“It’s important to follow protocol,” Jake said weakly. His voice didn’t sound all that convincing and he knew it. “If the High Council doesn’t follow the law, chaos could break out. They have to show our citizens that there’s order and procedure in Torch Lake.”
Neal clucked his tongue in a way that said he clearly didn’t agree with Jake. Jake bit his own tongue, telling himself not to get into an argument with this guy. On any other day, Jake loved a good, hearty debate. But today, he just wanted to get home and shut his front door behind him, blocking out the world.
Neal handed Jake his change, and Jake thanked him quickly before turning to leave. He could hardly believe it. He had his dinner in hand and only had to make it a short two blocks without running into anyone. Then he could spend the rest of his night in peace.
But Neal wasn’t done yet. Before Jake could push the front door open and head off into the night, the owner had one more question.
“So, who’s the lucky girl?”
Jake stopped in his tracks and turned back, confused. “Huh?”
“Who’s the lucky girl? Who are you going to marry?”
Jake shook his head. “I’m not marrying anyone, Neal. That’s the problem. I’m not married and I don’t have any prospects. If I did, the High Council’s announcement today wouldn’t have been such a big deal.”
Neal threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, come on. You’re a dragon shifter, the head trainer at the Dragon Utilization Department, and the handsomest guy in town to boot. Don’t tell me you don’t have prospects. You could get just about any single girl in this town that you wanted.”
Jake resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Well, even if that’s true, which I doubt, I only have twenty days and I don’t have a girlfriend at the moment. That’s a little bit of a short timeframe to find a girl, date her, get engaged, plan a wedding, and tie the knot, don’t you think?”
Neal only laughed. “No. I don’t think so at all.”
Jake did roll his eyes then, and turned toward the door once again. “Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, Neal, but I’m pretty sure most girls wouldn’t find it all that romantic of me to rush a wedding just so I can be People’s Governor. Have a good night, buddy.”
Jake tried to slip quickly out the door before Neal could reply, but Neal was quick.
“Oh, man up, Jake.”
Jake bristled at the challenge he heard in Neal’s words, and he turned slowly back toward the man. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Man up. You’re sitting here worried about romance and timing when the People’s Governor position is on the line? There are a hundred girls in this city who would marry you in a heartbeat. Find one of them, and marry her. Quit worrying about love and lifemates and all that other crap that doesn’t exist in real life. We need you as People’s Governor, Jake, and if getting married to the first girl who says yes is the only way for you to get the job, then so be it. Lots of people through the centuries have been perfectly happy in arranged marriages, so why should this be any different? Find a girl who seems halfway decent and make a life with her. We’ve all lost a lot in the last several years. And we’ve all made a lot of sacrifices. If you have to sacrifice your bachelorhood, then so be it. Get married, win the People’s Governor election, and start fixing this city up.”
Jake blinked at Neal, hardly able to believe that the old man had just said all of that to him. Neal blinked right back at him, arms folded across his chest in defiance. A thousand comebacks flashed across Jake’s mind, but in the end, he didn’t say any of them. Instead, he just shook his head and pushed the door open.
“Good night, Neal.”
Jake walked home as quickly as he could, but he couldn’t outrun the words Neal had spoken. No matter how hard Jake tried to push away the marriage suggestion, it kept bouncing back. Jake didn’t think there were girls lined up in town just waiting to marry him, as Neal had implied. But there was one girl who needed to get married as badly as Jake did, one girl who just might be crazy enough to agree to a quick marriage ceremony. As much as Jake hated the idea of tying himself to Rachel forever, there were worse things than a marriage of convenience, right? Things like the town he loved being controlled by a man who would not protect or help its people. Jake gritted his teeth as he walked back into his apartment complex. Instead of going up to his apartment, though, he went to his car and started up the engine. He couldn’t believe he was about to do this, but what choice did he have?
Torch Lake needed him.
Chapter Eight
Rachel sat in a dimly lit room on an uncomfortable wooden chair, motionless except for her eyes, which darted back and forth between the two laughing men. One of them, her useless lawyer, was waving a check in her face.
“You paid me all that remained of your savings, just so I could tell you what you already knew. You have no chance of recovering your fortune. You’re just a sorry, broke-ass has-been. You won’t ever be one of the wealthy elite in Torch Lake.”
The lawyer laughed long and hard, sounding like a crazed clown. Rachel wanted to punch him, but her arms felt like they were weighed down by lead. And then, the other man joined in on the maniacal laughter.
“That’s right,” the second man jeered. “It’s my fortune now. Everything your family worked so hard for goes to me. Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of all your piles of gold.”
More laughter. Rachel stared numbly at the man who was supposedly her distant relative. He didn’t look a thing like her. In fact he almost didn’t look human. His face seemed to be swirling in on itself, almost the same way her Charmed Star Ales had swirled around earlier that day. Rachel felt terror seize her in her core, and she once again tried to move her arms. But she couldn’t move. She was stuck, as though strapped to the chair with some sort of invisible cord. She strained against the force holding her back, but it did no good. She couldn’t move, no matter how hard she struggled. Was this some sort of dark magic spell? Was the lawyer in cahoots with her distant cousin somehow?
Both men laughed harder as she tried desperately to break away from the chair. Rachel felt helpless and alone as she struggled. She tried to open her mouth and scream for help, but no words would come out. She was trapped, and alone.
And then, a knocking came at the room’s door. Her heart jumped in her chest. Was this someone who could save her? She tried to call out to them, but again her voice would not work. The laughter in the room grew louder, but so did the knocking.
Please, please, please, Rachel thought. Just break down the door. Just come in here and help me. I think these two men might actually kill me.
Knock, knock, knock. The two laughing men didn’t even seem to hear it.
Knock, knock, knock. Rachel tried to scream again, but she felt like she could hardly breathe.
Rachel thrashed about helplessly, and then, with a start, she landed on the floor with a loud thud.
Suddenly, the dark room was gone, replaced by her own living room, which was lit with the warm orange light of a sunset streaming through the windows. Rachel blinked, confused about how she had gone from the dark room to the floor of her living room so quickly. It took her several moments to realize that she had been dreaming. She looked up at the couch to see that all of the throw pillows were in complete disarray. She’d fallen asleep after getting home from the Winking Wizard. She’d walked the whole way here, which had taken hours. She’d been soaking wet from the summer rain, and had taken a quick shower before collapsing onto her couch in exhaustion. The sweet oblivion she’d been seeking had finally found her as she slept, but that peacefulness had turned into an awful dream at some point. Rachel reached up to wipe away the thin film of sweat on her forehead, and then she smoothed back her hair, which had become a mess of tangles around her face.
It was only a dream, she told herself.
Knock, knock, knock.
Rachel nearly screamed and jumped out of her skin at the sound of someone knocking at her front door.
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“Hello?” a familiar voice called from behind the thick wood. “Rachel, are you in there?”
Knock, knock, knock.
Rachel took a few deep breaths to steady herself, then stood. The knocking had been real, and had probably been what brought her out of that horrid dream. But was that really Jake? Why would he have come to her house? She glanced down at her phone on the coffee table. No new messages, so he hadn’t called or texted ahead of time. He’d just shown up here unannounced, for god only knew what reason.
“Rachel?”
She looked down at the clothes she was wearing. Ratty old sweatpants and an old t-shirt. She looked like a mess, and she felt like a mess. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to a handsome man like Jake, who was probably completely put together right now. Maybe she could pretend she wasn’t home. She sat very still, almost not even breathing. How long would he knock before giving up and going away?
“Come on, Rachel. I heard you. Just open the door and hear me out.”
Rachel sighed. She should have known better. Of course he knew she was in here. She’d been tossing and turning, and likely crying out in her sleep. Not to mention that the thump she’d made when she tumbled off the couch had probably sounded like an elephant falling over. Rachel took a deep breath and headed toward the door, trying to at least straighten her shirt and smooth back her hair. Why did she care what she looked like in front of Jake, anyway? The man had proven to her earlier today that he was a complete asshole, and she wasn’t in the business of trying to impress assholes. Rachel unlatched the deadbolt and threw open her front door with far more force than was necessary.
“What?” she snapped. The few seconds it took her to take in Jake’s appearance were enough to make her wish that she’d taken time to put on some better clothes before opening the door. He was dressed casually, but his jeans were clean and unwrinkled, as was his t-shirt. His hair wasn’t sticking every which way like hers was, and his face wasn’t covered with a sheen of sweat.
But if he noticed Rachel’s haphazard appearance he hid it well. He smiled warmly at her and held up a bag that smelled suspiciously like Thai food. “I brought a peace offering. Do you like chicken Pad Thai?”
Rachel loved Thai food, but she wasn’t going to give in to him so quickly. Instead of answering, she merely opened the door wider to allow him to come in. “Why are you here?”
He went to her kitchen table and set down the takeout bag, then pulled out a large plastic container that had enough Pad Thai in it to feed a family of four. “Dragon Fire Thai is my favorite Thai place. I can eat for two nights off of their portions. But tonight I decided to come share my bounty with you. Hungry?”
Rachel sighed. She was starving. She hadn’t eaten anything since storming out of the Winking Wizard. She’d been too angry and exhausted to think about details like food. But after sleeping off all the Charmed Star Ale she’d had, she was starting to feel the hunger pangs in her stomach insisting on being heard. She shrugged and tried to look at Jake as if she could care less whether she ate or not, but the truth was she wanted to wolf down a plate or two of the food he’d just opened in front of her. The smell was making her mouth water like crazy. “I could eat, I guess. How did you find my house?”
“Public records database. I have full access, thanks to work.” He smiled broadly, and went into her kitchen, making himself at home right away. He opened three cupboards before he found the one that held her plates, then checked two more drawers before finding the silverware. After scooping out generous portions onto two plates, he motioned for her to sit down. “Eat.”
She obeyed slowly, creeping over to the table and keeping one eye on him like he might bite. He started in on his food right away, shoveling noodles into his mouth as though he was just as hungry as she was. But she would not allow herself to eat so ravenously. She nibbled slowly at her food, watching him and waiting for him to explain what he was doing here. When he hadn’t spoken after a full two minutes, she couldn’t take the suspense anymore.
“You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here.”
He looked up at her, meeting her eyes without flinching as he slowly finished chewing and swallowing the food that was in his mouth. When he did speak, he sounded almost nervous, which surprised Rachel. She’d never known him or any other dragon to be anything but confident. But the question he wanted to ask her had left even him feeling a bit unsure of himself.
“I have an idea. A way for both of us to get around the marriage requirement laws.”
Rachel perked up, suddenly all ears. “What? How? I thought that we’d exhausted every option?”
Jake took a loud, deep breath. “Well, not every option. There is one more thing we could do.”
He paused, and Rachel wanted to hit him on the side of the head and yell at him to spit it out. But she forced herself to sit still and remain calm until he looked up at her with a sheepish smile and shrugged.
“We could get married.”
She blinked at him, not understanding. Was this some sort of joke? “Well, obviously if either of us got married, that would solve the problem. But in case you’ve forgotten, neither one of us is even dating anyone at the moment. It’s highly unlikely we’ll find someone to marry before the end of the month. How much beer did you have at the Winking Wizard today, anyway? Are you still drunk?”
He looked confused for a moment, and then he actually laughed. “No, Rachel. You’re not understanding. We could get married to each other.”
It took a moment for the meaning of his words to sink in. When it did, Rachel’s eyes widened and she dropped her fork onto her plate with a clang. “Are you out of your mind?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head vigorously back and forth. “I’m perfectly sane. Think about it. We both have something we want that we can only get if we’re married. We’re both single, and completely unattached. All we have to do is legally join ourselves together, and our problem is solved.”
“Our problem is solved? Well, yes, I suppose one problem is solved. But then there’s also the other problem that would create. In case you didn’t realize this yet, marriage is forever. Divorce is extremely difficult in the wizard world—”
“The shifter world, too,” he said with a shrug.
“All the more reason not to do it! You’re asking me to commit myself to you for the rest of my life? You, who a few hours ago insulted me to my core! Now you want me to marry you?”
“I wouldn’t expect you to sleep with me—”
Rachel snorted. “Oh, how generous of you. We don’t have to bang or anything. We just have to legally and morally bind ourselves together for the rest of our lives. No thank you. Did you think a little Pad Thai was going to convince me to do something totally insane?”
Jake let out a long sigh. “It’s not insane. I know that it would require us to commit ourselves to each other forever, but is that really so bad? No, don’t laugh. It’s a serious question. Lots of people who originally married for love end up unhappy in the end, anyway. Why shouldn’t we marry just as a way to legally get around our problems? You can keep your family’s fortune, and I can be People’s Governor. We can work out a solid prenup, too, so you’re not worried that I’m going to try to take your family’s money once we’re married.”
Rachel stared at Jake, her jaw dropping all the way down to her chest. “You’re insane. You do realize we’re about as different as two people can be, right? We don’t understand each other at all. You insulted me to my core earlier today, and I still haven’t heard a real apology. Not only that, but I think you’re pretty much nuts for working so hard and being so devoted to ‘honor.’ I have a feeling that we don’t see eye to eye on very many things, so marriage is probably not the best idea.”
Jake shrugged again. “We’re both adults, we can be civil with each other when we don’t agree on things. And I’m sorry I insulted you earlier. The food was meant to be an apology, but I should have actually said the words, too. I
’m sorry. It wasn’t very classy of me to ridicule you because of your family’s fortune.”
Rachel frowned, noticing that Jake hadn’t actually said that his accusations had been wrong. He’d only said he was sorry he’d made them out loud. “I just think we’re too different to make this work. And I’m not ready to give up on true love. I’ve dreamed of finding and marrying my soulmate since I was a little girl. I’ve dreamed of having a family and children of my own. I’m supposed to give that all up now?”
Jake stood slowly and carried his empty plate to the sink. “You have to decide what’s more important to you. Your family’s fortune, or the possibility that there’s actually someone out there who is your soulmate.”
“You don’t believe in soulmates?”
Jake shrugged. “Sort of, but I don’t think I have one. We shifters have what we call lifemates. Supposedly, everyone has a lifemate—someone they’ve been destined to be with since the moment they were born. We believe that fate is always bringing you and your lifemate together, working out the circumstances so that you and your lifemate cross paths. Once you find your lifemate, you’re supposed to be insanely attracted to them. And once you make love, it forms an unbreakable lifemate bond.”
“And you don’t think fate planned out a lifemate for you?”
“Not really. I’m not exactly in my early twenties anymore. I’ve spent a good deal of time on this planet, and I’ve dated around plenty, both in my old clan and here, when I first moved to Torch Lake two years ago. But in all those years of dating, fate never saw fit to bring me my lifemate. Maybe I’m just not meant to have one. I’m willing to let the idea of a lifemate go in order to marry you and have the chance at being People’s Governor.”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “How romantic.”
Jake grinned. “Should I have brought you roses?”
Despite herself, Rachel laughed at that. The whole situation was a bit ridiculous. And, if she was honest with herself, she could sort of see where Jake was coming from. Both of them had had plenty of chances to find love, and they hadn’t yet. So why shouldn’t they settle for a marriage of convenience to both get what they wanted? Would it really be all that bad?
Dragon Proposing (Torch Lake Shifters Book 2) Page 6