Dallas nodded. It was as good an excuse as any.
“I saw a different booth on the other side,” he said, wanting to be gone from this place that stunk of evil and the past, both converging on him all at once.
If the Blackhearts guild had wanted him or Mel dead, they would have attempted it already.
Though “attempt” would be all they’d get. He’d stop them, whatever it took.
So instead of attempting to find answers to something that only Jasper and his friends knew right now, he turned his attention back to Mel, determined to enjoy the rest of the evening with his mate.
But even as they went in search of funnel cakes to enjoy, Dallas’s thoughts continued to haunt him in the back of his brain.
He’d never thought the people he’d once called family would one day catch up to him. Or that they would be involved in the surprising, sudden events that could lead to the shifter world being revealed to humans.
And at the center of it all, his mate, Mel.
What was he going to do?
18
Dallas got up extra early the next morning, unable to sleep in despite the fact that it felt like heaven to lie next to Mel’s soft, curvy body.
Mist sat low over the hotel trailer lot as Dallas reclined in a camp chair, watching the horizon, waiting for the sun to come up.
His fingers wandered aimlessly over the chunk of wood that he’d been whittling over the last few days, but he couldn’t focus. His mind was restless, and he couldn’t stop thinking about the impromptu meeting with Jasper.
About everything the assassin had said and what he should do about it.
He was so deep in thought that he almost didn’t notice when Harrison emerged from the mist, sauntering into the clearing with Reno close on his heels.
“Where’s Mel?” the dragon asked once they were close enough.
Dallas just nodded up toward the trailer. With his sharp tiger senses, he could tell that she was sleeping, hear her soft, slow breathing as she dozed peacefully.
Harrison nodded. “Good, can we talk? How about over by your truck?”
Dallas nodded and got up from his chair, gesturing for them to follow him. He had a guess as to why Harrison was here, but he still couldn’t be sure.
The surly dragon could be hard to read at times.
Speaking of, his eyes narrowed seriously once they were a short distance from the trailer.
“Come clean, son,” he said. “Is she your mate?”
Reno just watched from the side, folding his arms as he leaned against one of the truck doors.
Dallas paused, wondering what to say. Harrison had always been the closest thing he had to a father, and everyone at Dragonclaw was his family. They deserved the truth.
He nodded slowly. “I think so.”
“Why don’t you mate her, then?” the dragon demanded, holding out a hand. “Tell her everything and see what she says?”
“I’m a tiger,” Dallas retorted. “I’m not a normal shifter, and she still wants her story. My job was to protect Dragonclaw. If she finds out, it puts everyone in danger.”
Harrison looked unfazed. “And? So what?”
Dallas blinked in confusion. All of that seemed like a pretty big deal to him.
“Look, son,” Harrison said. “If she’s your mate and it was fated for you to meet her and she’s the one that makes your tiger at peace, even in this unlikely situation, then you won’t be able to fight it.”
“You don’t have to either. I’m sure she’ll let the story go when she finds out how much it means to you. I’ve seen the way she looks at you. Besides, each of the dragons’ mates found out the guys were dragons, and they were okay with it,” Reno chimed in.
“Exactly,” Harrison said, looking satisfied.
Dallas paused, feeling uncertain. What Reno had said was true, but none of the dragon mates had ever been a reporter trying to uncover shifters.
It wasn’t the same thing.
Harrison took off his hat and ran a hand through his dark hair, releasing a sigh. Then he put it back on.
“I’ll be honest with you, Dallas,” he said, his voice kinder than usual. “You’re the best man I’ve ever known. You’ve been like a son to me, and I’ve raised you as such, and now it’s time for me to tell you to start your own story. I’m grateful for your help, grateful to have you by my side. But you can’t let the things you’re uncertain about keep you from what’s really important.”
“But—”
“If it means more trouble for Dragonclaw, so be it.” Harrison shrugged. “We’ll handle it together, as a crew, like we always have. Not even basilisks or swamp dragons could stop us.”
Reno nodded at the trailer. “And this won’t either. All of us at the ranch support you in this, and we one hundred percent have your back.”
“He’s right,” Harrison added. Then he leaned over and smacked Reno on the back. “And we’ll have your back if your mate comes along too, Reno.”
Reno was silent at that.
Dallas took a deep breath, reassurance flooding through his body now that he knew that those closest to him were in support of his mate, in support of him finding the one he wanted.
“Thank you,” Dallas said. “Speaking of trouble, the Blackheart Assassins are back.”
“What?” Reno asked, his eyes flaring with recognition. “I’ve heard of them, more than heard of them actually. I know of a few wolf clans that did business with them. They were one of the most dangerous groups of cat shifters around, focusing primarily on experimentation and assassination.” He shook his head.
“Think it has something to do with the basilisk sightings?” Harrison asked.
“It could,” Reno replied thoughtfully. “Hard to say. The question, then, is: What the hell is a clan of cougar mercenaries doing out here?”
Dallas’s thoughts exactly. He knew he could take them on, but part of him wondered if there wasn’t something bigger at play here. It seemed odd for them to
