The men are all bulky in stature, as most shifters are. Usually, the family structures don’t get as large for feline shifters, but this one defies expectation. The three men sit on the other side of the table, not waiting for me to rise and shake their hands, which I wouldn’t have. I can only act so human. I don’t do business as one.
In a way, I’m still lord of the land even though the lands and denizens have changed.
The head of the family nods to me. It’s a surprise that he’s here instead of sending his heir to this meeting. It signals that there is some strategy at work here. Lorenzo Leonid is in his sixties, young enough in shifter circles to still want to cause problems. His body language tries to communicate relaxation, but a drop of sweat gathers at his hairline.
This will be interesting.
His heir, unfortunately named Leo Leonid, sits at his right. The man is in his twenties, and his body vibrates with tension. The black bag that rests on his lap causes a pang of familiarity to travel over my senses. Lorenzo’s brother sits to his left. He’s bigger than Lorenzo in breadth, but lacks the glint of cunning intelligence in the head of the family’s eyes. He’s here to act as bodyguard, even though there is little that he could do if I wanted to destroy the shifters in front of me.
The Council that governs paranormal beings has more to do with me not destroying a fellow territory leader. They require balance, and the Leonid’s territory is too similar to mine in size for me to overpower them with the fact that I am a dragon.
“It’s always good to see you, Kalos. How have you been?” Lorenzo starts.
He wants to talk pleasantries after attempting to waste my time.
“Your tactics are tiring. Tell me why you wanted this meeting.” If I didn’t have this meeting, I’d be focused on Katarina’s presence in my home.
“Of course, we’re only being friendly. As one territory leader to another.”
I raise my brows instead of responding.
“You seem like you’re doing well,” he starts.
“I am.” Surprise pregnancy announcements aside, I wouldn’t give him another answer even if it were untrue.
“We thought with the news of the breakin last week that you may need to cancel this meeting,” Lorenzo says with a shrug.
My shoe stops tapping.
If Ben were here, he’d be able to tell me when the Leonids made this meeting. For a moment, his absence is suddenly like being without a limb. The imbalance is something that could be corrected and accounted for in time, but not what I’d want to adapt to.
It doesn’t matter though if they’d made this appointment before my thief had stolen her way into my hoard or after. These are her employers.
Something that I should have questioned her about earlier, but I had been too distracted by her unbelievable news.
I am not distracted now.
“Why yes,” I start, not denying the event that they wouldn’t have known about unless they orchestrated it. Ben hadn’t even known before the thief had returned. “Having a breakin is startling, but I find it rather invigorating. It’s truly been an age since I’ve gone through my ranks and culled.” My smile is all teeth, and the men in front of me flinch.
Lorenzo clears his throat. “We know how dragons hate to lose any piece of their hoard, so we tracked it down for you, as a favor of goodwill.”
Leo unzips the bag on his lap and places the figurine that Katarina had taken from my hoard on the table. The dragon in me would normally jump to reclaim the lost item, but our brewing young makes us both leery.
I mentally scoff. Goodwill.
“How kind of you. And what is the cost of this goodwill?” I ask.
They seem a little disappointed at my lack of reaction. A dragon’s obsession with their hoard is legendary because it’s very much based on reality. They couldn’t have anticipated that we hold to our young even tighter.
“It’s a small thing, really. You’d hardly notice it,” Lorenzo starts. “It’s not even currently in use.”
Their deaths would be so satisfying. I start tapping my fingers on the table in annoyance.
“Don’t waste my time, gentlemen,” I say when Lorenzo is distracted by my fingers. Probably more so the talon tips.
He swallows. The stab of satisfaction at the visible tell is vicious and gratifying.
“We’re looking at expanding into imports and exports,” Lorenzo says. “We would like for you to gift us the northern fae gate.”
I still again. “That is a rather serious request.”
Lorenzo nods. “And this is a rather important part of your hoard.”
It is. I collect items in a variety of ways. One of which is by gifts of friendship and oaths of alliance.
It’s an open secret that important relics are safe with me. Many groups of paranormals have found gifting me items is a way to keep their objects safe and cared for. This figurine is one such item.
“You’ll understand if I need some time to think through this offer,” I say and am in too foul of a mood to feel the urge to laugh at the look of shock on their faces.
I can’t let them have the fae gate. That opens up an ocean of trouble. Trafficking of rare paranormals is still a risk that we live with daily. The fae don’t change quickly. They’ve yet to discontinue their practice of indentured servitude, and there are rumors that some nobles in their courts ascribe to their old ways of consuming power through the flesh of certain types of creatures. There are reasons why so many magical folk fled the fae realm ages ago.
I make a note to call the witches that entrusted the figurine to me. I informed them when it was taken, but they didn’t worry about others using it for magic, and they trusted that eventually I’d find a way to include it in my collection again.
But they won’t be pleased if I don’t reclaim the figurine in a timely manner, and their coven is a partnership I value. One thing at a time.
“Thank you for your time, gentlemen,” I say, before leaving the shifters to their shock. The figurine is safe with them, they won’t want to lose the leverage they have, but they may try to make it weightier.
I have time to figure this out.
11
KATARINA
I WAKE from my nap to the growl of my stomach. It feels like just a moment ago that Kalos fed me, but I guess it’s time to start eating for two.
I check in with my body. The practice is a familiar one, even if I’m rusty. Being connected to my physical self was risk management when I worked with Nemo. I had to be aware of each sore muscle, stiff joint. Every movement needed to be accounted for.
I’ve gotten lax since quitting that life. Otherwise, I wouldn’t let my back and neck muscles stay tight from craning over my work. I stretch the muscles with a wince. The days of shivering haven’t done me any favors.
I’m not nearly as warm as I was when I woke in Kalos’s arms, but I’m not cold either. Instead of messaging Ben, I follow my nose to the kitchen. Ben seems nice, but I don’t want to annoy him with my needs.
I take a few wrong turns, but eventually I find the hearth of the house in the form of an ultra-modern kitchen. There’s a humidity and my mouth waters at the scent of cooking meat.
The woman takes me by surprise. She’s tall and wears a chef’s jacket. Her gray-streaked brown hair is pulled into a sleek bun. Her face is the sort that is described as ageless, but there are smile lines at the corner of her eyes.