The roar of the engine broke the silence of the evening as I revved my bike to life, feeling the vibration under me like a living thing. It was a short ride to the inn, the wind tugging at my clothes, whispering secrets of freedom and exhilaration that only a dragon, or a motorcyclist, could truly understand.
Pulling into the inn's parking lot, I cut the engine and coasted to a stop. That's when I spotted Nathan next door, filling his deer feeder in his backyard. With a small smile on my face, I swung my leg over the bike and ambled toward him.
"Hey, Nathan." I closed the distance with easy strides.
Nathan grinned as I approached, his hand already extended for a hearty shake. "Ashton, it's been too long," he boomed, his voice carrying the warmth of long-standing camaraderie.
"Good to see you, man," I said. His eyes flickered with an unspoken question, one that hovered between those who knew of our kind and the curse that shadowed us.
"Your brothers," Nathan said, lowering his shears. "Any word on when they might wake up?"
"Should be soon," I said hopefully. "I'm planning to check on them in a day or so."
"Let me know if there's any change, yeah?" His concern was genuine, a rare thing in a world where my family's plight was often misunderstood by those outside our circle.
"Will do," I said, and then he motioned toward his house.
"Come in for a beer?"
The offer was tempting, a brief respite from the whirlwind of emotions that had gripped me since Erin's kiss, and she’d agreed to our date. I followed him inside, the coolness of the house enveloping us as we settled into the worn comfort of his living room chairs.
"Elle asleep?" I nodded my head upward. The last time I'd seen her, she'd been a clumsy, joyful toddler, barely three years old, all dimples and bright curiosity. Now she was on the cusp of her teenage years, a thought that made the decade feel both fleeting and impossibly long.
"If she knows what's good for her. It being summer, she thinks she can stay up all night." He rolled his eyes. "She's a good girl, but that teenage attitude is coming along, and it may prove more than I can handle."
With a chuckle, I reached over and pushed at his arm. "You're an old softie and you know it. Alpha of the wolves and she's got you wrapped around her finger."
"Yeah, well."
"So, uh, yeah. What do you know about Erin?" I asked, unable to contain the curiosity that gnawed at me. It was an abrupt conversation change, but I couldn't stop thinking about her.
Nathan's posture stiffened, his expression closing off as if I'd tread into forbidden territory. "Why do you want to know?" he asked, his tone edged with a defensive note that hadn't been there moments before.
"She's my mate," I said. It felt damn good to say the words to someone new. I wanted to shout them from the rooftops.
Nathan's gaze searched mine, weighing the truth of my statement, measuring the implications. The knowledge sat between us, heavy and significant. Then he widened his eyes. Shock and elation lit them up before he lunged forward to envelop me in a bear hug. "You're serious? That's incredible, man."
I chuckled, patting his back as he released me. "Yeah, it's a lot to take in."
"Erin is amazing, you know?" Nathan said, settling back into his chair but still buzzing with excitement. "She's been through so much and is still the kindest person I know. If anyone deserves a bit of happiness, it's her."
I nodded, feeling the gravity of what he was saying. "I want to be that for her, to bring goodness into her life."
"You will. I can't think of anyone better suited for her than you." His endorsement warmed me. Nathan was a good man, a steady anchor, and the alpha of the Stock Creek wolf pack. He’d built his life here as a leader who kept his pack safe and thriving in this quiet town. He’d faced down grief after Mira’s death, and the challenges of leading, with the same quiet strength he showed in everything, always putting his pack and his daughter first.
We drifted into a conversation about Stock Creek, the place I hadn't seen for the last ten years due to the curse. "So, what have I missed here?" I asked, taking a sip from the bottle.
"Same old, same old," he said with a shrug. "A couple of new shops opened up, a few folks moved in, some moved out. It's Stock Creek. It doesn't change much."
"Sounds about right," I said with a small smile, thinking how comforting that stability could be.
"Hey, now that you've found your mate, this might be the end of the sleeping curse, huh?" Nathan raised his bottle toward me.
"Supposedly." The hope in my voice didn't quite mask my underlying fear. "No more decades lost."
"Silver lining, my friend." He grinned, clinking his bottle against mine again.
I savored the last gulp of my beer, placing the empty bottle on the table. Standing up, I felt an itch, an urge to see Erin again. Her image filled my thoughts, the memory of her touch still electric on my skin.
