Chapter 17
EMME
The hockey game was a demolition. The Wolves burst onto the ice with a vengeance, and by the third period the score was ten to one in their favor.
Kellan had a hat trick under his belt, and so did Henderson.
Every time the Viking shifter scored, his gaze flashed to Kassidy, who was resolutely pretending to be very interested in the giant screen at the top of the arena.
Kellan beamed at me when he scored, and my heart fluttered with each blown kiss as he skated closer.
Finley also beamed in my direction whenever he smashed one of his opponents into the side.
When he spent two minutes in the penalty box, he alternated between watching the game and me.
As if I could have any doubt that he loved us both.
Being here to witness my alphas playing a sport they were so good at, especially when they showed off for me, was honestly foreplay. Nothing could change my mind.
When there were only a few minutes left, Kassidy rose from her seat beside Hunter.
“I think I’m going to head out before the rush,” she murmured, her gaze flickering down to the ice before she tore it away once more.
Henderson was on the bench, which meant he had time to watch her like she was his source of life.
Hunter rose too, then paused as he glanced down at me. “I’m totally fine,” I said, shooing him out to follow her. “I’ve got Talon, Fin, and Kellan.”
“They’ll have press after the game,” he reminded me, looking torn. It was clear he was about to sit again, and I noticed Kassidy already sidling her way along the row.
“She has me,” Talon reiterated with a lazy smile. “I’ll tear the fucking head off anyone who touches her. You know that.”
Hunter’s eyes burned gold as his beast rose up. “I already know you’d choose me every time, Alpha,” I whispered. “You should go after her. She needs you tonight.”
The growl of his wolf was loud enough to turn more than a few heads around us. “I love my sister, but you always come first.”
Just as I expected, but my answer remained the same. “Go,” I said, pressing my hands to his abs. “I’ll meet you at home.”
He leaned down and cupped my face. His lips were soft as his tongue slid against mine.
His dominance spilled into our kiss, and my beast rolled over in my mind, choosing to submit to her alpha.
“I love you,” he stated, loud and uncaring about anyone overhearing.
“Stay in touch.” He tapped the side of my head gently.
“And remember, Slade is out there patrolling with his enforcers.”
By this point, Kassidy had reached the end of the row, and Henderson was back on the ice, ignoring the game as he followed her path. She resolutely pretended not to notice, and even when he slammed his hand against the glass, Kassidy barely reacted.
Only those close would notice how stiffly she held herself, her shoulders a touch higher than usual. She was just as aware of Henderson as he was of her.
Hunter reached her in a few seconds, his broad shoulders blocking her from sight.
They were gone by the time the game ended and our team did a salute to the fans with their sticks raised in the air—minus Henderson, who was already off the ice.
I had no doubts he’d be at the newly-repaired gates of the family compound tonight.
Hunter wouldn’t let him in though. Not until his sister was ready to deal with this new, unexpected, and clearly unwanted revelation in her life.
Normally, I’d be the perfect shifter to ask for advice on dealing with determined, scent-matched alphas, but since I’d all but caved to mine, unquestionably enamored with the obsessive way they loved me, I couldn’t help her here.
“We’re going to stay with Tyson tonight,” Danielle told me as she got to her feet, her mate hovering close by. “Tell Kel to call us tomorrow. We’re heading back home the day after, but we hope to see you again soon for a longer visit. Welcome to our family, Emme.”
She leaned in for another hug, and I almost laughed at Talon’s alarmed expression when she all but nudged him out of the way. Generally, everyone feared the dragons too much to get close, but not Kellan’s mom.
“It was so amazing to meet you,” I said, trying not to let my sniffles free at her welcoming me to the family. “When life isn’t quite so chaotic, I’d love to spend more time with your pack.”
“Keep us updated,” Conrad ordered, his serious expression reminiscent of Kellan’s when he was in alpha mode. “We’ll be out here as soon as you need us. This isn’t your battle to fight alone.”
Kellan would never put them in danger, but I appreciated the offer. “Thank you,” I said softly, making no promises.
As Danielle squeezed me once more, her hold tight, I felt that same twinge low in my back. Despite my smartass remark from before, there was no way it was sex related. My shifter healing would have fixed that up by now.
I was fairly sure I knew what was going on, and while the timing sucked, a little period pain wouldn’t hold me back from finding that fucking witch and eliminating her from the world.
Talon and I remained in our seats until most of the stadium was cleared, before we exited as well. Finley and Kellan checked in soon after, telling me they were more than happy to skip out on their media obligations and head home with us.
Stay. You don’t know if you’ll even be able to make the next games. Your coach deserves your time tonight, and I have Tal.
Their reluctance filtered through; their beasts moved uneasily, but they didn’t argue.
You take the car, darlin’, Finley said.
I relayed this out loud to Talon, and as he glanced around at the vehicles and shifters filling the parking lot, his distaste for the chaos was clear.
“Tell them to keep the car,” he said. “I’ve got a better way for us to get home.”
The twinge in my back was joined by butterflies in my stomach as I considered the only possible travel option for a dragon shifter.
Car is yours, Grouchy. Tal will get me home.
The bear and wolf caressed my beast, before they backed out of the connection, giving me a brief flash of them stepping into the press room.
“Come on, Honey,” Talon said, the shortened nickname purring from him. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”
As we moved through the crowd, most shifters gave Talon a wide berth. More than a couple did a double take as they tried to figure out who the Slade doppelganger was. It was a big city, and the information clearly wasn’t everywhere yet.
After what had happened in the street, most of the council and enforcers knew. Hunter had told them all to go fuck themselves, along with a warning that if any of them tried to come after Talon, our pack would tear them into little pieces.
The threat had held up so far.
Trust was thin these days, and I was happy with our decision to stick with our pack and a few loyal friends and family. Which didn’t quite include Constantine, at least not for me yet.
Ignoring his existence would end soon though, as I needed his help to learn how to control the tendrils of magic floating freely around my essence. Eventually, it would force its way out of me, and I’d be foolish not to prepare.
When we moved beyond the crowds, Talon led me to a patch of cleared land on the side of the arena. The ground was icy, only a few threadbare trees around us. Talon’s smile flashed in the shadows as he pulled off his leather jacket, followed by his shirt, revealing firm skin over taut muscles.
Despite the near freezing temperatures, I burned up at the sight of him shedding clothing.
His gaze remained on me as his scent filled the air, all sweet and smoky.
When he ditched his boots and pants, completely commando beneath the denim, the bond between us thrummed strongly.
As the connection blazed, my thighs trembled and barely kept me standing.
I was unable to tear my gaze away.
Mine. My mate. One I’d claimed in all ways today and wanted to do so again very soon.
“You’re magnificent,” I whispered, the words slipping out.
His huge chest lifted as a feral growl escaped him. “You are magnificent, mate, and my most precious gift.” His voice was a tantalizing murmur in the still air, and my feet moved to bring me right against him, huffing in his scent like I needed it to live. And maybe I did.
His clothes fell from his grasp as he wrapped me in his arms, and we stood under the moonlight for many beats of my racing heart.
I sensed that Talon would never be the first to let go, so I eased back, and he used that space to reach down and grab his jacket.
He pulled the thick, heavy leather material over my shoulders and zipped it up to hide my jersey.
“It will be cold up there. Let me know if it gets to be too much and I can fly lower.”
Before I could respond, he took more than a dozen steps back. The scent of ozone filled the air as he called on the shift. I didn’t look away as his beast emerged from the man, leaving a huge, darkly captivating dragon perched before me.
The once midnight of his scales were greener now, but you couldn’t really tell in the shadowy night. As he stepped forward, I fumbled for the rest of his clothes, but he growled, and a familiar voice filled my mind. It was a mix of Talon and beast. Leave them. Climb on me, little mate.
The dragon was intense, as was to be expected, and my wolf wasn’t the only one who shivered and fought the desire to roll over and expose her belly. In our essence, the dragon stroked his snout along my beast, and out here, in the freezing night, the real creature did the same to me.
When he reached the front of my jeans there was a huff as he growled, You’re fertile.
Flames burst to life in my center, and that ache in my back eased up under the touch of dragon heat. “Yes, thank you for pointing it out. But as you know, I’m taking the brew to prevent pregnancy.”
The dragon huffed again, filling the clearing with smoky maple. He didn’t sound impressed by my responsible actions, and I found myself chuckling. “Don’t tell me you have a breeding kink like Kellan? That boy reads too many books.”
Another rumble, and his voice returned to my mind. We would be honored if you carried our youngling. But not while this world is in peril. We will destroy the witch first, and then we will breed you.
Well, fuck. His statement had those licks of fire turning into an inferno, and even though I wasn’t sure I wanted babies yet, the way he’d said that was really freaking hot.
As I melted into a puddle at his massive, clawed feet, he used his head to guide me around his left side toward his front leg.
Even bent as it was, there was no way I could climb his limb, not even when he lowered himself to the ground.
I’d been able to race up his giant tail when he was Slalon, but this was a whole different task.
Stretching my leg as high as I could, I still needed a boost from his head to be able to make the height. My breath came out in rapid gasps as I scrambled to keep my balance on what I assumed was his knee, only to have a random gust of cold air almost send me tumbling back off.
Talon caught me again on his snout, and then remained behind me until I reached his broad back.
The scales weren’t as slippery as I expected.
His natural heat seeped into me, and with his guidance I found a spot where I could comfortably sit near the base of his neck, spreading my legs wide enough to slot in on either side of him.
There were spikes down the crest and at the base of his neck, which I used as handholds, careful not to cut myself on their lethally sharp ends.
“Let me know if I hurt you,” I said as I tried not to squeeze too tightly.
I got a scoff in response. Silly mate. You could never hurt me, and even if you did, I would accept the pain as mine. Just as you are mine.
Okay, the dragon was as destructive as the man.
A beat later, his wings spread out on either side of him and I had to adjust my seat again.
Swirls of excitement and anticipation raced through me, knowing this was the fulfilment of a promise he made long ago.
I would teach him to drive, not that he’d really needed much help, and he would take me flying.
Ever since I’d found out one of my mates was a dragon, I’d been curious about how it felt to fly. It was so foreign to my landbound beast, and from the outside appeared more magical than even magic itself. Pure freedom.
With the first powerful thrusts of his wings, Talon lifted us from the ground, and if I hadn’t had my handholds, I’d probably have slid right off his back.
After tightening the grip of my thighs, I found stability as he got us airborne.
In less than a minute we were soaring above the trees and stadium, the dark wintery sky spanning out around us.
A ripple of his energy tingled along my thighs and into my butt, straight from the beast himself. I wondered if he’d just used his magical abilities to keep us concealed. The higher we climbed, the colder it grew, but between Talon’s jacket and the dragon’s natural heat, I remained toasty warm.
Golden Claw spread out below us and the sea of lights was stunning.
Off in the distance I caught sight of the Thenguard and Reeves offices, which stood higher than all the rest. I had no idea what had happened to all of Sorenson’s properties, now that he was dead and his pack was lost to whatever Fletcher did to them.
For now, the lights remained on, as if everything was running normally.
Talon banked to the left in a slow, gentle swirl before he flapped his huge wings.
The breezes picked up around us as he moved across Golden Claw, and I was finally starting to understand why Slade hadn’t been able to describe this experience.
It held a fraction of the thrill of driving fast, but was unique all on its own.
Through all of it, though, there was this unfathomable awe. We hovered above the world.
Like gods.
No wonder dragons were arrogant. They’d definitely earned it.