Page 10 of So I Dared a Dragon (The Mating Game #6)

ten

. . .

Aarix

Magnus stood by the window, arms crossed, burnished wings vibrating like he was about to smash through the glass and fly out of the room. “Feels like we’re in captivity all over again.”

“It’s for our protection.” But I had to admit, agreeing to be a contestant on The Mating Game meant giving up control. We’d come to a new territory, unfamiliar with the traditions. The members of our thunder who liberated us tried to prepare us for what we might find, but they hadn’t mentioned anything called a reality show.

“We don’t need protection,” Luca scoffed. “We’re bigger than any creature here.”

“No one around here’s seen anyone like us before,” I reminded them. “And one thing hasn’t changed since we were last free. Most fear what they don’t understand.”

“Yet they keep us in this room, assigning us never-ending security,” Magnus scoffed, shaking his head. “These shifters vetted us, but we have no way of doing the same. We have no idea who they’re loyal to. If they’re hiding something. Your girl’s always had an element of danger, and she enraged the Night God with her defiance.”

“Calista’s not a girl, she’s my mate. When you find yours, you’ll do whatever it takes to claim her too.” A low growl resonated in my throat. “And I seem to remember you calling her a free spirit, which is exactly what drew me to her. She’s wild and adventurous.”

“If I remember correctly, she also had a healthy distaste for rules and authority. It was quite charming when we were in a situation where we did too. But now we’re free dragons. Aarix, you were a leader of our thunder before we were in captivity.” Luca put his book down on the desk and leaned forward. He was thirsty for knowledge in this modern world, but the only thing that would truly satisfy him was for us to regain the power we once took for granted. “You always said the most important thing was that we stayed united. Thunder first.”

“I wonder if you’ve forgotten that,” Magnus added with a growl of his own.

“I haven’t.” The last thing I wanted to do was fight with these dragons who’d stuck by my side through the darkness. But they had every reason to doubt my judgment.

“I understand why you’re willing to work with these shifters, but we can’t ignore the obvious concerns,” Luca said calmly. “Namely, why are there so many other shifters here, while we only have dragons in our mountains? At one time, dragons and shifters shared both lands. Did our thunder drive the others away, or did this thunder lose a much different battle?”

“All good questions,” I said. “And has our thunder made enemies?”

“If we led them into centuries of darkness, they could want revenge,” Magnus said. “And we could’ve walked right into their trap. With these guards outside our door to make sure we’re here when they’re ready for us.”

I paced the tiny room. The chalet had given us two portable beds, and they took up much of the living space. “Calista trusts Bibi, and Bibi is committed to the show. I know it’s hard for you to trust me again, but I won’t lead you back to darkness.”

My gut told me placing my faith in this vibrant wolf wasn’t a mistake.

“The crew just arrived.” Magnus nodded in the direction of the window. “I trust you, Aarix. Always have, always will. But these shifters will have to earn it.”

Reporters and fans were always gathered at the entrance of the hotel, which was one of the reasons we had two big bear shifters on guard outside our door. Magnus and Luca were convinced they were there to make sure we didn’t get out, either. Couldn’t say I didn’t agree with them.

I had something in common with my mate. I didn’t like playing by the rules either. I was asking a lot of my fellow dragons, but we needed to learn these new rules before we broke them.

Bibi stopped to take pictures with some of the fans, and then blew the crowd a kiss as she entered the building.

“Where’s Calista?” Magnus asked. “Thought you were supposed to start your episode today.”

“We’re still in pre-production.” I couldn’t explain it to them because I didn’t fully understand what it meant either. But we were getting closer to what we came here for. “This is our chance to do things on our own terms.”

He raised a brow. “You sure about that?”

Moments later, there was an eager knock at the door.

“Don’t you all look handsome in your new clothes!” Bibi gushed as she floated into the room, followed by her entourage. “The wardrobe department did such a fantastic job tailoring outfits to suit your needs. I have to ask, what were you doing for clothes back in Tennessee? Does your whole thunder retain their wings and tails in their human form? We could start a fashion line exclusively for dragons.”

“Some of us were able to shift fully once we saw sunlight. And some dragons kept other characteristics. We’ve been doing alterations, none as nice as this.” I cautioned a quick glance at the guys. I didn’t blame them for not trusting Bibi yet. It wasn’t just her sparkle that drew me to her. I didn’t understand her role, but she seemed to know what it was like to start completely over. And she was willing to help us, even if I was getting impatient waiting for these promised dates. I survived for four hundred years inside that mountain, I could wait a few more days to make things perfect for my mate. “We were hoping the longer we have sunlight exposure, the more we’d be able to shift.”

Her bright pink lips formed an O. She was dressed in a shiny pink body suit, and her hair was a cloud of pastel pink. “That’s a fascinating theory. Have you seen any evidence of it working?”

“Not yet.” I sighed.

“I must say, you’re all handsome exactly as you are.” Her eyes glittered. “And I know you’re not that familiar with the internet yet, but our viewers have a very active community online, and they’re fascinated by you and can’t wait to learn everything about you. That is, of course, what you’re willing to share.”

“About that.” I motioned toward the window, which gave us a view of the Rocky Mountain range in all its red rock, snowcapped glory. “When will we be able to start our research on the local dragons?”

“Soon,” Bibi said. “We’ve spoken to Wendy, our shifter archeologist, and Laura, our pack librarian. They’re actively searching for resources for you, so your search can be as efficient as possible. We also have Lars, Bigfoot, who would have firsthand knowledge of what happened.”

“We’d love to talk to him. All of them, actually, before we start the episode.”

Magnus cleared his throat loudly, his not-so-subtle way of letting me know he thought I was way too soft.

“We’d like to fly in.” Magnus never wasted an opportunity to make himself heard. “We’d be able to reach places we can’t in our human forms. See things that we might otherwise miss.”

Bibi’s eyes widened. “Is that safe?”

“Who do we need to fear?” Luca asked.

“Fear isn’t the right emotion.” Bibi frowned. “It’s the humans I worry about. They’re used to wolves, bears, and even Bigfoot. But they’d never seen dragons before you arrived. I don’t want to give them a reason to fear you.”

“That’s fair,” I said. The humans in Tennessee had been spelled against our flight. We didn’t have the goddesses and enchantresses here to aid us.

“We can show you all the places where the dire wolves had set up their operations,” Bibi offered. “You might see things we didn’t know to look for. I’ll put you in touch with our security team too. We have them stationed pretty deep in the mountains as a first line of defense.”

“That sounds like a good place to start.” Was it a perfect plan? Hell, no. These mountains ran for thousands of miles. Our last known communication with these dragons had been lost. Forgotten. But we had been allies at one time. We owed this to them.

If we couldn’t save them, the least we could do was tell their story.

“Excellent.” Bibi brought her hands together. “We planned to do final interviews and some B-roll today before you and Calista go on your first date, but we can start helping you do the research and hopefully unlock these mysteries for you. But I have to ask—if we find these dragons, what happens next?”

“Sunset Springs is used to unusual shifter activity, but we’re probably not prepared for an entire dragon thunder to be released from a mountain,” Marissa added. “Our first priority is everyone’s safety. Not only for those who are on the show, but also, the residents of this town and anyone we might discover on our way.”

I liked that they were thinking ahead and proceeding with caution. There was absolutely no telling what we’d find in these mountains. “First, we need to find the dragon and see what the conditions are. How many of them survived. And then we can ask them what they’ve envisioned for their freedom.”

“If they want to be found,” Luca said. “Especially by us.”

Everyone turned and looked at him.

“Some of our thunder is having a hard time acclimating to life outside the mountain,” he explained. “Life is very different from when we were last free. So we can’t ignore the question—if we find them, is this the life they want to live?”

“No dragon should be imprisoned underground,” Magnus snarled. “Dragons need to fly free.”

“The world has changed, and freedom means they get to make their own decisions,” I reminded him.

“All things that must be considered. We’ll make sure to treat their history and legacy with the utmost respect.” Bibi gave us a tight smile as the tension rose in the room. “It might seem trite to change the subject, but speaking of decisions, Calista’s been working very hard to plan your first date. I won’t spoil the surprise, but she wanted me to check some things.”

My pulse quickened at the thought of my mate. She was so close but still so far away. “Ask away.”

She brightened, much more comfortable with this subject matter. Which made me wonder if she knew more than she was letting on. “Will you be comfortable out in public? At a restaurant or perhaps a nightclub? Is that something you would do back home?”

“Do you have anyone who can spell the humans, so they see what we need them to see?”

Bibi glanced at Marissa, who shook her head.

“As far as we know, we don’t have anyone with magic that powerful here. But your unexpected arrival on stage was well documented. People are expecting to see you. Again, we’ll have security available, but our main priority is making you feel comfortable so you can concentrate on Calista.”

“How is she?” I asked. “Is she safe? Has she received any more threats?” I hoped that I wouldn’t have to ask. That I would know. But these wolves thought we needed protection.

We needed to learn the rules of this new world fast.

“No more notes. She’s staying in my spare boudoir, and she’s been coming to the office with me, planning your episode.”

“I’d like to see those notes,” I added. “And any more that come in. We might pick up different clues.”

“I can certainly ask her for them.” Another tight-lipped smile. “Have you thought about where you’d like to take Calista on your date?”

“I want to see her in the sunshine.” I’d spent a long time dreaming of it. “That’s my nickname for her, because she was the only ray of light I’d seen in a long time.”

“We can make that happen. We can make anything happen. I know you were held back for a long time, and you’re in a place that’s unfamiliar. But it’s safe to dream now, Aarix. And I will do everything in my power to make those dreams come true.”