Page 26 of So I Dared a Dragon

“I missed you too. I’m glad you’ll be staying with me and I can’t wait to hear everything about this mysterious dragon who only has eyes for you.”

“I’m happy too.” I hesitated. “Can I give you a hug?”

Bibi brightened. “Of course.”

As we embraced, I felt something I hadn’t in a long time. Like it might be possible for me to go home again, even if that place wasn’t in Montana anymore. And that was okay. Home wasn’t a place. It was a feeling. “I’m gonna make sure that you get your happily ever after too.”

ten

. . .

Aarix

Magnus stood by the window, arms crossed, burnished wings vibrating like he was about to smash through the glass and fly out of the room. “Feels like we’re in captivity all over again.”

“It’s for our protection.” But I had to admit, agreeing to be a contestant onThe Mating Gamemeant giving up control. We’d come to a new territory, unfamiliar with the traditions. The members of our thunder who liberated us tried to prepare us for what we might find, but they hadn’t mentioned anything called a reality show.

“We don’t need protection,” Luca scoffed. “We’re bigger than any creature here.”

“No one around here’s seen anyone like us before,” I reminded them. “And one thing hasn’t changed since we were last free. Most fear what they don’t understand.”

“Yet they keep us in this room, assigning us never-ending security,” Magnus scoffed, shaking his head. “These shifters vetted us, but we have no way of doing the same. We have no idea who they’re loyal to. If they’re hiding something. Your girl’s always had an element of danger, and she enraged the Night God with her defiance.”

“Calista’s not a girl, she’s my mate. When you find yours, you’ll do whatever it takes to claim her too.” A low growl resonated in my throat. “And I seem to remember you calling her a free spirit, which is exactly what drew me to her. She’s wild and adventurous.”

“If I remember correctly, she also had a healthy distaste for rules and authority. It was quite charming when we were in a situation where we did too. But now we’re free dragons. Aarix, you were a leader of our thunder before we were in captivity.” Luca put his book down on the desk and leaned forward. He was thirsty for knowledge in this modern world, but the only thing that would truly satisfy him was for us to regain the power we once took for granted. “You always said the most important thing was that we stayed united. Thunder first.”

“I wonder if you’ve forgotten that,” Magnus added with a growl of his own.

“I haven’t.” The last thing I wanted to do was fight with these dragons who’d stuck by my side through the darkness. But they had every reason to doubt my judgment.

“I understand why you’re willing to work with these shifters, but we can’t ignore the obvious concerns,” Luca said calmly. “Namely, why are there so many other shifters here, while we only have dragons in our mountains? At one time, dragons and shifters shared both lands. Did our thunder drive the others away, or did this thunder lose a much different battle?”

“All good questions,” I said. “And has our thunder made enemies?”

“If we led them into centuries of darkness, they could want revenge,” Magnus said. “And we could’ve walked right into their trap. With these guards outside our door to make sure we’re here when they’re ready for us.”

I paced the tiny room. The chalet had given us two portable beds, and they took up much of the living space. “Calista trustsBibi, and Bibi is committed to the show. I know it’s hard for you to trust me again, but I won’t lead you back to darkness.”

My gut told me placing my faith in this vibrant wolf wasn’t a mistake.

“The crew just arrived.” Magnus nodded in the direction of the window. “I trust you, Aarix. Always have, always will. But these shifters will have to earn it.”

Reporters and fans were always gathered at the entrance of the hotel, which was one of the reasons we had two big bear shifters on guard outside our door. Magnus and Luca were convinced they were there to make sure we didn’t get out, either. Couldn’t say I didn’t agree with them.

I had something in common with my mate. I didn’t like playing by the rules either. I was asking a lot of my fellow dragons, but we needed to learn these new rules before we broke them.

Bibi stopped to take pictures with some of the fans, and then blew the crowd a kiss as she entered the building.

“Where’s Calista?” Magnus asked. “Thought you were supposed to start your episode today.”

“We’re still in pre-production.” I couldn’t explain it to them because I didn’t fully understand what it meant either. But we were getting closer to what we came here for. “This is our chance to do things on our own terms.”

He raised a brow. “You sure about that?”

Moments later, there was an eager knock at the door.

“Don’t you all look handsome in your new clothes!” Bibi gushed as she floated into the room, followed by her entourage. “The wardrobe department did such a fantastic job tailoring outfits to suit your needs. I have to ask, what were you doing for clothes back in Tennessee? Does your whole thunder retain their wings and tails in their human form? We could start a fashion line exclusively for dragons.”

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