Any time spent with Taran puts me in a good mood. It carries with me through the rest of the afternoon at work. I think I’m so annoyingly in a good mood that even Cassandra remarks on it.

I’m totally okay with it. Things in my life are running smoothly. Sure, something could happen to upset that but why borrow trouble? I’ll deal with it as it comes, like I always do.

This time is different. I have someone to deal with it by my side. Knowing someone has your back is a very safe, secure feeling.

So, I’m not at my most observant when I step off the bus at the corner of my block on my way home. It’s dark outside now, the street lamps casting their pools of light at intervals.

One flickers for a moment, then goes out. I look up at it. The new bulbs the city puts in the lights give off great illumination and they’re supposed to be good for the environment, cutting down on light pollution in the night sky. They have a tendency to burn out faster.

Someone will be along in a few days to replace it.

I round the corner to my apartment building when suddenly I feel myself being jerked into the shadows of a dark alley. My keys jangle sharply as they hit the concrete.

When I look up, I’m staring into bright, wide eyes peering from a full ski mask. The coolness of a blade presses against my throat. “You make a sound, and I’ll carve you up good.”

This is too bold and startling for me to form any other answer than a short nod of my head.

My attacker doesn’t release the pressure of his forearm against my chest to keep me pinned against the wall. “Now, you be a good lizard and unload your wallet for me, nice and slow. This may not kill you but it’ll sure put a hurt on you, boy, if you press me on this.”

I’ve never been mugged before. I should be concerned, even fearful. Any right-thinking person would be. Muggings have been known to turn deadly when done against humans. It’d take more than a knife to kill a dragon shifter, even one as weak as I am.

And that’s what bothers me.

Lizard.

A derogatory slur against dragon-kind. Does this mean the guy knows I’m a dragon?

I won’t give anything away since I don’t want this to go badly, dangerous to me or not. I nod again and fumble for my wallet. He jerks it from my hands, and opens it to see the sparse amount of cash I carry in case of emergency.

With a snarl, he tucks the wallet away and backs into the shadows. I hear the echo of footfalls as they run away from me.

Once I’m certain that he’s really gone, I pick up my keys.

Even with the minimal threat, my hands are shaking. I hurry to my building and key in, slamming the security door behind me before heading up the stairs to my apartment.

I get some water to calm my nerves and collect myself. I’ll need to call Stelline Savings and have them issue me a new blue card. Then call the city registration board and get a new identity card, and cancel all my credit cards. I can’t think of anything else that was in my wallet of value.

And call the police and report the mugging.

Might as well start the process tonight, because I’m not getting any sleep until Taran comes by after he closes shop.

After making all the calls, I sit at the kitchen table sipping hot chocolate, reviewing what happened in the alley.

Although the guy had a knife and he threatened me, I wasn’t afraid for my life. Maybe it was due to the fact that it would take someone skilled in killing dragons for me to have been in any danger. It could be that even though he threatened me, I didn’t sense any true threat from him.

Almost like the mugging was an afterthought.

So what was he after, if it wasn’t my money? I don’t have anything of value, certainly not anything I’d carry with me.

I can’t help but think back to my conversation with Annika earlier today.

She was so cagey and mysterious. After her comment about secrets… I just don’t know.

Surely she wouldn’t target me? It doesn’t make any sense but I can’t help this nagging suspicion that there’s more here going on than I can see.

Maybe if I try to sleep on it, I’ll think differently in the morning.

I am a little disappointed when I wake up this morning and Taran isn’t here. But only because I miss him. It’s probably best that I don’t mention this to him. Who knows how he’ll react? Right now, I need to keep my wits about me while I take care of all my missing credentials.

Calling Cassandra that I’ll be late, I start the day off with a visit to the police.

It’s almost lunch by the time I get to the gallery. Cassandra meets me at the door. Judging by her body language, she’s ready to lay into me about dragging in late. She stops abruptly, crosses her arms, and frowns at me. “What’s wrong?”

“Wrong?”

“I can tell something’s wrong. You’re not you this afternoon. I knew something was up when you called.”

“I could have been calling because I was hung over. Or had Taran in bed.”

She shakes her head. “No. You didn’t sound like you normally do. And you’re not glowing.”

I glow? I feel my face. I’m not feverish.

“Usually when you spend time with Taran, your voice is smoother, calmer, more relaxed. Your gait has spring and you—” She waves her hand vaguely before she turns on her heel. “Sparkle. You can tell me later.” She makes it sound like I won’t have a choice. “The Batten Institute called earlier, they said it’s urgent.”

A brief thought flashes through my mind that maybe Cassandra’s behind this. Does she secretly know I’m a dragon?

Now I’m getting into conspiracy theory territory. I don’t have time for it today.

After I told Cassandra what happened, her behavior shifted from slightly annoyed to weirdly protective. She handled the gallery foot traffic so I could get all my other personal business done.

Although she keeps me off guard with her sometimes severe attitude, it’s clear when I look at her that she does care. And more than just the ‘she wouldn’t have a job if I got killed’ kind of way.

Maybe one day I’ll figure her out.

Until that time, I take advantage of the quiet to cancel my cards and order new ones.

Not long after, the police call and say they recovered my wallet.

Everything was intact, including what little cash was in it.

Of course it was. I couldn’t find this out before I canceled everything?

I’ll be short for a few days until my cards come in.

I suppose worse things could have happened.

I don’t see Taran until closing. Cassandra lets him in and locks the door on her way out.

“Missed you last night,” he says as he leans in my office doorway.

I’m always awed at how he manages to fill the space he inhabits. I’ve seen Nyve standing next to Taran and he’s the only person I’ve seen that is actually larger than Taran. I don’t know if he’s really a big guy or if his attitude and demeanor make it appear that way.

The effect is the same. A tickle deep in my heart that proudly proclaims that I’m his and he’s mine.

“I missed you, too.” I motion for him to come in and sit while I wrap up my business. “Is this your dinner break? Up for dinner in tonight? I think I have something I can throw together.”

“I took the rest of the night off. The shop was slow and I didn’t have anyone on the books. Dinner at your place sounds good.” His hand hooks around the back of my neck and he pulls me in for a slow, possessive kiss.

The moment he touches me, the tension of my day melts away.

“I have to run by the police station, then we can go, if you want to call a car.”

Taran pauses, his brows knitting together in a frown. “Why the police station?”

Oops. I hadn’t wanted to tell Taran about what happened. Maybe it’s best I do.

“I didn’t want to worry you—”

“A conversation starting like that can’t end well.”

“It’s nothing bad—” I pause, choosing my words with care. “Nothing too bad.”

Taran sits patiently as I explain to him what happened the night before. I don’t leave anything out, including the lizard reference.

If he’s upset, it’s not showing. I don’t know if that’s good or not. Is he not worried? Is he worried and his anger manifests as deadly calm? I realize there is so much I still don’t know about Taran.

“And you didn’t recognize him? His voice, his clothing, anything?”

“No,” I say with a soft sigh.

Maybe Taran read my body language, or maybe he really is that in tune with me, but he pulls on my wrist to get me to sit in his lap so he can wrap his arms around me. Instantly, I’m at ease in his embrace.

I lean into him and wrap my arms around his shoulders. “I feel stupid now.”

“Stupid? For a mugger threatening you and being all cryptic? It doesn’t matter if you’re a badass or not, Nosko. There’s no reason to risk your health for your wallet.”

“I know. But, last night as I was sitting at the table thinking it, I had the stupid thought that Annika is involved in some way.”

Taran turns my face to look at him. “How?”

“Just… her jab at secrets and how we all have them. What if this is her way of trying to gain intel against you and the shop to take business away?”

Taran purses his lips in thought. “Maybe. Hard to say if she’s that cunning to try.”

“It’s stupid. I’m probably just being paranoid.” I feel paranoid. Now that Taran’s here, I feel like my worry is all a bit silly.

“I’m not so willing to dismiss this, yet, Nosko.” He bear hugs me to press our chests together. I can feel his heart beating. “I think caution is in order. We can try to talk to her, see if she comes up off anything that might tip her hand.”

“If she’s dangerous, we may not want to poke that bear.”

Taran bares his teeth and snaps. “She’s not near as dangerous as her neighbors. No one threatens me and mine.”

I can’t help it, but I laugh. He’s so cute when he gets like that, even though I know he could back that up. “Well she’s been nice enough, I think. Hasn’t she?”

“Yeah,” Taran says after a pause. “She hasn’t called the cops on us or anything.”

“So maybe we should sleep on it.” The more we talk about it, the less convinced I am that Annika is involved in any way. “Right now, I just want to go home.”

“Then get off my lap so I can get to my phone.”

“You were the one who pulled me here.”

“Don’t use logic on me. It doesn’t work.”