Page 29 of Guarded By the Bigfoot
“Hmm... so the charred look doesn’t suit me, then?” I said, crossing my arms and leveling a look at him. “Where’ve you been?”
“Exactly where I should be,” he replied, a sly grin playing on his lips. “Up high, in the sky.”
“As always,” I grumbled, rolling my eyes. “Nice of you to join in.”
His grin widened, but he said nothing, his gaze shifting briefly to Parker. He studied her for a moment, his sharp eyes narrowing, before giving a faint nod.
“She’s stronger than she looks,” he said, his tone quiet but certain. “She’s a keeper.”
Parker blinked, clearly unsure how to respond, but before she could say anything, Thorne strode into the square, his coat slung over one shoulder and his hair still wild from the fight.
“Did I miss something?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he glanced between us and Draven. “Because it feels like I missed something.”
“Just the dragon’s dramatic entrance,” I said dryly.
Thorne snorted, running a hand through his hair. “Figures. Guy always has to make it a spectacle.”
“I heard that,” Draven said smoothly.
Thorne ignored him, his gaze shifting to Parker. “You good?”
She nodded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Yeah. I’m good.”
“You might want to think twice about the new liaison position,” I said.
“Not a chance.”
EPILOGUE
PARKER
The mountain was quieter in the spring.
The snow had melted weeks ago, leaving the trails lined with wildflowers and the air warm and fresh. From the window of the main hall, I could see sunlight streaming through the trees, casting shimmering highlights across the ground below.
I shifted in my chair, glancing down at the latest report from ARC on my desk. A polished oak table Brock insisted on calling “mine” now, even though the office belonged to both of us. Half a dozen folders and maps, shimmering with enchantments, lay spread across it.
“Do you ever stop working?” Brock’s voice rumbled, low and familiar, sending a tingle down my spine.
I looked up, catching his golden eyes as he leaned against the doorframe. He had a mug in his hand, his hair wild and messy from his morning patrol of the mountain. He was still barefoot, dressed in torn jeans and a faded black T-shirt.
He was power.
Undiluted. Unapologetic. Unshakable.
The world could fall apart around me, and I’d know exactly where my center was.
“I could say the same about you,” I teased, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms. “Or did you forget the two-hour meeting you dragged me into yesterday?”
He grunted, stepping inside and setting the mug down on the edge of my desk. “That was important,” he said. “Unlike whatever you’re doing right now. Which, judging by the look on your face, involves way too much paperwork.”
“It’s not paperwork,” I said, grinning faintly. “It’s diplomacy.”
“Uh-huh,” he said, raising an eyebrow as he gestured to the stacks of folders. “Looks like a lot of paper to me.”
I rolled my eyes, but before I could respond, the door behind him creaked open, and Tali poked her head inside.
“Hey, boss,” she chirped, waving a piece of parchment in her hand. “The gargoyles just sent over the treaty revisions. Want me to go over them before the meeting tomorrow?”
