"I hope it doesn't come to you needing to think about that." She looked up again. "If we have to leave to stay together, not only will you miss your family, I will, too. Not just for myself, but for our child, too."
He kissed her nose. "Have faith in Wes. He'll make it work."
Thankfully, she nodded and leaned against him again.
Jose only hoped that his words ended up being true. There was a small chance ADDA would take Victoria away until the child was born, give him their son or daughter, and then relocate her to some other part of the US.
And neither man or dragon would accept that fucking option.
Chapter Thirteen
Victoria sat next to Jose at a table in a mostly bare conference room that had light gray walls and no windows. As they waited inside the Protectors' main building for Wes to arrive, she couldn't help but tap her feet.
What was taking so long? It'd been nearly twenty minutes since they'd arrived. And while she was all for wrapping things up and making sure problems were solved, she was anxious to know her future.
The optimist in her said everything would be fine.
And yet, she was learning more and more that dragon-shifters, at least in the US, had to rely a lot on decisions made by the American Department of Dragon Affairs.
The door finally opened, and a frowning Wes entered the room. After one of the Protector guards at the door shut it behind the clan leader, Wes slid into a chair across from them and said without preamble, "Sorry for the wait, but I wanted a confession before meeting with you."
"Did you get it?" Jose asked.
Wes nodded. "The culprits were pretty stupid in the end, and obviously didn't think it through."
Victoria leaned forward. "Please, just tell us who it is and what's going to happen."
Jose wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and she relaxed back into her chair again.
Wes's pupils flashed a few times before he replied, "It was the Randall brothers who did it."
"Who?" she asked, looking between Jose and Wes. There were over a thousand people living inside of Clan PineRock, and she'd barely met any of them.
Wes answered, "The Randall family relocated here a few years ago after a wildfire destroyed their clan in California. They've always kept to themselves, but never caused trouble before."
"But you didn't have a human living here before," she murmured.
"Exactly."
Jose jumped in. "How did you know it was them?"
Wes shrugged. "There were white-blond hairs inside the notes tied to the rocks. Theirs is the only family with hair like that. And while they might've felt tough to threaten a human, they clearly underestimated Cris, the Protectors, and me. They confessed before Cris went to their house and found similar rocks tied with notes, ready for their next attack." Wes's eyes turned dangerous. "While they haven't admitted it—yet—I think they were hell-bent on continuing until you either left or they killed you."
Victoria resisted swallowing. Wes's tone right then had been that of a guy with which you didn't mess around.
And she sensed he was keeping his anger under control for her.
Never piss off Wes Dalton, she noted.
Jose growled. "What's going to be done to them?"
"As much as I know your inner dragon wants retribution, this is the twenty-first century, which means I have to talk with ADDA." The dread Victoria felt inside her stomach must've also shown on her face because Wes's expression softened, as did his voice. "I'm going to do everything within my power to allow you to stay, if that's what you want, Tori."
Not wanting Jose to speak for her, she nodded and said, "Yes, I do. I know it's going to be hard, and there's still a lot to learn, but as long as you and Cris can keep me safe, I'd like to stay."
Jose tightened his hold on her shoulders a fraction, but she kept her eyes on Wes. If she looked at Jose right now and learned she may have to leave anyway, she'd break down crying.
Wes leaned forward, placing his forearms on the table. "I will do everything to keep you here, Tori. I promise you. But I can't guarantee it."
"I know," she mumbled.
Jose cursed and gently cupped her face to look at him. "We'll find a way to be together, remember?"
Not wanting to argue in front of the clan leader—let alone break down crying—she nodded again.
Wes cleared his throat. "Cris will be by shortly to take official statements. I'll need you to stay here, in case anyone from ADDA needs to talk to you as well." He stood. "I'm going to call them right now and get this whole thing started. The sooner I can get rid of the Randalls by handing them over to ADDA and make an example of them to the clan, the better."
Maybe she should leave her questions for later, but Victoria couldn't bear the not knowing. "What about the rest of the clan? If you fix this, and I'm allowed to stay, what if someone else tries to scare me off?"
Wes's pupils flashed. "We're taking care of that tonight, at a mandatory clan-wide meeting. Cris will give you the details. You both need to attend, but I want to keep you hidden in the back until after I lay down the rules going forward. I don’t want to take any chances, especially since no one reported the incident in the first place."
Wes left then, and she let Jose drag her into his lap. As they waited yet again for someone to arrive, Victoria decided she definitely wasn't going to take the future for granted. From tonight, she wanted to get to know as many people from PineRock as possible. Just like humans had misconceptions about dragon-shifters, they probably had them about her kind, too.
And if she wanted the best life possible for her child, she needed to work hard to change things now so that her child wouldn't have to face as many hardships.
Jose paced the small room, the one off to the side of the main stage inside the great hall and wished he could be out there to hear what Wes was saying exactly.
Because whatever it was, it would determine his mate's future and safety.
Victoria grabbed his hand as he walked by, pulling him to a stop. "Wes already worked out some kind of bargain with ADDA for me to stay. Have faith he can do even better with the clan."
"A bargain he won't disclose," he muttered.
His female rolled her eyes. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Or, should I say gift dragon?"
Despite everything going on, his lips twitched. "Who would choose to be a horse over a dragon?"
She leaned against him before looping her hands behind his neck. "I don't know. Horses have it a lot easier. They don't have to worry about people hunting them with pitchforks or swords, let alone crashing into planes if they go too high into the sky. They also get waited on hand and foot."
He grunted. "Exactly. That means they can't take care of themselves."
"But at least I could ride a horse. No one is opening up to my idea about allowing humans to ride dragons."
His dragon snorted. I'm open to it. After the baby is born.
Knowing his female would ask, Jose explained, "My dragon says maybe, once the child is born."
"Hm, then I'll remember that. Maybe he and I can come up with some kind of plan when he's in control."
Jose was about to issue a warning to both his dragon and his female when Cris appeared at the doorway. "It's time."
Taking Victoria's hand, he followed Cris out of the room and down a small hallway that lead to the main stage. Cris peeked out a second and then motioned for them to follow.
They exited to a deadly quiet room. All eyes followed both his and Victoria's movements, until Cris had them stop next to Wes, who stood next to a microphone stand.
Cris retreated a few feet, crossed her arms, and Wes finally spoke. "As I mentioned, tonight is a night for celebrations. Everyone here has signed a contract, stating they won't cause harm to any humans that come to our land. As such, you're to witness the first mating ceremony on PineRock between a human and a dragon-shifter in years."
Jose resisted frowning. Wes had them sign a contract? Surely there had to b
e more to the story, as dragon halves weren't keen on paperwork.
However, as Victoria lightly tugged his hand, he remembered that he was about to mate the female he loved, and she was the only thing that deserved his attention right now.
Wes held up a large wooden box and spoke again. "Inside this are the gifts we give to every newly mated pair, including a set of rings engraved with a unique message written in the old dragon language." He opened the box and held out the rings to Jose. "May your mating be happy, full of laughter, and fruitful."
He took the rings but barely paid them a glance. Jose studied his human, taking in everything about her.
Instead of being afraid or uncertain, despite the fact the crowd inside the great hall had to be one of the biggest she'd faced, she merely smiled at him with love in her eyes.
Needing to make her officially his, he began the ceremony, saying the necessary words. "Victoria Lewis, it's not enough that I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. You complete me in a way I never thought possible. When I stood inside that ballroom in South Lake Tahoe, I dreaded trying to pick one female out of the rest. But you stood out immediately, drawing my curiosity and never losing it. You're intelligent, open-minded, kind, and more accepting of my family than I could've ever hoped for." He picked up the small gold band and held it out. "With this ring, I stake my claim, binding us as mates for all time. Do you accept it?"
Without hesitation, she put her finger into the ring and took his hand. "I do."
Releasing his fingers, she picked up the other ring and cleared her throat. While he could hear her heart pounding, her voice was strong and carried as she said, "I entered the dragon lottery on a whim, merely wanting the chance to learn more about dragon-shifters. I never expected to be selected to participate, let alone have a dragonman pick me out of everyone else. And yet, putting in my application turned out to be the best impulsive decision of my life. You understand me in a way I never thought possible, and I suspect you will continue to surprise me for the rest of my life. And for that, and so much more, I love you, Jose Santos. With this ring, I stake my claim on you. Do you accept?"
He couldn't put the ring on fast enough. "I do."
Wes stepped in, per the custom. "Then, as clan leader, I proclaim you two mates, bound by both human and dragon law, and under PineRock's eternal protection. You may kiss your mate."
Jose pulled Victoria up against his body, loving how she sucked in a breath at the contact, and took her lips with his.
He ignored the cheers and whistles as he licked, explored, and claimed his mate's mouth.
Victoria was his, now and forever.
And once he finally let her up for air, he hugged her even tighter against him and murmured, "I love you, Tori."
She smiled, the sight making him lose his breath. "I love you, too, Jose."
Wes and Cris cleared their throats, breaking the moment, and Jose growled. "I know, I know, the night's not over yet."
Wes slapped his back and kept his voice low enough that no one else should hear it. "Everyone here is legally bound to accept her, and Protectors are everywhere. I know she doesn't like strangers, but I would highly suggest using tonight to introduce her to as many people as possible, maybe even a few you think she might bond with."
He replied just as quietly, "Still won't tell me your bargain?"
"No. But Tori is safe, and that's all that matters."
His mate leaned forward. "Care to share what all the whisper is about?"
He looked back at his beautiful mate, the curiosity in her brown eyes calming him a fraction. "You remember how I explain the custom, for the newly mated pair to mingle with the rest of the clan, right, and accept their felicitations and/or gifts?"
She sighed. "I do."
He cupped her cheek. "Can you handle it tonight?"
Somewhere in the crowd, his cousin Luna shouted, "Come on, Tori! I want to be the first one to give you a present!"
His mate smiled and murmured to him, "I hope it's not a new playlist."
He chuckled. "Ready to find out?"
She bobbed her head and turned to lean against his side. "As long as you hold me close, I can handle anything tonight."
He longed to carry his mate out of the room and claim her in their bed.
His dragon snorted. I'll be the first one, don't worry, so she'll know what a true claiming feels like.
Not fucking likely, dragon.
Knowing that his dragon would probably fall asleep as soon as he started making the rounds around the room with his female, Jose guided Victoria down the stairs and over to where Luna and the rest of his family stood.
And as he watched his mate smile and laugh with his family, Jose knew he would be the one to claim her, no matter if he had to fight his damn dragon to accomplish it.
Fate had chosen the perfect female for him, and he would never take it for granted. Never.
Epilogue
A Little Over Eight Months Later
Victoria stared down at her newborn son and tried her best not to cry. Not because she was sad, but because she was beyond happy.
She'd survived the birth—thanks to shots of dragon-shifter blood—and now had the child that could've been taken away from her if she hadn't fallen in love with Jose and stayed on PineRock.
Jose nuzzled his cheek against hers. "It's okay, love. I'm here, he's here, and soon we'll have more family in the room than you'll know what to do with."
"I-I know." She sniffed. "I'm happy. Truly. It's just the hormones."
He kissed the side of her mouth as he cupped their son's tiny little head, one with more dark hair than she'd thought possible for a newborn. He replied, "I can tell the others to fuck off and give you as much time as you need, Tori."
"No, no, I'll be fine in a moment." She gazed down at the sleeping form of her son. "Let's just give him his name first. As much as I love your family, that's something for only the three of us."
"Agreed." Jose stroked their son's pudgy cheek. "Hello, Liam Alejandro Santos. We've been waiting a long time to meet you."
She leaned against Jose's cheek. "Liam. It's so surreal. After all these months, he's no longer inside me but actually here."
"Given everything that's gone on, I'm just glad things are settled again by the time Liam arrived."
"Me, too."
Between what had happened with Gaby, Wes, and a few others inside the clan—not to mention her own challenges on trying to keep her online teacher gig—the last eight months had been the farthest thing from dull.
But Victoria rather looked forward to things becoming routine. At least, for a short while.
No one knew what the future held, but she wasn't afraid. Regardless of what happened, she would fight for the best future for her son until her dying day.
Liam squirmed a second before falling back asleep. His actions brought her back to the moment. "You should let the others in, Jose."
"All of them?"
She smiled. "Well, maybe not all as that'd be like thirty people. But our parents, your sister, and Sasha, at least."
Sasha Wolfe, her best friend, and one who'd only recently gotten permission to visit.
Never leaving her side, he took out his cell phone. After typing something out, he put it away. "There. If they didn't bring their phones with them, too bad. I'm not leaving your side."
She sighed half-heartedly. The right thing would be to send him out to get their family and friends, but Victoria didn't want Jose to leave her and Liam just yet.
So for the next minute or so, she stared at her son and tried to memorize the moment so she’d remember it always.
Then the parents and best friend entered, and she did her best to smile.
As she watched her son being passed from one person to the next, Jose hovering to ensure they held him correctly, she smiled for real. She had the love of her life, a new child, and the support of everyone who mattered to her.
All that was left was to fight for th
e best future for her clan and her family. And that fight would be easy as long as she had Jose by her side.
Thank you for reading! I hope you loved Jose and Tori. The next story in the Tahoe Dragon Mates series will be The Dragon’s Need (about Jose’s sister Gaby), which releases March 26, 2020. (And don’t worry, Wes and Ashley’s story is the third book in the series!) Gaby wants something other than an overprotective dragon-shifter, and enters herself into the Tahoe dragon lottery to take her chances with a human. Once she picks a male, the only question is whether her dragon will scare him off or not…
Preorder THE DRAGON’S NEED now on Amazon US and see what happens on March 26, 2020! (Not in the USA? Amazon UK / Amazon AU / Amazon CA / Amazon DE )
Want a longer dragon-shifter story set in England? Then try the first book in my Stonefire Dragons series, Sacrificed to the Dragon. Melanie offers herself to a dragon clan in order to save her brother’s life. However, her assigned dragonman is broody and hates humans…
Order SACRIFICED TO THE DRAGON now on Amazon US! (Not in the USA? Amazon UK /Amazon AU / Amazon CA / Amazon DE )
I appreciate your help in spreading the word, such as by telling a friend about this book. Reviews also help readers find books! Please leave a review on your favorite book site. You can also sign-up to my newsletter for information, releases, and more.
Turn the page for a little more information on both The Dragon’s Need and Sacrificed to the Dragon…
The Dragon’s Need
Tahoe Dragon Mates #2
Tired of overprotective dragon-shifters, Gabriela Santos decides she wants to lose her virginity to a human male via the Tahoe area dragon lottery. After years of trying, she's finally selected as one of the participants. Of the hundreds of humans who want to be with her, it's the male staring at the ceiling who catches her eye. And after a bit of honesty and insight into why he's there, she picks him. However, soon one kiss changes her future forever.
The Dragon's Choice (Tahoe Dragon Mates Book 1) Page 11