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Even wounded, the dragon is strong. I struggle to pin his wings as he tries desperately to shake me off. When it’s clear that I’m not going anywhere, he starts to shake and phase back into his human form.
Suddenly, I’m wrestling with Sperling as we land hard thudding fists into each other’s bodies. I hit him in the cheek with a hard right hook, but he follows that up with an elbow to my jaw.
I hate to admit it, but he’s stronger. And faster.
But a shifter fighting for his mate will always have the advantage and I’m fighting for Lily.
I wrestle my way on top of him and start landing devastating blows to his ribs and face. Just when I think I’ve got him, his hand darts out and his iron fingers wrap around my throat.
I can’t breathe. He’s choking the air out of me.
I’m trying to pry his fingers loose, but they’re not moving.
“My brothers were weak,” he hisses as I start to get dizzy. “I don’t know how they got killed by a bunch of bear shifters. Pathetic.”
I hear shuffling in the snow coming up behind us and my heart drops. Why is Lily coming toward us? She should be running away. She should be hiding.
Sperling yanks me closer as I get dangerously close to losing consciousness.
“They had every advantage and they still lost,” he hisses into my face. “How?”
Suddenly a cold metal gun gets placed in my hand. I immediately raise it and point it at the only vulnerable spot Sperling has—his jade green eye.
I close my eyes and pull the trigger.
The sound is deafening, but the only thing I can focus on is the sweet air coming into my lungs as the fingers that were choking me fall down.
Sperling crumples onto the ground and stops moving as I take in one quick breath after another. He’s dead.
“They lost because they were fighting against fate,” I whisper. “Just like you.”
My mate is safe. I can breathe again. Literally and figuratively.
I turn and see Lily looking up at me with wide brown eyes.
“Are you okay?” I ask and she nods. I look down at the gun in my hand and swallow hard.
“I had dropped it in the snow,” she says as she looks at it too. “But his fire melted the snow around it.”
I look back at him to make sure he’s dead. He is.
Then, I take my mate into my arms and kiss her. When I’ve warmed her up as much as I can, I pick her up, hold her to my chest, and start the long walk home.
Chapter Twelve
Lily
“Is it just me or has a drink never tasted so good in the history of the world?” I ask as I savor the strong Vodka tonic that Blake just made me.
He smiles as he sits down at the table with me and the rest of the crew. Ethan, Rylan, Carter, Westin, Mila, Kimberly, Aubrey, and Chloe are all sitting down with us at the firehouse, waiting for the story of all stories. We would have gone to the pub for the drink, but I don’t think we’re allowed back for a while. The boys fixed the hole in the wall, but the owner Colby still isn’t happy that I pulled a gun on him. Oh well. Hopefully, he has a short memory.
After hiking back down the mountain, we called Carter and he picked us up in his truck and brought us back to Blake’s house, freezing and desperate for a hot bath.
Blake’s truck is still stuck in the top of the tree on the mountain, making a raccoon or a bunch of squirrels very happy with their new luxury home. I thought he’d be upset about it, but he hasn’t stopped smiling since the danger passed.
“So,” Ethan asks as he leans forward on the table. “What the hell happened? Polar bear vs dragon? Tell us all about it!”
“Polar bear and badass FBI agent vs dragon,” I correct and they all laugh. Kimberly and Mila give me a high-five. I’m starting to like it here.
I don’t have friends like this at home. I’ve spent the last decade or so stuck at work every night, putting in the hours, trying to move up the ranks. This is really nice too…
I’m glad that Blake has shown me a new side. A new way of looking at things.
“Wow,” Westin says when we finish telling them the story of how we defeated Reginald.
“I knew you guys would be fine,” Rylan says with a confident nod. “Bear shifters are very resilient when it comes to their mates.”
“You’re telling me,” Carter says with a grin. “I heard that one stupid bear shifter walked right into an oncoming truck while trying to get his mate and he was fine.”
Rylan frowns. “He was probably just distracted. Not stupid.”
“Nope, really stupid,” Carter continues.
“I heard he was okay because he had a really talented doctor,” Mila says with a smirk. “Apparently she was really hot too.”
“Incredibly hot,” Rylan corrects as he wraps his arm around her and gives her a loving look.
There must be a story in there that I’m missing.
“Who got hit by a truck?” I ask.
They all start laughing and then I’m laughing until my stomach hurts as they tell me the story, each jumping in to offer funny tidbits, jokes, and witty observations.
It’s the best night I’ve had in I don’t remember how long.
Several drinks and lots of laughs later, I’m back at Blake’s house and it’s just the two of us again.
We’re in the middle of a heavy make-out session when my phone rings loud and aggressive. My boss has been calling me all day.
“You better get that or he’ll be interrupting us all night,” he says.
“I’ll be one second.”
I rush over to my purse and fish it out. “Hello.”
“Burks,” he shouts into the line as I wander into Blake’s bedroom and close the door. “Where have you been?”
“I took a day off.”
There’s silence. I grin as I picture what his utterly confused face looks like right now.
“You? A day off? Are you okay?”
“I’m good. Actually, I’m really good.”
“Are you drunk, Burks?!”
I giggle into the phone. “A little bit.”
“Well, sober up,” he barks. “We got a tip through the network that Reginald Kirk is in the area.”
“He’s in the area, but he’s no longer a threat.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He’s dead.”
“What?!”
“The local law enforcement has taken over. He was found on a mountaintop.”
“He’s dead?”
“All three of the Kirk brothers are.”
I tell him a story I concocted that the three Kirk brothers had a falling out and got at each other’s throats. I don’t want Blake or any of my new friends’ names involved in any of this. He’s not the only one who’s protective of his mate.
“That’s great, Burks,” he says, sounding relieved. “Get on a plane first thing tomorrow morning and come in for your debriefing.”
“Actually, I’m going to stay here for a bit. Take some time off.”
More silence.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Very okay,” I tell him with a smile on my face. “I’ll call tomorrow and do my debriefing over the phone and then I’m taking a few weeks off.”
“A few weeks?!”
“I have a lot of vacation saved up,” I say with a grin. “And I’m using it. And then I’m going to be seeking a transfer.”
“To where?” Now, he just sounds exasperated.
“To Montana.”
He sighs. “It’s too late to deal with this shit. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
I grin as he hangs up. I can’t wait to start my new life and it starts now.
Blake is sitting on his couch, watching me closely as I walk back into the room.
“Are we going to Miami tomorrow?” he asks.
“We?”
“I’ll go wherever you go, Lily. You want to live in Hawaii? I’ll pack my grass skirt. You choose Japan? I’ll learn h
ow to use chopsticks. You want to live in the ocean? I’ll learn to speak fish.”
I laugh as I move on top of him, straddling his strong body.
“What if I want to stay right here?” I ask as I hover my lips over his.
His hands slide onto my hips, but he’s not gripping me tightly like he normally does. He seems hesitant and unsure, like if he touches me, I might run away or take back what I just said.
“If you wanted to stay right here,” he says with a hard swallow, “then I’d be the happiest man in the world.”
“I like seeing you happy,” I say as I press my lips to his. His hands tighten around me and my pussy clenches in response. “I think I’ll stay.”
“Good,” he says with a grin. “Because I wasn’t about to let you leave.”
