her sister and shrugged. “Let’s just say by the time I’m done with Roam, he’ll never mess with one of my gardens again… and may never even want to fish! At least not with real worms.”

“I’ll help you,” Jabir offered.

Spring looked at Jabir in surprise. “You will? Why?”

Jabir gave her a sheepish grin. “I might not understand everything a worm says, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how they feel. I like worms. That’s why I made the fake worms for Roam to use.”

Spring studied Jabir’s earnest expression to make sure he was really going to help before she nodded. She looked at her sister who nodded in agreement. Bending, she released the worm she was holding into the loose soil and motioned for the other two to step closer.