In a Dragon’s Dream by Riley Storm Page 0,26

her sight, he went to high alert. He tapped into his dragon, his vision growing sharper, the other senses improving as well. Rakell scanned the rear alleyway for any hint or sign of someone that shouldn’t belong.

He still came up empty.

Trotting down the stairs, he regarded the buildings around him. This would be his home, if he went through with the plan. Living among all this. People and artificial constructs everywhere. It boggled his mind, but still, he knew it was likely the right thing to do.

Blede, one of his fellow Teres Clan dragons, had mentioned that a stronger presence within Five Peaks would be necessary if they were to fight off the Cado. The dragons could no longer hide away on their mountain peaks in comfort and solace, while the good humans of the town suffered the wrath of their evil cousins.

It was time to take a stand.

In the coming days, Blede intended to argue that point before the dragon Council. That the clans should impose a stronger presence within the town itself. Be ready to respond at a moment’s notice, until the Cado menace was dealt with.

Rakell agreed. It just so happened he was getting a head start on a matter that he expected to be approved by the majority of the clans, if not unanimously. They took their duty of protecting the humans seriously. They had just never been challenged quite like this before, and so they would have to adapt.

Heading up the alleyway as he continued his patrol, he tried to shove aside the worry as to why the Cado were here in such force. It was such an unprecedented move for them. The evil dragons rarely moved openly against their cousins. They lacked the conviction, but also the numbers, to confront them openly.

The conclusions he could draw from that were ugly. It meant the Cado were unlikely to have come here on their own, for starters. That meant someone had put—

Rakell’s eyes went wide as he exited the alleyway onto the main street out front Laura’s office. The wind was stronger here, and it brought with him a scent he knew well.

Dragon.

He glanced around, trying to spot the shifter in question. It could just as easily be one of his own. Perhaps Blede and Kristin had come down to the office to see Laura in person. It was unexpected, but not unbelievable.

Yet he knew that wasn’t it. His nose was alerting him to the smell of dragon, but every other sense he had, and some he couldn’t quantify, were all screaming one thing.

Danger.

Everyone around was looking at him strangely. None of them looked at all familiar. Nobody was trying to studiously ignore him either, which was always obvious. Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

Rakell stiffened as he saw a tall figure entering Laura’s office, a smaller woman in tow. He only glimpsed the back of the male, visible for a split second before the door blocked his vision.

The female, a medium-height brunette, followed soon after, the door closing behind her. Rakell stood, frozen in shock and surprise. He didn’t recognize the woman. She was no mate of any dragon he’d met.

It had to be a trap, somehow. His senses were still screaming danger. How was he going to handle this? He had to deal with the strangers somehow, without Laura learning the truth of what he was.

Either way, you need to get in there. Now. Before they do something else.

His legs carried him across the distance to her entrance, and up three stairs. Rakell had to go in calmly. There might still be a chance to resolve things peacefully after all. It could just be a simple coincidence. Maybe he did know the dragon, they could be from one of the other clans.

He pulled open the door just in time to see them sitting down in Laura’s office.

She was smiling.

Chapter Sixteen

Laura

“So nice to meet you,” she said, sticking out her hand. “I’m Laura.”

“Tina,” the woman said. “This is Josh.”

The trio shook hands, and Laura pulled them into her office.

“Thank you for seeing us on such short notice,” Tina said as the door closed behind them.

“Not a problem! I was going to be here late anyway,” Laura explained. “Got a few days’ worth of work to catch up on, you know how it is. I figured, may as well meet with you while I’m here!”

The three of them all smiled and sat.

In the background Laura noticed Rakell enter the front door