“Everyone’s terrified of him,” Jonah agrees.

“See? Perfect.”

I wince inwardly, because I’m not sure we want to get the head of the fort involved in anything involving puppies. The drakoni are afraid of nothing, but they’re wary the moment his name comes up. That makes me antsy. “We can talk with Gwen and Vaan about it,” I say. “They’ll let us know if it’s a good idea or not.”

“Plenty of time before anything has to be decided,” says Aggie. “Plenty of time. The dogs still look like blobs anyhow. Cute blobs, but blobs. You want to hold another one yet, Jonah?”

“Not just yet,” says Jonah, and continues to gently pet the sleeping puppy in his arms.

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OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER 107

DAKOTA

We spend a lovely day with Jonah visiting the bookstore we call home. A lot of it is spent around the puppies, of course. Jonah gets time to hug and hold each one, but he keeps going back to Sleepy, and I suspect that even if Sleepy turns out to be as dumb as a rock, it’s going to end up his dog anyhow. He’s in love with that little dog already.

Murr feeds everyone with a fresh haunch of deer, and I take some of the dried meat and put it in a plastic container for Jonah to take back home to his dad. Murr, Aggie and Jonah sit by the fire and pet cats and talk about what it’s like at the fort. Lord Azar, the Salorian everyone is so wary of, has been there for only the last year or two, but he’s made a lot of changes, and most of them for the better. Even Jonah’s father is impressed. “It’s really not that bad,” Jonah tells us. “I think if you guys lived there, you’d like it. It’s easier than being on your own.”

“Maybe so,” is all I say, just to be polite. Truth be told, I’m thinking of the shipping container that he and his father live in, and how cramped and stuffy it is. It’s clean and tidy and they have furniture, but I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life living in a metal box like that. Other people in the fort were living in storage sheds, or an old gas station, and I even saw a broken-down yellow school bus that looked as if it was being lived in. It might be easier, but it doesn’t scream “home” to me.

Then again, neither does a bookstore.

The realization that I don’t consider the bookstore home is a little surprising to me. For so long, our lives have been lived day to day, never thinking further ahead than next week, or even the next meal. A bookstore with a mostly intact roof is an incredible place to hide out, but the parking lot is more asphalt than dirt, the floor is hard, and the building drafty. I’m perfectly happy to live here for the next season, or even the next year. But ten years from now? Do I still want to be living on the floor in an abandoned bookstore and trying to grow tomatoes in a pothole?

I suppose the fact that I’m even thinking like that means our lives are safe and comfortable. I glance over at Murr and give him a warm look full of affection. He’s changed everything for us in such a short period of time. I can’t imagine our lives without him. With Murr, I’m safe and happy…and I can think about the future.

We return to the fort that night, heading to Samir’s home to check in on Dottie and Rabbit. Dottie looks good to my eyes. She’s got a crossword puzzle out and a nub of a pencil, and is working on one with Rabbit at her side. “Where’s Samir?” I ask as we go in.

“Someone cut themselves with a saw,” Rabbit says, getting to her feet with a yawn. “I’m on nursing duty.”

I fold my daughter into my arms, pulling her in close. “Does that mean you’re staying again tonight?”

“I think so. That okay?” She snuggles against me, and she smells like rubbing alcohol. “Plenty of time to go back to the bookstore once Dottie’s all better.”

I nod and press a kiss to the top of her head. “All right. We’ll be back tomorrow. You want anything from home?”

“Maybe another crossword book for Dottie,” she says. Her gaze slides to Jonah, and she watches him head in, moving to his favorite chair. “How were the puppies, Jonah?”

I release her from my hug, sensing that Mom is no longer the most interesting thing in the room. Jonah immediately launches into a recounting of what it was like to hold each of the puppies, his face glowing, and Aggie, Murr and I visit with Dottie.

“Can’t tell if I’m any better,” Dottie confesses, her hands smoothing the thin blanket over her legs. “But I don’t feel any worse, so I suppose that’s something. You’ll be back tomorrow? All of you?”

I nod. “Can we bring you anything? You want a pillow? A change of clothes?”

“Just come back.” Dottie gives us a thin smile. “It’s nice enough here, but I don’t want to stay forever. And speaking of coming back—Vaan and Gwen were looking for you guys earlier.”

A prickle of unease moves through me. “Oh? Did they say what they wanted?”

“No, just to look for them whenever you came back. They just wanted to chat.”

I’m not sure if it’s just the couple being friendly or if it’s something more sinister. I don’t trust it, though. Gwen and Vaan are nice, but they’re also fort. Sometimes those two things don’t go together that well. “We’ll be back tomorrow. If they come by again, tell them we’ll see them then.”

She nods. “I’m sure they’ll be back.”

I’m sure they will be, too.

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OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER 108

DAKOTA

We return the next morning. Five minutes after we enter the fort, Gwen and Vaan approach. Vaan is in human form, wearing a pair of pants and a casual T-shirt with a logo on it for a burger chain. He scratches at it as if it bothers him, and his feet are bare, his toes curling in the dirt. His mane is tidy and neat, as if he’s just run a comb through it. He looks fairly civilized, for a drakoni.

In contrast, Murr’s longer, wildly thick mane is windblown, and he’s wearing nothing but his usual wrap around his loins. I’m oddly happy about Murr’s quiet refusal to change who he is. He’s perfectly fine with not blending in with humanity, like he doesn’t need to impress anyone in the fort. Murr nods a greeting at Vaan, clasping hands in an awkward handshake that looks as unnatural as it probably feels.

“Hello again,” Gwen calls out, waving us down. “Spending the day here?”

I nod, indicating the backpack I’m holding. “Visiting Dottie, and we’ve got a few books and some dried meat to trade.”

I’ve also included the book Introduction to Homesteading. If I need to bring up the herd of cattle, I can use it as a bargaining piece, just in case we need more power than we have.

Vaan scratches at his shirt and eyes Murr. “Hunt?”

My mate nods. “Hunt good.”

“You go have fun,” I say. I imagine hunting together is probably a lot of fun for the drakoni. He could use some time in his dragon form anyhow. Back at the bookstore, he stays in human form a lot just to be near me, and he could probably stretch his wings a little. “You know where I am if you need me.”

Gwen’s smile remains friendly as she moves in close. “Do you like coffee? Melina is brewing a pot, and I thought we could all sit down together and chat.”

A shiver goes down my spine. “Melina? Isn’t she the mate to the Salorian?”

“She is, but she’s good people. It’s not a bad chat, by the way. It’s just a bit of talking. I promise. No one’s going to manipulate you or try to get you to stay.” Gwen raises a hand. “Scout’s honor. She really does just want to chat.”