Chapter 41 #2
“You,” Golden managed, glaring at Buck. “You struck me.”
“If I’d actually hit you, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Buck replied. “Consider it a friendly warning. Keep your hands to yourself in future, because you damn well won’t get another one. Now why are you here?”
“To see that my rules are obeyed!” Golden jabbed a finger in Honey’s direction. “That woman is not a shifter!”
“No, but I am.” Buck’s voice dropped into a low, dangerous growl. “And she’s my motherloving mate.”
Golden faltered, losing some of his arrogant air. “Your… mate?”
“Yes.” Buck stalked forward until he was toe to toe with the dragon shifter. “If you’ve got a problem with her being here, then we’re going to have to settle this like men. And believe me, you wouldn’t enjoy that.”
Golden was working hard to keep his composure, but Honey could tell he was rattled. His gaze flicked down to the lightning still seething ominously around Buck’s biceps.
“You must see that this is a special case, Lord Golden,” Zephyr said in mild, reasonable tones. “No-one can part a shifter from his mate. Indeed, it would be unthinkable—not to mention unwise—to even try.”
“I… see that there are facts of which I was previously unaware.” Golden took a subtle step back, easing away from Buck. “The situation seems to be more complex than I first assumed. Perhaps, given the circumstances, an exception can be made.”
“You don’t have to make an exception,” Buck growled.
Honey put a hasty hand on his arm, stopping him from saying more. White lightning sparked from his skin to hers, making her nerves tingle.
“I don’t want you to make an exception for me,” she said to Golden. “If I belong here, even though I’m not a shifter, then others might too.”
“Fate does have a way of bringing mates together,” Zephyr murmured, the slightest hint of a smile playing around his mouth. “Honey has a point, Lord Golden. Perhaps we might consider dropping the shifter-only rule entirely. We don’t want to have to go through all this again next summer.”
“I’m not saying to just throw open the camp to the general public,” Honey said hastily, seeing the look of outrage creeping over Golden’s face again.
“We still want to keep this place a secret. But there are plenty of people who know about shifters without being shifters themselves. People who are mated to shifters, or related to them. Even kids from shifter families, who got unlucky in the genetic lottery. They belong here at camp too. As much as anyone.”
“It would make it considerably easier to recruit counselors,” Conleth added. “Not to mention expanding our market. Think of the profits. You would enjoy a considerable increase in your return on investment, Lord Golden.”
Lord Golden hesitated. Buck shifted position a little, and a small lightning bolt leaped from his fingers to earth itself in the ground. The dragon shifter flinched.
“Sorry,” Buck said, not sounding sorry at all. “Still getting the hang of all this. Were you about to say something?”
Golden’s lips thinned. Honey was fairly certain that behind that aristocratic profile, he was grinding his teeth.
“You offer many persuasive arguments,” he said, notably not looking at Buck. “Very well. You may open the camp to non-shifters. Only if they already know about us, however. I will still expect strict standards to be maintained.”
“Of course.” Conleth offered the dragon shifter his most winning smile. “Of course, we’ll need to get the modification to the camp charter set down in writing. If you would care to step this way, Lord Golden, I’ll draw up the contract for you to sign. Immediately.”
Conleth hustled Lord Golden into the office. Zephyr followed them, but Ignatius didn’t. He hunched his shoulders, eying Buck and Honey.
“Am I in trouble?” he asked.
“No,” Honey said, smiling. She gestured across the square. “Leonie’s just back there, along with the rest of the pack. Go tell everyone it’s safe to come out now, okay?”
“Kid,” Buck called as Ignatius headed off.
The boy paused, glancing back warily.
“Good job,” Buck told him. “Thanks.”
Ignatius didn’t quite smile, but his shoulders eased down. He gave Buck a stiff, formal nod, turning away.
“Next time, tell an adult first!” Buck raised his voice. “Or I’ll roast you over the motherloving campfire!”
“I’m kind of glad he didn’t tell us,” Honey murmured as Ignatius sloped off.
“Me too, but I’m not about to let him know that.” Buck put his arm around her. “Fuck, Honey. If it weren’t for those damn kids…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, drawing her close instead. Heart full of the same gratitude, Honey leaned against his chest.
“Why is your shirt wet?” she murmured. She wrinkled her nose. “And why do you smell of smoke?”
“Blame Ragvald. It’s a long story.” His arms tightened around her. “You were right. I’m a motherloving idiot.”
She laughed, nuzzling against his neck. “I never called you an idiot.”
“Well, you should have done.” His fingers wound into her hair. Little sparks of electricity danced over her skin everywhere he touched. “Damn it, I’m still zapping you.”
She caught her breath, nerves tingling. “In a good way.”
“Glad to hear it, because I have no idea how to turn this off.” He tugged her head back, tilted her face up to his. “And I’m not waiting another damn second to kiss you.”
She closed her eyes, savoring the electric jolt of pleasure as their lips met. A low, contented growl rumbled through his chest.
“Honey! Buck!”
Honey started to pull away at the shout, but Buck held her in place. He lingered over the kiss, unhurried, before finally looking up.
“Hi, kids,” he said calmly.
“You’re kissing ,” Archie said, his expression a mix of disgust and hope. “That means everything’s ok now, right?”
“Yes.” Buck turned to face the group, though his arm stayed wrapped around her waist. “Everything’s good.”
“You’re not leaving?” Beth asked Honey anxiously.
She smiled at the campers. “No, I’m not.”
“We did it, pack!” Estelle held up her hand. “Go us!”
“It was mostly Ig,” Finley pointed out, as the kids exchanged high fives.
Grinning, Rufus nodded agreement.
Ignatius had gone red. He looked down at his feet, mumbling, “I didn’t do much.”
“Yes, you did.” Flora pounced on Ignatius, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “Come on, everyone. Pack hug!”
With a muttered curse, Buck stepped back to avoid getting caught up in the crush. Laughing, Honey let him pull her away. Side by side, they watched the kids swarm Ignatius, hugging him despite his protests. Even Estelle joined in the affectionate, noisy scrum.
“Why didn’t you just let me tell that ass I was going to make you a shifter?” Buck murmured. He glanced down at her, a look of consternation crossing his face. “Shit. You do want to mate, right?”
She smiled, leaning against his shoulder. “I do.”
“Good, because if I don’t make this thing between us official, I’m pretty sure Ragvald will broil me alive.”
“Is that the only reason you want to bite me?” she teased him.
“Not even remotely, woman.” He captured her mouth for another long, lingering kiss before adding, “So why all the song and dance? You didn’t have to change the camp rule about non-shifters. Wasn’t going to make any difference to you.”
“No.” She cast a glance at the kids. “Not to me.”