by Lola Kidd
“Listen, be careful. There’s a dragon shifter looking for you. I don’t think he wants to hurt you, but I can’t be sure.”
“Already found me,” Tally told him. “But like I said, I’m fine. I’ll be at your place in like an hour. Is that okay?”
“That’s fine. I’ll be waiting.”
She hung up and got on the road. The trip back was much quicker than she expected, but then she’d been driving like a bat outta hell. When she got back to Zach’s he was waiting in the front, pacing. He was at her driver’s door before the car even stopped. He opened the door and yanked her out as soon as the engine stopped.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” He pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry I made you leave. This is all my fault. Again.”
She stiffened in his arms for a moment before giving in. Her shoulders sagged and she allowed herself to melt into him. It had been such a long day and night. She had barely slept the last two nights and now here she was after driving for an hour. It was too much. She needed a break. Even if it was only for a moment.
“I’m fine,” she said, pulling herself from him.
“You sure? You don’t look fine.”
“I’m not fine but I’m okay. I’m still here and that’s all that matters. About that dragon shifter, he gave me this.”
Tally fished the card out of her pocket and handed it to Zach. “He said you’d know what to do and that you’d tell me everything.”
Zach turned the card over in his hands. “Can I make a phone call real quick?”
She nodded. “Sure. Do whatever.”
Zach walked a few feet away and whispered furiously into his phone. He came back a minute later. “Hey, I want to talk, but I think it’s better if we do it as a group. Rhett and Beau want to speak with you too. Is it okay if we go to the station?”
She sighed and nodded. “Sure. I’ll meet you there.”
The last thing she wanted to do was drive, but she wasn’t going to ride with him. It was a quick trip and Rhett and Beau were waiting when they got there. They gave her a cup of coffee and a homemade Danish to nibble on while they talked at the back of the station. There was a hungover shifter they wanted to process out before they started talking. It didn’t take long, but it was enough for the edge to wear off. After sitting in the room for enough time, she was more comfortable and relaxed. If that was their plan, it had worked. Now they had one chance to convince her that they weren’t awful liars who wanted to hurt humans and silence the truth.
Rhett sat opposite her. “Zach told you that we wanted you to work for us and you said no. Do you have no interest at all?”
“I don’t.”
“Can I ask why? It wouldn’t have to be a full-time thing. You could do remote part-time work if that works better for you.”
“I don’t think so. It’s more the fact that you’ve lied to me and I don’t trust any of you.”
“Fair enough.” He looked at Beau. “We have to give you some backstory for you to understand why this is so important to us and why we’d like you to be careful about what you reveal.”
“I’m one of the out-of-control shifters,” Beau blurted. Rhett turned and shot him a look. “What? No need to beat around the bush. I’m one of the crazies. That’s why they care so much. I care too, but it’s more about my mate. I don’t want to hurt her or open her up to more danger than she’s in now being my mate and all.”
Tally shook her head. “I’m sorry. Did you just say that you’ve lost control? What, like once?”
“Nope. Like multiple times.” Beau told her about how he’d lost control of his animal and how it led to him meeting his mate. How he had to go to Abbott to get treatment and it seemed to be working, but he didn’t get much information.
“Wow. Just...wow.” She was getting confirmation of all the theories she had. It was true. It was one-hundred percent true. She had some real solid answers...and there was nothing she could do with them. Not a damn thing. It was Zach’s cousin. And there was an innocent human woman caught up in it too. But mostly it was Zach’s damn cousin. She could never do that to him. Her story was dead in the water. Great. Just great.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Zach was holding himself back. He wanted to scoop Tally up, take her back to his place, and put her in bed. Nothing dirty this time. She looked so tired and defeated. Not like herself at all. It made him hurt so fucking bad to see her that way. And it was his fault. He couldn’t stop hurting her. This was insane. And what was the point? If she said no, it was all going to be over anyway.
“What are you thinking?” he asked after she’d been running her hands over her face for what felt like two minutes straight.
“I’m thinking I am screwed. Royally screwed. There’s nothing I can do about it. This story that I’ve been working on for ages is now dead. I can’t do a single thing about it anymore. This is going to kill my site and my budding career. So much for that I guess.”
“Hold on now,” Rhett said. “Why would you stop? That’s not what we’re asking you to do.”
“What else am I supposed to do? If I keep it up, I’m going to expose you guys. That won’t do you any good and I’m not sure how good it would do any humans either. There’s nothing we can do about these shifters unless we quarantine all shifters.”
Beau laughed. “Now you’re seeing it my way. Sucks, don’t it.”
“Don’t listen to my pessimistic cousin. It isn’t all bad. There’s still stuff you can write. You just need to be careful about what you say.”
“Make it look like you’ve hit a dead-end maybe?” Rhett suggested. “You can still revisit the topic but with some oversight. Without help, it’ll be much less likely for you to get on the shifters’ bad side. We could even ask the Abbott dragons for help if you’d like.”
“I doubt they’d want to tell me anything.”
“Not you but you as a member of our Keeper team? That might open a few doors for you.”
She rubbed her chin. “I guess. Maybe. I don’t know. It seems too risky. I don’t want to get anyone hurt. I just wanted to get the truth out but Zach was right, I didn’t really think it through.”
“I think you should sleep on it. Take a few days to think everything over. This is too big a decision to make in less than an hour after hearing it all. Digest it. Then come back and talk to me.”
“Fine, I’ll be back at ten tomorrow morning.”
“Works for me.” Rhett stood up and held out his hand. “It’s been a pleasure talking with you. Stay safe.”
Zach followed her out to her car. “You want to go back to my house? I won’t be home until late tonight.”
She bit her lip. “Sure. I’d like to talk with you about all this alone if that’s okay.”
“I would love that.” He gave her his key and went back to work with a giant smile on his face.
“Happier now?” Beau asked when he got inside. “She’s back at your place, right? Better make sure she stays there.”
“We’re just going to talk.”
Beau laughed. “Stop being stupid, man. Just tell her how you feel. You aren’t going to get a third chance if you mess this up.”
Zach considered what he was hearing. He had been praying for this. Another shot at talking with her. He was going to have to take a chance and lay it all on the line. She would probably turn him down and he’d spend the next twenty years nursing his broken heart, but it was worth the risk. He had so much lose but everything to gain. If he said nothing, he would lose it all by default. This was it. He had to tell her that she was his mate.
His animal had known it all along, but he’d been trying to deny it. It was so much more complicated now. He’d always thought he’d know his mate without a doubt the moment he saw her. But he didn’t consider that his human half would be a stupid fraidy-cat. He was the one who’d messed this all up. His animal had known all along. If he’d just listened, he never would have gotten them into this stupid mess.
Though, maybe
it would all work out. Now she might work with him. She was getting her story and he might get his mate. It might all be okay in the end. At least, that’s what he kept telling himself. If he thought about the other possibility, he wouldn’t be able to keep functioning. If she said no, he didn’t know what he was going to do. For sure take some time off work and leave it all behind for a long while.
At the end of the day, he was less excited than he’d expected. More anxious. Extremely—maybe pull the car over and vomit—anxious. When he got home and saw her waiting for him on the couch, he really did have to swallow his nerves. This was it. There was nowhere to go but the living room and face her.
“Hey.” She gave him a small smile.
“Hey, how’s your day been?”
“Okay enough. As much as can be expected at this point. What about you?”
“Fine. I’ve been thinking about what I’m going to say to you all day. It went by so fast. I barely noticed when my shift was up.”
“Same. Besides the shift part. I talked with Bettina and then mostly just sat around and slept. I didn’t realize how tired I actually was. I’m going to bed super early tonight and sleeping until noon.”
“If that’s what you need. You don’t need to run yourself ragged. You make your own deadlines and everything can wait a day. Your health is more important.”
“Yeah. So about the job thing. I’m thinking I’m going to do it. Especially since Rhett said I could do it part-time remote if need be. I think it could be a big step up. Even if I don’t report on the out-of-control shifts, I can still report on other shifter-human stuff.”
“Really? That’s great. I’m happy to have you around for longer.” He wiped his hands on his pants. He still couldn’t find the words. “Great idea about the story too. I think your readers would love that. It’s unusual and I’m sure we can find stuff that won’t piss off shifters.”
“Plus, at some point the story about out-of-control stuff will come out and I can be at the forefront of reporting. I can work on it all in secret now. So when it’s ready, maybe I can be the lead person and the one that shifters want to talk to. That would be pretty cool if it does happen.”
“Yeah. If you’re working for us, I think people will trust you more. Plus, you can build relationships and connections while working too. I bet a ton of Keepers would love an internet person and like us, can’t afford someone like you. This really is a big favor to us that you’re doing.”
She shook her head. “This isn’t a favor. This works out for us both. I wouldn’t be safe if I kept going on my own like I was doing. That dragon managed to get into my room with barely any effort. He was nice enough to not hurt me, but what about the next dragon I piss off? I don’t want to take that chance. This last week has been scary enough for me. I’m ready to be legit.”
“I’m glad you’re thinking more about your safety now,” he told her. “I was worried for you as soon as you left my house. I didn’t know when or if I’d ever see you again and that scared the hell out of me. Even if you don’t want to know me anymore, I still want you to live a long, healthy life.”
She smiled. “That’s sweet. I want that too and the same for you.”
“Why would I ever want to not know you? I was the one begging you to stay?” He chuckled. “I would do anything to have you in my life forever.”
“I like being your friend too.”
Zach took a deep breath. “I don’t mean as a friend, Tally. I mean as more than that. As a mate. I want you in my life like that. I want you to stay with me for all the rest of my days on this planet. I don’t want to do anything without you by my side.”
Her eyes shined with tears, but she didn’t say anything. “I think I’m far too tired to continue this conversation. I need sleep before I say anything. I’m sorry. I know that’s mean of me to leave you hanging after a big reveal like that, but I really can’t function right now. No more big decisions for the day.”
“I understand. Please take my room again. I’ll talk to you tomorrow when I get off.”
She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. You really are the kindest man I know.”
She left him alone with his thoughts for the night.
Chapter Thirty
Could she really do this? Zach was special to her, but what did that mean exactly?
After a great night’s sleep she was sitting in his bed, without him of course, and thinking about her future. It was amazing what a good rest did for the mind. She could think clearly now and weigh the pros and cons. Use logic to determine what she should do next.
Or at least that was what she wanted to do. Right now, all she could think about was how long forever really was. Forever. All the rest of her time on earth just her and Zach chilling. It sounded kind of scary. What if he was wrong?
That’s what her mind kept coming back to. What if she wasn’t his mate and eventually he changed his mind? Where would she be then?
It only took an hour of this kind of thinking before she popped up and ran down the hall.
He wasn’t there so her dramatic announcement had to wait a few hours until he was off work. Once she heard his car come up the driveway, she got up to meet him at the door.
“Okay,” she said as he opened the door.
“What?” He looked at her, confused.
“Yes, I would like to spend time with you. Yes, I would like to be your mate.”
Their lips touched, solidifying her decision. It was like fireworks. Like what had she been doing before if this was kissing?
“You are my mate even if you don’t want to be,” he laughed. “What I would like you to agree to is to move in with me and be my wife.”
“Oh, well then, yeah, okay to that too.” They kissed again. “I need a permanent partner who can watch my back. These things are so much easier as a team.”
“Sounds like heaven to me. I love you.” He laughed again. “Can I say that or is it too soon?”
“Not soon enough really?” she kissed him. “I love you too.”
“I’m glad I can finally admit that to myself. I think I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you.”
“Wow. That’s so sweet. But I think I prefer to think that you fell for me slowly, thanks to my amazing detective skills.”
He lifted her up. “Sure, if that’s the story you want to tell.”
“You mean it wasn’t my skills?” she joked. “Hey, where are you taking me?”
“The bedroom. This is long overdue.”
He pushed the door open with his foot and made his way into the room. He threw her on the bed and then grabbed her by the knees to pull her to the edge and kissed her more.
Normally, Tally didn’t like to be manhandled. But for Zach? She would make a lifetime exception.
Epilogue
“To Rhett and Joseline!”
Tally raised her glass to cheer the happy couple. She’d been so nervous when Zach asked her to come to his boss’s party. Was it too much too soon? Was it rude to make your debut as an engaged couple at someone else’s baby shower?
Her fears were all put to rest when they got to the Lungthal house. Everyone was so nice. It was more fun than she’d expected an intimate party to be. There were maybe thirty people there, but she’d met almost everyone already. And they were all seriously, the nicest people she’d ever met. It was easier moving to Lake Magnolia after spending a little time in town. Everyone was so welcoming it was like she’d lived there her entire life.
“Having fun?” Zach gave her thigh a supportive squeeze.
“I am. Thank you for inviting me.” She kissed him. She liked being able to do that whenever she wanted. She found herself taking little breaks while he was home so she could go and make out. It was wonderful for their relationship but a big productivity drain. How could writing any article compete with a hot makeout session with her hot shifter boyfriend?
It couldn’t. Bettina was putting out most of the new articles while Tally was now f
ocused on the social media and marketing side of the business. It was going better than they’d expected. Bettina was a great writer and Tally was taking naturally to the marketing aspects.
She was helped out by Lydia Lionheart too. She still hadn’t had the courage to bring up the feral shifters and she wasn’t sure she ever would. Right now, her life was so perfect she didn’t want to risk anything.
Bettina wasn’t happy about the slow down in traffic to the website after the feral shifter story went “nowhere,” but they made do. There were so many conspiracy stories out there and they were getting tips from Zach.
Shifter conspiracies were still a big hit and Tally was glad her little site was putting some good out there, giving attention to lesser-known stories that weren’t getting any coverage. Like missing shifter kids. Bettina was researching to do a whole series on the topic.
Tally didn’t know how long this peace would last, but she would enjoy it while it did. Even if things got rocky down the line, she knew it would be fine. She and Zach were going to navigate all the pitfalls and dangers together. She couldn’t wait to spend the rest of their lives figuring it out together.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thank you so much for reading Tooth and Nail. If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review on Amazon/Goodreads :)
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Small Town Shifters Book 4
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A Note from Lola
Thank you so much for reading Tooth and Nail. If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review. It really helps other readers decide to take a chance when looking for new authors to try out. I would really appreciate it if you have the time!
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