by Zoe Chant
She forced the words out of her mouth as she fumbled with the gauze, finally managing to apply it to Dante’s wound. She reached for the surgical tape to fix it in place, aware suddenly of how violently her hands were shaking.
“I understand, Mercy.”
Ah, hell.
His voice was low and gravelly, and the sound of it saying her name sent a shiver down her spine.
Gritting her teeth, Mercy tried to concentrate on finishing her patch-up job on Dante’s side. What had happened to her? First hot guy to show up and show a minimum of gentlemanly behavior, and she’d lost her head.
“You’d better,” she said, fixing the last piece of tape in place. She drew in a deep breath. “You said you were looking for somewhere to bed down before. So I guess you don’t have anywhere to sleep, other than the street?”
“I’ve slept on the street before.”
Mercy shook her head. “Oh, please. Like you really think I’m going to throw you out onto the street to sleep. I have a blanket and I have a couch in the kids’ area. You can have those.”
Dante opened his mouth as if he was about to object, but then, perhaps seeing the expression in her eyes, closed it again, nodding firmly. “All right.”
“You bet it’s all right,” Mercy muttered as she turned away, shaking her head at herself as she went to grab her spare blanket.
This better not be a huge mistake, she told her inner voice as she opened her closet door, grabbing the blanket from the top shelf.
The momentary spark of electricity that had shot through her at the touch of his hand came back to her suddenly, and involuntarily, Mercy glanced down at her wrist.
It was unmarked – it looked exactly the same as it had an hour ago. Only the memory of that strange spark remained to say it had ever happened at all.
Bunching her hand into a fist, Mercy shoved the thought from her head and headed back down the corridor to make up the sofa.
Chapter Three
Dante
“Oh, goddammit!”
Dante woke with a start at the sound of the shout from the kitchen.
It took him a moment to orient himself – he was used to waking up in unfamiliar places, but he didn’t usually feel this comfortable, nor this warm. But still, the shout had awakened his dragon immediately, and it raised its head, small flames shooting from its nostrils.
That was our mate. Is something threatening her harm?
Dante was on his feet in a moment, ignoring the slight pain in his side. The stab wound would be very nearly healed now that he’d had a good night’s sleep, and even if it hadn’t been, he wouldn’t have let a thing like that get in his way if his mate was in danger.
My mate.
The words still felt strange in his head. He had never given much thought to the idea that he might ever find the one he was meant for – the one he had been made for. The one his soul was bonded to, even if they never met. The one he would do anything to protect.
Dante didn’t hesitate a moment longer before sprinting out into the corridor that connected the kitchen with the main dining area, his bare feet pounding on the wooden floorboards.
“Mercy!” he called out, as fear coiled up his spine. Sure, his dragon couldn’t sense any danger here, but that didn’t help him feel any better at all – for Mercy to have shouted like that, there had to be something wrong.
“Mercy?” he called again as he arrived in the kitchen, heart pounding, to find
Mercy standing by the counter, phone in her hand, looking at her absolute wits’ end. The knuckles on the hand holding the phone had turned pale, while the other was massaging her temple as if her life depended on it.
Dante’s dragon’s senses gave the room a quick once-over, still detecting no immediate danger… or at least, no danger in the form of anything it recognized as danger. Clearly, however, there was something wrong. Mercy wouldn’t have shouted like that if there wasn’t.
“Is everything okay?” he asked after a moment, still unwilling to relax, his shoulders bunched, fists clenched. When it came to his mate, he wasn’t willing to take any chances.
Mercy took a deep breath before answering. “No – or, well, yes.” She shook her head, her hand leaving her temple to cover her eyes. “Nothing’s wrong, in the grand scheme of things. I knew this was coming. But it does kind of leave me high and dry today…”
Dante frowned. Had someone used the phone to threaten Mercy? Anger flared within him.
Cowards! his dragon roared, spreading its wings. Will they not even stand and fight?
He crossed the floor to where she stood. He wanted to reach out to her, to take her hand and comfort her, but he resisted. Despite the fact she’d let him stay here, and despite the fact that last night, he had been sure she must have felt something of their bond, he reminded himself that she didn’t know him – that taking him in had been a startling act of trust.
And she still doesn’t know you, he reminded himself, swallowing. She doesn’t know who you are – what you are.
He would have to tell her, and soon. Both about his ability to shift, and his criminal past. Somehow, the second one seemed to loom even larger in his mind than the first.
We can protect her better than any human, his dragon said, puffs of smoke rising from its jaws. She will see that.
That was possible, Dante thought. He knew of many dragons – his own cousins, Stefan and Isaak, for example – who had human mates who had accepted their dragons and their mated bonds. So it was clearly possible for such a thing to happen.
But how could he tell her that he used to be one of the same kind of people who were threatening her now? A former gang member, who had so often used his strength to harm, rather than to protect?
Even if he could explain to her that he’d had no choice, it wasn’t an excuse.
Everyone has a choice.
Gritting his teeth, he pushed the thought from his head. Right now, he had to deal with the problem in front of him.
“What’s happened, Mercy?” he asked, trying to keep his voice as calm and gentle as possible, while his dragon raged within him, insisting they would tear out the throat of anyone who would harm her.
“Nothing,” Mercy muttered after a moment or two. “Well, not nothing. Maybe it’s just the straw that broke the camel’s back.” She shook her head, before putting her phone down on the counter. “I just got a text from Debbie, my waitress – or should that be ex-waitress. She quit, effective immediately. I can’t really say I blame her, given everything that’s been going on around here. She has a kid and a husband to think about. But if she’d just given me a day to prepare for it, I could have…” Mercy shook her head. “Well, no point in that kind of talk. I’ll just have to handle it myself. Along with the register, bussing tables, and whatever else goes wrong around here.”
Dante felt himself relaxing slightly, his dragon withdrawing. “That’s all? Your waitress quit?”
Mercy’s glance was quick and angry. “That’s all? Look, obviously I don’t know where you’ve come from, but clearly you don’t know anything about running a restaurant. I have enough trouble keeping my head above water as it is. Do you think people are going to come to a restaurant where they can’t get service? Where they have to wait half an hour for their drinks?” She shook her head, swallowing. “Not that we would’ve had many customers anyway, I guess. But I have enough problems without having to worry about this as well.”
Dante licked his lips. He wanted to reach out for her, but he stopped himself. “I’m sorry, that came out wrong,” he said. “I just thought – well, it doesn’t matter what I thought, I guess. I just wish this was a problem I could help you with.”
Mercy shook her head. “No, I’m sorry I snapped. I suppose compared with having a crime boss breathing down your neck, this must seem like small potatoes. But I have my pride, you know? Before all this shit with Garrick started up, Mercy’s Kitchen was one of the few places people could get a decent feed in this town. Or at le
ast, I liked to think so.”
Dante was taken aback by the fatigue he could hear in Mercy’s voice. She leaned against the counter, her eyes downcast, looking utterly beaten. Maybe her waitress quitting really had been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Comfort her. She is your mate, his dragon said.
“Sometimes I think it’d be easier to just sell up,” Mercy muttered to herself, not raising her eyes. “Or give Garrick what he wants and pay up. I get so tired of this. But then I think… if I don’t do this, who will? This is my place. My town.” She paused, her voice wavering a little. “But there’s only so much I can take.”
Dante’s heart pounded within him, everything in his soul desperate to take Mercy in his arms and tell her she didn’t have to do this alone anymore. He was here now – her mate, her protector – and he would look after her. He’d tear Harlan Garrick limb from limb if that’s what it took.
But he forced himself to hold back. As desperate as he was to hold her and comfort her, Mercy didn’t seem like the kind of woman who’d react well to unsolicited hugs.
“If there’s any way I can help you, I’ll do it,” he said instead. He meant it, too – something about the way Mercy had spoken of this place being hers, this town being hers had struck a chord deep inside him.
Have I ever felt such a sense of home, of somewhere being my place? he wondered, though he already knew the answer to that.
Dante had never felt at home anywhere, never had somewhere he could call his. The manticores who’d raised him had made damn sure to keep him on his toes at all times, made sure he knew he was disposable the moment he put a toe out of line. And they’d made sure he believed the human world would never accept him either – and as for dragons… well, his family had abandoned him, hadn’t they?
Regret pulsed through him. He hadn’t known at the time that the Novak Clan, or what was left of it, had been looking for him for years, and would have welcomed him back instantly if they had known he was alive.
He could have made a home with them, he knew. Stefan[MT1], the clan leader, and his sister Darklis had been ready to open their hearts to him, even after he’d tried to hurt them.
But if I had accepted their offer, I wouldn’t be here right now, Dante thought. I would never have found my mate. And she would be here alone, trying to fend off Garrick all by herself…
The last thought steeled Dante’s heart. He had done the right thing. Even if Mercy ended up rejecting their bond once she found out about his past, it didn’t matter. A dragon protected his mate.
Dante decided then and there he wouldn’t say a word to Mercy about their bond until he had dealt with Harlan Garrick. It would be terrible if, in her shock, she rejected it – rejected him – and told him to get out of her life. Dante knew he wouldn’t be able to do that – not when she clearly needed someone to lean on.
Someone who she could trust.
Later, Dante decided. If she wants to reject me after Garrick is dealt with, then at least I can leave her knowing she’s safe.
But she is our mate! All at once, his dragon reared up, smoke pouring from its jaws. She will never reject us. She knows that we are made for each other!
Dante ignored it. He didn’t have time to explain to it right now all the ways in which Mercy might not be overjoyed to discover she had a destined bond with an ex-criminal dragon shifter.
But what he could do was make sure she knew she wasn’t on her own right now.
“Mercy –” he began to say.
The back door to the kitchen was suddenly thrown wide open, and a tall, broad figure dressed entirely in black leather burst into the room.
“Get down!” The words were out of his mouth before he realized he had said them. Dante threw himself in front of Mercy without a second thought, throwing his arms wide to protect as much of her body as possible.
Garrick didn’t waste any time, Dante thought grimly as he stared at the tall figure in leather, trying to pinpoint the best angle of attack – their head and face were shielded by a motorcycle helmet, but he could still take them down fast if he had to –
The figure raised their hands, and Dante tensed, readying himself to dash forward before they could make a move. Did they have a gun, a knife? Whatever it was, he had to get Mercy to safety before –
The figure’s hands went up to its head – and then it unstrapped its helmet, lifting it up. Dante found himself looking at a woman in her thirties with dark eyes and close-cropped black hair, her lips downturned in a confused frown.
“Mercy? What’s wrong? Who’s this guy?” the woman asked.
Dante hesitated at the sound of Mercy’s name, realizing they must know each other. Perhaps this newcomer was no one to be afraid of after all, despite her appearance. Then Mercy, standing behind him, broke out into peals of laughter.
“Calm down, Dante – it’s just Tai. She’s my chef. But I can see why you’d be worried – Tai does look kinda scary in her riding leathers.”
Tai snorted. “Scary, my ass. I’m a kitty cat.” She unzipped her leather jacket, shaking her head. “Not that looking scary is a disadvantage around here. Pretty sure it’s all that’s kept my bike un-stolen after all these years.” Tai shucked off her jacket, hanging it by the door. “But Mercy, you never answered my question – who’s this guy?”
Tai gave him a coolly appraising stare, and Dante did his best not to tense up. Even after all these years, it was hard to feel relaxed when unexpectedly meeting new people. Usually when that had happened in his old life, it had meant trouble was about to go down. And trouble had almost always meant a fight.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to relax.
“I’m Dante,” he said, holding his hand out. Tai raised an eyebrow before she took it, but when she did, her handshake was warm and firm.
“Tai Shimura. You’re not from around here, are you?”
Dante shook his head. “No. What gave it away?”
“I’d probably remember you – unless Mercy’s had you hidden away somewhere.” Tai smiled slightly, looking past Dante to send a questioning look in Mercy’s direction. “Not that I’d blame you, Mercy. I may not swing that way, but I can recognize a good thing when I see one.”
“It’s not like that,” Dante said quickly, even as his dragon reared up proudly, puffing smoke.
Yes! Tell her! We are Mercy’s, and Mercy is ours! Even this human can see our bond!
I will tell her when the time is right, Dante told it firmly, as it squirmed with impatience. And this is definitely not the right time.
“He’s right, it’s not like that,” Mercy spoke up.
Her words felt like a stab to Dante’s gut, but he knew she had no reason to suspect what they were to each other. She was human – she probably knew nothing of shifters, of mated bonds. Of dragons or manticores or pegasi, or any other creature who kept their existence secret from humans. He’d have to explain all of that to her, along with the fact that they were mates.
And my past. Who I was. What I was.
He glanced at Mercy, and was surprised to see her cheeks had turned a dusky red, as if she was embarrassed. She cleared her throat slightly before continuing.
“Some of Garrick’s goons turned up here last night – Dante here took care of them before they could do any damage. I patched him up and said he could stay. That’s all.”
There was a finality in Mercy’s tone that sent a chill down Dante’s spine, but the only thing he could do for now was swallow and try to ignore his dragon kicking up a fuss within him.
Despite the fact that he was it and it was him, it was still bestial in nature – a creature that didn’t necessarily understand things like timing. If his dragon had had its way, he would have tossed Mercy onto his back and flown her up to the top of the nearest mountain peak to profess his undying love and devotion to her.
Dante grit his teeth as the image of that passed through his imagination – as well as what he hoped would happen after he had expl
ained the nature of their bond. Desperate need surged through him in a way he couldn’t remember ever having experienced before, and it took him longer than he wanted to push away the images that suddenly flooded his mind – images of Mercy, her face flushed, hair in disarray, crying out from the pleasure that he knew he could give her.
“You took on Garrick’s men?” Tai whistled appreciatively between her teeth. “That took some guts. Not that I don’t appreciate it – that stupid bastard has caused enough trouble around here.” She shook her head. “But Mercy, you know that won’t be enough to put him off forever, right?”
“I know,” Mercy said grimly. “But we can only deal with that problem when we come to it.”
“I’ll be here if they come back,” Dante said. “I’ve offered Mercy my protection. And I won’t be going anywhere until Garrick’s properly dealt with.”
Tai raised an eyebrow, her expression skeptical. “Not saying you can’t do it. Just saying you better be good, if that’s your plan. Garrick’s not some two-bit hoodlum, from what I’ve seen. He means business. And he’s only part of the problem. We’ve got corrupt cops, gang violence, kids with no hope for the future – you gonna fix all those problems?”
“No.” Dante’s voice was steady. “Like I said, I’m new in town. You and Mercy know what this place needs better than I do. Garrick’s only one problem – but he’s a problem I can solve. It’s a start.”
He heard a soft intake of breath behind him, and turned to see Mercy staring at him, her black eyes wide. The flush was back in her cheeks, her full lips parted slightly. For a long moment, they simply held each other’s gaze, the only sound in his ears the pounding of his heart.
“Th-that’s a good speech,” Mercy said, shaking her head, breaking their gaze. She pulled in a deep breath, before she continued, her voice slightly softer. “I don’t know if you mean it, but at the moment, I can’t say it doesn’t do my heart good to hear someone talking about at least trying to fix some of the problems around here.”
“Speaking of, kids’ll be through to pick up their lunchboxes in ten minutes,” Tai said. “We better get packing.”