Chapter 25
Cari
Z ed bursts out of his skin like a volcano erupting, terrifying and magnificent. His enormous left elbow dents my refrigerator and his right one knocks all the dishes out of the cabinet. They smash onto the floor, sending shards of ceramics flying. The angry roar he lets out blows my hair back.
And then he swallows Gabe. There’s the tiniest tug on the leash before his teeth sever it, and then Gabe is just…gone.
The enormous dragon that is my mate gives me the tiniest, apologetic shrug of his shoulders and then lumbers out of the cottage through the sliding glass door, destroying it completely.
Outside, I can hear sirens approaching, and relief settles over me.
Everything’s going to be all right.
I knew the second I looked at the spreadsheet link that it wasn’t Zed’s. Sure, it had a ton of stuff in it that only he knew. Things we talked about, the flavor profile of my pussy. But it had other stuff, too. The voicemails, the things left on my porch. The panties stolen, the friends harassed. Things Zed would never do. Boundaries he’d never cross.
It’s my stalker, trying to keep me away from the one person who will protect me. So I texted back before blocking the number.
Cari
FUCK OFF
But then came the knock at the door a few minutes later. As soon as I looked out the window and saw the brown Sasquatch holding a sunflower on my doorstep, my heart stopped. It was him. His fur perfectly matched the lock of hair he’d sent me. And the sunflower perfectly matched the bouquet I’d thought was from Zed.
“Remember me?” he called through the door. “Gabe? Zed’s friend from high school?”
I remembered him. We never talked much, but he was always there, hanging around in the background. Watching us. Radar must have sensed the bolt of fear that ran through me, because he started barking like crazy.
Quickly, I dialed the local police, who are well aware of my history. Over Radar’s loud barks, I explained that my stalker was at my front door, and they promised to send a squad car.
“I just want to talk,” he called through the door, banging on it. “I need to clear things up.”
“I called the cops,” I yelled back. Outside, it went silent, which was almost creepier than before. And then I heard the noise. The beep of the code being entered. I forgot to change it.
And then the front door opened.
Radar heard it, dashing toward the intruder before I could stop him. His little whimper when Gabe caught him destroyed my soul. I’d never let anyone hurt him if I could help it.
That’s how I found myself texting Zed those heartbreaking words. Calling the cops to tell them I was mistaken and to cancel the squad car. Letting Gabe tie me up and put a leash on me. Listening to his confessions of love, his twisted dreams for our life together in the forest. All so he’d let Radar live.
It worked. It worked long enough for Zed to come for me like I knew he would. A stupid text wouldn’t keep him away. I just didn’t know he was going to eat Gabe when he finally showed up.
I’m not sorry he did it, but I hope he doesn’t get in trouble for it.
Long minutes later, a couple of police officers come inside to untie me and clear the house. One takes my statement, nodding sympathetically as I describe what happened, glossing over the part where my mate straight-up swallowed him.
“He, uh, disappeared.”
“Mhm.” The cop jots a few notes and radios for a paramedic to join us, who checks me out and pronounces all my bumps and bruises superficial, which I could’ve told him.
“The perpetrator has been taken into custody,” the officer assures me after I sign his form. “You won’t have to worry about him anymore.”
I blink at him. “The Sasquatch?” The one that Zed swallowed whole? I don’t ask.
“The dragon coughed him up like a hairball,” the cop chuckles. “He’ll have to pay a fine for shifting inside San Drogo city limits, but I’m not sorry he did.”
“I’ll cover the fine,” Tristan says from behind the cop. He has Radar in his arms. He passes the dog to me with a soft expression. “And the kitchen repairs.”
“Thank you,” I tell him sincerely, both for the offer to pay and for taking good care of my little old man while everything was going down.
He shrugs, looking as unruffled as always. “Anything for a friend. Of course, if you wanted to demonstrate the depth of your gratitude, you could agree to take my cats as patients again.”
I grin at him. Of course, he had an ulterior motive for helping out. “You adopted another one after all?”
He nods. “Name’s Goblin. He’s diabetic, but his condition is well-managed already. I don’t think we’ll be in your office too much.” He says it like I’ve already taken him back as a client. I have to admit, I’m feeling pretty forgiving right now.
“Zed and I are mates. That’s not going to change no matter how many cute cats you adopt,” I warn him, just to be sure he doesn’t get the wrong idea.
He ducks his handsome head. “I know. And I know it was wrong to use Impy to get close to you. I was desperate, though. I’ve never had so much trouble seducing someone. The funny thing is that instead of getting you to fall in love with me, I fell in love with Impy along the way. There are no cats in Hell, you know. They all go to heaven.” Tristan looks very put out by this fact.
“Guess you’re stuck in San Drogo with us,” I tell him, nuzzling Radar’s fur. I add, “I’ll let Cynthia know to put you back on the books.”
“You beautiful, merciful creature! I could kiss you,” Tristan exclaims.
“Better not,” Zed growls behind him. He’s a mess. Hair tangled around his horns, clothes hanging off him in shreds, a silver emergency blanket wrapped around his hips like a space-sarong. He’s the most handsome guy I’ve ever seen.
I fling myself (and Radar) into his arms.
“Sunflower,” he murmurs, lifting us up. Overwhelmed by the strong, protective circle of his hug, I’m barely conscious of Tristan and the cops filtering out, leaving us alone. “I’m so sorry for wrecking your kitchen. Shit, I have so many things to apologize for. What you saw in that spreadsheet —”
I’m so happy to be back in his arms, I don’t care about anything else. “I know it was all lies. I knew instantly when I saw it that it wasn’t you.”
“It was me,” he says quietly as he carries me to the sofa that will always be the place where he made me his mate. “I did all those things. I’m no better than Gabe. And I completely understand if you need some time to process everything that’s happened. I swear, I’ll still be here when you’re done working it out. We can do therapy together or apart or both. Just please, don’t say it’s over.”
Radar wriggles out of my lap and hops down from the sofa with Zed’s help, trundling on his short little legs to his bed in the corner. I guess he’s worn out, too.
“First of all, I don’t think you saw the same spreadsheet I saw. It had all kinds of stuff on there that you definitely didn’t do. Secondly, the fact that you would give me time to process and suggest therapy is exactly why you’re better than Gabe. You respect my boundaries, and you care about how I’m feeling. Third, you’re my mate, so you’re allowed to stalk me. You’re the only one allowed.”
Zed chuckles, giving me an extra squeeze. “That’s what my feral form says.”
“He and I get along.”
He growls playfully under his breath. “Don’t give him any ideas, Cari. He’s already way too pleased with himself today.”
“He should be. He saved me. You both did. You’re always in the right place at the right time.” My heart races a little, thinking of what might have happened if he hadn’t shown up.
“Tristan helped, too,” Zed says grudgingly. “He’s not a bad guy for a demon. Offered to take Gabe on a one-way trip downstairs.”
“Should’ve let him,” I joke. “Or you should’ve chewed more before you swallowed him.”
Zed cracks a wide, sharp-toothed grin. “My bloodthirsty little mate. If the justice system doesn’t take care of Gabe, we’ll let Tristan do the dirty work. I have no interest in eating him. I think I still have Sasquatch fur stuck in my teeth.”
“Eww,” I groan. “That’s almost enough to do away with my appetite.”
“That’s right, I need to feed you, don’t I? My sunflower must be starving.”
I nod. “It’s been way more than an hour since you went out for food. It’s almost lunchtime.”
“Sushi picnic?” he suggests. “Or we could get Korean barbecue.”
I debate for a split-second before deciding. “Both! This is a celebration.”
His clothes are destroyed, so he squeezes into my baggiest sweats and biggest T-shirt. They look like a crop-top and skin-tight leggings on him, but it’s enough to get us across the park to the food carts. Zed, Radar, and I order a takeaway feast that we spread out on a blanket in the grass.
After we stuff ourselves, we watch the clouds drift across the blue expanse above. I lie on top of Zed like a mattress and Radar snuggles into the curve of his tail. It’s peaceful and warm and perfect.
We still have a lot of things to figure out, like where to live and what Zed’s going to do about his business, but I know we’ll make a good life together…even if it’s not exactly like typical dragon couples.
“Will you take me flying some time?” I ask, old insecurities pricking at me as I stare up at the sky.
“Any time. You’d trust me to carry you?” The softness in his voice tells me everything I need to know. That I’m the mate he’s been dreaming of, the same way I’ve always only wanted him. That he wants everything with me, always.
I nod. “I know you’d never let me go.”
He fishes in the pocket of his borrowed sweatpants, extracting something that he passes to me. It’s a small box tied up with a red ribbon. “Your alokoi gift,” he explains. “Thankfully I didn’t swallow it this morning.”
I giggle as I unwrap it, knowing what the real gift was. Inside the box is a delicate chain bracelet with a gold dachshund charm. I gasp when I notice the tiny, glittering gems that make up its eyes. “This is so perfect! I love it.”
“I thought it was appropriate. Radar is kind of our matchmaker, isn’t he?” Zed grins as he helps me fasten it around my wrist.
“And now we’re a family.” I turn my face up to his, squinting into the sun. “Wait, what do you want most? I should get you an alokoi gift, too.”
His breath whooshes out in a puff of smoke. “You’ve already given it to me. Your forgiveness. Your trust in me even though I’ve been a neglectful mate. I don’t want anything else from you.”
“ Nothing? ” I tease, reaching to squeeze his cock through his borrowed pants.
He growls and rolls us over so he’s on top of me, though he’s careful not to disturb Radar’s nap. “I think you’ve given that to me, too, alokoi. Although I’m happy to receive that gift again. And again, and again…”