I nodded. “I know, but it will throw them off a bit so that the entire pack of them don’t come for us. Splitting them up issmarter.”
He sighed. “Iknow.”
“And I’m not the stupid fragile human I once was,” Iargued.
He grinned. “You’re right. You’re nothumananymore.”
Getting his meaning, I punched him in thearm.
“Oww.” He laughed. “That really hurt. Just don’t run off and give your blood to any more dark witches,okay?”
This time I went for the other arm, his laughter increased.Jerk.I had been scared he was going to behead me for being half druid. Not cool to make fun of my low points inlife.
“Aww, I’m just kidding.” He took my face into his hands. “You want to know what drives me crazy about you and makes me proud at the sametime?”
I nodded. I did want toknow.
“That in the end it won’t be me to bring that asshole down. It’s all you and Isaac. You’ve got this.” He planted a kiss on my lips that had my toescurling.
Fine,forgiven.
I smacked his butt for good measure. “See you atIsaac’s.”
“Hey! If I smack your ass it’s sexist, but you can smack mine?” He raised oneeyebrow.
I nodded. “Pretty much.” I gave him a wink and picked up mybag.
The last thing I heard before getting into the car was his distinct throatychuckle.
God, I loved thatman.
* * *
We pulledthe car up to a secluded spot by the lake and turned it around, ready to make our getaway the second after Ishifted.
“Alright…” Keegan called our small group to surround him. “Sloane’s going to shift. I’m going to time one minute and then she’s going to shift back to human and we are out ofhere.”
Dominic was perched on the roof of my car, holding a gun in each hand. Man, that dude had a compulsion with always being on higher ground. I started to undress, tossing Danny my clothes so they wouldn’t have to sit on the dirty forest floor. My staff lay at my feet and I slipped my necklace off too, handing that to Danny aswell.
“You know, for a gay man I’ve seen far too many boobs this month,” Dannylamented.
I just chuckled. “Whose are nicer? Mine orSophie’s?”
Nadine grinned, listening in on ourconversation.
Danny seemed to consider this. “Well, seeing as though I don’t like boobs and yours are smaller, less to lookat…”
I picked up a pinecone and chucked it at him. He justlaughed.
“Enough games, children. We’re about to lure half a dozen druids here,” Keegangrumbled.
“Yes, daddy,” Danny said, batting hiseyelashes.
I loved my dysfunctional family. Now that I stood there fully naked, I took a deep breath and called to my dragon, bringing on the shift. For a moment nothing happened. It was like my dragon was asleep—I panicked. Then I felt her rustle and come to the surface like she always did when I brought about the change. In the beginning I’d had no control over when I could shift to and back, but now I was proud to say I think I’d finally mastered mydragon.
Danny, Dom, and Nadine just stared at me in fascination as I transformed. Once I was fully formed Keegan wasted notime.
“Alright, one minute starting now,” he said, and cocked his gun, looking at hiswatch.
