Page 66 of Devoted to the Dragon

She gives a dragon’s laugh as they howl in victory. Then she curls up and scoops both wolves in her tail, snuggling them into her side for a nap in the afternoon sunshine.

Chapter 31

Randi

The fire in the hearth of my dragon’s nest crackles, and I stare at it in a daze. Gunnar and Fennik chat in the background as they try to scrounge together a snack in my bare kitchen. The gifts from the serpent feel dangerous in my hand, ticking bombs ready to go off.

I’m still reeling over today, shaken by the fact that my dragon flew my mates here instead of the lair. I’m pretty convinced she’s been body-snatched, even if today was a nice reprieve from all the shit going on. It felt good to relax and play, to let my dragon’s worries and thoughts overtake my own. Still strange body-snatching shit, but nice.

She huffs at me in exasperation and retreats to the recesses of my mind, tired but incredibly pleased with herself.

The clock is ticking. The full moon is less than a week away now. That means I’ve got to decide what to do about all this, and I don’t feel any closer to a decision. How ironic that the tables have turned and now that my dragon is ready, I’m not.

I take a deep breath and open the treaty first. It’s a legal contract, full of complicated language that amounts to a surprisingly generous offer. The serpents have pledged money for aid for the crisis facing the wolves, promises to stop tradingweapons to the Alpha King’s successors or his territories, serpents for battle should we need them, trade routes through shifter territory, and business partnerships in the future. It even includes the aid of their shadows in helping to produce the magic for a Thunder, something it looks like they were planning to do with the King.

Too bad I don’t trust a word.What could a treaty mean for a people with no honor?

Gunnar carries a massive tray of food laden with fruits and honey, nuts, dried meats, and cheeses.

“Where did all this come from?” I ask as he sets the tray in front of the fire.

He looks at me quizzically. “Is that a trick question?”

Fennik peeks around the cavern wall. “Vandera stocked your kitchen. She left a note and some tea.”

I shake my head.Of course.My witchy friend always seems to know a little more than she lets on.

Gunnar grabs some of my nest blankets and pillows, making a soft pallet on the floor by the fire. I join him, pulling my blanket tighter around me. Gunnar holds out his fingers, giving me nibbles of sharp cheeses, salty meats, and sweet berries between his own bites.

Fennik hands us steaming cups of tea before he stretches out on the blankets. “What does it say?” He nods toward the treaty.I hand it to him, and he looks it over, his brow furrowing. “What do you think? This is one heck of a deal. They only ask that you allow serpents to petition to live in the territory.”

My mates eye me warily, and I shrug. “If it’s that good, it’s probably a trick.”

“If it’s true, would it be good for the territory? Good for wolves?” Gunnar asks. He shakes a handful of nuts in his palm, then tosses a few into his mouth.

When I hesitate, Fennik answers. “Yes, pup, but Randi is right. We don’t know if we can trust them at their word.”

The velvet bag is heavy in my hand, and its weight makes me want to scream.

“He said those were like the fang.” Fennik’s statement is a question.

“They’re laced with a spell. When I touch one, I’ll see what he’s encased in the stone.”

Gunnar cocks his head, and I can’t help but smile at the wolfy gesture. “Is that a serpent thing?”

I nod.

“What’s their deal anyway? With the smoke. Do they actually turn into serpents?”

“No, little wolf.” I indulge his curiosity, trying to explain what I remember. “The serpents were the last made, though it was well before I was born. Loki made them after he learned his father had tasked Thor with making the krakens. Unlike the great shifters, the serpents don’t have a true animal spirit. When they shift, it’s the embodiment of shadows that take a serpent-like form.”

Gunnar runs his fingers through his beard, shaking his head. He’s so damn cute the way he worries over the information. “Yeah, still don’t get what you mean by shadows. I swear, every time we talk about this stuff, I realize I don’t know anything about our world.”

Fennik chuckles and leans over me to grab a handful of snacks from the tray. “I’d never heard about any of it either. Not until Randi.”

Gunnar relaxes at that, looking at me to continue.

“People call them many names in the legends: sex demons, incubus or succubus, dream- or shadow-walkers. These are all references to the serpents,” I explain.

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