by Zoe Chant
Small steps. Small steps until they were both back on solid ground. And then, once they were both safe, he would tell her the whole truth about what she meant to him.
Keeley
I think he bought it. Keeley felt sick. Lance had saved her life, twice, and she was lying to him.
But what other choice did she have? She couldn’t tell him the truth about how she’d come across Maggie.
If he knew who I really was, and how I was really involved, he’d hate me.
She wasn’t leaving. So much for that plan. Maggie still hadn’t let go of her hand; it was equally clear that the tiny dragon understood what they’d been talking about, and that she didn’t want Keeley to leave. Despite everything, Keeley couldn’t bring herself to break the baby dragon’s heart.
But if Lance found out the truth… He’d take the baby dragon away from her. And stop looking at her with that strange expression, like she was worth something.
And he’d probably never fuck her again, either.
She shook her head. No. Bad. That was not going to happen again. Once was bad enough. At least she’d made that clear, during their awkward kitchen-table talk.
Keeley touched her lips. They still tingled where Lance had kissed her. And the rest of her… Well. Other places tingled, too. Her whole body did.
He was so big, and strong, pure masculinity and power—and kindness. He’d been gentle with her, even when they were running for their lives. Not like the men at her work, who used their power to make her feel small and weak.
And now she was in his home. And she’d fallen asleep in his arms.
And she was a terrible, terrible person, because despite everything that had happened, despite the fact that she’d almost died several times, and lied to Lance about who she was, and had stolen the baby dragon—all she could think about was how much she wanted him to touch her again.
Maybe he will, a small, treacherous voice said inside her head. Lance had explained that shifters were less prudish about nudity than humans, due to the fact that most shifters couldn’t take their clothes with them when they shifted.
Maybe they’re less prudish about other things, too. So last night could just be—
No. She was being a good person now, God damn it. She was lying enough about other things, she had to draw a line in the sand somewhere. This was it.
Okay, a bit late, but last night had been a one-time only thing. Lance knew that. She knew that.
She just needed to stick to it.
Her stomach churned. Lance isn’t the only one I’m trying to fool.
“How are you feeling?” Lance asked, his velvety voice doing very bad things to Keeley’s insides.
Oh, I am so not answering that question. She turned around, her heart catching in her throat at the sight of Lance dressed in casual pants and a button-up shirt with all but the top button fastened. His eyes shone leaf-green behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses that looked strangely old-fashioned and nerdy compared to his powerful body.
Keeley swallowed. “I, uh. Fine. Did you call in at your office?”
It was a few hours since she’d told him the big lie about how she had gotten hold of Maggie. Afterwards, Keeley had helped Maggie finish her food and then settled her for a post-binge nap before she had a shower and got dressed. The whole time, her stomach had been churning with guilt.
She needed to do something. She just didn’t know what.
Tell him.
Keeley forced the thought away. That was the one thing she couldn’t do.
Lance smiled ruefully. “You know, I did mean to check in, but somehow it slipped my mind while I was busy finding every single item in my kitchen than Maggie had smashed or chewed on. How about you? Do you need to borrow a phone?”
Keeley hesitated. She’d had her phone the night before—before the nightmare. But she hadn’t checked it.
“No, there’s no one I need to call.” Not work. She hadn’t turned up for her shift. Twenty-four hours ago, that would have made her panic, but now? She wasn’t planning on sticking around the city long enough for them to fire her, once Maggie was safe back with her uncle.
The uncle who could tear apart a building with his bare hands. Or claws. Oh, God. If he found out what she had done…
Another reason to leave as soon as she could.
Once Maggie was safe.
Keeley rubbed her chest. When she thought about leaving, something inside her ached, like a muscle she hadn’t known existed. But she had to. She didn’t belong in this world, regardless of what Lance said. Not when Sean was the one who had dumped her into it and left her to drown.
Or be blown up. Her stomach went cold. Lance was right, she was in well over her head. If she was going to get out safely, she needed to know what she was running away from. She needed to know as much as she could about shifters.
“Lance…” she began. Her thoughts ran ahead of her mouth, and she hesitated, surprised by her own reaction to what she was about to ask. “Will you shift for me?”
Lance had been reaching into a pocket for his phone. He dropped it, and his eyes flew to meet hers. “Of course.”
Silver flickered in the depths of his eyes. Keeley swallowed, rubbing her chest again as he pushed his glasses further up his nose. Ow, she thought. Why does that hurt?
“That isn’t too weird a thing to ask, is it?” The words came out too fast. Keeley licked her lips. This was supposed to be about gathering information to keep herself safe, so why did it feel so… intimate? “You can tell me if it’s something I shouldn’t be asking, or…”
“It’s not a problem.” Lance’s eyes smouldered. “You’re sure about this? The last time you saw me shift, I wasn’t exactly in good shape.”
“I want to know more about shifters,” Keeley said, which was the truth. The way Lance’s face lit up as she said it made her wish it was the whole truth.
Terrible person. The worst.
What made you think you could be anything better?
A lonely cry from the guest room distracted her from her grim thoughts. “I’ll just grab Maggie,” she said quickly.
Maggie refused to go anywhere without her bottle hoard, so Keeley dragged on her work apron. The bottles all fit in the front pocket—just. Maggie checked each individual bottle and then climbed up Keeley’s arm and wrapped herself proprietorially around her neck.
“Silly creature,” Keeley murmured to her as she rejoined Lance in the living room. “You’d better not be thinking of making me part of your hoard.”
Lance frowned. “I don’t believe people can be part of a dragon’s hoard. At least…” He rubbed his forehead. “Who am I kidding? I’m hardly the world expert on dragon shifters.” He caught Keeley’s eye. “Don’t tell anyone from the agency I said that.”
Keeley raised her eyebrows. “Uh, sure.” He’s got work issues too? Well, at least I’m not the only one.
“Do you want to…” Lance gestured to the sofa.
Maggie rearranged herself around Keeley’s shoulders as she settled back against the plush leather cushions. She dropped her tail down so the tip of it just tapped against the tops of the bottles in Keeley’s pocket.
Keeley sighed. “I’m not part of the hoard, I’m just the pack-mule,” she joked. Maggie cheeped and nibbled her earlobe. “Ow,” Keeley said, and raised her eyebrows at Lance. “Do you think that was her agreeing with me?”
“I think she’s looking for more gold,” Lance said, smiling. “Your earrings.”
Keeley felt the studs in her ears. “These are about as gold as the labels on those bottles, baby,” she told Maggie.
“Here.” Lance knelt down in front of her. “I need to take it off to shift anyway.”
He slid a heavy-looking watch off his wrist. Gold glinted in the early afternoon light coming in through the living room windows.
Maggie’s eyes widened as he held it out to her. “Prrrp-rp?” she asked, stretching out her neck.
“Go on. If Keeley has to giv
e up her gran’s necklace, the least I can do is add to your treasure pile.” Lance was talking to Maggie, but his eyes burned into Keeley’s. Her mouth went dry.
“Prrp!” Maggie snatched the watch and darted back around Keeley’s shoulders. Keeley steadied her with both hands, feeling her cheeks blaze as she broke eye contact with Lance.
“You realize you’re not getting that back, right?”
“Oh, well.” Lance shrugged it off. “I’ll find something else to trade your necklace back for.”
“You don’t need to…” Keeley’s voice drained away as he stood up and began to unbutton his shirt.
“Hmm?” Lance’s fingers stilled. He looked at her, and a smug smile lifted the corners of his lips. “Ah.”
“Ah” what? I’m not even blushing anymore. Keeley touched the back of her hand to her cheek to check. Oh. Or, maybe I’m blushing so much I can’t even tell it’s happening.
“This is supposed to be educational, you know.” He undid another button, one eyebrow raised.
Keeley snorted. “Oh? And kid-friendly?”
She made a show of covering Maggie’s eyes. Maggie squeaked indignantly and clambered up over her hands so she could see again—and then immediately scampered down Keeley’s front to check on her bottle-hoard.
Lance’s eyes danced. “While she’s distracted?”
Keeley laughed and sat back. Maggie was head-down in her apron pocket, and her tail was whipping back and forth in front of Keeley’s face. Lance grinned.
“Then let the lesson begin.”
He dropped his glasses into his shirt pocket and undid the rest of the buttons. Then, with a careful efficiency that made Keeley groan, he began to fold his shirt up.
“Lance, I work in housekeeping. I know how to fold clothes.”
Lance raised one eyebrow. She focused on that, not the fact that he was now standing shirtless in front of her.
I already know what he looks like naked, she told herself. I don’t need to… ooh.
“Ahem,” Lance said, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “Now, the next part of the lesson…”
Keeley covered her eyes as he reached for his belt buckle. The next thing she knew, Lance was gently pulling her hands away from her face.
“I want you to see this,” he told her, his voice gentle and somehow vulnerable. “I want you to see me shift the way it’s meant to happen, not because I’m injured and bleeding. I don’t want that to be your strongest memory of my snow leopard.”
Keeley was about to reassure him that it wasn’t, but the words died on her lips. It would be a lie. And it wasn’t just that she’d already lied to him too much.
She wanted a different memory of him shifting, too. Something to overwrite the image of him bleeding and helpless.
“Okay,” she said, staring directly into his eyes. “I’m ready.”
Her eyes didn’t drop, even when she could sort-of tell in her peripheral vision that he was undoing his pants. And dropping them. And—
Keeley gasped. Lance’s whole body shimmered. His eyes gleamed silver, the pupils stretching long and cat-like, and fine silver and black hairs sprouted over his dark skin. Then everything seemed to speed up and a moment later an enormous cat was standing on all fours in front of Keeley.
No, she thought. Not a cat. A snow leopard.
“Lance,” she said, stunned. The snow leopard nodded.
Heart racing, Keeley slipped off the sofa and knelt on the floor in front of him. In his cat form—snow leopard, she corrected himself—he came up to just below where her waist would be if she was standing. His fur was thick and plush, his eyes a pale silver surrounded by rings of dark fur like heavy eyeliner.
Her eyes dropped to the snow leopard’s chest, and she gulped. “The first time I saw you like this…”
She reached out, her hand stopping just before she touched Lance’s fur. He stepped forward, and she buried her fingers in the thick fur over his chest. His heart beat like a drum against the palm of her hand.
“You were bleeding so much, and you said something I didn’t catch. Then you collapsed, and… changed.” She dug her fingers in deeper until she found what she was looking for. A hard ridge of scar, hidden under his soft white fur. Her breath caught in her throat. “And you were still bleeding. I thought you were going to die. I thought I’d gone crazy and hallucinated you turning into a giant cat, and you were going to die.”
The snow-leopard-Lance dropped his head and nudged it under her hand. She stroked his forehead, marvelling. “I don’t know why I thought you turning into a giant cat was any stranger than me meeting a baby dragon. Probably the shock.”
Lance blinked his huge, pale silver eyes at her, and she laughed. “Sorry. Snow leopard, not giant cat.”
A glint of leaf green appeared in the depths of his eyes. Keeley stared. “Are you… switching back and forth? Just a bit?” Her hand lingered on his fur of its own accord. “I thought I was imagining it before, when your eyes changed color.”
Lance-the-snow-leopard looked at her for a moment, and then rolled his shoulders back in a gesture that was close to a shrug. Keeley laughed. “This conversation is a bit one-sided, isn’t it?”
Her front pocket clanked, and Maggie poked her head out the top. “PRRP!” she announced, staring at Lance. “Prr-eep rrp?”
Lance blinked at her too, and then moved a few feet away. He swung his head to point at his shirt and pants, neatly folded and in a pile on the edge of the sofa, and back to Keeley.
“Oh, you’re going to—” Shift, she was about to say, but then he was doing it. His fur moved in a non-existent breeze, and then Lance was sitting on the floor opposite her. Human-shaped.
Human-shaped, and naked, and…
“Ow!” Keeley winced as Maggie’s pinprick claws dug into her stomach. The tiny dragon was wriggling out of her bottle-hoard pocket. All the spines on the top of her head were standing on end. “Baby, what are you—oh, God.”
Maggie’s scales started to glitter more than usual. Then they shimmered. Then her whole body shimmered, from the tip of her nose to the end of her tail, and then…
“Oh, no. Oh no, no, no. Lance, what do I do?”
Keeley grabbed Maggie before she could roll off her lap. Tiny, wriggling, human baby Maggie.
“Damn.” Lance leapt up and grabbed his pants. “Just hold her like that—”
“Like what? Like this?” The baby’s head lolled backward, and Keeley quickly slipped one hand under to support it. She cradled Maggie against her, ignoring the beer bottles jabbing into her stomach. “I don’t know anything about babies!”
Lance pulled his pants and shirt on, leaving his shirt unbuttoned, and sat down next to her. “You’re doing fine,” he reassured her. “You’ve got her head. Good. Hold on to her gently, but tight enough she won’t wriggle out of your arms.”
“Okay…” Keeley stare wide-eyed at the baby in her arms. Maggie. “This is way freakier than when she was a dragon,” she whispered to Lance.
He laughed and put an arm around her waist. “You’re incredible, you know that? Most people would have it the other way around.”
“She’s so… small.” Keeley carefully maneuvered Maggie until she was cradling her in one arm. Her eyes were a striking ice-blue, and she had the tiniest fluff of black hair on the top of her head. Keeley stroked it softly. “She looks so much more vulnerable.”
Lance’s arm tightened around her waist. “I wish I could say that if the people who were trying to kidnap her saw her like this they would’ve had second thoughts, but those mercenaries were shifters, too. They knew what she was.”
Keeley’s stomach lurched. Sean. Did Sean know?
Would you really be surprised if he did, and still wanted to do the job?
Maggie kicked out with her legs and waved her arms. Her tiny face screwed up, and Lance grunted.
“Ow,” he muttered, rubbing his forehead. Keeley was about to ask him what was the matter when it hit her, too.
; Want want want want want! Want—kick, air-punch—want go—scowl, kick—want go move NOW!
Maggie’s face screwed up even more, and she began to scream.
“I don’t think she likes being a human baby,” Keeley said faintly. Lance groaned and dropped his head on her shoulder.
“Human infants are a lot less able to do… well, anything at all compared to dragons, it seems.” His voice was muffled by Keeley’s shirt, and she could feel his breath, hot through the thin fabric. She leaned into him.
“I don’t know about that. She never screamed this good as a dragon.” Keeley had to raise her voice to be heard over Maggie’s outraged howls.
Lance chuckled, holding her closer. She let her head drop down against him. “Can you talk her back into being a dragon? With your psychic powers?”
Lance sighed and sat up straight. Keeley’s whole body felt colder as he let go of her waist.
“I can try. Most shifters don’t shift for the first time until they’re a few years old at least. Old enough to reason with. Here, let me take her.”
Keeley was in the middle of maneuvering the screaming, punching, and kicking baby into Lance’s arms when a thunderous knocking echoed through the house.
Lance
Lance sprang up at once, shielding Keeley and the kitten.
Bang! Bang!
The noise echoed through the apartment, the open-plan layout making it difficult to track where the sound was coming from. Lance let his snow leopard take over his senses long enough to determine it was coming from the front door.
He relaxed his guarded posture. Well. There were two possibilities here. One, they were under attack, and their attackers had decided to abandon the element of surprise in favor of trying to beat down a fortified, armored door.
Two…
Lance gritted his teeth. Only a select few people had access to this level of the building. And one psychic sweep of the apartment told him exactly who was banging on his door.