Page 5 of Been There Dragon That
Her heart sped in her chest. How had she missed this manipulative behavior? How had she not noticed? How had she not felt his insincerity? How had she been this blind? How often had he used that voice on her before?
“Goodbye, Jeffrey.” She spun on her heel and marched out of the office and to the town car waiting at the curb for her. Their driver was waiting for her with a pleasant smile.
The chauffeur opened the door for her, and she slipped into the back seat with her mother and the wedding planner.
“The wedding is off, Mother. I’m sorry.”
ChapterTwo
MYSTERY, ALASKA
Wrath Di’Lasha
Wrath’s radio buzzed with static, and then Patsy’s pleasant voice broke through the grinding white noise. “Liam is calling for some help over at the Watering Hole, Deputy Di’Lasha. Some rowdy drunks won’t leave.”
His dragon rumbled inside his chest. He didn’t want to leave his patrol yet, but Wrath picked up the radio from the dashboard anyway. Aarav wasn’t on duty. Just him. “On my way. Let him know I’ll be there in five.” He wasn’t far, just on the other side of the river patrolling a neighborhood where yet another break-in had occurred last night.
He’d spent the better part of his morning comforting and assuring a family that’d been scared to wake up and find their entire house trashed. Even after he’d left them, he hadn’t been able to leave the neighborhood. He’d kept circling around, hoping to catch something he’d missed the time before.
He was angry.
This town was his home.
These people were his responsibility now.
Three break-ins in the last two weeks, and this last one they’d hit an occupied house. The previous two had been empty vacation homes.
Wrath took several concurrent lefts in the police cruiser and crossed the river that ran along the west side of the little town of Mystery, Alaska. He’d lived here a couple of months now and had been appointed the deputy position only a week or two after relocating from Seattle.
He’d left his tribe. His alpha. All on the word of one of the magick-benders he’d met up here back during the summer. She’d said he’d find his mate, but only if he stayed in Mystery.
So he had.
He’d pledged his loyalty to the Li’Vhram alpha and his mate. The tribe here had been welcoming, but it was strange. Col and Naomi were the only other dragons. There were lions and bears and wolves and a tiger here in this town. And they all had made this tribe together in this little town tucked against the side of a giant mountain.
Two months and still no mate. He’d scoured the town. Done his best to systematically introduce himself to everyone as the new deputy, but he’d been looking forher.
He hadn’t found her. She wasn’t here. And his dragon was restless.
When the bar came into view, he couldn’t help the smile that curved his lips. Four guys were coming at Liam and his cousin Sean. The two burly men were built like Reyleans, and if there hadn’t been four assholes, he knew they wouldn’t have called for help.
He shoved the cruiser into park and unfolded himself from the vehicle.
“I heard you were having some fun this morning, Liam.”
“Fuck you, Di’Lasha.” The burly man grinned, dodged a punch, and then landed a hit on one of the belligerent drunks hard in the gut. The man bent over double to catch his breath. The guy didn’t go down which impressed Wrath. “Figured you needed a workout this morning.”
“Didn’t want to wake up Tor? Where’s Ryder?” Wrath scanned the parking lot again. Still only four guys and one had found a hunk of a two-by-four and was creeping up on Sean.
“Sean.” Wrath bellowed the man’s name and tipped him off. Sean easily pivoted and charged the guy, knocking him down before he could use the board as a weapon.
“Tor took Dawn on vacation. Ryder and his woman are with them. Just me and Sean and these idiots this morning. They came banging on the door, mad we weren’t open yet.”
Wrath stalked toward one aggressor, letting his dragon get excited about what was coming next. “I’m officially warning you not to hit me. I’m the deputy sheriff. You have one chance to leave peaceably.”
The drunk stilled for a moment, eyes glazed over from the excessive alcohol. Wrath could smell the stench of cheap whiskey on his breath. Then he charged and swung.
Wrath ducked the punch and swung an uppercut, knocking the human male off the ground and probably breaking his jaw. The yowl from the asshole made his blood warm.
