shift happens 03 - no were to run (29 page)

Pat had a fine point. They had earned their way into our weyr. Without them, this day might not have happened or we could have lost more of our army than we had. Maybe I could make this one call and then whoever was actually going to take the reins of this shitshow would honor it.

“I say yes,” I announced to the slightly alarmed, but bemused Dragons. “The Cows have shown their loyalty to us and risked their lives for ours. If that doesn’t earn them a place in our weyr, I don’t know what does.”

It took a minute or two of covertly exchanged glances and some quiet conversation, but once the cheering started I couldn’t even hear myself think. The Cows were crying tears of joy and the Vampyres flew around the room like mosquitos on speed. Even the Dragons were pleased.

It felt good to do the right thing for my people.

Oh.

Shit…

Epilogue

Several Months Later.

“Mommy, me going to go watch cartoons wif my gwandma,” Daniel announced as he raced from the kitchen in our new and
way too big
home.

I’d agreed to the monstrosity only after Nicolai argued that we needed the room for my family to convalesce under our watchful eyes. I knew he’d just wanted the damn mansion, but his reasoning was sound as far as my mother and brothers went, so I let him win.

I checked the clock on the wall and smoothed down my new sexy-not-slutty dress. I’d passed on all the dresses in the box that Dwayne had sent over—too much boob wasn’t the best option for an outdoor picnic with friends and family. Everyone was due to arrive in fifteen minutes and I was so excited it was almost embarrassing.

Glancing out of the bay window, I grinned as Maria entertained her uncles and father with a story that I was certain was full of profanity. Sean didn’t mind his daughter’s foul mouth one bit, saying she came by it naturally as her mother cursed like a sailor.

It would take many years for my brothers and mother to heal—both mentally and physically, but with each day they made strides. The sheer will to live that had sustained them during their imprisonment and torture was a testament to how strong they were.

Turned out Maria had spent as many years gathering up degrees as I had and ironically, she was a doctor. She’d moved into the guesthouse on the estate and had taken on the medical care of the family. Of course Dragons were very different than humans, but Maria had adapted her skills to the chemistry of our kind. However, the truth of the matter was that it was simply going to take time. Their bodies could only regenerate themselves in small increments due to the abuse they’d received.

Lenny, Elaina and Seth had moved near us as well, along with the Dragons that were left and our honorary members…the Cows. Life was never boring and I’d never been happier.

“If we sneak into the pantry we could have a quickie,” Nicolai whispered in my ear, startling me out of my reflections.

“Um…while the thought is truly tempting, Mr. Horny Dragon, fifteen minutes is not enough time for a
quickie
with you,” I said with a giggle as I pressed my lips to his.

He tasted like heaven and my inner Dragon actually considered his lewd offer. Thankfully my saner side won out. Getting busted in the pantry by guests was not my idea of a good time. I sighed and marveled that as huge as the house was, Nicolai’s presence was even larger. My Dragon was big and beautiful and
mine
.

“This is true,” he boasted with a sly grin. “I’m kind of a three hour guy.”

I rolled my eyes and punched him in the arm. “Do you think we have enough food?”

I’d bought out the grocery store’s meat department and everyone was bringing a dish, but I was still worried. I’d never hosted a party in my life. I was a little ill thinking of everything that could go wrong.

“We have enough,” Nicolai said with a chuckle and a shake of his head. “We have enough food to feed the entire state and then some. Stop worrying.”

“I’m not,” I lied. “It’s just that the Wolves
eat
.”

“And the Dragons don’t?” he asked with a bemused expression.

“Shit,” I muttered as I yanked open the refrigerator and ransacked it for other things to serve.

“Dima,” Nicolai said as he closed the fridge, lifted me up and plopped my butt on the granite countertop. “Relax. These are friends coming tonight. We could feed them peanut butter and jelly and it would be fine.”

“No it wouldn’t,” I shot back appalled, imagining offering Junior or Hank a PB&J.

“Okay, you’re right. It wouldn’t,” he agreed with a laugh. “But as I’ve already pointed out, we could feed an army. We’ve got this handled. I promise.”

“Swear?” I asked as I leaned into him and wrapped my arms around his warm body.

“I swear.”

***

“So you think you’re gonna like livin’ in Hung, Georgia?” Granny asked Elaina as they sat on the porch and enjoyed the moonshine Granny had brought.

My mother sat quietly with them and smiled. She and Elaina had resumed their close friendship with childlike wonder. It was beautiful and gave both of them a new strength and purpose. Granny had now joined their club as well.

“I do believe I will, Bobby Sue,” Elaina said with a smile as she clinked her glass with Granny.

“Well we sure enjoy havin’ you fire breathers here. Shakes it up and keeps it interesting,” she said with a cackle.

Interesting was correct and a slight understatement. It had taken weeks of negotiation with the Council and the Shifters of Hung to get everyone on board with having a weyr live in tandem with other species. I’d spent a solid ten days in Chicago with Nicolai, Essie and Hank working a deal with the National Council to let Dragons have a seat on the board. It was drawn out and tedious, but worth it in the end. Seth was going to be the representative of our people to the Council.

After about a month of being hounded by my people from all over the world, I’d caved and agreed to be the Dragon Queen. The first thing I did was forbid bowing and made it very clear that I would never wear a crown. Some of the old school Dragons were displeased with my lack of decorum, but eventually came around.

Even the Dragons that had blindly followed my father were slowly beginning to accept my rule. Elaina had been correct. Dragons were steeped in tradition and needed the monarchy to survive.

I’d been challenged a number of times by those still loyal to the very dead King and had taken my challengers down with ease. This was a sad necessity with our kind. Some would never get past the might makes right way of living. Nicolai was never happy when I took on an angry Dragon, but he was wildly impressed every time I kicked their ass. Which in turn led to mind altering sex—violence was hot to a Dragon. We could dress up and play nice, but at the end of the day we were the race that needed to blow off some steam with a little friendly bloodshed.

“The party rocks,” Essie said as she grabbed me and hugged me hard. “I have a proposition for you, Dragon.”

“Should I be terrified?” I inquired with a smirk.

Essie was everything I’d ever dreamt a best friend could be—loyal, fierce and always ready to get into trouble. Sandy was awesome as well and I’d grown close to some of our Dragons. My life had changed so dramatically in the last few months it made my head spin.

“No you should
not
.” Essie laughed and then pulled me to a quiet spot over by the swing set. “I’d like you to be a bridesmaid in my wedding. What do you say?”

I was stunned speechless. She wanted
me
to be part of the most important day of her life? I grabbed her arm because I thought my knees might give out. I could fry a Dragon with out blinking, but this was something different.

“Dude, you totally don’t have to,” Essie said as she held me up. “I just thought…”

“Yes!” I shouted as both of us winced at my volume. “I mean yes. I would be honored.”

“Good,” she said with a grin. “However, just a heads up…Dwayne is picking out the dresses. Be prepared to be exposing some boob.”

I rolled my eyes and scanned the yard until I found the Vampyre in question. Dwayne was holding court and doing his Cher impressions for a group of confused Dragons and his daughters the Cows. Dwayne was still livid that his girls had eloped with their Vampyre lovers, but planning Essie’s wedding had taken away some of the sting.

The Vampyres were on all fours being ridden like horses by the four year old Shifter posse. Daniel had both the Vamps and the Cows wrapped around his chubby little fingers. The visual I was looking at was all kinds of strange and all kinds of wonderful.

Daniel was going to nursery school with other Shifters his age. His happiness at having friends made me feel guilty about how sheltered his life had been, but Nicolai would hear none of it. He insisted repeatedly that the reason Daniel was alive was because I’d kept him hidden. He was able to go to school now because I’d been such a good mother. The first day was a little rough as Daniel accidentally burnt the snack room to the ground in a blast of excited fire, but no one was hurt and the teachers assured me that things like that happened all the time. I didn’t quite believe them, but was grateful that my boy was allowed to come back.

I checked on my brothers. They were sitting quietly, enjoying the fun. Seth sat with them and pointed out who was who. They still didn’t speak much, but I knew from their smiles they were enjoying themselves. At night I often slipped into my mother’s and brothers’ rooms and sang them the same lullabies that my mother had sung to us as children. It still broke my heart to see them as weak as they were, but having them back was a blessing I couldn’t even describe. Maria sat close to Sean with her head on his shoulder. She was rarely far from her father and that seemed to suit them both fine.

“I still can’t get over it,” Junior said as he walked over and trapped me in a bear hug.

“Can’t get over what?” I asked.

“That,” he said as he pointed to where Lenny was talking with a beautiful couple who didn’t seem quite comfortable in their skin.

Junior, in all of his clumsy MENSA brilliance, had correctly guessed that my father had somehow used Lenny’s magic to trap the wolves in their shifted forms. He deduced that the only way to reverse it was for Lenny to undo the spell. Lenny had been more than game and the end result was the beautiful couple who were still trying to get used to standing on two legs instead of four. Not only had he reversed the spell on Essie’s parents, but for the rest of the feral pack as well.

Granny had no words to be able to adequately thank Lenny, every time she tried she sobbed like a baby. Instead of using words, Granny decided that actions would speak louder. From what I’d heard Lenny had been receiving daily gifts of moonshine, fried chicken and apple pie. Essie just hugged Lenny until he couldn’t breathe whenever she saw him. It was a win-win-win-win.

“How’s it going with Sandy?” I asked Junior as I pulled him to the kitchen to help me bring out the food.

“I reckon I’m about two and three-fourths dates away from gettin’ in her pants,” he informed me cockily.

“Really?” I asked with a laugh.

“Yep,” he said. “That chick digs me.”

“Actually,” Sandy said as she popped her head into the kitchen as Junior flattened himself against the refrigerator and screamed like a little girl. “You just added twenty-two and a half
more
dates onto your docket before you get anywhere near my pants, Little Mister.”

She narrowed her eyes at Junior who dropped his head into his hands and moaned and then she winked at me, grinned and left.

Junior was going to win. It was just going to take a little while…

“Sheee-ot,” Junior whispered. “That’s the fifth time this week she’s busted me talkin’ about gettin’ into her pants.”

“And what have you learned from this episode?” I asked him with raised brows and my stern mom look.

“I’ve learned I have to check the area next time I’m gonna talk about gettin’ lucky with my girl,” he said with a grin. “I ain’t no idiot.”

“Debatable,” I muttered and I loaded him down with a huge platter. “Take this out to the table and don’t get in any trouble.”

“Yes ma’am,” he said as he walked out of the kitchen whistling. “Get your little Dragon ass out here. There’s a party goin’ on and it’s not in the kitchen.”

“I’m coming,” I promised as I gathered up the remaining food and made my way back outside.

I swung the porch door open and stopped dead in my tracks. My eyes filled with tears and I almost dropped the enormous tray of food I was carrying. Thankfully Essie was there to save the day—or dinner, as it were.

In my front yard all of my friends and family were huddled in a large group. In the front was Nicolai—grinning like a little kid and holding a birthday cake with more candles on it than I’d ever seen in my life. It defied logic and I was sure he was going to set his hair on fire.

“I love you, baby,” Nicolai shouted as Daniel jumped around like a little monkey at his feet. “Happy Birthday. I couldn’t fit five hundred candles on the damn cake so Daniel and I just shoved in as many as we could would fit.”

The cheers were loud and my tears ran like a faucet from my eyes. I didn’t have the heart to tell him my birthday was actually next week, so I kept it to myself and decided from here on out that today’s date was my new birthday. Forever.