“It’s too dark to walk back,” I told Valor. “Unless you can see in the dark.”
Are you up to that flight?
He snuffed at me, and somehow, I knew to interpret the sound as both pleased and challenging. I didn’t mind taking that challenge on. I’d see firsthand what a dragon could really do.
I grinned and nodded. “Of course.”
Get on my back. Put your feet in front of my wing joints.
I did as he said and leaned forward, my feet tucked under his wings. When he spread them, I found it was surprisingly comfortable. I held on the best I could, the anticipation making my stomach flutter.
Valor took off running across the clearing and flapped his wings. A cross between a scream and squeal built in my throat as he got off the ground. He swung his wings rapidly to gain height and we cleared the trees.
When we broke above the tree line, I gasped. The night was clear and cool. The wind pulled my hair back as Valor flew, giving me a clear line of sight. He straightened out several feet above the trees and flew steadily for a while. After a few minutes, I felt brave enough to let go and sit up straight, eventually pulling my hands into the air as the wind rushed over them like wings. I was freaking flying!
Talk about a head rush. “This is amazing!” I screamed.
Valor chuckled in my head, and all too soon told me to grab hold again. As soon as I did, he began to descend in slow, wide circles, eventually landing in the backyard of a huge manor house.
The Kingston Manor.
That made sense. It was huge and old. And expensive. I didn’t catch a lot of the features in the dark, but several golden lights shining through the windows lit up some of the beautiful interior and the carefully maintained lawn.
I climbed carefully down, my limbs shaking slightly from the excitement.
It has been my honor.
Valor nudged my midriff, then began to change. Seconds later, Rico stood naked in front of me with a huge, shit-eating grin on his face. “Well?” he asked.
I threw my hands around his neck and hugged him close. “That was amazing!” I purred in his ear. I quickly realized he was still naked. “Your clothes! And our picnic stuff.”
“I’ll go get it later,” he assured me. “Give me five, and I’ll change.” He jogged over to a small building that looked a lot like a pool house, but there was no pool. When he came out, he wore casual clothes. Baggy basketball shorts, a tee, and flip-flops.
The enormity of the night began to wear on me, and I yawned. “We’re nowhere near my truck,” I said. “And I’m exhausted.”
“Come on. You can stay here.” He motioned toward the house and grabbed my hand, leading us toward the back door. “Uncle James and Aunt Carla aren’t here.”
“How do you know?” I asked.
He tapped his ears, then his nose. “I’d know.”
Oh, yeah. “So you have advanced senses even when not...scaly?”
He chuckled and pulled me close, kissing the tip of my nose. “Yeah. Come on.”
We walked into the house together. My mind still reeled with the information I’d absorbed all evening, but it was a great feeling. And Rico had a huge grin on his face. No doubt he’d thought I’d react badly. They always did in the books. That’s probably why he’d seemed so nervous at first. He’d put a lot of trust in me, sharing his and his family’s secret.
Rico pulled his covers back and I slid into the bed gratefully. My adrenaline was crashing hard, and I felt like I was going to pass out. I settled into his soft pillows, yawning again.
“Are you still you?” I asked sleepily.
“I haven’t changed. You just know more about me.” He curled around me and tucked my hair behind my ears before pulling the covers over me. “Even in my dragon form, when it’s Valor, it’s still me.”
“That’s all I needed to know.” My eyes kept closing of their own accord until I couldn’t force them open anymore and I dropped into a dreamless sleep.
18
Rico
I made it. It was the last day of the sixth week. I should get my first allowance from the trust fund today. It may have started off a little shaky, but I had made it to the first milestone.
I still needed to keep my job for six months to get half my inheritance in a lump sum, and another twelve months to get it all, but it was a start. A great start.
Calling out sick would’ve been the first thing I considered doing six weeks ago. But Kara had a full day of work today, and she’d need my help. She’d been taking on more and more jobs since there were two of us. Alone, she’d always end her day exhausted and overworked.
Kara’s acceptance of me had put me at ease, far beyond what I’d known I’d been stressing about. I’d grown sure that I wanted to take her as my mate, and she seemed more than willing. In fact, she’d been delighted. I couldn’t have been more relieved to have her laugh. The amazed and thrilled look on her face… I couldn’t describe the weight it took off my shoulders. But claiming Kara came with its own set of new hurdles.
It meant not leaving Black Claw. It also meant finding a permanent job. As much as I liked working with Kara, it wasn’t what I wanted to do forever, and she could’ve been apprenticing someone who actually did want to work
