Anada (Book #3)

Epilogue

I pulled myself up onto the boat. Water slid off my large wings. The orange setting sun reflected of my blue and green scales.
Once fully on board, I look back down at the crystal clear waters. A kaleidoscope of colors lay beneath the waves. Various bright corals and darting fish were blurred by the rippling waves. The sky blue waters mixed with the colors like different paints being poured together.
One of my dreams had finally come true. I had always hoped for a day when we would have a mission in Australia. Swimming through the Great Barrier Reef had always been a wish of mine. Now that distant dream had become reality.
I turn around when I smell the scent of steak drifting through the air. Apparently, Reina finally decided to cook those award winning steaks she had been bragging about.
Still dripping water, I quietly tiptoe to the front of the boat. Stealthily moving along the deck as if I'm on a spy mission. My black talons wanting to click on the boat's hard floors.
I peek around the corner of the control room to see Reina standing at the grill. Heat waves rise of the grill. The intoxicating scent of steak drifts toward me.
I'm not sure if grilling on the deck of a boat is safe, but there's a fireproof dragon on bored who could put out any flame. No worries.
Silently, I try slipping up behind Reina. Right before I reach her, she turns around and smiles down at me. Seeing a dragon slinking around the boat was a common sight. I wouldn't be in my dragon form right now, if there was anyone else besides my teammates onboard
"How'd you know I was here?" I ask Reina as I make myself comfortable on one of the long seats that were at the front of the boat.
"Because. You smell like wet dragon." She replies sarcastically.
"What?! There is no such thing as wet dragon." I hold back a laugh.
Westen comes up from below deck, "Really? If wet dragon isn't a thing then what are you?"
I look down at myself. I am definitely a wet dragon. Water is still dripping off my wingtips and spines.
I shift back to a human and say to them smiling, "I am a wet human. That's what."
I quickly grab one of the white towels from off the table and dry myself off. My hair doesn't dry easily and remains damp. I then smile at my two friends again. I'm currently wearing a blue tank top and grey shorts. A fingernail sized scar is imprinted on my exposed left shoulder.
Westen leans back against the railing nonchalantly and says to me, "Hey, you never told us how you survived that poisoned bullet."
I smile at him maliciously and reply, "That's a secret."
And I definitely am not telling anyone that secret. Knowing that I healed myself of a poisoned bullet makes me feel powerful... but also very uncomfortable. Normal shifters can't do that, and if I'm not a normal shifter then... what did that make me?
At that moment Elias walks up from below deck and comes up to met us. My dragon senses tell me that he's nervous for some reason, but I ignore what my senses notify me of. We have already finished our mission, and there are no possible threats.
Elias starts talking Westen, but soon joins me by my side. As he continues to speak with Westen, Elias slowly slides closer, and then unnoticeably grabs holds my left hand with his right hand. Our fingers automatically intertwine.
Without looking down, I can feel the uneven scars along his hand and arm. It was six months ago when Elias was burned by the mind-controlled dragon. Since then there have been gruesome scars all over his arm. The skin has never been the same tan color as the opposite arm, and there are small indentions where the tissue never grew back.
The nasty red ragged scar that twisted along my right arm did not compare with Elias's. We both had scars on our right arm, and each had been inflicted by an enemy.
Reina brings me out of thought by saying, "Ok. These steaks ought to be done. Anada, could you please get some plates. They should be in one of those cabinets downstairs."
I reluctantly release my hand from Elias's, and go to retrieve the plates Reina wanted.
When Elias was stilling recovering five months ago, we became much closer than before. Of course, we knew everything about each other, but we had both learned to understand one another better. Elias was actually the only person who knew how I healed from that poisoned bullet. Keeping a secret like that from him would have felt wrong.
I find the plates easily. Then I notify Alex and Neil that it's time to eat. I'm surprised to find that Alex is actually on the computer this time and Neil is working on a camera. They abruptly leave there task when I tell them it's time to eat. Alex and Neil seem like they were looking forward to something other than the food. Smiles cover their faces, and they had an air of excitement hanging around them.
I shrug off the unusual feeling and walk back up the stairs that lead to the upper deck. The plates still in my hand.
Reina quickly takes them from me and starts serving us. The guys grab ice out of the cooler and start filling the cups. I wash off the table to make sure there aren't any remnants from the food we ate at lunch earlier today.
Then we finally start eating. Elias sits next to me to make sure he gets a seat before everyone else crowds around the table.
"Why is this seat wet?" He jumps up startled as he looks down at where he has sat.
I laugh and say, "Don't worry, Elias. A wet dragon just happened to sit there a few minutes ago. It's fine."
He sits back down even though it's still wet then tells me laughing, "Oh, a wet dragon? I would've never guessed that!"
Then Westen starts teasing me about admitting to be a wet dragon. I then throw back a comment, but I can't remember what I said because I was so focused on eating.
It had been a long time since we had all ate together like this. We usually just grabbed something to eat on the way, and if we weren't in a rush we probably didn't have enough food with us at the time to call it an actual meal.
In the back of my mind, some instinct tells me that there is some event about to happen. I keep detecting something from off my friends, but I merely set aside any worries. We are in Australia. I am in the one place a water dragon dreams to be. Nothing is going to dampen my spirit on this trip.
After eating we clean up the table. Everyone seems to have some sort of excitement drifting around them, and somehow I am able to detect this. Maybe it's another dragon ability surfacing...?
Anyway, the sun is beginning to fully set in the west. Orange lights up the sky in a dazzling display.

Every evening since we finished our Australian mission, Elias and I have watched the sun set. With the mission complete we are able to have a few vacation days which are provided by Mr.Liam.
Elias and I walk to the back of the boat so we can watch another sunset. It is always interesting to see the sun disappear over the horizon. You see a bright ball of light slowly drain away, and then all of the sudden it's gone.
My eyes are focused on the fiery setting sun. It is only a few minutes from setting, and I often have to look down at the water so I won't accidentally blind myself.
Elias begins speaking, "I know that eating steaks and watching sunsets from the back of a boat isn't really... romantic."
I turn to him smiling, "So? I'm with my friends and the man I love. I'm also floating above the Great Barrier Reef. It may not seem romantic, but we are having a good time. And that's what's important right now. Even if it's just for this moment."
He keeps his dark eyes locked with mine for a few seconds. In those eyes I see love, compassion, determination, selflessness, and... nervousness?
I give him a look wondering why he might possibly be nervous.
Elias starts out slowly, "I love you, Anada. It feels like I don't say that enough and can't say it enough... We've known each for three and a half years now. That's how long I've loved you. Whether you're a dragon or a human it doesn't matter what you are, because I love you for who you are. For being Anada Stone."
What's he getting at?
The next few moments shock me beyond measure.
Elias kneels down on his knee. There's a small blue velvet box in his hand that I have not noticed before. With slightly shaky hands he opens it, then with his badly scarred right hand extends the box toward me.
Elias, smiling with that one-of-a-kind smile of his, asks me, "Anada Stone, will you marry me?"
Immediately I answer, "Yes."
I don't even realize that I have had my hands pressed against my face. My heart beats uncontrollably, and without question I kneel down next to Elias and wrap him in a huge hug. I'm not sure if most people do that during their proposal, but I'm a dragon. I do things differently.
Still smiling widely, Elias takes the diamond ring and slips it onto my ring finger.
This is what my friends had been so excited about. The air of suspense hanging around them showed that they knew what Elias was planning.
While Elias is placing the ring on my hand, with my super hearing, I can hear my teammates talking nonstop.
We stand up together. My eyes are glued to the gorgeous ring on my finger. Truthfully, it was the first and only ring that I have ever worn before. It feels both unusual and exciting at the same time.
I wrap my arms around Elias's muscular shoulders and whisper in his ear, "I love you, Elias. More than anything in existence."
That statement is true, because if someone gave me a choice saying that I could either have Elias or be a shapeshifter, I would choose Elias in a heartbeat. He is worth it. There's no question about it.
We then both turn to stare at the fiery sun together. The orange light brightly glowing on our two faces.
Our hands are linked together. The ring on my finger being a symbol of who we are now.
Two people watch the sun set. One a normal human, the other a dragonshapeshifter. The two are vastly different, but that makes no difference to them.
Because they were with each other. Their true and only love.