book #2 Ice Queen: the snow dragon shifter ***completed***

#4 meeting his past

after the call queen Emilia had sat Liam down to talk with him. " liam dear, your parents are coming here to meet you. they are very excited. they have missed you dearly."

" when will they be here?" He was trying to push aside his anxiety of meeting his parents for the first time. he had so many questions brewing inside of him. his wolf Xander was clawing at the back of his head. Liam had been feeling an uneasiness inside him ever since he shifted. it was like he could feel something was happening and it wasn't meeting his parents. he couldn't explain it. he felt a pull. a desire to find his mate. " do you think they will want me?"

Emilia smiled. it was warm and calming as she came and sat beside Liam. She placed her hand on his cheek pulling him to look into her eyes. there was a familiarity to her. it was a different kind of feeling he had ever gotten before. she pulled him into a hug as she spoke. her voice was soft and full of love for him. " liam they will love you as deeply as we have. there is no doubt in my heart they will. we will always be here for you liam. we love you." she cupped his face again kissing his cheek and then rising to walk out the door. " they will be here in four days. their.... your territory is four days from here." she smiled softly as she left leaving him to his own thoughts.

he walked slowly to his room after sitting a while longer. he heard the door creek open and her soft voice fill his head. it had his wolf howling for her. could she possibly be his mate? it can't be. neither of them were eighteen yet. he couldn't deny there was a pull to her. a longing deep in his soul. " liam?"

he c****d an eye brow at her as he turned his head to face her. her icy blue eyes piercing straight to his soul. " Scarlett, I just need some time to think." she nodded but didn't leave the room. he walked towards the balcony of his room sitting in the chair watching over the snowy mountain peaks. she watched him for a brief moment before sitting next to him in silence. she reached for his hand and held it in hers. neither of them moved or made a sound. it was a comfortable silence that surrounded the night air. Liam took a deep breath as he looked up at the moon and stars. would she be willing to give up her birth right and be his mate? even if they weren't fated he knew he loved her. there was something that had always drawn them together on such a deep level that he couldn't get her out of his thoughts. that kiss only cemented it for him. " Come with me."

she looked at him with confusion on her face. " what?"

" Come with me and be my chosen mate."

she looked at him a sparkle flashing in her eyes. " i wish I could, but my path is already chosen for me liam."

" it doesn't have to be that way Scarlett and you know it. you can chose to be with me. you can chose this. there is no denying there is something there. I love you Scarlett. I always have and deep down I know you feel it too." he was no longer looking out at the mountains but now looking straight into her eyes. he wanted her to chose him. he wanted her to stand up for herself.

she looked away from him her eyes falling to the ground. she stood up not letting go of his hand. " liam.... I can't. " he stopped her before she could finish.

" I think you should go." his voice was filled with hurt and anger.

she started to walk to the door of his bedroom but stopped turning back to say one last thing to him. " I have always loved you too Liam."

" just not enough to chose for yourself. please, just go." her eyes were filled with tears as he watched her walk out the door shutting it gently. once he no longer could see her he turned and walked towards his bathroom to shower and pray to the moon Goddess to take his hurt away.

his feet were pounding in the snow leaving massive prints behind him. he was running and pushing himself harder than he ever had before. her eyes haunted him all night. the deep sadness that rested in them. he pushed himself more. his muscles were burning and his body was on fire. soon he came to a cliff as he walked to its edge. he looked up at the sky as the sun beat down. he shifted from his wolf to human form and sat in the snow looking over the mountain peaks. sweat was dripping down his body glistening in the sun as it beaded down his chiseled abs. the heat radiating from his body caused the snow to melt around him. it soothed him as it cooled his body down. today was the day his parents would arrive. today was the day he would meet them.

LIAM: why do I feel so sad when today should be so happy Xander?

XANDER: because you found our mate

LIAM: who?

XANDER: you know

LIAM: how do you know? I'm not eighteen

XANDER: don't leave her

LIAM: I have to. she didn't chose us

liam sat quietly soaking in the sun. Xander moved to the back of his mind sorrow in his words. she didn't want us. she was chosing a different life for herself. he couldn't force it. after a while Liam got up and shifted back his wolf running as fast as he could, back to the palace. the stone walls were coming into view and that's when he saw her. her parents were there and Scarlett was being introduced to someone. a man. the man her parents chose for her. he had grabbed her hand kissing it gently. Liam felt rage building inside of him as he went behind a tree and shifted. pulling on his shirt he walked past them without a glance.

" Liam!" it was queen Emilia calling for him. he turned not looking up to meet either of their stares. " I wanted to introduce you to prince Jonathan. he and Scarlett are to be mated in two months."

Liam turned back around heading towards his room anger pouring out of his body. with an icy chill to his voice he said the only words that came to his mind. " are my parents here? I'm supposing they will want to leave with me right away." the he disappeared up the stairs. they all stared at his back as he retreated. taking a shower liam tried to calm his nerves.

there was a knock on his door and Emilia entered. " liam?" he quickly threw some clothes on and answered her. he was still cold and distant as he spoke.

" yes, queen Emilia?" she was taken by surprise. he had never called her by her title. he had always talked with love and kindness. this wasn't who liam was.

" your parents are here..." he looked at her nodding, no expression on his face. " did something happen? you have never been this cold before."

" the sooner I'm gone the better. I have a family. " he walked past her leaving her there shocked. his heart was breaking at the thought of Scarlett being mated to someone else. seeing him kiss her hand he felt rage like never before. he wanted to rip him apart. he hated that her parents wanted to force this on her and that she was just accepting it.

when he walked down the stairs he paused for a moment. there stood two people he never thought he would meet. it was clear to him these were his parents. he looked just like his father. their features were so similar. then his eyes locked on his mother's. her yes were his eyes. the emerald green sparkling like precious gems. he saw himself in both of them. he watched as the woman's hands cupped her mouth. the man reached over hugging her close to him. he descended slowly as if in a dream. was this real? were these two really his parents? he hadn't even realized that he was standing in front of them. " liam? oh my Goddess it's you! my baby! please? can i..." her hand reached out to his face taking him all in. he felt her soft warm hands trace his with all the love she could pour out of herself. He closed his eyes reveling in the feeling of his mothers touch. It was soft and awrm and filled with love for him. He wondered what it would have been like to be raised by her.

" mom..." her touch was so familiar. so full of love and he welcomed her into his arms as she burst into tears. they stood there holding each other for a moment as he felt another set of arms surround him. they were strong and full of love for him and he embraced it all taking every second in. he always wondered what it would feel like. what they looked like. here they were holding him amd crying like nothing else in this world mattered but him. they loved him and he could feel it. he was going home. he was going to where he belonged. he would leave behind the pain of loving someone who didn't love him back. the hurt of watching her learn to love someone else. he would leave behind all of this good and bad to be where he was wanted and loved. his home. did he belong there still? as they pulled away from him a flash crossed his thoughts.

he was in a field. they were having a good time playing. his mom was packing up a picnic and his dad had turned to his brother and sister. there was a noise in the woods and it called his name "liam" he followed the noise to the trees and in an instant something came out of nowhere and snatched him closing a hand over his mouth and then flying away. a shifter. he was huge with beautiful green scales that cascaded down his body. he was weakened. he flew a short distance and then shifted. liam remembered feeling scared. then the flashback was gone. his parents looked at him confused. " what's wrong?" He heard his fathers voice for the first time.

" it was a flash. a memory, I think. I think it was the day I was taken. it was a shifter. a dragon took me that day." his parents looked at each other then at Emilia and Dante. they grabbed liam and placed him behind them for protection. liam was frustrated. " it wasn't them. this dragon was a rogue. why would he take me? he called for me. he knew who I was." everyone was silently looking at each other.

" maleek...." Emilia whispered. he was the same one who had tried taking Scarlett and had been exiled. still the burning question was why take a pup? what would he accomplish by stealing liam? so many unanswered questions. there was an awkward silence that fell in the group.