"I didn’t do it alone," Kenneth said, shrugging off the compliment. "Angel and Shay handled the bar floor."
I nodded. "Still, you kept it more than afloat. That’s not nothing."
He closed the folder, the air shifting from business to something heavier. "So. What’s the plan? You staying? Or is this a victory lap before you disappear again?" He knew how much I liked to travel.
He tried to keep his tone light, but there was an edge to it. Hibernation isn’t exactly a two-week vacation.
"I’m staying," I said, and meant it. "No more disappearing acts. Ashton found his mate, so the curse is lifted. I’m not going under again, maybe some light travel, but this will be home base."
Kenneth’s shoulders relaxed a fraction. "Good. The town needs you more than it admits."
The mate-bond flared in my chest, a dull ache. I wanted to text Krystal, to demand a response, but I had to do this right.
I reached under the desk and pulled out a thin, cream-colored envelope. "I’ve got something for you," I said, sliding it across the table.
Kenneth eyed it like a bomb. "What’s this?"
"Open it."
He did, brow creasing as he unfolded the check. "Zaden. This is… a lot."
"You earned it," I said, no hesitation. "That’s ten percent of the net profits for every year I was gone."
His jaw worked, but no sound came out. Wolves hate showing emotion in front of dragons, but after a minute, he couldn’t help it.
"Thank you," he said, finally. "No one’s ever…"
I cut him off, a bit uncomfortable. "If you want to keep running things, you can. I'd rather be sort of an extra presence who comes in and helps. If you want out, I’ll help you start your own place. You call the shots."
Kenneth folded the check carefully and tucked it in his shirt pocket. "I want to stay. If that’s all right."
"Of course," I said. "I’m not good with paperwork. Or with HR stuff, honestly. That’s your superpower."
He grinned, finally, and the temperature in the room rose a few degrees. Then he grew serious. "Can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"Is Ashton going to make trouble for me?"
The question hit me like a left hook. "Why would he?"
Kenneth shifted in his seat. "You know how the clans are. Wolves aren’t supposed to run dragon businesses. Or so the rumors go."
I rolled my eyes. "Ashton’s the alpha, but he’s not a tyrant. He trusts you and your pack, and he trusts me to make a good decision about who runs the business, or you’d be out on your ass already. Besides, he and Nathan have been friends for a long time."
That friendship was what kept the peace between our clan and the pack. He wasn't wrong, though. Wolf packs and dragon clansdidoften clash over territory.
Kenneth nodded but didn’t look convinced. "Just want to make sure."
"Consider it made," I said. "And besides, Ashton’s busy. He’s not thinking about Stock Creek, or the bar. He’s focused on his mate right now."
Kenneth absorbed that, satisfied.
The rest of the meeting was technical. Staffing, supplier contracts, the looming threat of a craft brewery opening three miles away. I tried to focus, but my attention drifted back to Krystal every five seconds. I wanted to know if she was awake. I wanted to know if she’d thought about me.
When we wrapped up, Kenneth stood and held out his hand. "I’ll let you know when the next shipment comes in."
I clapped him on the shoulder. "Go buy yourself a boat, or a motorcycle. Or whatever wolves do for fun."
