Mel nodded eagerly while Dallas just huffed in assent.
“You’ll probably have to move into Dragonclaw as well. Some people connected to the Blackhearts are already looking for the reporter at the center of this controversy. Sorry,” Jack said apologetically.
That just sounded like all her dreams coming true. Being with Dallas, having all of this wide-open, beautiful space. Like a vacation she never wanted to come back from (minus all the death-defying action, of course).
She just needed to make sure her mom, who lived way out in the suburbs on the other side of the state, would be safe.
“Your mom will be completely safe,” Troy said as if he’d read her mind. “I’ll arrange to have your things moved here discretely.”
“What about the mercenaries? And Madsen?” Dallas said, a hint of a snarl in his voice.
“We have resources coming to round them up that will be here any minute, so you two go back home and figure out what needs figuring out. In the meantime…” He pointed over at the basilisk. “That is your problem, Harrison.”
“The basilisk came to help us. He fought off another basilisk,” Mel said, though she wasn’t sure where on earth the other one had gone in all the commotion. Probably back into the ground.
Troy went silent at that, flabbergasted for the first time since arriving. “I’ll have to look into it. In the meantime, does Dragonclaw have room for one more misfit?”
Harrison laughed at that and strode over to the basilisk, slapping him on the shoulder while the basilisk seemed confused by what was going on. “We’ll figure it out. Won’t we, son?” he asked the basilisk, who just grimaced in apparent dislike at the touch.
“Good. I don’t want to hear another thing about basilisks, Blackhearts, shifting in broad daylight, or reporters trying to expose shifters for a long, long time, okay?” Troy said to varying responses. Then he looked over at Reno and motioned for him to follow and to bring Madsen with him. “You, come with me. We have a lot to talk about, rogue alpha wolf. Things that concern you.” Troy’s voice dwindled as Reno joined him.
But before Mel could turn toward Dallas, Jack came up to the two of them, a much more amicable expression in his gaze. “Just make sure you two make it official. And for what it’s worth, Dallas, I’m glad Harrison found you, even though some of my friends insisted that a tiger with your exceptional talents should be working with us.”
Dallas was silent.
“And so you know, my partner’s right. You two have opened up a can of worms that can’t be shut. We can erase memories, we can make sure the Blackhearts are taken care of and nobody knows about the fight that happened out here, but we can’t take back something on the internet once it’s spread. More and more people will know about shifters because of it. The world will never be the same. Though, if you ask me, I’d say it was going to happen sooner or later whether we wanted it to or not.” He winked cryptically and tipped his fancy Stetson, waving at them before jogging away to catch up with Troy.
Harrison came up to them, his arm still around the confused basilisk. “Looks like we’ll have two more for dinner tonight. I’ll get this scaly bastard home and oversee things with Clancy. You two go on home. You’ve got a lot to work out from the looks of it.”
“Yes. We do,” Dallas said, the air finally calming enough for Mel to feel her nerves release as she stroked a hand over his big, furry cheek.
Harrison turned and went in the opposite direction than Reno and the double dragons had gone. “Two questions for you. One, what the hell is your name, and two, have we fought before?”
The basilisk grunted at Harrison as they strode away, leaving Mel alone with Dallas, finally.
“How are we going to get back?” Mel asked, seeing nothing but crushed cars and flaming hulks around them.
“I can give you a ride back,” Dallas said calmly.
“You sure? I mean, you just fought like… five hundred people.”
He chuckled, finally starting to relax. “Not that many.” He knelt on the ground, lowering his back enough that she could hop on like before. Only now, thankfully, there weren’t people shooting at them anymore.
“Hold on tight,” he said once she’d settled in
And at that, his legs exploded off the ground, speeding over the soft dirt and open prairie that stretched out in every direction forever, taking them back to Dragonclaw Ranch.
Mel just held on tight and wondered what would come next in their adventure together.
24
Dallas’s heart wasn’t fully calm until they strode into the center of Dragonclaw, and they were greeted by Beck, Marian, Sierra, and Billie, who all exclaimed they were glad they were back safe.
Well, Beck just growled, but that was as good a sign he’d been worried for them as any.
A minute later, they were at his home at the back of the ranch, and Mel easily slid from atop him, making a cute noise as she hit the ground on steady feet.
“Um… when I shift, I won’t have clothes on,” Dallas said, realizing that even some of the basics of being a shifter were probably new to her.
“By all means then!” Mel said with a giggle.
He quickly shifted back, then pulled Mel into his arms and took her inside.
Even though he’d been living here a long time, the place was a bit small for what he felt his mate deserved. He’d ask Mel about building a new place on his favorite stretch a couple acres away. See how she responded to that idea.
But first, to set things straight.
Once they were upstairs and in his
