by R. E. Butler
“It’s nice to meet you, too, and congratulations to you both.”
Staz kissed Jules on the temple and said, “Go and introduce yourself to Cecily, I want to talk to Torrence for a second.”
“Of course,” she said. She turned and wove her way through the crowd.
“How are you doing?” Staz asked. “And how the hell did you get a mate? I heard you showed up in your dragon form?” Staz grabbed Torrence’s arm and looked at the mating mark. “This thing is huge!”
“I know, right? I don’t know why it happened, but I believe that Cecily and I were made for each other. If I hadn’t been allergic to the mating fruit, I wouldn’t have gone to my dad’s homestead in Tomb and met Cecily.”
“That’s awesome. You look happy.”
“I am. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I’m honestly happy. I’ve got a beautiful mate and I’ve also got my dragon.”
“When do you start work on your house? I’d offer to help, but we’re building mine right now.”
“We’re not going to stay. Cecily has a business in Tomb, and I’m going to do my carvings from there.”
“Oh. I figured you’d come back here to live. Can we come visit sometime?”
Jules gave Staz a light slap on the shoulder as she joined them. “Are you inviting us to their house? You’re supposed to wait for an invitation.”
Staz grinned and shrugged. “We’re cousins who are as close as brothers. No invitations necessary. Right?”
“You got it,” Torrence said.
His dragon let out a purr of relief in his mind when Cecily joined them and took his hand. “Hi, I’m Cecily. You must be Staz.”
Staz shook her hand. “One and the same. I was just inviting myself and my mate to your house.”
“Good grief!” Jules said.
Torrence couldn’t help but laugh. Cecily said, “You’re welcome anytime.”
Benecio called them to dinner. He sat at the head of the table with Vanessa on his right. Torrence sat on his left with Cecily next to him, with Jules and Staz next to her.
“This is the biggest table I’ve ever seen,” Cecily murmured.
“It’s custom,” Torrence said. The twenty-seat table was made of light oak and had matching chairs with intricately carved dragons on the backs.
When the meal was served, Torrence was thrilled to see that Cecily was talking not only to Jules and Staz, but also the other dragons around them. She had a great sense of humor and a little bit of a sarcastic side, which he found wholly entertaining. When the meal was over, he and the males offered to clear the table, and the females sat around with coffee and dessert while they tended to things in the kitchen.
“She’s great,” Staz said. “I wish you were staying here. When we heard you found your dragon, Jules was hoping to be friends with your mate since we’re family. She’s feeling lonely because her clan lives up in Connecticut.”
“She was fine with staying here?” Torrence asked. There were no hard and fast rules when it came to matings, it was up to each mated pair where they chose to call home, either with the females’ clan or the males’. He’d never anticipated his mate not wanting to live with his clan, but it hadn’t been a hardship to agree to go to Tomb. Cecily was home for him now. The location didn’t matter as long as he got to hold her all night long.
“Yes. I offered to go to her clan, but she was fine with staying here.”
“We’ll visit, and you can come visit us,” Torrence said.
“Cool,” Staz said. “Maybe you can make us a donut fountain, too.”
The males in the kitchen snickered and Torrence shook his head with a laugh and snapped the kitchen towel in Staz’s direction. “You could at least pretend not to eavesdrop.”
“Now where’s the fun in that?”
* * *
“I can’t believe you’re leaving already,” Torrence’s mother said. “You’ll come visit soon?”
“Of course,” Torrence said.
“The males are going to escort you home,” his father said.
“Oh?” Torrence said.
“It was Staz’s idea. He said that it would be a nice idea to do that for any couples who don’t stay here. A… dragon caravan, so to speak.”
“That’s really sweet,” Cecily said. She adjusted the knapsack on her back, which contained half of a Boston cream pie, the green dress that she’d loved so much, and Torrence’s sculpting tools.
“We’re ready when you are,” Benecio said.
Torrence turned to his mate. “Ready for another ride?”
She buttoned the wool coat that the clan seamstress had given to her as a mating gift, pulled a green stocking cap on her head, and wiggled her gloved fingers at him. “Now I’m ready.”
He laughed and kissed her, then stepped away and stripped. He handed the borrowed clothes to his mate and shifted. It was only the second time he’d shifted, and he wasn’t sure what to expect. The first time had been explosive. He’d been human and then he’d been a dragon. The transformation had been unexpected and painful. But now, he just had to look at Cecily and he felt calmer and more connected to his dragon.
He finally understood why dragon shifters needed to find their perfect mate. The dragon needed someone to care for and protect.
“I’m so glad you’re mine, Cecily.”
He shifted, reaching into himself for the dragon and letting the change come. The dragon sprang forward, eager to see and hold their mate again. From one moment to the next, his body transformed – bones lengthened and reformed, muscles bulked and stretched, and green scales covered his skin. He lifted his head and breathed out a plume of smoke.
Cecily brushed at tears on her cheeks. He lowered his head and trilled a question, wondering why she was crying.
She kissed his snout and smiled. “You’re a beautiful dragon, watching you change is just…so amazing. It made me cry. But they’re happy tears, because I’m so glad you’re mine, too.”
He gave her a toothy grin, and lifted her from the ground, cradling her against his chest. Around them, the clan had shifted, waiting for him to lead them back to his new home. He let out a piercing cry and lifted into the air, the dragons echoed the sound and followed. Wheeling in the air, he took one last look at the mountain that had been his home, and then he turned toward Tomb, where he was going to build a life and a clan with his mate.
Flying with the dragons was everything he’d ever thought it would be. His father and Staz flanked him, with the other males behind them.
When Tomb mountain came into view, he let out a happy trill. Cecily patted his clawed hand and offered a cheer of her own. The entire clan circled the mountain in an enormous funnel of dragons, the sound of their wings was like the wind.
He landed in front of the cabin and lifted his head to the sky. The click in his throat that signaled the fire sounded and he blew out a stream of flame. Above them, the others answered in kind, streams of fire lighting up the sky. One by one the dragons peeled off and headed back to their mountain, until only Staz and Benecio were left. They called out to Torrence and Cecily, a happy song that echoed around them, and winged their way home.
Torrence set Cecily down and returned to his human form.
“That was so cool,” she said, her head turned up to stare at the now empty sky. “I feel like our family just left.”
“They did, sweetheart,” he said, slipping his arm over her shoulders.
“A couple days ago I thought the best thing that ever happened to me was opening my donut shop. Now, I know that you’re the best thing.”
“You are for me, too.” Scooping her up into his arms, he carried her to the cabin. “In case you couldn’t tell, I’m crazy about you.”
She whispered in his ear, “Me too.”
Chapter 10
Cecily sprawled across Torrence’s chest and listened to his heartbeat. Her body still hummed with pleasure. He seemed to know just how to touch her. Being with him was like nothing she�
�d ever experienced before.
He rubbed her back in slow circles, his calloused hands making her skin feel ultra-sensitive. Very faintly, she could hear a trilling sound in his chest, and she recognized it as his dragon.
She sat up and looked around the master bedroom. Heavy curtains blocked a lot of the afternoon sun, giving the room a golden glow. The large sleigh bed took up most of the space, with a nightstand made of the same dark wood standing next to it. There was a set of sliding doors which she figured was the closet.
“It was nice of your dad to give us the mountain and cabin. I bet it’s a beautiful view up here in the winter, with all the snow. Do dragons always live in the mountains?”
“As far as I know.”
“It sounds like something that would be a myth. Like how wolves always have to shift on the full moons, when in reality they don’t.”
“The more secretive the shifter group, the more misinformation floats around, but dragons are pretty straightforward. We live in the mountains in clans, we’re close to our families, and we mate with our own kind. Except for me, because I’m so awesome that I needed a beautiful human for a mate.”
She grinned. “You’re definitely awesome.”
“Although I’m not inclined to do anything but stay in bed with you, it’s probably time to go to the shop and see the damage.”
“And I want you to meet Andrea.”
She borrowed one of his shirts and paired it with the leggings that Vanessa had given to her. All her clothes were in her apartment, so after they checked out the shop, they could start to pack her things.
After a quick meal of sandwiches, they began the walk down to town. His car was still there, and he wasn’t sure that he hadn’t accidentally trashed it with his tail when he shifted. She had a car that they could use in the meantime. When the main road came into view, they both stopped short. There was a concrete barricade blocking the dirt road from the main road into town. In front of the barricade was a metal sign as large as a stop sign that said in big block letters “no trespassing.”
“This wasn’t here before,” he said.
“Maybe they didn’t want anyone coming up the mountain?” she suggested, but she knew it wasn’t right.
“The sign’s facing the wrong way to warn people to stay off the mountain,” he pointed out.
She was sure he was right. “Well, they can’t keep us out of town. It’s a public place, plus my home is there.”
He gave her a long look. “I don’t think they’re trying to keep you from town.”
“Oh.” She pursed her lips. “How could dragons be so accepting but wolves aren’t?”
“You didn’t take out half the town square when you visited, sweetheart.” He gave her a wry smile, but she found no humor in the situation. The no trespassing sign was a direct threat as far as she was concerned.
“Let me see your phone,” she said. He handed it over and she dialed Andrea’s number.
“Hey,” Andrea said when she answered.
“Hi. So, I’m back.”
Andrea laughed. “I figured as much when I saw the fireworks last night.”
“Do you know anything about the barricade at the bottom of the mountain road?”
There was enough of a pause that she knew her best friend was trying to word her reply. Before she could tell her to just say whatever it was, Andrea let out a sigh. “After you were taken, the pack wanted to go up the mountain and rescue you. When he flew off with you, the alpha said that he wouldn’t allow dangerous shifters to be in town, and although I didn’t know about the barricade, I’m not surprised.”
Cecily glanced at Torrence who was frowning. “Do they really think they can keep him out of town?”
“It’s worse than that, actually,” Andrea said. “Can I come to you?”
“I wanted to come to the shop. Torrence said he’d pay for the damages and I need to pack so I can move up to the cabin.”
“That’s not a good idea. Alpha Irvine told me to pack your things. I’ll call and let him know you want to see him, but he’ll probably come to you instead of you going into town.”
“I…I don’t know what to say.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
The call ended, and Cecily stared at the screen. Torrence pulled her close and hugged her. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I made a mess of your life.”
“I don’t understand what happened here.”
“It’ll be okay.”
“How can you be sure?”
He curled a finger under her chin and lifted her head until she was looking at him. “Because I have you. Everything will be okay because at the end of the day, we’re mates and nothing that any small-minded wolves do can change that. Don’t think of whatever is happening as an ending of something, but the beginning of a new chapter in our lives.”
“That’s sweet.”
“Just being honest.”
He tensed slightly, and she listened hard and could faintly hear a vehicle in the distance.
“That’s probably Andrea,” she said. She turned in Torrence’s arms and leaned back against him.
Andrea pulled off to the side of the road, parking in front of the barriers. Cecily could see that the car was stuffed with bags and boxes. She got out and gave Cecily a sad smile.
“Come meet my mate,” Cecily said.
She moved around the barricade and walked to them. “I’m Andrea.”
“I’m Torrence. Cecily’s told me a lot about you.”
“Only believe the good things. She’s notorious for embellishing stories about our childhood exploits.”
Cecily laughed. “That’s because you never want to fess up.”
“Hey, what’s the fun of doing bad things if you get caught?”
Although it felt good to laugh, Cecily couldn’t help but feel a tightness in her gut that told her things weren’t going to go as she’d planned when she’d wanted to come back to Tomb.
“Would you like to come up to the cabin and be comfortable while you talk?” Torrence offered.
“Yeah, thanks. We can take some things up on the trip, since I can’t get the car past the barricade.”
The three of them carried bags and boxes up the mountain to the cabin, and then Torrence put a pot of water on to boil for tea, and Cecily got out the Boston cream pie they’d brought with them. Once the tea was ready, they sat in the family room and then Andrea explained what had happened.
“The pack got all riled up when you were taken. The alpha said that he warned Torrence to behave, and of course Jerris made things worse by saying that you’re his mate and he needed to rescue you. That guy has several screws loose. When I heard from you, I went to talk to the alpha and he said that the only way to keep Tomb safe was to keep you up here.” She looked pointedly at Torrence. “I’m sorry. I’m sure it’s not really legal, but the pack runs the town. They can make things really difficult for you both.”
“So, I’m not allowed back in town either?” Cecily asked.
“I fought for your shop and your right to work, and he said no.”
“That makes no sense,” Cecily said. “I’m still the same person I was.”
Andrea’s gaze dipped to Cecily’s mating mark. “You’re a dragon’s mate. Aside from that being unheard of with a human, he caused thousands of dollars’ worth of damage. To be blunt, neither of you are welcome in town.”
Cecily felt a lump in her throat. She looked at Torrence. “Can they really do this?”
“We could fight back. You grew up here. You own a business here. Just because the pack’s against us doesn’t mean they can close the town like this.”
“I…shit. I need time to think.” She ran her hands over her hair several times, grasping the strands and squeezing. Her whole body felt like it was going to split apart at the seams, and not in the making-love-to-her-mate way that she’d been enjoying so much.
Andrea’s phone buzzed, and she looked at the screen. “The alpha’s at the bottom of
the mountain. He said he’d speak with you to clarify his position, but that you should not expect anything to change.”
“What an asshole,” Cecily said.
She stood with Torrence. She wanted to delay the conversation with the alpha, but it was better to get it over with. Maybe she could reason with him. Maybe it wasn’t the end.
“Thanks for the pie,” Andrea said as she stood. “Tell your mother-in-law that it was amazing.” Andrea hugged Cecily tightly.
Cecily sniffled.
Andrea chided her. “Oh, you’re going to make me cry.”
“Sorry. I thought we’d be raising our kids together.”
“Me, too. But we can video call and text, and you can send me care packages of donuts. It’s not the same, but at least we’ll be able to stay in touch.”
It was a solemn walk down the mountain. An hour ago, she’d been excited to show Torrence the shop and make a plan to get it repaired and back in business. But now, she wasn’t looking forward to the walk because at the end of it, she was facing off against a pack and an alpha who was throwing his weight around like he was king. Suddenly she wasn’t welcome, and it appeared that the town of her childhood was closed.
She choked on a sob.
Everything she’d worked for was gone.
Torrence put his arm around her and gave her a comforting squeeze. “Whatever happens down there, I’ve got your back.”
“I know,” she said, giving him a sideways glance. He was so handsome. Rugged and muscular, with a jawline that begged to be nibbled and eyes that were filled with compassion. “Where you are is home. It feels sudden to say that, but I can’t deny how I feel. You’re mine and I’m yours, and if this place isn’t where we’re supposed to be, then I don’t want to be here.”
Her mind spun to their future children, who would be a mixture of human and dragon. If Torrence wasn’t welcome in Tomb, it was a good bet that their kids wouldn’t be either, and trapped on the mountain wasn’t a great way to raise a family.
The alpha and a group of males stood on the road, their vehicles parked behind them. Cecily straightened her spine and squared her shoulders. No matter what was said, she promised herself she wouldn’t cry until she was back up in the cabin with Torrence.