The foxes were on the run, but Vyr didn’t seem to care about their surrender. He opened his mouth lined with rows of razor teeth and blasted a stream of fire and lava into the woods.
They should run, but she and Nox just stood there staring at the sky, completely frozen. Torren walked slowly on all fours and stood beside Nox, watched the Red Dragon right along with them. Perhaps their instincts were broken, but they didn’t move to escape. The boys were beat, cut, bit, dripping red, and she knew she didn’t look any better. Her muzzle hurt so bad her head spun and her eyes watered. Panting and shocked, she leaned against Nox’s leg for warmth and strength. His fur was coarse, just like he’d said. Coarse to her soft, just like them. They were different in ways that complimented each other, but similar in ways that mattered—a perfect match.
Silverback, grizzly, and fox…and up there? Up in the sky where all the humans of Foxburg would be able to see? There was the scariest shifter on earth. The big dragon who could breathe fire in his human form, and destroy land. He was a man-eater who could read minds, and who had little control over the dragon.
But Vyr and Torren had come to help her and Nox, and in this moment, she knew these were her people, no matter how broken they were.
Vyr dipped to the earth and scooped ashes, arched his back, pummeled his wings, and lifted into the sky again.
There would be no hiding for them anymore.
The bad boys of Damon’s Mountains had just announced their presence in Foxburg in a big, fiery way.
Chapter Sixteen
Nevada sat in the car trembling. She saw in the rearview mirror her face was pallid, the scars down her left cheek were stark, and her eyes looked petrified. But she’d done it. She’d interviewed for a position at the tiny Foxburg Public Library where she would talk to real people until she would get better control over her social anxiety.
She’d been hired on the spot. She was equal parts elated, horrified, excited, and confused at what the heck she had just done—those feelings swirled inside of her on a constant loop.
Nox was going to be so proud. She kind of wanted to cry, because honestly? She was really proud of herself too, and it was a really good feeling. No more hiding in her house or getting worse each year. From here on, she was going to get on with living.
Her phone rang from the cup holder of her car. She fumbled with it with shaking hands, nearly dropped it, then connected the call in a rush. “Yes?” she asked breathlessly.
“How did it go?” Nox asked.
“I got it.”
“Are you serious?” Louder, he repeated, “Nevada are you serious?”
“I got the job, Nox. I got the job and I start next week and I’m so nervous but it’ll be good and I’ll get settled in and I’m gonna try really hard and I really got it.” She broke down on the last part and choked on a sob.
“Steel! I knew you’d get it, you little badass. I knew it! Vyr, she got it. What? Fuck you, man.” There was murmuring on the other end, and it didn’t sound happy. Nox sighed loudly and muttered, “Vyr wants to talk to you.” Static blasted across the phone and then Vyr rumbled out, “Your mate set fire to my fuckin’ yard.” Eek, he sounded pissed.
“I’ll be right over,” she murmured, throwing the car into drive.
She hung up and shook her head. All she’d wanted was one night when the guys weren’t at each other’s throats. They tattled to her like children, and she was always caught in the middle because Torren and Vyr still really didn’t understand Nox’s language. To her, it was easy to see he acted out with people he cared about, but for Vyr and Torren, they just became immediately angry and shut down. But they kept inviting her and Nox over, so at least they were still trying. Still…Nox setting Vyr’s territory on fire? Was he trying to claim it for himself? Vyr wouldn’t forgive that. His dragon was too dominant to put up with that. Crap on a stick, now this was sucking all the excitement out of her job offer and deflating her completely.
When she finally pulled into the clearing, she squinted at the billowing smoke that indeed was coming from a good portion of the yard. Nox was standing beside it with the swan in his arms. Mr. Diddles, Nox had named him after they caught him humping a duck statue. He was now Nox’s second best friend, next to Nevada, though he still threatened to kill the horny little thing every three hours or so. He wouldn’t, though. Probably.
“Nox,” she murmured as she got out of her car and made her way to him. “What did you do?”
Vyr and Torren were staring at the burn marks with their arms crossed and their backs to her.
“You said I needed to work on using a language they can understand,” Nox said remorselessly. “So I did.” He gestured grandly to his artwork.
He’d burned the words Dear Assholes, will you be my friends? into the yard with some kind of smelly lighter fluid.
A peel of giggles bubbled up her throat. The lettering was very well done.
“It’s not funny,” Vyr said, twisting around. Oh, he looked angry.
“It’s kind of funny. If you think about it.”
“I paid a stupid amount of money to have the landscaping done.”
“It’s wintertime, you snob,” Nox said, stroking Mr. Diddles feathers. “No one cares about your perfect yard if it’s covered in snow. I improved it. You’re welcome.”
“I like it,” Torren said, still staring at the writing. “Did you use Baskerville Bold.”
Nox beamed. “Why yes, I did. It’s my favorite font for vandalism. It’s classic, thank you for noticing.”
Torren took a swig of his beer and nodded like he was impressed.
“Put my swan down!” Vyr demanded.
“Don’t be pissed because Mr. Diddles likes me more than you.”
“His name isn’t Mr. Diddles, and I swear to God, if you call him that one more time—”
“You’ll what? Burn me?” Nox yanked down the neck of his sweater to expose the burn he’d gotten protecting Nevada from Vyr’s fire. “Been there, done that, got the scars. Your dragon sucks. I want to be a crew.”
“What?” Vyr asked. “No. We aren’t a crew. We’re just passing time until I figure out how to avoid shifter prison. Or until human law enforcement comes for us.” Vyr frowned. “I don’t really know what they’re waiting for.”
Nox set the swan down and approached Nevada with a smirk on his face. Over the past couple of weeks, he’d grown his beard back, but not as long. Now he was keeping it trimmed, and he looked good. His eyes were always clear and happy now. It made her feel happy, too.
“Hi,” she said softly as he wrapped his arms around her.
“You’re both gross,” Vyr muttered.
“So how do we do this?” Torren asked.
“Do what?” the Red Dragon drawled out, sounding tired.
“Become a crew? Do we like…pledge to you? Do you bite us?”
“Ew. No. I’m no alpha, Torren. I think we can all agree on that one.”
Nevada snuggled against Nox’s strong chest with a sappy smile. “Disagree. You can control anyone you want. You’re alpha as fuck.”