Gavin went downstairs to round everyone up. They had to wait for Casey, Evangeline, Daphne, and Ford to all come from town. Isabella yawned over the sink as she scrubbed dishes. Gavin told her to take a seat and finished the dishes for her. She gave him a wary side-eye but didn’t complain.
He needed to keep his hands busy while he waited. If he didn’t, then he would go back upstairs and bother Nellie while she slept. She needed rest to get more of her magic back. He refused to believe that sex alone helped her connect with it again. He’d made her feel safe and loved.
At least, that was his theory. While under his protection, Nellie had finally relaxed and let go of whatever was holding her back. Gavin only facilitated her safety, so this could happen. It had nothing to do with him.
Evangeline had dyed her hair again. This time, the pastel colors had been bypassed in favor of a rich emerald green. She tore off her hat and shook it out. Gavin expected her to say something snarky, but she grinned in the direction of the staircase.
“You look like you got fucked good,” Evangeline said.
“Eat a dick,” Nellie snapped back as she entered the kitchen.
“I already ate enough for breakfast.”
“You’re both disgusting!” Isabella shouted from the couch. “Shut up before you make me gag.”
Gavin poured a cup of coffee for Nellie and pushed it into her empty hands. She gave him a soft, sleepy smile that made his heart clench. Then, Nellie turned to put her back against his chest.
“Be careful or I’ll show up to your delivery room and curse your child to prick her finger on a needle.”
Though the words seemed like a threat, Isabella and Evangeline burst out into fits of laughter. Gavin didn’t question their strange customs. He would never understand their inner workings, especially how they got away with talking to each other the way they did.
“I see you’ve gotten your magic back,” Evangeline commented as she grabbed a mug for herself.
Nellie stiffened against his chest. She sputtered into her coffee cup and gaped at Evangeline.
Evangeline raised a brow. “What? You think Bel and I couldn’t tell? If seeing you with Gavin wasn’t enough to clue us in, we also noticed that you stopped making magical threats days ago. We knew something was up!”
Gavin expected Nellie to pull away from him to hug her friend, but Nellie didn’t move. She sank deeper into him, as if another worry had been lifted from her weary shoulders.
“Good,” Nellie said over her mug. “Glad you understand that I mean it when I make hex threats.”
Evangeline cackled. Gavin even found himself grinning. His home had been empty when he’d first arrived. The rooms had echoed his own rage back at him. Now, they were filled with joy and hope and things he’d never let himself believe possible. He had so much to protect now.
“Now that everyone’s here, are you finished throwing idle threats at one another? We need to have a meeting.”
The energy in the room became somber. He hated seeing their joy disappear, but he couldn’t make a decision without their input. They were the reason this clan worked. There would be no clan without these people, so everything had to go through them.
He herded them into the living room. Couples gravitated toward one another. Erik made a crude joke and Dillon punched him in the side of the head, but they still found seats near one another, too.
Gavin’s shoulders tightened. He wondered, not for the first time, if there was a way he could end this war on his own. If he could get his father alone, then maybe he could challenge the old man to a one on one fight. No one else would have to get involved.
Zander would never let that happen, though. Gavin had been outcast because Zander feared him. It’d taken Gavin a long time to figure that out. He’d thought his father had seen the monster in him and decided nothing could be done about it.
Had Gavin been a monster, Nellie wouldn’t have slept with him. She never would have given him the chance to fall in love with her. Gavin wasn’t a monster. He was simply a man with the power to defeat his father.
“It’s almost time, isn’t it?” Bree asked. Her voice didn’t waver. She looked Gavin in the eye like a soldier ready to face her fate.
He couldn’t tell her how much he hated that or how he wanted her to renounce this fight. They could all die if Gavin screwed this up. They should have known this, and yet they were still ready to throw their lives away in the name of this clan.
“About time,” Casey breathed. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
No, Gavin wanted to scream. Run! Save yourselves! You can still be happy!
Nellie reached between them and took his hand. She mouthed a single word, like she’d delved into his mind and come up with the perfect answer to his torment:
Together.
He didn’t like it, but she was right. Gavin couldn’t win this fight without their help. He knew his father wouldn’t come anywhere near them without an army of his own. Which was why he needed to call this meeting.
“A shifter from Zander’s clan approached me. Tyler says that he wants to take over after my father is denounced.”
All eyes turned toward Gavin. While doubts about his ability to lead raced through his mind, Nellie’s touch grounded him. If she could trust him, then there had to be a reason. Perhaps Gavin could be better at this than he’d thought.
“And you want to believe him?” Ford asked, ever wary.
Deemed a kingkiller by his old clan, Ford had killed his previous clan leader for being unreasonable and volatile. He had every reason to mistrust those who might come forward to help them. He could place his faith in the hands of those present, but that would not extend any further.
For that, Gavin trusted him. He knew Ford would not make a decision with the thought of hope in mind. He would weigh the cons of the situation accordingly.
“If we have the witch on our side,” Daphne began, “then we won’t need inside help.”
Gavin stiffened. “Nellie doesn’t have to participate in our fight. I will not ask anyone to risk their lives that does not want to. If any of you want out of this, then you are free to leave and save yourselves. I won’t hold it against you.”
The room went quiet. Gavin thought they might all get up and walk out on him, but no one moved. Perhaps they trusted him after all. He’d tried to keep his distance so they could choose their own paths once this was all over, but they’d reeled him in. They made him want to be a clan leader.
He realized that he wanted them to stay. Not because he wanted them to worship him, like his father asked of his clan. Gavin wanted family. He loved the noise that permeated his home, the life that now lived in every corner.
“I can help,” Nellie said. “I want to help.”
That’s it. Hell had frozen over. Gavin stared at Nellie and tried to process the impossible and how it could have happened.
Evangeline slapped Casey’s thigh. “Why don’t you look at me like that?”
He grumbled something back before yanking her into his lap to quiet her. Gavin barely heard what went on around him as he was still dumbstruck by Nellie’s declaration.
Slowly, he asked, “Are you sure? You aren’t going to like this.”
She nodded. “I know how to deal with dragons. I’m not afraid of them anymore.”
He couldn’t tell her that she should be. He didn’t want to watch fear take control of her all over again, not when she’d only just gotten free of it. His father would want to hurt her. He knew it without a doubt. While the return of Nellie’s magic meant she could protect herself from one or two dragons, he feared what would happen when his father sent them all after her.
Gavin couldn’t lose her. If he did…he shuddered to think of what he might become. Ford and Casey would be there to stop Gavin should the beast take control, but Gavin didn’t want it to come to that.
“You can’t tell her no,” Isabella said with her eyes closed and a hand over her belly.
Gavin
glared at her, but she couldn’t see it, so it didn’t even matter.
“We all know the costs of fighting,” Isabella said. When she opened her eyes, she pinned Gavin with her bold stare. “We also know that if we don’t all stand together in this, that we will fall one by one, and there won’t be a future for anyone.”
He couldn’t help his beast’s rising growl. It would take on the world if it meant keeping those he loved safe. It’d only ever wanted someone to protect. Now that the beast had a family, it would do anything for them.
“If you think this Tyler is going to follow through on his offer, then I think we should take him up on it.” Ford looked to Casey, Erik, and Dillon. “The three of you knew this guy, right? Will we trade one horrid leader for another? Or will this guy do what’s right?”
There was a small bit of hesitation, but the guys nodded like dominoes falling into place.
“Tyler is a good man,” Casey said.
Erik shrugged. “He never tried to kill me. I know that’s a low bar, but that meant something to me while I lived under Zander.”
“I can’t say I blame your old clanmates,” Ford joked.
Bree stomped on his instep and got a hiss of pain from him. Daphne did nothing but give her mate a look that said he deserved it.
Gavin explained Tyler’s offer in more depth. They couldn’t rely on Zander’s clan to turn against him, not completely, but any small advantage would help. The clan agreed with him. They knew to look out for signs of betrayal, too. Though he hated it, the clan discussed ways to alert each other if such a thing happened.
Nellie took his hand again. Her palm seared his and the hair on his arm stood on end. He guessed it had to be her magic, leaking out due to her skyrocketing nerves. They didn’t know when Zander would strike. If Gavin thought he could have a quiet, uninterrupted night, then he would take Nellie somewhere and treat her nice.
He didn’t want her to be without her magic ever again. It wasn’t that he needed her to use it for him. He’d watched her suffer without access to what had defined her. No one should have to struggle like that.
“I’ll get in touch with Tyler. I don’t think he’s left yet.”
Nellie groaned. “Does that mean I have to run interference on your ex again?”
The clan erupted with laughter. Gavin realized just how blind he’d been to Tiffany’s antics. It seemed, from the looks on their faces, that half the clan had hated her from the beginning.
“Why didn’t any of you tell me she was a bitch from the beginning?” Gavin asked his oldest friends.
Daphne made a face and looked away, clearly hiding her laughter. Dillon didn’t spare him, though.
“You wouldn’t have listened. You had your head so far up her ass that she was a ski mask.”
“Oh my,” Nellie whispered before losing herself to her giggles.
Gavin sucked his teeth. On one hand, he was proud of his clan. No one would have ever said such a thing to Zander out of fear of the repercussions. On the other, Gavin would have like to ignore that part of his life.
The past didn’t always work out. That was why it was called the past and not the present. This time, Gavin would do it right. He wasn’t struggling with his beast. It had what it wanted and wasn’t trying to fill an emptiness with love that would never work.
He had the real thing now. With his clan. Maybe even with Nellie.
* * *
Nellie and Gavin swung by her house so she could grab some of her things. She stared up at the house. Just the sight of it made her gut churn again. Her mother’s letter haunted her for reasons she’d never expected. Now, she wasn’t sure if she could see herself living in her family home ever again.
“Do you need help carrying anything?” Gavin asked.
She flashed him a smirk. “That’s what they call simping, nowadays.”
His brow furrowed. She could feel his frustration radiating off him. He hated all these new sayings, words that probably didn’t make sense to him. Gavin was a man of reason and action. Nellie liked throwing a wrench into his life every now and then.
“It’s when a guy does really nice things for a woman to get her to have sex with them,” she explained.
“I don’t get how anyone can be so stupid. Why can’t people do nice things for the sake of respecting one another? Stop expecting sex out of it.”
He grumbled a bit like Evangeline’s grandfather used to. The old man would have loved Gavin and Casey. He would have challenged the hell out of them both, but he would have loved them all the same.
“You don’t have to simp for me,” she said. “I can get my own things.”
But she didn’t move. Her feet stuck to the floorboards the same way a question stuck in her throat. Gavin sat quiet. He could probably tell there was something she wanted to say. He didn’t pressure her, didn’t try to get it out of her right then and there. His patience with her eased the knot in her chest and freed her lungs.
“I don’t want to stay here anymore,” she said.
He cocked his head. “I’m not sure I understand.”
Frustration crackled in Nellie’s chest. Change had come for her. It’d hit her like a battering ram. She’d tried to hold onto her past, including all the rules and boundaries that she’d set for herself. The past weeks had ripped that all away from her.
Nellie wasn’t afraid anymore. Not of Gavin. Especially not of Gavin.
“Are you afraid to be on your own? I never meant to drag you into this fight. If you want to get out of town until this is over, I will pay for all your expenses. My dragon would sleep easier knowing you’re safe and sound.”
She laughed. “No, it wouldn’t. You might sleep easier, but your dragon has barely given us a moment alone since I lost my magic. If you sent me away, your dragon would come after me.”
He scowled. Gold tried to take over his eyes, but he kept it from sticking around, like he wanted this conversation to stay between the two of them. She didn’t mind his dragon, though. The beast loved her. She could tell that much. Gavin might have loved her, too. She couldn’t tell yet.
He obviously liked her, but she wasn’t sure if love was on the table yet.
Right? She didn’t love him…
Okay, maybe she did. This guy that she’d spent so much time running away from had become one of the most important people in her life. She’d watched him confront his demons and make an effort to step away from the role of the monster that so many had cast him in. Gavin had incredible physical strength, but he had a force of will unlike any other. She wondered if she deserved that, if she had what it took to stand by a man like him, then remembered that she’d stubbornly exhausted her magical well to avoid him.
Could she ask to move in with him, though? How did one go about that? Shouldn’t she wait for him to bring it up? The cabin had quickly become a second home for her. She wanted to wake up there every morning, with Gavin at her side and one of her best friends nearby.
He cupped the back of her neck. His warmth slid through her until she let out a relaxed sigh. He grinned and gently pulled her closer. “I want nothing more than to wake up next to you every day. You’re the only woman I’m ever going to want.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
Nellie leaned in and deepened it by parting her lips. Gavin growled greedily, like he could never get enough of her. The thought sent fireworks through her chest. She gripped the front of his shirt and held on.
When he broke away, his eyes had filled with gold and his breath had quickened. The corners of his mouth lifted. “Fuck it. I’m going inside with you. We’re going to grab everything and bring it back to the cabin.”
Nellie couldn’t stop smiling as she hopped out of the truck. Her mother’s letter had destroyed her perception of the past, but it’d also kicked open doors for the future. She could love a dragon, maybe even be his mate. She knew without a doubt that he would protect her until his last breath.
And that she would do the same for him.
&nbs
p; She reached for her keys, only to remember the broken key still jammed in the lock. When she brought her attention up, she saw that the front door was ajar. A dark sliver between the door and the door frame made her shudder.
With the key stuck in the lock, someone could have jimmied it to get her door open. A robber could have taken everything…or even worse, one of Zander’s men could be lurking inside. She’d become a part of this war, whether she liked it or not. Her magic uncoiled inside her. So long as she had access to it, she could protect herself.
Fingertips against the door, she gave it a soft push. The resulting creak made her jump. She flattened her hand over her heart and waited for it to calm. Gavin caught up and put his hand on her lower back. The smell of smoke emanated from him.
Without saying anything, Gavin moved around her. He slunk through the open doorway and into the dim interior. Though her heart still raced, she leapt in after him.
A hiss echoed through the living room. A small blur darted across the room toward the couch. Gavin’s snarl died in his throat. He stared at the couch for a long moment before looking back at Nellie.
She broke into a peal of laughter. As relief flooded her, her laughter became hysterical. She bent double and had to wipe tears from her eyes.
“I don’t get what’s so funny,” Gavin grumbled.
She tried to respond, but she couldn’t find her voice while laughing so hard. Gavin shook his head and approached the couch. It screeched against the floor as he pulled it away from the wall.
Nellie crept around behind him and saw a painfully thin cat standing over a huddle of mewling kittens. Her laughter faded and her heart swelled. Gavin warned her to back up, but Nellie dropped to her knees and held a hand out to the mother cat.
“She could have rabies!” Gavin hissed.
The mama cat quieted and blinked up at Nellie. Taking one, cautious step forward, the cat sniffed Nellie’s hand. She held her breath to keep as still as possible while the cat investigated her. In the end, the cat rubbed her cheek along Nellie’s hand. Mama cat’s approval warmed Nellie’s heart and nearly brought her to tears.
Rogue Dragons Series: Box Set Books 1-5 Page 65
