When she woke again, sunshine was streaming down on her face from an open spot in the wall. She blinked a few times, sitting up in confusion until she remembered where she was. The events of the night came back to her, and she looked around at the mess of a wall that remained on the eastern side of the bedroom. In the daylight, it looked much worse than it had the night before. She grimaced, thinking of all the rebuilding and repairs that needed to be done. At least she and Simon were alive and well, and able to repair. That was the important thing. Houses could be rebuilt.
Brittany looked around the rest of the room, and then was startled to realize that Simon was standing there watching her.
“Holy cow, you scared me,” she said. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Sorry. Ididn’t mean to be so stealthy, but I wasn’t sure if you were still sleeping. And then it was so cute to watch you look around.”
Brittany rolled her eyes. “Glad I could amuse you.”
Simon shrugged and came to sit on the bed next to her. “Did you sleep okay? I wasn’t sure I’d find you in here, once I saw that half the house was burnt down.”
Brittany frowned. “It’s really bad, huh? You lost a lot.”
Simon took her in his arms. “It doesn’t matter. I didn’t lose you, and that’s the important thing. The rest is just stuff.”
Brittany sighed as she rested her head happily against his chest. He smelled like sweat, blood, and, strangely, pine trees. “How are the High Councilors?” she asked.
“They’re all good. A few of them lost houses, but again, it’s just stuff. The larger army is back and they brought with them a few high-profile prisoners, as well as several of the Dark Warriors’ main computers. Looks like we’ve completely put those bastards out of business.”
“Good. But did you figure out how they had gotten into the city in the first place?”
Simon nodded wearily. “They used dark magic to build an underground network of tunnels into the city. They were able to do it because it never occurred to us to guard underground. We never imagined that dark soldiers were building secret entrances into the city right beneath our feet.”
“Wow. That’s horrible.”
“Yeah. They had a few contacts in the city—Torch lake citizens who betrayed us. The tunnels led up into their houses, giving the Dark Warriors direct, easy access into the city. Unfortunately we can’t even put those Torch Lake citizens on trial because they were killed in the battle last night.”
“Serves them right!”
“Yeah. It would have been nice to put them on trial and make an example of them, but at least justice was served one way or another. The City Guard has been sent to guard the tunnels until we figure out how to close them up. Or we might leave them and use them for our own purposes. Now that we know they’re there, they might be useful as an emergency escape from the city or something like that. As long as the military is guarding the tunnels, we should be safe from any unexpected attacks.”
Brittany shook her head. “That’s kind of horrifying that the whole Dark Warrior army pretty much had access to our city. Last night very well could have been a total bloodbath.”
Simon nodded. “Yeah, we were very lucky that you discovered the plot to attack and we were at least somewhat prepared. Torch Lake casualties were relatively low. We lost a few, which is horrible. But it could have been much worse.”
“It would have been a lot worse, if not for you and Jasper.”
Simon smiled. “We did what we could. I wasn’t about to go down without a fight when your life was at stake.”
Brittany felt herself blushing. “I owe you another debt of gratitude, it seems. What is this, the third time you’ve saved my life, in about as many days?”
Simon’s smile widened and he kissed her forehead. “What else would I do? You are my lifemate after all.”
“Lifemate?” Brittany furrowed her brow in confusion. “What does that mean?”
“Ah, you’re one of the wizards who hasn’t heard about lifemates yet, I see.”
Brittany shook her head. “No, I sure haven’t.”
“It’s something we shifters believe in. It’s kind of like a soulmate, but much deeper than that. We shifters believe that each one of us has a lifemate who we’re destined to be with. From the moment we’re born, fate is working to bring us together with our lifemates. When we find that person and make love to them, the lifemate bond is formed.”
Brittany blinked. “Lifemate bond?” She was still confused.
“You feel it as a deep warmth in your core. It tells you that you’ve found your destined lifemate, and that you are bound to them for life. I felt that when I made love to you, Brittany. I have to be honest I was super-attracted to you, but I didn’t dare to hope that you were my lifemate. Once I slept with you, though, I knew. Now I’m bonded to you. I will love and protect you for the rest of my life, because you are my destiny. I hope you feel the same way about me, but even if you don’t, there will never be anyone else for me. It’s only you, from this day forward.”
Brittany sat back, trying to take it all in. “I…I felt a warmth in my core, too. I had no idea it was the lifemate bond, though. I didn’t even know lifemates existed.”
Simon held her closer. “They do, and you’re mine. The fact that you felt the bond only confirms for me that we’re meant to be together.”
“We’re meant to be together…forever?”
Simon pulled back to look at her. “Yes, forever. For the rest of our lives. That’s why it’s called the lifemate bond. I understand if you need time to think about it before making a commitment. I know all of this has been so sudden. I just want you to know where I stand. I’m committed to you for life, and that isn’t going to change. I will always lay my life down for you. It’s why I was so determined to protect Torch Lake last night. I knew that by protecting this city, I was protecting you. And nothing in the world is more important to me than that.”
“Simon, I…I don’t know what to say. It does sound crazy, but I know already that I love you. The thought of losing you last night paralyzed me. I’ve never been happier in my life than I was when you walked back into the bunker safe and sound.”
Simon smiled and leaned down to kiss her. “I love you, too. You were the reason I found the courage and strength to do what I needed to do last night to save the city. Of course I wanted to save the High Council, and all the people of the city. But knowing that you were in that bunker and would die if I failed…it helped me find a way to do what seemed impossible, and beat back the Dark Warriors.”
Brittany bit her lower lip, relishing the way it felt hot where he had kissed her. “I don’t know how I got so lucky, to have a dragon looking out for me.”
Simon looked at her with fiery, hungry eyes. “And I don’t know how I got so lucky to have a woman like you in my life to look out for. You made all of the struggle of the last several months worth it.”
Simon leaned in and kissed her again, and this time, he didn’t pull away right away. Instead, he let his lips linger on hers. Brittany felt his fiery heat spreading from her lips out to the rest of her body, and she couldn’t help but tremble underneath his touch. There, in the middle of the ruins of Simon’s house—and the ruins of the city—she felt like life was beginning again.
She let out a soft moan, and Simon responded by slipping his tongue into her mouth. He pushed her back onto the bed, and they lay there for several minutes, a tangle of arms and legs as they kissed. His tongue was smooth but powerful, dancing with her tongue and sending tingles through her whole body. Brittany felt a familiar heat and pressure beginning to build within her core. Her heart filled with wonder as she realized that it was the lifemate bond making itself known again. She still found it hard to believe that fate had destined her for a mighty dragon, but here he was, right in front of her—completely perfect and completely hers. She felt like the luckiest girl alive.
Simon moved his hands from her face to begin pulling off the t-s
hirt she was wearing, and Brittany gladly began to tear at his clothes as well. They were both so hungry for each other. After facing the near-destruction of their city, they wanted to revel in the fact that they were alive and together. They could enjoy being with each other without a war looming heavy on their hearts.
It took less than a minute for them to strip each other naked, and Brittany would have loved it if Simon thrust his thick, stiff erection into her right then and there. But he had a few other places he wanted to pay attention to first. He moved his mouth down to her bare breasts, and covered her nipples with his impossibly hot mouth. The heat of his tongue against her breasts sent a fresh wave of tingles through her whole body—tingles that only increased when he switched from using his tongue to using his teeth. He chewed on the hard, erect nubs of her nipples, and Brittany couldn’t stop herself from screaming out in delight. She had never known ecstasy like this before, and she never wanted it to end.
She felt herself become dripping wet between her legs, as her whole being filled with a craving for Simon to take her and make love to her. The pressure and heat in her core grew with every passing second, and she felt like she was about to tumble over into her release from the pleasure of his tongue alone.
But then, he pulled back from her breasts, smiling down at her with those gorgeous, hungry eyes of his. Fresh air streamed in from the open spots in Simon’s damaged walls, and Brittany shivered with delight when the air hit the spots on her bare skin and nipples that were wet from Simon’s mouth.
Simon reached up to stroke her face with his hand, his smile growing wider with every second.
“You’re perfect, you know that?” he said in a husky whisper. “I can’t believe you’re mine, for life. I want nothing more than to make love to you over and over and over, every day for the rest of our lives.”
Brittany grinned and looked up at him coyly through her eyelashes. “Then start right now.”
He let out a low growl, and pushed her onto her back, instantly taking her up on her invitation. Brittany’s whole body was on fire with passion and anticipation as he hovered over her for a second, his thick, rock-hard erection positioned right over her slick, wet entrance. She could hardly stand the waiting. She wanted him, now, and even a few more seconds of delay felt like too much.
He must have felt the same, because with one more low growl, he slid into her. Brittany’s eyes squeezed shut and she let out a gasp as he filled her. Even thought she’d felt him before, it still took her breath away how large he was, and how firmly he pushed against her inner walls. Every nerve ending was on high alert, and every cell in her body seemed to respond to him. He undid her, in the best way possible.
When he began to move in her, sliding his hips back and forth in a smooth, rocking motion, she quickly reached the point of no return. She gasped and cried out his name, filled with love, longing, and passion unlike anything she’d ever known. As her dragon moved in her, she gave in to him and let the release he brought her wash over her.
She screamed in pure bliss as the tremors began. Her inner muscles spasmed, and squeezed down hard around his erection inside of her. The heat that had been building to an impossible level in her core exploded outward, radiating like wildfire across every part of her. She drank in the wonder of this feeling, this pure, perfect ecstasy.
Her body was still quaking with deep, passionate tremors when Simon joined her in finding his release. He let out a roar so loud that it shook the walls of his fire-damaged house. Brittany imagined that the neighbors could hear the sound even several streets over, but she didn’t care. She didn’t feel embarrassed, only proud. The last dragon bachelor in the city had chosen her.
Simon stiffened as he came into her, pulsing and roaring as the ecstasy overtook him as well. Brittany kept her eyes squeezed shut, enjoying the perfection of the moment as they came together.
She was quite sure she had never been happier. Her whole life up to this point had felt ordinary, but she knew that everything had changed now. She was going to be walking through life side-by-side with a dragon now. Nothing would be ordinary from this moment forward. She knew that deep in her heart.
From the way that Simon looked back at her, his eyes sparkling in the early morning light that seeped into his damaged house, she knew that he knew it too.
Torch Lake needed to be rebuilt, yes. But for Brittany and Simon, their triumph was complete.
Chapter Thirteen
* * * Three Years Later * * *
Simon let out a whoop and let go of the rope he’d been swinging on, freefalling through the air for a few moments before hitting the warm water of the lake with a giant splash. From the sandy shoreline a few yards away, a two-year-old boy clapped his hands with delight, screaming “Daddy! Daddy!” When Simon resurfaced, he waved at the boy, his son, and then swam to shore with quick, strong strokes.
“Not too close to the water, Max,” Brittany admonished the little boy. But Max ignored his mother, and went splashing into the lake toward his father. Simon laughed as he approached the boy and swooped him up into his arms.
Simon shrugged sheepishly at Brittany, who was shaking her head at him.
“That boy is going to worry me to death,” she said. “He can’t swim, and I can’t exactly go chasing after him into the water right now.”
Simon glanced down at Brittany’s stomach, which was swollen like she had swallowed a giant watermelon. “You’d manage if you had to. Even eight months pregnant, you’d find a way to save your boy if you needed to. But you wouldn’t need to. Don’t worry so much. I’m right here to help, and so are all our best friends. Everything’s going to be fine.”
Brittany shrugged again, but leaned in to kiss him, trying to avoid pressing against his soaking wet body. “Well anyways, enough swimming for the moment. The food’s done. Come get some dinner.”
Simon grinned and followed his wife to the area with picnic tables near the grill. She was always beautiful, but he couldn’t help but thinking that she was the most beautiful when she was carrying one of his children. He loved the way her stomach swelled and rounded out, giving testament to the child growing within—a child that owed his or her very existence to the great love between Simon and Brittany.
The picnic area was full of food and friends. Today was the third anniversary of the day the Dark Warriors had been defeated for good, and the day was considered an official holiday in Torch Lake. Earlier today, there had been parades, speeches, and other special events all through downtown. The High Councilors recognized the great work of the military and the dragon shifters, and the crowds went wild as the dragon shifters themselves gave short speeches. Simon loved the festivities, but his favorite “Victory Day” tradition was this barbecue by the lake. Every year, the dragon shifters, their lifemates, and their children gathered at this secluded beach, after the festivities of the day were over, to spend time together, swim, and enjoy good food. The event had grown over the years, as more and more children were added to the group. Today, a whole slew of dragon shifter-wizard toddlers were running around, enjoying the fresh air and trying to sneak a cupcake before eating their actual dinner.
Simon’s heart swelled with happiness as he took the whole scene in. Russ, Jake, and Jasper were manning the grill, while Leif, Clint, and Stan helped pass out the food. Seth, Evan, Hugh and Mitch were keeping an eye on the little ones, but Kurt was soaking wet just like Simon—having spent the last half-hour in the lake. All of the dragons’ lifemates were here, laughing and talking, and occasionally scolding the children. Life was good.
Not far beyond this beach, the city of Torch Lake itself had been completely rebuilt. The burnt, damaged buildings were long gone, replaced by newer, sturdier buildings. The City Guard had been expanded to include an underground guard, to ensure an uprising like the one the Dark Warriors had caused never happened again. Torch Lake had become the safest, best place for any shifter or wizard to raise a family.
Simon smiled as he took a big bite of a f
reshly-grilled cheeseburger. He was proud to live here, and proud to have been a part of taking down the Dark Warriors. But he knew in his heart that the best place to live, really, would always be wherever Brittany was. The best thing he’d gotten out of Torch Lake was her.
Of course, his dragon buddies and their families weren’t too bad, either. Defeating evil had given him the opportunity to live in an amazing town with friends who truly felt like family. There was no greater triumph than that.
“To Torch Lake,” Jasper yelled out suddenly, holding up his beer in a toast.
“To Torch Lake,” voices echoed out all around Simon, and his own voice joined in the chorus.
“To Torch Lake,” he whispered in Brittany’s ear as she came to stand beside him, dragging Max along with her. “The city that gave me everything.”
Thank You For Reading!
This completes the Torch Lake Shifters Series!
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About the Author
There are shifters walking among us. Sloane Meyers is devoted to telling their stories.
Sloane thinks we could all use a little escape in our lives. And what better way to shake up the ordinary than to transport yourself to the mysterious world of those who have an animal within them, roaring to be let out. Sloane brings you hot shifter males, and spunky, spirited heroines—with NO cliffhangers! Each book can be read as a standalone.
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