Garcia blinked and scanned the letter. Once done, he met Ashley's eyes again. "Are you sure about this, Ms. Swift? If he's forcing you, just say something, and I'll escort you off PineRock straight away."
Anger churned inside Wes's stomach. He wanted to shout at the bastard and tell him off. However, restraint was the only way he was going to win this round. So he let Ashley answer for him. "No one is being forced, Carlos." She leaned forward and smiled. "Do you think anyone could really force me to do something?" She gestured toward the youngest male in the room. "Johnson there knows firsthand about that."
Johnson's cheeks turned pink, and he cleared his throat. However, it was Garcia who spoke. "And how Johnson treated you was why he was demoted." He paused and then said, "Are you sure about this, Ashley? You're one of the most competent ADDA liaisons I've worked with over the last twenty years. I'd hate to lose you."
She beamed at Garcia, and it took every ounce of strength Wes had not to haul her against his side and glare at the other males. His human said, "Oh, that won't be changing." She tapped the letter. "This is the protocol for marrying a dragon-shifter. However, because Dalton qualifies under the reward system, it means I should still be able to work with ADDA, too." She winked. "I'll be keeping you and your guys in line for a while yet, Carlos."
Garcia barked a laugh. "Good. Otherwise, I might have more paperwork than I already do."
His dragon murmured, Our female is charming and very, very good at managing them.
I suppose, he muttered.
Ashley motioned toward her letter. "That should clear everything up about me being here by choice. As for the complaint lodged against Wes that says he threatened the human, Wes was merely trying to help me. One of the human guys wanted me to leave without Dalton, no matter my own desires. If Wes hadn't stepped up, along with the bar's security guard, I'm not sure what would've happened. I want to say the other guy might've tried to force me to leave or might even have tried to hurt Wes just to scare me."
Garcia frowned. "Do you want to press charges? If he hurt you, I'll risk Duncan Parrish's wrath."
Wes nearly blinked. It seemed Ashley did indeed have a very good relationship with the ADDA police. That could most definitely be a blessing in disguise later on, once she was officially his mate.
Ashley waved a hand in dismissal. "No, it's fine. As long as the other side's charge is dismissed, I won't bother. I'd much rather focus on my upcoming marriage and move to PineRock."
Garcia's eye finally met his again. "You'd better treat her right, Dalton. If not, then I don't care if I get fired, I'll kick your ass into next week."
His dragon snorted but thankfully didn't say anything so Wes could reply, "I will treasure her every day, sir. And if anyone threatens her, then consequences be damned, I'll do what it takes to protect her."
For the first time in their acquaintance, Wes swore respect flashed in Garcia's eyes. "I like that answer." He reached into his pocket, took out a card, and held it out. "This is my private number. If something goes wrong and Ashley is in danger, call me. I'll help how I can."
Doing his best not to let his surprise show, Wes took the card and nodded. "Thank you."
Ashley clapped her hands. "Are you two done discussing me as if I'm some sort of wilting flower that will be crushed in a light breeze?"
Garcia stood. "Yes, we're done. I'll make sure the charges are dropped. But maybe the pair of you could stay on PineRock for a while and not go into the city? Just to give everyone some space and a chance for cooler heads later on."
Wes stood. "My mate will keep me busy. Although there have been some humans trespassing around the edges of our land lately. So I may need to call you sooner than I'd like to protect Ashley."
With one last bob of his head, Garcia exited the room, and his two other officers followed suit.
As soon as they were alone, Wes hauled Ashley up against his front and cupped her cheek. "Do you know how hard it was for me to let you flirt with them and not do anything?"
"There's a difference between flirting and being charming, Wes. I used the latter on them. From now on, I'll only use the former on you. Mostly."
"Mostly?" He growled.
She smiled. "Well, I don't want to throw away something I could use to better fit in here. Sometimes flirting with older men can be helpful, even when we both know it's harmless."
His dragon snorted. Let her charm the grandpas. That will only help the humans on PineRock anyway since most of the older generation are still a little biased.
Wes replied to his female, stroking her cheek as he said, "As much as I like your long-term strategies, I think we need to address our mating first." His eyes darted to her lips. "And making sure we can have our frenzy sooner rather than later." Ashley licked her lips, and Wes groaned. "You did that on purpose."
She moved a finger to where his neckline met his skin and gently rubbed back and forth, each pass making his cock harder. "No, I didn't. There's just something about you that turns me into all those things I thought were clichés—weak knees, racing heart, and throbbing lips." She leaned a fraction closer. "So I'm definitely on board for making our mating official and having our frenzy. I'm rather looking forward to the frenzy. After all, I've heard so much about it over the years. It'll be nice to have some firsthand experience."
He moved his hand from her cheek to thread it through her hair and tug her even closer until he could feel the heat of her breath on his skin. "Good, then it means I won't have to hold back or try not to scare you."
"You could never scare me, Wes. I love you and trust you to the moon and back."
"Despite your ever-growing list of clichés, I love you, too. And I'll always hold your trust close to my heart."
His dragon grunted. Stop with the pretty words. Kiss her cheek, her neck, even her hand, but something.
Not wanting to argue, he leaned over and took her earlobe between his teeth. After biting lightly, he moved to kiss down her neck until Ashley dug her nails into his back. Her breathless words might've been lost to a human, but Wes heard every word as she murmured, "I wish you could be inside me right now."
He replied, "Soon, love. Soon I'll be inside you, around you, kissing you everywhere, and then some." Wes leaned back and took her chin in his hand to lift her face toward his. "Although if you want me to strip you and tease you between those pretty thighs, just say the word."
Ashley groaned. "No. Because I have a feeling if I'm naked with you again, I'll want much more than that. It's best not to tempt either one of us."
He kissed her nose. "Then let's file the paperwork and get things in motion so that the next time you're naked with me, we won't have to stop."
She nodded before gently pushing against his chest. With herculean effort, Wes stepped back and moved to the door.
As they made their way to his office, Wes did his best to cool his libido and soften his dick. Because he needed as much blood to his brain as he could manage to make things happen quickly. He was impatient to claim his female completely.
Chapter Thirteen
The next three days flew by as Ashley filed some paperwork, talked with her ADDA superiors, and arranged for her things to be packed and moved from her apartment—Wes hadn't trusted her going alone, and she'd finally capitulated.
But as she looked in the mirror and straightened the dress Wes's mother had gifted for her mating ceremony, Ashley couldn't help but smile. The dark blue dress made her eyes pop, and she loved how it fitted tight around her chest and flared out, almost like some sort of fairy-tale dress.
Which meant she couldn't resist swirling one way and then the other, just because.
Although comparing her dress to a fairy tale wasn't that far off. After all, she was about to marry a mythical creature—a dragon-shifter—and move to his realm—his clan—for her happily ever after.
Not only had ADDA approved her application to mate, they'd also created a new post for her called "PineRock liaison officer." She would have he
r man and the career she loved so much. It looked like all her dreams were going to come true after all.
Well, for the most part.
Sure, there were enemies still out there, and no doubt the day would come when Duncan Parrish and the League would most likely target her and cause even more trouble. But for the here and now, things were perfect. And Ashley was determined to enjoy the present while she could.
A knock on the door garnered her attention, and she said, "Come in."
Cynthia entered and walked over to her with a smile on her face. "I have a feeling my son is going to do a lot of growling tonight. Lots of males are going to notice you."
A clan leader's mating ceremony was a little more involved, Ashley had learned. They'd have to stick around for a few hours to celebrate with the clan, unlike most mated pairs who could sneak off and start their honeymoons straight after the ceremony.
Ashley shrugged. "It's not like I haven't heard him growl a million times before. Although he'd better be prepared for me to do the same, if any other woman tries to flirt with him tonight."
The dragonwoman snorted. "I still think you were a dragon-shifter in another life."
As they smiled at one another, a sense of peace came over Ashley. Cynthia had been nothing but supportive but also respected boundaries. No mother-in-law from hell for Ashley. "We'll never know. Although my children will be half dragon-shifter, which means a lot of cramming before any of them arrive."
ADDA books didn't exactly cover the child-rearing practices of dragon-shifters.
Cynthia laughed. "Don't worry, the entire clan will want to help." She lowered her voice. "But my advice is to set boundaries early, or you'll have twenty people all trying to raise the little one with different rules."
Before she could reply, there was another knock followed by Cris entering the room. Ashley blinked. She'd never seen the head Protector wear a dress before.
Cris rolled her eyes. "I can be tough and still be feminine on occasion."
"Of course," she murmured. "You look nice."
Cris glanced down at her bright green dress. "I figure the super bright color will make me visible, and people will know I'm watching them."
"And there's the head of security part of you coming out," Ashley pointed out.
Cris shrugged. "It's who I am. And even when I try to turn off for a while, it just doesn't work."
Ashley wished she was a little closer to the head Protector. Someday she wanted to talk with the dragonwoman about taking some time for herself. Between what she'd seen and what Wes had mentioned, Cris worked harder than anyone else on PineRock, even Wes.
But as music drifted in from the large room down the hall, Ashley added it to her ever-growing list of shit to do. Yes, she'd help Cris, just not today. Until Ashley was officially mated to Wes, her future wasn't entirely secure.
This day, and the ensuing frenzy, were for her. After that, she'd start crafting plans for her new home.
One of the Protectors appeared in the doorway to collect Ashley. She murmured her goodbyes and tried her best to ignore her pounding heart. Not out of fear or nervousness, but excitement. The future she'd only ever dreamed about was coming true in a matter of minutes.
Wes stood at one side of the raised platform and tried to distract himself by watching the clan gathered below.
It'd been a while since they'd had any sort of big celebration. Not because the clan didn't like such events, but he'd been too busy rooting out and transferring the clan members who had tried to hurt the two humans, Tori and Ryan.
And not for the first time, Wes felt a little guilty at his neglect of the clan as a whole.
His dragon spoke up. It was better to make the clan a safe space again. Now we can have those kinds of parties and not worry about someone targeting the humans.
Wes noticed Gaby trying her best to dance with her human male, but failing badly at it. He smiled and replied, I know. But it's hard not to compare myself to former leaders and how they ran things.
We're different for many reasons. It's been decades since a PineRock leader has mated a human.
It was true. And to be honest, Wes had thought it impossible.
Then he spotted Ashley at the other side of the stage, and his mind promptly forgot about everything but his beautiful human.
Her blue dress made her eyes and skin glow. And the soft waves of her normally straight hair made her appear more innocent. Then he met her gaze, saw the humor dancing there, and knew that even if she changed appearances for a special event, it was still the female he loved inside.
Hell, she could wear a trash bag and he'd still think her fucking beautiful.
His dragon chimed in. What she wears doesn't matter because we're going to be tearing it off soon.
Before he could reprimand his beast about not destroying Ashley's mating dress, Cris appeared behind him and whispered, "Come on, Wes. It's time to get this done."
He never took his gaze from Ashley as he replied, "Who knew you could be such a romantic?"
"Whatever, dumbass. Do you want to mate her or not? Because I'm the one who has to do it."
Usually the clan leader led the ceremony, but in his case, the head Protector would take his place. He whispered, "Of course I do. But I have to admit I can't wait for the day when it's your turn. I'm going to tease you relentlessly."
Cris grunted. "Let's just get this started."
Wes had a feeling there was someone Cris liked, but she could be extremely closed off when it came to her personal wants.
But he added it to his list of things to investigate. Because his head Protector deserved someone who made her feel as happy as Ashley did him.
Taking a deep breath, he took the first step toward the center of the platform, and then another, until he and Ashley met in the middle. A tall stand with a carved box sat right behind them, which was where Cris stood. The clan quieted down in anticipation.
Reaching out a hand, he took Ashley's and squeezed it. She smiled at him, love and happiness in her eyes, and he almost pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
His dragon growled. If you don't stop with all these flowery words, I'm going to wrestle control away from you and hurry this the hell up.
Since he knew his dragon would never ruin their mating ceremony—the dragon half didn't care about traditions, but understood the importance—Wes brushed off the words and memorized Ashley's blue eyes, pale cheeks, and dark hair.
Finally Cris spoke loudly, her voice carrying throughout the large room. "Today is a happy day for Clan PineRock. Our leader has not only found his mate, but they also discovered how to be together despite the odds stacked against them." She picked up the box and continued, "Inside are the gifts we give to every newly mated pair, including a set of rings engraved with a unique message written in the old dragon language." She opened it, plucked out the two rings, and offered them to Wes. "May your mating be happy, full of laughter, and fruitful."
He heard a faint snort from Ashley and resisted laughing. Even though the last sentence was traditional, he couldn't imagine his human liking the fruitful part. Not because she didn't want children—she said she did—but at the word choice.
His beast growled to remind him to focus. So Wes took the rings with one hand and began his necessary speech. "For far too long, I tried to deny and push aside what I felt for you. I thought finding a way for a clan leader and an ADDA employee to be together was too difficult, too impossible, too 'insert an excuse here.' It took you bidding on me and forcing me to drop my clan leader exterior I used as a shield against your charm, wits, and beauty for me to realize how I've been a fool all this time. I love your fire, your huge heart, and the fact you know how to push my buttons better than anyone. I love you, Ashley Swift." He held up the smaller of the two rings. "With this band, I stake my claim on you. Do you accept?"
She extended her ring finger. "I do."
Once the gold was in place, a small thrill coursed through his body at the sight.<
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However, he couldn't take more than a moment to memorize the feeling because Ashley took the other band and said, "For the longest time, I thought I had to choose between my job and the guy I wanted more than any other. I stuck to the rules, believing there was no way to have both. And yet, for one night, I decided to skirt the edge of the rules and spend some time with a smart, intelligent, sexy guy who could be as stubborn as me. Maybe the night didn't go quite as planned, but it was exactly what we both needed. We are better together in so many ways, and going forward, we'll be happy and all that, yes. But we'll also make sure PineRock is safe and secure for our children and beyond. I love you, Wes Dalton, more than anything." She held up the ring in her hand. "With this band, I stake my claim on you. Do you accept?"
Since she held the ring between her fingers, he moved his own so he could put it through the top. She laughed as she moved it the rest of the way down.
Cris spoke up again, per the custom. "Then, as PineRock's head Protector, I proclaim you two mates, bound by both human and dragon law and under PineRock’s eternal protection. You may kiss your mate."
For once not caring about what the clan thought of him, Wes pulled Ashley against his body, cupped her cheek, and murmured, "This is just a promise for later."
Not wanting to start a mate-claim frenzy, he kissed her cheek, her jaw, and even her nose before placing one final kiss on her forehead. For a few beats, they merely held each other, almost as if they were making the ceremony final by being as close as possible while still clothed.
Then the applause erupted from the clan, yanking him back to reality. Taking Ashley's hand, he kissed the back of it before facing the crowd and asking, "Who's ready to meet my new mate?"
As the clan situated themselves around the edges of the room to form the greeting lines, he hauled Ashley against his side and whispered, "Do I need to prepare myself for some grandpa flirting?"
She snorted. "Maybe." She moved her head to his ear and spoke softly so that the others couldn't hear her. "But for every grandpa or grandma I flirt with, I'll make it up to you when we're alone."
The Dragon's Bidder (Tahoe Dragon Mates Book 3) Page 9