Chapter Ten
Roman
Aloud knock on my bedroom door made me sigh, but I still said, “Come in.”
I wasn’t even a little bit surprised to find Oakley standing there, looking like a very pissed-off dragon. I knew they’d be angry with me before I’d even hung up the phone. Fuck.
“What the hell, Roman?”
“I’m following orders.”
They rolled their eyes. “Psh. Like you ever take orders from my dad that you don’t agree with.”
“He’s the king.”
“Oh my Mother of Scales. Do not even think about pulling that bullshit excuse with me. He treats you like an equal, and you do the same.”
I ran a hand over my face. “He wants to see you.”
“We finally have a lead to follow up on, and you want us to go home? After all the work we’ve put into this, you’re ready to just give up now? What the actual fuck, Roman?”
“Oakley, listen to me. All I agreed to was going home to check in, okay? We’re still going to follow up with everything that Lilura Periculum girl gave us.
We just have to check in with your father first. Plus, it’ll give us a chance to interview her again ourselves before we go traipsing into something we’re not prepared for.
We need to refill our spells and potions anyway.
I want to resupply with vendors we know instead of buying from complete strangers.
” Something we’d had to do on numerous occasions while out in the field.
They looked like they wanted to argue, but I knew they agreed with me about getting our spells and potions from trusted witches—they were just as aware as I was that some of the things we’d bought out on the job weren’t as high quality. “It’s just a check-in?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
They let out a small huff, then stepped to the side so they could lean against the wall, their hands tucked behind their back.
“I’m not ready to stop this investigation.
We need to find the person in charge of this fucking trafficking ring.
We need to take them out and stop this from happening to more innocent people. ”
I stared at them for a long moment before it hit me why they’d been so… insistent—and sometimes, intense—about this case. They’d been kidnapped themself, hadn’t they? They’d been taken from their father and raised by an unloving woman in a cult that did horrible things to them.
As far as I knew, Oakley had never shared all that’d happened to them as a child with anyone, but I’d seen clues here and there. Not to mention that there were a few pieces of armor, shields, and weapons made from Oakley’s scales… scales that hadn’t naturally been shed.
Typically, in order to make dragonscale armor, shields, and swords, an adult dragon—well into their thirties or far older—would shed a scale or two a month for a few years in order to collect enough to make even one piece.
The fact that so many pieces existed from Oakley’s dragon scales—from before they were twenty-five, when they’d come home to us—meant someone had… skinned them while they were in dragon form and stole their scales to create the weapons and armor.
If their mother and her cult had been willing to do that, who knew what else they’d done to the poor dragon?
There were signs from Oak’s behavior as well. Flinches they tried to hide, nerves when someone was angry. Things most people wouldn’t notice, but I did from spending so much time with them… and because I always noticed everything about my Oakley.
Before now, though, I hadn’t realized just how much this mission meant to them.
Setting aside my reservations, I walked over to them and grabbed their upper arms, meeting their eyes and making sure they knew I was sincere. “We will find the leader of this group, and we will take them out. Okay? I’m not throwing in the towel, I promise.”
They took a deep breath as they searched my eyes before giving me a single nod. “Thanks.”
After squeezing their arms and nodding myself, I released them and backed away, even though all I truly wanted to do was step in closer and press my body to theirs.
Oakley was quiet for a minute, watching me while I fidgeted and pretended to pack my bags.
But then they cleared their throat and said, “Tan’s busy coordinating things or something, and I don’t trust the vamps in the kitchen, considering it’s been a million years since they had to eat something.
Soooooo… I’ll go make us something for breakfast. I think we have bacon and eggs left, and I wanna try that skillet. ”
My eyes widened in horror, and I turned sharply to them. “No. I’ll do it.”
Their amused gaze met mine. “I was hoping you’d say that—no, actually, I knew you’d say that if I threatened to cook.”
I gaped at them. “Did you just trick me into cooking you breakfast?”
They laughed. “Sure did.”
I couldn’t help the snort of amusement that came out. “You know I would’ve cooked anyway. I always do.”
“Yes, but I’m starving right now, and I knew you’d take forever to get to it if I didn’t make you, especially since you’re packing in slow motion.”
With an eye roll and a laugh, I shook my head at them, then grabbed their shoulders, turned them around, and started pushing them out the door.
They grabbed onto the doorframe and became an immovable statue. “Nope. Not leaving.”
“I thought you were hungry.”
They looked over their shoulder. “Okay, amendment. I’m not moving unless you’re coming with me.”
That made me grin. “I’m coming.” I’d follow this foolhardy dragon anywhere.
They leaned back, bumping me with their ass, and I gasped. Did they just… boop me with their butt? On my dick? Was that on purpose?
They laughed and walked out, glancing at me with their bright green eyes, and gave me a wink.
All I could do was gape after them, shake my head, and follow them into the kitchen.
Tan was in the living room, sounding like he was on a serious phone call, and the others were sitting at the breakfast nook in the kitchen, drinking what I assumed was blood out of mugs.
“Morning,” I said as I walked into the kitchen, although I wasn’t looking at any of the vampires.
I was staring at Oakley’s ass because they were bent over, moving pots and pans around, likely getting the skillet out for me.
Their ass was just so… bubbly. And they’d just booped me with it.
They leaned farther down, making their butt stick up higher. Mmm. I really, really, really wanted to bite it.
Oakley stood and turned so quickly, they almost took me out with the skillet. I hadn’t even realized I’d moved so close to them. Apparently, I’d zoned in and aimed right for them. My bad.
They grinned at me. “Here you go, sir.” They gave a little goofy half-bow, holding the skillet out to me, and I took it.
“Thanks.” I cleared my throat, hoping they didn’t notice my cheeks flaming or the fact that my eyes—and body—had zoomed in on them like a damn microscope or something.
When I turned around, I saw Jed smirking, but I looked away quickly. Pretty sure he’d seen me checking out Oak, but I wasn’t about to acknowledge it or confirm it for him.
“It’ll be nice to have you guys home for a little while,” Beshiro said, offering a smile in my and Oak’s directions.
Oakley sighed. “As much as I miss being home, I really want to keep going on this. We need to stop them. We need to save all these people. Who knows how many others they have in captivity right now?”
Beshiro sighed. “I know, but it’ll be good for you both to have a break and see some family. You’ve been gone a long time. Come home, rejuvenate, and then you can get back out there with fresh eyes.”
“Yeah… yeah, you’re right.” Oakley offered him a small smile as they leaned on the counter across from him, Jed, and Phae. “It really will be good to see everyone.”
“Pretty sure Ker’s throwing you a party,” Beshiro said, smiling again.
Jed elbowed his brother. “Dude, you weren’t supposed to tell them.”
“What?” Beshiro looked alarmed. “No one said it’s a surprise party.”
Phae raised an eyebrow. “Even I knew it was a surprise.”
“Are you serious?”
Phae nodded. “Yep.”
Beshiro made a horrified face, then buried it in his hands, groaning. “Oh my Mother, Ker’s gonna kill me!”
Jed gave his brother a side hug. “He probably will.”
Beshiro snorted and tried, unsuccessfully, to shrug him off. “Thanks a lot, ass.”
Oakley said, “I can pretend I don’t know. I’ll act surprised.”
“Your acting skills aren’t that good.”
Oak gasped in horror at Jed. “I’ll have you know I’ve convinced several douche canoes to take me home by acting like I was interested. They believed me.”
“They were also drunk and don’t actually know you. There’s no way you’re fooling your best friend, of all people.”
When I glanced at Oakley, I saw them frowning and looking genuinely offended, and maybe a little upset.
They’d been doing really good work here and had been working so damn hard to get to get to this point too, so I wasn’t surprised that Jed’s comment had hurt them.
Even though I knew he’d only meant it as a joke.
My body was moving before I realized it. I threw my arm around their shoulders, rubbing their biceps as I spoke. “I beg to differ. Oak’s acting skills are top-notch.”
Oakley sent me an appreciative expression, but Jed rolled his eyes. “Of course you would think that.”
Beshiro elbowed Jed this time, giving him a look I couldn’t interpret, then turned to Oakley. “I’m sorry I ruined your surprise.”
They shrugged, and the movement made me realize I was still holding onto them.
I started to pull away, but to my surprise, Oak leaned into me.
So of course, I didn’t move. I didn’t want to risk discouraging any type of touch from them.
And I definitely didn’t want to take away any comfort they sought out, whether they needed it or simply wanted it.
If they’d let me, I’d offer comfort to them every single day, all day long.
The thought made me hold back a small grin, and I refocused on the conversation around me.
Oak said, “Seriously, Shiro, it’s no big deal. None of us will tell, Ker, right?” They looked around at Phaeron, Jed, and me. “Right?”
I shrugged, Phae took a sip of his blood, staring at the other dragon, and Jed grimaced, saying, “I won’t tell him on purpose, but if he asks me directly, I won’t lie to him.”
Beshiro nodded. “Fair enough.”
Oak grinned at him, then leaned their head on my shoulder for a minute while I held them against me before they stood and pulled away so suddenly, I still had my arm out while I blinked at them.
My head tilted to the side as I stared at them. “Um, you good, Oak?”
“Mhm. Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” They headed out of the kitchen, calling out, “I’ll be back in a few minutes to eat!”
I stared after them for a few seconds. Had I… made them uncomfortable?
Why else would they have run away like that?
Shiro said, “Well, that was weird.”
Jed chuckled and pointed to the stove. “You better hurry up and finish their breakfast before they start complaining.”
With one last look down the hall they’d disappeared down, I sighed and went back to making them breakfast.
Had I really made them so uncomfortable that they’d had to run away?
Fuck.
And here I thought we’d been making some progress in the right direction. Instead, my touchy-feely ass had scared them away.
Motherfucker.