Filed to story: Reclaimed Book by Roxie Ray
“What’s all this?”
“Delivery,” Striker said. “The clubhouse got its big monthly order, and this is the alpha house’s part of the order.”
I peeked into the bags. It was like a super-mega Costco order, full of pantry items: canned beans and vegetables, paper products, and dry goods. “Are you guys stocking a bunker?”
Striker laughed. “No, it’s cheaper to order all the stuff like this for the businesses and inner circle all together. Saves us all money in the long run.”
“Wow. You guys really have a system in place.”
“Part of being a clan,” Striker said. He gave me a sidelong glance as he unpacked the cans into the pantry. “What are you up to this morning?”
Prying-without-prying. I appreciated it, honestly. I shrugged as I unpacked a bag myself. “Catching up on my work emails.”
“Work?” Striker asked. “Your job in Atlanta?”
I nodded.
“It’s a remote job?”
“No, I’ve got to meet my clients in person,” I said. “That’ll pick up again in the fall.”
“So, you’re really leaving at the end of the summer,” Striker said thoughtfully. “Huh.”
“Of course.” I definitely wasn’t going to tell Striker I had been considering exactly the opposite moments before. It was an unrealistic dream-and it was foolish to think I could just pick up and move my whole life here because of a few good weeks with Stephan. “My job’s there, my home, Dylan’s school, his friends, everything. We’ve got roots in Atlanta.”
“Mm,” Striker said with a nod. “Well, I’ll warn you, Ace won’t be happy about that.”
“He already knows,” I said. “It’s always been the plan to go back.”
“He might know logically, but I doubt his dragon does,” Striker said. “You’re his fated mate. It’s hard for a human to understand. But the feelings are… different. His dragon will hurt when you leave again, even if he knows you’ll come back. His feelings are deep, all the way into his bones. It’s not something that will go away.”
“I have feelings, too,” I said. “It’s not easy for me, either.”
“I didn’t say that,” Striker said. “I mean… I think there’s more of a chance of you breaking Ace’s heart than his breaking yours.”
I clicked my tongue. What did Striker know about our relationship? Hell, what did he know about the ten years I’d spent as a single mom? “I think that’s a major exaggeration.”
“You’ve both been through a lot,” Striker said gently. “That’s all. I don’t want either of you to get hurt.”
My irritation eased. “Neither do I. Especially not Dylan. That makes all of this harder.”
“Well, those two seem to be having a blast this morning,” Striker said with an easy smile. “I saw them out in the clearing before I headed up here.”
“Steph said they’re ‘dragon-bonding.'”
“I saw a lot of smoke rings,” Striker said. “It’s good for them both. Should make Dylan’s shift a little easier, whenever it hits.”
“I hope it’s soon,” I said. “The waiting is killing me.”
“It seems frustrating now, but it’ll be a good memory,” Striker said. “It’s good Dylan’s with his sire. No matter what happens, he’ll remember this forever.”
Suddenly, tears prickled hot behind my eyes. “Dylan or Steph?”
Striker chuckled. “Both.” He finished unpacking the last grocery bag, then headed to the door. “I’ll let you enjoy the quiet while they’re finishing up.”
I nodded, then moved to the sink to wash some dishes that didn’t really need to be washed, mostly so I wouldn’t risk bursting into tears in front of Striker. He closed the door behind him, and I was alone in the quiet house again.
I took a long shower to clear my head, dressed in my comfy clothes, then sat back down on the couch with another coffee and some toast for breakfast. I had no idea when Dylan and Stephan would be back, so I decided to take advantage of the quiet and catch up on more of my work. That was better than ruminating on the conversation I’d had with Striker, anyway.
It was midday when the back door opened and Stephan and Dylan tumbled inside. I looked up from where I was posted up at the dining room table. Stephan was dressed in a white undershirt and jeans, and a thin sheen of sweat covered his skin. The shirt clung to his muscular chest under his pecs and abs, and I could see the faint outlines of his tattoos through the thin fabric. I swallowed. I only realized I was staring when Stephan cleared his throat.
My gaze jumped to his. His eyes were flecked with gold and sparkling with laughter.
“Hi, Dylan,” I said. “What’d you learn today?”
“So much!” Dylan’s cheeks were bright pink, and I suddenly hoped he’d remembered to put sunscreen on before he ran outside. “Watch this.” He burped, and a cloud of smoke popped out of his mouth and drifted to the rafters. That sent him into peals of laughter.
I snorted a laugh. “I see you’re only teaching him the most important things, Steph.”
“Of course,” he said. “In all honesty, it is really important to be able to control your fire. Wouldn’t want him to start singeing things when he’s angry.”
“I’ll actually be able to breathe fire?” Dylan asked with wide eyes.
“Maybe,” Stephan said. “Let’s get you fully shifted, first.”
“That’d be so awesome.” Dylan bounced from foot to foot like he couldn’t contain his energy. More smoke drifted from the corners of his mouth.
“Let’s keep the smoke outside, please,” I said with a smile. “Wouldn’t want to set off the kitchen alarm.”
“But I need to practice, Mom.”
Stephan grinned. “Not as much as you need a shower,” he said. “Go wash up before you stink up the whole house.”
Dylan laughed. “I smell great. I smell like a dragon!” But when Stephan fixed him with a knowing look, he raced up the stairs to his room.
I closed my laptop and pushed away from the table. Stephan approached me with a smile, grabbed me by my waist, and pulled me close. “You know, if he turns the vent fan on, he can probably blow smoke in the shower.”
“Please don’t tell him that,” I said. “I need the dragon stuff to be outside-only.”
“Fair enough.” Stephan smiled. His grip on my waist tightened. I leaned closer. He smelled good like this, like sweat and sunshine, like a man. Like himself-my favorite smell in the world. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. His mouth moved slowly against mine, like we had all the time in the world. In moments like this, it really felt like we did.
He pulled away, and my heart fluttered when his eyes met mine.
I wanted to get lost in him. To forget everything outside of the world we created when it was only us two. But I knew that wasn’t possible. “I’ll start lunch,” I said. “You must be hungry.”
I moved to pull away, but he held firm. That unsure furrow formed in his brow again, and he reached up and cupped my jaw in his callused palm. “Everything okay?”
Damn those sharp dragon senses. He could always tell when something was on my mind, no matter how much I wanted to hide it. This wasn’t something I could talk to him about-not yet, not now. Not when my head was still so mixed up about it, and I was still thinking about the job posting Cassidy had sent me.
“Everything’s good,” I said. “I was caught up in some work stuff. There will be a lot of shit for me to deal with this fall.”
“This fall,” Stephan said.
“When I’m back in Atlanta,” I said.
