“You can come out of that form now,” the purple dragon called. “It has to be exhausting. Come down. We’re just going to talk.”
But it wasn’t exhausting at all. It was enlivening. Liberating.
“No,” Tristan said. “Not until I know that my mate is safe.”
“You’re both safe,” the purple dragon said. “And we never hurt your mate. Tell him, Kelsie.”
Kelsie ran over to Tristan, wrapping her arms around his leg. “We can work this out,” she said. “They don’t want to hurt you. The oracle isn’t a bad person. It’s just your parents that were bad.”
Tristan looked closely at the men who were staring up at him, hands up in placating positions.
He didn’t see anything aggressive in their expressions. Perhaps she was right.
“Look,” the purple dragon said. “We won’t contact anyone until you’re ready. But there’s been a big mistake. Based on the rumors, we all thought you were part of something evil. But seeing you with your brother and mate, it’s clear you’re not so different from us. Come down, and let’s just talk.”
And as Tristan looked around at all of them, he finally agreed.
He looked at Kelsie as he transformed back into his human form in a shimmer of sparkling light.
She was the one who made everything possible. Pulled him out into the light until everyone could see who he was.
And it turned out, in the light, people liked him. People understood him and Xander.
He could feel the dragon in him finally relax.
Kelsie ran into his arms, and he just held her as Xander walked over to put his arms around them as well.
The three of them just stayed like that for a moment, then pulled back when one of the double dragons let out a cough.
“I suppose you all can go home. We’ll get in touch with the oracle and see what she wants to do about all this. Though, it’d be great to get more history on where and when you were born, what has happened since then, and why.”
“Why are you suddenly being so nice to us?” Xander asked, folding his arms and glaring at them. “You were about to end me with a fireball.”
The gold dragon looked too ashamed to meet Xander’s eyes. “You fight evil all day every day, you start to jump to conclusions too quickly about strangers. That’s all I can say.”
Xander laughed, throwing his hand around the gold dragon’s shoulder. “I get that. Come on. I’ll give you the info. My brother and his mate can go.”
Tristan tensed up, wanting to watch over Xander.
Xander gave him a wink as the gold dragon pushed him off to walk inside. “It’ll be fine. They know what I can turn into if I don’t like the conversation.”
Tristan had to fight back a grin as he nodded, watching Xander confidently run to catch up and hassle the gold dragon some more.
“We’ll be in touch,” the purple dragon said. Then he jogged to catch up with the others, and they all headed into the house.
Tristan could barely take in everything that had happened, but all his dragon cared about was that his mate was safe in his arms again.
“I’m so glad you came,” Kelsie said, hugging his side tightly. “They said you wouldn’t. That you would lose—”
“I would have come anyway,” Tristan said. “We just thought we’d have to create a diversion to get you out. But I was tired of running.”
“I’m glad,” she said, putting a hand up to his face. “The whole world deserves to see your dragon. He’s so beautiful and fierce. And the man inside him is so good.” She smiled, and her warmth seemed to surround him. “No one else would deserve such a huge, beautiful dragon. It’s exactly what I pictured in my heart.”
God, he loved her. “Kelsie,” he said, cupping her face. “I want you. Forever. As mate. I’m not going to let anyone tell me I can’t be with you. You’re the reason I’m in the sunlight. You’re everything to me.”
“You’re everything to me too,” she said, smiling. He lowered his head to taste her lips, feeling like everything was right as he pressed against her body.
The sun shone over them, over the grass and the trees and the wide-open air.
But Tristan knew there was still something he needed to tell her. One last thing to explain.
He squeezed her hand as he pulled back, his expression serious. “I have to show you something. It’s back at my place. I know it’s not as beautiful there, but—”
She laughed. “I love it there. You’re there. I don’t want an eighteen-room mansion. I just want a life with you. I want to look out at the lights on the dock after we make love. I want—”
He scooped her up in his arms and stayed in human form as wings sprouted out of his back. He felt so confident now in who and what he was.
He wasn’t evil. Some experiment. He was just… him.
“When we’re there, let me explain, okay?”
She nodded, looking slightly nervous, but Tristan knew for once that everything would be fine as he took off into the air toward their destination.
He wanted to let Kelsie into all of his heart.
Chapter 21
Kelsie couldn’t believe she was flying high above the tiny roads of the city, back to the industrial part of town where Tristan lived.
She kept her arms around his neck, but despite the unnerving feeling of seeing clouds flying past her, she never once felt unsafe.
She’d been so unbelievably proud of Tristan, both for showing up in that ridiculous disguise that was so him and for showing the double dragons who he really was.
Both by shifting into his dragon and by protecting his brother and herself.
She’d always thought, since she very first met Tristan in that cold, dark alleyway, that there was no reason for someone like that to hide.
That if the world saw him the way she saw him, they would appreciate who he was.
Even the shifter world apparently.
When they flew over the top of Tristan’s building, she narrowed her eyes in puzzlement. Where was he going now? They were both invisible to anyone who might see them, and Tristan slowly started to descend as they reached the tall warehouses at the back of the docks.
When he set her down, he checked her over and then took her hand and pulled her with him as he walked down a ramp that was used to move cargo.
It was damp here by the docks, cloudier and grayer, but she was always excited whenever she was with Tristan.
He was still wearing one of Xander’s tee shirts and a pair of distressed jeans, but without the wig, he looked just like himself.
She was still processing the fact that he’d decided to truly be with her, no matter the cost.
A part of her was figuring out the logistics. How to explain things to Janet. Whether she should still work at the cafe or continue to pursue art.
But she was sure it would all work out now that they had each other. If she hadn’t believed in fate before, she believed in it now.
Tristan pulled her along a tight walkway between warehouses to the back side of a tall building on the very edge of the dock.
There, on a tall concrete wall with few windows, was the biggest Astray painting she had ever seen.
Painted in slashes of deep red, sweeping strokes of light red, and shimmering white and black to accentuate it was a dragon, roaring at the sky.
You had to squint to realize it wasn’t just an abstract painting, but when it came into focus, it was so vibrant and real it looked like it could jump off the building.
If the world saw it…
“This one is just for me,” he said, putting his hands on his hips as he looked up to study it. “A self-portrait, I guess.”
She couldn’t even speak as she looked from Tristan to the painting. Oh God, how had she been so stupid? He’d been wherever she was looking for Astray’s art. He’d said he had a connection. He’d taken her to pieces she should never have been able to see.
She turned to him, eyes misting. “You…”
; He walked forward, looking bashful. “Are you mad at me?”
She threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. “No. No, of course not. I should have—the van picture—it all makes sense now.” She looked up at him. “You had to hide your identity. That’s why the paintings disappeared.”
He nodded. “Well, that and I don’t like people commodifying them.”
“Would you do your art for real, though?” She looked up at him. “We could still keep your identity secret, but you could put it out in the world. Donate to museums if you want to. The world deserves to see you.”
Tristan dropped his hands to her waist, and when he spoke, it sounded like it was difficult for him to talk. “These paintings were my way of existing at all in the world. I always paid for the space I used, once I was old enough. And I bought any building I wanted to use with cash and under a fake name. I just wanted to make some kind of mark. Something to show I was alive even when I was forced to hide. It was nice to know something of mine was out there, even if people didn’t know it was me.”
“Your art is so beautiful,” she said, still in awe. His blue eyes were bashful, avoiding hers. She grabbed his jaw and made him face her directly. “You deserve to exist in the world.”
Then she kissed him, harshly, right on the lips, forcing her way in as he let out a groan and let their tongues tangle. Then he got more dominant, cupping the back of her head as he took control, sweeping his tongue deep inside and lighting her up.
When she pulled back, her legs were melting, and she felt totally breathless. “I guess it made sense that I was obsessed with Astray’s work, since I fell in love with the man himself almost the second I met him.” She placed a hand over his chest. “I guess our hearts were just meant to connect.”
“If they brought you to me, then I wish I’d done a million more of them.”
“I guess it’s good that you ran here,” she said. “So I could find you and help others see what I see.”
His jaw was taut. “What do you see?”
“I see the man I’m in love with,” she said. “The man who makes everything else I was planning in life seem so small. I don’t care what I do from here on out. I just want you to be with me. I’ll be your agent or photograph your art or—”
He brought her close, putting their foreheads together gently. “I want to be your wings, Kelsie. We’ll work together, make a life like we never imagined.”
Then they kissed again, and the sun came out of the clouds and shined over the dreary docks just for a moment.
“Speaking of which,” he said when they finally broke apart again. “Our lifetimes, if they work like the other double dragons, will be synchronized. We’ll live a very long time, if we aren’t killed.”
She blinked. “How old are you?”
“Over a hundred,” he said.
“So that group home you were in… it was some kind of horrible orphanage, based on timeframe?” Her mouth turned down when he nodded. “Of course you were scared. Your parents basically condemned you to death.”
“We didn’t die,” Tristan said. “Xander and I escaped the orphanage, and he stole and fought to help us survive. I did little pictures and sold them on the street.”
Tears stung her eyes as she imagined it. Somehow, Tristan being so much older didn’t really bother her. He was the one she wanted. That was all.
“It’s only a hundred years,” he said. “By the time I have a thousand with you, a hundred years without you will only be a moment.”
“That’s so sweet,” she said. “But I’m just sorry you went through so much. No more. Only happiness from here on out.”
He hesitated. “But what if the dragons come back and want us to work with them? What if we have to meet the oracle? What if—”
She laughed, taking his hand in hers as she looked up at the painting. “We’ll take all of that as it comes.” She smiled up at him. “So what’s the next step in mating? I assume that’s like marriage for dragons.”
“It’s so much more,” he said. “It’s a bond that lasts forever and joins our lifespans, as I said. I know you’re a dragon heart, but I don’t know if you’ll get a power only mating with me.”
“I don’t need any power,” she said softly, squeezing his hand. “I just need you. How do we do this?”
“Well, sex is part of it,” he said, looking hesitant.
“And?”
“Sharing blood,” he said. “Just a little.” Alarm lit his face as he waited for her expression.
She smiled, then pulled out the tiny Swiss army knife she always kept on her keychain. It had been in her pants when she pulled them on that morning.
She absolutely didn’t care about a little bit of blood. She flicked open one of the knives and winced slightly as she pricked the tip of her finger.
She looked at the tiny drop of red welling there for a moment, then held it up to show Tristan.
He took the knife from her and did the same thing to the tip of his finger and held it up to hers.
She felt a bit silly for a moment, and then a rush of warmth surged through her and it felt like the wind picked up.
She closed her eyes and felt something flooding through her, glistening and silver and melding with her blood.
It felt like she was flying, but her feet were on the ground.
When it stopped, she opened her eyes to see Tristan standing over her, his huge form hunched as he stared into her eyes in concern.
Fuck, did I hurt her? Tell me I didn’t hurt her. Oh shit, oh shit, oh—
She laughed. “You swear a lot more in your mind.”
He blinked. “You can read my thoughts? You aren’t supposed to be able to—”
She felt stronger too. And when she looked at a nearby brick lying on the ground next to them, she had the distinct impression she could move it.
She reached her hand out and lifted it, and the brick moved into the air. She gasped in shock, and it dropped back down.
“The silver dragon,” Xander said, his voice low with awe. “The type I would have been paired with.”
She laughed nervously. “Um, I’m going to need more info, because this is a little weird.” She reached out to a small, broken bottle, unable to resist testing her powers again. Amazingly, it rose in the air. With a flick of her hand, it went flying out to the ocean.
“That’s amazing,” he said. “And yes, we can get more info. On your powers. On being mated. We can talk to other dragons.” He brushed her hair back. “And I think we can even meet the oracle.”
“Do you think Xander’s safe?” She bit her lip. “Should we go back for him?”
Tristan shook his head. “He has always wanted to try meeting with dragons. I should have let him sooner.”
“That might have gone bad,” she said. “No, let’s just be grateful for how things are going now. It’s okay that we weren’t better sooner.”
He took in a deep breath and released it. “So you really aren’t upset that I’m Astray?”
She blinked up at him. “No, just a little star struck. Then again, you’ve always been a hero to me.”
He took her hand to walk home with her, and she let out a deep breath of contentment as he pulled her along.
Time to go home with her dragon.
Chapter 22
When they got home, they showered together, ate dinner, and got a text update from Xander.
He was going to meet with the oracle, along with the other dragons, who were his friends now, and he wanted Kelsie and Tristan to have the night home alone.
To celebrate their first night as mates together.
When they’d finished watching a movie, cuddling and holding each other and just luxuriating in the fact that they’d finally worked things out, Kelsie had turned to him with heat in her gorgeous brown eyes and asked him to take her to the bedroom.
He eyed the kitchen, where the dessert he’d planned to make sat in the fridge, abandoned.
Then he’d had an id
ea and told her to go to the bedroom and he’d meet her there.
She’d been curious, but as always, she trusted him, and she’d given him a wink and a smile before she left.
Now he was walking down the hallway to the bedroom, carrying a large plate in one hand, hoping he could make Kelsie as happy as she made him.
She had said she liked a guy who could cook for her…
Kelsie was standing inside the bedroom, which was lit with dim, warm light by a lamp on the bedside table. The boats were reflecting sparkling light on the dark dockside water, and the moon was high over the bay.
She was studying a painting, her small hands clasped behind her back, her posture relaxed.
When he shut the door behind him, the click of it made her jump, drawing her attention.
Her eyes widened, then relaxed as she took him in. “You’re so silent when you want to be. I didn’t even hear you come in. Sneaky dragon.”
Tristan set down the plate and came over to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind and tugging her tightly. “How do you think Astray managed to never get caught?”
“Except by me,” she said. “Sort of.”
He nibbled at her ear, and she sighed lightly. “I think it’s me that caught you.”
“Maybe,” she said, her voice breathy as he moved down to brush her neck with his lips. She craned her neck slightly, as if to give him better access. “Not that it matters.”
“It doesn’t.” He agreed, kissing along her neck to her clothed shoulder. It felt so soft and delicate under his lips.
“What did you bring in with you?” Kelsie said, sounding distracted.
“Hmm.” He placed another soft kiss right beneath her jaw. “Dessert.”
“Dessert?” Kelsie’s voice cracked, her eyes opening to look at the plate sitting by itself near the door.
“Yes.” He turned Kelsie around to face him, enjoying the way her eyes went wide whenever she looked up at him.
She meant everything to him. His dragon had never felt more powerful. His life had never felt more real.
Dragon Next Door: Forgotten Dragons Book 1 Page 14