Finding Faith (Return of the Dragons)

Silence filled the air, Carlie’s last sentence echoing throughout the room. Even from the grave, he’s winning.

Olivia found herself nodding. What Carlie just said was exactly what she’d been thinking. She hadn’t expressed it out loud because she hadn’t wanted to rock the boat, but maybe she should have.

Because it was something that had desperately needed to be said. Thank God someone had the balls to do it.

The others were staring at Carlie with wide eyes, and it was clear that to some of them, that had never occurred to them. As Olivia gazed at them, she saw an array of emotions—everything from shock to reluctant acceptance.

And on Paisley, dawning determination and fire burning in her amber eyes.

That look said it all. Paisley wasn’t going to let them continue on the course they’d been on. The fire sparking in her eyes was one of the reasons they’d voted her their leader, their alpha. She’d always do what was best for them, and she’d fight for them to her dying breath.

She’d been slow to try to make them face their futures. She mostly seemed content to let them come around on their own—but what she hadn’t realized was that they desperately needed a leader who would push them out of their comfort zones. Someone to guide them, to show them how to live again.

Maybe that was asking too much of Paisley, since she’d been kidnapped and held captive too—but she was always the strongest of them. From the beginning, she’d taken them under her wing, comforting them, giving them gentle nudges, making them feel safe, because they finally had someone on their side.

Only, Olivia had thought they needed more. That their alpha was being too lenient with them. That she needed to push them more. And judging by the expression in her eyes, it finally looked like that was going to happen.

Relief slowly washed over her, but it was tempered by the sadness and regret she felt as she looked at her friends and compared how they looked when they first met to now. They all looked so different—and so did she.

Glancing down, she fingered the tips of her long brown hair before pushing up the black frames of the glasses she wore. None of it was really her.

Her hair was naturally a light, silvery blonde, and she didn’t wear glasses. She didn’t need them. As a shifter, she had perfect sight. Beyond perfect, actually, if such a thing existed.

It was a disguise, and they’d all made similar changes in an effort to not be recognized. A futile effort, really. Like Carlie pointed out, anyone who’d been around when they were kidnapped and held captive, anyone who knew what they truly looked like, was dead.

So why were they trying so hard to hide?

The only one who hadn’t changed her appearance was Paisley. The only concession she made was wearing a ballcap when she was in public.

The rest of them—Olivia included—could learn a lot from her.

“I understand what you’re saying, Carlie,” Sierra said softly before looking at her with a question in her eyes. “But is it necessary, Olivia? I’m not sure I’m at the point where I can be comfortable with strangers in our home. Are you sure you can’t fix it?”

Biting back a sigh, she stared at the soft-spoken woman before her. Sierra was a sensitive soul, and incredibly timid for a dragon shifter. Being kidnapped and held captive, nearly auctioned off to the highest bidder, had only ingrained those traits deeper into her.

Compassion washed over her as she shook her head, extinguishing the hope in her friend’s eyes. “You know my shifter gift is the ability to look at something and know exactly what’s wrong with it and how to fix it. But I don’t need my gift to tell me there’s nothing I can do. This is an old house, and it’s in serious disrepair. The pipes are rusted through. I might know how things need to be fixed, but that doesn’t mean I have the ability to follow through. We need a plumber. Honestly, we need more than that because the problems with this house will never end until everything’s fixed.”

Sierra’s shoulders drooped, and as she lowered her head, Olivia caught a glimpse of defeat on her face. She took a step toward her to offer comfort, but Paisley spoke before she could.

“Carlie’s right. Olivia’s right. And we need to listen to them.” Pausing, she shook her head, disgust shining briefly in her amber eyes. “Some alpha I’ve been. I owe you all an apology. I haven’t been the leader I should have been. The leader you all put your trust in. We’ve all been through so much, and I didn’t want to push you guys. I wanted you to come around on your own.

“But I see now that was a mistake, so that all changes today. No more hiding. No more meekly accepting this as our reality. It doesn’t have to be, and I won’t let it. No more disguises. No more living in a house that should be condemned because strangers scare us.”

Fiona frowned. “I wouldn’t say they scare us. We’re just wary. As anyone would be, if they experienced what we did.”

Paisley took a step forward, her eyes shining with a fierce light. “We’ve been more than just wary. But no more. Aren’t you guys tired of living like this? Afraid of our own shadows, living in a house that’s falling apart around us. Living half-lives. We’re gonna call in a contractor and get this place fixed as soon as possible.

“And we’re gonna stop being cowards. Yeah, we lived through something horrific, but we got through it, and we can’t let the past rule our futures. And what exactly are we scared of, anyway? We’re five strong, badass, motherfucking dragon shifters. If anything, other people should be scared of us.”

Olivia nodded as that knowledge settled deep in her bones, watching as the others slowly nodded as well. Sierra’s brow wrinkled as she raised her eyes to look at Paisley.

“But we still have to hide to an extent though, right? I mean, we’re dragons. Yeah, others might be scared of us, but we’re still scared of the hunters. So really, being dragons doesn’t seem to be much of an advantage when it comes to warning people off.”

“But it is an advantage when it comes to someone trying to hurt us again,” Olivia replied. “As long as we know that we can stop anyone who wants to do us harm, we’re good. Like Carlie said, the immediate danger to us has been eliminated. Maybe we can try to relax a bit now.”

“No.”

Eyebrows raising, she looked at Paisley. “What? Isn’t that what you just said? You want us to stop being scared and worried all the time.”