by Leela Ash
Everything was settled, then, and only one piece was missing.
Her fiancé.
Chapter 3
The afternoon passed in a whirl. Dresses needed to be tried on and fitted. There was make-up to choose, corsages to select. Little Sydnee lurked about the edges of their group, curious but shy. The men mostly stayed away, camped out in the billiards room. Every now and then, a pack of small boys rampaged through the proceedings – until Tess promised to give them rides on her Harley if they behaved.
It was wonderful, almost perfect… but where was Michael?
Just before dinner, Amarie slipped quietly into the room and tugged on Dakota’s elbow. “Miss? The Master requests your presence in the study. It’s a matter of some urgency.”
Normally, the old woman was a dotty grandmother. But when she got formal, she was freakishly formal. Like Count Dracula’s eternal servant.
Not that Dakota would ever say that! “Of course.”
Three Dragons waited in the study. Brandon Lorde, Owen Jackson, and…
“Michael!”
Only a week apart, and yet, her heart leaped to see him again. Dakota dashed to his side and threw her arms around him. His lips met hers, warm, passionate. Proof that he’d missed her too – and promising a night that would atone for his absence.
When the kiss broke, she peered up, reluctant to leave his arms. “Are you all right?”
“Of course. Nothing to worry about.”
“Well, you didn’t tell me where you were going.”
Amarie withdrew, leaving her with the Dragons. Still strangely formal – a fact that discomforted Dakota. Reining in her excitement, she pulled back from her hug. “What’s wrong, then?”
“What makes you think there’s something wrong?”
“Three very formal Dragons asking to speak to me privately.”
“Oh! Uh, no, no, I just, uh…”
Owen rolled his eyes. “And here I thought I was a lousy communicator. Miss Vance?”
“Dakota, please,” she smiled. “Unless you want to be Mr. Jackson again.”
“Dakota.” Green eyes sparkling, the smaller Dragon held out a thick brown folder. “This is for you. A wedding present, of sorts. But don’t open it!” he exclaimed, as she started to do just that. “It’s awful.”
“You… got me an awful wedding present?” Her gaze bounced between Michael and Owen.
“We did. Do you remember me telling you that I knew drug dealers in Los Angeles? Knew,” Owen added, with a sideways glance at Brandon. “Like, totally in the past and not anyone I have anything to do with now. Of course.”
“Of course,” his Alpha echoed.
Dakota’s fingers tightened around the folder. “I do. You thought they might know something about my sister’s death.”
Michael pulled her close, offering her comfort even as he delivered the terrible news. “They did. In fact, one of them, Edwin Gibson, hurt her badly.”
Her legs wobbled, and a high, shrill ringing filled her ears. Yet, her lover’s embrace sheltered her and kept her on her feet. “How?”
“He’s a pimp. He preys on young, vulnerable girls. Gets them hooked on drugs and when they can’t pay for their next fix…”
Cally. Doing… that. Dark clouds circled the edge of her vision, threatening to pull her under. Only Michael’s strength, his protection, kept her from collapsing. “Did he kill Cally?”
“Not intentionally, no. But he got her addicted, which led to all her other problems. And he was the one who sold her the dose she OD’d on.”
“Did you kill him?” She couldn’t meet Michael’s gaze as she asked the question.
“No, but…”
Owen sighed. “I told you we should have brought her his head.”
“Jackson!” Michael snapped. “Dakota doesn’t want a head!”
She didn’t… did she? Darkness flickered in her heart like a black flame. Vengeance was the path of Megaera, the Fury who’d deceived her and nearly destroyed the First Flight. With her rage and madness, Megaera had shown her where that road led. Dakota wouldn’t walk it, not even for Cally.
“Well, heads make a serious impact statement,” Owen muttered.
“Jackson…,” Michael growled.
As her heart settled, the darkness retreated. Dakota kissed her Dragon’s shoulder. “You’re right. I don’t want his head. But what’s in this folder?”
“The evidence against him. Which we turned over to the police. Mr. Gibson is going to jail. Human trafficking, prostitution, rape… you name it. He’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars.”
That was a comfort. Though the ghost of Megaera whispered it wasn’t enough. “What if he doesn’t? What if he gets a good lawyer or gets out on some technicality?”
Brandon answered that. “Then he’ll face us, Miss Vance. And he’ll find that Dragons are more implacable than the California courts. We will always watch him, from now until the day he dies. No matter what happens in the mortal world, he will not escape us.”
There. That promise, that protection, finally banished the last traces of the Fury. Let justice have its day. If it failed – and only then – she would turn to vengeance.
Dragon vengeance.
Chapter 4
The bachelorette party got off to a rocky start.
Oh, the location was perfect. Just across the park from Brandon Lorde’s house, Viridiana occupied the top floor of a luxurious high-rise. Curtains divided the rooftop garden into five ‘rooms’, each with a breath-taking view of the City and Central Park. Top-notch food and dining – and close enough that poor Maya could call it an early night if she got too tired.
It was perfect.
Too perfect.
As the waiter ushered them up to the ‘VIP room’, Dakota found it hard to breathe. Every woman in the place was a Size 0 in a slinky evening gown. Sure, her own dress was every bit as lovely, a black wrap that hugged her hips and breasts (yet added an extra fold at the waist, perfectly concealing her baby bump). It was gorgeous… lovely…
So, why was everyone staring at her? Nervously, she smoothed her sash. No, it was not her imagination. Why, that guy at the bar did a double-take just to stare!
“Do I have toilet paper on my shoe?” she whispered. “Or did I sit in something?”
Ariel, Hannah, and Maya gave her a quick once over. Those three bridesmaids hovered close. Like her, they came from humble backgrounds – and probably would have been more comfortable in a diner. Only two of her friends truly fit into this rarified place. Bree, in her little black dress, looked completely at home. And Tess, in full biker leathers and a ripped t-shirt that showed off her ink, wasn’t letting herself get intimidated by a bunch of rich hipsters.
“You’re good,” Ariel assured her.
“So, why is everyone staring at me?”
Bree raised an eyebrow. “I bet most of them have never seen an Armani Privé before.”
“A what?”
Now, Bree spun around to stare. “Armani’s haute couture line?” Dakota bit her lip. “Your dress?”
She still wasn’t sure what the svelte Hare meant. “Michael said it was nice. Comfortable, but good enough to wear anywhere.”
The guffaw that exploded out of her friend brought a flush to her cheeks. “Oh hell yeah, it’s good enough to wear anywhere!” Seeing her embarrassment, Bree quieted. “You really don’t know what you have on, do you? It probably cost as much as every other dress in this place – combined.”
“Oh.” She glanced at her other friends. Hannah shrugged. “So, they’re not staring at me because I’m being foolish?”
“No, silly! They’re dying of jealousy!” Bree bumped hips. “Put a little swing into it, girlfriend! You’re knocking them dead!”
So hard to believe. Yet, as they threaded their way through the crowded restaurant, Dakota saw the truth of it. People watched her with hungry, greedy eyes. Her. Dakota Vance, soup kitchen ‘chef’ and waitress.
An evening breeze
, warm and soft, stirred the curtains that created their ‘room.’ Hannah and Ariel gasped at the sight of Central Park spread out below them. After a couple months here, this view no longer stole Dakota’s breath away. Yet, it was, as always, beautiful. Especially as the shadows grew long and New York lit up in glittering defiance of the night.
Beside each seat stood a tall crystal champagne flute. As one waiter seated them, another popped the cork on a bottle of Dom Pérignon.
Ariel cleared her throat. “Only four of us can have that.”
Tess waved her off. “No worries, Momma Bear. We’ve got a bottle of sparkling apple cider coming too.”
Hannah turned her glass to and fro, marveling at the sparkles in its depths. “I just feel bad that you two can’t enjoy this.”
“It’s fine,” Dakota promised. “We don’t mind at all, do we, Maya?”
“Hmm?” Staring into space, her friend startled. “Sorry, what?”
Dakota peered over her shoulder. “Are you okay? Is there something out there?”
“No, I’m fine. It’s just…” Seeing everyone staring at her, the archeologist blushed. “See that building over there? I used to work in it. Brings back bad memories.”
Bree sipped her champagne. “Unpleasant job?”
“You could say that. I worked for the Fangs of Apophis. I helped them find the Wellspring on your farm, Hannah.”
Oh wow. Dakota nearly choked on her apple cider. Maybe carting a cursed relic to the Wellspring wasn’t as uniquely awful as she’d thought. “Yeah, that would, uh, be a bad memory!”
“Plus, I got thrown off the roof.”
Soft cries met that announcement. “No way!” Tess scoffed.
“Yes way. Jamie caught me. That’s how I found out he was a Dragon.”
“Whoa, that would be so intense!” Tess murmured, envy dripping from every word.
“And here I thought Finn stampeding me in front of a car was the worst ‘coming out’ incident in the Flight.” Bree shook her head.
Surrounded by these other women, listening to their laughter, seeing their smiles and happy faces, Dakota felt herself relax. They understood her. What it meant to be a Dragon’s Mate. The passion, the love… and yes, sometimes the terror that came with that. No one judged her or rubbed her nose in the mistakes she made. They’d screwed up too, they or their Dragons. Yet, they still cared for each other. They had each other’s back.
They were family. In a way, to a depth that not even she and Cally had enjoyed.
She raised her glass in a toast. “To us. To you. I love you, ladies.”
Five glasses returned her salute. Each woman took a sip – except for Tess, who tossed her flute back and then slammed it down on the table.
To Bree’s horror. “What are you doing, you infidel? Dom Pérignon should be savored, not gulped!”
A mischievous glint lit the Adanai’s eyes. “Wanna see me chug the rest of the bottle?”
“No!” Bree slid a protective arm around the ice bucket.
“Spoil sport. Fine. You keep that, I’ll get real drinks for the rest of the table.”
Ariel pursed her lips. “Shouldn’t we slow down a bit? I mean, we haven’t even finished the champagne yet.”
“Oh. Em. Gee.” Tess planted her hands on her hips and scowled at the Bear Kin. “Are you trying to put the brakes on a bachelorette party? Seriously?”
“I just don’t want to get too drunk, you know?”
“There is no such thing as ‘too’ drunk for a party!”
Maya grinned wickedly. “Okay, having gone to college in southern Florida, let me assure you that yeah, there is such a thing as ‘too drunk’.”
“Don’t encourage her!” Tess scoffed. “Has anyone ever seen Ariel drunk? Or tipsy? Anyone?”
“I was in child care,” the blonde woman protested. “Nobody wants a drunk nanny!”
Tess wouldn’t be deterred. “You were in child care. Were. Past tense. Now, you’re a mom and you get to take breaks.”
“I still have children!”
“And a husband. Who can watch the rugrats tonight.”
Ariel scowled at her champagne. “The last time I let Owen watch the kids, he fed them so much sugar it took me three hours to scrape them off the ceiling.”
“So, let them stick up there until they fall down on their own! It’s good for them! Builds character!”
“Oh, Tess!” Hannah groaned. “You are sooo lucky it was Darian who Claimed you. Your parenting instincts are, uh, a little off.”
“What? It’s not like they’re going to get diabetes after one wild night. And you,” she waggled a finger at Ariel, “you are going to let your hair down with the rest of us. Go crazy.”
Ariel raised her glass in a mock salute – then downed the contents in one gulp. Applause burst out around the table, and Tess rose to her feet, cackling. “Atta girl! I’m getting our drinks. Be right back. Bree? Don’t let that champagne die of old age.”
Suspicious, the Hare watched her retreat. “Why is Tess going for drinks herself?”
Hannah took another small sip of champagne. “Well, in a lot of places, you have to get them from the bar yourself.”
“Not in places like this! Nobody moves an inch in a fancy restaurant.”
Some minutes later, Tess trotted back accompanied by a waiter balancing a tray full of tall orange drinks. Each one had a cherry and a slice of pineapple decorating its rim.
Dakota didn’t recognize them – but she noticed that Maya began to smirk as the lovely cocktails were distributed around the table.
“What are those?” she whispered.
“Zombies. The scourge of spring break parties.”
The festive little things didn’t look dangerous to her. “What are they?”
“Four types of rum… and just enough fruit juice to make sure you can’t tell how strong it is. I bet Tess left to make sure they were made right.” When Dakota stared at her blankly, Maya explained, “With 150 proof rum.”
“Oh my word…” All around the table, the other Mates were sipping and nodding happily.
The waiter set two down in front of her and Maya. “This is non-alcoholic, right?” the archeologist asked. When he nodded, she winced. “A virgin Zombie. That is wrong on so many levels…”
Tess scooped her drink up and waved it in the air. “Ladies! Cheers!” Hannah and Bree dutifully toasted and sipped. Ariel raised her glass to her lips, hesitated… and, after Tess frowned, took a big gulp. That won her a grin as the Adanai took a long draw herself.
“Oh,” Maya murmured, “this is not going to end well!”
Maybe not – but it did continue well. Talk and jokes flowed. Did they grow louder, less ladylike, as the appetizers gave way to the salad course and the entrees? Sure. But who cared? Not Dakota. It was her party, her day. Like Tess said, a time to let her hair down.
And she loved, loved, loved the confessions that a little booze brought out!
Bree, wobbling in her chair, waved her Zombie wildly. “I swear, when Finn Shifted for the first time, I freaked. Totally freaked.”
“But you’re a Shifter too,” Dakota protested.
“I know, right? I’d never Shifted though. Didn’t know anything about it. Then, suddenly, there’s this Dragon standing in my backyard and… boom! Mind blown!”
“I fainted,” Maya confessed.
“Yeah, but you had just gotten chucked off a building!” Dakota patted her on the arm. “Anyone would faint over that!”
“Probably easier for Tess and me.” Ariel’s r’s rolled a little too long, but she spoke pretty well for a woman three Zombies into the evening. “Y’all aren’t Kin, like us. Y’all?” Her nose wrinkled, and she stared at her drink suspiciously. “Where’d that ‘y’all’ come from?”
“What about you, Hannah?” Dakota asked.
Bright eyed (and swaying in her chair), the Alpha’s Mate beamed at her. “It was scary.”
“And?” Dakota prompted.
“And
… really scary.”
Giggles spilled out around the table. “So, did you, like, wet your pants?” Bree asked.
“No.” Hannah looked horrified.
“Run away?”
“Couldn’t. I was han’cud… hank… han’ cuffed to a… thing.”
Someone wasn’t wrangling their Zombies as well as Ariel.
“Tell me you at least screamed,” Bree begged, “or I’m going to feel like a total wimp!”
“Mmmm… nope! Didn’t seem… smart?”
Tess crossed her heart. “That has, like, totally never stopped me from doing anything in my entire life. I swear.”
As Hannah crowed with laughter, her glass slipped through her numb fingers. The Zombie hit the floor and bounced, sending fruit juice spilling everywhere.
“Oh no!” Hannah wailed. Shock and horror filled her face – as if she’d dropped a baby, not a drink. An expression so comical that everyone burst out laughing.
“No worries, girl. I gotcha.” Tess waved a waiter over. “Little accident here. Could you get another one for my friend?”
He glanced at the wobbly farm girl. Hannah straightened, smiled… and managed to fake being sober for ten seconds.
Just long enough to score another drink. “Coming right up, ma’am.”
As he retreated, Hannah puffed with pride. “Hah. Din’t get shut off!”
That didn’t bother Dakota in the least. Home was only a short walk away. Between her and Maya, she was sure they could shepherd everyone back.
Ariel studied her, a faint grin twisting her lips. “So, what about you, Dakota? What did you think when Michael Shifted for the first time?”
“Um… ‘Whew’? He snatched me away from a bunch of Fangs that were about to shoot me. So, I was just relieved.”
Maya cocked her head. “Not just relieved, though, right? I mean, you must have fainted or something.”
“No, sorry.” Her friend’s face fell. “I mean, I knew he was a Dragon and I’d already seen somebody Shift so…”
“Wait a minute!” Tess held up a finger. “So, Michael wasn’t your first? Uh, first Shift, I mean. Ugh, that sounded wrong… You must have flipped out the first time, though. Right?”