Chapter 14
Nia’s lynx quivered as she stood on the front lawn of the Montclair packhouse. The sun was beginning to sink over the mountains, making the picturesque landscape glow a liquid gold. She turned to Cole, her shadow stretching over the grass. “They should be here soon.”
He nodded. “I’m glad you had already contacted them. Now, we can get this moving along as quickly as possible.”
“Mmhm.” Did that mean he was ready to get this over with so she’d leave?
He’d never said anything along those lines.
As a matter of fact, in the last real conversation she’d had with him down in the basement, he’d sounded like he wanted her to stay.
She was doubting herself at every turn, feeling torn between what her heart wanted and what real life would allow her to have.
A few other pack members were there for the dragons’ arrival.
Linda, Rachel, and Morgan stood near the porch and kept their distance.
Linda had managed to pull Nia aside for a few moments once again and explain that the pack was divided on how much help they should give the dragons and whether or not they should even be involved.
Nia didn’t know all the details, but it seemed that the wolves who were the least supportive weren’t present. Was that by design?
Brianna wasn’t there, either. She’d left a note for Nia on the kitchen counter once again, this time explaining that she had a lot to do before the grand opening. At least it would be one less set of eyes on Nia.
Two large shadows eclipsed part of the sun.
Nia put her hand above her eyes and tipped her head back to see Beck and Kendrick coming in for a landing.
Beck, the current Alpha of the Alexander clan, braced his emerald green wings as his claws skimmed the top of the grass.
He landed gracefully and tucked his wings away.
Kendrick came down right behind him, playfully bouncing his feet off the ground once before bringing them all the way down. He tucked his wings and shifted in one quick action so that anyone who might have blinked at the wrong moment would wonder if they’d actually seen a dragon at all.
“Haha! Nia! So good to see you!” The big Scotsman wrapped his arms tight around Nia and lifted her off the ground. “You haven’t been gone all that long, but it feels like ages to us.”
“Don’t mind him.” Beck swept a hand through his closely cropped curls and nudged his uncle with his elbow. “He’s a little buzzed from getting to go on such a long flight.”
“No better way to get high than to go there literally!” Kendrick enthused.
Nia had been looking forward to seeing them, but their arrival meant she had to introduce them to Cole. He hadn’t been thrilled with the idea of them coming, and neither had some of the other pack members. She wasn’t sure what kind of welcome they would receive as she turned around.
Linda, Rachel, and Morgan were watching with wide eyes, but Cole stepped forward with his hand out. “Cole Montclair. It’s nice to meet you.”
“And you!” Kendrick said, shaking his hand firmly. “Now, where are those wee ones? There’s nothing cuter than a baby dragon!”
“I’m afraid there’s been a slight change in the situation, and I hope that you’ll still be willing to assist us.” Cole tucked his thumbs into his belt loops as he quickly and concisely informed them of Eve’s arrival and everything she’d told them.
Nia watched him, realizing this must be what he was like at work.
His job was to stay calm and keep everyone informed, even when things had gone to hell.
He was cool and professional, but she’d also seen him warm and caring with the dragon babies.
She’d seen him passionate, too, but she tried not to think about that at the moment.
“I see,” Beck acknowledged as Cole wrapped up. “May we talk with Eve?”
Cole nodded. “She’s inside. I should also introduce you to Linda, my sister Rachel, and her son Morgan.”
Linda practically glowed as she shook Kendrick’s hand. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
Rachel was studying them closely as though she were looking for any traces of dragon still left on them, which Nia found rather amusing. “Welcome.”
Morgan was being a total fanboy. “That was so awesome! I always thought it was pretty special to be a wolf, but damn! Wings and all!”
Cole guided them inside. Eve and the babies were waiting for them in the living room, and more introductions were made.
“Pleased to meet you.” Eve’s voice was barely above a whisper, and she hesitated to shake their hands. She watched them carefully as everyone sat down.
Nia could just imagine how terrified this poor woman must be.
The one man she was supposed to trust more than anyone else had betrayed her, wanting to turn her babies into fighters who’d protect their clan at all costs.
Now, here came two other men who were also dragons, and for all she knew, might have the same kinds of feelings.
Nia purposefully took a seat on the couch right next to Eve, hoping it would let her know she wasn’t truly alone.
“Look at these wee ones!” Kendrick cooed, his deep voice rising several octaves as he studied the babies all around Eve. “Do you mind?”
Eve hesitated a little before she nodded.
Kendrick picked up one of the little boys. Eve had named him Forrest, which was rather appropriate, considering his green coloring when he was in his dragon.
“Babies always love Kendrick,” Nia told Eve quietly.
Indeed, Forrest was instantly playing with Kendrick’s beard and crawling around in his strong arms.
“You’ve got a fine lot of children,” Kendrick told Eve. “We’ve got a bit of the picture, but if you could fill us in on the whole situation, we might be able to help.” He kept Forrest in his arms as he spoke, easily able to entertain the baby while handling such a serious situation.
Eve kept her hands busy with Stella, a bright silver little girl who spent so much time in her dragon that Nia couldn’t even remember exactly what she looked like as a human baby.
“My mate is very protective of our settlement in the mountains. He believes that these children need to be raised as warriors. He wants to start what he calls their ‘education’ right away, teaching them to be resilient, regardless of the circumstances. That might not sound so bad on the surface, but I know it means putting them in extreme situations, even at a very young age. That’s no real childhood for them, and things can be hard enough for us as it is. ”
Beck frowned. “No, it doesn’t sound like it. How many of you are there?”
“Five, including myself,” Eve told him. “I can’t just let Joel do whatever he wants with them! I’ve always dreamed of being a mother, but I feel like I failed in that job before I even had a chance to get started. I’m so worried.”
As Eve buried her face in her hands, Nia put a gentle arm around her shoulder. She didn’t yet know the joys and burdens of being a mother, but she’d spent enough time around other women who had to know it was the center of their lives. “We’re going to figure this out,” she promised gently.
“Yes, we will,” Cole agreed. He sat rigidly in an armchair, watching the whole interaction. It was only when Eve broke down that he’d softened a bit.
Kendrick looked at Beck, only somewhat preoccupied by the tiny green dragon that was crawling up his arm and nibbling on his ear. “Perhaps we can go have a little chat with him.”
Eve’s brows crowded together. “Joel isn’t a very reasonable man. I’ve tried talking to him, but he won’t listen. He’s set in his ways, and he believes this is the only way to keep the future of our settlement safe.”
“It might not work,” Beck admitted, “but it’s at least a place to start.
With absolutely no offense to you, sometimes a man will only listen to someone who he feels has been in the same position.
Kendrick and I both know what it’s like to be in charge of the lives of others.
You do, too, especially with your children, but it sounds like Joel might see it differently. ”
That was a very diplomatic way of saying Joel sounded like a misogynistic jerk.
“I don’t know.” Eve’s voice had dipped down almost to a whisper.
“I’ve spoken to him over the last few days, when he happened to be in his dragon at the same time I was.
He’s furious with me for leaving with our children.
He’s said some pretty awful things, and I’m worried he might hurt anyone who tries to confront him. ”
“Several of us will come along,” Cole told her. “That will let Joel know that we mean business, and it will help ensure everyone stays safe. You, however, should stay here.”
Eve looked like she wanted to crawl out of her own skin. “I suppose we can try,” she finally relented. “I don’t think it’s going to work, though. I’m just so worried, because I don’t know what I’m going to do if I can’t go home again.”
Beck and Kendrick exchanged another glance. “I know this is going to sound very scary, but if you need a new place, you can come back to Salem with us.”
“What?” Eve gasped.
“The Alexander clan, like most of the other dragon clans over the last several hundred years, is a group of strays, if you will,” Kendrick explained.
“A few of us are related, such as my nephew and I here, but we don’t have nearly as many blood relations as the wolf packs and such do.
We know how hard it is to exist as a dragon in this world. ”
“But all the way out there?” Eve spoke of Salem as if it were a foreign country. She looked uncomfortable, and her lips twitched as though she were trying to decide if there was more she should say. “I don’t know.”
“It’s not a decision you have to make right now or perhaps at all,” Beck reminded her. “It’s just a thought. We’d much rather talk it all out and get you and your children back home. We can start tomorrow.”
“That sounds good,” Cole agreed.