Page 32 of Kingston (Savage Dragons #2)

Kings decided that he’d had enough work done for the day.

It was only around one o’clock in the afternoon, and he was getting out of his office and going to find something to do other than paperwork and worrying about being king of his kind.

There was plenty enough to do without him adding to his workload by trying to figure out what kind of mess he was in because someone had decided that he needed to be in charge. What if he didn’t want to be in charge?

He’d been asking himself that same question several times a day for a week now.

There were people out there who needed someone to be boss, but he didn’t believe or think that he was the solution.

They needed to pick someone who cared about the lives of other dragons.

He just wasn’t it. He saw Brenin walking toward the library when he suddenly found himself downtown.

The whole town wasn’t much of a town. There were three stoplights, two gas stations, as well as four pizza shops.

Oh, and a McDonalds across the street from the town proper.

On Friday night in the fall, nearly all the town came to see the local football team play, and girls’ basketball was a big hit in the early spring.

Houses mixed well with the local shops, and he loved the local library because it was a center for adults to hang out with each other while reading over the free newspaper that came out once a week.

There were large trees that lined the main drag, cars in some of the yards, as well as lighted decorations on the light poles at Christmas time.

“Where are you headed?” Brenin said the library to return a book, then he was going to get himself a sub for lunch. “Can I join you? I have something that I want to talk to you about. Also, did you hear that your brother found his mate?”

“Sure, I’d be happy for the company. And I heard from him last night.

He seems to be enjoying himself. She’s a spitfire, he told me.

” That’s what he’d heard, too, and she wanted Cassian to go away all the time.

“I’m going over to see them when she gets settled in.

Her grannie is living with the two of them as well. ”

They ordered their lunch and sat down to have it brought to them. Once they had their food and it was set up the way that they liked it, Brenin asked him what he wanted to talk about.

“First, I wanted to say thanks for helping Ace get elected. He is already doing a good job as the mayor. I can see him getting his list done quickly now that he has a place to work from. Did you hear about the votes? Trail only got fifteen votes. That’s how many of his family live around here.

Though I don’t think his wife is very happy.

She liked having him working all day.” Brenin said thanks about Ace and hadn’t heard about the votes.

“Yeah, that’s sort of sad but good for everyone else. ”

“I agree with you on Ace getting his list done soon. I saw some of the street workers out taking down the signage from Christmas last year about the parade. I guess we’re not having one this year due to budget costs or something like that.

” They were about finished with their meal when Brenin asked what he wanted to talk about.

“I don’t have any plans for the rest of the day, so whatever you have going on, we can talk if you want. ”

“I don’t want to be king.” He thought that Brenin would laugh at him or tell him it was a done deal.

But all he did was ask why it had taken him so long to figure it out.

“I don’t know, actually. I’ve been telling myself that I could do a good job of it, but I really can’t.

I have too many other things going on in my life that I want to do a good job with, too.

I have a new mate that I’m still getting to know.

There are projects around here that I want to be a part of.

And this whole king thing just seems like a stupid job.

Did I tell you that I have to go see each region yearly in addition to making sure that laws aren’t broken?

The laws are broken without me having to travel around the world all the time.

Some of them don’t even recognize that there can be human mates.

If I find one, including my own mate, I’m supposed to destroy them and hope that the dragon gets another mate to come along. That’s just barbaric.”

“What do you need from me? You know I’ve got your back.

” He said he knew that and was glad for it.

“You have to tell that Lady Earth person right away. And you know what I was thinking? They went forever thinking that you were being trained without a king. I’m sure they can go a bit longer without one.

What are you going to do about the magic? ”

He loved talking to Brenin. He just buck shot information at you when something occurred to him. There wasn’t a rhyme or reason behind the way that he asked you things. Just whenever something popped into his head, he would talk to you about it.

“I’m supposed to go and see the Lady Earth tomorrow.

I’ve been studying the books she’s given me for weeks now, and I’m no closer to figuring out what I want to do than I was before I started reading them.

” He half laughed. “These books need to be destroyed and start over. Most of the rules that are in them are too old to deal with now, and the costs for any fines are so little money that it hardly seems worth collecting. Most of them talk about half a percent of whatever cash they have on them at the time of sentencing. I would imagine that most go to their hearings without anything on them, so they don’t have to pay.

Even though it’s probably only about a quarter. ”

“What are you going to tell her when you see her? I mean, do you have a plan worked out on what you’re going to say?

What does Skye have to say about this? And if I were you, I’d bring up the fine costs to her.

It sounds to me like they’ll be paying you more than they’re collecting.

” He said that he’s not paid cash but gems. “Oh, good, those are so easy to take to the grocery store and turn in for food. Morons. You probably have a great many gems now. I know that I do. I use them for window dressings. Nobody ever believes that you’d put real diamonds or other gems in your window for the pretty colors. ”

“I’ve spoken to Skye and she agrees with me that it’s a stupid job to have.

Especially one that has so many rules that I have to follow.

Like the travel thing too. She said that with having to visit each district, there will be no time for us to have a vacation of our own.

Yeah, she doesn’t like it either.” He asked him again what he wanted from him.

“Someone to tell me that it’s a stupid job and that I’d be better off quitting it now than before I kill someone when I’ve had enough. ”

“That might get you out of the job faster if you were to do that.” Again, they both laughed.

It felt good to have made the decision now that he had, and he relaxed a bit.

“I wouldn’t take it even if they offered me money instead of gems. All the rules aside, like you just said, you’ve only just found your mate, and you want to get to know her better.

I’m thinking that alone would have me not taking it. ”

“I’m going to tell her in the morning. Skye doesn’t have to go with me, but I’m going to see if she’ll go to tell her that she doesn’t want the job either.

” Brenin finished off his dinner and asked for another soda.

He loved the clear kind of drinks. He said that they gave him a clean taste in his mouth.

“Thanks for listening to me. You don’t know how much I appreciate you just being here for me. ”

“Now that Cassian has his mate, I’m thinking that the rest of us will be getting ours, too.

I might need you for advice when she comes along.

” Kings said that he’d be better off talking to the mates rather than the men because they could tell him what not to do.

“I can see that too. They’d be able to keep my head out of my ass with my mate too, I’m thinking. ”

They talked a bit more about how they were going to the first football game of the season.

Also, about how they’d be around when the first trick-or-treaters came to their house.

That was all on Brenin. His way of just casual talking was like listening to a round about speaker.

He’d get to the point sooner rather than later.

Walking back home, he found Skye in the kitchen with Trevor. He told her what decision he’d come to and asked her if she’d go with him tomorrow. After she said she would tell her, at the same time, she didn’t want to be queen, they’d celebrate by having a cookout with steaks. He was fine with that.

“I have my test in my outdoor classes on Saturday. They were going to have them from Friday to Sunday, but they forgot about the football game going on Friday night. Are you guys going?” Both he and Skye said they wouldn’t miss it and were happy that he was going as well.

“I can’t wait to see them play. Some of the pack are on the team, too.

I’ve made some pretty good friends at the pack house and the high school as well.

There are a lot of nice people in both places. ”

“I’m glad that you’re having such a good year, Trevor.

To think you didn’t think you’d like high school when you first moved here.

” He said he’d learned to give things a chance.

“Good for you. It’s like this king job. I gave it my best, and I realized that it wasn’t for me.

I don’t want to be in charge of such a large area of dragons when they’ve been governing themselves for so long.

Hopefully, she’s all right with us stepping down. ”