Hidden Dragons (22 page)

Returning to the bedroll, she narrowed her eyes at the homely trio of objects.

“I
don’t
believe you’re just rocks,” she said experimentally. It must have been true. Her head didn’t suffer the slightest twinge.

She pointed at them. “You’re dragon eggs,” she accused.

For a second nothing happened. Then the air around them shimmered like heat waves. The rocks were rounding and changing color and suddenly they were
there
—three golf-ball sized silvery dragon eggs.

“Oh my God.” Stunned, Cass picked them up, cradling the now cool spheres against her flannel shirt. The eggs were as she remembered from that long-ago night with her father: heavy and smooth and solid as metal.

Rick was right.

They had the treasure the faeries were hunting.

~

Rick stood on the bank of the misty lake, hands laced behind his head with his elbows out. He couldn’t decide about going back to the cave. He’d patrolled the area and found no danger, but it hadn’t been quite an hour. Would Cass have cooled off by now? Would she have done as he asked? If she hadn’t, what should his next move be? More than once, he’d overheard Maria telling her husband Johnny not to “handle” her. According to Rick’s big sister, women had zero tolerance for that.

The problem was, sometimes the handling worked. Also, from what he could tell, Maria had no problem turning the technique back on Johnny.

He dropped his arms and frowned at the water’s intersecting raindrop patterns. This was why he sucked at the girlfriend thing. He didn’t want to handle Cass. He wanted them to be on the same side.

Well, you can’t always be
, he thought.
And if the situation is this important, you might have to stand your ground and let her be mad at you
.

He was pretty sure he was right—really sure, if he were honest. If Cass had been a suspect and not a woman he’d fallen for, he’d have had no trouble playing hardball with her.

The sound of moccasins running toward him turned him around. He’d known the person approaching him was Cass, but the state she was in inspired a grin. Seeming to have forgotten they were at odds, she was as excited as his five-year-old nephew Ethan when he mastered a new trick on the monkey bars.

“You were right!” she exclaimed. “I did it! Okay, the cat did it, but you were right!”

She grabbed his arms to bounce up and down. Rick steadied her under the elbows. “I was right?”

“About the . . . you know whats,” she said in a lower voice. She took his hand and tugged. “Hurry. I don’t want to leave them alone with the cat too long.”

Liking the way she touched him, he let her pull him after her.

Despite having expected something along these lines, when he saw the eggs, he had to gape for a few seconds. She’d made a little nest in the cookie tin from ripped up pieces of her silk shirt.

Rick scratched the back of his head. “They’re small.”

“They’re exactly the size they’re supposed to be,” she huffed. She held the tin against her stomach as if ready to defend it.

Fighting a smile, Rick gently picked up one of the silvery spheres. The surface was slightly textured but still smooth. “They’re heavy.”

“Yes. And apparently hard to break. Poly knocked them in the fire.”

“Do you suppose that’s how they hatch?”

“I don’t
think
so,” she said. “I mean, if it were that simple, couldn’t anyone do it?”

“Nate’s contact at the U was vague. He said when conditions were right, they would.” Rick picked up the other eggs, balancing the three together in his palm. He should have been nervous, but he felt oddly soothed holding them. “I know I expected this, but I can hardly believe I’m touching them. If we figure out how, we could bring an extinct species back to life.”

“I know,” Cass said. “I’m in awe myself.”

Their gazes met, drawn close over what he held. Cass gnawed her luscious lower lip. “I’m sorry I was stubborn.”

He smiled at her. He didn’t need an apology. “Did you remember disguising the eggs?”

“No. But I don’t remember my dad erasing my memories either. I guess some things are destined to stay blank.” She shivered at the idea.

“It’s weird,” he suggested.

“Very.” She stroked the eggs, both their hands cupping them. When she looked up, her dreamy blue eyes were big. “Do you think we should hatch them?”

“You
are
a dragon keeper’s daughter. The presence of that bloodline is probably one of the conditions the professor referred to. If we go on the assumption that nothing in Resurrection happens by accident, it stands to reason we’re meant to give it a shot.”

Cass’s mouth pulled uncertainly on one side. “You don’t think it’s arrogant of me to want to try?”

Her self-doubt was easier to deal with than his own. “Cass,” he said. “The last thing I’d call you is arrogant.”

She liked that. A flattered pink rose into her cheeks. “Okay. I’m going to make a list.”

She bounced off to do it. Love and amusement and a strange sort of helplessness tangled in his chest. He wasn’t crushing on her or dazzled or even falling anymore. Rick loved Cass Maycee just like a grown person.

~

The list Cass scratched in the cave floor dirt wasn’t long.

Food. Shelter. Protection. Warmth
.

After some thought, she added
Magic
with her stick. Dragons were made up of a lot of magic. They might need a good supply to grow big and strong. She snorted at the goofy way she was thinking. Next thing you knew she’d be knitting baby dragon booties.

Rick set the eggs back in their tin by the fire. He came over to read what she’d jotted down. Gesturing for her to hand him the stick, he added
Gorgeous Keeper
.

“Cute,” she said.

He scratched with the stick again. When he let her see, she read:
Cute Keeper-Protector with Big Sharp Teeth
.

“Haha,” she said, though she really was laughing.

Rick hugged her and kissed her temple. “We have everything on your list. Those dragons should be hatching any minute now.”

“Not food,” she said. “Unless you think dragons eat hash too.”

“Well, there’s food around. Deer, rabbits, squirrels—these woods are great hunting grounds.”

“Do you suppose they can sense that?”

“I have no idea,” he admitted.

“Maybe we should kill something.”

He lifted one eyebrow.

“Okay, maybe
you
should.” She knew she didn’t sound very certain. She didn’t feel it either. “Wouldn’t you like to eat something meaty that didn’t come from a can?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation, which made her smile. “All right. I’ll catch a couple rabbits and establish my provider cred. If you don’t want to see bloody bits, stay away while I’m dressing them.”

~

Rick had hunted in human form before. Because whether he’d catch something wasn’t in doubt, he took his time, selecting two healthy full-grown rabbits to chase down. The gauntlet didn’t get in his way, so he supposed he was getting used to it. He brought his prizes to the lake for the messy business of skinning, gutting, and otherwise preparing them for cooking. As he did, he marked a patch of wild onions and some edible herbs and greens. Cass might want to impress incubating dragons, but he saw no reason why he shouldn’t impress
her
while he was at it.

In spite of warning her away, he’d hoped she’d come out and keep him company. This she didn’t do until he was nearly finished. Since he was crouched down and wrist-deep in rabbit innards, he only turned his head to greet her.

She looked cautiously over his shoulder, visibly trying not to make an
ew
face. Rick controlled his amusement. “Everything okay with the eggs?”

“Yes.” She seemed distracted. Interestingly, her hands were behind her back. “I rigged a thingie to keep Poly from batting them into the fire again. And I collected a bit more wood.”

“That was good thinking.” He waited for her to get to her hidden point.

“Um,” she said. “I hope it’s okay. I caught a fish.” She brought it out dripping from behind her back. It was a shiny, still alive lake trout—not huge but big enough to eat. “Tada. I thought the cat would like it. I felt a little bad, because I lured it to me with a spell, and then I wasn’t sure if I should kill it right away or if it would be fresher if I waited. Can you kill fish by bashing them on the head with rocks?”

She looked proud of herself and embarrassed at the same time.

“You could kill them that way. A good sharp knife is quicker. Would you like me to do it?”

“Please,” she said in relief. “And, um . . .”

“Yes,” he said, his grin breaking out as she trailed off. “I’ll clean it and cook it too.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just not Camping Girl.”

“Lucky for you, you hooked up with me.”

“Yes.” She let out a laugh. “My faerie luck outdid itself on that.”

Her saying that gave him such a warm feeling he had to look away. His next words were slightly gruff. “I stuck a skillet in the duffle. I could use it for carrying the meat when I’m done.”

She brought it to him. She watched him work on her fish for a minute, laid her hand briefly on his shoulder, and then left him alone again. This time he didn’t mind. She was waiting for him back there, thinking about him probably.

He couldn’t have felt more primally satisfied if he’d been a real cave man.

~

When Rick returned to the cave, Poly was hunkered in front of the cookie tin, staring at the eggs intently. Rick thought the smell of raw meat would interest her, but her only reaction was the tip of her tail twitching.

“Why is she looking at them like that?” he asked Cass.

Cass had been digging through the duffel and sat back on her heels. “I’m using a magic cage to keep her from swatting them. I set it to channel extra energy from the area around the lake, in case the eggs need more amperage to develop. I think Poly can see the flow.”

Rick couldn’t see it, though he squinted. He turned back to her. “Searching for something in particular?” he asked, gesturing to the bag.

She grinned. “Just seeing what else you stole.”

“Liberated,” he corrected, moving to set up his camp kitchen. “For the possible Public Good.” He noticed she’d found the meat skewers and had placed them on a nearby rock.

“Do you need help?” She didn’t sound convinced she could provide it.

“I saved the pelts. For lining the cookie tin. I scraped them mostly clean, but if it’s not too icky, maybe you could finish them magically.”

“I think I can do that,” she said.

She didn’t take long. Once she’d tucked the furry pieces around the eggs, she came back to watch him cook. He liked the way she pulled her legs up and wrapped them in her arms. “You’ve done this before.”

“Once or twice. Nate is the pack’s gourmet, but when we’re roughing it, I’m in charge of meals.”

“You don’t eat as your wolves?”

“We do, but sometimes we stay out longer than the full moon and have a pack retreat. We haven’t done that in a while. Not since Adam and Nate got married.”

“You should.” Cass’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “I bet the wives could entertain themselves while you’re gone.”

“Maybe that’s why Adam hasn’t suggested it.”

She put her cheek on her knees and smiled. It was nice that she got his sense of humor—nice that he got hers, come to that.

“You and your friends like your girls nights out, I bet.”

“You aren’t wrong. I missed the three of them while I was Outside. Seeing them once a year after Christmas really wasn’t enough.”

He didn’t say he’d missed her too, but he was thinking it so hard he turned tongue-tied. They didn’t speak much until he served. Cass had a good appetite—not as good as a shifter, but good enough to let him know she enjoyed his food.

“Mm,” she said, licking rabbit juice from her thumb with unconscious seductiveness. “Messy but delicious.”

“I hope you saved room.”

She’d relaxed against a boulder, but at his comment she sat straighter. “What for?” Her eyes widened. “Is this a sex thing?”

God, she was cute. “It’s not a sex thing, though when you see what you
didn’t
find in that duffel, you may want to kiss me.”

“What didn’t I find?”

He unzipped one of the bag’s side pockets and brought it out. Cass’s face lighting up was as gratifying a reaction as he’d ever inspired.

“Chocolate,” she breathed. “Good chocolate. Oh my God, I love you!” She blushed bright red the second the words were out. “I mean—”

He smiled and handed her the small Celestial Milk bar. “I know what you meant.”

She unwrapped the foil and inhaled. “I haven’t had one of these in
ages
. I used to dream about these Outside. Do you want some?”

He shook his head, preferring to watch her. She broke off one square, popped it in her mouth, and sighed orgasmically as she sucked.

“Maybe this is a sex thing,” he laughed.

“Mm,” she hummed, then rewrapped the candy and tucked it safely into the bag again. Her expression was serious. “Okay. I do.”

“You do?” He seemed to have missed part of this conversation.

She braced her shoulders. “I do love you.”

He blinked, his mind gone completely blank.

“It’s true,” she said. “See? No headache. Sorry if you didn’t want to hear that.”

“Cass. I . . .” From being completely blank, his mind went to way too full. “There isn’t anything I’d rather hear. Not anything in the world.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Oh.” She sagged back in shock. “Wow.”

“I should say, in case it wasn’t clear, that I love you too.”

“I inferred that. You know what ‘inferred’ means, right? Simple wolf that you are?”

For the first time in his life, he growled and laughed simultaneously.

~

Cass hadn’t planned to admit she loved him. She’d simply felt like a coward for pretending she didn’t when the words came out accidentally. Even after Rick said he loved her too, she was a bit aghast at herself.