Prep for Unguardable

Unguardable - Final Chapter

“You’re an idiot! Do you know that?”


Shoshana tried to look toward the voice. Everything hurt and she was only able open up her right eye, the left hurt too much. The fuzzy image of Teagan came into focus.


“Idiot,” she repeated in a whimper, not daring to nod. Moving her head caused shooting pain.


“Were you ever going to tell me?” Teagan demanded sitting in the chair closest to her.


“Yes,” she said in a hiss through vocal chords that were still mending. “No lies.”


“But you’d been lying the whole time.” A tear trickled down Teagan’s cheek. “Why weren’t you honest from the beginning? Why did it take you almost being murdered in front of me, for me to find out you were a shapeshifter? That I was a shapeshifter?”


“Couldn’t,” Shoshi rasped.


“Couldn’t? Wouldn’t, didn’t? It doesn’t matter. The point is you knew and I didn’t.”


“Mother -- not to.” Talking hurt. Shoshana understood Teagan’s need to confront her, but there was no way she could participate in this conversation, not with the damage her throat had suffered.


“Really? Did you hear that from her?”


Shoshana shook her head no.


“So, based on hearsay –


“Boss.”


“Based on your boss’s hearsay you chose to keep vital information away from me!”


Shoshana was not winning this argument, not today. Teagan was angry and had a right to be. Before she’d changed into a dragon she had no idea that she was Other. She thought she’d been a normal person, not a young kidnapped dragon.


“Tea,” Shoshana whispered. “No, tell you.”


“You were going to tell me?” Teagan asked, nodding her head. “Sure after you got permission. Your partner Shay told me. Lycan’s follow the rules. You follow the rules. You’d never do anything against your pack or your ‘family’.” She used air quotes.


A lump was rising in Shoshana’s throat. She desperately wished she could explain. Teagan was her life partner. She could deal with Teagan’s anger; werewolves were frequently angry. But the look on Teagan’s face was not anger, it was resignation. It hurt and Shoshana couldn’t accept it.


“No! That’s not what I meant. I –


Shoshana broke into a horrible hacking cough. A nurse rushed in and put a mask in front of her face. Her throat felt like it was on fire.


“I am sorry Miss, you need to leave,” the nurse said not bothering to look at Teagan.


“Don’t worry, I am!” Teagan said, standing up and rushing out of the room.

***

It was a week before Shoshana was able to leave the hospital. Teagan hadn’t returned. If she needed her space, Shoshana was going to give it to her.


“Are you ready to get out of here?” her partner Shay asked, walking into her room as Shoshana finished zipping up the jeans she’d just slipped on.


“You know, knocking isn’t a bad thing?” Shoshana laughed as she picked up the t-shirt lying on the bed and slipped it over her head.


“I swear, it disgusts me how you werewolves can come so close to death and never show any of it. Scars, why don’t you scar?” Shay asked watching her.


“We just don’t,” Shoshana replied. “When we shift, they just disappear. So do tattoos and piercings.”


“Crazy,” Shay laughed. “Glad I’m a witch. So…what about Teagan?”


“What do you mean?”


“Well, I’ve never seen you this hung up on anyone.”


“Shay, I love you but you can’t fix this. Teagan feels like I betrayed her.”


“Fine, but you can’t stop me from worrying about you,” she said, handing Shoshana the pair of socks lying on the side table.


“True,” she said. Sitting on the bed, Shoshana pulled on the socks and slipped into her boots. “Come on, I have my walking papers. Let’s get out of here.”


“Shoshana Cox?” The man who entered was well-dressed, wearing a suit and tie. Seeing beyond his appearance, Shoshana could tell he smell just like Teagan. Her only conclusion was that he was a Wood Dragon. “My name is Vines, I’m here to give you a ride to the consulate.”


“Okay,” Shoshana said, pulling on her jacket.


“You aren’t leaving me behind,” Shay said. “Not after last time.”


“Of course not, Ms. Harris. I have been instructed to transport both of you.”


“Ms. Harris?” Shay laughed sardonically, “Officer Harris to you.”


“Of course Officer Harris.”


“We’ll follow you in our car,” Shay said. Shoshana nodded in agreement. “I’m sure her Highness will understand if we aren’t in a hurry to be stranded again.”


“I assure you Queen Raina would never cause you any harm.”


“Good. We are still driving ourselves,” said Shoshana reiterating what her partner had said. Slipping on her leather jacket, she moved to the door and held it open. “Shall we, Vines?”


They followed the Town Car to the Edgewater Hotel. Shay whistled looking up at the waterfront structure.


“Swanky,” she said.


“Yes it is,” Shoshana agreed. Vines appearing beside her door, caused her hackles to rise. It was eerie how quickly Dragons could move.


“Queen Raina awaits you in the Penthouse Suite,” he said when she’d rolled down the window.

***

The hotel’s interior was just as posh as Shoshana had expected from the exterior.


“I hear the rooms run around four-hundred a night,” Shay whispered as they got into the elevator. “Can you imagine what the Penthouse Suite runs?”


Shoshana had a sinking feeling. Teagan was a princess, but she hadn’t fully realized what that meant. Of course Teagan had stayed away. What would Teagan want with someone like her?


Vines held the door open for them.


A tall woman was standing in front of the French doors to the balcony looking out at the view. Long strawberry blonde curls cascaded down her back. Shoshana hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until the woman turned around and she realized it wasn’t Teagan.


“Pleased to meet you, I am Queen Raina,” she said, smiling broadly at them. She sat down in a chair that was placed to her left.


“Your highness,” Shoshana said, bowing her head, wondering if she needed to curtsey or anything.


“First, I can’t thank you enough for protecting my daughter.”


“Just doing our job, your highness,” responded Shay when Shoshana didn’t reply, elbowing her.


“Did you ever catch your sister, Helena?” Shoshana asked, her arm and rib cage ached in phantom pain remembering the damage the woman had done to them.


“No, we believe she is hiding with the Metal Dragons. They were the ones providing the assassins after all.”


“I still don’t get it. Why’d she want her niece dead? Teagan didn’t even know she was a dragon. Why not just let her be?” Shay asked.


“Because if they killed Raina, there would have been those people who remembered that Teagan existed. They would have come for her instead of allowing Helena to take the throne,” Shoshana said. “In order for a coup to work, you can’t provide an out. Lions do it when they take over a pride.”


“We are people not lions,” said Shay.


“We are Other,” said Raina. “A different kind of people.”


“So what now?” asked Shay. “Are you going to go after her?”


“No. Right now, I need to solidify my court. Helena had a fair amount of supporters and I fear that some of them are still lurking around waiting for the next opportunity to cause mischief.”


“Cause mischief? I don’t think trying to assassinate a princess can be called causing mischief,” Shay laughed.


“Shoshana, Shay, to thank you for your assistance, and sacrifice, I would like to present you with these.” Raina held up two necklaces with small golden disks handing from thin golden cords. Stamped into the disc was a relief of a dragon in flight. “These will allow you to access the Hidden Vale if you ever decide to visit.” Standing up, she placed the necklaces around their necks. “For your service to our court, you have the eternal gratitude of the Wood Dragons.” Turning away from them, she walked out of the room.


Looking at each other, Shoshana and Shay shrugged and then turned to leave.


“You weren’t even going to ask about me?” A voice said, causing Shoshana to freeze.


“I’ll be in the car,” Shay said, hurrying out the door.


“I’m going to ask you one question and I only want the answer to that?”


“Okay,” said Shoshana, swallowing around the lump in her throat. She turned to face Teagan watching her closely.


“Was I just a job to you?”


The look on Teagan’s face almost broke Shoshana’s heart. Shoshana closed the space between them in three steps. She searched Teagan’s jade colored eyes as she chose her words.


“You were never ‘just’ a job.”


As soon as the words were out, Teagan pulled her forward into a kiss. Shoshana molded her body to hers as the kiss deepened.


“Don’t ever lie to me again,” breathed Teagan as she pulled away, panting slightly.


“Promise,” sighed Shoshana, contentedly.