Dragon 3 Chapter 4 (Patreon)

As we walked through the streets, the festival area was alive, with gold and green everywhere. I assumed that must be the colors of the high elf family.

“Which way is your home?” I asked Jadelyn.

“Straight through. It’s maybe a few streets over, towards the parade.” She pointed off into the distance, but her finger meandered around in just the general direction. Jadelyn was doing her best to keep her head down as well.

I heard a scoff and turned to Scarlett, who spoke up. “The house is four streets over and just over a mile north.” Scarlett reached over, grabbing Jade’s swirling finger and pointing it more directly.

Jadelyn puffed out her cheeks. “I know where my house is.”

“Sure.” Scarlett gave her a broad smile that diffused any more arguments.

“Look at that float!” Kelly pointed between the buildings, where a mock version of the tree over the city was rolling past. Two lovely ladies stood at the crown of the tree.

I stared at them, my draconic eyes able to take in details I wouldn’t normally be able to see. I might even have better vision than an eagle.

Even from several streets away, I could see them clearly. They were both gorgeous elves, wearing the Highaen family colors.

“Can’t see them from here.” Scarlett shaded her eyes. “But given the float, I’d guess that’s the daughter of the Highean family. I’m not positive about the other.”

“Their adoptive daughter.” Jadelyn said with surety.

I turned to her, wondering why she knew.

“What? The Highaen family is on the same level as the Scalewrights. I keep up. Tyrande visits anytime I’m in the city.” She defended herself.

Kelly perked up. “So they are princesses too? Why adopt?”

Jadelyn looked unamused at the princess title, but she ignored it and shrugged. “Something about her having insane magic potential. I haven’t met her personally, though.”

They had my beast’s attention, though; something about the adoptive daughter bothered it. The beast started to bump against my chest, demanding to get a closer look.

The lump of draconic instincts that I called the beast hadn’t led me wrong yet, so I was not about to ignore the warning. “Let’s get closer. I’d like to see more.”

“She’s hot, isn’t she?” Kelly frowned. “No chasing after hot elven heiresses. How am I going to compete with that?”

I paused and grabbed Kelly, looking straight into her eyes. I was tired of her constantly being so needy. “Kelly, you are the first female alpha. Act like it.” Sometimes Kelly acted so docile around me, like she was still recognizing me as her alpha, even if I hadn’t claimed that right in an official capacity. Or maybe it was a wolf thing I didn’t understand.

She pulled back in shock, swallowing. “Right. You got it.”

“Good girl.” I ruffled her hair between her ears, and she blushed. But then she straightened herself, taking on an air of strength.

I nodded to her. That was better.

Kelly started moving, letting out a growl.

“Tone it down.” Scarlett jabbed her in the side. “Please don’t show aggression out here with all the security.”

Kelly nodded, relaxing a touch and finding the right balance.

We pushed through the crowd until we could see the parade clearly.

A band of some sort of bird paranormal was singing some springy dual tone song. The haunting dual tone wafted through the air, entrancing all that had heard it. What they were doing would have been impossible for humans. I stared, watching as they danced and twirled, completing complex choreography while they sang and flew.

The parade was all a strange blend of familiarity and newness. Much of it was the same as what I’d experienced, but it was all done with some sort of extra twist or flourish.

A massive truck decorated as a pinata came by, as two elves threw candy into the air. The candy all caught on the breeze and sprinkled itself out onto the crowd.

It was magical.

We caught up to the Highean float just as it reached the base of the root.

I noticed that mounds of gifts and stacks of bags were already placed around the root, like some sort of dedication.

As they reached the root, the two elves on top of the float bowed in all directions to the crowd, then lifted their hands into the air.

“Damn, they really are hot, like two little flowers.” Kelly said from my side.

But I was stuck staring at the adoptive daughter and the magic that was weaving into the air.

Their magic seemed to be tapping into existing enchantments on the root itself. Colors began to swirl in the air, even on the visible spectrum. But I could see more with my dragon eye. I watched as the colors shifted and seemed to seep into the tree.

The tree was actually absorbing all the gifts through whatever spell the two women were completing.

The magic began to swirl, and the gifts lifted off into the air, spinning around the tree. They blurred and dissipated as they became one, absorbing into the tree as they swirled.

“I guess that’s how you fertilize a massive magical tree.” Jadelyn said quietly, watching the display.

While everything else was feeding the tree, the tree seemed to feed back into the two girls, pouring a small amount of mana into them.

It was incredible to watch the symbiotic relationship between the root tree and the elves firsthand.

The elves cared for the tree, and it in turn, the tree nourished them with mana. I would almost call the root trees a paranormal creature, given its part in the relationship.

“Are there specific types of trees that are root trees? Or do they have special magic properties?” I asked the girls.

“That’s a question for Morgana, but as far as I know, it can be any type of tree.” Scarlett pushed us forward, continuing towards Jadelyn’s home.

BANG.

An explosion startled the crowd, myself included.

I wrapped my arms around Jadelyn and Scarlett, nearly shifting as the beast rose up to the front of my consciousness. It was ready to help the second it was needed to protect my women.

“Calm down. That was blocks away.” Scarlett rolled out of my arms and pointed. She took one look at my face and grabbed it between her hands. “We are fine. Relax. You can’t shift here.” Her eyes darted around, taking in the crowd before they returned to me with a plea in them.

I took some deep breaths, doing my best to relax as I still scanned for the threat.

The Highean family was coming out of the woodworks, heading towards the explosion.

I kept working on my breathing. I was having a hard time halting myself from shifting, as my muscles began to swell and my clothes bulged with new mass.

The beast rode at the front of my mind and let out a roar of frustration. As it roared, I felt a pulse in my chest, and I looked down, trying to figure out what had just happened.

But the pulse stopped, and everything settled down. I pulled myself back together.

“Did you guys feel that?” I wondered if it was something like the fear aura from before.

“No?” Jadelyn asked, confused.

But another commotion drew my attention before I could ask more questions.

There on the Highean float, the adoptive daughter of the Highean family bubbled up. An emerald green sheen covered her as she grew into a large green dragon, whipping her head every which way, like she was searching for something.

Though the crowd below screamed in a mix of awe and confusion at her appearance.

“Did you do that?” Scarlett asked angrily.

“How am I supposed to know?” Damn beast.

Scarlett grabbed Jadelyn and hurried her out of the agitated crowd. I followed close behind, not wanting to lose sight of either of my mates. That was enough to pull my focus from the beast trying to shift.

I was pretty sure that I was, in fact, responsible for whatever had just happened. It was too coincidental that my beast had pushed himself forward to send out that pulse at the same time as the Highean girl had shifted.

We hurried down several streets before we broke from the crowd. Scarlett only spared a glance over her shoulder to make sure Kelly and I were following her as she hurried Jadelyn away.

“Scarlett, what’s the rush?” I caught up to her. Kelly was on my heels, her legs shifted so she could keep up.

“Kidnapping playbook rule one, cause chaos. Step two, abduct the target. We need to get Jadelyn clear and to her home ASAP.”

I shut my mouth. Scarlett was clearly in work mode. Even though I thought the chances of Jadelyn being the target were minimal, she was doing her job. The explosion had triggered a protocol.

Scarlett continued to push Jadelyn forward. Jadelyn seemed to accept her role with a resigned sigh. We both knew there was no arguing with Scarlett when she was like this.

I stayed alert, but the only people who paid us any mind were a few of Highean’s security. After one look at Scar and Jade, they walked on by.

Scarlett beelined for a specific building, and I assumed that must be Jadelyn’s house.

Sure enough, as we approached, there was a security team in place nodding to Scarlett and Jadelyn.

The home was, of course, beautiful. A rough-cut stone exterior made it feel a little like a castle, but the shape was a modern home. It wasn’t an unpopular style from what I’d seen in Sentarshaden so far.

As we stepped inside, we were in a grand entrance, with eighteen foot ceilings and plenty of space.

“Where do the guards stay?” I asked.

“Attached bunkhouse.” Jadelyn said, winding her way into the kitchen, more relaxed now in the safety of her home. “Would you all like anything to drink?”

“Just water.” I said, sitting on a bar stool at the island as she went about playing hostess. “So, any idea what the explosion was?” I spotted a TV and wondered if there were any local stations.

Kelly beat me to it, snatching up the remote and turning it on as her heavy bag thumped on the floor.

“Today’s excitement isn’t over yet. With the big reveal that the Highean family’s adoptive daughter is a dragon, there are many questions being raised. Where did she come from? Did the family know? How has she hidden it all these years? Back to Tom at the station.” The reporter sounded off. Tom seemed to repeat the same exact information. It didn’t seem like they knew much else.

Kelly started rapid fire changing channels, but sure enough, every news station was talking about the same thing. The green dragon. Everyone was giving their opinions, which ranged from conservation of the dragon species to manufactured outrage at the Highaen family hiding one from the public.

One thing was consistent: everyone wanted to speak to the dragon.

“Is it that big of a deal?” I asked, shocked that the dragon reveal was completely overshadowing the explosion.

“Huge.” Jadelyn said. “When you finally spread those wings of yours and become known, my family is going to have reporters trying to get hired on as cleaning staff just to try to get a scoop.”

“We screen them better than that.” Scarlett grumbled, crossing her arms.

“I said ‘trying’.” Jadelyn rolled her eyes as she put down glasses of water for each of us.

The TV kept changing channels as Kelly clicked the button. Everyone was in awe of a dragon in the city. There were already conservationists making their position known on the channels, demanding she be freed or protected by their groups.

Others were speculating about the risk of militant groups going after her and how she’ll be closeted away.

In general, everyone was shocked that the Highean family had adopted a dragon, and her past was now the topic of gossip.

Kelly finally turned off the TV. “So, what do we do now?”

“Wait and keep a low profile.” Scarlett said. “My guys will finish putting out the fliers. And then tomorrow, we’ll go and see T’s daughter.”

I had a slightly different plan. “I’ll see T’s daughter alone. It is best if we don’t all go to the bar to meet her. Last thing I need is to spook her.”

“We’ll be fine.” Jadelyn tried to argue, but I gave her an unamused look.

“No offense, Jade, but you can’t really do subtle. You’re too beautiful for it.” I turned on a little charm.

She blushed bright red, but nodded in agreement.

Kelly snickered into her water. “I’m not sure which of you has the other wrapped around their finger, but you two are cute.”

Scarlett sat down next to us, finally seeming to relax out of her guard role. “I think sending Zach in first will work fine. There’s not much he can’t handle, but be careful. The last thing we need is you shifting here in the city.” Her eyes flicked back to the now dark TV.

We were all thinking the same thing. I’d had a sneak peek at what would happen if my dragon became known to the world, and it would be worse since I was a gold dragon.

I would become an instant celebrity, and my life would never be the same once it got out. It wasn’t something I wanted.

“Alright, I’ll do everything I can to keep myself from shifting.” I took another sip of water as a knock sounded at the door.

One of the security guards was talking to someone, and then fast moving footsteps headed our way.

At the speed of the steps, Scarlett stood up, once again resuming guard mode.

“Miss, Tyrande Highean is here to see you.” The guard looked a little anxious.

“Let her in.” Jadelyn said with a kind smile as she stood up straight. I was expecting her to be more flustered with the high elf family coming to her door, but Jadelyn was perfectly composed. Then again important guests were something she dealt with a on regular basis.

I wondered just how the Scalewright and Highean family compared.

“Jadelyn.” Tyrande strolled in with her adoptive sister right on her heels. When I saw the sister, I stuffed the beast down as deep as he would go.

And it was just in time. I could feel him start to rear his head at what I now understood was another dragon. The stupid beast was apparently territorial or horny and I didn’t want to find out which.

“Tyrande, lovely to see you. It’s been years. We were just coming to the city for a little honeymoon. I wasn’t expecting all the excitement today.” Jadelyn smiled, moving over to the cupboard to pull out two more glasses. “Water? Or would you like something stronger after today?”

“Something stronger would be nice. You don’t happen to have any tequila and shot glasses, do you?” Tyrande pulled another of the barstools out and sat down, turning to her sister and frowning. “Yev, what’s wrong?”

Yev was staring at me like she wanted to pull me apart and put me back together. “There’s something about him.” Her voice was a little deeper than I expected from her slight frame.

“Meet my husband.” Jadelyn graciously gestured to me. “This is Zach.”

“Pleasure.” I held out my hand to Yev.

“Yevanandra, but most people just call me Yev. Though maybe that’ll change now.” She let out a heavy sigh, seeming to release whatever tension was within her. She sat down on the last barstool.

Jadelyn was opening cabinets and checking them for shot glasses. “What brings you two here today? I thought you’d have bigger problems to handle, with the explosion and all the excitement.” She finally found the shot glasses and put them down on the island. Then she moved to fetch a bottle of tequila.

“I heard from my security detail that you were in the city, and we needed a place to hide out, anyway.” Tyrande gave Jadelyn a cheeky wink. “Hope you don’t mind. You know we’d normally come to welcome you, but I’ll admit this time it’s also a bit selfish. We could use the breather.” Tyrande gave her a shaky smile.

It was clear she was still riled up by the day.

“Not at all. You’re welcome anytime either to say ‘hi’ or hide out from the news.” Jadelyn dismissed it easily. She knew what Yev was feeling just about now.

“I thought the parade and ceremony at the root was fascinating.” I said, trying to add a positive light to it all.

Jadelyn poured Tyrande a shot and the elven heiress downed it in a single gulp. “Yeah, it’s cool the first time you see it.” She said noncommittally.

Yev rolled her eyes, leaning over to explain to me. “Maintaining the tree is something that the family has had to keep up for generations. At some point, they have grown numb to how beautiful it is. But the magic of the act is truly beautiful. I wish more could see it as I do.”

I nodded along with Yev, and the beast used that moment to try and rise back to the surface. It was like it wanted to take a bite of Yev. Freezing, I had to wrestle the beast back down.

Jadelyn was thankfully intuitive enough to fill in my pause in the conversation. “So, what plans do you have now that your nature is out in the open?” She asked Yev.

Yev looked at Tyrande in question.

Tyrande waved the concern away, downing another shot. “She’s an old friend. Whatever you say here will be kept within this group.”

I was surprised with how comfortable Tyrande was with Jadelyn. Then again, being a shipping giant might make you fast friends with a city’s ruling family, especially since normal human companies probably didn’t deliver here.

Yev sighed. “I want to find the other dragon in the city. The bastard needs to pay for startling me today.”

Scarlett and Jadelyn were controlled enough to keep their heads looking at Yev, but I saw the slightest reaction on their faces. I was glad the women had such great poker faces.

Kelly, on the other hand, was not so subtle. She gave me an odd side-eyed look, but based on where she was seated, it luckily wasn’t obvious to our guests.

Yev continued. “But I expect that now that word is out, the bronze dragon is going to summon me. And he’ll try to marry me off to breed more dragons, like some sort of racehorse.” She let out a heavy breath. “I would have rathered done all of this on my own timing.”

“I always thought dragons were fascinating.” Jadelyn leaned forward on her elbow. “But how do you know there’s another dragon?”

Yev glared angrily at no one in particular. “He made his presence known. Bitch slapped me with his presence. He’s an old and powerful one.” She gritted her teeth in anger. “Why the fucker decided to do it when I was in a crowd, I don’t know. But I plan to ask when I find him.”

“You know it’s a he?” Jadelyn continued to ask questions on my behalf.

Yev seemed to be growing so angry that she was having trouble speaking. Tyrande put a hand on her shoulder to calm her sister and spoke for her. “Apparently, what he did was some sort of attempt to claim her, and it nearly worked.”

A new tension began to build in the room, and it was coming from Scarlett and Jadelyn. I did my best to give them subtle looks to say that I didn’t mean to do it.

I scolded my beast internally, coaching it that forcing itself on others is not okay. She may be a gorgeous dragon, but it was going to get me in deep shit if it kept just claiming women.

I was glad that Yev was so angry at the hypothetical old, powerful dragon and not looking at the people in the room closer. If she was paying more attention, I was sure she’d spot the mark I had put on Jadelyn’s shoulder.

If she looked for it, it would be easy to find. I always noticed it, enjoying my mark on her.

“Enough of that. I’m curious to know more about Jadelyn’s husband! I didn’t even know you were seeing someone.” Tyrande changed the subject and turned to me. “And I can’t believe that you managed to keep it from the tabloids.”

“Ha. Please tell me that’s not where you get your news about me.” Jadelyn snorted and poured the two elves another shot.

Tyrande and Yev downed their shots. “No, but they’re fun to read when they’re not about you. Although that tool you were engaged to before didn’t seem like much. Glad you could get out of that.” She smiled before looking me over once more, confusion on her face. “I just can’t place you, though. What big family do you belong to?”

“None. I’m actually a lost one.” I helped Jadelyn line up the shot glasses.

“A lost one, aye?” Tyrande looked at Jadelyn in surprise. “Your father agreed to it? I don’t believe it.”

“Zach won my mother over, and she pushed it forward.” Jadelyn said with a smile as she ran the bottle over the line of glasses, spilling a fair amount of tequila on the island.

Tyrande bounced in her seat, seeming far more alive after just two shots. “I want to hear the story. It’s been forever since we had a chance to catch up, and now you surprise me with a husband.”

Jadelyn started from the beginning, telling the story about how her then fiance, Chad, had gotten territorial and attacked me. Then he’d been leading a plot to harm the packs using dark magic before I was able to stop him and save them.

She painted me in quite the heroic light before she went on to describe my mercenary work with Morgana.

I was surprised to see that Tyrande didn’t even bat an eye at the mention of the elven outcast. I’d expected some sort of reaction, given the way Morgana described her relationship with the other elves.

Shots continued to go around, and the gathering turned more celebratory. Toasts were made and stories were shared as Jadelyn and Tyrande caught back up.

I did my best to avoid Yev, but things wound down after the second bottle of tequila dried up and Tyrande excused herself. Yev going along with her.

Scarlett waited until they were long gone before turning to me, a little drunken glaze her to as she squinted at me. “Tried to claim that dragon ass, did you? After all that on the plane, you still need more?”

“I swear I’m not going dragon hunting while we are here.” Though the beast butt against my chest disagreeing with me. The greedy, insatiable dragon instincts of mine wanted more wives. It always wanted more.

“Well, I’m going dragon hunting.” Scarlett grabbed my hand and pulled me back to the bedroom.