Page 45

HARLEY

“ T his is gonna be really cool,” Mia whispered. “Don’t look so nervous.”

“I’m not nervous,” I said nervously. I smoothed the skirt of my yellow sundress down.

I was standing in the immense backyard behind the Lakeview clan clubhouse, with what looked like every single other member of the clan.

Over a hundred dragons had gathered: men, women, kids, old folks.

Everyone was dressed a half-step nicer than I was used to seeing them.

Nice jeans with no rips, and button-downs instead of T-shirts.

I was glad to be standing with Mia and Bella.

Hawk was on the deck with Tank and a few other clubhouse members, working three different grills at once to ensure there’d be enough dinner to feed everyone.

The atmosphere was quiet and excited. The sun was low in the sky. It was about an hour before sunset.

Stephan was supposed to arrive at any moment.

After a few more minutes passed, I started to get nervous. Had something happened at the house or on their way from the alpha house to the clubhouse? Where were they? Stephan had said before sunset?—

“Dada!” Bella shouted. She tugged at Mia’s sleeve and pointed up at the sky. “Look! Dada!”

Mia laughed. “That’s not your daddy, honey. Daddy’s grilling burgers. That’s Uncle Ace.”

Overhead, an immense pair of wings spread across the sky.

The sight nearly took my breath away. The silhouette of Stephan’s dragon was large enough to cast a shadow over the clearing.

The clan members around me fell silent. Stephan dipped down and soared low over the lake, close enough that the wind beneath him sent ripples flowing over the water’s surface.

Dylan sat right at the base of his long, shining neck, and the robe whipped in the wind behind him.

It was the same color as Stephan’s scales.

Stephan beat his wings hard, slowing his pace. Then he landed in the clearing, his four claws digging into the ground. The clan members made a half-circle around them, everyone straining to see the little shifter on his back.

Our son.

Pride swelled in me. Mia grinned and knocked her shoulder against mine. In her arms, Bella babbled and waved at Stephan and Dylan.

Dylan slid off Stephan’s back. Magic crackled around in the air as Stephan shifted back into his human form. He stood in front of the clan, wearing dark jeans, but shirtless, so all his tattoos were on display. Dylan stood a little bit behind him, looking small and wide-eyed in the big green robe.

I desperately wanted to run to them both. I wanted to stand by Dylan and squeeze his shoulder and give him courage in this moment. But the best thing I could do right now was wait. I needed to let him hold his own. I needed to trust Dylan and Stephan both.

This was their moment—the two Lakeview alphas.

“My friends, my family,” Stephan said in a warm, booming voice. His words filled the air easily. “Thank you for being here with me today. With us.

“As you all know, the Lakeview clan has been the heart of this town for generations. Ever since the first dragons took refuge in the mountain caves, this clan has had a presence here. With every generation, we grow stronger, more rooted in place, more connected to these mountains and to each other.”

Murmurs of agreement and acknowledgment hummed through the crowd.

“I know these past few years haven’t been easy,” Stephan continued. “As we’ve grown, we’ve made mistakes. As your alpha, I’ve made mistakes.”

Mia reached over and squeezed my hand.

“But from those mistakes, we’ve found new and better opportunities,” Stephan said.

“We’re in a transitional period. It’ll be bumpy.

It’ll have its own challenges. But when we come out the other side, we’ll have a new financial base for our clan.

We’ll be thriving in ways we never even imagined—that I can promise you. ”

Cheers and whoops of excitement and agreement sounded through the crowd. Stephan grinned. He raised his hand to quiet the crowd, and silence fell over us.

I’d never seen him speak to the clan like this. He was confident, poised, and in control. Unflappable. Reliable. Seeing him like this sent a little zip of warmth down my spine.

“I want to thank each and every one of you,” Stephan said. “Not just for being here today, but for being here for the past ten years. For keeping your trust in me, even when I wasn’t here to earn it. For allowing me to lead this clan. Thank you.”

More cheers. I looked around the clearing, in awe of the sheer amount of people who respected Stephan. That trusted him. He was a natural leader. I’d never met Sean, but it was clear the right brother was leading this clan. Their father had seen this quality in Stephan and chosen the right alpha.

I was so proud of him.

“Now,” Stephan continued, “I know everyone has heard the rumors of a little mini-me running around…”

Laughter and shouts of agreement rang out from those gathered. Hundreds of eyes fell on Dylan. Even from my place in the crowd, I could see his face turning red.

Stephan placed his hand on Dylan’s shoulder and encouraged him to take a step forward, so they were side by side. Before Stephan could say a word, shouts, cheers, and more than a few draconian roars filled the air.

The sounds washed over me like a cool rain. The clan members didn’t even know Dylan’s name, but they’d already accepted him. Welcomed him. Wrapped up in that big green robe, Dylan was more than just my son—he was this clan’s future.

“May I introduce to the Lakeview clan,” Stephan shouted over the clan’s noise, “my firstborn son and future alpha of Lakeview, Dylan Founty!”

My ears rang as the volume somehow, impossibly, increased.

Everyone shouted and applauded as Dylan waved to everyone like a little prince.

He was wide-eyed with shock at the reception.

He scooted a little closer to Stephan and took his hand.

Stephan laughed and scooped Dylan up into his arms, lifting him up and onto his shoulders so he could see everyone.

I was so proud of them both.

Dylan Founty, Stephan had said. Not Dylan Cole.

He was our son, and the future Lakeview alpha, but he still bore my last name.

Hearing Stephan say that warmed me to my bones.

It showed me that Stephan would still respect the life Dylan had with me in Atlanta even as our son stepped into this new role.

Maybe Dylan could have the best of both worlds. A normal kid in Atlanta, and a future alpha in Lakeview.

After the speech, the party started. The clubhouse members set up a buffet on the deck, and there was enough food to feed the clan three times over.

Stephan kept Dylan on his shoulders as they walked through the crowd.

He introduced Dylan to members, smiling and laughing.

I worried Dylan might get overwhelmed or tired, but with his dad by his side, he looked unstoppable.

As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, I sat down by a crackling bonfire with Mia and a few of the other humans tied to the clan in some way.

“That went really well,” Mia said with a smile. She held up her beer, and we cheersed. “How are you feeling?”

I leaned back in the camping chair. It had been an hour or so since Stephan’s speech, and some of the clan members had started to filter out.

Some had gone home, others had made their way into the clubhouse.

At least half of the adult shifters were gathered at the edge of the lake, talking to each other, and looking up eagerly at the skies.

“I feel a lot more comfortable than I expected,” I admitted. “I thought it’d be a lot more intimidating. But this really is like a big family cookout.”

“Kind of nice, isn’t it?” Mia asked. Bella was passed out in her arms, and Mia shifted her weight slightly as she got comfortable. “Dylan seems happy, too.”

Out in the clearing, Dylan was still glued to his dad’s side as he took in all the shifters around him. But he was smiling.

“I think he is,” I said. “This is more than either of us ever imagined.”

Magic crackled in the clearing as the dragons began to shift.

Suddenly, where there were people, there were three dragons, then ten, then a dozen.

The dragons all looked a little different.

Some were smaller, some had larger wings, one had no tail.

They all varied in color, too—shades of green, bronze, and pale dusty beige.

“That’s part of the routine, too,” Mia said. “A late-night group flight. Hawk’s not attending this one, though, since we need to go put the little one to bed.”

I’d never seen this many dragons in one place. I glanced between them as they shifted and started to take to the sky. I was looking for one in particular, a brighter green, a hint of gold…

“Mom!”

I turned around, and a smile broke across my face.

There he was. Stephan had already shifted back into his dragon.

The firelight reflected off the gold details in his rich green scales.

Dylan was already on his back again, with a Cole’s Garage sweatshirt on over his shirt instead of the ceremonial robe.

I stood up from my chair and turned to face them. “You’re going on the ride?” I asked.

“Uh-huh,” Dylan said. “Dad says it’s a special one.”

Stephan stepped closer. He lowered his big head and nudged me gently, his golden eyes half-lidded.

It wasn’t a nudge. It was a nuzzle, like he was a big cat.

I ran both hands over his snout and savored the warm, smooth feel of his scales. “It’s fine with me. I know you’ll take care of him.”

Stephan shook his huge head slightly and nuzzled me again.

“Come on, Mom,” Dylan said. “Come with us.”

My eyes widened. “For the ride?”

“Yeah!”

I glanced at Mia. She nodded encouragingly.

“Really?” I asked quietly. “You want me to come?”

Stephan lowered his head, and Dylan nodded. He already looked more comfortable on Stephan’s back, like he’d done this hundreds of times.