But her words were interrupted by a brisk pounding on the door.
“US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement,” a loud, masculine voice shouted. “We had word of an illegal alien sheltering here. Open up!”
Thirty-Four
Luci felt frozen in place. For years she had dreaded this knock on her door. Especially lately when it seemed like the government had gone so crazy, wanting to round up old people who had never hurt anyone and ship them away to countries they hadn’t seen since they were children. When there were so many other, awful problems in the world, why would they go on a crusade to target the helpless and the weak?
“Because they can’t fight back,” a voice whispered in her head and she realized it was Raze. He sounded like he was talking from a long way away—maybe because the Drake was in his physical form right now—but Luci could still clearly understand her new mate. “Only this time they can—open the door, Lucia.”
And quietly, the Drake began to grow.
Before Luci could answer, there was a pounding on the front door again.
“There’s no use resisting or trying to hide!” the ICE agent on the other side barked. “Open up—now!”
Feeling like she was in a dream, Luci got up and went to the door. She opened it just a crack and looked out. Two men dressed in black riot gear glared back at her.
“There’s an alien sheltering here, all right—but it’s not who you think,” Luci told them. “If I was you, I’d get away quick.”
“Cut the bullshit!” one of the men barked. He straight-armed the door, slamming it open and shouldered his way past Luci with the other man right behind him.
Then the two of them stopped dead in their tracks.
The Drake was almost the same size he’d been down in the alley by now, though he had to hunch down and bend his long neck in order to fit. Bringing his huge head down until he was right in front of them, he regarded the men with glowing golden eyes and a low, throbbing roar began to build in the back of his throat.
“Shall I burn them?” he asked Lucia.
“No,” she said quickly aloud. “No, don’t burn the nice men, Drake. I’m sure they were just leaving.” She looked pointedly at the stunned ICE agents. “Weren’t you?”
“Wha…wha…” the second man gasped.
The first man—a hard-faced officer with thinning gray hair and angry eyes was more articulate.
“That’s a fucking dragon!” he gasped.
“Watch your mouth around my kids,” Luci snapped. “And get your pendejo asses out of here now if you don’t want me to tell my husband’s Drake to burn you into little piles of ash!”
As if to illustrate her point, the Drake opened his jaws, showing razor sharp, curving fangs, and puffed a small fireball directly in their faces.
That was all it took. Howling in fear, the two men turned and scrambled out the door, running as fast as they could.
Luci went to the doorway and called after them, “And stay out!” Then she slammed the door triumphantly behind her and turned to see that the Drake had changed again. This time it was Raze, holding out his arms to her. He must have gone into the other room to get dressed while she was shouting at the ICE agents.
Luci ran to him and he picked her up and swung her around.
“Thank you!” she whispered, speaking both to the big Kindred and his Drake. “Thank you so much for everything. Thank you!”
“Of course, sweetheart.” Raze held her close. “I’ll always be there for you. Just like my Drake told you—we love you forever!”
Luci snuggled safe in his arms and smiled as her mom and kids came to hug the big Kindred too. She knew that her life was changed forever for the better and all because she had been…Saved by the Drake.
Epilogue
“So you’re all moving up to the Mother Ship?” Rochelle asked, her eyes widening. She snapped her fingers. “Just like that?”
“Just like that.” Luci grinned and then sighed. “I hate to leave my job here at Paws and Purrs, and you know I hate to leave you. But Raze’s job is on the Mother Ship and there’s an animal practice there that needs a vet tech. Also, now that ICE has that report on my mom, they could come back at any time.”
Though she privately thought they would be fools to do so. She couldn’t help wondering what kind of report the two men who had seen Raze’s Drake had filed. What could they say—that they had seen a huge green dragon who breathed fire at them? They would be laughed out of the office!
Still, she didn’t feel safe from the ICE agents in her apartment anymore and she didn’t like the idea of her mom being alone at her own place either. Also, it was time for her mother to retire.