Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

K ari walked into the living space that was part of her and Evander's room, and smiled when he growled a curse word at the TV. She walked over, sat beside him on the couch, tucked her legs underneath her, and watched the screen.One half was red while the other showed a character doing some sort of victory dance, and she laughed as Evander growled again.

"I fucking taught him that move!" He said, glancing back at her. "Worst mistake ever!"

The game restarted, and she laughed as Anton repeated the move instead of attacking Evander's army. She glanced at the score and knew they only had one more round before the end of the game, and she smiled as she thought about everything that had happened over the past week.

She and Evander had spent Saturday night and most of Sunday in their room, and even though she'd been too sore to have actual intercourse after the second time in the shower, they'd used their mouths and done lots of other naked things. They'd also eaten every meal in their room, and Evander had shared a lot more about his clan.

At first, she'd been concerned about not eating with everyone, but he'd explained that an actual planned meal together was pretty rare, and though Eron cooked a ton of food, everyone also cooked for themselves. It was the reason they'd installed two full kitchens, and it worked well, because they all did things on their own schedules.

That knowledge had helped ease some of her anxiety about being a bad guest, but Evander reminded her over and over that she wasn't a guest. This was her home now, and she was free to do pretty much whatever she wanted. Of course, there were some guidelines, but those mostly had to do with protecting their animals and their home, so the normal stuff. Other than that, she was free to roam the place, and come and go as she pleased.

Evander wasn't keen on that last part, but she wasn't a prisoner, either.

She could leave the castle whenever she wanted, and Evander was also giving her the means to do whatever she wanted.

After the cellphone, he'd given her a laptop and a credit card with her name on it. She still wasn't totally comfortable with the credit card, but maybe she would get there. She was used to tracking her money, living on a tight budget, and not buying anything frivolous, but when Evander had taken her to the art store and encouraged her to buy whatever she wanted, she had gone a little wild.

Then he'd made her use the card to pay, and the moment had been so liberating, that she'd started crying when they reached the car. Evander had held her until the tears dried up, mumbling words of encouragement the whole time.

The experience had been scary and exciting, and she'd loved it.

It also made her realize that she didn't need her job or her old place anymore, and after two days of Evander driving her back and forth to work, she'd been done. She'd told her boss on Wednesday, offering to finish out the week, but the man hadn't allowed it. Instead, he'dencouraged her to quit on the spot, and wished her well in her new life.

To celebrate the news, Petra had planned the girl's night early, and she'd gotten to know the other women better while they all bonded over chick movies, nail painting, and tons and food and drinks made by Eron. She'd never been drunk before, had never felt like she could let her guard down like that, but she'd been tipsy after one of Eron's cocktails, and it had been fun.

She'd also visited Holly's store, and Evander had taken her to meet Zane and Leo the day before. The meeting wasn't a full sit-down, but they had welcomed her into their town, and made it clear that she was always welcome to schedule a meeting to fill in any gaps she had about shifter life.

Everything seemed perfect, and yet, she still wasn't ready to complete the mating bond, and she wasn't sure why. She did have an idea, though, and she was pretty sure it had to do with the meeting they were going to in a few minutes.

She was finally going to tell her story to the King and the Royal Guard, Evander included, and a tiny thread of fear lingered in the back of her mind. She didn't think any members of Evander's clan were the dragons that attacked her family, and yet, she still worried what would happen when they heard her story.

Would they believe her, or would they try and shut her up and side with their own kind? And what about Evander? Would hearing her story make him see her differently? Would he somehow become ashamed to call her his mate and not want her anymore?

His response was the most important, and deep down, she was so afraid. Everything was so perfect—too perfect—and she was so afraid everything would be ripped away once she told them about what happened.

She glanced down at the outfit she wore, and more trepidation filled her. Clara had taken it upon herself to buy her some things, and the cute shorts and top were a result of that. At first, she'd felt self-conscious about taking the things Clara had picked out, but Evander explained that Clara's motives had nothing to do with her or the state of the clothes she'd arrived in.

The woman liked to shop, and it was her way of trying to make everyone feel welcome.

And she was amazing at her job. The woman hadn't even asked her size, but the two shopping bags full of stuff had all fit perfectly, and she'd ended up keeping almost everything. Giving some stuff back to return had been nerve-wracking, too, but Clara hadn't seemed to mind. She'd asked a couple of questions about why the pieces were rejected, and that had been it.

Later, she'd been asking the same questions to the Queen about something she'd bought for the other woman, and that had helped Kari relax some.

Still... she wondered if she should change into one of her old outfits.

"That's it," Evander growled, setting the controller on the coffee table. "I can't believe he beat me again."

He leaned back on the couch as if he was completely exhausted, but then he looked at her and sat up straight.

"Hey," he said, sliding one hand to the nape of her neck. "What's wrong?"

"I'm nervous," she shrugged, "and scared."

He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers.

"You have nothing to be afraid of, sweetheart. This isn't a trial or anything, and no one is judging you. This is only about information, and it's better if everyone hears the story from you instead of me.Nothing changes unless we feel that there is some threat against you, and then we take extra security measures for everyone. That's all."

"I know," she nodded, "but everything is great right now, and I'm so afraid something is going to happen to take it all away."

He leaned his forehead against hers.

"You've had some big changes in a very small amountof time, but I can assure you that nothing bad is goingto happen. Trust me, sweetheart. Trust your clan, and know that we will always take care of you."

"Okay," she nodded. "I will try."

"Good girl. Now, let'sgo get thisover with. I heard Eron is making pizza again, and I'm starving."

"I hope there's pepperoni."

"Oh, there definitely will be."He seemed positive, and she had a feeling it was because Eron knew that was her favorite.

She allowed him to pull her off the couch, and they walked to the King's office hand-in-hand.

T he King sat behind his desk, and Eron sat in a chair on his left. Bastian was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, and Anton, Evander, and Kari sat on the small sofa. She was squished between the arm rest and Evander, and their joined hands were resting on his thigh.

Despite being in a room filled with five dragons, and her nerves were being a mess at the thought of sharing her story, she didn't feel out of place among the group. It was odd, but she felt she somehow belonged with these five men, and the knowledge that she did trust all of them, and not just Evander, bolstered her courage.

Evander squeezed her hand, and when she looked at him, he nodded and smiled. And that was all the encouragement she needed.

"When I was ten years old, my parents had a house in the country, and our closest neighbors were miles away. There were just the four of us: my mother, my father, my brother Axel, and me. Axel was ten years older, and he and my father were working out in one of the fields while my mom was making a pie, and I was drawing at the kitchen table, keeping her company.

"Suddenly, my father ran in, yelling, "They're coming!" and my mom ripped off her apron and ran outside. I followed her to the doorway, and saw three black dragons flying toward our home. They were a distance away, but they were getting closer by the second, and I was in awe. I had never seen dragons before, and I was excited to see one up close. It never occurred to me that..."

She paused, and blinked away the tears filling her eyes. It had never occurred to her that the dragons were coming to kill them. Evander squeezed her hand again, and she continued.

"Anyway, my father grabbed me by the waist, opened a hatch in the floor, and dropped me into a small compartment that was big enough to hold about two people. As I was falling, I noticed that he had moved the couch and the rug beneath it to reveal the hatch. I didn't even know it was there, but before I could ask why, he told me not to come out until someone came to get me.

"No one ever came, though.I stayed in the compartment for a long time. I heard my father move the couch back over the hatch, but nothing else, so I sat there in the dark, listening for what seemed like forever. I don't know how many hours I was down there, but it was a long time. I was tired, and hungry, and I had to pee, and I began to think that maybe they forgot about me, you know? So, I lifted the hatch, expecting to be stopped by the couch, but there was nothing but ash.

"Everything that had been around me: the house, the field, my parents. It was all... just ash."

She took another deep breath.

"There had been a few bones, but that was it. I walked around the area, looking for some clue or something, I don't know, but it was dark and hard to see. A big storm was coming, so the moonlight was muted, but right before the rain started, a huge wind blew through, and I saw a few pieces of bone where I imagined my mother and father standing. After that, I ran. The storm was long and heavy, but I kept running until I saw the sun again, and then I fell asleep on the property of an elderly couple that took me in.

"They were human, and they didn't have much, but they took care of me. Gave me food and clothes, made me go to school—stuff like that. They only asked about my family once, and I lied and said they abandoned me. After that, the man gave me some money, and said that if anything ever happened to them, to take the money and leave. I didn't understand why at the time, but I know he was trying to protect me.

"I stayed with them for six years, and then someone ran them off the road and they both died on the scene. I took the money, and what little things I had, and left to start over. Finding an apartment was easy, probably because the area sucks, but finding a job was harder because I wasn't done with school. Obviously, I couldn't enroll anywhere, but I could get my GED online, so I went to the library between jobs to study and eventually took the test. After that, I found the job at the sports bar, and you pretty much know the rest.

"I don't know why the dragons came to our house that day, and I don't know why they were visible instead of cloaked. It allowed my father to save me, so that's good, I guess, but I don't know whether or not they even knew I existed. I've spent years wondering if they were going to hunt me down, too, and why, but the few dragons I've come in contact with over the years have left me alone. Well... except for Evander."

She gave a shaky smile, and all the men in the room laughed. It was enough to break the tension in the room, and she felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It was the first time she'd told her true story to anyone, and no one was judging her for it. Instead, they had all listened with rapt attention, and it felt amazing.

"That's right." Evander brought their joined hands to his mouth and kissed the back of her palm. "You did good, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you."

"You did very good, Kari," Alric said. "Does anyone have any questions?"

She could feel her cheeks heat at the man's praise, and she knew her smile was big. She probably looked like an idiot, but she didn't care. She was part of a clan now, and her Alpha—her King—had just praised her.

It was an odd feeling, but it felt good.

" I can't believe how amazing that was," Kari said, sleepily.

Evander wasn't sure if she was talking about the pizza or the meeting with Alric and the Guard, but his mate was content, and that was all that mattered.

After she'd finished telling her story, Alric had sent her to wait in the kitchen, and he and the others had discussed what they'd heard. They all believed her—there was no doubt that her story was true—but none of it made sense. Dragons flying through the air, fully visible, in the daytime? The burning of a house and field, and people, with no reports of any wrong doing? No questions? No reports to the local authorities? And only fifteen years ago?

None of that seemed possible, and yet... it had happened to his mate.

He hated knowing that she'd gone through something like that, and that she'd lived in fear so long, but he was glad her father had dumped her in that hidden compartment. If he hadn't, Kari would have been dead, too, and he would have never met her.

He ran his fingers through her soft hair, and smiled when she snuggled deeper against him. Or at least tried. Her head was resting on his thigh, and he knew it wasn't a good pillow. His mate didn't seem to mind, though.

After the guys talked, everyone filed into the kitchen, and Eron pulled out the first round of pizzas. He then put one on a tray, along with two cinnamon rolls, and gave it to Kari. The way her eyes lit up at the gesture made him want to punch Eron in the face, but at the same time, he was glad for the other man's compassion toward his mate.

Eron had made his mate's favorite food, knowing that telling her story would be hard.

They'd brought the food back to their room to eat alone, and then, after a brief cry, his mate had started to fade fast. When he noticed her eyes closing while she was still sitting up, he'd pulled her down so her head rested in his lap, and covered her with a blanket he kept on the back of the couch.

That had been over an hour ago, and though he'd thought about carrying her to their room, he didn't want to disturb her. He liked seeing her like this—unguarded and sated, even if it was only from food—and he didn't have anywhere to be.

As if mocking his last thought, his phone chimed with a text message.

Anton: Can you come to our room—alone.

Sabine and I need to talk to you.

Evander: Sure, what about?

Anton: It's about Kari.

Evander tensed, causing Kari to stir, and he silently cursed as he pocketed his phone and grabbed one of the throw pillows. He stood and slid the pillow under Kari's head, and she opened her eyes.

"What's going on?"

"I need to go talk to Anton for a bit, but I'll be back soon."

"You're just going to try and beat him in zombies."

She let out a low giggle, and closed her eyes again. He wished he was just going to kick the other man's ass in a video game, but Anton's text didn't feel right, and beneath the surface, his dragon was edgy.

"Maybe," he laughed. "Rest well, sweetheart."

He kissed the topof her head, and left the room quietly. He was glad that Kari hadn't been awake when the text came in, he didn't want to lie to his mate, but Anton's message was short and to the point, and a feelingof dread washed over him. The fact that they wanted to talk to him in private meant he might not want to share whatever it was with his mate, but Sabinedefinitely knew something about the attack on Kari's family.

He took the stairs two at a time, and pounded on his friend's door harder than he needed to.

Anton opened the door and motioned for him to come in, but instead of sitting, he stayed standing.

"What's going on?"

"Take your hostility down a notch," Anton growled. "I know you're worried, but you're in my space, talking to my mate, and right now, as far as I'm concerned, you're a threat to her."

"Anton—"

Sabine's strong voice chimed in then, trying to calm his friend, but Anton was right. They were his friends—his family—and if they had news about Kari, then it wasn't their fault.

"He's right, Sabine," Evander said, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry, and I'm sitting."

"Damn right you are," Anton growled.

Evander smiled, and watched the way Anton stomped over to his mate and dragged her down on his lap as he sat down on the other end of the couch. Sabine just smiled and placed a hand on his friend's tattooed forearm. The move seemed to soothe Anton's anger, and he was glad his friend had a mate in his life.

Sabine was like a sister to him, and he was glad she not only understood his anger, but also forgave him for it. Without asking, she immediately started talking.

"Anton told me about Kari, and her story triggered something. When I got my last tat done, I went in alone, and we talked a lot while he did my ink. Eventually, he told me about his family. About how they were all killed by dragons. His father, mother, and sister. This guy is a wolf shifter, Evander—an Assassin—and they did it because they wanted to imprison him. When he finally got free, he went back to the site and there was nothing left but ash and bone."

Evander couldn't believe how close this story sounded to Kari's, especially the part about the bones. When dragons kill, they leave nothing behind but ash, so why did both stories involve bones?

"He saw the dragons coming, too. Three black dragons flying toward their home, completely visible, but there's more. His name is Axel—Axel Donovan—and Kari told me that her brother is the one who taught her how to draw."

Kari said her brother's name was Axel, and this man's story was almost identical to hers. Could her brother be alive?

"Do you think it's him?"

"I do," Sabine nodded. "The stories are too similar, and he has the same dark brown hair and eyes that she does. He's the Alpha of a small clan of Assassins, but they're all good people. He's the only one who does tattoos, but they also own a pizza place and a bookstore in Cedar Falls. The bookstore is also a front for people looking to hire them out."

Fuck!

Assassins were strong, and while very few could take down a dragon alone, several could if they worked together. Assassins had different skills than regular shifters, and they were known for their strength and stealth—and their ability to make a quick and clean kill. He didn't want his mate anywhere near this clan, but if Sabine's tattoo artist was Kari's brother, he couldn't keep it from her.

"I need to meet with him," Evander nodded. "Can you set it up?"

"I sort of already did," Sabine smiled. "I texted him earlier and said I wanted to talk about a possible new tat. He's free for the rest of the night, so we can go whenever you're ready."

"Give me thirty minutes, and then let's go."

C edar Falls was a nice town.

After giving Alric a quick update, and then texting Kari that he had to go on an errand for the King, Anton, Sabine, and Evander had flown in to Cedar Falls. The town was a couple of hours west of their home, and theyshifted back into their human forms in a heavily wooded forest that was located at one end of the long Main Street.

Unlike Emerald Haven, Cedar Falls had a movie theater, several restaurants, three coffee shops, and several other small businesses that lined the bustling center of the city.

They'd done a fly-by before shifting, and he'd already seen the block of buildings that housed the tattoo shop, pizza place, and bookstore, and he had to admit that he was impressed. Outside the downtown area, cute bungalow-style homes lined the residential streets, and the neatly manicured roads and lawns reminded him of something out of an old sitcom.

He'd been alive a long time, but very few neighborhoods looked like this, and he knew the set up would appeal to Kari.

The three of them walked down the sidewalk together, and when they reached the tattoo place, Sabine knocked on the door while Anton kept her close to his side. Evander hung back behind the couple, but when the door opened, Axel's eyes immediately zeroed in on him, and in that moment, he knew the man was Kari's brother.

"What's going on?" Axel asked, looking directly at Sabine. He considered the woman a friend, Evander could tell by the tone of his voice, but he was also cautious because she'd brought another dragon into his domain.

"Nothing bad, I promise," Sabine said, "but we need to talk in private."

Axel inhaled deep, and then nodded once and stepped back so they could all file through the entrance. The shop was small, and with the four of them inside, it seemed downright tiny. There was a desk and a drawing table that were obviously places where Axel did the business and creative stuff, and two folding chairs and bookcase took up almost the rest of the room. Behind the desks, there was an entrance to another room, and he guessed that was where the man did the actual tattooing.

Axel closed the door, and then crossed his arms over his chest, blocking their exit. It was a powerful statement, and once again, Evander was impressed. There was no way Axel could take down the three of them alone, but by not backing down, he was letting them know that he wouldn't go down without a fight.

Anton, of course, didn't like the perceived threat toward his mate, but Sabine didn't seem worried at all. She trusted Axel, and that was enough for Evander.

"I am thinking about another tat, but that's not why we came here," Sabine started. "This is my brother-in-law, Evander, and he just recently found his mate. She's a wolf shifter, like you, and her family was also killed by dragons about fifteen years ago."

Axel pinned Evander with his gaze, and he took the opportunity to study the man more closely. Sabine had been right, he had the same dark brown eyes as Kari, and as he studied the man's face, he saw other resemblances. The same nose, the same cheekbones, the same angry glare.

Axel stood an inch taller than him, which made him both bigger and taller than Kari, but he was an Assassin, and that was a common trait for their kind. Unlike Kari, this man's forearms were covered in scars, likely from liquid silver, and Sabine's earlier words about the dragon's wanting to imprison him made sense. For some reason, they wanted an Assassin to do their dirty work, and had hunted him down because of it.

"You think your little wolf mate has something to do with me?"

"I do," Evander nodded. "What was your sister's name?"

"My sister is dead," Axel growled, taking a step toward them.

Anton pulled Sabine behind him and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Evander. He wasn't worried though, the more he looked at Axel, the more he was sure that the other man was related to Kari.

"Maybe," Evander said, his voice even. "My mate's father hid her in a secret compartment in the floor. She didn't know it was there. Maybe her brother didn't know it was there, either. I don't know. What I do know is that she was ten years old at the time of the attack, and she came out of that hole only to find ash and bone.

"Her brother, Axel, was an artist who taught her how to draw, and it's still her favorite pastime."

Axel stared at them for a full minute before Evander noticed a crack in the man's composure.

"Her name was Kari," Axel said. "Kari Donovan."

Evander nodded.

"She's alive, Axel."