Chapter 10
Cecily sprawled across Torrence’s chest and listened to his heartbeat. Her body still hummed with pleasure. He seemed to know just how to touch her. Being with him was like nothing she’d ever experienced before.
He rubbed her back in slow circles, his calloused hands making her skin feel ultra-sensitive. Very faintly, she could hear a trilling sound in his chest, and she recognized it as his dragon.
She sat up and looked around the master bedroom. Heavy curtains blocked a lot of the afternoon sun, giving the room a golden glow. The large sleigh bed took up most of the space, with a nightstand made of the same dark wood standing next to it. There was a set of sliding doors which she figured was the closet.
“It was nice of your dad to give us the mountain and cabin. I bet it’s a beautiful view up here in the winter, with all the snow. Do dragons always live in the mountains?”
“As far as I know.”
“It sounds like something that would be a myth. Like how wolves always have to shift on the full moons, when in reality they don’t.”
“The more secretive the shifter group, the more misinformation floats around, but dragons are pretty straightforward. We live in the mountains in clans, we’re close to our families, and we mate with our own kind. Except for me, because I’m so awesome that I needed a beautiful human for a mate.”
She grinned. “You’re definitely awesome.”
“Although I’m not inclined to do anything but stay in bed with you, it’s probably time to go to the shop and see the damage.”
“And I want you to meet Andrea.”
She borrowed one of his shirts and paired it with the leggings that Vanessa had given to her. All her clothes were in her apartment, so after they checked out the shop, they could start to pack her things.
After a quick meal of sandwiches, they began the walk down to town. His car was still there, and he wasn’t sure that he hadn’t accidentally trashed it with his tail when he shifted. She had a car that they could use in the meantime. When the main road came into view, they both stopped short. There was a concrete barricade blocking the dirt road from the main road into town. In front of the barricade was a metal sign as large as a stop sign that said in big block letters “no trespassing.”
“This wasn’t here before,” he said.
“Maybe they didn’t want anyone coming up the mountain?” she suggested, but she knew it wasn’t right.
“The sign’s facing the wrong way to warn people to stay off the mountain,” he pointed out.
She was sure he was right. “Well, they can’t keep us out of town. It’s a public place, plus my home is there.”
He gave her a long look. “I don’t think they’re trying to keep you from town.”
“Oh.” She pursed her lips. “How could dragons be so accepting but wolves aren’t?”
“You didn’t take out half the town square when you visited, sweetheart.” He gave her a wry smile, but she found no humor in the situation. The no trespassing sign was a direct threat as far as she was concerned.
“Let me see your phone,” she said. He handed it over and she dialed Andrea’s number.
“Hey,” Andrea said when she answered.
“Hi. So, I’m back.”
Andrea laughed. “I figured as much when I saw the fireworks last night.”
“Do you know anything about the barricade at the bottom of the mountain road?”
There was enough of a pause that she knew her best friend was trying to word her reply. Before she could tell her to just say whatever it was, Andrea let out a sigh. “After you were taken, the pack wanted to go up the mountain and rescue you. When he flew off with you, the alpha said that he wouldn’t allow dangerous shifters to be in town, and although I didn’t know about the barricade, I’m not surprised.”
Cecily glanced at Torrence who was frowning. “Do they really think they can keep him out of town?”
“It’s worse than that, actually,” Andrea said. “Can I come to you?”
“I wanted to come to the shop. Torrence said he’d pay for the damages and I need to pack so I can move up to the cabin.”
“That’s not a good idea. Alpha Irvine told me to pack your things. I’ll call and let him know you want to see him, but he’ll probably come to you instead of you going into town.”
“I…I don’t know what to say.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
The call ended, and Cecily stared at the screen. Torrence pulled her close and hugged her. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I made a mess of your life.”
“I don’t understand what happened here.”
“It’ll be okay.”
“How can you be sure?”
He curled a finger under her chin and lifted her head until she was looking at him. “Because I have you. Everything will be okay because at the end of the day, we’re mates and nothing that any small-minded wolves do can change that. Don’t think of whatever is happening as an ending of something, but the beginning of a new chapter in our lives.”
“That’s sweet.”
“Just being honest.”
He tensed slightly, and she listened hard and could faintly hear a vehicle in the distance.
“That’s probably Andrea,” she said. She turned in Torrence’s arms and leaned back against him.
Andrea pulled off to the side of the road, parking in front of the barriers. Cecily could see that the car was stuffed with bags and boxes. She got out and gave Cecily a sad smile.
“Come meet my mate,” Cecily said.
She moved around the barricade and walked to them. “I’m Andrea.”
“I’m Torrence. Cecily’s told me a lot about you.”
“Only believe the good things. She’s notorious for embellishing stories about our childhood exploits.”
Cecily laughed. “That’s because you never want to fess up.”
“Hey, what’s the fun of doing bad things if you get caught?”
Although it felt good to laugh, Cecily couldn’t help but feel a tightness in her gut that told her things weren’t going to go as she’d planned when she’d wanted to come back to Tomb.
“Would you like to come up to the cabin and be comfortable while you talk?” Torrence offered.
“Yeah, thanks. We can take some things up on the trip, since I can’t get the car past the barricade.”
The three of them carried bags and boxes up the mountain to the cabin, and then Torrence put a pot of water on to boil for tea, and Cecily got out the Boston cream pie they’d brought with them. Once the tea was ready, they sat in the family room and then Andrea explained what had happened.
“The pack got all riled up when you were taken. The alpha said that he warned Torrence to behave, and of course Jerris made things worse by saying that you’re his mate and he needed to rescue you. That guy has several screws loose. When I heard from you, I went to talk to the alpha and he said that the only way to keep Tomb safe was to keep you up here.” She looked pointedly at Torrence. “I’m sorry. I’m sure it’s not really legal, but the pack runs the town. They can make things really difficult for you both.”
“So, I’m not allowed back in town either?” Cecily asked.
“I fought for your shop and your right to work, and he said no.”
“That makes no sense,” Cecily said. “I’m still the same person I was.”
Andrea’s gaze dipped to Cecily’s mating mark. “You’re a dragon’s mate. Aside from that being unheard of with a human, he caused thousands of dollars’ worth of damage. To be blunt, neither of you are welcome in town.”
Cecily felt a lump in her throat. She looked at Torrence. “Can they really do this?”
“We could fight back. You grew up here. You own a business here. Just because the pack’s against us doesn’t mean they can close the town like this.”
“I…shit. I need time to think.” She ran her hands over her hair several times, grasping the strands and squeezing. Her whole body felt like it was going to split apart at the seams, and not in the making-love-to-her-mate way that she’d been enjoying so much.
Andrea’s phone buzzed, and she looked at the screen. “The alpha’s at the bottom of the mountain. He said he’d speak with you to clarify his position, but that you should not expect anything to change.”
“What an asshole,” Cecily said.
She stood with Torrence. She wanted to delay the conversation with the alpha, but it was better to get it over with. Maybe she could reason with him. Maybe it wasn’t the end.
“Thanks for the pie,” Andrea said as she stood. “Tell your mother-in-law that it was amazing.” Andrea hugged Cecily tightly.
Cecily sniffled.
Andrea chided her. “Oh, you’re going to make me cry.”
“Sorry. I thought we’d be raising our kids together.”
“Me, too. But we can video call and text, and you can send me care packages of donuts. It’s not the same, but at least we’ll be able to stay in touch.”
It was a solemn walk down the mountain. An hour ago, she’d been excited to show Torrence the shop and make a plan to get it repaired and back in business. But now, she wasn’t looking forward to the walk because at the end of it, she was facing off against a pack and an alpha who was throwing his weight around like he was king. Suddenly she wasn’t welcome, and it appeared that the town of her childhood was closed.
She choked on a sob.
Everything she’d worked for was gone.
Torrence put his arm around her and gave her a comforting squeeze. “Whatever happens down there, I’ve got your back.”
“I know,” she said, giving him a sideways glance. He was so handsome. Rugged and muscular, with a jawline that begged to be nibbled and eyes that were filled with compassion. “Where you are is home. It feels sudden to say that, but I can’t deny how I feel. You’re mine and I’m yours, and if this place isn’t where we’re supposed to be, then I don’t want to be here.”
Her mind spun to their future children, who would be a mixture of human and dragon. If Torrence wasn’t welcome in Tomb, it was a good bet that their kids wouldn’t be either, and trapped on the mountain wasn’t a great way to raise a family.
The alpha and a group of males stood on the road, their vehicles parked behind them. Cecily straightened her spine and squared her shoulders. No matter what was said, she promised herself she wouldn’t cry until she was back up in the cabin with Torrence.
They stopped at the concrete divider. Even though it was only waist-high, it felt like it might as well have been twenty feet tall for how vast the distance between her and the wolves seemed.
“Alpha Irvine, I know you met Torrence previously, but as you have heard from Andrea, he and I are mates.” She pressed her index finger to her forearm to indicate the mating mark. Wolves didn’t have that sort of magic within them to create identical marks, but she knew that the alpha would understand what it was. “Torrence shifted suddenly when we met, and he wasn’t able to return to his human form until the next day. We’re prepared to pay for the damages. I don’t understand why you’re trying to keep us from town. I have a legal right to be at my place of business.”
Alpha Irvine held out his hand and Jerris, smugly smiling, put a set of folded papers in it. He handed it to Cecily, and she unfolded them, her heart sinking as she read that the building owner had terminated her lease due to “catastrophic and wanton destruction of property,” and “allowing of dangerous shifters on the premises.”
“Your deposit was used to cover the damages to the shop, but as it wasn’t enough to make all the repairs, the equipment is going to be sold as well. The apartment was cleared of your belongings. As the mate of a dangerous male, you’re also not welcome in town. I can’t stop you from living in the mountain because it’s outside of the city limits, but I can ensure that you and your mate are no longer a threat to the safety and well-being of the town.”
Cecily folded the papers and fought the urge pick up a rock and chuck it at the alpha. If she also happened to hit Jerris in his stupid face, that would be a bonus.
Jerris said, “You know, Cecily, if you would walk away from the dragon, I would gladly take you as my mate. Then you could have your business back, which I know is what you really want.”
Torrence snarled. “She’s mine.”
Cecily shook her head at Jerris. “Do you seriously think that I want to have my shop back badly enough to walk away from my mate for you? I don’t want you and I never have. If choosing my dragon means that I don’t have my shop, then I still count myself immensely lucky.”
“You’re making a mistake,” Jerris said. “Everything you love is here.”
Narrowing her eyes, she took Torrence’s hand. “Not everything.”
Jerris snorted and growled, but the alpha raised his hand and silenced him. Cecily was tempted to argue about losing her shop. She could threaten to get a lawyer and fight back against the building owner for breach of contract and selling her stuff without permission, but instead, she felt a strange sense of relief. And part of it had come through the conversation with Jerris. She had Torrence, and whatever else came in her life, she was grateful for the strong, protective male at her side.
Ignoring the rest of the wolves, she turned to Andrea, and said, “Let’s get the rest of my stuff from your car.”
Andrea gave her a strange look but led the way to the car. While the wolves watched, the three of them emptied the car, setting everything on the mountain path. Cecily hugged Andrea. “Thank you for being a great employee and the bestest best friend in existence. I’m sorry to leave you in the lurch for a job, but if you need a recommendation just give me a call. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
She and Torrence walked to her belongings and picked up what they could carry, and then, without a word to the pack, they started up the mountain. It was super tempting to tell off the alpha, Jerris, and the other wolves, but she didn’t want to make things harder than they were, or to put Andrea in the crosshairs for helping her out. She heard the vehicles’ doors open and close, and the engines roar to life as the wolves left. She glanced back and saw Andrea waving out the window of her car as she pulled away.
“You were so upset earlier, but you seem fine now. Happy almost. Are you okay?” Torrence asked.
She laughed. “I must seem like a nutcase.”
“Not at all.”
“It’s weird, because when Andrea said that we weren’t allowed back in town, I was so angry. It felt like my world was just crumbling around me. But on the way to meet the wolves, I thought about our kids and what it would be like to live in the mountains but never be allowed in town. What kind of life would that be for them? For us? I think the wolves didn’t want you here, and they took what happened as a way to get rid of you. I don’t want to fight, I just want to go home.”
“Home?”
“Yeah. To the clan. They made me feel so welcome, so quickly.” She set down the large box she was carrying and turned to face the town below. “I thought that my home was there. It’s all I’ve ever really known – I grew up here, everything I cared about was here. But then I met you. You tore the door off my plans, literally, and I feel like the alpha’s asshole behavior is fate. If he hadn’t overreacted to what happened by banning us from town, then we’d be moving along fine with this path, but I think our destiny is with the dragons.” She gave him an appraising look. “Unless you want to stay here, where we’re not welcome, and fight for something that neither of us is interested in anymore?”
He put down the boxes he’d carried up the mountain and grabbed her roughly around the waist, a low growl in his throat. “I think fate’s on our side in all this, too. I don’t want to live where we’re not wanted. That you think of Pine Mountain as home now is amazing. But what about your job? You love making donuts. Having a shop of your own was your dream.”
“It’s still my dream, but it’s only part of it. I can make donuts anywhere. The important thing is that we’re together. Will you be my official taste-tester?”
He lifted her over his shoulder and she shrieked in surprise to find herself hanging upside down. “I’m ready to taste something right now.”
He gave her butt a squeeze as he strode into the cabin.
“You have the best ideas, Torrence.”
“Only since you came into my life.”
He kicked the door shut and carried her to the bed, where she forgot all about the wolves and their pettiness, and lost herself in the pleasure that she shared with her mate. She hadn’t thought she could be happy anywhere but in Tomb, but as she said goodbye to her old life with her gaze set on the future, she knew she could be happy anywhere, as long as Torrence was by her side.