Page 85 of So I Dared a Dragon

The same security team that had missed everything leading to the last attack. So I needed to rephrase the question. “But what will we do if we come face-to-face with them?”

“Why would they attack again?” Darcy asked. “Their mission was to keep you safe. They didn’t—you’re totally better off without them, but they failed. So the better question might be, what would they want now?”

My vision blurred and I closed my eyes to see if I could clear it. As cool as it was to see and taste energy, my brain had yet to catch up to the changes.

The vision became somewhat clearer. No, louder.

“If the Rocky Mountain dragons are freed, it will change everything.” I paused for a moment and drank in the quizzical looks. “That didn’t sound as profound out loud as the vision in my head. Let me try again. A secret went into that mountain with those dragons.”

“Any intel on what kind of secret?” Tina cocked a brow.

I shook my head. “I’m not sure I’m right—”

“Someone is trying their damnedest to keep information from you,” Darcy said. “I’m not familiar with all these new dragon feelings, either. But I feel it deep in my soul that you’re the key to freeing those dragons, and all the ancient beasts and relics that have been thrown at this production so far don’t even have prayer of stopping your power.”

“That means Calista is a target,” Bibi said.

“Same shit, different shifter.” I laughed, but being the odd one out, the one who could fuck everything up for everyone, was far too familiar. I would’ve loved to leave that with my old identity. “I’ve been a target my entire life. Even when I wanted to go to art school and I was told that Montana wolves were too practical for that. So yeah, now the clock is ticking and there’s more at stake. We need a plan. First, let’s make a list of all the things that have been erased—if we put those together, we might have a clue of what’s to come.”

“Texting Wendy and Laura right now.” Tina didn’t even look up from her phone.

“And we need to find out why the Montana wolves didn’t offer Darcy their protection.” I looked over at my friend. I loved that instead of shrinking from my claim, she straightened her spine, like she was ready for the challenge. “Or did she slip through the cracks all those years ago? The Night God knew who she was, and he was willing to drain her to keep this secret safe from the rest of the world.”

There was a knock at the door, and one of the show’s production assistants waved. “The vans are ready whenever you are.”

Fire brewed deep in my belly. More visions were flashing in my head like billboards along the Strip. I couldn’t tell if they were memories or warnings.

“This date is a statement.” I rose from my chair, shaking out my amazing hair. I looked fucking amazing. My gold dress hugged my curves, and the scales on my chest glittered like armor. I took Bibi’s and Darcy’s hands. “It’s time to show them exactly who we are.”

thirty-one

. . .

Aarix

I’d spent the last few days exploring every inch of Calista. Drinking in her incredible energy. She hadn’t just shifted into a dragon, she’d blossomed. All the self-doubt was gone, and my mate was no longer dimming her light to let others shine.

She was a rare jewel, and I would treasure her for the rest of time.

When we needed time to recover and recharge, we explored the Alta Vista hotel. It had become the sparkly home away from home forThe Mating Game, and I wondered why Bibi had chosen Sunset Springs over Las Vegas, because she was truly in her element here.

There was no shortage of shiny things, but nothing was more dazzling than my mate.

After a few days of gambling, heavy-metal burlesque shows starring vampires, massages, shopping, and all the food we could possibly eat, I was starting to feel explosive. Too big for the giant resort.

I stood between Hugo and Luca, who’d found himself drawn to Darcy in that same—if an even more dangerous andinexplicable—way that I had with my own mate, as the cameras did their final checks.

“I’m thrilled Bibi’s made a full recovery,” I said. “But I think our approach is sending the wrong message.”

Hugo raised a brow. “Tell me what message you think we should be sending.”

The wolf had his shortcomings—but he was always willing to do something different and learn from his mistakes. And he would do absolutely anything for his mate. Now I could understand why he’d been so skeptical of mine, because he was protecting what belonged to him.

“I’ve had fun at the hotel, and the ladies are getting used to their new bodies, but we can’t keep hiding. The Montana pack isn’t pulling the strings. That fight made a statement, but it will be an annoyance to whoever sent them to do their dirty work. Calista and Darcy might not be familiar with their dragon forms, but we just got much more powerful.”

“I’ve done some research on the lost dragon.” Luca’s cheeks pinked when he talked about his new jewel.

I grinned at him. “Research outside the bedroom?”

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