Dragon 6 Chapter 33 - THE END (Patreon)

I arrived at the coffee shop.

Rather than the hipster place I had expected next to the park, it had square corners everywhere. It gave off a very corporate vibe. It made sense that some high-up suit would want to meet in a place like that.

“Zach. Follow me.” Helena had been waiting by the door and motioned for me to follow her. She glanced at my entourage and frowned a little at the nymph. “Who’s the new girl.”

“Pixie, my new personal nymph,” I said.

Helena snorted after one look at Pixie’s large chest.

“If you stick around the chateau, you’ll pick up your own personal nymph,” Regina said with a smile. “They really like us all, and they’re quite helpful.”

“They like your king. Now hush, we have a problem.” Helena led us to a back booth. We walked up to a pair of suits that were keeping anyone potentially nosey away.

Surprisingly, they stepped aside, and Sarisha took up a position by them, Regina covering the back door. Pixie managed to slip into the long booth with me.

Helena boxed us both in with Agent Tills and a fit and surprisingly young man that looked like he had a rod shoved all the way up his ass. I expected to see it peak out of his mouth when he spoke.

“I’m Director Norton.” He put his hand over the table for me to shake, and I accepted it, giving it a slightly harder squeeze than was necessary. But I didn’t put any real dragon strength behind it. Breaking his hand probably wouldn’t put us on the best foot.

“Given the recent issues in Philadelphia, I’ve been put in charge of the local office. And I’ve assembled a new task force to investigate a few issues. I’ve noticed that they seem to center around the recent issue in Wissahickon Park.”

“Some fire, right?” I kept to the cover story.

“Yes. Quite the fire. Unfortunately, even a few of the weather satellites above the area at the time didn’t get a good view of it.” He opened a folder and showed me a few printouts.

I hadn’t seen satellite images before, but I could believe it when I saw what he showed me. There was a definite black cloud over the park and a huge chunk of the city. I realized it was T’s doing. Damn bastard had blanketed the city during the vampire attack.

“Okay, and?” I wasn’t sure where he was going. “Silverwing Mercenaries takes jobs and completes them. We don’t ask questions, and certainly don’t give client lists to the FBI.”

“Two people who’ve worked with you in the past are falling under me in this task force to investigate the unusual activities here in the city and elsewhere in the US. After the death of a congressman, we see a pattern of hard to explain deaths.” Norton looked me in the eyes.

Normally, I wouldn’t have had any concern, but as a small gray wisp swirled within his iris, I felt my stomach tighten. His eyes looked just like Winter’s eyes after she had taken a piece of Iapetus’ power. I hoped that it was somehow unrelated, but my gut told me that it wasn’t.

Remaining calm, I worked on the issue in front of me. “Sounds like you need to just hire Silverwing Mercenaries to do a few jobs. We take payment in gold.” I gave him my best sharkish grin and pretended to just be interested in making money. I didn’t need him evaluating any deeper motivations I might have.

Tills looked less than pleased with the way the conversation was going. “We’ve found no evidence that Silverwing Mercenaries was involved with anything. In fact, it was Zach that led us to the human trafficking operation.”

“Your own report says he didn’t follow protocols during the investigation. We had authority here. There was no reason his business should be interfering or slowing the FBI’s operation in this area.” Norton got aggressive.

I held up my hands. “Looks like we are done here. You can call this number to hire us.” I put my hand in my pocket and drew a card out of my bracer, pretending to pull it out of my pocket before sliding the business card across the table.

Norton took it with a smirk. “Can we call this number when the IRS comes too? I think a business that only deals in gold needs to be checked out.”

“Director. Coming in and threatening a valuable informant isn’t helping anything,” Tills defended me, but I didn’t want to make her have to risk her job.

So I got up, taking my cue to leave. Nodding my head, Helena and Pixie slid out, making room for me. But the delay gave Director Norton time to slide out and stand up in front of me.

“We are done when I say we are.” He put his hand on my chest.

Which unfortunately was the wrong move.

There was a flurry of red hair as Regina planted a fist in his gut, bending him over. A second hand pushed that motion further, using his face to break the table we’d just been sitting behind.

The two agents acting as guards drew their weapons, and the coffee shop became a flurry of activity as patrons ran out of the shop.

Sarisha had one of their guns before they realized what was happening, and she pointed it at the remaining agent whose gun was trained on my chest. He didn’t realize that it would take much more than that gun to take me down. I subtly shifted my skin under my shirt, covering it in hard scales.

Norton coughed a few times and stood up, rubbing his jaw.

I eyed him. Regina hadn’t held back. He should be dead, or at least have a few shattered bones. But he seemed nothing more than dazed.

“Well, now I’m taking you in.” He looked at me as if he’d won.

“No, you aren’t.” I turned to the agent who held a gun at me and walked straight towards him.

I hoped he wouldn’t shoot me; it would take even more explaining. The agent backed up, but he kept the gun pointed at me.

“Agent, you can talk to my lawyers. If you or any of the FBI agents get near me, my organization, or my family, I’ll put them down. And I’ll find a way to do it legally. Coming here and threatening me and mine will not work out for you. Get out of my city.” I straightened my clothes and walked out.

Pixie and the two dragons trailed after me.

I could hear Helena and Agent Tills arguing with Norton, and I felt a little guilty that I’d created more mess for them. But I also knew that if she’d thought the conversation would go that way, Agent Tills wouldn’t have asked me to join them.

I’d bet my entire hoard that they would text or call me to apologize as soon as they were free to do so. Or at least, Agent Tills would.

“Did I mess up?” Regina asked, looking a little sheepish.

“No, you did fine. And you proved something to me. Norton isn’t a normal human, and he is most certainly after me. We proved a nice point. Now I need to see if I can’t put the dragonettes to better use.” I thought out loud. “If he wants to make me out to be the bad guy, I’m more than happy to play that role.”

It was all I could do to stop myself from growling. Norton was connected to Iapetus; I just knew it. And that meant the titan was playing games in Philly.

I looked down at my bracer and Typhon’s serpent. Something more was on the horizon, and I didn’t like the titans starting to have their authority bleed outside of the Underworld.

Rubbing my temples, I started heading back to the park. I wasn’t going to let whatever was happening overshadow my wedding.

“Pixie, let’s talk wedding schedule.” I shifted the discussion, the pink-haired nymph turning into full assistant mode as she started to rattle off the details.

***

I tugged at the bowtie on my tux for the hundredth time.

“It looks fantastic, my king.” Pixie had settled into her role and sat nearby with a folio tucked under her arm in case I needed anything. “The guests are arriving. The ladies are all dolled up. You have the ceremonies, then pictures, then you’ll do the dinner. Then you will finally get to the fun part.” The nymph grinned, seeming to think the rest of it was silly.

Looking at my bow tie, I tried to decide if it was really lopsided or if I was just nervous.

A knock at my door distracted me.

“Come in,” I called.

The door pushed open and Scarlett came in wearing a satin wedding dress that hugged her figure. It had lace arms and a small trail flowing out behind her.

“This is bad luck,” I warned her.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. “Never took you for superstition.” She came and sat down next to me, licking the tip of her finger and running it over my eyebrows to smooth them out. “Besides, I knew that my love would be nervous, so I came by to just have a moment with you.”

“First off, now that the paranormal are real, why can’t I be superstitions? Second, no way you aren’t nervous too,” I pointed out.

She grinned. “Maybe I came to calm my own nerves.” Her fingers walked over the seat and into my hand before she intertwined our fingers.

I scooted closer until I was bumping my hip to hers.

Scarlett was truly beautiful. She was a stunning natural beauty, but the makeup artists that Jadelyn had brought in had really accentuated her features. She looked nearly glowing as she sat in front of me.

“You like?” She noticed me just staring.

“Yeah. I like you a hell of a lot. Good thing too because I’m about to marry you,” I teased, enjoying the feel of her body pressed up against me.

Pixie bowed and slipped out, no doubt to guard the door and give us some time alone.

I leaned in to kiss her, but she put up a hand to guard her face.

“I did not sit in that chair for three hours just so you could ruin my makeup before the ceremony.” She swatted me away playfully. “Bad dragon.”

I growled at her with narrowed eyes. “Mine.”

“All yours. But you’ll have to wait a little longer to claim me.” Her three tails twirled behind her, as three illusionary Scarletts appeared around me and started bouncing their eyebrows.

One even leaned in to kiss me. But it wasn’t the same. As soon as I got a little aggressive, the illusion popped.

But she’d given me the small taste I needed while her three tails patted against me, leaving little hairs on my black tux. I made a mental note to have Pixie help me with a lint roller before I headed out.

“Are you still okay with all of this? Jadelyn is clearly into it. She seems to be handing out plushies like candy. But I know you always struggled a little with sharing me.” I looked into her eyes, wanting the truth. “Are you still doing okay? You don’t regret it not being just us?”

Scarlett sighed. “You have to ask the hard questions today, of all days?”

“Maybe it is the wedding that brought it out.” I shrugged, still wanting an answer.

She kicked her feet out and leaned against me even harder. For a moment, it was just the two of us breathing softly in the room, enjoying each other.

“This is enough,” she replied. “Just sharing a moment with you here and there. I wanted to satisfy you, be enough for you. It was overwhelming at first. But the others don’t change what we have. And asking you to be less than your nature calls you to be wouldn’t be fair. I fell in love with the Dragon King. And I will marry the Dragon King.”

“Scarlett.” I wrapped my arm around her. “You will always be my first mate.”

She grunted. “I know. Trust me. When I have the Summer Queen in the height of her power asking to trade favors very much in my favor, it puts things in perspective. Then you have Ikta getting involved now.” She rolled her eyes.

“Care to share what’s happening?” I asked.

But Scarlett mimed zipping her lips. “I’m sworn to secrecy. Don’t worry. It’s nothing bad. They are just trying to impress you with their wedding presents. Zach Pendragon, you are a wonderful man, and I very much look forward to marrying you.” She wiggled her finger where my handmade engagement ring sat. “I know I’m special to you, even if your time is at a premium.”

We looked into each other's eyes, and I couldn’t help but take the chance to bend down and kiss her. Despite the risk to her makeup, she didn’t stop me.

Our lips fit together like a lock and key, perfect for each other. But it wasn’t some heated kiss with tongue and tangling of our lips. It was a simple kiss that conveyed so much as she pressed her soft lips against me. We shared mutual adoration, respect, vulnerability, trust, and a whole bevy of other emotions that we tried to so simply call ‘love’.

Her kiss said everything I needed in that moment to feel steady. Nerves I hadn’t realized I had evaporated, and the decision to spend my life with her was so clear.

I opened my eyes, meeting her green ones. It was like she was looking into my soul, everything I was in that moment and everything I would become.

“I love you,” she whispered, and my skin prickled with goosebumps while my heart soared, yet I felt frozen.

“I love you too.” It came out soft, but it wasn’t some automatic response. My voice nearly cracked with all I was feeling.

She rewarded me with a lovely smile. “Now, no more until we get married, my mate. I think that was enough to tide you over for a while.”

I held her hands. “Mine.”

“Yours. Truly. And here shortly, we’ll make sure everyone in the paranormal world knows it,” she promised as she rose up out of the seat, giving me a smile that magnified her beauty as she slipped out the door.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I had been holding. I felt nearly giddy, ready to get down to the altar and wait for my mates. Not one to sit still, I slapped my knees and stood to leave.

Pixie was outside with an armful of ring boxes and a lint roller. “Ready?”

“Have I told you that you are wonderful, Pixie?” I held my arms out, letting her run the lint roller over me.

“I just want to get into your pants.” She smirked, not hiding it at all.

“Careful, you are doing a damn good job of it.” I grinned back, growing more comfortable with the nymph by the day.

She did some swift rolls of the lint roller, tearing off some of it for the fresh sticky part liberally to get it done quickly. “Alright, you are kitsune hair free. Let’s go down. Your mother is getting anxious; you should lead her to her seat before she dragons out and destroys nearby decorations unintentionally.”

I chuckled, acknowledging that a nervous Tiamat could be dangerous, and Pixie led me down and over to the exit by the venue.

The area had been completely transformed. Heavy strips of white cloth extended from the wall of the chateau over to the terrace, which was decorated with more heavy, white cloth and lots of yellow flowers.

The crowd seemed to be mostly seated, and my presence kicked everything into high gear. Those that weren’t settled quickly found seats. The area was packed; there had to be over a thousand people present.

But one was waiting for me.

Tiamat wore a bright red dress. “The clothes of this era are so light.” She did a little twirl. “But come, lead me down the aisle, my son.”

Something about linking arms with her made the moment all so much more real. Tears filled my eyes and threatened to spill over.

“Everything okay?” Tiamat asked.

“Yeah,” I said as Pixie handed me a handkerchief that I quickly used to dab away the tears. “Just became real. I love them all so much. I’m excited for this.”

Tiamat beamed at me. “Then I’m very happy, and I won’t kill any of them.”

Her statement made me laugh, which only made the tears spill out and I had to use the handkerchief again. “Stop that. But thank you. Come on, let's get you seated.”

I went down the aisle, walking past many faces I didn’t recognize, but there were also many I knew. They waved excitedly at me, and I gave them nods of thanks in return.

When I dropped my mother off at the front, I saw her take the crystal out and set it in the seat next to her. “For your father. He will want this memory when he’s back.” She ran her hand along the crystal gently.

Turning my attention back to the front, I ascended the remaining steps up to the terrace, taking a deep breath as I turned to wait for my women. It was a strange feeling of vulnerability standing up there, even though I was absolutely sure that they would all come down the aisle.

Ruby, Scarlett’s mother, sat in the front row and gave me a thumbs up and a small quiet clap to encourage me. There was a small seating area to the right that held all of my mates’ parents. Each of them was encouraging. Even the Highaen queen seemed to approve, though she was still stiff as a board.

The crowd grew quiet as Summer, dressed in elaborate robes, stepped up next to me to address the wedding.

“Given different beliefs and customs, we will be conducting several types of weddings. Please bear with me. We are expediting them as best we can. Soon we will all feast! But our Dragon King is a greedy man, and his nine women all deserve their moment,” Summer chuckled.

I nodded and the band picked up, playing ‘Here Comes The Bride’.

Scarlett appeared at the end of the aisle with Detective Fox holding her arm, and even though I’d seen her, I felt breath disappear from my body. Even with the veil and her tails hiding underneath her dress, there was no doubt in my mind that it was her. I would recognize her anywhere.

As she came down the aisle, my heart picked up to a fever pitch before it soared over the moon and my entire body went into overdrive. I suddenly felt like I was sweating buckets. I’d waited my whole life for this moment, and I hadn’t even realized it.

As her father let go of her arm and handed her over to me, I saw nothing but the brightest smile of her life under that veil.

Pulling it back, I couldn’t wait to see the unobstructed face of my wife to be. And when I did, I could see the power of our love reflected in her eyes. Her smile grew into a thing of beauty that no art could ever perfectly capture seeing it in that moment.

I swallowed and remembered to grab her hands.

“Well then.” Summer smiled at both of us. “Thank you all for bearing witness to the union of this lovely couple before us. Please stay quiet until they kiss, then you can make noise and we’ll reset for the next one.

“Would you two please exchange your vows?” Summer smiled warmly as she oversaw all the details.

We turned to each other, holding hands.

Scarlett cleared her throat. “Zach Pendragon. I knew you before you became… well, anything.” She smirked. “Before you even knew you were a dragon. Even then, you were amazing and I fell for you. Each step you’ve taken in this path you call life has been filled and flourish with amazing potential, and I’ve only developed deeper and deeper feelings for you.”

She cleared her throat as she blinked away tears, trying to keep her eye contact with me. I squeezed her hands and smiled warmly with encouragement.

“You are everything I could have hoped for in a mate, and I’m happy to be with you on this journey. Being your first mate is my pride and absolute pleasure. I don’t know how I could ask for a more fantastic man to call my husband, even if others may call you the same, my greedy dragon.” She smirked and the crowd gave off a polite chuckle.

“But that’s just the bargain I signed up for when I kept dating a dragon. It’s perfect. Our family is perfect and we are perfect. I couldn’t be happier.” She hurried the last bit, as tears started to spill from her eyes, and she smiled full of love.

Now it was my turn.

“Scarlett, you accepted me for who I was initially, and you’ve still loved me as I’ve changed and become something so much more. Your support has never wavered, and you’ve been by my side through ups and downs, always showing up with a loving heart.” I got a little choked up and had to pause to get my emotions under control.

Tears of happiness spilled down my face, and before I knew it, Scarlett was crying too with a bright smile on her face.

I swallowed. “You are truly perfect for me. I might be a greedy dragon, but I’ll honor you to the best of my ability. I know that even in sickness and health we will be better together.”

Frank stepped over to my side, handing me a ring box. I let out a shuddering breath of relief that I was done speaking, only to realize I had to do it all eight more times.

I was filled with a strange mix of joy and dread, but I pushed all that aside to focus on Scarlett. I pulled out an intricately designed ring, similar to the one that Grim had crafted for Maeve.

“Mine,” I growled low enough to make the stage rumble as I put the ring on her finger.

“Yours,” she promised as she took a ring box from Summer. It was the thinnest ring I’d ever seen. Part of me worried it would break, but it didn’t as she slipped it on my finger.

Before I could think too hard on it, Summer proclaimed us married and Scarlett jumped into my arms. The crowd cheered and flashes of photography blinded us both.

I dipped her low, not letting go of her lips as I tried to convey all of my feelings into that single kiss. It was an impossible feat, but I did my best. I’d just have to live the rest of my life showing her how I felt.

When I finally let her up and breathed, the crowd was going wild. Scarlett grabbed my hand, kissing it again before stepping to the side and taking up some flowers.

Summer flicked her wrists, and the scene around us changed dramatically.

All the white with bits of green and yellow changed to beachy colors. Light blue and tan filled the area as Jadelyn appeared at the end of the aisle with a bright smile.

Scarlett’s dress stayed the white of a wedding dress, but she was clearly preparing to be her maid of honor as Rupert walked Jadelyn down the aisle.

“Step back a smidge.” Summer motioned for me.

I followed her instruction as the front of the stage became glass. A scooped-out area was filled with water. I smiled, preparing myself for the more public siren wedding. We’d already had the more ceremonial private siren wedding.

Jadelyn came forward, stepping into the water. Her lips opened, and she began to sing the song that was tuned to me. It resonated through me, filling me with her unbelievable joy. She pushed all her emotions into the song, and I felt nearly lightheaded at the love she poured into it.

It must have melted my brain, because the rest of the day turned into a whirlwind of smiles. It was like I was floating through the air, drunk on happiness in a way that nothing else could have ever emulated.

One by one, I married the loves of my life. Their thin rings magically fused to each other as they were placed on my finger, stacking together.

When Maeve and my ceremony finished, the entire area transformed into a dreamland of dancing, with each of my new wives taking their turns. Twirling around with them, I was drunk on the best day of my life. My cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing, but I couldn’t have cared less.

When the night began to wrap, I was stolen away quickly into a gold-ladened room, and I spent the night with all of my women.

I had no doubt I’d remember that day for the rest of my life, and nothing would compare. I had no doubt that, with all of them, we could take on whatever came our way next.