Filed to story: Reclaimed Book by Roxie Ray
“I thought I might be overstepping. You and Hawk were dealing with it, then I kind of just swooped in…”
“Hawk and I were banging our heads against the wall trying to find any solution that didn’t require us to do the kind of criminal stuff Thames is into,” I said. “You didn’t swoop in. You could tell I needed you, and you stepped up to help.”
She gave me a relieved smile. “Okay, good. But now what? Sean and Forrest are still out there.”
“This could make Sean spiral out completely. Thames said he was at the end of his rope. Levi said the same thing. His dragon’s already starting to lose control. If he won’t challenge me himself, his dragon might force him to, even if it’s a doomed mission.”
“Why would his dragon do that?” Harley asked.
“He’s an alpha, too. Without a clan, he’s losing his mind. His dragon might not be able to stand this kind of disrespect. It might get so bad that even if he knows he’ll fail, his dragon will need to challenge me. He might choose death in a challenge over a life alone.”
“I don’t want you to have to kill him,” Harley said softly, “but I want this to be over. So, so badly.”
I embraced her tightly, and she tucked her face into the crook of my neck.
“I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now, Harley, and that’s because you stepped in to help me. Thank you.”
“I’d do anything to keep you safe,” she whispered against my skin. “The same way you’d do it for me. We’re a team, Steph. Nothing’s going to break us apart.”
Her lips moved against my neck, right where a claiming mark would go on me. Even if her mark wouldn’t linger the way mine would, my dragon still craved the feeling of her teeth in my skin, marking me as hers, just as much as she was mine.
“We’re a team,” I echoed. “Forever. I promise you that.”
HARLEY
“I
‘m dying in here,” Cassidy muttered from where she was slumped over the dining room table. “If I have to pull one more weed, I’m gonna blow my top.”
I rolled my eyes fondly. It was mid-morning, and Cassidy and I were on our second cup of coffee. I’d had a restful night’s sleep, all curled up in Steph’s arms. It’d been nice to just sleep after exchanging a few lazy, passionate kisses in the safe haven of his bed. He’d been leaving the house nearly every night for the past few nights, and I was relieved to fall asleep next to him and wake up with him still there.
Initially, I’d been worried about calling Suri for help, but Steph had assured me it was the right choice, and this morning, all my doubts had melted away. First, because Suri had responded to my heartfelt text of thanks with a goofy selfie of him giving a thumbs-up. Second, Steph was like a different man. I’d almost say he had a pep in his step as he moved around the kitchen making breakfast, and it wasn’t only from having slept peacefully. We’d been dealing with Sean for so long, I’d forgotten he could look so carefree.
I liked this look on him. I wanted to see it more often.
But the danger wasn’t gone. Thames was handled, but Sean was still out there.
“Sean’s unpredictable,” Steph said as he scrambled eggs in a pan. “We still have to be careful.”
“I didn’t say we wouldn’t be careful,” Cassidy said. “I just really need to see, like, other people. Humans. I need to walk around a grocery store. Buy a latte. Anything!”
Steph glanced at me, and I shrugged. “We’re both feeling a little like trapped hens.”
“And the fox is still out roaming,” Steph said. “But with Thames out, it’s not quite as dangerous. I think it’s fine for you two to go out during the day, as long as you’ve got enforcers with you. Striker?”
Striker looked up from where he was lounging on the couch and thumbing through a paperback on the couch. As usual, his attention was more on Cassidy than on the book. “I’m happy to go wherever I’m needed.”
“Excellent!” Cassidy jumped to her feet with renewed energy. She was acting more like my son than my adult best friend, and I was totally charmed by it. “I’m getting dressed. We need to go get a coffee and then a pedicure, Harley, like yesterday.
I’m going to change.”
She hurried upstairs.
When Steph finished cooking breakfast, Striker set his book down and joined us in the kitchen.
“So,” I said to Striker as I took a bite of toast, “when are you going to tell her?”
He sighed. “There’s been a lot going on.”
“Understatement,” Steph said with a half-smile. “At this point, though, you’re using that as an excuse.”
“I agree,” I said. “She obviously knows something is going on.”
“I know, but it can wait,” Striker said. “We need to deal with Sean and make sure the whole clan is safe before I tell Cassidy she’s my fated mate.”
“What the fuck?” Cassidy screeched.
The three of us whipped around. Cassidy was standing on the staircase, dressed in jeans and a low-cut tank top instead of her pajamas, her hair tied up in a bun atop her head, and her jaw dropped open in shock. She brandished her forefinger at Striker. “Repeat what you just said.”
“Uh-oh,” I whispered.
Steph and I both took a step back.
Cassidy stormed into the kitchen and stood right in front of Striker with her arms crossed over her chest. She was a head shorter than him and probably only half his weight, yet he still stared wide-eyed down at her like she was the most ferocious thing he’d ever seen.
“Um,” he said.
“Tell me.” Cassidy jabbed her finger into his chest. “Right now.”
“Well, uh,” Striker stammered. “So, for dragons, there’s a certain kind of bond?-“
“I know about mating bonds!” Cassidy gestured at me. “She’s my best friend.”
Striker’s ears turned red. “Well, then you know there’s sort of a… sensation. A feeling, when a dragon meets his fated mate. And, um, well, that’s what I feel. I just know. You’re my fated mate.”
“How long have you known?” Cassidy demanded.
“Since the first moment I saw you,” Striker said. His expression softened, and his voice took on an almost nostalgic quality. “When you barged into the clubhouse and started chewing Ace out.”
“So that’s why you’ve been watching me like a creep this whole time.” She rolled her eyes. “Instead of telling me exactly what was going on, you decided to just lurk and stare.”
“Well, I am an enforcer, so the lurking is my job.”
“Nice try,” Cassidy said. “We’re not done talking about this, but right now, I need a latte and a pedicure more than ever.” She turned to stomp back up the stairs, then paused, and brandished her forefinger at me. “You’re not off the hook either. You knew about this!”
I raised my hands in surrender. “We’ll talk about it over pedis. They’re on me.
And the coffee.”
“It’s a start,” Cassidy huffed as she went back upstairs.
“Huh,” Striker said. “That went better than I expected.”
I snorted. If there was anyone who could handle my firecracker of a best friend, it was Striker. I grinned. “Well, that was exciting, but it looks like I need to get ready to head.”
