Chapter 26

26

The hot breeze of the forest baking in the aftermath of fire caressed Lilis’ face and ruffled her hair. Residual smoke filled the air, calling to her dragon. Calling to her .

She sent her dragon as far from her consciousness as possible, seeking the world through her human senses, unenhanced by the aid of her other half. She took a deep breath, inhaling the dissipating smoke, the wind, the pine around her. Her home .

Simon.

If she claimed him, would the wilds of the forests offer him the same solace? Or would they overwhelm him? Could he survive?

No matter what, it’ll change him.

“No.” Her breathing sped up, and Lilis fought the panic. She didn’t want that for him. “I just want Simon .”

A high-pitched whine demanded her attention, and Lilis called her dragon back, preparing for battle. But that drone sounded familiar…

Tracy barreled down the street with far more speed than she had any right to, pulling to a stop in front of Lilis with a final protesting groan.

The instant she stopped, Longwei crumpled out of the front seat, landing on all fours and panting. Lilis would’ve laughed, but she remembered all too well the perils of riding in Tracy the Rusty Tracker. She could deal with him later.

“Simon, you shouldn’t?—”

He was out of the car and grabbing her into a hug before she could finish her sentence, startling her with the intensity of his emotions. “What the hell are you doing here, Lilis? You said you were going to your lair!”

“I needed to see something.” I needed to know I wouldn’t destroy you. “I wasn’t hunting, I swear.”

With dramatic retching sounds, Longwei gripped Tracy’s hood and pulled himself to his feet. “As fun as watching you two is definitely going to be, I’m out.” He glanced at Simon. “Hey, Human Error, we’re even, right?”

“What the hell do you mean you’re even? What’s he even doing here?” Lilis froze at the steady trickle of blood dripping down Longwei’s torso. “Who did you piss off this time?” She advanced on him. “You fucking snake, if you put Simon in danger, I will twist you in so many knots your head and your ass will be indistinguishable.”

Longwei offered her a shit-eating grin and pulled off his pants.

She gagged at the brief sight of him naked before he shifted into his dragon form. “Ugh, must you insist on getting naked all the time around me?”

Simon ran a hand through his shaggy hair, his eyes growing wide with fake surprise. “You too? This guy is allergic to his clothes around me.”

Dragons couldn’t laugh, but Lilis swore she heard Longwei chuckle before slipping off through the trees.

Simon’s powerful arms came around her from behind, pressing her into his solid chest and melting her anger. “He helped me find you. Lilis, you’re not safe in the Barrens with your fire friend on the loose. Why did you come here?”

“I needed to know how it felt. The forest, the fire, the energy. I needed to try to feel it as you might feel it.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t follow.”

Simon’s voice vibrated against her back, and Lilis snuggled further into his embrace.

“I know. I’m sorry.” This was not at all how she’d considered talking to him about her kind. About the two of them. She took a breath and held it. Released it. Took another one. “Demons can… select partners.”

“You mean mates?”

Surprise snapped Lilis out of his arms. “How did you know?”

“Big Red told me.”

“He had no right to?—”

“I wish you’d have told me.” Sadness bled through Simon’s words. “I know you’ve thought about it before. I saw your eyes slit in a memory from Rome. I just didn’t know what it meant when I woke up.”

And my dragon almost claimed you after you saved my life. The stupid reptile doesn’t know what’s safe for you.

And neither do I.

Frustration and helplessness boiled within her, but she worked to keep her voice even. “Simon, do you know what happens when a dragon claims a mate?”

“Longwei said something about sharing powers. But I don’t care about any of that, Lilis. I?—”

“And have you ever had powers before?”

He shook his head.

“Any idea what they’d do to you?”

Simon’s expression became sheepish. “No.”

Lilis threw up her hands. “Me neither!” She headed deeper into the forest, needing more of the wilds around her to calm her nerves. “I told you before, I’m not weak.”

“Obviously. But you don’t?—”

“I’ve been alive for well over three thousand years, Simon. Three thousand . What if that all hits you at once? It could kill you! What then? If you’re mated to me, you might not reincarnate anymore.” Her breathing sped up. “You think I haven’t thought about this again and again and again ?”

A warm hand on her shoulder stopped her. Comforted her without asking anything in return. She turned and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Every relationship is hard, Lilis.” Simon stroked her back lightly, and she relaxed further into his embrace. “I know you probably can’t just ask someone these things after five days of knowing them. But after discovering I’m the reincarnation of basically everyone ?—”

“I’ve known you a week.”

Simon shrugged, sculpted shoulders moving against her. “I wasn’t counting the two days you were unconscious.” He paused in the quiet. “Tell me something?”

“Depends. What do you want to know?”

“What did you decide? About us? About mating?”

Before she could answer, a bubbly feminine voice behind Lilis exclaimed loudly, “Simon?!”

Lilis whipped around, placing herself between Simon and the newcomer.

A short brunette human with vibrant green eyes appeared from the trees and bounded over to them, drawing Simon into a hug.

“Twice in one month! I know you don’t do social media, so are you stalking me in real life? Or am I stalking you?”

Lilis shook with the effort it took to reign in her dragon. She gave it a mental kick in the ass.

This is your fault. How in all the hells did you let a human sneak up on us? Did you ? —

A low growl preceded another visitor, materializing out of the fog to drape a possessive arm around the petite human, and Lilis instantly calmed.

Taller than Simon, with a broad torso and wild brown hair, he moved so quietly, he was as smooth as the wind. He smelled of the forest, of pine and cedar.

Lilis crossed her arms over her chest. “Didn’t realize there were sasquatch in this part of the country.” Whose presence must have masked the human’s.

Her dragon snorted and curled up in her mind’s eye.

Fine, you’re off the hook. This time.

The large man in front of her offered her a tight-lipped smile.

Simon lifted a dubious eyebrow at Lilis, then looked from the human woman to the sasquatch and back again. “You’re joking.”

The woman bit her lip and shrugged. “I thought you knew. I mean, come on, Simon. Finn’s six foot six.”

Simon laughed. “Seriously, Shelbs? That’s how I should’ve guessed you were dating a mystical creature, not a retired NBA star?” He turned to the woman’s friend again with childlike awe, and Lilis fought back a smile, pleased he’d found some good in her world. “You’re really a real-life sasquatch?”

“I prefer the term ‘bigfoot.’” Finn’s voice rumbled through the clearing, like vibrations of tectonic plates. He stuck out his hand. “Good to see you again, Simon. Thanks again for the photos you took of us last month. Shelby posted them everywhere.”

“Are you kidding? You just told me I got a photo of a bigfoot! How many people can honestly say that?”

“Anyone who’s ever taken my picture.”

Simon flushed an adorable shade of pink, and Lilis had to fight the sudden, overwhelming urge to kiss him. “Okay that’s fair.” He slipped an arm around Lilis’ waist, drawing her to his side, and she melted into him. “Lilis, Shelby’s a friend from college. I didn’t have much of a life back then with all my courses, but Shelby had enough for both of us.” He looked back to the other couple. “Shelby, this is my girlfriend, Lilis.”

Lilis’ heart nearly stopped at Simon’s easy declaration, the claim he put on her. She schooled her face as quickly as possible, hoping none of her shock had shown.

Finn chuckled, his smile transforming him into a gentle giant. “You’re dating a dragon, and me being a bigfoot is what impresses you?”

Shelby’s mouth formed an O, and her bright green eyes widened. “You’re a dragon ? Like, you can breathe fire, and it comes out your nose and mouth? What happens if you eat Mexican?” She blushed, her words coming on top of each other. “ Food . Mexican food. And if your tummy grumbles, do you?—”

Simon shivered and held up a hand. “Please don’t ask, Shelbs.”

Shelby nodded adamantly and pulled her fingers across her mouth as though she were zipping it closed. Heat rose in Lilis’ face at the fleeting memory of doing her best to protect Simon after he found her half-dead in the forest.

And the unfortunate puddle of chunky, molten puke that had resulted from her blunder.

Finn’s deep voice saved her from further embarrassment. “What brings you two here today? There’s no blaze for you to fly through.”

Lilis opened her mouth to respond, but Simon beat her to it.

“Lilis has been tracking the person who started it.”

Not today. She snuck a peek at Simon’s handsome profile. Today, I came for you .

Finn rubbed his chin, eyes narrowing. “They’re hurting my forest.”

Anger flooded her at Finn’s simple truth, and Lilis bunched her fists at her sides to keep her body in one form. “He’s hurting more than that. He’s been setting traps for us.” She indicated herself and Finn with a wave of one hand, then nodded her chin at Shelby. “If you want to keep her safe, you’ll take a break from the Barrens until we’ve taken care of him.”

Simon’s arm tightened around her. Gods, she loved his determination. Even when it put him in danger, it set him apart from everyone else. Made him who he was.

He released her to give Shelby another big hug. As he shook Finn’s hand, Shelby approached Lilis with a shy smile.

“I’m a hugger,” she admitted with a giggle. “But you don’t look like a hugger, so I’ll wave. Would you mind showing me something while Simon fangirls over Finn some more?”

Lilis glanced at Simon, who was asking Finn something about shoe size, and nodded reluctantly. Shelby walked them over to a nearby pine with only minor char damage.

“I’m not going to transform, if that’s what you’re hoping. I need my clothes?—”

Shelby whipped around to face her. “He’s a really nice guy.”

“Finn?” Lilis asked, trying to keep up. “I don’t doubt it.”

“Simon. He’s a really nice guy, and you should give him a chance.”

What? This was not at all the conversation she was anticipating having with a human woman she’d known less than ten minutes. “Who says I’m not?”

“I’m bubbly, not stupid. I saw the look on your face when Simon introduced you as his girlfriend. If he says it, he means it.”

Lilis glanced at Simon, who was showing Finn one of his shoes, pointing out the tread for some reason. His warm brown eyes met hers, and his face broke into a grin so sweet, so completely Simon , that it wrapped around her like a warm cloak. Tears gathered behind her eyes, and she swallowed, trying to get a hold on her emotions again.

“It’s not that simple.”

Shelby smiled indulgently. “Is anything?” She glanced at Finn, who was admiring Simon’s jade pendant, running his fingers across the grooves.

Simon can make anyone happy.

Finn looked at Shelby with an expression full of love, and his entire body relaxed subtly when Shelby returned his smile. “Wanna know what it’s like to be the human in the relationship?”

Overwhelming. Terrifying. Intimidat ? —

“I have to communicate well.” Shelby’s sweet voice silenced Lilis’ inner fears. “I get to hold him close at night. I trust him, and he trusts me. And I have to vacuum a little more often. But that’s only when he comes home from work.” Her quick giggle gave way to a more serious demeanor. “Other than the hair thing, being with Finn is no different than being with any human man. Except I love him. I don’t want any human man.”

Lilis could only stare as Shelby walked back to Finn and waved. She blinked.

And they were gone.

Simon slipped his hand into hers and squeezed. “So, what were you and Shelby talking about?” His deep voice rolled over her like a caress. “You look like Shelby just told you she was starting the fires.”

“She was giving me dating advice. Apparently, dating me would be no different than dating any human woman, and I should give you a chance to prove that.”

Simon’s brown eyes sparkled. “See? I’m not the only one who thinks so.”

Lilis growled as they started back toward Tracy. “Yeah, except no one is hunting bigfoots. No one can ever fucking find bigfoots. I’m a liability to—” Lilis froze as they rounded one of the larger pines.

The endirim who’d nearly killed her stood by a tall oak, hands entirely engulfed in flames.