Chapter 30 Jackson #2
Over the years, the curse hadn’t been the only thing that took other winged dragons from us.
Those not taken by The Vanishing had died from more natural causes.
Between the two, it had left our numbers perilously low, and this influx of winged dragon shifters was something none of us could have anticipated.
With no other idea of where to go, all of them arrived at our home, looking for guidance, help, and to find their loved ones.
Some had been gone for decades and had to be eased back into modern life.
Dad took up the mantle of alpha once more, but made sure I was by his side for every decision.
“You led our people,” he said one night over dinner, reaching out and grasping my hand. “You led them through something I can’t even imagine. You deserve to stand beside me, not behind me.”
Helping Dad find housing for the returned dragons didn’t stop me from visiting Shyanne.
Wild dragons couldn’t have kept me from her.
We tried to spend at least a few minutes a day together, but usually I was able to carve out a few hours.
It was during one of these afternoon get-togethers at her garage that I brought Jacqueline along.
When I arrived, Mariposa and Mikey were doing homework in the waiting area.
When Mariposa saw the baby in my arms, she and Mikey leaped to their feet, huge grins on their faces.
“Oh!” Mariposa shouted, clapping her hands together. “She’s so cute.”
Mikey nodded and gently touched Jacqueline’s hand. The baby paid him back by slapping his fingers.
“Ouch, you little butthead,” he cried, pulling his hand back.
I laughed, barely able to control myself. “Funny you should say that. You just guessed her nickname.”
“Well, hello there,” Shyanne said from the door.
“Hey,” I said, smiling. No matter how many times I saw her, a grin seemed to magically appear on my face any time I was in her presence. “I thought I’d stop by, do a bit of work, and maybe we could have dinner after?”
These days, my work consisted of running down leads on the location of the other orbs. I wouldn’t rest until every winged dragon held captive in those magical prisons was set free. Set free, and their jailers sent to an early grave.
“Sure thing.” Shyanne wrapped her arms around me and gave me a long, lingering kiss.
“Eww,” Mikey groaned. “You gotta stop.”
“You’ll understand when you’re older,” Shyanne said when we finished.
“Yuck, I hope not,” he said.
“Will you guys watch her while I make some calls?” I asked as I put Jacqueline down on the floor.
“Yes,” Mariposa said, eyes bright with excitement. She plopped down beside Jacqueline and immediately began a game of peek-a-boo. Leaving my sister in good hands, I followed Shyanne to her office.
“Any luck with the Asian orb?” Shyanne asked.
“That’s what I’m working on today. I’ve got a call scheduled with a fox shifter in Japan who may have had some dealings with a yakuza drake. Rumor is, this guy may be in possession of that orb. Looks like all these people are criminal douchebags. Not surprising, really,” I said.
Shyanne stood by the door, an anxious look on her face. She gazed through the window of her office out into the shop floor.
“What’s wrong?” I said, noticing her discomfort.
She sighed. “It’s just… I don’t know. Are we going to keep going?” she asked, gesturing from herself to me and back again.
Brow furrowed, I moved close, putting my hands gently on her arms. “What does that mean?”
“Ugh.” She groaned and rolled her eyes. “You know what it means.”
“I really don’t, Shyanne,” I said. “You’re gonna have to give me some additional info here.”
“I’m a human. You’re a dragon.”
“I’m well aware of our biology.” I smirked. “In fact, I’m very well-acquainted with your biology in particular.”
That made her snort a laugh, which relieved some of the tension.
“Okay,” I said, “What’s really going on?”
“I don’t want to drag you down. I love you, and I know you love me, but you’re the alpha.
Your people need you. I know the dragons are returning, but your numbers still aren’t where they need to be.
” A red flush crept up her neck as she spoke.
“It would probably be better if you took a dragon mate. Then you could—”
I silenced her with a kiss, cupping her cheeks with my hands, hoping she could feel my love. She tensed, but after a moment, she sagged against me and kissed me back.
When I pulled away, I smiled down at her.
“Even before they came back, I was ready to be with you. Forever. Fate would handle the rest. As much as I wanted my people to survive…well…I made the decision. The moment I realized I was in love with you, I made that decision. Nothing is going to change it now.”
She smiled at me with happy relief, and I realized she’d carried that fear in her these past few weeks.
She’d thought that what we had was fleeting and that I would choose duty over her.
As much as the alpha in me wanted to do what was right for my people, my heart, my soul, and my inner dragon would never leave her.
“How about you and your dad come over for dinner tonight?” I said.
I’d invited them up every few days. Marquel was a shrewd guy, and even though we hadn’t revealed the truth about what my family and I were, I was almost positive he’d realized there was something different about us.
Shyanne wrinkled her nose. “Is that woman going to hit on my dad again?”
I laughed. “Maybe.”
One of the returned dragons, a healer named Cassandra, had taken a liking to Shyanne’s father. And he really enjoyed the attention.
“Fine,” she said. “We’ll be there.”
I nodded to the shop. “Bring the guys. I’ll make sure we have enough food for everyone. It’s nice out, we can grill. I’m assuming they all like steak?”
“Oh, they will love that. You know how they are with free food,” Shyanne said, then pulled me into a hug, resting her head on my chest.
That night, my house felt more like an actual home than it had in years.
All the laughter, the joy, and happiness, it was contagious.
Many of the returned dragons had made their way back to their original homes or the housing my father had found for them, but a lot had stayed at the mansion, wanting to get acclimated first. Between our guests and the dragons, we had nearly forty people there, and I loved it.
Brent and Reggie had brought along a cornhole set and were in a very competitive game against Carson and Leo Rosen.
Ayumundi, grouchy as ever, sat off to the side, scribbling in a notepad and munching on a whole raw carrot for some reason.
The man truly was strange. Dad, Mom, and Tiana were working the grills.
Tiana and Leo’s twins sat in the grass playing with Jacqueline.
And sure enough, Cassandra was sitting with Shyanne’s father laughing, and every now and then placing a hand on his thigh.
“Is she doing something?” Shyanne asked, coming up beside me and nodding toward the woman flirting with her father.
“I mean, not yet,” I said, “But if it keeps up this way, they might.”
“Eww, no.” She poked my stomach. “I meant, like, magic.”
“Why would you say that?” I said, biting my inner cheek to keep from smiling.
Shyanne narrowed her eyes at me. “He hasn’t had to use his walker in almost a week, and this morning, he was making scrambled eggs, and when he was done, he didn’t need to sit down. He went straight to his room to shower. I haven’t seen him take any of his arthritis meds, either.”
“Remember when I told you I wished all the dragon healers hadn’t vanished?” I said.
“Yeah.”
I nodded toward Marquel and Cassandra. “She’s a healer. A healer who really likes your dad. She asked if I’d be okay with her using some subtle spell work and magic on him.” I winked at her. “He really likes that special tea she makes, if you know what I mean.”
Shyanne’s head snapped around to see her father sipping from a mug. Her face tightened, her lips quivering slightly. When she looked at me again, her eyes were glossy with tears.
“Is…is he gonna be totally fine soon? Like, completely healed?”
Putting an arm around her, I pulled her into my side. “He’s gonna be fine. It also looks like he might have a new lady friend when this is all over.”
She threw her arms around me. I stroked her hair as she sobbed into my chest. While she released her emotion, I looked around.
The scene was something I’d grown to believe I’d never see again.
A house full of life, laughter everywhere, children playing, friends enjoying each other’s company.
It was all I’d hoped for, yet I was about to lose it all again.
The call to Japan had given me some solid and real intel.
There was a ninety-percent chance that I knew where the next orb was.
My other research had given me solid leads in Britain, South Africa, and Brazil.
The problem was, I needed to move fast. That Japanese drake might get wind of my search and move the orb.
My heart told me to stay. To bask in this love and joy, to have intimate moments with Shyanne, to get to know my little sister as she grew, and enjoy time with my parents, but I was an alpha. This was my responsibility, and I had to do what needed to be done.
“Can we go inside and talk?”
Sniffling and wiping her eyes, she nodded. “Sure. What’s wrong?”
Taking her hand, I led her into the house, waiting until we were in my room to break the news.
“I know where the Asian orb is,” I said at last.
Her jaw dropped open. “That’s great. Where is it?”
“A penthouse in Tokyo. Highly guarded. Lots of security. It’ll be dangerous, but it’s doable.”
Her face fell. “You’re going, aren’t you?”