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It was nice that she’d left me alone to enjoy my mates and establish our relationship, but it was just a lot of change at once. Between her, the hotel, and life in general, I could barely keep up. Silence was a commodity I hadn’t experienced in weeks; I was ready to escape and take a breather for a change.
The dining hall was different now too, with the brood having rearranged the tables to form a huge square so we ate family style. I missed sitting around the table with just my guys, but it was also nice to have meals with the new dragons. It was unbelievable how many of us there were now. I’d lived most of my life thinking I was the very last of my species, but here we were, already fifteen strong, not including mates and friends that had traveled with them and chosen to stay. Even Beau had started to thaw out of his icy attitude, though he was still the silent glaring type.
The best part was that everyone who’d come in had stepped up to help. From painting to renovations, we never could have made this progress without them. What would have taken months would now take only several weeks.
“This is amazing,” I told Levi and Clark as I dug into the enchiladas they had cooked up today. It was the perfect mix of heat and gooey cheese.
“Thanks,” Clark said, ducking his head as a blush painted his face red.
Niko and Avi joined us, both covered in drywall mud. They looked downright exhausted. Avi groaned, and my alpha didn’t look any better off. The two of them were so helpless, and neither made a move to get a tray.
“I’m grabbing you food,” I said, hating how beat up they seemed. Levi stood with me before they could protest, and we went up and filled their plates. They gave us grateful grins before taking a few bites.
“I’m petitioning West for a pool and hot tub,” Avi said around a yawn. “This renovation shit is hard work, and who doesn’t love a pool?”
“Good luck,” I laughed. “I’ve been asking him for years, but he’s never given in.”
“He’s a bit more relaxed these days. It might work!” Levi argued. “When he came and grabbed lunch, he was joking around with the guys.”
West had taken to Clark and Victor right away, offering them a room in exchange for their help with meals. They’d eagerly agreed, and he’d checked on them fairly often since. I thought he saw a lot of himself in them, fellow survivors who needed a change. He had a knack for picking up wayward souls, it seemed.
“Maybe we need to convince Clark and Victor to beg for it,” I mused, all of us turning to them. They laughed uncomfortably, relaxing only when we cracked up too.
“Enough time with these renovations, and he’ll agree on his own,” Niko added, pushing his half-eaten tray away. “I think I’m turning in early tonight after a long fucking shower.”
“Agreed,” Avi said.
“I’m going to read in the library for a bit. I’m craving some peace and quiet,” I admitted. They looked concerned for a moment, but I wasn’t about to let them worry. “I’m fine, guys. It’s just a lot going on, and a girl needs some time with her book boyfriends once in a while.”
"What, four mates isn’t enough for you?” Levi joked. “Some groups are huge. I can barely keep up with you two. I couldn’t imagine having even one more.”
“No thank you,” I sighed. “I’m quite happy with my life as it is, thanks.”
Someone walked by then with a plate full of dessert, and the smell of chocolate had me salivating.
“I need that,” I muttered before practically running to the serving line. It was ridiculous how intense the need for it was, but I couldn’t ignore it, and I didn’t want to. When I saw the chocolate cake that would have given Bruce a run for his money, I could easily see why.
Heading back to the table with a huge slice, I ignored the rest of my lunch in honor of this beauty.
“Victor, you’re a baking genius,” I praised as I stuck a bite in my mouth. I held back my moans of appreciation so I didn’t make them uncomfortable, but it was nearly painful to do so.
“Thanks,” he squeaked out. It was the smallest gestures that were hard for him to process. I couldn’t wait to see how a few more weeks in this place would change him. Mountainview was quickly becoming a community of its own, and he’d learn that not all supes were bad.
The fire was roaring in the blessedly silent library as I settled into my favorite armchair with a book and a glass of wine. I’d already snuck upstairs for comfy clothes and a shower, so I was ready to settle in for a peaceful night.
I’d selected an old favorite, a cozy murder mystery that had enough cuteness to rot my teeth. It was my favorite way to lose myself. Sometime between the fire, the cozy blanket, and the book, I felt myself fighting sleep.
Something startled me from sleep. I couldn’t tell what it was at first since my room was still dark and quiet. Yelling from outside had me hurrying to my window to peer into the street below. Fire and magic swirled together alongside a clash of weapons, claws, and teeth. Fear made my blood run cold, and I hurried from my room to find my parents.
Even in the memory, I knew things were different from what I had truly lived. I knew I was asleep, but there was nothing I could do to steer the course of this strange dream. I didn’t find myself yelling for my family. I snuck outside instead. There was a servants’ entrance around back, the opposite direction of the battle I’d watched from my room.
Servants and staff were running through this area, hiding where they could. Before I could sneak through them, someone grabbed me.
“Here! We found our ticket out of here,” a man called out to the others. The way their faces lit up with relief had my heart sinking. I knew I wouldn’t get out alive.
The man dragged me to the front of the group, and two more butlers threw the door open, shoving me out into the snow. I stumbled, painfully scraping my knees on the ground.
As I tried to scramble to my feet, he called out to our enemies. “We have the dragon royals’ child!” With that, they all took off, leaving me trying to scramble off to safety in the nearby trees. The moment I managed to get through the treeline, I nearly passed out with relief… until a low growl made me freeze. The padding of footsteps on the soft forest floor had me backing into a tree. An array of wolves prowled out of the shadows, stalking toward me like I was the prize.
