Page 65 of Rurik
Epilogue
Above us, outlined against the brilliant sky, dragons crowded every available perching space on the Rim. And the sun made a gold of every one of them. ?Anne McCaffrey,Nerilka’s Story
The soundof the door chime at Rurik’s apartment made Charlotte tense. Madelyn and Piper both giggled at her, but Charlotte wasn’t laughing. After she’d almost died the day before, everything had become a chaotic blur. She’d been staying at Rurik’s apartment while her brothers and Rurik’s had seen to handling the cleanup of the dragon battle. She hadn’t been sure if they would agree to come when she and Rurik had invited them overtoday.
“It’s going to be fine,” Madelyn said. “They fought together against Drakor and theSilvas.”
“And your brother saved my ass,” Piper added. “That counts forsomething.”
Charlotte bit her lip, studying her future sisters-in-law. Behind them in the kitchen, Grigori and Mikhail were teasing Rurik about being mated, just as he’d predicted. He’d put up with it long enough, it seemed, because she heard him hiss in warning and saw his brothers jump back, though stillsmiling.
The doorbell chimed again. “Go on, answer it.” Madelyn nudged Charlotte toward thedoor.
She paused at the entrance, her hand settling on the silver knob. It had been only a day, but already everything felt…different. Her human body had changed, with eagle eyesight, intense olfactory senses, and greater strength. And beneath all that, she was a dragon. A creature her brothers didn’ttrust.
Open the door, little rose. Rurik’s reassuring words came through their bond. He stayed back, letting her greet her brothers privately, hoping to show respect and also to show that he wasn’t controlling her, though the truth was even harder tounderstand.
She turned the knob and pulled the door open. Damien and Jason as well as the rest of their strike team stood there in civilian clothes. That boded well for this official meet andgreet.
“Hey,” Damien said, a bashful look on his face that Charlotte had never seenbefore.
“Hey,” she murmured and stepped back. “Come on in. We have food and drinks…” She trailed off, suddenly feeling incrediblyshy.
Am I still his little sister to him? Will he still call me family?Her worries knotted her stomach. She laid a hand over her belly, trying to quell theanxiety.
Rurik and his brothers remained at the edge of the kitchen as the hunters entered the spaciousapartment.
Madelyn came forward, Piper right behind her as they filled the awkward void. “Welcome! I’m Madelyn, Grigori’s mate, and this is Piper—she is mated to Mikhail.” Madelyn held out a hand, which Damienshook.
“Damien MacQueen. This is my brother, Jason, and my team—Tamara, Nicholas, Meg, and Kathryn.” He pointed at each inturn.
Finally, Rurik stepped forward, his brothers close behind him. The moment oftruth.
“Glad you decided to come,” Rurik said, locking eyes with Damien. “Hopefully we can avoid the handcuffs and drugs thistime.”
Silence fell over the room. Charlotte’s eyes widened in shock, but her brother’s impassive face slowly cracked a smile. It was Jason who broke the tension,however.
“In Vegas you’d have to pay extra forthat.”
Rurik cracked a grin. “Indeed.” He then gestured to his brothers. “You haven’t been formally introduced. This is Grigori, and this isMikhail.”
Grigori held out a hand to Damien just as his mate had done. “Mr. MacQueen.” Damien hesitated only a moment before placing his hand in thedragon’s.
Beside Grigori, Mikhail stood with his arms crossed. “I never thought I’d be in the same room as the Brotherhood, let alone offering them our hospitality, but I believe it’s time for things between us tochange.”
“I agree. This is long overdue,” Damien said. Charlotte could smell her brother’s tension, a soft dark scent with just a hint of fear. It was so peculiar to be able to smell things like that now. There was so much she could pick up from sight and scentalone.
“Please, sit. My mate has insisted we serve refreshments.” Grigori waved a hand at the dining room table, which was laden with trays of sandwiches and othersnacks.
“Food goes a long way in peace talks,” Madelyn announced. She touched her belly absently before she came over to Grigori and hugged him frombehind.
“Woman, don’t remind them we used to be enemies,” Grigori growled, but there was a playfulness in histone.
“Are you kidding? I had to face way worse back at Elwood University. Gun-toting monster hunters don’t scare me. Try dealing with angry professors who have tenure! So let’s sit and talk like rationalcreatures.”
Meg grinned at Rurik. “Sounds good to me. First, I have somequestions.”
Rurik linked his fingers through Charlotte’s. “Askaway.”
