Chapter Five
Torran
“Where did you get off to?”
Rowe waved his hands as they walked toward one of the barns on the property. Torran eyed a large circle on the ground that looked suspiciously like it had been eaten away by something. Nothing remained in the circle, no grass, even the earth itself looked almost melted. He toed it, and it just sort of crumbled away. Dead ground.
“I stayed with Sandy,” Rowe answered. “Then when you two got back I made myself scarce, heading back to Fort Banner.”
Fort Banner was the military base the army had built up around the underground portal that lead to what they assumed was the homeworld of the Outsiders. It was where General Mara and some of the dragons from the past resided when they weren’t in nearby Barton City. It made sense for Rowe to be there. As the leader of their trio, he interacted more with General Mara and the others than did Torran or Palin. Especially Palin nowadays.
“So why are you back?”
“I came back to make sure Palin hadn’t beaten the piss out of you after you helped him. That and I maybe got booted off the base for a bit.”
“Oh that sounds like a good story. Do tell?”
Rowe shook his head. “Let’s just say that Kallore didn’t take overly well to being called Sleeping Beauty.”
Torran roared with laughter. “I bet he didn’t! Why did you call him that, you idiot?”
Kallore was General Mara’s mate, and the first dragon to have been awoken from the past. He was a bit of a brute, and widely known for having a piss-poor sense of humor when it came to anyone but his mate.
“It just sort of slipped out. General Mara asked kindly if I would leave for a few days. So, you’re stuck with me until I head back day after tomorrow, I think.”
“How lovely. What did I do to get so lucky?”
“Deal with me better than Palin does. Hence why I’m staying here and not with him and Sandy.”
Torran groaned. “Could I punch you too? Would you leave then?”
“Why would I leave after beating the crap out of you?” Rowe asked calmly.
“Ha ha. We both know that’s not how it goes. I believe I’m up three to two.”
Rowe spat. “You sucker-punched me once for no reason. That doesn’t count. It’s tied.”
Torran grinned at the memory. “Maybe not, but it still felt damn good.”
“My jaw begs to disagree with you,” Rowe muttered, rubbing at the aforementioned part of his face as if experiencing phantom pains.
“I’d love to stay and argue, since there is absolutely fuck-all to do here and it’s an amusing outlet, but I think I’m going to cut our conversation off here,” Torran said, his attention elsewhere.
“What? Why…oh,” Rowe said calmly, following his gaze to its destination. “I see. Are you sure you know what you’re doing here?”
“No, but since when has that stopped me?” he asked, heading back to the ranch house itself and what had caught his eye.
“Exactly my point,” Rowe said under his breath.
But Torran was past listening to the “elder” dragon. He only had eyes for the divine sight in front of him.
Lilly had emerged from the house looking like a goddess. She’d finally managed to get herself a plaid shirt and then she’d dug up a straw hat somewhere. All that paired with blue jeans and cowboy boots made her an absolute vision.
“You look amazing,” he breathed as he approached, eyeing her curves jealously.
“Thanks. But these boots are so bloody uncomfortable, I don’t know how much longer I can wear them!” she shook her left foot. “They already feel like they’re squeezing the circulation off.”
He laughed. “Well, at least you know I can carry you back if I need to.”
Lilly shot him a look that was a mixed glare and thanks. “I’m sure they’ll be fine. I just need to wear them in first. They’re a bit…stiff.”
Torran admired her desire to see it through. She certainly was unique. He’d learned that the first day, but since then his interest in her had only increased. So far he’d ignored the side of him that said to slow down, she’s just a human, though he knew he couldn’t forever.
Still, his dragon, that ancient, primal beast within, had become attached to Lilly in a way that had caught him completely by surprise. It was that which had guided him across the grounds to her side just now, as well as ensuring he did his best to spend every minute with her the past few days they’d been on the ranch. There was something about her that called to him. But it wasn’t until he’d seen her just now that he truly understood what that call had been.
Lilly was the mate his dragon had been seeking for over six decades now, ever since his dragon manifested during puberty. It wasn’t long compared to some in the enclave, who were centuries old and without their mates. But it had felt long enough to the young dragon. More than long enough. He barely knew her, and still found himself wondering how he’d gone so long without her in his life.
“Did you have a plan for that? Or just walking awkwardly around the ranch for a bit?” he teased.
“I don’t look that bad…do I?” She pouted unhappily.
“That depends on if you’re standing still or walking.”
“Hey!”
He chuckled. “The look is great. You’re killing it, seriously. You look gorgeous. But it’s obvious when you walk that you aren’t used to it or something.”
“Not used to the way my feet chafe,” she muttered. “Footwear is supposed to be comfortable. Not painful.”
“Now you understand why middle-aged men and dads wear certain types of shoes. They’re comfortable.”
Lilly looked down at the tan workboots. “Those look comfortable.”
“They are. Extremely.”
He grinned, watching his mate as she reacted.
His mate. His mate! Torran just wanted to shout his joy to the stars that he’d found her.
But he couldn’t. Not yet. For one, he couldn’t let on to Lilly. Not yet. He would have to take things slow with her, until she was ready to acknowledge the bond between them.
Second was how he was going to deal with Rowe and Palin once he told them. Rowe, he suspected, already knew, based on what he’d said earlier. Hopefully the elder dragon could be convinced it was just a physical thing.
After all the things he’d said about dragons who mated with humans, Torran was not ready for the backlash that would bring. Not at all. They would call him a hypocrite among other things.
It didn’t matter to him that she was human. Not now that he knew she was his mate. He wondered if this was how Palin felt. Confused and yet overjoyed at the knowledge at the same time. Because he was both of those. It was inconvenient to say the least. Humans, for starters, weren’t allowed into the enclave itself. Many of the dragons had dwellings outside it, but nothing felt quite like home compared to the massive cave complex that housed hundreds upon hundreds of dragons all at once.
Everything had been thrown into disarray now with the revelation that Lilly was his mate. His entire ability to live at home was in jeopardy. All Torran had wanted since he’d been told he was being assigned this mission was to finish it and get back home. There was some resentment building over that, and he knew until he resolved things in his mind that it wouldn’t get any better.
It wasn’t fair. He just wanted to take his mate home and parade her around, show her off to everyone and make them jealous of how beautiful she was. But he couldn’t, because she was human. If she’d been a dragon, he could have done whatever he wanted. Now though, his options were limited.
“Torran, I have something to confess.”
He carefully put his thoughts into a box and shoved them into a recess of his mind. Later. He would think on it later. For now he wanted to pay as much attention to Lilly as he possibly could. There was so much he didn’t know about her, and it sounded like he was about to learn something serious.
“You can tell me,” he promised.
“I’m bored here.”
“Yeah. Same.”
“Is there anything to do here?” she asked.
“Nope. Nothing.” He paused. “Unless you want to go explore over by the forest.” He pointed to the northwest side of the property, where the fields gave way to a forest in the distance.
“Yes. Yes please. I am so down. Anything to get out and about. There’s only so much of sitting around or cleaning that I can handle. Maybe if Palin’s rich I can convince him to buy Sandy a new TV and steal their old one or something. Then I just need cable and then I’ll have at least one way to occupy myself so that I’m not always bugging you.”
She thought she was annoying him with her presence? Was he not doing a good enough job of showing how happy he was around her? Torran cursed himself mentally, vowing to do better.
“You don’t bore me,” he told her. “I enjoy hanging around with you, truthfully. I would do it even if there were other things to do here.”
Lilly glanced up at him shyly, shifting back and forth on her feet. He doubted it was because of his compliment. Those boots must be really uncomfortable. “Do you want to change your boots first?”
“Oh thank God,” she breathed, clearly relieved. “Yes, oh absolutely yes. Let me put on something more comfortable.”
“I could go for some lunch too,” he admitted. “Maybe we’ll eat and then go? You don’t want to take me out for a walk and get stuck with me when I’m hangry.”
Lilly giggled. “I thought you were taking me out?”
He shrugged, trying not to draw too much attention to the almost-flirtatious way she’d looked at him. It was an ambiguous look, that sort of little demure “I’m going to look up at you while tilting my face downward” thing. It didn’t always mean flirting; sometimes it just happened. The biggest thing he needed to do was not misinterpret her signs. If there were even any signs to begin with.
“You look like you’re getting hangry now,” she teased. “Your face just went all serious. Come on, let’s go.” She headed back to the ranch, each step looking like it was hurting her.
Torran followed, eager to lift her and carry her back. It was tough to restrain himself.
So why bother? It’s not like you haven’t picked her up before. You’ve been inside each other’s space. She cried on your chest! Just pick her up. Your mate is in pain.
So he did, sweeping forward, easily lifting her into his arms.
“I can do this on my own,” she protested, though she didn’t try to escape his grip.
“Trust me, you don’t want anyone getting that on video.”
Lilly groaned. “Do I look that ridiculous?”
Wisely Torran declined to answer.