Chapter 27

Twenty-Seven

Between stolen moments with Becks, anxiety over my deal with Talon, and anticipating the next Chaos trial, the next week passes quickly even though I'm only allowed to go to school and home again. The injured look on my mom's face still hasn't completely disappeared, but I think the fact that I haven't bucked against their punishment has helped me gain some ground.

It still bothers me that Becks and I can't hold hands in the hallways of Nightlark or cuddle by our lockers between classes. But Becks reaffirms his feelings for me time and time again in looks he sends my way when no one's watching, and the kisses we share in stolen moments. It's enough to hold me over, for now, but as the days tick by, I have to work harder and harder to bat away the negative voice that tells me this is all I'll ever have of Becks. That he'll never truly be mine. It certainly doesn't help that the one time I managed to corner Talon for an update, he told me to chill because he was handling it but wouldn't say more.

The Chaos tracker hasn't gone off, but with every day that passes I'm acutely aware we're getting closer to a new trial, and that Talon is running out of time. If he doesn't make good on our deal, I'm back to Shadow Striker being the only card in my deck.

I'm in the back corner of the store early Saturday morning, high on a ladder and dusting the top of an antique armoire. The person who sold it to my parents said it can transport you to another world, but really it's just an oversized piece of furniture with a much less interesting backstory. The bell above the door jingles, announcing a customer, and I'm thrilled when I turn and realize it's Becks. I scramble down the ladder to meet him, but the stormy look on his face as he walks toward me makes my smile melt into a frown.

"What's wrong?" I ask when he reaches me.

He casts a quick look around the shop, but no one else is here.

"I had a council meeting last night," he says, and a knot forms in my gut. What now? "They voted to abolish the rules on arranging a life-mate for the dragon heir."

My eyes widen as my heart begins to soar. This is amazing news. Talon came through. But the gloomy look on Becks' face doesn't change, and I don't understand.

"Becks, this is what we were hoping for."

He shakes his head. "It's not. They changed the law surrounding picking a life-mate for me, but they didn't change the timeline. I still only have until graduation to announce a betrothal, I just get to choose the person rather than them going out and finding someone for me."

"Okay, that's not exactly what we were hoping for, but it's better than before. At least now you have a choice," I say, trying to find a silver lining.

Becks' laugh is full of bitterness. "But I don't really. They still need to approve my choice."

So we're back to exactly where we started. With Becks needing to mate with a powerful female, and me not having any magic.

It hits me that I bartered away my only chance at getting that power, and I start to feel sick.

"Talon tricked you," Becks says, and I find it hard to disagree with him. He might have technically fulfilled his end of the bargain by getting Becks out of an arranged life-mating, but the obstacles between us are still there.

"I haven't pushed you on this, but will you tell me what you had to do to get this favor from him?" He's tense as he waits for me to respond. I don't see the point in not telling him anymore.

"I promised Talon that I'd fail out of the next Chaos trial," I say, and Becks' gaze instantly brightens.

"That's it?"

"That's it," I confirm, and Becks lets out a sigh of relief, his muscles unclenching before my eyes.

"Thank the Creator," he says, and pulls me into his arms, where I stand woodenly while the reality of what I've lost sets in. If the council has to approve his choice, I'll never measure up.

Becks doesn't realize what I've really given up, so it's no wonder he's not more upset. In his mind we didn't lose anything to make this minor gain. In fact, this is what Becks has wanted all along, for me to not be competing in Chaos. It's ironic that this is the thing he and Talon finally agree upon, the thing that might have given us a chance to be together.

"It's hopeless," I say into Becks' chest, my eyes welling. After everything I've done and everything I've been through, it is over. This was my last play. I'm out of ideas, and I'm now also out of a backup plan.

Becks crushes me closer. "No, don't say that. I'm not giving up. I've always seen the council as unmovable, but I don't anymore. If it's possible for Talon to get them to bend, then I can too."

I hear the confidence in his voice, but it doesn't do anything to lift my spirits.

"Hey," Becks says, loosening his hold so that he can pull back and look into my eyes. A tear slips out and treks down my face; he wipes it away with his thumb. "Don't cry, Lock. We'll figure it out. It's not over."

I bite my lip and try to pull myself back together. We've made it this far. I can't fall apart now.

Becks traces my lower lip and then frees it from my teeth. I hold my breath as he swipes his finger slowly back and forth against the underside of my mouth, loving the tingles that small touch causes to race down my spine. Taking my face between both his hands, he leans toward me and places his lips on mine, giving me an achingly soft kiss that I feel all the way to my toes.

A throat clears, and Becks and I break apart.

"So this is a thing now?"

With a gasp, I shove against Becks, stumbling away from him to find my dad a few feet away with his arms crossed, staring down both of us with a stony-faced frown.

I've never been more mortified than I am as my dad's gaze moves from me to Becks and then back to me again.

"So. . ." Dad prompts.

I open my mouth to answer, and then shut it again, looking to Becks for help. No one knows about us except Ensley. And with the life-mating hanging over Becks' head, we haven't defined what we are. I'm not honestly sure how to answer my dad.

Becks rubs his neck, clearly as uncomfortable at having been caught by my dad as I am, but he takes the initiative and says, "Yes, sir. This is most definitely a thing."

Despite the awkward situation, a small smile slips on my face. I like hearing Becks acknowledge what we have out loud to someone other than me or his sister.

"Sir?" my dad asks, and I swear the corner of his mouth twitches. Becks has never referred to my dad as "sir" before. He usually calls my dad by his first name, Garrett.

Becks shifts nervously under my dad's intense regard, and just when I don't think it could get any worse, my mom appears. "What's going on?"

I groan, and Becks winces.

"I caught these two making out," my dad says, and I slap my hands over my heated face.

"Dad," I whine from my fingers. "We were not making out."

"You did?" she asks, and I drop my hands to see my mom's face light up.

"This one here says that this is a thing?" Dad adds, pointing to Becks.

She looks over at Becks. "It is?"

He nods, and a smile spreads over her face. "Well, it's about time."

I shut my eyes. Great . She's as bad as Ensley.

Dad clears his throat as Mom says, "Right," and then tries to plaster a serious look on her face but falls short. "Well, you realize this means we're going to have to set new rules for you, such as staying over at their house and such?"

Rather than argue, I nod. I don't need to be in any more hot water with them than I already am.

"So, how long has this been going on?" she asks.

"It's pretty new," I admit. "So can we not pick it apart right now?"

To my extreme surprise, my parents let me out of working all day in the store to hang out with Becks, reminding me that I still have almost a week before I'm completely let off my grounding.

We don't do anything particularly special. He takes me out to lunch at Sloan's, then we work out at Peet's and catch an early movie so that I can be home by eight like my parents asked. When the lights dim in the theater, Becks takes my hand and rubs his thumb back and forth over my knuckles. It's so distracting I don't catch half of the movie, but it also feels so natural. We do our best to avoid talking about anything dragon heir related, both of us seeming to want to escape reality if only just for a few hours. It feels like an almost perfect day.

Becks and I pull up to the curb in front of the store at three minutes to eight. I'm reluctant to leave him, but I don't think it's a good idea to push my parents, so we say our goodbyes and I slide from the seat of his truck. With a wave, Becks takes off and I waste another minute standing there until his taillights disappear. When they do, I turn toward our building.

The store closed two hours ago, so rather than going through it to reach our apartment above, I go around the side alley to the outdoor entrance to our home. I'm reaching for the door when it opens, startling me. I jump back a step with a sharp yelp and feel instantly silly when it's just Mr. Brone leaving our place.

"Locklyn, dear. I didn't mean to scare you," Mr. Brone says as he steps out into the alley with me.

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Bro—" I start, but then correct myself when I see the look on his face. "Kerrim."

He smiles broadly when I use his first name without having to be told. "I was just helping your parents with their new security system that I'd recommended. You can't be too careful these days. They invited me to stay for dinner and we just finished. I'm sorry you weren't able to join. They mentioned you were out on a date."

My parents are talking about my love life? How embarrassing. I'm going to have to let them know not to spread the news around though. I don't want the dragon council finding out about us.

"I was with my friend Becks," I say, neither confirming nor denying it was a date. "So which one of them cooked? Mom or Dad?" I ask, hoping to move the topic away from me.

He laughs because he's aware what a wretched cook my dad is. "Your mother. It was delicious. In fact, we made sure to leave you a slice of your favorite cake."

Yes . "I love her carrot cake. She hasn't made it in ages."

Even though I ate a full meal with Becks, and candy during the movie, my stomach still grumbles at the thought of Mom's famous carrot cake. It's dense and perfectly moist, with the lightest cream cheese frosting you've ever had. I'm glad they left me some because I know my dad can finish off almost the whole thing himself.

"Then it seems it's your lucky day," Mr. Brone says with a polite smile.

"It sure does," I say and then turn toward the door, ready to race up the steps and claim that last slice of cake, when Mr. Brone asks politely, "How did your project go?"

"Oh. You mean about Shadow Striker?" I ask and he nods. "You know I actually took your advice and decided to drop it after all."

"Really?" he asks, with a tilt of his head. "You seemed so determined to stick with that topic. What changed your mind?"

I shrug. "I hit a dead end. I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

"Hmm," Mr. Brone says, his cordial smile slipping just a little. "Well, the Emporium's library is always open to you if you need it for research."

Guilt sours my gut when I remember that I still haven't returned the Dragon Shifter Law book I took from his library the last time I was there, and I make a mental note to take it back after I'm no longer grounded.

With a wave, Mr. Brone leaves and then I shoot up the stairs, going straight for the kitchen. The slice of carrot cake is waiting for me in the center of the table. After pouring myself a large glass of milk, I grab a fork and dig in. I'm on my second bite when my mom enters the kitchen, and seeing me, she sits down at the table with me.

"Like it?" she asks.

"Delicious," I say after swallowing. "Seriously my favorite dessert on the planet. You should consider selling these to customers."

She laughs at that because the idea of selling cake in a high-end antique shop is somewhat ridiculous. "I'm glad to hear you still like it. How was your day with Becks?" she asks with a twinkle in her eye.

"Good," I say, and duck my head to hide my telling smile.

"I've been telling your father for ages that you two would be so cute together. I'm glad it finally happened."

"Mom," I complain, fully embarrassed now.

"What?" she asks, her face full of innocence.

I shake my head. "I saw Mr. Brone on the way in. Can you please at least keep the news between our family, at least for now."

"Why ever so?"

I don't want them to know about Becks' life-mating. That's his business, and if they find out he has to get betrothed in the next month and a half, they're going to flip. But there is more than one reason why I don't want our status circulating.

"Well, for one thing I don't know that it's going to work out between us," I tell her honestly, my gaze unfocused on the half-eaten slice of cake in front of me. Confessing that out loud really makes it feel real, and my appetite starts to dim.

She frowns. "Why do you say that?"

I shrug. "We're just so different. He has a lot of pressure not to be with a girl like me."

"A girl like you?" she asks with a furrowed brow.

"Yeah, Mom, you know. . . . Becks is the dragon heir and I'm just . . ." I sigh. I don't mean to beat myself up, but the facts are the facts. Magically speaking, I'm not on Becks' level. And no matter what Becks says or what we want, that's going to matter in the end.

"You're just a kind, intelligent, and beautiful young girl any boy would be lucky to have," my mom finishes for me when I fall silent.

I force myself to give her a smile of thanks for the compliments. I do believe that is what my parents see when they look at me, but they just don't get it.

"I'm also magicless, Mom, and it's no secret Becks is going to end up with a powerful female."

My mom frowns. "Haven't we always taught you a creature's worth is measured by far more than the level of their magic? What use is a powerful creature who's lacking in character?"

She's right, that is what I was raised to believe. My parents never seemed fazed by my lack of magic. When the doctors came back and said that my magic must just be so small that it's not registering, they didn't even look surprised. Their support really helped me over the years, but in a weird way it also made it harder to talk to them about my insecurities. They just don't get what it's like to be magicless in a supernatural world. It's lonely.

"Maybe you should tell the dragon council that," I say with a self-deprecating laugh.

"Maybe I will," she says, a fierce look sharpening her features. I'm familiar with that look. It's the one that says, "Someone hurt my baby girl and I'm going to make them wish they were never born." My mother might be petite, but she's a force to be reckoned with. I'd like to think I got some of my fierceness from her.

"Please don't," I say, half worried she's serious. I don't need to be coddled by my parents any more than I need to be by Becks or Ensley. "Let Becks and me work it out. If we can't, we were never meant to be together anyway."

I say that to keep my mom from doing anything rash, but the truth of that statement stabs me in the chest, stealing my breath.

Rather than finish the rest of the cake, I push it to the middle of the table and tell my mom I'm full. There's sadness in her gaze as I get to my feet, but she doesn't press the issue anymore. She tells me she loves me, and I say it back. It might seem like a small thing to most, but I find a deep sense of comfort in our relationship, because no matter what happens, I know that will always be true.

The rest of the weekend passes slowly. Becks doesn't stop by again, and Monday morning Talon is waiting for me with his shoulder pressed up against my locker when I arrive at school.

"I filled my end of the bargain, Freckles. I got your princeling out of an arranged mating. It's time for you to make good on our deal."

I scoff and nudge him out of the way, and when I open my locker I proceed to shove books in harder than necessary. I had all weekend to stew on what Talon did, and I feel played. Sure, he got Becks out of an arranged life-mating, but he's still under the council's thumb, so Talon didn't actually do much to help our situation, and he knows it.

I wait until I've loaded my bag with the books I need to slam my locker and face Talon.

"You know the council will never agree to let me be with Becks," I hiss only loud enough for him to hear.

Talon shrugs, a lazy smile on his face that I want to smack off. "Then it looks like you are going to find out one way or another exactly how important you are to him."

"How can you be so cruel?" I ask, my voice hitching. I hung all my hopes on Talon, and he let me down.

Something softens in his gaze as he sighs. "It was the best I could do. The council has their reasons for wanting Becks mated sooner rather than later. Even if my uncle could have been persuaded, the other members wouldn't have budged. The ball's back in your princeling's court now."

I shake my head. "He doesn't have a choice." Despite Becks' confidence this past weekend that we'd find a way to be together, I don't see how it's going to all work out. And now I've lost my backup plan.

"We've been over this. There's always a choice."

When I look down, he uses two fingers under my chin to tip my face back up toward him. "Don't you realize that you often have to fight for the things most worth having?" Reaching forward, he pushes a strand of hair behind my ear, and for some reason I let him. "You're worth fighting for."

I blink up at him, feeling raw and exposed.

"I know you've been fighting for your princeling, but has he really been fighting for you?"

"Yes," I say, coming to Becks' defense, but as Talon stares down at me I can tell he doesn't believe that.

Talon's gaze flicks over my shoulder. Straightening, he steps back. "And that's my cue," he says, and then abruptly turns and walks away, blending into the hallway traffic right away.

"Was that Talon talking to you?" Becks says behind me, and when I turn he and Ensley are standing there.

I nod. "I was just giving him a piece of my mind."

A muscle in Becks' jaw jumps. "Good. I always knew we couldn't trust him."

"At least the situation isn't quite as dire as before," Ensley says, trying to stay positive, but winces when she sees the look on my face.

"I'll figure something out," Becks says, and I can only hope he's right, because I already played my ace and lost.