Filed to story: Reclaimed Book by Roxie Ray
I grinned and nudged her. “Fair. What’s on your mind, kid? Nervous?”
He nodded.
I knelt to his eye-level. “What are you nervous about?”
“What if… Dad, what if they don’t like me?”
Harley paused. She turned around and leaned against the counter, watching us with a concerned downturn to her lips.
Dylan wrapped his arms around himself. Now that the dam had broken, all his worries started spilling out. “I haven’t even shifted yet. What if my dragon is too small? Or too ugly? Or what if I don’t shift this summer at all? What happens when we go back home? Will everyone be mad at me? Or what if they totally forget about me? What if I’m not good enough at being an alpha?”
“Dylan. Hey.” I grabbed his shoulders and squeezed. “Look at me.”
His eyes shone with unshed tears, and flecks of gold gleamed in them. He was so close to his shift that those hints of gold never seemed to go away, but now, worked up like this, they were even more dramatic.
“Do you want to do this?” I asked. “You don’t have to meet the clan. Hell-I mean, heck-you don’t have to be the alpha. You technically get the right of first refusal.”
He sniffed and rubbed his nose. “What’s that mean?”
“Means if you say no, Dad’ll pick someone else to be alpha,” Harley said gently.
“I want to meet everybody,” Dylan said. “I want to be like you, Dad. I want to be the alpha one day.”
My dragon hummed with pride. “This is a big change, Dylan. It’s okay to be nervous. Everyone’s going to be really happy to meet you. Think of it like a big party. As you grow up, everyone will be there to help you. That’s how this clan works. We’re a big team. A big family.”
Dylan nodded. “That sounds nice. But… I won’t be here when I have school at home.”
“That’s all right,” I said, even though my dragon raged at me that it was very much not all right.
I ignored that. Harley needed time, and so did Dylan. “It’s important that you get to be a kid. You’re my son before you’re an alpha. And I’m proud of you because you’re my son.”
Dylan nodded again.
“Feel better?” I asked.
Another nod. My dragon hummed. Dylan wasn’t lying, and some of his nerves had dissipated. I knew he’d be a little anxious until we got to the clubhouse, but that was to be expected.
Harley dabbed at the corner of her eye with a kitchen towel, then cleared her throat. “You need to eat something before you get ready to go,” she said. “Both of you.”
I stood up with a smile. “There’ll be a ton of food at the clubhouse tonight.”
“Yeah, and I’ve seen how much the both of you can eat. Here, have a sandwich. Or two. Or three.”
“Dad?”
“Yeah?” I turned around, and Dylan barreled into me. It was by far his preferred way of hugging, but I still hadn’t gotten used to it.
“I’m glad you’re my dad.” Dylan’s voice was muffled against my shirt.
I squeezed him back. Emotion bubbled within me-pride, happiness, honor. It was a strong upswell of feeling, and I still wasn’t used to feeling this much. Only Dylan could make me feel this intensely. Dylan… and Harley. “I’m glad you’re my son,” I said as I returned the hug.
I reached out to Harley. She took my hand, and I squeezed it. It was my turn to fight back tears.
“Come on, you two,” Harley said warmly. “Let’s eat.”
We had our sandwiches, then Dylan ran upstairs to change out of his T-shirt into a nice, collared, button-down to go with his jeans. I’d told Harley it wasn’t necessary, but she insisted. “This is important,” she said as she sent Dylan upstairs. “We should dress with respect, too.”
As Dylan disappeared up the stairs, I pulled her into my arms. “Does that mean you’ll wear a dress tonight?”
She laughed. “Do you want me to?”
“Maybe. If you want to.”
She patted my chest. “We’ll see.”
Dylan hurried back downstairs in his slightly wrinkled shirt. “What now?” he asked.
“Now it’s time to put this on,” I said. “It’s going to be a little big for you.”
I picked up a garment bag I’d left on the couch. It lived in the very back of my closet. I hadn’t used it since my introduction as alpha, and part of me had thought it might never get worn again.
I unzipped the protective garment bag and pulled out the robe inside.
“Whoa,” Dylan said. “Am I gonna be a wizard?”
“Kinda looks that way, doesn’t it?” The robe was a thick, lush green, made of sturdy cotton and embroidered with delicate gold thread. I’d worn it, my dad had worn it, and his father before him. Now my son was going to wear it, too.
I turned the robe around. The clan crest was embroidered on the back. It showed two dragons, their necks intertwined, with a mountain range around them.
“This robe is for the next alpha of Lakeview,” I said. “It’s special.”
Dylan swallowed. He held his arms out, and I helped him into it. It was made for an adult dragon, so the sleeves fell to cover his hands, and the bottom of the robe pooled around his feet. He looked more like a kid playing dress-up than a strong alpha, but that was fine. He was just a kid. And the robe might be too big for him now, but as he grew up, he’d learn to fit it perfectly.
“Looks really good, Dylan,” Harley said, her voice wavering a little. “You look so handsome and grown up.”
“Mom, stop!”
“I remember when you were a chubby little toddler running around at your grandpa’s house.” Harley scooped Dylan into a hug and squeezed him hard. “You’re so big now.”
“Moooom!” Dylan struggled against her. “Quit it! I’ve gotta be the alpha now!”
Harley and I started laughing. She let Dylan go, and he started laughing, too.
“All right, Harley, you’re sure you’re okay with meeting us there?”
She nodded. “I’ve got to get dressed, anyway. You two take your time.”
“All right, kiddo,” I said to Dylan. “Let’s ride.”
HARLEY
“This is gonna be really cool,” Mia whispered. “Don’t look so nervous.”
“I’m not nervous,” I said nervously. I smoothed the skirt of my yellow sundress down. I was standing in the immense backyard behind the Lakeview clan clubhouse, with what looked like every single other member of the clan. Over a hundred dragons had gathered: men, women, kids, old folks. Everyone was dressed a half-step nicer than I was used to seeing them. Nice jeans with no rips, and button-downs instead of T-shirts. I was glad to be standing with Mia and Bella. Hawk was on the deck with Tank and a few other clubhouse members, working three different grills at once to ensure there’d be enough dinner to feed everyone. The atmosphere was quiet and excited. The sun was low in the sky. It was about an hour before sunset.
