Chapter 12
twelve
To make Nelson comfortable, we agreed to meet at the place of his choosing.
I wasn’t surprised when he picked a diner that stank of cat when Rían and I walked through the door.
The business must be pride owned and operated, and a quick sniff as we approached the only open booth confirmed each patron at every table was a cougar.
We expected as much, but it was still unnerving to walk into enemy territory beside Rían.
Like I was an equal. Like my opinion mattered. Like he trusted me to handle myself if things got dicey.
“Ana Sartori,” the man behind the counter purred. “I haven’t seen you since you were little.”
“Mr. Nelson,” I greeted him, polite but cold. “I haven’t seen you since you left me a message on the security cameras at Pampered Pooches, after you abducted several humans living in your town, under your care.”
“I don’t remember you being this mouthy.” He exited the back and strolled toward us. “Either Sartori kept you muzzled, or you’ve grown a spine since you started warming the Walsh alpha’s bed.”
A subtle vibration moved through Rían. I didn’t hear it so much as feel it, but it comforted me.
“That’s the best you’ve got?” I snorted at his attempt to hurt me. “And here I thought cats were clever.”
A few hisses peppered the room, but I pretended to ignore them until Nelson silenced them.
“You must be Rían Walsh.” Nelson stuck out his arm to shake Rían’s hand. “You’re a brave man, inciting Sartori’s wrath by shacking up with his daughter. You must be looking to move up in the world.”
“You were right.” Rían glanced at me rather than addressing Nelson. “For a cat, he’s not very clever.”
Yowls broke out among the patrons, but, once again, their alpha deescalated the situation.
“You said you wanted to talk,” he said, eyes flashing gold, “not insult me.”
“You opened the conversation by insulting Ana.” Rían remained calm. “I’m merely speaking what appears to be your language.”
“You’re not going to last long in Brentwood with an attitude like that.” Nelson flexed his fingers, and claws slid from the tips. “Take your toy and go.” He pointed at the door. “We’re done here.”
Patrons began rising from their seats, the threat clear. One or two lost their fight with their inner beasts and began shifting. That was my cue to tuck my hands into my pockets and fasten my claws in place.
“We’re done after you agree to quit doing Sartori’s dirty work.” Rían held his ground, unbothered as the cougars began inching closer. “I have no quarrel with you or your people. Stay out of my way when it comes to Sartori, and I’ll stay out of yours. Fair enough?”
“Look, I get that you’re a young alpha. Probably itching to prove yourself.
I understand, I do, but you can’t issue ultimatums to other alphas and not expect to pay for the insolence in blood.
” He shook his head. “I was going to let you walk out of here with the girl, but now? Now I’m going to take her and bring her back to her daddy.
” He snapped his fingers. “Lena, restrain her.”
“I’m warning you.” I watched the slender woman stalk closer. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You’re adorable.” She shifted her hand into nubby paws. “A latent is afraid for me?”
“I would take her seriously.” Rían’s lips tipped up in a smile. “You’ll regret it soon enough if you don’t.”
His eyes slid past my shoulder then back to mine, and I read the warning there.
Before the cougar at my back launched their attack, I pivoted aside and raked my claws in a slash across their chest. The man roared, his skin twitching as his inner beast took over, but the silver was slowing him down.
“It doesn’t have to be this way.” I returned my attention to Lena, the distraction. “Stand down, and I’ll let you go.”
With a cry of fury, she launched herself at me. I dealt her the same blow, leaving her chest in ribbons. As soon as the silver began to burn, she threw herself on the floor and rolled like it was a fire she could put out.
Others rushed to help the injured, but Nelson stared at my hands, calculating.
“This won’t end well for you.” He ran his tongue along his teeth. “I hope you realize that, Ana.”
The threat pushed a rumble free of Rían’s throat, but he let me handle the taunt.
No point in beating around the bush when the bush was trying to beat me.
“The Sartori pack and I have parted ways, so you won’t get the pat on the head you’re looking for even if you could capture me and return me to Carmichael.
” I flexed my claws for his appreciation.
“Give us your word you will remain neutral in matters concerning their pack and our clan, and we’ll leave. ”
The force of Rían’s stare hit me in the side of the face as I replayed my choice of words, and I could only swallow as a surge of his power leaked into the air, almost like he couldn’t help himself.
My declaration had moved him, even if it wasn’t as clear cut as I made it sound, and his inner beast was ready to roar.
“Not happening.” Nelson jerked his chin toward the exit. “Just remember you drew first blood.”
This was what we wanted, an excuse to get him out the door and into the open.
Expressions somber, I marched ahead of Rían, who wasn’t about to leave my back undefended, and we stepped out onto the sidewalk. This part of town was definitely shifter owned and operated, or else the streets wouldn’t be filling with people whose eyes flashed gold in the right light.
Good. Even better. This meant we could do what we came to do without traumatizing any humans.
As soon as Rían and I both stood in the open road, the pride began tightening ranks around us.
“Last chance,” I warned Nelson. “I don’t know what Sartori told you about the Walshes, but I’ve got a feeling he left out a big detail.”
Given my own lineage, and how fiercely he had protected the secret of my origins, I was convinced Carmichael had kept the fact the Walsh clan was helmed by dragons to himself.
They were so rare as to be mythical, and a whole clan appearing would raise questions.
Lots of them. Especially a clan with a bone to pick with Carmichael.
So, yeah. I could see him quashing any rumors of winged lizards to keep the surrounding packs, prides, and clans from realizing if this grudge broke into an all-out war that he was solely responsible.
And, that as his allies, they would be expected to join the battle.
“Oh?” Nelson chuckled, amused, and then he signaled at us with two fingers. “Do tell.”
A dozen shifted cougars prowled from the alleys with their tails twitching and ears pinned back.
“I’ll do you one better.” Rían nodded to me, and I gave him room. “I’ll show you.”
Even after his assurance he wouldn’t be incapacitated while he shifted, I still gnawed my bottom lip.
The wolves I had watched with envy through my window as a kid taught me a lot about the change.
Such as the strength of the wolf determined the length of the transformation.
Some spent ten to fifteen minutes contorting on the ground, vulnerable to enemies, dependent upon their allies to watch their backs.
That was why the charms Mercer bought off the witches gave the Sartoris a critical edge by allowing pack members to shift in an instant.
Though I had seen Rían’s dragon, once, I hadn’t been present when he became it or relinquished it, and I was breathless in anticipation of witnessing the process.
Not only because I might endure the same later, but because it was him.
There were probably worse things than developing a crush on your betrothed, but it was damn inconvenient timing for me to realize the true reason I had tagged along.
I wanted to protect him.
Me.
Liam or Fayne would have made better choices for backup. But I couldn’t let him go.
Not without me.
A whistling noise sliced through the air beside my ear, and I swatted at it, thinking it was a bug.
Well, I thought wrong. I realized it a second too late. I hadn’t pieced it together before impact shuddered through me and my hands gripped a wooden shaft sticking through my chest.
“An arrow?” Blood slicked my palms and leaked down my stomach. “Who shoots arrows?”
Light to rival the sun exploded on my left, and dry heat swept across the street, buffeting me.
“A d-d-dragon,” a man stuttered out from the crowd. “Sartori said…”
“He lied,” I panted from between clenched teeth. “Obviously.”
“There’s no such thing as…” a woman murmured closer to us, “…d-d-dragons.”
“And yet.” I caught my breath. “There’s one right in front of you.”
Unimpressed with me defending him while bleeding out, the dragon bumped his nose against my cheek.
“It’s an illusion. A glamour. Just like Sartori warned us,” Nelson shouted. “Dragons have been extinct for decades.”
Amazing what people choose to doubt when proof is staring them in the face.
Screams and yowls rose in a terrified chorus of regret as Rían bared his fangs, ducked his head, and roared in Nelson’s face. The alpha staggered back, yelling orders to his people, but a plinking noise drew my attention to where a third arrow had bounced off Rían’s scales to hit the dirt.
Before I could call out a warning that the archer was still in play, a dark-gray dragon with pebbled skin about half the size of Rían swooped over the diner.
It landed on the flat roof, throwing its head back with a roar.
Between its toes, a human arm stuck up at an odd angle.
I could only imagine the rest of the body was stuck to the bottom of his foot like chewing gum on a sneaker.
Crimson oozed and dripped down the front of the building, eliciting growls and hisses from the gathered cougars.
The archer. Had to be. No wonder Liam—and who else could it be?—had homed in on the greatest threat. The angle was perfect for the hit I had taken.
“There are two of them,” a terrified shifter screamed over the din. “This is real. This is happening.”
Duh.
Relief coasted through me at having backup with teeth, and it carried me down until I sat on the blacktop with a grunt. I knew better than to rip out the arrow, so I left it in while Rían finished making his point. He cracked his tail like a whip, and chunks of asphalt sprayed the air.
“Call him off,” Nelson snarled at me. “He’s destroying our town.”
What? Did he think I had a rolled-up newspaper tucked in my sleeve? That a few firm whacks to the snout would deter Rían from violence? While an arrow was jutting out of me?
“Give us your word.” I leaned against Rían’s front leg, and I could have been leaning against a marble pillar for all the give in it. “Stay out of this, and we’ll have no conflict with you.”
“Fine. You have my word. We’ll break ties with Sartori.” He ushered his people back. “Just leave.”
“Nice doing business with you,” I rasped, blood wetting my lips. “Rían?”
Gently, he lifted me in a claw, careful not to touch the arrow shaft, and held me to his chest. The same magic as last time wrapped around me, securing me, but then it flared wider. I found myself inside a bubble of his power, safe from any more attempts on my life.
With a final earth-rattling snarl, he leapt into the sky, and I sagged with relief.
The bubble hadn’t been meant as a shield against attacks, I realized, but to prevent the air currents from ripping the arrow out or shoving it in deeper. I blamed any tears on the wind, but I couldn’t feel so much as a breeze.
A low rumble brought my head swinging to our left where Liam soared next to Rían.
Steady vibrations convinced me they were speaking to one another, perhaps subvocal communication, but I couldn’t parse out their conversation. And then, as my head swam from blood loss, it didn’t seem quite so important.