“I want more, Asher,” she said softly. “I want everything. But I’m not clear on what that is exactly, what that means. It’s just this sense, this…” She shook her head with a frown. “You sure you don’t care that I’m a thief?”
“I love everything about you, Clea.” And that was the damn truth. “We’ll have to work on the PR around that job title, though.”
She laughed at that, and Asher felt his own spirits lift even more. After a moment, a comfortable silence fell between them again and Clea reached out, taking his hand.
“Okay, I’ve told you mine.” She smiled knowingly. “It’s your turn.”
Asher could only stare at her, marveling at her strength, appreciating her willingness to communicate openly. He knew she could do it in the bedroom, but this - wanting to know his truth. It felt more intimate than anything they’d already shared.
After a long moment, she squeezed his hand.
“Did you know your eyes were glowing earlier?” she asked slowly. “Like, Christmas lights glowing. You want to tell me what that’s all about?”
Asher steeled himself for her to run, but he had to tell the truth. He couldn’t keep this from her. If she really was hisanam cara, she’d understand. Just as he understood that she went by many names and worked as a thief. In truth, they were more alike than she knew.
“I’m Dragon.”
It felt good to say that aloud, good to tell her the truth. And yet, Asher didn’t feel any relief as the frown flitted across Clea’s face.
“What club are you with? I was thinking of officially patching with Mav’s crew. I don’t want to be rivals.”
Asher struggled for a moment with her words, but the meaning finally set in.
She thought Dragon was his club name.
“No, not a club. I’m not with a motorcycle club. Iama dragon. A shifter. I can take human or dragon form.”
“A dragon.” Her brows being up like that couldn’t be good. “As in an actual dragon? Like a fire breathing, scaled, winged, loves treasure dragon.”
“Yes.”
She just stared at him for a moment and Asher wracked his brain for a better way to explain things, but there wasn’t one. This was his truth. He was Dragon, and he lived with one foot in humanity and the other in the land of beasts.
God, if she left now after being given this knowledge, he’d have to—
“Oh, my gosh!” She tackled him with a hug, knocking him back against the mattress. “That’s so fucking cool! No wonder you love shiny things go so much! Can I see your hoard? Wait,” She sat up. “Do dragons really have hoards?”
“We do.” He nodded on a laugh, pulling her into his arms and kissing the top of her head. “It’s how I found you, actually.” He leaned back so he could see her face. “I tracked my treasure.”
“Like Jyost’s earrings.”
“Exactly. He’s Dragon too, though I’m not sure what type.”
“There’s more than one type?”
“Yes, but we tend to keep to ourselves for the most part. There are actually a few others in town.”
As Asher explained about Pine Haven Falls being a sanctuary for shifters and the role he played in the community, Clea hung on his every word. Her unbridled enthusiasm as she asked questions and assimilated information filled him with pride and love.
The fact that she fully embraced his truth blew him away.
“This has to remain between us though, Clea,” he cautioned. “It’s not public knowledge outside the town, and even in town, most shifters keep that part of their identity on the DL because we live alongside humans.”
“You mean there are people in Pine Haven who have no clue their neighbor is actually a dragon or a wolf or whatever?”
“Yes.”
Before she could reply, he pressed in for a kiss. It was obvious Clea had a million questions, and Asher vowed silently to answer all of them later. Right now, though, he needed to connect with her in the most primal of ways.
