“On the off chance they’re offering a truce, the least we can do is listen to them,” Levi began. “Orson is a reasonable man, and I know him. The only reason we’ve been able to stay hidden and quiet in Ridgeshire this entire time is because he brokered a deal with Victor when Victor was the leader. We’ve kept to the deal, and we’ve avoided all contact and trouble with wolves.”
“Well, not all of us have.” Garret snickered.
“Thanks, Garret,” Levi shot back. “We just need to hear what they have to say. We’re out in the open, and no one is going to gain anything from the rest of the world seeing dragons and werewolves ripping each other apart in a park.”
Two cars pulled up to the park, and Levi and the dragons quickly turned to watch them. Orson got out of the first car, along with Aaron and Lyra. Levi stared right at her, trying to make sure he was actually seeing her. He focused his vision, shifting his eyesight to get a closer look of her face from across the park.
A wind blew in from behind the werewolves, and Levi could smell her, drawing on the memories which were so deeply connected to Lyra’s scent. The nights they made love, tussling around in the sheets, groping and kissing. The time they spent in the woods, laughing, running, swapping stories.
Lyra looked amazing, her blond hair carried in the wind. Her features were more defined now, a little taller. She walked with an air of confidence, her leather jacket hanging on to her shoulders. Levi realized Val had been speaking, and she tapped his shoulder.
“Are you okay?” Val asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Levi replied.
Val followed his gaze to Lyra. “Who is she?”
“Werewolf,” Levi replied, realizing that he would have to explain, but it was already too late.
“From the looks of it, she’s not just any werewolf,” said Val. She had sensed his lie, and while Levi was clever enough to hide it from his pack, seeing Lyra again had made him disoriented. Garret looked to Val, and then to Lyra, before he got to his feet.
“Wait, so that’s what you left the pack for? Dammit, Levi!” said Garret.
“That’s enough,” said Adebayo. “Here they come.”
Levi took a few steps forward to go meet with Orson, who had walked closer than the rest of the pack. Levi counted five shifters, including Lyra. She stared at him blankly, with a gaze that held untold resentment. Levi wanted to say something, but now wasn’t the time. Talking to her would only tell his pack that he still felt something for her.
But Levi wanted to talk to Lyra. An ache in his heart that had never truly died resurged, and Levi knew Lyra was the only one who could stop it. He had ripped himself out of their lives, and that hurt him more than he could say. Now, with Lyra right in front of him, Levi felt his body tense up.
“Orson,” Levi began, stretching out a hand to shake.
Orson shook his hand in a tight grip which would break the hand of the average human. “Levi.”
“We’re here, as you asked. What do you want?” Levi asked.
“An explanation as to why you and your people aren’t honoring the deal,” said Orson.
“I don’t understand.”
“We found one of our own, dead. From my investigation, he was killed, and only dragons can do that type of damage around these parts, and you are the only pack in the area,” said Orson.
“Someone died?” Garret asked, snickering.
“Garret,” Levi shot over his shoulder, before turning back to Orson. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. No one in my pack made any such moves, and we’ve kept our part of the bargain. Ridgeshire’s been safe for a decade, and we have every intention to continue coexisting.”
“Speak for yourself,” Garret whispered.
“Is there a problem, kid?” Orson asked Garret, taking a step closer.
“Maybe there is, old man! How do we know you aren’t working with the other dragon pack? You might be the one responsible for the deaths of one of our own!”
“What are you talking about?” Orson asked.
Levi turned to Garret. “That is enough from you.”
“What is he talking about?”
Levi turned at the sound of Lyra’s voice, seeing her standing with her hands folded. She didn’t seem pleased with him, not in the least. He turned back to Orson. “We lost one of our own, Cain. He was killed by a rogue dragon who came into Ridgeshire. We chased him down and almost caught him, but he got away.”