and take care of everyone,” he said firmly. “I love you with every ounce of my soul. I’ll always be there for you, no matter what happens. You can trust me, Skylar.”
“I do.” She smiled, touched by his words.
“We have a world to conquer.” His thumb drifted across her plump lips, and his gaze dropped to her mouth. “Then we’ll come right back here and fuck until we can’t walk anymore.”
Skylar laughed again. They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, enjoying each other’s presence.
“Come on,” he said reluctantly. “Let’s get the show started, so we can spend more time together.” He opened the door to the shower.
Skylar grudgingly went. She dried off then left the bathroom, headed to a pile of her clothes. As if to remind her of how serious their awaiting adventure was, the lasso sat in the center of her clothing.
Her thoughts sobered quickly at the sight of it and the thought of what they had to do. She glanced towards the bathroom and found Chace in the doorway, studying her.
“You okay?” he asked gently.
“Yeah.” She smiled quickly and started to dress. “I want to help everyone, Chace. I know my father didn’t believe that, but I think we can.”
“I think you’ll find there are some people beyond reason.” He moved towards his dresser as he spoke.
“Like Dillon?”
“I imagine there are others as well. Your father wasn’t budging from his view of the world. Some people are too entrenched.”
“Or too motivated to get their ways,” she murmured, thoughts going to another dragon. Skylar pulled on her shirt. “Like Freyja.”
Chace froze for a moment then resumed dressing.
Interesting. “She’s behind all this. Brainwashing me, causing the war between shifters.”
“I guess I’m not surprised.” His tone was measured. “Gavin was right about someone trying to push the strong shifters out of the way?”
“Yes. Mason won’t tell me everything, but he did say she hasn’t give up on her plan, even though the initial one didn’t work.” Skylar pushed her feet into her boots then bent over to tie them.
When she straightened, Chace’s features were hard to read. He seemed pensive, troubled almost.
“Is that an issue?” she asked, disappointed to know there was some emotion remaining after so long.
“Not for me,” he replied. “Might be for us , though. She’s not the kind of person who is going to change her mind. And she was able to reach out to others enough to strategize when she was supposed to be in hibernation. It means we may not have much of an option, if she refuses to back down.”
“You think we’ll have to kill her.” Skylar’s voice was hushed.
“I think it’s possible.”
Not quite what I was expecting. “Dillon, too, maybe.” She grew still. “I’ve always known I might have to kill someone. I thought it’d be a shifter, back when I thought they were my enemies. Do you think we have any sort of obligation to try to work things out in a way that spares people’s lives, even if they really deserve to be taken out?”
Chace glanced at her.
“I mean, because we’re leading the community now,” she added.
“I think we need to do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of the community. No matter what that entails,” he said quietly. “This is new territory for me, too, Sky, but I think we must always do what is best for the shifters as a whole.”
She nodded. Never in all her time did she think she’d be in this position, the unofficial shifter queen, charged with making hard calls to protect the very people she once hunted. She felt neither worthy nor prepared, but she was grateful to have Chace with her throughout it all.
“And … as for us. Are we good?” she asked uncertainly.
“Absolutely,” he replied without hesitation. “We’re in this together.”
She believed him. They were too different to see eye-to-eye on everything, but she hoped they were able to build on their relationship to work
“I do.” She smiled, touched by his words.
“We have a world to conquer.” His thumb drifted across her plump lips, and his gaze dropped to her mouth. “Then we’ll come right back here and fuck until we can’t walk anymore.”
Skylar laughed again. They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, enjoying each other’s presence.
“Come on,” he said reluctantly. “Let’s get the show started, so we can spend more time together.” He opened the door to the shower.
Skylar grudgingly went. She dried off then left the bathroom, headed to a pile of her clothes. As if to remind her of how serious their awaiting adventure was, the lasso sat in the center of her clothing.
Her thoughts sobered quickly at the sight of it and the thought of what they had to do. She glanced towards the bathroom and found Chace in the doorway, studying her.
“You okay?” he asked gently.
“Yeah.” She smiled quickly and started to dress. “I want to help everyone, Chace. I know my father didn’t believe that, but I think we can.”
“I think you’ll find there are some people beyond reason.” He moved towards his dresser as he spoke.
“Like Dillon?”
“I imagine there are others as well. Your father wasn’t budging from his view of the world. Some people are too entrenched.”
“Or too motivated to get their ways,” she murmured, thoughts going to another dragon. Skylar pulled on her shirt. “Like Freyja.”
Chace froze for a moment then resumed dressing.
Interesting. “She’s behind all this. Brainwashing me, causing the war between shifters.”
“I guess I’m not surprised.” His tone was measured. “Gavin was right about someone trying to push the strong shifters out of the way?”
“Yes. Mason won’t tell me everything, but he did say she hasn’t give up on her plan, even though the initial one didn’t work.” Skylar pushed her feet into her boots then bent over to tie them.
When she straightened, Chace’s features were hard to read. He seemed pensive, troubled almost.
“Is that an issue?” she asked, disappointed to know there was some emotion remaining after so long.
“Not for me,” he replied. “Might be for us , though. She’s not the kind of person who is going to change her mind. And she was able to reach out to others enough to strategize when she was supposed to be in hibernation. It means we may not have much of an option, if she refuses to back down.”
“You think we’ll have to kill her.” Skylar’s voice was hushed.
“I think it’s possible.”
Not quite what I was expecting. “Dillon, too, maybe.” She grew still. “I’ve always known I might have to kill someone. I thought it’d be a shifter, back when I thought they were my enemies. Do you think we have any sort of obligation to try to work things out in a way that spares people’s lives, even if they really deserve to be taken out?”
Chace glanced at her.
“I mean, because we’re leading the community now,” she added.
“I think we need to do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of the community. No matter what that entails,” he said quietly. “This is new territory for me, too, Sky, but I think we must always do what is best for the shifters as a whole.”
She nodded. Never in all her time did she think she’d be in this position, the unofficial shifter queen, charged with making hard calls to protect the very people she once hunted. She felt neither worthy nor prepared, but she was grateful to have Chace with her throughout it all.
“And … as for us. Are we good?” she asked uncertainly.
“Absolutely,” he replied without hesitation. “We’re in this together.”
She believed him. They were too different to see eye-to-eye on everything, but she hoped they were able to build on their relationship to work
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