26. Aurelia

Chapter 26

Aurelia

T he dragon roared as he ran at me. That big fucker probably moved fast when he wasn't sick and drugged out. He might've moved faster than me before I had an animal. Now I could catalog his jerky movements, his halting steps. He was trying to move in as straight a line as possible, but his body was off. He wasn't doing great. That product was either shit, or he'd taken a lot of it. He'd need some cure-all.

But first he needed to chill the fuck out.

He appeared with his sticks held out, probably forgetting they were in his hands. The bitch was, he wouldn't fit into the closet with those stupid things swinging.

"Aurelia, no," Weston yelled, terror in his voice.

I ignored that as the big dragon bore down on me. He bent with his mouth open, as though he was trying to eat my face or something. You never knew with a bad journey. People got some crazy ideas.

I feinted to the side, knowing he wouldn't buy it and would assume I'd dodge the other way. There weren't many options for an opponent his size. I, however, wasn't his size, and planned to use it to my advantage. He stepped toward my feint, saw I didn't go through with it, and stretched out the other hand to capture me.

I ducked and rolled through his long legs. I clipped one of them as I did so, making his knee bend. His weight shifted dramatically, an effect of the product, and he fell forward. His shoulder slammed into the edge of the door, and those fucking sticks hit the frame.

At his back, I grabbed his arms and twisted, bending them behind him. He struggled—and so did I. He was fucking strong. Really fucking strong.

"Fuck," I grunted, hurrying, trying to get those damn sticks out of the way so I could get his big, dumb body into the closet.

"I got him, I got him!" Vemar came running. He punched one of Micah's fists, forcing the other dragon to drop a stick.

Weston was at the other side, shoving me away. He grabbed the dragon's other arm and continued twisting it, ripping out the pool stick and bending it behind the dragon. He waited for Vemar to bend the other arm, all of them struggling.

"What do we do with him?" Vemar yelled.

"Shove him in and shut the door." I shoved all of them. "Get in there, dragon. Time for night-night. Get the fuck"—I shoved all of them harder—"in your cave. Sleepy time. Get into your fucking cave, you bastard."

Micah roared, but Weston and Vemar had him, the three of them half falling forward as I rammed them from behind. They shoved the dragon in, then backed out fast.

"Shut the door," I yelled, though Weston was already grabbing it. "Night-night, dragon. Go to sleep in your cave on your piles of gold."

Weston swung the door closed and leaned his shoulder against it, pushing hard. Vemar joined him, his back to the wood, applying all his weight.

The dragon roared and thumped within. Thank the fucking gods Raz hadn't been a dragon. That would've made my life much, much more dangerous.

"Is there a key?" I asked through labored breaths.

"No." Weston eyed the door. "No key. What do we do?"

"Get a chair to brace against it. That's all he needs—the small, dark space is going to send a signal to his brain that it is sleepy time. He'll get drowsy, probably get enraged, because dragons are clearly nuts, stomp around, and bash things, but eventually he'll quiet."

"He's strong enough to get through that door," Nyfain said, coming up behind us.

"He won't." I motioned for Hadriel to grab the chair to my right. "Products that cause this reaction cut down on thinking ability. My old coworker could've just walked out the back door at any time. Instead, he stayed in the supply closet, sometimes smashing all my stuff and writing mean things about me on the walls, until he drifted into a stupor. When he woke up, he left. I don't advise waiting that long with this guy. He didn't look good. He needs help. Wait until he quiets—maybe another twenty minutes after that for him, actually—and then inject him, if at all possible. Then get out again. If you have to use liquid, go slow. Coax him to swallow. Or maybe just call me. I can work with him after he calms down. I can probably get him to swallow just fine. Once he's out of it, he'll probably just knock on the door and ask to be let out."

More than one person was blinking at me.

"How...?" Finley shook her head slowly, looking at the closet door. The dragon was in there howling, banging on the wall, tearing down whatever was left from the shelves. "How could you possibly know how to... do that? Create a drug that operates one way in one situation, and then another way in another situation?"

"Books. There is some fascinating stuff out there about the magical brain. They're all a bit different. I kind of stumbled into it, asked for more books on it, and then figured"—I shrugged—"if I can work that in, that would be good. But there's a downside to this fail-safe. If a person is trying to take the product in secret, like away from their wife or something, they won't get much out of it before they go to sleep. That's then a waste of their money."

The sounds within the closet started to quiet. His thrashing slowed.

"I can't believe it," Arleth said quietly, also watching the closet. "I've never heard of anything like it. And this... effect has always been present?"

"She discovered the first traces of it at about eighteen," Weston said as he motioned for us to get moving. "I remember reading it in her journals. Don't we have a lot more people to see?"

We did, as a matter of fact, but it wasn't at all the long night I was expecting. It turned out that Vemar and a handful of other dragons came in quite handy. They were amazing at forcing people into closets or small spaces or into little balls on the road, where tarps would then be put over them. The way they went about it was a little comical, too, with chasing (by the dragons), screaming (by the dragons), and occasionally nets just for funsies.

I handled anyone dangerous and high-powered enough that might result in someone getting hurt, but mostly... I just chatted with the people watching, some of them angry their mate would take that stuff, some sad that their mate was at it again, and some laughing with how people were being rounded up. I spoke to those who were sad, heard stories of addiction and underlying problems, and did the best I could to console them.

An amazing bit of information kept cropping up—Vemar had really been onto something. A group of people habitually using the product were not doing the fun stuff, like the hallucinogens. They were taking it to help them sleep, or battle mental health issues, or various other things as a way to self-medicate. Small groups of those people knew to scrape off the top coating and get at the meat, as they called it. The addiction and sickness didn't trouble them much, as they were only exposed to the remnants from bits of coating they'd left behind.

I tried to remember everything I heard, especially as it pertained to making my product better, but there was too much. I really only caught what was often repeated. I needed to visit another time with a pencil and paper. That was if the queen would allow me. I loved the challenge of doing better, but after this, I doubted she'd love my desire to try.

The queen's village was the last, and the dragons were annoyed to find that it was under control. They'd gotten tired of waiting and taken matters into their own hands, mostly successfully.

On the way back, riding behind Weston on his horse, I wrapped my arms around his torso and leaned my cheek against his back.

"It seems like she unloaded a lot of product," I said, looking out at the emberflies floating lazily.

"Yes, it does."

"I didn't see anyone obviously watching as the night progressed. I didn't feel threatened or in danger. Do you think her people are here?"

"I had the pack check out all the traders' carts. Homes, too. The one that had your poster—the one still alive—was only selling small quantities of Granny's product. He's in the dungeons at present. He couldn't have released all this, at least not alone. We didn't find anything else; not one wrapper. Not one stray drug. Someone got in and unloaded all this product, in all the villages. Likely many people. We have no idea who. Or how, or when. No one saw anything—not anyone that is talking, at any rate. Yes, I think her people are here. I think they are watching. I'm going to check in with the other kingdoms and see if they were hit in the same way. If so, I'll ask how it was handled. From that we can determine if Granny will have learned anything from this... episode."

"If she has people watching, she has the drawing of my face in their hands. It won't matter if I helped—it'll matter that they recognized me. Soon she'll know where I am."

It was only a matter of time.

Weston ran his hand along my arm and entwined his fingers with mine. "This is true. We'll need to assume that word will reach her about where you are. Who you're with."

I hugged him a little tighter. "How long will the news take to reach her, do you think?"

"With a fast ship, a few days."

"Can't you dock all the ships? Delay them?"

"We can make up some reason to delay people getting to their ships, but we can't keep them forever."

"Then the countdown has begun." Fear trembled within me, but I shoved it away in favor of determination. I had precious little time to find a solution to the dangerousness of her product. I'd focus on that and let Weston focus on protecting me. He had the army of a kingdom at his disposal. I would trust him to use it.

He squeezed my hand. "We'll handle this, okay? She won't be able to get to you."

I closed my eyes, my cheek against his back. I would not live in fear of her, not anymore.

"I'd like to learn how to defend myself," I said in a small voice. "In both human and wolf form."

"Of course," he replied.

We'd need to start training soon.

After the horses were handed off to the stable hands, the stable guy from our journey nowhere to be found, we made our way toward the castle, behind the king and queen. We were nearly there when the queen stalled, looking back at us.

"Thank you," she told me, falling in step. I paused, and Weston moved in beside the king to give us a moment. "I realize what your help means. Please rest assured, we know what threats you will face if you were to fall into Granny's hands, and we are keenly aware of the threat we all face if that were to happen. We have a solid defense in this kingdom. You'll be protected."

I inclined my head, letting the sentiment drift by me.

"I'd like to learn how you make your product," she said.

"Okay."

"I assume I don't have to impress upon you how quickly I want something to combat Granny's poison."

"No, you don't. I'll find you a cure, if not a solution. Just give me the supplies I need."

She paused for a moment. Finally, she said, "We're not going to kill you, just so you know. I know you had doubts. I thought I might put your mind at ease. We'll probably have to whip you or make some show of things, but... your life isn't in danger."

I laughed without humor. "Your Majesty, it wasn't what you would do that troubled me. It was always my past becoming my future again, and you just saw the lengths she'll go just to know where I am. But thank you, that... is nice of you to say. Sort of."

"The whipping . . . isn't necessarily great news."

"No," I breathed. "It isn't."

As we reached the castle doors, the attendants pulled them open for us. The queen looked across at Weston, her eyes hard and troubled, before she nodded and led the way across the threshold.

"Did you want to stay with me tonight?" Weston asked a few moments later as we walked down the hall.

"Yes, please. I just... Could I have a minute to write in my journal? I heard quite a lot today, and I'd like to write it down while it's fresh."

"Of course. Come over when you're ready."

He was where I'd seen him the night before, book open, candles lit.

"You don't have to light those for me every night, you know." I gestured at them as I made my way to his lap.

His smile was soft. "They're nice. They soften the space a little."

I nestled against him, loving how his arms felt as they wrapped around me. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He paused. "For what?"

"For making you wait. I... was lost. I'm not anymore. I'm sorry for causing you pain."

" I'm sorry," he said.

I furrowed my brow, sitting up so I could see his face. The candlelight flickered in his beautiful gray eyes.

"Don't be," I said. "For what?"

"For snatching you from your home without interrogating you first. For making you share a stranger's bed as a captive. For making you a captive here again instead of a true mate, or even as just a pretty stranger who needed help with her animal. I mean, need I go on? For ripping your life apart without mercy. For saying you can go free but then shoving you off into a foreign town without any sort of protection. For not telling you about Granny sooner." He shook his head. "Giving you a little time to figure out your life is hardly a big ask, now is it? Not after what I've put you through. It is also well within your right. I haven't claimed you, and even if I had, you are free to choose whoever makes you happy. Nothing is forever unless you wake up every day and decide it will be, over and over, until the end of time."

I ran my thumb along his jaw, feeling a little stubble. "I would've lost it if you'd been with another woman."

"Good. I like my mate possessive."

"Is that what I am now?" Butterflies filled my belly. "Your mate?"

"Yes."

I kissed him softly. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Yes?"

"Do . . . Will we . . ."

"Spit it out," he whispered with a smile.

"Mates claim each other, right? Eventually? Or . . ."

Hunger flashed in his eyes, and I felt him harden beneath me.

"Yes," he said. "Mates claim each other. We're in a unique position, though. We need to wait a bit longer."

"For what?" I asked, desire pooling in me. I leaned forward and kissed his lips as I reached down between us, rubbing along his hardness.

"For your world to get more complicated and for you to choose a path." He grabbed my waist and lifted me so that I could settle a knee on each side of him.

"I don't know what that means," I said against his lips, working at the buttons on his shirt.

He undid my pants, reaching in and feeling along my wetness. He groaned at how ready I was.

"You will soon enough," he murmured, stroking me as I finished undoing his shirt.

I kissed down his chest while I undid his pants, pulling out his sizable girth. He stopped me from sucking it in, though, reaching forward to yank down my pants and underwear and pull me toward him. "You looked really handsome tonight."

"This is my professional attire."

"I like your professional attire." I shrugged out of my shirt and leaned forward so that he could suck in the peak of my breast. I ran my slick sex against him before lifting up and rubbing his tip along me.

"I like you riding my cock." He grabbed my hips and pulled while thrusting upward, driving home. I groaned as he put one of his hands to my cheek, keeping my lips close. His other hand stayed on my hip, lifting and pulling in time with his strokes, sliding out then back in hard. "If it were up to me, baby, I'd have you claimed and bred by now."

I groaned against his mouth, those dirty words lighting a fire deep inside of me. Kindling a need. We breathed the same heated air, full of want.

"I walked out onto that path the first night," he murmured, "because I couldn't help myself. You called to me. Everything about you called to me. From that moment until now, I've wanted you with every fiber of my being, even when I thought you were the enemy. I lingered at your work desk, looked over your art, riveted. I was there to get clues to Granny's operation, but I wanted to learn about you . Your loves, your quirks, your interests. Everything about you has me entranced. I hate how we met—well, after that first night—but I'm so glad my journey led me to this moment. I will choose you, every day, for the rest of my life. I love you, Aurelia."

The words sent a shock into me, like a spear through my chest, breaking everything away until the sentiment lodged deeply into my heart. I could feel Weston's truth rising within us, our wolves fusing, our hearts joining. Only my mother had ever said those words to me and meant them. I knew in my soul he meant them now, and that he'd felt it for a while. Like bubbles, all those feelings rose to the surface.

Tears dripped down my cheeks. My body moved on top of his.

"I—"

He stopped me with a kiss, stealing the words with my breath.

"Not yet," he murmured, emotion making his voice wobble. "Not yet."

I didn't know what he was waiting for. What choices he thought would come before me. Maybe the problem was with the towns and villages, where people might not trust the beta to have a mate who'd been responsible for the drugs infiltrating their safe spaces. Maybe it would be a black mark on the pack, or the royals. Whatever the reason, I trusted him. He'd waited for me; I would wait for him. It wasn't any great hardship. I'd still see him, get to be with him, get to call him my mate. It was more than I'd ever expected out of life. I was blessed to have gotten this far, to have this much of a fairytale, as fucked up as it had been.

I rocked against him, and he worked my clit, bending me back so that he could roll his tongue around my nipple. He drove deeply, trying to work in that knot. Trying to lock me. I didn't want that in this position, though. Not tonight. Tonight, I wanted to fall asleep with his knot lodged in deeply, him not able to go far.

I pushed off his chest, climbed from his lap, and turned, bending over. He was up in a flash, arm around my waist and lifting me. He dropped me on the couch, my knees on the cushion, elbows along on the back. He shoved his cock in hard, all the way to the hilt. I bit my lip with the small ache and felt his growl of triumph dance up my spine. His hand fisted my hair and his other snaked around me, his finger massaging me right where I needed it most.

I bucked against him a little too hard, sending pain flaring again. He let go of my hair and curved his arm around my chest, holding me in place as he pumped in shallow movements. His finger worked my clit. His teeth scraped along my shoulder.

"Please, Weston," I begged, rolling my body.

His teeth lingered, and I felt his power building. Felt his need rising. My wolf was right near the surface, desperate for this, wanting their forever mark. His wolf snarled, though, pulling back at the man. Refusing to commit. I wondered why the sudden change in the wolf.

"Fuck," Weston growled, and his mouth found my neck instead as his fingers pinched a nipple.

An orgasm exploded through me. His pleasure tumbled through the bond a moment later as he shook with his own release. Back and forth the pleasure went, chased by power, by a deep feeling that welled up so big it consumed me.

I couldn't stop the tears, but fuck it, this was heaven. I knew he didn't mind.

I snuggled back against him, feeling fatigue come over me. "Can we go to bed and do this until we pass out?"

His answer was to lift me and move locations. Once we'd gotten under the covers, the process a lesson in teamwork, he curled around me just the way I liked. With his lips against my ear, he whispered, "I love you," one last time, and then we slowly fucked our way to sleep.