by Amelia Jade
“Well, unfortunately nothing nearly as exciting as that, I assure you,” he replied with a laugh. “I simply had a rough day at work, and needed to blow off some steam. I’ve been to this joint a few times before. It’s usually a good time on a Monday. So why not, I figured, right?”
“Right,” she agreed, and they raised their glasses and took a drink together.
“Care to dance?” Rielly asked as the music changed abruptly, breaking into a much more lively tune that had many in the bar tapping their fingers and bouncing their feet.
“No,” she replied, then eyed her drink. “Not yet.” Maybe after another drink or two she’d feel up to it.
But at the moment, she couldn’t stop comparing Rielly to Zander, and he was coming up short in every way possible. There just wasn’t that magnetic connection she’d felt with the brass dragon, which had drawn her in without even needing to try.
Besides, she couldn’t shake the feeling she knew him from somewhere. He looked so familiar.
A pack of wolf shifters walked by at that moment, easily identifiable in the way they stuck close to each other, and the general similarities in their dress, and even in the looks of some. They split up into several tables nearby. She wondered idly if Rielly was on good terms with them or not.
Many of the wolf packs in Cadia did not get along, and if they went out together, it could often end in fights with rival packs. Riss hoped she wasn’t about to get caught up in the middle of one tonight.
***
One drink became two, which became four, and Riss was feeling much more talkative now.
“So he said ‘I need to go’ and just leapt off my balcony, leaving me there alone. Can you believe it?” she said, raising the mug to her lips once more.
“No,” Rielly said, still sitting next to her, though he’d dragged his chair closer at least once, possibly twice. She was having a hard time remembering little details like that. “No, I can’t.”
“I know. What a dick,” she muttered. “And here I thought I liked him.”
A hand touched her cheek. “Maybe you just need to get your mind off him,” Rielly said. Fingers cupped her jaw and pulled her toward him, even as he dipped his head toward her, turning slightly to the side.
“Easy there,” she said, holding up a hand as it became clear he was trying to kiss her. “Not so fast, buster,” she said, pushing him back gently.
“What the hell?” Rielly snarled, and he tried to pull her in again.
“I said, stop,” she said once more, raising a hand to his chest to push him back, but it was like trying to topple a brick wall. She couldn’t stop him, and his fingers on her chin were gripping like steel.
“Enough!” she said firmly, putting a hand to his face, but Rielly just tore it away.
“You’re going to kiss me,” he said fiercely. “So just accept it.”
“No!”
Why wasn’t anyone interfering? Surely they could see that she didn’t want this, so why were they all just ignoring what was going on! Riss tried to look around, to make eye contact with someone, but Rielly held her firm.
She wasn’t going anywhere.
Steeling herself, Riss prepared to bite his lip as he moved to kiss her.
***
Zander
He reached up and lightly tapped two fingers on the shoulder of the man in front of him.
“Fuck off,” the recipient of his touch snapped. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”
“Oh, I can see that, and I do apologize,” Zander said politely. “I just have a really quick question for you. I promise, won’t take long.”
“What?” The man still didn’t turn around.
“You know,” Zander said with an eyeroll that only he and the other person involved could see. “It’s polite to face someone when they’re talking to you.”
“And when they’re being a rude jackass by interrupting you?” the other man replied.
“All right, that’s enough. I tried being polite, you piece of shit. That’ll do.”
The man sitting in front of him finally turned to face him at the insulting tone. It was what Zander had been waiting for, because to do so, he had to drop his grip on the person across from him.
“Fuck y—”
The wolf shifter never finished his sentence before Zander’s hand landed on the back of his neck, squeezed, and hurled him across the bar. He smashed through a chair and then impacted on a big wooden pole that acted as a support for much of the roof. The solid piece of oak dented under the force, but it held.
“She didn’t want a kiss from you,” Zander growled into the sudden silence as the music died and patrons all turned to look at him. “We have a rule here in Cadia. It’s called, ‘don’t force yourself on anyone.’”
He reached the fallen shifter and hoisted him up by his hair, eliciting a howl of pain from the unfortunate man.
That was when Zander caught his first glimpse of him.
“Shit,” he said, noting the other shifters moving up behind the dazed wolf. “You look a lot like the guy who tried to mug her the other night.”
“That’s my brother,” the man spat through bloody teeth, his lip split and bleeding everywhere.
“Ah. That explains a lot,” Zander said mildly. “Riss,” he called.
“Yes?” she asked unsteadily.
“I think we’ve been had.”
“What do you mean?” she asked with the slight slur of someone who was happily buzzed.
“This guy didn’t come up to you at random. This was all a setup. They hoped I would show up, if they didn’t expect me to be meeting you here.”
“That’s ridiculous, Zander,” she said with a wave of her hand. “You see too much into things. I don’t always need you to come along and break stuff.”
“Riss, this is the brother of the guy who tried to mug you the first time I met you. You really think that’s random?”
He saw the logic penetrate her eyes now.
“I thought he looked familiar!”
“Well, now you know why.”
The crowd had been backing away, but five figures did not.
“Riss,” he said again.
“What now?”
“You should get behind the bar,” he warned.
“Why? Are you going to fight them all now?’ she taunted.
“Only if they throw the first punch,” he replied sincerely. “But I’m pretty sure they have every intent of that.”
The first one stepped forward to confront Zander.
“Oh,” she said, sounding surprised. “You do what you have to then. Don’t get hurt.”
Zander blinked at her words, surprised at the endorsement, but he couldn’t take the time to dwell upon it. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she threw herself over the bar at the same moment everything exploded into action.
Zander, still holding the ringleader by his hair, pulled him up and into the path of the first wolf shifter’s punch. The blow was a solid one and knocked the hapless pack master into Zander, sending both of them tumbling to the floor. He managed to roll with the blow though, so that he landed on top, knocking the wind out of his charge. Zander drove his forearm up into the man’s jaw, snapping it closed painfully as he rolled to his feet just in time to duck under a follow-up blow.
“Shit,” he muttered, bobbing and weaving as the punches came faster as another man tried to join the fight.
A blow took him in the face and he staggered backward against another pole. Reaching up, he clamped his hands onto the support beam and lifted his feet, kicking out at the closest charging wolf.
Two booted feet hit him square in the chest and the target flew backward, limbs flailing everywhere, until he hit some hastily evacuated tables and chairs. Wood splinters flew everywhere as the furniture exploded on impact.
Zander didn’t have time to contemplate the damage as two more wolf shifters closed in. Reaching to his side, he hurled a chair at the far one and closed with the near one, gettin
g inside his striking range quickly so he could drive up with his elbow into the man’s jaw. The wolf shifter’s eyes glassed over and Zander hurled him at two more charging men.
The three of them went tumbling to the ground just as a flying chair shattered over Zander’s side. He spun at the blow to see it was the same chair he’d sent flying moments earlier. A right hook followed up the chair, but Zander threw himself backward, knuckles just grazing his chin. He leaned forward as the wolf shifter overextended and drove his head into his opponent’s.
Bone cracked and blood sprayed from the wolf shifter’s broken nose while Zander staggered backward from the blow.
Nobody wins in a headbutt, you know this. Get it together.
There was no time, as the leader came charging in this time, and it was clear that he knew what he was doing. The others hung back as the wolf and dragon traded blows. At one point Zander was sent tumbling back through a table, but the wolf alpha charged recklessly and received a boot to the solar plexus, once again driving the wind from him.
Zander got to his feet and drove a fist into the same spot. As the alpha bent over again he grabbed his shoulders and held him down while he slammed his knee into the wolf’s face. The alpha dropped like a stone.
Two more shifters, ones he’d knocked down already, charged at him, screaming their anger. Zander was in the zone now though, and he easily dodged their blows. One went stumbling past, while he grabbed the other and flexed his mighty arms. The unlucky shifter went flying through the air, smashing a window and rolling into the street.
“Enough!”
The two wolf shifters remaining on their feet glanced at the voice which had spoken and reached for their fallen comrades, hauling them from the bar. They left the one on the street to fend for himself and hurried out the back door.
Zander looked at the Guardians that had entered, two colossal grizzlies, and gave them a nod.
“Thanks for the assist, boys,” he said with a smile.
Riss appeared from behind the bar and came to Zander’s side. “Are you okay?” she asked, dabbing at some blood on his cheek with a napkin from the bar.
“Are you with him, miss?” the first Guardian asked as they approached.
“I suppose, in a way, yes,” she replied. “Why?”
“You two are under arrest for public disturbance. You’ll have to come with us.”
“Excuse me?” Zander said, stepping in front of Riss. “Under arrest? These men were trying to kill me!”
“You came in here and threw the first one across the bar!” someone in the crowd shouted. “Abusing your privilege as a Guardian I suppose.”
Zander couldn’t see the speaker to identify them.
“Sorry sir, but word is that you started this fight. Came in here, grabbed the man, and threw him across the bar without provocation. The person who called it in said the same thing, and now I have at least one eyewitness who can corroborate that. You have to come with me.”
Zander stared in shock. That wasn’t how it had happened!
“Did you tell them this?” he asked, turning his fury on the bartender.
“No, I swear! We didn’t call anyone!”
“That’s strange. Who called you?” he asked the Guardian.
“Anonymous source, sir. But they clearly weren’t lying. You know the drill, you’ll get your chance to speak, but for now, you need to come with us.”
The Guardian’s voice was polite, but there was no give in it whatsoever.
“Fine,” he slumped, letting them lead him and Riss from the bar.
Chapter Thirteen
Riss
She was in jail.
Riss couldn’t believe it, but the Guardians had escorted them politely to their headquarters several streets over. The pair had promptly been thrown into the same cell, a ten by ten square, with two benches on opposite sides, a toilet sitting in the center of a third, and the door on the far one. It was a holding cell, not a permanent one, which part of her brain realized was a good thing.
But she was still in jail.
The bars holding them in were extra thick—at least three inches in diameter of solid steel that ran from floor to ceiling, disappearing into concrete on both sides. The room was painted stark white with no splotches of color besides the outfits she and Zander wore.
Zander.
The brass dragon who had come into her life, stirring up all sorts of trouble and passion. The few days they’d spent together had been some of the happiest of her life. Even with the danger and troubles at work, having him near her had more than made up for that. She had been ready to accept that things were getting serious with him, despite the condensed timeframe.
Then had come the fight, and then his subsequent abandonment of her. Leaving her alone, without a job, and likely still hunted. He had never given her a reason for it. Not even now, as they were thrown in jail together. He’d simply stared dejectedly at the ground, ignoring her.
What was she going to do? He had come back for her in the end. His timely arrival had saved her from the grabby hands of the wolf shifter. Riss was no idiot; she knew that Zander hadn’t randomly appeared at the bar. He must have been out searching for her, trying to track her down, which meant he’d gone to her house, and then had done something, perhaps followed her scent? To find her at the bar. Either way, it had required substantial effort on his part.
“Why?” she asked.
“Why what?” Zander asked dully.
“Why did you come back?”
The dragon shifter fell quiet.
“Zander?” she prodded after some time had gone by.
“It’s difficult to explain,” he said, still not looking up at her.
“The important things always are.”
He did look up at that, eyes focused on her with an intensity that made her sit back onto her uncomfortable bench.
“You are remarkable in so many ways,” he said, speaking with an almost reverent awe. “I hope you are aware of that.”
She blinked in astonishment at his kind words. “I…what did I do?” she asked, confused.
“You never cease to amaze me,” he replied cryptically.
“Does that mean you’re going to explain what the hell is going on?” she asked hopefully.
“I’m sorry I left you earlier,” he said. “I shouldn’t have done that. I should have stayed, and talked things over.” He hesitated a moment before continuing, and pain began to etch its way into his features.
“What is it, Zander? What happened?” she asked tenderly, reaching out her arm against her better judgment and resting her hand on his.
“Earlier today,” he said haltingly, “my mother passed away.”
Riss felt her jaw drop open and she suddenly understood. She went to get to her feet, to go hold him out of instinct, but he raised a hand up to stay her.
“No, please. I don’t want to grieve about that now.”
“Zander, you need to grieve.”
“I have, and I will,” he said firmly. “I have known for some time that it was coming, and have prepared myself as best I can. It was no surprise to either of us. She was as ready for it as she could be. But right now, I need to address things with you.”
She sat back, feeling terrible, wishing there was something she could do.
There is. Respect his wishes, and listen to him.
“Okay,” she said, unsure of things. “So why did you leave then?”
“Grief. Stupidity. Panic. I’m not completely sure,” he told her, raising his eyes so she could see them. “What I do know, thanks to a good friend who showed me, is that I made the biggest mistake of my life by trying to push you away from me earlier. And I’m sorry for the pain it must have caused you.”
“Pain? Oh yes, there was pain. And also anger.”
“Anger?”
Riss shook her head in disbelief. “Seriously? You came into my life, which by the way, while not great, was going smoothly. So in you walk, Mr. Gorgeous, and you
upend everything. You sweep me off my feet in the span of a few days, have me falling head over heels for you.”
Zander looked uncomfortable, but she didn’t care. He needed to hear it from her side.
“Then the trouble starts. Mugging attempt. Some big brawl, where you go crazy. Then I quit my job, because my boss now hates me, because of you. Then, after all that happens, you show back up, and you leave me. So there I am, no friends, no you, no job, and still with people hunting me down, as we saw at the bar just now. So yeah, Zander Pierce, there was anger to go along with the pain I felt when you left me.”
He reached out to touch her, but she shook him off.
“Thank you for saving my life, or whatever at the bar. I appreciate that, I truly do. And I’m sorry for what you’re going through personally, I am. But I can’t let that sway my thoughts.”
Zander stared at her for a long moment, his metallic eyes unreadable.
“You’re right,” he said at last. “All this time I’ve been thinking about myself, and not about you.” He stopped. “I’m not sure what else I can say besides I’m sorry.”
“Acknowledging the fact was the first step,” she said, some of her anger dying away as he owned up to his actions, realizing why she was so upset.
“What can I do next? I would do anything for you, Riss.”
She fell silent, chewing on her bottom lip while she looked at him, trying to evaluate his words and sincerity.
The station around them buzzed. There weren’t many people about, but here and there she could hear someone walking around. Electricity crackled softly through the lights above, protected as they were by steel cages, though she had to wonder just how much protection they would be against an enraged shifter.
Somewhere a door slammed. They had a single window above the toilet, and through that a soft breeze blew, helping to circulate the overly warm air in the cell.
“How about you tell her the whole truth, Z? She might want to hear that, don’t you think?”
***