Krystal sat on her hands and watched as Councilor Morgan picked up the receiver of the phone that sat in the middle of the table. He was silent for a long time as he listened to the report on the other end of the line. When he finally did speak, his voice sounded angry. “Well, I’m glad Simon was recovered, but the methods are questionable. Send Hugh up right away.”
Krystal’s heart leapt at the sound of Hugh’s name. It sounded like they weren’t happy with him, but at least he was back. Did that mean the mission had been successful, at least?
Councilor Morgan exchanged a few more words with the caller, and then hung up. The other Councilors looked at him expectantly, wanting to know what was going on, but he apparently didn’t want to discuss it in front of Krystal.
“Krystal, I’m afraid we have some other urgent matters we need to take care of now. You’re free to go. Thank you again for your help. We’ll be sending you an official Torch Lake thank you certificate in the mail. And please let us know if there are any other questions or concerns you have about Torch Lake. Your insight and advice has proven invaluable.”
Krystal was a bit embarrassed by this high praise. She mumbled a thank you and made her way out of the room. She took a few moments in the waiting room to gather her things and recover her composure, and then she started walking toward the hallway. Her mind was a swirl of thoughts, and her heart a swirl of emotions. She wanted to see Hugh. She hoped he was okay, and not in too much trouble. She wanted to hear about the mission he’d been on, and to tell him about solving the City Guard mystery. He would be so proud.
Her chance to see Hugh came even sooner than she thought. Krystal had just opened the door to the hallway when he came bounding into the room, his face flushed with anger. Behind him came an assortment of Torch Lake and Falcon Cross soldiers.
“Hugh, slow down! Just calm down,” one of them said. But Hugh didn’t slow down, and he looked anything but calm. He seemed to not even see Krystal as he raged past her. It was only when she called his name that he stopped.
“Hugh?”
The sound of her voice seemed to break through whatever barrier he had put up around himself. He turned toward her, and his eyes softened.
“Krystal.” The anger melted from his face, and he ran toward her with open arms. He wrapped her in a giant hug, and to her surprise, he let out a small sob. “I thought I might never see you again.”
Krystal widened her eyes as she stepped back. “Are you okay?”
He nodded. “Now I am. Now that I’ve seen you. I have to go talk to the High Council now, but I’ll explain everything later. I promise. Meet me at my house?”
Krystal nodded. “Okay. If you’re sure you’re okay?”
He smiled and nodded, and at the sight of his smile Krystal felt a thousand happy fireworks going off within her. “I’m fine. I’ll see you soon.”
He turned to go, but before he could, Krystal stopped him. “Oh, one more thing, Hugh.”
He raised an eyebrow at her, reaching for her hand just to have the pleasure of holding it for a few more seconds. “What’s that?”
“I interviewed the City Guards.”
His eyebrow rose even more in surprise. “You did?”
“Yeah. I asked the High Council if I could, and they let me. Long story short, the guards are all loyal. It was a dark spell keeping them from seeing the Dark Warriors getting into the city.”
“You figured all that out?”
Krystal shook her head. “No, no. The High Council figured out the dark spell. I just did the interviews. But I’m the one who pushed for the interviews to be done. They weren’t making it a priority, but I told them it was important, because I knew you thought so.”
Hugh shook his head at her in amazement. “You’re awesome.” And then he kissed her, right there in front of everyone. “I’ll see you soon, okay? I want to hear more about all of this.”
Krystal nodded, and then, with another kiss and a wink, Hugh was gone. All of the soldiers followed Hugh, and Krystal stepped out into the hallway to be alone. Once the door to the waiting room was closed behind her and she knew the assistant couldn’t see her anymore, she let out a happy fist pump. She had definitely made Hugh proud. She never would have imagined that she would actually care what he thought of her. After all, that first day she’d met him he’d seemed so obnoxious and so against the cause she believed in. But they’d found common ground in their mutual love for Torch Lake.
And in their mutual love for each other. Krystal touched her lips, which still tingled from his kiss. She could hardly wait to see him at his house later. She had a feeling this was going to be a night to remember.
Chapter Fourteen
Hugh stuck his chin out stubbornly as Councilor Morgan glared at him across the conference room table. The room was completely silent, and the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Hugh didn’t take his eyes off of Councilor Morgan. He was determined not to be the first one to look away. He knew that beside him there were several military commanders, including the Falcon Cross Commander who had been in charge of the mission to rescue the captive dragon. To his left that rescued dragon now sat. Simon was his name, and he was about as stoic as they came. He hadn’t said much since they got him back to camp, but he was polite and answered any questions he was asked directly. He already looked loads better than he had when Hugh rescued him. A shower and shave, fresh clothes, and a few good meals had done wonders for Simon’s appearance.
Hugh wasn’t here to discuss Simon’s appearance, though. He was here to answer to the High Council for the way he’d taken off without permission to rescue Simon. Hugh had never seen Councilor Morgan this ticked off, and the Head Councilor had just given Hugh a long lecture on not causing trouble with Torch Lake’s allies. Hugh refused to apologize, though. He didn’t have it in him to grovel, especially not when his “misbehavior” had resulted in a dragon shifter being saved. If Falcon Cross didn’t like it that Hugh had seized an opportunity to take action, then they weren’t as good an ally as everyone thought.
Just when Hugh thought he couldn’t take the frigid silence any longer, the Falcon Cross Commander spoke up.
“I don’t want to interfere with Torch Lake’s procedures and policies,” the Commander said, politely clearing his throat. “But I do want to say that I personally don’t see any reason to punish Hugh. I don’t normally condone running off without a commander’s permission, but I have to admit that Hugh did a good job of rescuing Simon. And we’re in a war. Sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. At the end of the day, the important thing is that Simon was rescued. I’d rather see Hugh continue to work hard for the military than see him punished.”
Hugh forgot to keep glaring at Councilor Morgan, and instead looked over at the Commander with a gaping mouth. He couldn’t believe that the Falcon Cross commander had put in a good word for him. After all, it had been this same Commander that Hugh had essentially snubbed by taking off on his own. And after getting yelled at the other night while sharpening his pocketknife, Hugh hadn’t pegged the Commander for the kind of guy who would be okay with sharing the glory on a mission. But Hugh believed in giving respect where it was due, and so he nodded politely to the Commander.
“Thank you, sir. I’m glad you see it that way. My intention was never to overstep my boundaries or undermine your authority.”
“I know,” the Commander said, then turned back to the High Council. “Councilor Morgan, Hugh is feisty and can be a bit volatile, I will admit. But he has a good heart. No one in Falcon Cross has taken offense at his actions, and no one is going to suggest ending our partnership because Hugh jumped the gun a little on rescuing the dragon. My suggestion would be to end this interrogation and get everyone focused back on what they should be thinking about: beating the Dark Warriors.”
Hugh held his breath while Councilor Morgan considered this suggestion. Finally, Councilor Morgan sighed and nodded. “Alright. Hugh, you’re forgiven, this time. Don’t let it
happen again.”
Hugh nodded, trying to contain the giddiness he felt. This fiasco was over, and he had escaped with only a reprimand. Soon enough, this meeting would be dismissed and he would be free to head home to see Krystal. He’d been trying not to think of her, since every time he did he could feel himself growing stiff between his legs. But it was hard not to think of her glowing smile, shimmering eyes, and perfect curves. He wanted to be with her, to hold her, and to say all of the things he’d almost lost the chance to say.
Councilor Morgan wasn’t quite done though. He wanted to officially welcome Simon as well. “Simon, we’re glad you’re here. I’m sorry your introduction to the clan was so…tumultuous, but we do have rules and regulations to follow, as any clan does.”
“It’s alright. I understand. I would like to say though that I do appreciate what Hugh did for me. I was beginning to think I’d never get away from those horrible wizards and shifters.”
“Well, we’re very glad you did get away,” Councilor Morgan said. “And we’d like to hear more of your story—once you’re feeling up to it, of course. Furthermore, we’d like to invite you to join our clan. You don’t have to make a decision right now. I know it’s been a rough couple of months for you, and you probably have a lot of things to think about and take care of. But we want you to know that the offer is there. We always welcome new, upstanding citizens into our community here in Torch Lake, and we are especially fond of dragon shifters. If you want a place here, there’s a place for you.”
Simon grinned, the first truly wide, happy grin that Hugh had seen from him. “I don’t have to think about it. Your clansmen saved my life. I’m in. Nothing would make me happier or more honored than to serve your cause.”
Councilor Morgan smiled. “I’m so glad to hear that. Once you’ve had a chance to recover more, get in contact with my office. We have plenty of jobs available for dragon shifters, and we can also help you with things like finding a permanent place to live.”
Simon nodded, and Hugh noticed that Councilor Morgan was beaming. Hugh couldn’t help but smile, too. There had been a time, he knew, that Torch Lake had been short on dragons. The High Council had worried that there weren’t enough dragons to properly protect a town this size, but now there were a dozen young, strong dragons in the city. And the fact that Hugh had been one of the ones to bring a dragon in, even if he had done it by going off on his own without authorization, made Hugh proud.
The rest of the meeting went by quickly. Everyone, including the High Councilors, it seemed, just wanted to get home. Hugh shook hands with the Falcon Cross Commander on the way out, thanking him once again for sticking up for him. He also shook hands with Simon, promising to call him up for drinks in the next few days.
“There’s a bar called the Winking Wizard that we all love,” Hugh said. “You should come by and have a round on me. I’d love to hear your story.”
“Let’s plan on it,” Simon said with a smile.
And then, Hugh was free to go home. He headed out of the building with a spring in his step to go see Krystal. He had some things to say to her, not the least of which was an admission that she was might have been right about bringing in the outside armies.
But Hugh was man enough to admit when he was wrong. He wasn’t afraid of mistakes, which is probably why he did so many things without thinking about them. He always figured he could fix his mistakes later. One thing he knew for sure, though, was that Krystal was no mistake. And he was about to go tell her exactly why—he just hoped she felt the same way.
Chapter Fifteen
Krystal had planned all sorts of things to say when Hugh walked in through his doorway. She wanted to sound smart and say the perfect thing to let him know that she cared about him and their future. But when he came in, grinning in that irresistible way he did, Krystal found herself speechless. She realized that there were no words to describe the way she felt about him. Hugh himself wasn’t speechless, though. He beckoned to her with his hand.
“Come here, you. You look amazing.”
She did as he asked, crossing the short distance between them in his living room. He wrapped his arms around her, and Krystal instantly felt like she was home.
“God, I missed you so much,” he murmured into her hair. “I know it’s only been a couple of days, but it feels like a lifetime since I last saw you.”
“And what did you do in that lifetime?” Krystal asked, leaning back to look into his eyes. “If I was hearing correctly while outside the High Council’s office, it sounds like you were misbehaving again.”
Hugh laughed. “I’m always misbehaving. That’s one thing you should know about me if you’re going to spend the rest of your life with me.”
“Do you want me to do that?” Krystal asked, swallowing hard. “Spend the rest of my life with you?”
Hugh smiled at her in a way that set her core on fire. She could feel herself already starting to melt under his gaze. “Well, funny you should ask. I actually wanted to talk to you about that.”
Krystal’s heart pounded in her chest. She’d been hoping that Hugh would want to commit to officially taking their relationship to the next level, but she hadn’t necessarily expected him to talk about the rest of their lives.
“Come sit with me,” Hugh said. “I have a lot to talk to you about, actually.”
Hugh took Krystal by the hand and led her to the couch. Once they were both seated, he started by telling her all about the mission he’d just gone on.
“You probably want to know what I did to get myself in trouble this time,” he said. He told her the whole story, starting with the surprise battle alarm in the morning, then going on to describe how he’d thought he was going to die, and finally finishing with how his mad rage had led him to fly off and get Simon back on his own.
“The High Councilors were really upset by the fact that I went off on my own, but they forgave me for it. In large part, they forgave me because the Falcon Cross Commander stood up for me. Which brings me to my next point…”
Krystal looked expectantly at Hugh, not quite sure where he was going with this.
“I owe you an apology, Krystal. I was wrong about the outside armies not being loyal or helpful. I was so blinded by what happened to my old clan that I didn’t want to accept that there are actually clans out there who will truly help the war effort. A Falcon Cross wizard saved my life, and then the Falcon Cross Commander stood up for me to the High Council. I’ve realized over the last twenty-four hours that I was too quick to judge Falcon Cross, and the soldiers in the other army. I was wrong, and I’m sorry for doubting you.”
Krystal raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I didn’t think a tough dragon like you had it in him to apologize.”
Hugh grinned at her and shrugged. “I’m not wrong often, so I don’t mind admitting it when I am.”
He winked at her, and Krystal laughed. “Well, I forgive you,” she said. “At least you know when to stick by your opinions and when to let them go. You were right about the City Guard needing to be interviewed. Everyone should thank you for pushing for that.”
“Everyone should thank you for actually making sure the High Council got that done.”
Krystal shrugged modestly, but she was pleased. It felt good to have Hugh praise her. She felt like she was on top of the world right now, and she decided it was as good a time as any to push Hugh to tell her how he saw their future playing out. “So, is that what made you decide you want to spend the rest of your life with me?” she asked coyly, batting her eyelashes at him flirtatiously.
Hugh grinned. “No, I decided before that. I actually decided right after we slept together.”
Krystal’s cheeks turned red at his casual mention of their lovemaking, but she managed to mostly maintain her composure. “Oh?”
“Yes. You see, we shifters have what we call lifemates. We believe that from the moment each shifter is born, destiny assigns them a lifemate and is working behind the scenes to bring that fated lif
emate across their path.”
“Okay,” Krystal said slowly. Her heart was beginning to pound as she realized where Hugh was going with this. “It’s kind of like a soulmate, then?”
“Kind of, but deeper than that. A lifemate is someone you’re bound to for life. Destiny brings you together, and the first time you make love, the lifemate bond is formed. This lifemate bond is unbreakable. No matter what, your heart is tied to your lifemate for the rest of your time on earth. And I formed that lifemate bond with you, Krystal.”
Krystal looked up at Hugh, her hands trembling with emotion. She had hoped that Hugh wanted to have a serious relationship with her, but she had never expected this. Sitting there, staring at this dragon of a man, this handsome warrior, she was overcome by the fact that he was the most amazing person she’d ever met, and he wanted to spend his whole life with her. She almost couldn’t dare to believe it. “How do you know the lifemate bond was formed? How can you be sure?”
“I don’t know how to explain it to you, other than to say that I know deep down in my bones. That, and you can actually feel the lifemate bond forming, if you know what to look for.”
“You can?”
Hugh nodded. “It feels like a deep, intense warmth in your core when you’re making love. And I felt that with you.”
Krystal’s eyes widened. “I felt that too. I had no idea what it was. I just thought I was more turned on than I’d ever been before. But I felt a warmth that was so intense I almost thought I was going to go up in flames.”
Hugh smiled, closing his eyes in happiness for a brief moment. “You felt it too, then. That’s definitely the lifemate bond.”
“So you’re my destiny,” Krystal said in wonder.
“Yes, and you’re mine,” Hugh said, his voice turning deep and husky. “I want to be with you for the rest of my life.Does this mean you feel the same about me?”
Krystal nodded, feeling dizzy from the happiness that filled her. “I do. I know it sounds crazy to feel so strongly for a guy I met so recently. Especially a guy who’s as stubborn and mischievous as you are. But I can’t help being a little crazy, when I’ve found someone as wonderful as you.”
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