by Riley Storm
“And he paid the price for that arrogance,” Trent agreed.
“Are they…” Lilly started to ask, turning to look. “Are they dead?”
“Most of them should live,” he said. “Some, however, did not.”
“What do we—”
She was cut off by the sound of shouts from outside. A moment later, four people in the official uniform of the Five Peaks Sheriff’s Department came through one of the holes in the wall.
Leading them was Deputy Carla Frazer.
“Did you have to do such a number on them?” the deputy called. “Some of these guys are going to need a month in the hospital.”
“They shot me,” Trent replied. “I didn’t have a gun to shoot back.”
“Always the excuses with you dragons,” Deputy Frazer said, shaking her head before turning to begin barking orders at her team.
“What do we do now?” Lilly asked.
“I’ve got it from here,” Deputy Frazer called. “I know where to find you once we’ve got this cleaned up. It looks like you’ve got other things to handle.”
“I do,” Trent rumbled. “Like taking my mate home.”
For the first time since he’d told her what she was, Lilly didn’t feel apprehensive about the term. In fact, she felt it fit appropriately.
“Hey,” she said, reaching up to grab the dragon head and pulled it close so she could rest against him for a few moments. “You had better heal up quickly, mister.”
“I will,” he promised.
“Good. Because you can’t just spring something like saying you’re in love with me on me and then stay in this form. Especially not when I feel the same way.”
Lilly could feel Trent stiffen under her, his dragon body going still.
“What did you say?” he whispered.
“I said that I feel the same way,” she repeated, pushing off his snout and looking him right in the eye, one hand still on his face. “I love you, Trent.”
A giant sigh ran through the dragon.
“Now, how are we going to get out of here if you can’t shift back yet?” she asked.
Trent grinned. “Ever gone flying on a dragon?”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Trent
“I knew it wasn’t the Church,” Trent said, shaking his head. “It just didn’t feel right.”
Beside him, Lilly gave his hand a squeeze, leaning over to rest her head on his shoulder.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Kladd agreed. “But I still think they’re going to become a problem. Their numbers are growing. They already nearly got to Lilly once. What’s to say they won’t succeed with one of the other shop owners? What about the others in the tent cities? We can’t be everywhere at once.”
“No, we can’t,” Trent agreed solemnly. “We have our own priorities to worry about right now though. Some things we have to leave up to the police and the government. We’re not the law. They are.”
“Perhaps,” Pietro said from his spot on the far side of the table. “But we’re the cause. We owe it to help.”
“If they ask,” Rann countered. “Which they haven’t, yet. I don’t want to see us turning into vigilantes. That’s not what we are.”
“Rann has a point,” Kladd said. “If they ask for help, we can give it. Until then, we focus on tracking down the Agency weaponry that is still out there. Clan Valen is working on finding the rest of the agents and bringing them to justice, so we don’t need to worry about that.”
“What about the Gate?” Trent said.
Lilly’s fingers tightened. Ever since she’d learned about the Gate and what was beyond it, he knew she’d been worried for him every time he went to take his turn guarding it. So far, the Gate had remained quiet since the last incident, but there was no telling how long that would last.
“For now, we proceed as we have been,” Kladd said with a shrug. “The clan heads are in agreement. We can’t shut the Gates. We know that. All we can do is attempt to ensure they don’t open.”
“Have we sent word to the Homelands?” Rann asked, leaning forward, his shaggy hair falling into his face.
“Yes,” Kladd said. “Those guarding the other Gates are aware and have taken their own precautions.”
Trent grunted his approval.
The quartet of dragon shifters, plus Lilly, were gathered in The Shaft, the bar buried in the side of Mount Atrox.
It was the first time Trent had been back since Jacen had beaten some sense into him, but he no longer associated the place with any negative memories. Instead, to him, this was the place where his life had turned around. It was a symbol of rebirth and reform now. The beginning of the next chapter.
The one where his life included the beautiful woman now at his side.
“At least we don’t have to worry about some crazed criminal coming after us seeking revenge anymore,” Pietro pointed out.
Trent felt Lilly’s attention focus on the other dragon. It wasn’t the first time she’d done that. He wasn’t jealous. It wasn’t that type of attention that she was giving him, but something more like surprise. He’d felt it when Pietro had first walked in as well. Almost like there was a familiarity between them.
For his part, Pietro had studiously avoided looking in Lilly’s direction at all so far. He looked embarrassed almost.
Interesting. Wonder what that’s all about.
“This is true,” Trent agreed, but his thoughts were still on the Gate itself.
“And this Church. They need to be kept an eye on,” Rann said. “I don’t trust them. The stronger they get, groups like this will head toward violence. They could just as easily find some of the missing Agency weapons and start trouble.”
“That preacher is bad news,” Lilly said, speaking up. “Whatever his name is.”
“He bears watching,” Kladd said. “We’ll make sure it’s done.”
“Not by me,” Trent said. “I’m taking a little break from that stuff.”
He reached out to put an arm around Lilly’s shoulders. “Have to focus on the important things. Call me if you need help though. The eye’s almost better now. I’m ready for a scrap if one comes.”
The decision for him not to return to the strike team, despite Kladd’s invitation, had been made jointly by him and Lilly. They were going to focus on her shop for a bit. He was going to help her get it up and running. Once things were smoothed out there, then he would come back.
Except for his duties at the Gate. Those were not something he was willing to relinquish. Not with the way it was acting up currently. He wasn’t willing to shirk from that, and Lilly had supported him entirely.
That was one reason among hundreds why he loved her, and why she was perfect for him.
“Any other business to discuss?” Kladd asked.
“Nope,” Pietro said quickly.
Too quickly.
Trent frowned as he felt a jolt run through Lilly. Was that laughter?
“Something I should know about?” he murmured quietly into her ear.
“Oh, absolutely not,” Lilly said with a giggle. “Nothing you need to know about. I’ll talk about it with Claire. She’s already more up to speed.”
Trent frowned but decided that wasn’t a battle he was willing to fight.
“Okay.”
Lilly squeezed his hand.
“Drinks!” Kladd bellowed, the unofficial meeting resolved.
“Drinks!” the others echoed, and the bartender began to pour copious amounts of beer from the taps.
Life was good, Trent decided. He intended to do whatever it took to keep it that way.
“I love you,” he said to Lilly, kissing her forehead.
“I love you too,” she sighed happily, leaning into him and resting against his arm.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Trent
“You’re here, good,” he said as the pair walked up to him.
They stood out front of the convenience store next to Lilly’s shop, the three of them forming a tr
iangle. Trent looked the two over, doing his best to keep his anger down.
Behind him, on the far side of Lilly’s store, a line stretched down the block. He’d not bothered to count how long it was. It didn’t matter after the first two hundred. Today was going to be a good day.
Lilly herself was inside going over last minute things, making sure she was ready for the grand opening of The Dragon’s Treasure. She’d been a mess since the night before, and Trent had mostly stayed out of her way.
Mostly, that is, except for this.
“I still don’t know why we’re here,” the older man said.
Trent inhaled, counting to five before speaking. “You’re here because you love your daughter and want to support her. You’re here because you’re going to go in there and see all the work she’s put into it. Then you’re going to look at the lineup outside and realize that she is going to succeed. Then you are going to put aside your own fears for her and tell her that you’re proud of her.”
“We are proud of her,” Lilly’s mom said quietly, almost defiantly.
“You’re going to tell her that,” Trent growled. “In plain words. You’re going to make it very clear that you understand all the effort that went into what she’s done. Then you’re going to realize she did it all in under a month, and you’re going to actually act like decent human beings and tell her this. Otherwise, and this has nothing to do with me, it’s just an observational fact, but otherwise you’re going to lose your daughter.”
The two looked at one another. “You would take her from us?” her dad asked.
“If I had my way? Absolutely. But I won’t have to. You two have treated her like garbage. Yes, you’ve let her stay at your house, but you’ve done nothing but berate her and tell her that her ideas are bad. You need to be supportive or she’s simply going to cut you out of her life. You need to change. Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes,” her mom said.
Trent got the feeling that Lilly’s mother understood what was at stake more than her father. The older man seemed set in his ways, unchanging, unwilling to accept that maybe Lilly was going to succeed. It seemed almost written in their eyes.
“Look at the lineup,” Trent said. “Really look at it. This isn’t because of someone else. This is all from the interest your daughter has generated. Alone.”
“I thought you helped,” her father asked sharply.
Trent shook his head. “I fixed some hardware, replaced a window. Things like that. I did nothing with the actual creation of the store itself. That was all Lilly, and she deserves your praise for it. It’s certainly more difficult than being an accountant. You can’t teach this stuff in school. It can only be learned by doing.”
Lilly’s father bristled, but he remained silent at a squeeze of his arm from her mother.
“Now, are you ready to go inside and not be jerks to your daughter?” he growled, letting his disdain show through.
They had a long way to go to win him over, and he didn’t care if they knew it. He wasn’t going to let them inside without them understanding this was about Lilly, not either of them, and not about himself either.
To Trent’s surprise, it was her father who spoke up. “Yes.”
“Good,” he said, suddenly jovial and relaxed. “Come on in then.”
He walked them to the front of the shop, explaining who they were to the first few customers who started to look irate, and then they went inside.
The chime of the bell alerted Lilly. “I’m sorry, we’re not open just yet. Another half hour!” she called.
“What about for VIPs?” her mother called back.
“Mom?” Lilly said, appearing at the end of a row. “Dad? What are you two doing here?”
There was a pause, and Lilly’s mom elbowed her dad in the ribs.
“We’re here to see your store, dear,” he said. “Today is your grand opening, isn’t it? We wanted to come see what you’ve done.”
Lilly’s jaw dropped open in shock. Her eyes narrowed on Trent, but he just whistled and wandered off.
“You did all this?” Her mom asked as they wandered inside.
“Contrary to public opinion, I’ve not been spending all my time slacking off at Cerino’s,” Lilly said.
That’s my girl, Trent thought, grinning silently to himself.
“We…may have been a bit hasty,” her mother said.
Trent heard some movement, followed by an oomph that sounded like it came from her father.
“This is a lot, Lilly. I like what you’ve done with the place. The décor is excellent.”
“Thanks,” Lilly said, sounding stunned. “I saved all my receipts, just like you taught me. I’ll be writing everything off that I can.”
“Good.” There was another long pause. “I, uh, I know a good accountant, if you’re in need.”
Another sound, which Trent was coming to realize was the sound of Lilly’s mother elbowing her father in the side.
“No charge, of course,” her dad added.
There was silence for a moment.
“I would like that,” Lilly said quietly. “Thank you, Dad.”
“I just want you to know, we’re very proud of you,” her father said quietly. “I’m sorry if we didn’t tell you that before. We just wanted what was best for you.”
Trent smiled to himself and headed for the back, moving discreetly down the aisle. He didn’t need to be around for the rest. His job was done.
Chapter Forty
Lilly
“What a day,” she said, turning the lock while Trent reached up to pull the cord to the ‘Open’ sign, shutting it off.
“I’d say it was a success,” Trent said with a grin, reaching down to wrap her up in a giant hug.
“Yes!” she yelped, her legs kicking up behind her as he swung her in a careful circle. “A huge success. Thank you so much for all your help!”
Trent bent down and kissed her.
She sighed and melted into him. That was just what she needed. Love and support from the love of her life.
From my mate, she thought to herself with a sly smile.
“What’s so funny?” Trent asked as he pulled away.
“Nothing,” she said playfully. “Just some thoughts.”
“You know, I’ve had some thoughts.”
She frowned. “Not here, Trent. You already christened my office. Now that I’m open, we can’t be doing that here. Often,” she added.
Trent snorted. “That’s not what I meant, but if you’re offering,” he growled, eyebrows bobbing suggestively.
“Oh, lord,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I am way too tired for that right now. Maybe later, after we open that bottle of wine we’ve been saving.”
“I’ll hold you to that. Wine, shoulder rub, some fun, and then I draw you a bath.”
Lilly brightened. “You sir, may have just talked yourself into a deal. But what do you want out of it?”
“You,” he growled, burying his face in her neck and pulling her tight again. “Just you.”
“I’ve never felt so in demand before,” she laughed, wiggling as he grabbed her ass playfully.
“Get used to it, my love. Because you will always be in demand with me around.”
Lilly smiled from ear to ear. “What a rough life that sounds like,” she deadpanned.
“Hey, listen,” he said, sobering. “I’ve been thinking.”
“Oh?” she asked, suddenly curious.
What had spurred this mood change?
“You did really great today. The store, your efforts, just everything. It was really great to see. Not only that, but your constant positive portrayal of us. It’s…appreciated.”
“I only told the truth,” she said. “It was easy, really.”
“I know, I know. But that’s just it. You told the truth. And I want to encourage that. And to help.”
Lilly frowned. “You’ve already been a major help, Trent. I couldn’t ask more of you.”
“This
isn’t something you’re asking though. It’s something I’m offering.”
“I don’t understand,” she said, confused. “What more could you possibly offer? You’ve already done more than I could hope for.”
“I want to help you succeed. I want to give your store legitimacy, I guess.”
“How?” she asked.
Trent closed his eyes, and she backed up a step as he shifted, growing into his colossal, oversized human-dragon hybrid.
He opened his eyes and placed one hand—the fingers now shaped into claws, Lilly saw—on his stomach.
“I wanted to give you something authentic. To help attract people, so you can continue to spread the good word.”
As she watched, Trent winced, digging the claw into the join between two scales.
“No, Trent, you don’t have to do this!” she exclaimed, recognizing the pain he was putting himself through as he quite literally peeled a scale from his body.
“I know,” he said quietly. “But I want you to have it, Lilly. Come on, we both know that you being able to advertise that you have a real dragon scale for viewing will bring far more people in. That’s more people for you to get thinking about us in a positive way.”
“I…I don’t know what to say,” she said as he handed the scale to her and then shrank. “Other than thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Thank you,” she said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek, cradling the plate-sized scale in her hand. It was still warm and solid, an unusual texture. “And I’m sorry.”
Trent frowned. “Sorry? What are you sorry for?”
She gestured at his shirt, ruined from the shifting and once again holding on by a few threads only. “I can’t believe you spent another twenty-grand on one of those shirts, my love. Trust me when I say it is never going to catch on as fashion here.”
“Wow,” Trent said, a smile blossoming. “I can’t believe you would crush my dreams like that. I was going to open up a clothing line based on this, you know.”
Lilly laughed so hard she snorted, her shoulders shaking. As much as she laughed though, she held on to the dragon scale tightly. She knew what it meant to Trent, and she intended to treat it just as reverently.