The sensation of floating crept into my mind, slow and unnerving, like something stalking me in the dark. I opened my eyes to find myself drifting in the void of space. Stars flickered distantly, indifferent and cold, but the moon—she was different. Her glow bathed my naked body, silver and soft, as I drifted past her.
Everything was silent. Too silent. No cold, no warmth, just this dead, hollow nothingness. I knew if this were real, I’d be frozen solid by now—another wolfsicle floating in the black. But this wasn’t real, was it?
I’m dead.
The thought hit me like a punch to the gut. A slow, cruel realization. I failed. Failed the mission. Failed Cayro, Star, my pack. Some alpha I turned out to be. I showed mercy to an enemy—an enemy who deserved nothing but death. And in the end, he got me. Took me down like I was nothing.
At least Jake and Kira had torn Marcus apart. That bastard deserved every shred of it. But what now? Now, I just had to hope the pack would survive without me. Steve—he’d make a solid alpha. With Stoneclaw at his side, they’d keep the pack strong, even if it wasn’t the same without me. But Mac... Mac might burn the world down if she loses her mind. The thought of her exploding into flames and hurling wrenches at anyone dumb enough to cross her pulled a smirk to my lips.
Still, that smile was short-lived, because thinking about wrenches led me straight to Star. Star and the girls... They were going to lose it. Star was my best friend. She’d be furious—furious that I left her behind. The shitstorm she’d throw? It’d be glorious, terrifying. A furious Draconian and a rampaging phoenix? I almost chuckled, despite everything. The world wouldn’t survive it.
“What’s so funny, Lyra?”
The voice snapped me back, and I twisted my head toward it. Cayro. He was standing just a few feet from me, his Draconian form towering over mine, watching me with that unreadable look he always had. His eyes were sharp, cutting, but not in the way that offered comfort. He wasn’t here to hold my hand or offer pity.
“Huh,” I muttered, looking him up and down. “I was expecting Dr. Zaraki to come take me to my final destination.”
I said it with a casualness I didn’t feel. The weight of everything pressed down on me, but I wasn’t about to show it.
Cayro didn’t miss a beat. He sat down across from me, mimicking my cross-legged pose as we both floated in the empty vastness. “I was closer. Plus, you’re my wolf. It seemed right that I’d be the one to come.”
I raised an eyebrow, studying him, trying to make sense of how I felt about seeing him here. “So, this isn’t a dream, then. I’m dead?”
“Oh, very much so.” His voice was calm, as though my death were no more surprising than a change in the weather. “Marcus snapped your neck. Severed your spinal cord. There’s no coming back from that.”
I let out a frustrated sigh, the kind that sat heavy in my chest. “I should’ve killed him back in Baltimore.”
Cayro shrugged, far too relaxed for my liking. “Would’ve saved you a headache and me the trouble of paperwork, I suppose. But hindsight is a real bitch, isn’t it? So... did you learn anything from all this?”
My head whipped toward him, eyes narrowing as irritation boiled under my skin. “Is this your way of rubbing my failure in my face, Alpha?”
“Not at all,” he replied coolly, like he wasn’t enjoying watching me squirm. “I just want to know—did you learn anything?”
I rolled my eyes, the tension rising, pressing against me like the weight of space itself. “Yeah, I learned that I’m not cut out to be an alpha. I’m not ruthless like you, or Star, or Zak. I showed mercy when I should’ve killed that son of a bitch. Now, look at me—I’m dead. What else is there to learn?”
Cayro’s chuckle was low, like he found something deeply amusing about my pain. “You’re wrong about yourself. You know that, right?”
I turned on him, glaring. “Wrong? Wrong?! Look at me! I’m dead, Cayro. If I was such a great alpha, I’d still be down there. I’d still be fighting. Instead, I’m here—floating around like some useless ghost.”
His eyes flashed, but his voice stayed steady, cutting like a blade. “Long life doesn’t make a great leader, Lyra. You think because you’re dead, that’s the end of your story? That’s where you’re wrong. It’s what you did while you were alive that matters.”
I could feel my anger rising, burning hotter with every word. “What did I do, Cayro? What did I accomplish? I failed you. I failed Star. I failed my pack.” I spat the words, each one sharper than the last.
Cayro arched an eyebrow, a sly grin spreading across his face. “Oh, you want to talk about failure? Fine. Where should I start?”
I growled low in my throat, the bitterness gnawing at me like a wild animal. “Oh, please, great Draconian, tell me how much of a failure I am.” I turned my back to him, the darkness swallowing me up.
He let out a long sigh, but I heard the faint scrape of him moving beside me again. His shoulder brushed mine, close enough to remind me I couldn’t escape his presence. I glared out into the empty vastness, waiting for whatever cutting remark he’d throw next.
“You’ve always been a great alpha, whether you meant to be or not, Lyra. That very first night we met during the attack on SkyTeam—it’s one of the clearest examples. I initiated an ancient werewolf ritual, purely out of instinct and naivety. And you... you chose to absorb the magic and bond yourself to me. You chose it, even knowing the risks. You knew you were an alpha, knew it might cost you your freedom, but you still took the bond in place of the others. Why do you think you did that?”
His gaze drifted away, focused on the stars, but I could feel the weight of his question pressing down on me.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek, the answer creeping up from a place I didn’t want to acknowledge. “Because my father used to do something similar... to those he ruled over.” The words tasted bitter, but I kept going. “I swore no one would do that to my wolves again. I knew I could handle the bond.”
“There you have it.” Cayro’s voice was calm, but there was a sharpness to it. “A true leader sacrifices themselves to protect those who follow them. You’ve done this time and again since we met. You refuse to follow in your father’s footsteps. You’ve made sure that everyone gets a chance to be better, stronger. That’s not a weakness, Lyra—that’s what makes you a leader.”
“But that got me killed, Cayro,” I snapped, the frustration rising like a tide. “I failed.”
His eyes flicked to mine, the calm never wavering. “Well, there’s the lesson, isn’t it? Not everyone deserves a second chance. Sometimes, you have to be ruthless. Sometimes mercy is weakness.”
I scoffed, the bitterness clawing up my throat. “Great. Real helpful. Too bad I don’t get a second chance to learn that lesson, huh? Not like I deserve one anyway...” I muttered, my voice dripping with frustration.
Cayro chuckled, the sound deep and unsettling. “Fortunately, it’s not your call to make.” He stood up, his massive form casting a shadow over me.
Something about the way he said it set off alarms. I jumped to my feet, glaring at him. “What do you mean by that?”
A wicked smirk spread across his face as he stepped forward. His hand came to rest on my bare chest, and his eyes glinted with something almost... cruel. “Tell your phoenix you owe her one.”
Before I could respond, searing pain exploded from where his hand touched, spreading like wildfire through my body. I screamed, the agony consuming me, digging down into the very core of my being. His image began to blur, the void around me fading as everything went black.
The darkness clung to me until the steady, mechanical beeping of something broke through. My senses slowly crept back, dragging me from the void. I cracked my eyes open, the blinding white light stabbing at them, forcing me to squint before I could take it in. The ceiling above me was clinically white, sterile—too bright.
I groaned, the sound rasping painfully from my throat. My neck ached with a deep, raw pain that made me flinch. Shifting my body felt like a mistake—every inch of me throbbed with agony, and I froze, barely able to stand the pain. I couldn’t move, so I relied on my other senses to figure out where I was. The sharp, distinct smell of medical-grade cleaner and alcohol filled my nose, but there was something else beneath it. Something that smelled like... home.
Crescent Moon.
Star and Cayro had brought me back to the Crescent Moon. A tear slipped down my cheek before I even registered it. I was alive. But before I could even process what that meant, the sound of someone standing up, walking toward me, broke through the haze.
And then his scent hit me. My heart sank, and I let out a low, annoyed groan.
“Well, I’ll be damned. They were right—you really are hard to kill.” Colonel Sirus’s voice rang out, dripping with that infuriating cocky tone.
I barely managed to rasp out a response. “What in the nine Draconian hells are you doing here...?” I turned my head slowly, the pain in my neck making the movement feel like torture.
He leaned down until we were face to face, his smug grin plastered across his face. “Watching over you, Alpha Acosta. Apparently, I’m your guard now.”
I narrowed my eyes, glaring at him through the pain. “Why the hell would you guard a creature you clearly hate?” I spat, the words strained but sharp.
His grin widened. “Let’s just say... my opinion got seriously re-adjusted a couple of days ago.” The cockiness was still there, but something about him seemed different.
I studied him carefully, piecing it together. The last time I saw him, he’d been plastered against one of his own tanks. Now here he was, standing next to my bed, mocking me as usual—but something was off. My eyes flicked to his chest, and that’s when I saw it. The rank on his uniform had changed. He was wearing a lieutenant colonel’s rank now, not his full bird colonel rank.
“Got demoted, I see?” I rasped, my voice barely carrying the bite I intended, but the sarcasm was clear enough.
“Yep. That’s the least of your worries, though.” Sirus shrugged it off, like losing rank was just a mild inconvenience. “We’ll discuss that later. For now, I’m going to let your irritable reptilian friend know you’re awake—before he rips my head off.” He gave me a wink, turned on his heel, and strode out of the room.
I lay there, staring at the ceiling, waiting. My whole body felt like it had been hit by a truck. Why the hell was I alive? That bastard Cayro owed me an explanation, and I intended to get it. He’d mentioned Mac, too—how in the hell had she kept me from being a corpse? I’d thought my essence would be carted off to the spirit realm by now. But nope, here I was, feeling like roadkill.
The soft hiss of the pneumatic door opening pulled me from my thoughts, followed by slow, measured footsteps. I turned my head, wincing as my neck protested, and saw Stoneclaw standing by the door, his face etched with worry.
“Hey,” I rasped, managing a small, tired smile.
He didn’t say a word. Instead, he walked over quietly and knelt beside me, his hand gently wrapping around mine. I saw the tension leave his face as he held my hand, the relief plain in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, though the answer was obvious.
He gave my hand a gentle squeeze before speaking, his voice quiet, almost fragile. “We thought we lost you. Everyone’s been on edge, waiting for you to wake up.”
I swallowed, my throat still raw. “How long have I been...?” My voice failed me, and I had to stop.
“Three days,” he answered softly.
Three days. I closed my eyes, trying to wrap my head around it. “Where is everyone?” I asked, my voice stronger this time.
“They’re back on the ground, setting up a permanent camp,” he replied.
“And what happened?” I asked, more curiosity than anything, even though Cayro had already filled me in.
Stoneclaw’s face darkened slightly, his grip on my hand tightening. “Marcus snapped your neck. Severed your spinal cord,” he whispered, as if saying it out loud made it worse.
I sighed, wincing at the sharp pain that followed. “Stoneclaw, I know that. Cayro told me. I mean what happened after. With the Chinese. The Hell Hounds.”
He blinked, his expression shifting to confusion. “How do you know about that? And what do you mean Cayro told you? You’ve been unconscious—or dead—since Marcus attacked you.”
I let out a small chuckle, though it hurt to laugh. “Cayro is a Draconian, Stoneclaw, like Dr. Zaraki. He can realm-walk. He found me.” I said it matter-of-factly, as if that explained everything.
“Oh.” He blinked, clearly still processing. “I didn’t know he could do that.” He paused, then continued, his voice tight. “When you fell, the whole fleet felt it. Every wolf shifted and... burst into flame. Mac went full phoenix, led the entire pack on a rampage. I’ve seen dragon fire, but phoenix fire... it’s terrifying. In seconds, the enemy was overtaken—nothing but a wave of claws, fire, and teeth. The entire first line of defense is scorched earth.”
He looked me dead in the eyes, and I saw it. The pain of remembering what had happened, the chaos. “Between the pack, the Chaos Reckoning, and the Star Lancer tearing through the battlefield, we managed to force the Chinese to retreat.”
I let his words sink in. I didn’t know whether to feel pride or horror at what Mac and the others had done in my absence. “Anyone else hurt?” I asked, though I dreaded the answer.
“No, but...” He trailed off, looking down.
“But what, Stoneclaw?” I demanded, my heart sinking.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
He hesitated, then finally spoke, his voice low. “Your truck took some serious damage. And after the battle, Mac... collapsed. She hasn’t woken up.”
I felt a lump rise in my throat. Suddenly, it made sense. Sirus’s comment about the "irritable reptile." Stoneclaw wasn’t just worried about me—he was worried about Mac. “What happened?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Stoneclaw shook his head, his expression dark. “No one knows for sure, but General Zaraki thinks she used too much of her power all at once.”
“Where is she?” I demanded, forcing myself to sit up despite the pain shooting through every nerve in my body.
“She’s in the room next to yours,” he answered, trying to stop me as I slowly climbed out of bed. My muscles screamed in protest, but I didn’t care. I let out a low, vicious growl when Stoneclaw tried to intervene, pushing him away.
He averted his gaze as I stood, stark naked, my legs shaking beneath me. He quickly darted over to grab a hospital gown from a nearby cabinet, tossing it to me as he struggled to keep his eyes off my body.
“What?” I growled, irritated by his awkwardness. I pulled the gown on roughly.
He kept glancing at me, then away, as if something was bothering him. Finally, he guided me toward the full-length mirror mounted on the cabinet. He tugged the gown off my shoulders, letting it fall, and my jaw dropped.
My body had changed. Grown. My chest was fuller, my muscle tone sharper, and I was... curvier. I turned slowly, staring at my reflection in disbelief. I didn’t even recognize myself. I was stronger. I was... different.
Stoneclaw moved beside me, his eyes respectful but concerned as he placed the gown back over my shoulders. He was trying to be polite, but the confusion on his face mirrored my own.
“How?” I whispered, the shock setting in.
“I don’t know,” Stoneclaw admitted, his voice low, still processing the shock of it all.
Tugging the gown tighter around my body, I stepped out of my room and into the hallway, where I nearly collided with Star. She wasn’t in her usual military attire—instead, she wore civilian clothes, her hair down in a more relaxed state. But her eyes were anything but relaxed.
“Lyra! What the hell are you doing out of bed?” she demanded, her tone sharp.
“I’m going to see my phoenix,” I said firmly, locking eyes with her. There was no way I was letting anyone stop me, not after everything.
For a second, I paused, blinking. Normally, I had to tilt my head back to meet Star’s gaze. Now... I was almost level with her. The words slipped out before I could stop them. “Did you get shorter?”
Star’s eyebrows shot up. “Huh, no... Did you get taller?”
I spun around to face Stoneclaw, eyes wide. “Am I taller?” I blurted out, my voice louder than I intended.
Stoneclaw held his fingers barely an inch apart, clearly amused. “A little.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Not funny.”
“Lyra, you need to rest,” Star insisted, stepping closer, her alpha authority kicking in.
“No!” I huffed, pushing back. “I need to see Mac. You—go get a tape measure.”
Star blinked, staring at me like I’d grown a second head. She opened her mouth to argue, but I shot her a glare—the kind of glare only an alpha could muster. I wasn’t about to be pushed around. Not after being brought back from the dead and discovering my whole body had changed.
Star let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine! I’ll get a tape measure. But don’t ever try to out-alpha me, Lyra, or I swear I’ll kick your ass.”
I stuck my tongue out at her like a child, ignoring her huff as she stormed off down the hallway. I didn’t have time for her alpha posturing—I needed to see Mac. The thought of her lying unconscious gnawed at me.
I made my way down the hall to the room Stoneclaw had pointed out, pushing through the door. It was almost identical to mine, only reversed, and there, wrapped in a blanket, was Mac. Her flame-red hair spread around her like a halo, though it had lost some of its usual ethereal glow.
I approached the bed, my heart tightening at the sight of her so still, so vulnerable. Gently, I placed my hand on her cheek. It was warm, soft—alive. Her chest rose and fell slowly, but it was there. She was breathing.
A familiar presence appeared beside me, and I didn’t even need to look to know it was Cayro. His arm wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me close, offering silent comfort.
“Will she be okay?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper.
“She burned herself out,” Cayro said softly. “After the rampage your pack went on to save you, she used every last bit of her power. I reached out to her Odyssey to see if they had any answers, but they didn’t know what to make of it. When I explained that she used her bond with you to bring you back... well, let’s just say they were baffled.”
I turned to him, confusion knitting my brow. “You’re telling me this has never happened before?”
Cayro sighed. “Pretty much. We’re in uncharted territory with you and this menagerie of a pack you’ve built. For now, all we can do is keep her stable and comfortable. Beyond that... we wait.”
I glanced back down at Mac, my fingers brushing her hair gently. “What happened to me, Cayro? How did she bring me back, and... how did I change?” The last part came out softer, almost like I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer.
Cayro guided me to the chairs at the side of the room, his expression thoughtful. “We think your father left you one last twisted gift. Star and I always wondered why you were so small for an Acosta wolf. We believe he placed a spell or curse on you—something to keep your body from fully maturing. Essentially, when you died, that magic broke. The way you look now? This is probably how you were always meant to be.”
I stared at him, the words sinking in slowly. This—this was how I was supposed to look? After everything, my father still had his claws in me, even in death.
Cayro continued, pulling me from my thoughts. “As for the resurrection... You remember that conversation with Director Staroko about binding other supernaturals to you and gaining their abilities?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Well, Mac gave you her ability to resurrect after a mortal injury. From what I’ve gathered, it wasn’t intentional. When a phoenix finds a mate, they can share their resurrection abilities. It’s extremely rare and heavily frowned upon in their culture, but it can happen. That, or you’re so important to her that she refused to lose you.”
I looked back at Mac, my heart squeezing painfully. She had done this for me—whether intentionally or not, she’d sacrificed everything to bring me back. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Gratitude? Guilt? I was alive, and she was lying there, drained, vulnerable. And now, everything between us had changed.
“Did you have to call my Odyssey?” Mac groaned, her voice low but steady. Her head turned toward us, eyes half-open but alert.
“You’re awake!” I blurted, rushing to her side without a second thought.
“Yeah... and the two of you are talking loud enough to wake the dead,” she grumbled, though her lips quirked into a faint smile.
I didn’t care about the grumbling. I reached her, leaning down and pressing my lips to hers. The kiss was charged, full of relief and passion. Her hand slid gently into my hair, holding me there as she kissed me back. For a moment, the world felt like it had stopped—just the two of us. But I pulled back before things could get too serious, glancing up to see Stoneclaw watching from the corner of the room.
The look on his face wasn’t one I had expected. It wasn’t jealousy—more like hurt. The kind of hurt that made my chest tighten. I wasn’t the only one who noticed; Mac’s sharp eyes caught it too.
“Get your scaly ass over here,” Mac chided, her voice still hoarse but firm.
Stoneclaw hesitated, his eyes flicking between us. But after a second, he stepped forward, his large frame towering over the bed. Mac didn’t waste any time—her hand shot up and grabbed his collar, yanking him down toward her. Before I could process what was happening, Mac was kissing him with the same passion she’d just kissed me with.
I stood there, momentarily stunned. Then my eyes flicked to the door where Star had just appeared. Star was holding a tape measure, her mouth half-open in surprise, while Cayro stood next to her, eyebrows raised in amusement.
Star shot me a thumbs up, her signature grin plastered on her face, while Cayro simply arched an eyebrow, looking entirely too smug. I sighed, already feeling the teasing storm coming my way. After years of teasing them about their antics, it looked like it was finally my turn.
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Two Weeks Later...
“Dragon Fleet!” I called out in my commanding tone, standing in front of my wolves. “Attention!”
“Whoof!” they shouted in unison, the sound echoing across the compound.
“Have a safe vacation. Dismissed!” I barked, and with that, the formation broke as the pack surged toward me.
I didn’t even have time to brace myself before they dog-piled me, lifting me off my feet in a wave of bodies, and laughter. I let out a breathless laugh as I was swallowed by my pack’s affection. We’d returned from Salt Lake City two days ago, spent the last couple of days getting things reorganized, and now, they were ready to blow off some steam.
Most of the trucks were in decent shape, though they needed some cosmetic work. My truck, however, was another story. Mac had been in the cab when I died, and in her phoenix rage, she had blown through the roof. We had to trailer it back, and Azura was more than happy to pull the FRS while Kira handled my wrecked truck.
Speaking of Kira, there had been a full-on pack challenge to determine who would get the honor of pulling my truck through the mountains. Everyone thought they had Kira beat—but they were wrong. Kira had been downplaying her new Omega status, letting the others think she was still a submissive wolf. Jake and I sat back with beers, watching as Kira methodically kicked everyone's ass in a glorious display. She earned that win, and I couldn’t have been prouder.
Now, with everything settled, I had gotten Cayro’s approval for a full week off. But, in a rare show of generosity, he’d granted us two. Plenty of time to recover, fix the rigs, and allow everyone to unwind.
The only thing missing was the dragons. Cayro had sent them on a mission a week ago to scout the Chinese movements after we’d pushed their forces back. They still hadn’t returned. According to Cayro, they were fine, but I wasn’t exactly pleased that he hadn’t asked me first before sending them out. Stoneclaw had approved the mission, though, so I had to trust they’d be back in time for our break.
“Alright, you furballs! Let me have my mate!” Mac’s voice screeched from behind the crowd as she approached from the shop, her hands on her hips.
The pack dispersed quickly, not wanting to get between Mac and me. Abel reached down and pulled me to my feet, giving me a playful nudge once I was standing.
“Any word from the dragons?” Abel asked, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
“Not yet. Why?” I asked, glancing over at Abel, whose gaze was fixed on the horizon.
“Azura’s been worried about Ironfist,” he replied, nodding toward his sister. She was standing off to the side, her eyes locked on the western sky, as if waiting for the dragons to return.
“They’ll be back soon,” I assured him, though the unease in my gut mirrored his sister’s worry.
He gave me a quick nod before heading off to join his brother, both of them watching over Azura like two sentinels. I turned back, only to find myself face to face with Steve and Catalina, a hefty stack of paperwork in their arms. I took a deep breath. Of course, I couldn’t escape without doing some kind of paperwork.
“What’s this?” I asked, eyeing the pile with suspicion.
“It’s a proposal from Jake and Kira,” Steve said, barely hiding a grin.
I furrowed my brow, glancing over to where Jake and Kira were. They were already halfway across the base, heading for an Uber. Of course, I thought, watching them make their quick getaway.
I turned back to Steve and Catalina—another mated pair in the pack. Catalina Pixiewolf was now officially one of us, mated to Steve and fully integrated into our chaos.
“What’s the proposal?” I asked, more curious than annoyed now.
“Jake and Kira want to gift the pack a new housing development by Saylorville Lake,” Catalina said, her voice bright with excitement.
“Wait, they want to do what?” I blinked, trying to wrap my head around what she’d just said.
“The NAWC released all of Marcus Cross’s finances and assets to Jake and Kira as the rightful heirs of the Cross Pack,” Catalina explained patiently. “Since the Cross Pack is no more, they want to put the money toward giving Dragon Fleet a home. The development has twenty houses, two hundred acres of forest next to the lake, a boat dock, and space for every rig to park at each house.”
I stared at her, my brain still catching up. “Oh.” That was all I managed to say at first. Then I narrowed my eyes at them both. “You helped them plan this, didn’t you?”
Steve and Catalina exchanged a mischievous glance before grinning at me. I let out a sigh, realizing I’d been outmaneuvered.
“What do I have to do?” I grumbled, resigning myself to whatever paperwork was about to follow.
“Just say you agree,” Steve said, smiling as if he’d just handed me a winning lottery ticket.
“No paperwork?” I asked, suspicious now.
“Nope,” Steve assured me. “Just say yes.”
I eyed them both skeptically but relented. “Fine. I agree.”
Steve turned to Catalina with a smirk. “Told you swamping her with paperwork would make this easier.”
“Wait, what?” I blurted out, my annoyance flaring.
Catalina laughed. “We’ve been burying you in paperwork to keep you distracted while we worked this out.”
I growled under my breath, ready to storm off, but as soon as I turned, I came face to face with Mac. Before I could say anything, she cupped my cheeks and pulled me into a deep, passionate kiss. I froze, kissing her back but quickly realizing she was in on this too.
Breaking the kiss, I pulled back just enough to look at her. “You too?” I asked, my tone a mix of irritation and amusement.
“Yep,” she said with a smirk, then grabbed my hand and dragged me away from Steve and Catalina before I could start another round of grumbling.
----------------------------------------
Several Hours Later...
I sat on the couch of my new home, still trying to wrap my head around it all. The house was huge—massive, really. It was built into the earth like it had always been part of the landscape, with stone walls that seemed to grow from the ground itself and thick wooden beams framing the structure. The low, sloping rooflines gave the place a grounded, primal energy.
And somehow... it felt right. Like this was where I was supposed to be.
The large windows overlooked the entire neighborhood that was now ours, with the sprawling forest in the background. The road curved through the development, lined with houses on both sides, each with wide driveways big enough for our rigs. It was surreal. We’d started out as a bunch of misfit werewolf truckers, dragons, a pixie, and a phoenix, all thrown together to reopen I-80. Now, we were a pack, a fleet, a family—and we had a home.
Mac walked over and handed me an apple hard cider, sitting down beside me on the couch. The weight of everything hung in the air, but there was a strange comfort to it, too.
We sat in silence, sipping our drinks as I watched the pack one by one pull their rigs into their driveways. The sound of air brakes being set rang out, like the final note of a long, hard-fought day.
“You know,” Mac said quietly, her voice soft, “I never imagined this is where I’d end up.”
I nodded, staring out at the view. “Me either,” I replied. The surrealness of it all still hadn’t quite settled. We’d come so far, survived so much, and now... we had something that felt permanent.
Taking another sip of my cider, I sat back, watching the sun dip low behind the trees, casting long shadows across our new home. For once, it felt like we had more than just a fight ahead of us. We had a future.
Mac stood up, grabbing my hand and gently pulling me to my feet. “Come on, let’s check out the rest of the house,” she said, leading me toward the back where the bedrooms were. As we wandered through the rooms, I noticed each one was fully furnished, like it had been waiting for us all along. By the time we reached the last door, something felt different.
I slowly opened it, and the room was bathed in darkness. The windows were covered, the lights off, and the only thing that stood out was the glow of two golden eyes watching me from the shadows. His wild, smoky scent filled the air.
Mac nudged me gently into the room, then followed, closing the door behind us with a quiet click. A soft light flicked on beside the bed, revealing Stoneclaw sitting cross-legged in just a pair of black combat pants. That was it. My breath caught as I took him in, my body already beginning to heat up.
“You’re back,” I managed to whisper, my voice catching in my throat.
Stoneclaw’s grin was knowing, teasing. “Actually, you’re finally back. I’ve been here nearly a week getting everything ready.”
I turned to Mac, confusion written all over my face, but before I could say anything, she gently pushed me toward the bed. The back of my knees hit the edge, and I fell, but Stoneclaw caught me, pulling me into his arms as Mac climbed up over me.
The two of them moved in sync, their touches possessive, commanding. I lost all track of time, overwhelmed by the intensity of their presence. They claimed me, body and soul, and I surrendered.
----------------------------------------
The Next Morning...
I woke up the next morning, utterly spent. Sandwiched between my two mates, naked and completely exhausted, I barely had the strength to move. My body felt like jelly—sensitive, numb, and buzzing all at once.
Somehow, I managed to wiggle out from between Mac and Stoneclaw, crawling off the massive king-sized bed. As I climbed down, a large purple toy tumbled to the floor. I blinked at it. It was nearly a perfect match to Stoneclaw... in every way.
Between him, Mac, and that—I decided not to think too hard about it and made a quick escape to the bathroom.
When I returned, Stoneclaw’s phone was buzzing up a storm, lighting up with dozens of messages. I picked it up, glancing at the screen. Text after text from Crookedfang demanding that Stoneclaw return the large purple toy. I bent down to grab it, realizing where it had come from.
I hadn’t thought much of it last night, but now it made perfect sense. I looked at Stoneclaw, who cracked an eye open and gave me a devious grin. He knew exactly what he had done, and he wasn’t even remotely remorseful.
“Well?” I asked with a smirk, holding up the toy. “Are you planning on replacing it?”
Stoneclaw’s grin widened as he shrugged lazily. “Maybe.”
I crawled back into bed between him and Mac, settling in close. With the toy balanced between my breasts, I snapped a quick picture with Stoneclaw’s phone and sent it to Crookedfang with the caption: “It’s been properly rehomed to a new, appreciative owner.”
Stoneclaw snorted, pulling me in for a quick kiss before taking the phone from my hand. Just as he placed it on the nightstand, all three of our phones buzzed with the unmistakable emergency alert tone. The sound cut through the calm, demanding attention.
Stoneclaw was the first to pick up his phone, his entire demeanor shifting as he read the message.
“What is it?” I asked, sitting up as Mac groaned beside me.
Stoneclaw’s voice was all business now. “The General wants all units to report to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, by Tuesday next week.”
Mac let out another groan, louder this time. “So much for a two-week vacation...”
I couldn’t help but laugh. I collapsed back onto the bed, shaking my head. “If it’s not one thing, it’s another. That’s just how it is with us.”
Stoneclaw chuckled, his grin returning. “We’re Dragon Fleet. Always on the move.”
Mac and I both nodded, a quiet understanding passing between us. We had our moments of peace, but the world never stayed quiet for long. There was always another battle, another mission, another challenge waiting for us on the horizon.
And we’d face it, like we always did—together.
END... (of the beginning...)