Page 22 of Surge of Storms

EIGHT

Aydan

It was hard not spendingthe night with Sam, but some part of me understood that she and Granger needed time to bond on this new level. They’ve spent a lifetime as friends, just like Sam and I. Being lovers is an entirely different thing. And after knowing for sure that nothing had been going on between them under my nose, I found a strange kind of calmness when it came to their new relationship. Like them being together was as inevitable as the sun rising each morning.

All the jealousy and possessiveness I felt with Evander, and even to a lesser extent Zane, just isn’t there with Granger. At all. To the point where I feel like something must be wrong with me, because I like knowing they're together that much.

Growing up, I never saw anything romantic between them. I probably couldn’t have handled it if I did. But from the moment I saw him holding her hand as the storm dragon, everything changed. The love I always saw between them changed. A thousand moments morphed in my mind, and I knew, knew deep in my soul, that they’d always been in love with each other. And now that I know that, how could I ever be happy knowing that Sam and Granger couldn’t be happy without each other?

I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.

Them being together… makes me feel so at peace.

Glancing across the breakfast table, I see Granger laughing at something Sam says, and my heart just feels so full. I want to grab both of them and pull them into a hug, knowing we’re finally all happy. Together. In a way we never imagined.

“Dragons, you’re needed in the labs,” comes loudly out of the little speakers on our badges.

Sam’s smile falters, and she sighs. “I guess it’s back to reality.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

We crowd into the elevator, and Sam’s gaze catches mine. She moves closer and wraps her arms around me, our eyes locking. “You’re okay?”

I tuck her hair behind her ear. “More than okay.”

We kiss. It’s light and short, but filled with love.

“I’m fine too,” Evander grumbles.

She laughs and spins towards him, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. The tension eases from his face, and he buries his face into her hair, breathing deeply. She pulls away and kisses him, then says, “If you want my attention, you just have to ask.”

“I want your attention,” Zane says, and perks up happily.

She’s in his arms a second later, and then they’re making out, his hands on her ass. I sigh, and Evander and I exchange a knowing glance. For a man that seems so innocent, he certainly knows how to get what he wants.

The elevator doors open, ending their make out session. We all pile out and head for the sitting area around the giant monitor, where Dr. Duncan and Dr. Abigail are already waiting, looking nervous. Being near them instantly shifts the mood, and I can’t help but wonder what new shit is coming our way.

We settle on the couch, Sam in Granger’s lap. It’s hard not to smile when I see Granger grinning ear-to-ear, looking like he just won the lottery. That is one man who is never going to take Sam for granted. She’s always going to be the greatest of all prizes in his eyes, and I’m glad he’s smart enough to recognize it.

“We have some news…” Dr. Abigail says, exchanging a look with Dr. Duncan, and it’s hard not to notice that the wrinkles in the older woman’s face have deepened, although I’m not sure if it’s from stress or exhaustion.

Dr. Duncan strokes his long blond beard that’s braided down his chest and belly. “But, first, some good news. Our dragon detector is nearly complete. We’re just working out the bugs right now, but soon we should be able to identify dragons in human form, before they even know they’re dragons.”

“How were you able to do that?” I ask.

Dr. Duncan grins. “I have all the spec and all the information in a folder named Dragon Detector.”

“Sweet,” Granger says.

Dr. Duncan’s smile widens. “Granger, we may need a lot of help from you to work out the final kinks in the program while the dragons continue to focus on their responsibilities. It may mean a lot of late nights, so just a heads up.”

Granger’s expression falters. “About that…”

Sam nudges him, bouncing in his lap. “Just tell them.”

Granger clears his throat. “Well, it seems that I am the storm dragon we’ve been looking for. My recent near death experience with the green dragon triggered me to shift, and now I may need to spend some of my research time learning to be a dragon.”

“You’re the storm dragon?” Dr. Abigail asks, looking shocked. “Well, this certainly changes the… type we thought we’d be looking for when it came to dragons.”

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