Tristan: The Manning Dragons ― Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  Every once in a while he’d think of Stephan tearing into him like he had right before he left. For a kid, he fought like a tiger, that was for sure. His shoulder was still giving him pains, and he would have to lie on his pillow a little easier because he’d cold cocked him with a bat.

  Kids did not understand respect for their parents anymore. They wanted what they wanted, and there was no telling them any different. Of course, it hadn’t been a game or some shit like that they’d fought over. Bruce had wanted to make some money off him.

  “I don’t know why he became this prude about it. I’d do it, and I told him that. But no, he said that he hurt him and he wasn’t doing it no more. Fucking little shit.” He looked down at himself as he sat in the gas station. “I’d do it, too, if I wasn’t so fat. They don’t like them fat. Nor old men like I am. They want them to be young and tight.”

  He finally left the station and drove up and down the streets. At this rate he’d be lucky if he found them by tomorrow. They probably were hiding out somewhere because it was cold, he thought. Bruce would just have to figure out where.

  By the time dinner time was rolling around, he’d not found them. Asking around had gotten him nothing but dirty looks. A few of them were sort of pissy about him not knowing where they were in the first place. Bruce just didn’t understand why people didn’t mind their own bees wax. He was a good dad when it suited him.

  There was a lot more fun to be had now that his old lady was gone. Christ, he thought, she sure could be a stick in the mud about shit. She could throw a temper fit like nobody’s business. And she would have knocked him two ways to Sunday if he had even suggested that they use the kids for money. He’d been rolling in the dough since he’d figured that out.

  And now his little girl was going to make him a rich man. Bruce figured that it was the least that she could do after he’d raised her and kept her around. She didn’t say much, but she sure was a pretty little thing.

  Having enough of driving around, and full from his nice meal, he went to one of the places that rented out a room for a night. It wasn’t a hotel, but one of them breakfast and bed places. He opened the door and nearly fell back, it was so warm in the place. Just what he wanted.

  “I need a room for the night.” Pretty little things asked him his name. “Why? You want to dream about me all night? Naw. I was only joking with you. It’s Bruce White. You got anything close to the bathroom? I think I’d enjoy a nice—”

  “We don’t have anything.” He said that was all right. He’d take anything. “No. I mean, we don’t have anything for you. I’d like for you to leave now.”

  “What do you mean, you don’t have any rooms for me? Sure you do. You ain’t got anybody here. Just give me a room and I won’t have to call anyone in here to make you see reason.”

  She told him she’d be back. While she was gone, he looked around. This was the sort of house that his old lady had wanted. It was clean and had pretty old stuff in it. She would have liked the old rugs, even though they were worn in a place or two. But she never worked enough for them to get a loan. Terri hated living in those subsidized places. It didn’t bother him none. The rent was free, and there was always somebody around to drink a case of beer with, or even to have a nice night out. Christ, she’d even bitch at him about that shit.

  “Mr. White. I’m the owner of this establishment, and we’re not going to rent you a room. Now, get back in your car and get away from here before I call the police.” He told him to go ahead. He had rights too. “No you don’t. Not in my home you don’t. Now, get out of here before I have to shoot your ass. You’re trespassing, and I already told you that we don’t have a room for you.”

  “Well, if this isn’t the stupidest thing I ever did hear of. I got money, is that what this is about? You’re thinking that since my old lady had a place up there in the welfare houses that I’m not good for a room?” He tossed the cash on the counter and waited for the man to refuse it. “I just need a room for tonight. Then I’ll be on my way. What will it take for me to have just one night?”

  The man looked at him, and Bruce felt like he was being boiled or something. “Where are your children, Mr. White?” Bruce was so shocked by the question that he didn’t have a ready answer. “A man that would leave his children, small children, to fend for themselves does not deserve any of the niceties that my place can offer you. Get out of here right now. And take your nasty, ill-gotten gains with you.”

  Picking up his money that had been tossed back at him, Bruce was at a loss as to why this man was so riled up about him leaving his children for a bit of work. Well, not so much work as bargaining, but he’d had to work hard at it. He was back out in his car when he realized that he’d have to sleep in his car tonight.

  “Mother fuck. Even my kids have shelter more than I do tonight.” He didn’t know for sure about that, but Stephan, he was resourceful when it came to protecting his sister. “This is just bull shit.”

  Twice more he was run off when he tried to park in somebody’s driveway for the night. What the hell did they care? They weren’t going to be leaving the house again until morning. Christ, this town had gone to hell in the few days he’d been gone.

  As he was looking for someplace that was abandoned, he realized that he’d been gone for nearly two months.

  “They’re dug in someplace, I’m betting. An old barn, or someplace that ain’t got a lick of heat to it. Even if they did come find me now, I’d not live in something like that. A man should have heat to keep him warm this time of year.”

  He grumbled some more and pulled into the convenience store lot. He was going to get him a few beers and some of that good jerky that they sold, and go down to the high school to park. Nobody was using it on a Saturday night.

  After paying for his food and drinks, the woman behind the counter treating him like he had some sort of disease or something, he decided that the whole town had gone to shit. He might even move away, that would show them all. Not even his buddies from the welfare park would talk to him. Bruce needed to find out what the hell his kids had said about him.

  By morning, he was so fucking cold that he nearly pissed himself rather than get out of the little bit of warmth that he’d been able to build up in his car. His finger hurt like a mother fucker, and he could hardly hold his beer in his hand, it was so stiff with cold. Getting out, he pulled out his pecker and felt it curl back at him. Even his dick thought it was too cold, he laughed to himself.

  “Mr. White.” He nearly squealed like his little girl when somebody said his name behind him. “You go ahead and finish up there, and we’ll have a talk. You’re a tiny little thing, aren’t you?”

  The woman was looking right at his dick when she said that to him. Then when she put her fingers together to show just how small she thought he was, he told her that it was the cold that had done it to him.

  “What the hell do you want? A good fuck? No thanks. I got to find my kids first. Maybe you come and hit me up later.” She shivered, and he laughed. “You thinking it might be too much for you?”

  “Actually, I was wondering what sort of sexually transmitted disease you might have. Not to mention how small your twig and berries are. No, I just want to talk to you.” She smiled, and he saw the fangs there. “You might want to leave your beers out of the car. I won’t be able to give it to the homeless around if it smells like beer.” Before he could say she wasn’t getting his car, she looked in the window of it. “Nah, they’d not want it either. I’m sure it smells like you.”

  “Now you listen here, bitch. I’ll have you know that it’s a fine car. You ain’t getting it anyway. What do you want with me? I got shit to do.” She asked if he knew where his children were. “You’re about the third person that has asked me that. Ain’t any of your business either. I’ll do with them what I want.”

  “You mean like sell them?” He just stared at her, telling himself that he was going to beat the living shit out of Stephan. “You were, you know.
Not just that beautiful little girl of yours, but that wonderful son too. You’ve done it before. No one said a word to you, so you thought that you’d like to make a little more for yourself, didn’t you?”

  “Ain’t a damn bit of what I do with my children is any of your concern.” She said that she was going to make it her business. “Oh yeah, you and what army?”

  Bruce saw them before he could even blink—hundreds upon thousands of those little bug like things. He thought they were called faeries, but he hated that word. Backing away from them, he kept an eye on the one that looked like she’d set a flame to herself.

  “This, as you might have surmised, is Flame. She is currently taking care of your daughter. Not for you, but in spite of you, actually. I would suggest that you follow them. Otherwise, you won’t go to where you’re supposed to be going.” He asked her where that was. “The Manning home. You know who they are, don’t you? The Manning dragons? She belongs to the mistress of the house. Go with them or not, but if you don’t, I’m going to murder you where you stand.”

  Bruce thought that was a little harsh, but he didn’t speak anymore. It was right cruel of them, too, to make him walk when he had a perfectly good car to ride in. It was one of the first things he’d spent his money on. A new ride for himself.

  When the sun was cresting on the big mountain that looked down over the town he’d lived in for most of his life, he was standing outside the house of one of the Mannings. To say he was afraid would have been way understated. He knew what they were, and what they were supposed to do to people they didn’t like.

  He surely hoped that they were going to let him live with his kids in the big house. It sure was nicer than them welfare homes. However, they’d have to help him out a little bit. Bruce didn’t want to be delayed today. There was shit to get done. Maybe this was good, he thought. Susie would be nice and cleaned up for her date.

  Chapter 10

  Tristan wanted to shift and take the man out. As simple as that. No fuss no muss. But he had a feeling that if he did that, not only were the children going to be upset with him, but Wynter was going to murder him. Her words, not his.

  “Come in.” He wasn’t even going to try and be nice to the man, but stood back while he was coming into his home. “The living room is right over there. You can have a seat.”

  “I guess you got my kids. That was right nice of you. I was wondering if you had a room all fixed up for me too.” Tristan didn’t answer him, but he did feel the dragon that he was roar and claw at him to get out. “You feeling all right there, mister?”

  “Just peachy.” He watched him look around the room and pick the chair closest to the fireplace. Tristan knew that he was being childish, but he wanted to put the fire out, just to be mean. However, he sat on the couch and stretched out. “You aren’t going to take either one of your kids again. And you’re especially not going to be taking Susie to meet Mr. Willows. He’s been arrested. Just as you’ll be soon enough.”

  “Now see here. Them are my kids, and I got a right to take them when I want. It ain’t none of your damned business what I do with them.” Tristan sat up and felt himself giving in when he heard Wynter in the other room. “I’m going to see you in jail, you fucking bastard, see if I don’t.”

  Susie came in and kissed him on the cheek. Tristan was shocked that she did it. He looked at Wynter after Stephan gave his father a hug, and knew that she’d asked them to do that. After they sat down on either side of White, Wynter sat in the chair opposite him.

  “You got kids of your own. Why the hell are you bothering with my dirty fucks? You lock them up in the basement? I had to do that a couple of times when I just needed some peace. Don’t you just think—?”

  “Shut up.” Tristan leaned back on the couch when Stephan stood up. “You’re a moron. I always knew that, but you just proved it. We aren’t your children. We were until yesterday, I mean.”

  “What do you mean—?” White stared at the two kids like he’d never seen them before. Stephan took his sister’s hand when White reached for her. “You sure do pretty up nice when you got money, don’t you? Well, that’ll be all right, I guess. You can keep them clothes and whatever else they gave you. Might come in—”

  “We’re not going anywhere with you. Never again.” This time White stood up, but Stephan didn’t back down. “Don’t try that crap on me. I’m not so much a kid anymore, and I will knock you on your butt. You’re not going to take me or Susie to anyone’s house so they can do those terrible things to us. If you think you are, then I’m going to have you arrested.”

  “On whose say? Huh? You think anyone is going to believe some wet behind the ears shit hole that is barely in his teens?” Stephan told him that he was twelve. “Whatever. You’ll do as you’re told, and you’ll not give me any of your lip. Or I just might have to fatten it up for you. What do you care about a little loving, Stephan? It’s not like you can get knocked up from it. And little Susie here, she’s too little to get that way. It’s just a little fun, then I’ll have money enough to feed you two.”

  “Are you telling your children that it’s all right that you sell them off to the highest bidder so that you can have money to feed them? What the fuck is wrong with you?” White told Wynter to shut up. Tristan stood up, but she stayed him with her hand. “You talk to me that way again, and I will kill you where you stand. As for you selling the kids, why don’t you let me go out into the yard and pick up a thick log so that I can shove it up your ass? I think that would be about right, don’t you? The only thing is, you’ll probably get brain damage since it’ll be so close to your fucking brain.”

  White drew back and Wynter stood there. Tristan could see the determination in her eyes, and the fear, just a smidge of it, in White’s. Before anything got out of hand, the police, who had been in his office listening to the entire thing, came in and arrested White.

  “What does that mean, I’m under arrest? These people here, they took my kids from me and now...now they’re a wanting to blackmail me into getting them back. How the hell is a man supposed to provide for his kids if he has to go and hunt them down all the time?” He kicked out at Stephan, who dodged it easily enough. “You damned, ungrateful shit. You just wait until I get myself out of here. You’ll see.”

  “They know everything.” That caused him to pause on the way out of the room. “Yeah, they know that you sold me several times already. They know that you’re planning on selling off Susie again. First time didn’t work, they know that, but here you are, trying to take her away again. Well, I hate you, and will for the rest of my life.”

  Susie stood up then and held Tristan’s hand. When she looked up at him, Tristan picked her up and held her. She looked right at her father.

  “He’s going to be my daddy from now on. I have pretty clothes, a new bed, and someone to be with me all the time.” White said that she was ungrateful. “I don’t know what that means, but if it means you won’t touch me again, then I’d say I’m glad for it.”

  After White was taken away, Tristan sat down on the couch with Susie in his arms. Stephan sat down next to him. Wynter sat on the other side of him. Tristan thought they’d need a bigger couch soon. He loved having them so close, but the arm of the couch was pinching him something terrible.

  “Susie and I talked last night, and we would like to stay here if you’d be okay with that. I don’t think my dad is going to be getting out of jail for a long time. I hope so anyway.” No one said anything as Stephan continued. “You don’t have to adopt us or anything like that. We both know that you want to have kids of your own. We also know that you’re not human beings. I think...Susie and I think that you’re dragons.”

  “We’re dragons. And we’ve talked it over too, Stephan. We want to adopt you, and I believe, thanks to Tristan having such a powerful brother, that we’ll not have any trouble with it.” Susie asked what they wanted of them. “Want of you guys? Nothing more than we’d want from our biological children. To be happy. T
o feel loved and secure. We’d also like for you to follow any rules that we’d have for you. Neither of us have been parents before, so why don’t we learn as we go? But mostly, we really want you two to be safe and happy.”

  They decided to go to the mall after everything was finished with their father. Tristan was glad for the distraction. And while he knew that they had clothing in their drawers, more than he thought they would with only being there for a day, the idea of shopping made them all excited. Tristan pulled Wynter into his arms for a long and drawn out kiss when the kids went to get their coats.

  “I love you too.” She smiled at him as she continued. “I’m so happy you didn’t kill him. I want him dead too, but you can’t think that it would have been a good idea for you to do that. Not in front of the kids. Do you?” He shook his head. “Besides, can you imagine the mess that it would have made in the living room? I mean, the burnt carpet alone would have had to be replaced. Don’t get me started on the stains in the couch. I love that couch, don’t you?”

  “I do. But it needs to be longer. In a few months, now that he’s eating better, Stephan will fill out, and neither one of us will be able to sit on it.” She laughed. “I love you, Wynter Manning. So much it steals my breath away when I think of how much I do.”

  “And I love you as much.” They were headed out the door when he saw a cruiser pull in. “We were just headed out, Arthur. Is this important?”

  “I’m afraid it is. If you just give me two minutes, I’ll be on my way.” He waved at the kids in the car and smiled at them. He and Wynter followed the officer back into the house. “He’s dead. Mr. Bruce White, he’s dead.”

  “What happened? Not that I’m going to be sorry for him being dead, but you only left here an hour ago with him.” Arthur nodded and said that he was sorry. “Don’t be. Just tell us what happened.” Tristan looked at Wynter. Neither one of them were going to lose any sleep over this.

  “We pulled up in front of the jail and there was a crowd, you know? I didn’t think a thing of it, it being so close to Thanksgiving and all, that we just pulled him out to be done with it. He took off with his arms behind his back in them cuffs we put on him. Laughing like a damned fool, he was.” Tristan didn’t know what the crowd had to do with that, but he knew that Officer Arthur would get around to it soon enough. “They were there to meet him, it seems. After we went about telling everyone what he’d been doing, the crowd took it in their heads to take care of him—for the kids, you know.”