Tank had driven back with the team to get his car at my house while I drove to Aurora and stopped at Lucas’s house. I sat in the driveway for a while and when I looked up Lucas was standing on the patio looking at me. “Hey Dad,” I said as he walked towards me and grabbed me into a hug. “You can let go of it all now,” he said as tears made their way across my cheeks. I had no idea why I was crying, maybe because I could let go of the guilt or maybe because I felt relief, either way I had never cried like this before. We stood like that for a while and he let go of me as I wiped my eyes dry. He led me into the quiet house and into the living room where he poured a drink for both of us. “I’m glad you stopped here first,” he said as he emptied his glass. “I’m not really sure why,” I said to him. “Sometimes we just need to let go, there’s no shame in crying Ry, no shame at all,” he said as I took a sip from my glass. “I’m going to ask Megan to marry me and before you ask no I won’t b
Life can be a series of unfortunate events or it can be an adventure. The choice isn’t always yours but the road you’re predestined to take will always take you to where you were meant to be no matter what choice you make. The road I had walked started out smooth, I had faced many hard choices but I was always destined to end up what I became.It took me a while to come to terms with those decisions and I reveled in the path I was on. It was filled with violence and blood and it satiated my beast. He was angry, angry at the world and angry at the people that filled it.I grew up in a loving house, my parents weren’t your normal run of the mill parents and the word ‘asshole’ featured a lot. My father was strict and he had no time for bullshit but he was also our biggest ally. He covered for us a lot, much to our mother’s frustration. She was loving and caring but she expected us to be gentlemen and taught us that we always represented the lair.The lair was important but family came fi
I was five years old the first time my father yelled at me and beat my ass so hard that I couldn’t properly sit down the next day. Chase and I had been playing hide and seek with Emily who was four at the time. I was hiding in my father’s office although we were forbidden from entering it. They weren’t home so I wasn’t worried about getting caught.I heard the office door open and I froze where I sat in the little niche between his desk and the wall near the windows. I heard my father on his phone and I knew I was done for unless I could sneak up on him and pretend to be cute or something.He sat down in his chair and I could see the back of his head and his broad shoulders with the phone pressed against his ear. He lifted his head and turned it to the side and then sighed loudly.“One of the fucking kids were in my office again,” he said to whoever he was talking to on the phone so I remained hidden in my spot.He ended his phone call after another few minutes and I concluded that he
I parked behind Chase on the side of Max’s long driveway. His father was the mayor and he knew all about our kind but I doubted that Max knew. I could already hear that the party was underway and we normally arrived about two hours after the parties started.“There you are!” Tia said loudly as she descended the stairs with her crew following behind her.“Sorry we’re late, Chase had an appointment with the mirror,” I said and he nudged me in the ribs.“And right now I have an appointment with Kenna,” he said as he started making his way across the room to where she was talking to Max.“Hi Ryder,” Leana said as she brushed past me with her breasts practically rubbing over my chest.“Hi,” I said feel uncomfortable with her proximity but Tia didn’t even notice and Leana winked at me.I shuddered and let go of Tia’s hand and made my way over to the kitchen to get a drink. In the kitchen I found Chase with Max, Burke and Chester doing shots and they cheered loudly as I walked over to them.
“Beast!” I called upon my own dragon.“Ryder,” he hissed at me.“Merge with me so that from this day forward we may claim each other and together accomplish our predestined fate,” I said loudly. The words had just come to me and I wasn’t even sure from where.“As you command halfling although I won’t be commanded like a lowly house lizard,” he hissed again and I laughed suddenly.“You a house lizard? And here I thought you were magnificent but now I’m not so sure beast,” I said and I could hear him chuckle.“You’ll suit me fine halfling,” he said sounding amused. He came out of the shadows and I held my breath in awe. He circled me and sniffed me tentatively as I folded my arms across my chest. He roared slightly and then merged himself into and onto me.I felt the burning sensation and I swear if I could strip off my own skin I would. I screamed out in pain as the tattoo of his likeness formed on my skin, burning and etching itself deep inside me. I felt like I would lose my mind as
For the rest of the Sunday we celebrated with our family and lazed around in the living room watching movies and napping in between. That night at dinner I felt more like myself and Martha had outdone herself making our favourites to celebrate us getting our dragons.“My boys are all grown up now,” our mother said as she looked at us.“In more ways than one,” Lucas said and Chase started laughing out loud.“What do you mean in more ways than one?” Rylee asked him.“Oh my gosh! Are you two banging girls?” Emily asked loudly and Rev almost choked and Hannah looked at her in horror.“Banging girls? Emily!” Hannah said as Rev just shook his head.“I think I hear my phone ringing in my office,” Lucas said as my mother glared at him.“Not so fast wise guy, is that true, are you two sexually active?” Rylee asked us and I didn’t know where to hide my face.“Mom seriously, do you want to discuss this at the dinner table?” Chase asked her.“That means yes Aunt Rylee,” Emily said as I pretended
Chase had to swallow his pride and he presented a clean bill of health to Melissa two weeks later on her birthday. She looked at the results of the blood test and then smiled as she kissed him. He had humiliated himself but in the end it paid off as Melissa finally accepted him.We had two months of school left and then we would also attend the Illinois Dragonkin Ball to present our bonded halves to the Elders for acceptance of that bond. Our parents would attend as well to witness the forming of the bond and after that night we’d be seen as an official couple within the lair.I had been looking at a promise ring for Tia, a promise that I wanted to make to her on our bonding night, that she’d always be the only one for me. Rylee was helping me with it and she was just as excited as I was. She didn’t know Tia personally but she was happy for me.Lucas didn’t say much since he had messed up his own bonding with our mother a few times but in the end he pulled his head out of his ass, as
There were ten more successful bondings that took place before it was our turn and I extended my arm again for Tia as we waited to be announced.“And now for our final couple, Tia Malone and Ryder Grey,” Elder Cliff said and applause broke out. Chase and Melissa were now seated close together at our table and I swear Chase was clapping the loudest.We made our way onto the stage and Tia beamed as everyone looked at us. I felt slightly nervous and Abeloth was restless to be let out but I couldn’t do it yet. He had to be patient until we eventually got home before he could separate from me.“Do you Tia Malone accept Ryder Grey as your bonded half? Do you vow to remain faithful to him and to your bond? Do you accept the placing of his mark on your neck tonight?” Elder Michael asked her.“I, Tia, accept you Ryder as my bonded half and I vow to remain honest and faithful and I accept your mark on my neck,” Tia said.