by Katya Moore
"Aww, damn," he groused with a mock frown.
Lina looked at Chase, then goggled at me, then goggled at Chase.
"You're..." A look of horrified delight washed over her face. "Oh my god. My brother's fucking the Shadow Queen." Her hands slammed over her mouth, obviously horrified at the words that slipped out.
Chase roared with laughter. "NOW who's being disrespectful? Eldest, Lina!"
I cackled and leaned against the edge of the bed. "Umm... well..." I searched for the right words. None came.
Chase reached up and caught my hand in his. "We're mates. Yes."
I thought Lina's head was going to explode. "Like, mate mates? Did you go and do a ceremony and not invite me? What the actual hell, Chase?"
Chase shook his head. "No, Leen. This is... recent."
I chuckled. "Like, within the last couple months recent. I'm not surprised he hasn't told you yet."
"I'm still gonna kick his ass once I get out of this bed, ma'am." She beamed at us.
"So, how'd it go?" Galen asked as I walked back into the waiting room alone.
I shrugged with a smile. "They needed some time alone to talk. They've got a lot to talk about." The smile faded. "He's going to try to convince her to let you talk to her about things. You still game for that?"
Galen nodded. "She's family. I'll do what I can for her. Even if it's just talking to her about the Pats."
I leaned over and hugged him. "You'll wear her down. You've got an advantage with her that you didn't with Chase."
"Oh? What's that?" He pulled me down and flipped me into his lap.
I rolled with it and curled up in his embrace. "You're a hot young guy. You figure it out." I nibbled at his neck.
He chuckled and tipped his head back to allow maximum nibble-ability. "I've only got eyes for you," he sighed contentedly.
I nuzzled him. "Also, she's sixteen. But she's got eyes. And if you don't mind being ogled a little, she might be willing to talk to the sexy young dragon about her problems."
A deep, throaty laugh vibrated against my cheek. "If you say so."
"I do." I closed my eyes and relaxed against his muscular chest. It was a safe, warm feeling. I needed that feeling more than I realized.
"Family," Galen sighed into my hair. "It can never be easy."
"Tell me about it," Aric said icily. I opened an eye and glanced over at him. He was wearing his best disaffected look. I could feel him closing himself off at the mere thought of his family. I couldn't blame him. His family was a colossal sack of dicks. Wearily, I pushed some of my warm feelings his way. I saw his shoulders relax, but the aloof air remained.
"I know about Chase's family, and I know about Aric's family," I began. "I don't know much about yours or Cass'." I paused and lifted my head to look into Galen's eyes. "I feel like kind of a jerk about that. I mean, you all know about my family."
Cass shrugged. "Probably more about them than you do. Which makes us jerks, too. You've been a little preoccupied, what with the whole finding-out-you're-the-Shadow-Queen thing, trying to survive the Chosen, and dealing with the Elders. We haven't had a whole lot of time for deep discussions of family." He looked away. "Besides, it feels a little insensitive, talking about our families when you..." He trailed off, not meeting my eyes.
"I don't begrudge anyone having a family. Foster care made me bitter, sure, but not that bitter." I chewed at my lip a little. "Okay, maybe sometimes I felt that bitter. But finding Kitty and Missi helped with that."
Galen wrapped his arms around me a little tighter and nuzzled his cheek against mine. "My dad was a combat medic. I've told you that before. He's a good guy. Taught me a lot of what I know, taught me that you didn't have to be chief surgeon at a fancy hospital to serve dragonkind. He's really down-to-earth. I think you'll like him."
I smiled at the thought of meeting his parents. "How about your mom?"
I felt him tense a little at that and immediately regretted the question. "Mom passed when I was in college. Pancreatic cancer. Very aggressive. Even dragon healing couldn't touch it, and we had some of the best try their hands." He cleared his throat and continued. "She...didn't tell me until it was inevitable. I got to spend a week with her before she passed."
I wrapped my arms around him tighter. "I'm so sorry," I whispered.
"Losing her made me focus more on my studies and less on partying. I wanted to help people. She was the one who got me first aid certified at ten. She always encouraged me in my dreams, even when they exceeded our financial grasp." He rested his cheek on mine. "She worked two jobs to get me through my first year of college. I was a jackass. Didn't work hard enough in school for the best scholarships. But she believed in me. She made it happen. And watching her work made me work. Watching her die made me care about my work. I needed to stop being a screwup and start being a man."
"So when's that gonna start?" Aric snarked.
"Eat a dick, Beauvais." Galen chuckled. "I'll kick your ass later. Right now, I've got my hands full." He ran his finger along my jaw, turning my face to his. The kiss was warm, deep, and made my toes curl. I could feel Aric pouting behind me. Serves him right.
When I came up for air, I woozily remembered what we were talking about. "Your turn, Cass." I leaned my head back lazily. Galen planted a kiss at the base of my throat. I sighed happily. "What about your family?"
Cass shifted in his seat and looked uncomfortable on the spot. "My parents... they're both academics. Both work at the Academy, actually. My father is a librarian in the ancient draconic history division. My mother teaches elementary runic magic." He frowned. "They gave up a lot when I chose to study under Emmett Anguis. Dad had been on track to take over the division someday. Mom was teaching more advanced topics. When I started working with Anguis, their careers took the hit. Dad's promotion got pushed back, again and again. Mom was told that ‘her gifts were needed with the younger dragons.’" He rested his elbows on his knees and leaned on them, eyes downcast. "It was all Long. Any association with her ex was career poison."
I gaped at him. "Seriously? All because you studied under her ex-husband?"
Cass looked up at me. "It wasn't just because he was her ex-husband. It was what drew me to study under him in the first place." He looked at his hands, then at me. "There are a lot of schools of thought as to where we all came from. What makes us who we are. What makes us dragons." He gave a small smile. "Not all of them are terribly popular. Some are downright heretical." He shrugged. "It's basically religion, when it comes down to it. What do you believe? What makes the most sense to you? What feels like the truth, deep in your soul?" His eyes locked on mine. "I believed in Emmett Anguis. And my parents believed him. They backed me up, they delivered me to his tutelage, they believed him heart and soul. No matter the personal cost. The truth will tell, some day. And we'll be the ones to tell it."
My breath caught at his intensity. His gaze was firm, unwavering, and absolutely devastatingly sexy. "Wow," was the best I could manage.
Cass grinned, breaking the spell. "I know, I sound like a fanatic. But it is what it is."
"What's the what?" Chase asked as he joined us.
I pulled myself out of Galen's embrace and walked over. "How'd it go?" I asked, throwing my arms around Chase's neck.
He bowed his head and pressed his lips to mine. I leaned into the kiss, parting my lips for him as he deepened it. His fingers tangled in my hair as his other hand slid down my back and pressed my hips into his. There was an urgency behind the embrace, a passion I hadn't felt from him since we made love. I melted into it, eyes closed, lost in his arms.
"Thank you," he whispered against my lips. "Thank you for giving her back to me."
I fumbled for the right thing to say, but didn't have to. His lips were back on mine, carrying words and coherent thought far away.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The pub was more packed than I'd ever seen it. Apparently, the twenty-four-hour absence of Kitty's fine libations had been too much to be
ar. It wasn't just an outpouring of regulars, though. I could feel the pull of dragons in the air. Lots of dragons.
Missi made her way over to the door through the packed bodies. "Your Elders are still back there! And they look pissed off!" She looked over her shoulder to the back room, as though they might come after us at any moment. "They've been really civil. That ice-cold civil that Kitty gets when the delivery guy shorts us something. It's creepy. I'm afraid they're gonna come out here and start breathing fire on the regulars."
I sighed hard. "I'll go back and deal with them. Hopefully they'll leave, or at least agree to a change of venue, once I give my report."
Missi looked past me to the boys and waved. "Is Jared with you?" she asked hopefully.
"No. Why? Do you need another bartender? I could hop back there and..." I studied her downcast face. "This... isn't about specialty drinks, is it?"
The deep crimson blush that lit her face beneath her blonde curls said it all.
I sighed harder. "Oh, honey."
"Don't say it. Just... don't say it. I know. He's way out of my league, and..." She looked away, embarrassed.
I harrumphed. "Out of your league? Fuck that noise. No, he's not out of your league. You are awesome. Never forget that." I gave the stern voice a rest and reached out a hand to her shoulder. "But... you know he's a dragon, right?"
She tipped her head back and wailed. "I know! Dammit!" She mock-glared at me. "It's all your fault. You brought them in here, and why do they have to be so damned sexy, and..."
"They?" I interrupted.
She blushed even harder. "I..."
"Missi, Kitty's asking for you." Quinn sidled up beside Missi and beamed at her with a look that made my eyes widen. I knew that look. I'd been on the receiving end of that look, when he thought he had to love me.
"Oh dear lord," I muttered beneath my breath.
Missi cast a defiant look my way. "You're not the only one with needs, Queen of All Things Dragon."
"Huh?" Quinn looked at her, then me. I tried to look oblivious, but couldn't get my eyebrow to go back down.
"Girl talk," Missi said with an innocent grin.
Quinn looked a little nervous. "Oh. I... wouldn't know anything about that."
Missi patted him on the arm. "It's safer that way. Trust me."
A goofy grin formed on Quinn's face as she touched him. "I do." He shook himself slightly. "But Kitty's really slammed. She needs you back there as soon as possible."
"On my way." She looked at me with a wicked grin, then planted a light kiss on Quinn's cheek. Quinn blushed beet red and stammered as Missi turned and began to push her way back through the crowd.
I stood there staring in stunned silence at Quinn.
"I... uh... she... uh..." Quinn went from giddy to terrified in half a heartbeat. "We... nothing... I..."
I laughed and raised my hands in a placating gesture. "Breathe, Quinn. Just... Jesus, dude, don't keel over on me, okay?"
Quinn took a few deep breaths, but the whites of his eyes were still very visible.
I wanted to say something. I wanted to tell him it was okay. I wanted to tell him that I wanted him to see other people. I half-wanted to give him the birds and the bees talk right then and there. Instead, I just patted him awkwardly on the shoulder. "You should probably get back to work. It's nuts in here."
"Right. Yeah. Table four needs refills." Relief flooded his face, and he scampered off without another word.
I looked over my shoulder at the boys. Galen had his hand clamped over his mouth, tears of laughter visible in his eyes. Aric nearly rolled his eyes out of his head. Cass was shaking his head, making no effort to hide his mirth.
Chase raised an eyebrow at me, studying my response. I shook my head and smiled. He returned the smile and stepped forward, wrapping his arm around my waist. "We should get back there," he said. The smile faded. "We've got a delivery." His tone was somber.
I felt the smile melt away from my face as I nodded in reply. I squared my shoulders and stepped into the crowd.
"She's standing up for the common dragon, is what I've heard."
"No acceptable losses, ever. She's a fighter. She'll fight for us."
"She's found mates. We're on the verge of the renaissance. She'll save us all."
"I just want to see her with my own eyes. To know she’s real. To know there’s hope."
I heard them talking as I pressed through the crowd. Little pockets, here and there, all buzzing with things the Elders had been working so hard to suppress. No wonder they're pissed, I thought as I worked my way to the back of the pub.
Kitty greeted us by the door to the back room, a rack of glasses in her hands. "Oh, Sia, baby, good luck in there." She nodded to the door. "They let me open the pub, but they battened down the hatches and posted a pack of guards around it." She gave a nod and a nervous smile to the four burly men flanking either side of the door. I could feel the dragon bond flowing from them. I also noticed that the people nearest the back room were giving it a wide berth and a lot of nervous side-eye.
I gave Kitty a quick side-hug. "Thanks, Kitty. I'll get them out the back door before you know it."
"Please?" she asked wearily. "I don't think my nerves can take the strain."
I braced myself, then reached for the door. The four guards closed ranks in front of it.
"Relax, guys. They're expecting me," I said through gritted teeth.
One of them studied my face, then pressed his finger to his earpiece. "Confirmation needed. Check the camera."
"Camera?" I muttered to myself, then glanced up. There was a small wireless security camera poised above the doorframe.
As I looked up at it, I heard the guard grunt in surprise. He bowed slightly, then opened the door and gestured for me to enter. "Just you," he cautioned, casting a dark eye at my boys.
I squared my shoulders. "Back in a few," I said grimly, then strode into the back room.
"How kind of you to finally grace us with your presence," Schulte sneered as I walked in.
"Nice to see you too," I growled. "I had to see to some things before I came."
"What's more important than debriefing the Elder Council?" Schulte roared.
"Survivors. Our people, who went through hell to protect your secrets." Carefully, I drew the small silk bag out of my pocket. I could hear the guards tensing, their armor rattling as they reached for their weapons. "Two scouts survived. I was at the Fafner Home tending to them. One did not. I have her remains here." I walked over to Schulte and laid the bag on the table in front of her. She studied it with a guarded expression. "See to it that she is treated with the utmost respect. I want a state funeral for her, or whatever highest honors the dragons have. She deserves it."
Schulte sat in silence, her face an unreadable mask as she stared at the remains of her young scout. For a moment, I actually saw a touch of humanity.
"We can't do that," she said at last.
I raised an eyebrow. "Beg pardon?"
Meriwether spoke up. "We can't go public with this. If the scouts aren't safe at the Proving Grounds, every dragon parent is going to panic. It'll be mass hysteria. We can't let them know that the Chosen got this close to the Proving Grounds. That they got this close to knowing the wards. We need to do damage control."
I pointed at the door and laughed bitterly. "Damage control? Your leak is still live, Senator. I heard people talking on the way in. I don't know how much they know, but the words 'acceptable losses' stood out to me."
Meriwether blanched beneath her politician's smile. "I'm sure you misheard."
I crossed my arms and leaned my back against the door. "Nope. I heard them just fine. They know I've got mates. They know you tried to sell some of them down the line to the Chosen and I wasn't having it. They know what we've been talking about behind closed doors. You. Have. A. Leak."
"It's this pub!" Schulte rose to her feet and gestured around herself. "One of your people. One of your mates. Somehow, this is your fault.
"
I snorted. "Nice, Schulte. Real nice." I pushed off from the door and took a step toward her. The guards tensed. I could see confusion in their eyes. What do you do if the queen takes a swing at an Elder?
I looked at the guards with new eyes. Suddenly, it clicked.
"Stand down, assholes. And line up." I rose to my full height and stared at them with my best Shadow Queen glare.
Schulte glowered at me. "You don't order my guard..."
"It's the Elder Guard. I'm an Elder. And the queen. So cram it." Schulte looked ready to pop a blood vessel. I ignored her and turned back to the guards, who looked a little confused at the situation. "Line up. Now."
They looked to Schulte. Her jaw clenched. "Do it," she hissed between her teeth.
The half-dragons fell into formation along the front of the room. I walked down the line, staring each of them in the face in turn.
I crossed my arms and stood across from them. "Now, shift down."
They stood at attention, but their eyes shifted toward Schulte. She nodded. In a snap, all but one had shifted down.
I walked up to the one hold-out. "Shift," I commanded.
Slowly, his features melted into a familiar face. We'd just met the once, by the dartboard, and he'd shaved the layer of stubble, but there was no mistaking that grizzled mane and those guilty blue eyes.
"Hi, Gareth," I said with a tense smile. "You've been doing some talking, haven't you?"
Beads of sweat formed on his brow.
"Don't be ridiculous. These are hand-picked...warriors...from my own command..." Schulte's indignant words trailed off as she looked Gareth in the face. Her eyes grew hard, but this time, her fury wasn't directed at me. "You son of a bitch," she snarled. "I trusted you. You've fought by my side for twenty years. How long? How long have you been betraying us?"
"How long have you been hiding the Shadow Queen from us?" he replied in a soft voice. "They have to know. They all have to know."
"Form ranks!" Schulte shouted. The rest of the guard shifted back up to half-dragon. "Get him out of here. Get him back to command. He'll be facing treason charges in the morning."
