Page 25

Six months late r

I soared over Kilinis in my four-legged form, banked when I reached the north end, and glided back to the center, Elle giggling from my back.

We landed on top of my penthouse. I’d added a few Elle-sized chairs, tables, and couches next to the private rooftop garden where I liked to lounge around in my four-legged form.

Elle slid off my back, and I shifted back to my two-legged form in a burn of magic. She gave me an appreciative once-over, but when I pulled her close and growled a suggestion in her ear, she giggled and pushed me away. “Later. We’ve both got things to do.”

“We can reschedule,” I said, eying one of the couches. Perfect for laying her down and making her squirm and beg and scream.

She patted my chest. “Diego will kill you if you make him reschedule this meeting.”

“I should have never started bringing you by the office.” I led her to the roof access door.

“Why? Because I made friends with your assistant?” She bumped me with her hip, and I wrapped a wing around her.

“Because Diego is bold now that he knows I’m mated to a human, and it’s inconvenient.” I liked a bold mate, but it turned out a bold assistant was far less fun. Although I couldn’t pretend to dislike how much more relaxed he was, even joking with me regularly.

I’d also noticed that many other humans were considerably less afraid of me, although perhaps that was because Elle had followed through on her social media account for us. She insisted it helped for Kilinis to see me do “normal” things and for us to do “couple” things.

When I’d asked her why comments were disabled, since feedback was often very valuable, she’d just shrugged and told me the internet wasn’t as kind as the real world.

“Go, get dressed.” She nudged me toward my closet. “The developers are waiting on you.”

I grumbled but pulled on clothes.

The meeting went fine. Kilinis’s newest apartment complex, one with thirty percent affordable housing built in, would break ground in a few weeks. It was our second partnership with Accutrust Bank. The first one had been open for a month. Since the building was so new, it would fall under Councilor Jasmine’s new rent-control laws.

Between that meeting and the next, I reached into my pocket and found a note from Elle. I love how patient and thoughtful you are, every day.

I couldn’t wait to get back home to her, so I rushed through my meeting with Voyage Games. They’d finally extricated themselves from Udar’s financing, and we were back on track for them to build a new branch in Kilinis.

The city was thriving as part of my hoard. Pleased, I shifted back into my dragon form and flew home. By now, humans were used to seeing me in the skies. They no longer screamed and ducked for cover.

When I came back to the penthouse, Elle was in the living room, brochures spread over the table, with Jen seated across from her. I had pulled some strings to get Jen a server job at one of the best restaurants in town as thanks for her encouragement of mine and Elle’s relationship.

Betty was still living in the apartment I’d originally given Elle, and she was enjoying sewing for her online business.

“You definitely don’t want to finish your English degree?” Jen asked.

Elle shrugged. “I liked it, but I don’t know if it speaks to adult me the way it spoke to teenage me, you know?”

I leaned against the doorway and watched my mate, content in my care and figuring out what she wanted. Secure in the knowledge that I could provide her with whatever it was, pride filled my chest and flared my wings out.

Jen shrugged. “You don’t have to turn it into a job.”

“Yeah, but if I’m going to do school just for the hell of it, I might as well enjoy it.” She ran her finger over the ring I’d given her as she thought.

I’d found a ten-carat emerald-cut diamond ring with two smaller diamonds flanking either side. It wasn’t the most extravagant ring I’d found, but it matched the diamond set she first accepted from me, and I hoped that would mean as much to her as it did to me.

She’d hyperventilated and told me she couldn’t wear a “massive rock” like that “out and about,” but I’d eventually convinced her.

“What about public policy? Seems like it’d be useful,” Jen said, sneaking a glance at me.

Elle tapped her chin. “Maybe. I took a class to figure out how to manage the apartment building better, and some of it touched on public policy. It was actually super interesting. ”

“Was it?” Jen looked skeptical.

“Do you know how many times I had a landlord take half my deposit to pay for shit, and then I’m sitting in that class learning that paying to repaint is the owner’s responsibility? I wish I’d known that kind of stuff when I was twenty.”

Fire ignited in my chest. “ Arum , what landlords?”

“Oh! How long have you been there?” She beamed at me.

“What landlords?”

She blushed. “It was a long time ago.”

Jen glanced between us, an impish smile tugging up her lips. “I’ve got some names.”

“No. No names. Don’t you have a shift tonight?” Elle shooed her off.

Since I couldn’t get Elle to name any former landlords, I settled for making her come a few times. Afterward, she snuggled up to me on the couch. She pulled a bag off the table, and out came a ball of yarn and a crochet hook.

She’d made many, many little crocheted items. Plushies, scarves, hats. All treasured, although the weather hadn’t yet turned cold enough to wear many of the accessories.

The crochet hook flashed in the light as she worked, but her shoulder where it leaned against me was tense.

“ Arum ?” I pulled her into my lap. “What’s bothering you?” Crochet usually relaxed her.

“Would you mind if I got some kind of job at City Hall?”

“Would I mind an excuse to see you every day at work? No.” I usually cajoled her to come visit me for lunch, but if she was going back to school, she’d have a less flexible schedule for daytime visits. Having a job at City Hall after she graduated would certainly make up for it.

“That’s good. I think I really like the idea.”

I shrugged. “Do it then.”

Elle twisted to give me a quick kiss. “Az. Fuck. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.”

Reassured, she resumed crocheting, and I resumed running a hand down her shoulder or over her back every few minutes until I drifted off, my contentment lulling me into sleep.

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