by J. L. Wilder
He tested the temperature of the water with his free hand. It was hot—maybe too hot—but he didn’t care. He stepped backward into the shower, towing Haley along with him.
The steaming water rained down over their naked bodies, and he pulled her close for a moment and just held her in his arms. His cock stood between them, fully erect now, throbbing against her stomach and his. Ryker was dizzy with desire.
Then her hand was on him, without warning, stroking him slowly, and Ryker felt his knees go weak. He leaned back against the porcelain wall of the shower and closed his eyes, feeling the hot water on his face, spreading his legs to give himself a bit more stability.
Haley placed a hand on his chest and trailed her fingers slowly downward, down across the flat plane of his stomach, down to his thighs. He squinted through the water and saw that she had lowered herself to her knees, and she was now gripping one of his thighs firmly in each hand, staring at his cock as though mesmerized by it.
He couldn’t look away from her. He couldn’t form words. The only thought in his mind was please.
She took him in her mouth, massaging him slowly with her tongue, and Ryker felt as if bolts of electricity were shooting through his body. His legs were actually trembling. He didn’t know whether he would be able to hold himself upright.
Haley wrapped a hand around him and began to bob her head up and down, stroking in rhythm. He looked down and saw that she was touching herself with her other hand, and his arousal mounted. She had always loved going down on him. He knew how much it turned her on.
His feet were starting to slip in the water at the bottom of the shower. He slid downward slightly—
Haley threaded her arms between his legs and wrapped one around each of his thighs. She pulled him closer, taking him deeper, and Ryker gasped as he felt her nose at the base of his stomach.
Her throat contracted slightly, then relaxed. She stayed very, very still.
Ryker did his best to stay still as well. He wanted to fuck her mouth more than anything, but he wanted to make sure she was comfortable first. Taking him as deep as she was—it couldn’t possibly be easy.
She stroked his hip carefully with one hand. He felt her swallow around him and thought he was going to lose his mind.
Then her hands were on his ass, pulling, guiding him, and he groaned and let himself ride her face.
The shaking in his thighs was worse than ever, and he felt on the verge of collapse, but somehow the position they were in was keeping him upright, wedged between her face and the wall.
She swallowed again and again, drinking him, sucking from him—
He couldn’t suppress a roar of delight as he came. The sensation was so powerful that for a moment he thought he might breathe fire again, right here in his human form, and he was thankful that they were standing in the water so that the spark would be quenched.
He dropped to the shower floor beside her and took her in his arms. “Holy fuck,” he breathed. “That was fucking amazing, Haley.”
She curled into his body. She was shivering herself, panting the way she always did after an orgasm, and Ryker felt a fresh surge of satisfaction at the realization that she had made herself come as well.
The water poured down around them, and they leaned into one another, catching their breath, relaxing in each other’s embrace.
Chapter Forty-Nine
RYKER
“It just blows my mind that you can still care about the clan,” Ryker said, glancing over at Haley.
They’d gone outside to sit in the night air. Haley had opened the curtains just a crack before they had stepped out so that she would be able to look back and see Danny sleeping inside, and they would know if he awoke and needed them. For now, though, he was sleeping peacefully.
Ryker wished he could do the same. Tomorrow was going to be a big day—the start of their mission to go back to the clan and try to depose Shane for real—and he wanted to be well rested. But he knew he’d never be able to sleep. He could feel his muscles twitching, even as he sat here.
Haley looked more relaxed than he felt, but there were subtle indicators that she, too, was far from sleep. Her spine was completely straight—she wasn’t even leaning back against the motel wall, as he was. Her hands were clenched into fists, and her eyes were wide open.
She’s as ready for the fight as I am, he thought.
“I told you,” Haley said, “It’s not about the members of the clan. I don’t care about them.”
“I know,” Ryker said. “You care about the clan’s future.”
“I care about my son’s future.”
“Of course. So do I. You just...you really don’t think it would be better for Danny if we just left? We could start a new life in Canada. We could start a new clan.”
Haley shook her head. “It’s a nice dream.”
“It doesn’t have to be a dream.”
“Ryker. Of course it does. You know how long it would take to pull a dragon clan together. We go up north, it’ll just be the three of us. There’s no guarantee we’ll even find any other dragons.”
“Would that be the end of the world? We could be a clan of three.”
“That’s not a clan.” Haley drew a breath. “Do you know what I’ve always worried about? The one thing that’s always bothered me, even in the face of the larger dangers Danny and I have had in our lives?”
“What?” he asked.
“I’ve never known how Danny is going to be able to find love,” she said quietly. “Even now...you see how he is. He so badly wants to know some dragons his own age, just for the sake of friendship. What happens when he grows up and wants a mate of his own?”
Ryker was quiet. Having Haley back in his life was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Every day, he was reminded anew of what an idiot he had been to ever let her go.
How could I ever make a choice that would prevent my son from finding this kind of happiness?
Haley was right.
They needed a community of fellow dragons. Danny deserved to be raised around his own kind.
“That place is a mess now,” Haley said. “It was never like that when I was a part of the clan. Under your father. It wasn’t anywhere near as bad, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t,” Ryker said. “My father would never have harmed any members of the clan. He took his responsibility as alpha seriously. He wanted to protect everybody, always.”
“You’ll be the same, once you’re alpha,” Haley said. “You’ll turn the clan back into a place where its members can be safe and happy. You’ll give our son a community where he can grow up feeling protected.
“But you know...” Ryker hesitated, unsure how to put into words what he wanted to say. “The people who threw you out of the clan will still be there,” he said. “We won’t be able to get rid of all of them, even if we do depose Shane.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to,” Haley said. “If you got rid of everyone who had thrown me out, you would have to get rid of yourself.”
He glanced over at her, startled, but she was smiling.
“But what is the plan?” she asked.
“You think I have a plan? You’re the one who said we needed to go back.”
“That doesn’t mean I have a plan. You’re the alpha. You’re the one who’s been working on this for—what, months? You should have some kind of plan. What happens to Shane and his people after you take over? Are you going to throw them out?”
“No,” Ryker said. “I don’t think so. Not if they submit to my authority.”
“Do you really think they will?”
“I have no idea what they’ll do. But I’m going to give them the chance,” Ryker said. “The biggest regret of my life is throwing you out of our clan, Haley. I’m not going to throw anybody out again unless I’m sure it’s the only option.”
He glanced at her, worried that she might be offended that Shane was being given the chance she hadn’t had, but to his relief, she was still smiling
.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she said. “It’s just that...you’ve changed.”
“I guess I have,” he agreed quietly. “You’ve changed me.”
“I don’t think he’s going to submit to you,” Haley admitted. “It seems like an incredible long shot.”
“Well, you’re probably right,” Ryker said. “But we’ll give it a try. Maybe he’ll do it for Quinn’s sake.”
“Quinn?”
“His mate,” Ryker said. “She’s younger than we are. I’m not surprised you don’t know her. But he’s very protective of her. He won’t want to see her forced to leave the clan.”
“So you’re hoping he’ll cooperate so that she’ll be able to stay?”
Ryker nodded. “She’ll be his one weakness, just like you’re mine,” he said. “If Quinn asks Shane to stand down, I think he just might do it. And then we’d stand a chance at having a peaceful takeover.”
“I hope you’re right,” Haley said. “I hope this can be done peacefully.”
Ryker nodded. He hoped so too.
Chapter Fifty
RYKER
The following morning, they knocked on Valerie’s door. She opened it a crack and peered out at them, looking suspicious and worried.
“What?” she asked. “Back already?”
“Can we come in, Valerie?” Haley asked. “We haven’t slept. Ryker’s dead on his feet.”
“I’m not dead on my feet,” Ryker objected with a scowl.
Valerie opened the door and ushered them quickly inside, then shut and locked it behind them.
“What’s up?” Haley asked, watching her friend’s skittish movements with some concern. “You seem worried.”
“I don’t know,” Valerie said. “It’s just...different. We’re all on our own out here.”
“No one knows where you are,” Haley said. “You’re not in any danger.”
“The grizzlies found us.”
“They found me. You’re safer without me here.” She took Valerie’s arm and led her over to the couch. “Are you okay? I had no idea you were going to be this anxious after we left, Valerie. I’m sorry.”
“I’m okay,” Valerie said, letting herself be eased down to sit. “I’m just adjusting, I guess. I'll be okay.”
“How’s Sarah?”
“Fine. She’s still sleeping.” She looked over at Danny, who was hovering awkwardly by the door. “Your bedroom’s still the way you left it, Danny, if you want to go relax.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” Haley agreed. “Why don’t you go play quietly for a bit, Danny, so that I can talk to Valerie?”
“Can Dad come with me?” Danny asked.
“Dad needs to talk to Valerie too,” Haley said. “But maybe you two can take a little time together when we’re finished.”
Her voice broke slightly as she said it, and Ryker realized that the true meaning behind her words was a little bit darker than what she was saying outright.
She wants us to have a chance to say goodbye.
Haley was optimistic, but she was also being honest with herself about the dangers of what they were about to attempt, Ryker realized. There was every chance that they wouldn’t be coming back from this confrontation at all.
This might be the last time he ever saw his son.
Danny must have heard something in his mother’s voice that worried him because he frowned, and for a moment, it looked like he might not go to his room.”
“Go on, Danny,” Haley urged him. “Dad will be along in a minute.”
Danny turned slowly and disappeared down the hall. A moment later, they heard the sound of a door closing.
“What’s going on, Haley?” Valerie asked urgently.
“We went back to the clan,” Haley said. “But it didn’t go the way we’d hoped it would.” And she filled Valerie in on everything that had happened when they had faced Shane.
“So they knew you were coming?” Valerie asked. “And they thought—what, that you were lying about Danny being Ryker’s son?”
“Shane wanted them to believe it was a lie,” Ryker said. “I couldn’t be sure what anyone really believed. I think Barty was genuinely afraid I was being manipulated, but now that he’s seen Danny...I mean, I have to believe he’s at least having second thoughts about it. Who could possibly doubt that that’s my kid?”
“So what happens now?” Valerie asked.
“We’re going back,” Haley said. “We have to face Shane again. We have to remove him from power and put Ryker in charge of the clan, where he belongs.”
“I didn’t want it to come to a fight for power,” Ryker said. “But I’m afraid it’s going to. Shane won’t go willingly, no matter how much evidence I have that I’m the one with the more legitimate claim to alpha.”
“And you really want to be a part of this?” Valerie asked Haley. “After everything? I thought you wanted nothing to do with that clan anymore, Haley, but ever since Ryker came back into your life, I hardly recognize you. It’s like you’ve forgotten everything that happened in the last ten years.”
“I haven’t forgotten,” Haley said. “It’s just that I’m ready to move on. I’m not going to let those things stay with me for the rest of my life.”
“Haley, if you hadn’t been kicked out of your clan, you would never have come to live in Shifter Town in the first place,” Valerie pointed out. “Danny would never have become a target for the grizzlies.”
“I know that,” Haley said.
“And you’re just ready to look past it?”
“A lot of things wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t left the clan,” Haley said. “I wouldn’t have met you, Valerie. We wouldn’t have been able to raise our kids side by side the way we have. I wouldn’t have developed the confidence that I have over the past ten years. It’s been hard, but I’m a much stronger person than I was, and it’s because of what I’ve been through.”
“So now you’re grateful that he kicked you out of your clan?” Valerie said disbelievingly.
“No,” Haley said. “Not grateful. It’s just that...it’s a part of my story. I’m ready to accept it and move forward.”
“I understand how that’s healthy,” Valerie said. “But do you really have to do that with him at your side?”
“It’s what I want, Val,” Haley said. “He’s my mate.”
“He hasn’t been much of a mate to you.”
“I’m happy,” Haley said. She reached over and took Ryker’s hand in her own. “What we have makes me happy.”
Valerie sighed. “You know what you want,” she said. “I won’t try to tell you otherwise. I just worry.”
“I know,” Haley said. “But you don’t need to. I’ve thought this through. I know what I’m doing.”
Valerie looked at Ryker. “You take care of her this time,” she said seriously.
“I will,” Ryker said. “I know how lucky I am to be getting a second chance. I won’t make the same mistake twice. You can count on that.”
Chapter Fifty-One
HALEY
Ryker disappeared down the hall to join Danny in his room. Haley and Valerie watched him go.
“He’s not really what I expected,” Valerie said after several moments had passed in silence.
“What did you expect?” Haley asked.
“I don’t know,” Valerie admitted. “Someone more selfish. Meaner. Someone who didn’t care about you or Danny at all. It’s hard to square this man with the one you’ve been talking about all these years. He seems like he really cares about you.”
“Yeah,” Haley said. “He does.”
“Then why—?”
“It’s been complicated between the two of us for a long time,” Haley said. “It’s so important for an alpha to have a son, and when I couldn’t give him one...well, I’m not surprised that it came between us.”
“And you don’t think he’s just taking you back now because of Danny?”
“No,
I don’t,” Haley said. “We had started finding our way back to one another before he even knew that Danny existed. This—whatever it is—it’s the right thing for me, Valerie.”
“You seem sure.”
“I am.”
“Well, just know that I’ll always be here for you,” Valerie said. “I wouldn’t have this home if it weren’t for you. I’ll always have your back if you ever need me.”
“I was hoping you would say that,” Haley admitted.
“Oh?”
“I can’t take Danny back with me this time,” Haley said. “Not after what almost happened the last time we went to meet with the clan. I need to leave him somewhere safe.”
“He can stay here,” Valerie said at once. “You both always have a home here.”
Haley swallowed. “There’s more,” she said.
“What is it?”
“I can’t say for sure whether I’ll be coming back,” Haley said. “I’m going to fight by Ryker’s side, if it comes to it, and I need to know that Danny has someone who will look after him.”
“I love him as much as my own child,” Valerie said, taking Haley’s hand. “You know that.”
“If something happens—if Ryker and I don’t make it back—I want you to run,” Haley said. “This house is too close to the clan, and it’s too close to the people in Shifter Town who might be bitter that we managed to get out. Take the money Ryker gave us and go north to Canada. Start a new life, just the three of you.”
“We were supposed to do that together,” Valerie said quietly. “Remember? We planned on starting our new life together.”
“I know,” Haley said. “That’s why you’re the only person I know I can trust, Valerie. You’re the only person I can count on to take care of my son. You will, won’t you?”
“You know I will,” Valerie said with a sigh. “But, Haley...you know what it’s going to do to that kid if you don’t come back from this. You’re already the only dragon he knows. He’d have Sarah and me—he always will—but in a way, he would be completely alone.”
“I get that,” Haley said quietly. “I really do. And I know it’s a risk. But it’s a chance we have to take.”
