Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

OGDEN

From the time Simon left my sight until he returned, I wore an indifferent mask. I'd had practice. I was a performer, after all. Mustering up a little fake courage wasn't so hard, particularly if it meant getting out of this room faster… and, of course, helping those poor people trapped in cages.

Honestly , it would have been fine except everyone kept looking between me and that stupid whistle with pity in their eyes.

Teague cleared his throat, drawing my attention. If I remembered correctly, he was the death mage. With a boyish face that made him seem trustworthy and sweet, he didn't look like the ancient and powerful death mages I'd known in the past. But old men would have been young once upon a time.

" I know this is a difficult situation, but I can help," the death mage said. " You don't have to go back there. You have options. I could help guide the connection between you and Simon , keep it fair. Although I haven't seen the type of bond created by a summoning before, I'm familiar with bonds between chosen mates and fated mates. I also have personal experience with bonds created by demons." He gestured toward Gage , who nodded in agreement.

" You think those bonds are like this?"

" Yes and no," Teague said. He narrowed his eyes as he studied me. Black bled over his irises and the whites of his eyes until nothing else remained and I knew he was accessing his magic. " This isn't equal like a mate bond, nor is it mutually beneficial like a bond with a demon. From what I can see, the summoner's magic dominates, making the other supe's magic subservient. It is like a parasite in some respects. Although energy can travel both ways along the bond, we know summoners historically pulled magic from the supes they summoned to make themselves more powerful. Archival records suggest a summoner may also command the other to do their bidding, but I suspect that isn't always the case. I can see the threads linking the two of you together already. The ones created by the summoning are obvious."

I didn't doubt he could do what he said and more. Death mages were blessed with a strange magic, seeing things others couldn't. But was that what I wanted?

I considered his offer.

My dragon's discontent rumbled through me at the thought of anyone interfering with this tenuous, unfinished link with Simon . I didn't intend to complete the connection created by the summoning, but I didn't want anyone messing with it either. I'd learned a long time ago to trust my dragon's instincts, since they were rooted in magic, and I trusted the Eternal Magic to steer me where I needed to be.

" As I've said, I'm doing what I want. No one is pressuring me," I said. " But thank you."

I wasn't lying, but I also wasn't an idiot. Going back to the cage worried me, more than I wanted to admit, but I needed to do this. I was the only one who could help those people.

Teague glanced at Gage , who shook his head. The death mage twisted his lips like he was trying to keep himself from arguing with me. As he sat back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest, the black drained from his eyes.

" Okay . Let's go over everything again," Van said.

Each moment Simon was out of my sight, though, was like an eternity. My unease unsettled me. It was disconcerting. I was always the person in control. I entertained and amused and put people at ease. These insecurities were unfamiliar and unwelcome. I was a dragon, for pity's sake. My kind were essentially supernatural royalty. I was never unsure. Never lacked confidence. Never overwhelmed with self-doubt.

Never .

With that word embedded in my thoughts, I shoved the strange feelings away.

I straightened my shoulders and prepared to answer all the same questions all over again.

Except … those feelings weren't so easy to dismiss, so I turned to songs again. Music had always been my companion. I filtered through the many, many songs in my repertoire. I decided some more feel-good tunes were in order. Needing a break from the ‘50's songs I'd been singing all day, I started humming " Happy " while they reviewed their notes.

" Oh ! Good one, little dragon dude," the young inquisitive one— Jeremy , I thought his name was—said as he lifted his hand to fist-bump mine. The gesture felt refreshingly normal, so I tapped my knuckles to his. Then he jumped in to sing the lyrics, harmonizing with me. He had a decent voice. We finished the song, and I was about to transition to a new tune when Van cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. He seemed to do that a lot.

" We still have more questions," he said, punctuating his words with a frown.

" Oops ," Jeremy said. " Sorry ." He didn't look sorry; I wasn't either.

" Yes , yes, Officer Hellhound ." I waved my hand, gesturing for him to continue.

This round of questions was much the same as before.

" Okay ," Gage said finally when it was clear I wasn't offering any more new details. " I think we have a fair idea of what happened. My team and I will follow up with the Supernatural Council to see if there have been more missing persons reported."

Van nodded. " We'll touch base when we know more."

" Do you have a desk I can use?" Hayden asked as he stood. " I'll start calling people. Give them a heads-up so they're prepared to leave when we know where we're going."

It was such an alpha thing to do. I wondered why the guy fought against the title .

" Talk to Dillon ," Van said.

Then Gage and his team followed Hayden out of the room—well, everyone except Jeremy .

" When can we meet?" Jeremy asked.

" Jer , not now," Adrian said.

" I know." Jeremy's cheeks darkened at the gentle reprimand. " I didn't mean like right now or later tonight, but soon? Oh , and you need to come to our next karaoke night. We can sing a duet like… Oh ! I know, " Under Pressure ." We'd be amazing. What do you think?"

" Later ," Adrian said. He looked ready to scoop his mate up and haul him out of the room. " Let the dragon be. He's got other things on his mind."

Jeremy's eyes looked so damn hopeful, though.

" I'll get in touch when this is done," I promised.

I enjoyed chatting with people. Owning a bar gave me an opportunity to engage in superficial and easy conversations with lots of people while keeping my lair private. But all these promises tonight were starting to feel like something else. Something more… personal .

Jeremy's face lit up with an eager smile. At least I could make someone happy. Although , by the end of the night, I planned to make a lot more strangers even happier.

" Come on, Jeremy ." This time, Jeremy let his mate drag him out of the room. Then I was alone with Officer Hellhound again.

" How are you holding up?" Van asked.

I shrugged. " Happy to be done with all those questions. This isn't how I like to spend my time."

" That's fair," the hellhound said. " I've contacted the Aspen Bay police. They're heading over to where you said you go swimming to see if they can find anything. In the meantime, is there anyone you need to call?"

" Yes . I should have called Wesley , my assistant manager, as soon as I popped up in Willow Lake ."

" Okay . Let's make that happen."

The Great Blue Heron shifter would be beside himself with worry by now. Either that or they'd scooped him up too. Just because I hadn't seen him in the room didn't mean he wasn't there.

Van left the meeting room to give me a little privacy after showing me how to dial out on the landline. I called The Drunken Drake , the bar Wesley helped manage with me.

" Hello ?" Wesley sounded tentative. He was probably confused about why the bar was getting a call from the police. Relief filled me at the sound of his voice.

" Wesley , thank Magic . You are okay."

Wesley didn't speak for a long beat. I imagined my little heron friend to be welling up with joy. " Hold on, let me get somewhere quieter," he said.

The loud and boisterous background noise suggested the bar was hopping. It was too bad I had to end it. A moment later, it was quieter on his end. He'd probably gone into the office.

" Ogden ? Is that you?" Wesley asked.

" The one and only." I grinned.

" How …" He paused and cleared his throat. " Where are you?"

" I've had the strangest day. You won't believe what happened." I laughed.

" Oh ?" It sounded more like a squeak or that awk sound his kind usually made when they took on their shifted form.

" Are you okay, Wesley ?"

" Me ?" He squeaked again. " Yes . Yes . Of course. You were saying?"

" I'm at a police station of all places, can you believe it? I was abducted during my swim last night. It was the strangest thing. Are you okay? What about the rest of the staff? Is anyone else missing? Has anyone shady been hanging around today?"

" No . No one that I noticed," he said quickly.

" Are you sure you're okay? You sound a little breathless."

" Fine . Just fine. Busy night." I could hear him swallow. " You say someone abducted you?"

" Yes . But I'm free now. Obviously . I've made my statement to the police. They've already contacted the Aspen Bay Police , so someone will come poke around shortly. Don't worry. They have my blessing to do anything they like. Give them full access. I want these bastards found."

" Of course. Who would do such a thing?"

He sounded squeaky again. Herons didn't usually squeak. At least not in my experience. What was wrong with the guy? Unless …? No . Wesley couldn't be involved. Could he? In the past, my kind ate his kind. I hoped he hadn't done something stupid. He wouldn't want to earn my wrath.

If only I wasn't so damn blank about what had happened to me.

" Who indeed," I said .

Another long pause followed.

" What can I do?" Wesley asked eventually.

" We need to shut the pub down for a bit. Make apologies to the staff. Everyone will receive their full pay. But until we know what happened, I don't want to put anyone else at risk. I don't know how my abductors chose me, but if they used The Drunken Drake as a hunting ground, I refuse to let them do it again."

" Closed ?" Wesley squawked. " We never close."

" Needs must, Wesley ," I said firmly. His attitude was annoying me. " Close the doors."

" But … But …"

" Do it. It is my money and my business. I will return as soon as I can, but there are a few things I need to deal with first." What an understatement.

" Okay ." Sullen and sulky didn't suit Wesley . Come to think of it, pouting didn't suit anyone.

" Good ," I said.

After another few minutes of discussing logistics, I ended the call.

I waved Van back into the room. I considered letting my suspicions go until I knew for sure whether Wesley was involved or if he was just coming down with a throat infection that was making him sound weird, but too many other supes were at risk. If he was innocent, he had nothing to fear. And if he wasn't, well… I wasn't about to protect him. No matter how long I'd known him or how much I'd trusted him in the past.

After I explained my strange conversation to the hellhound, I asked to make another call. At the moment, my will listed Wesley as the recipient of The Drunken Drake if I died. Most long-lived supes didn't worry about things like wills, but I liked to be prepared for all eventualities. Giving my business to an employee might seem bizarre to some, but neither my parents nor my sister would want it. The place wasn't particularly lucrative or worthy of adding to a hoard; it was simply something to keep me amused for a few years.

As soon as I'd met Simon , I had a niggling sensation that my life was going to change. My conversation with Wesley just solidified my decision. There were more legalities to sort through, of course, but for now, I needed my lawyer to draft up changes to remove Wesley from my will at the very least.

Van assured me Wesley , if he was involved, would not be rewarded by my death, but if Simon hadn't blown that whistle, who would have known to stop him? My parents' hoard kept them running. Our conversations were always short; they barely had more than a few minutes to spare whenever we spoke. Although my sister and I talked regularly, we commonly missed each other's calls as well. We were each busy with our own lives. How long would it have been before anyone realized I was missing? Would there have been any evidence left at that point? Was there any evidence even now?

I hoped I was mistaken about Wesley , but I was still going to make those changes.

It only took a few moments on the phone with my lawyer to set my request in motion. As I ended my call, Van reappeared to pepper me with more questions about Wesley .

By the time we finished, I was sure my paranoia was making me see things that weren't there. Everything that'd happened over the last twenty-four hours or so had left me feeling upside down, and everyone knew dragons couldn't fly for long if they weren't right side up. The magic connected to the whistle wasn't helping. The longer we went without completing our bond, the more I felt the foreign magic urging me to fall in line.

Yes , Wesley was awkward. He always had been. All that squeaking and squawking probably didn't mean anything. But it was in Van's hands now. And I had other things to do, like spending my last few minutes of freedom with Simon before I went all Jack Reacher on a trafficking ring.

When Simon finally popped his head inside the meeting room again, I couldn't hide my relieved sigh. Was it because of the magic from the whistle or was something else going on? I didn't know. But I sprang out of my seat and glommed onto the cat shifter anyway. I didn't think he minded me clinging to him.

" You can stay here until you have to leave," Officer Hellhound said. " That way we'll know the moment you leave, and we can start tracing your location immediately."

Simon paled at the reminder of what was about to happen. I wasn't feeling so thrilled about it myself.

" Are you on shift all night?" I asked Van .

" I am tonight," he said.

I noticed how tired he looked. That was fair. None of us had planned to do this tonight. Then he left the room and shut the door. Finally , I was alone with my little kitty cat again.

I pulled Simon over to the chairs and pushed on his shoulders until he sat. I took the seat next to him, although what I really wanted was to slip into his lap, but this wasn't the time or place. As soon as we were settled, my skin tingled. I recognized the sensation; it was exactly how I'd felt before everything went psychedelic, then a moment later I'd ended up in the lake.

" My time is running out," I admitted.

He sat up straighter. He looked like he wanted to lunge for me and hold me there with him forever. " I wish this didn't have to happen."

" As much as I appreciate the sentiment, that won't work." I wrapped my hands around his. " I must help those people. No one else can."

Simon stared at our linked hands and nodded. The tingling sensation was growing. Every hair on my body was quivering. Simon tipped his head forward and pressed his forehead to mine. My eyes closed as I savored the feel of him so close to me. His scent filled my senses. The soft brush of his breath fell against my mouth.

Unbidden , my magic swelled and streamed toward him. It undulated and zinged over me like electric waves. As it grew stronger, it began gathering at the spot where my skin touched Simon's . The tips of my fingers itched as my magic bridged our clasped hands and reached for him.

Suddenly a foreign magic— Simon's magic—surged up and greeted mine.

As a dragon, I was an ancient creature, filled with more magic than most. I was a creation of the Eternal Magic , built of water and air and fire. Three of the four elements were within my domain. But Simon's , his was different. Like most land-based shifters, his magic was earthy and solid and strong. A beautiful counterpoint to mine. It grounded me, like a firm foundation upon which I could build a life…

It almost felt like we could be mates. Almost .

After centuries of being alone, I'd never imagined a cat shifter from a small town in the middle of nowhere could be the answer to everything I'd ever dreamed, but maybe I should have. Or perhaps my heart was caught up in the moment and pretending to see things that weren't there.

" Wow ," Simon whispered. " I love how I can feel your magic. I've never felt anyone's magic before."

" Hmm …" I agreed, not ready for words yet.

This was why I wanted to come back to Willow Lake . I needed to know I would see Simon again. I needed to know if any of this was real, because if it was…

" Ogden ." He spoke my name so softly that it felt like a caress. I shivered and opened my eyes. He was staring back at me. " I want…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but those two words I want sounded sure and confident, so different from the stuttering, insecure shifter I'd found on the lakeshore a few hours ago. Then his magic rushed toward me, wrapping around me. Everything about it was perfect and comforting and beautiful. I wanted more. My magic leaped forward to greet it.

" Yes ," I murmured, suddenly sure that whatever he wanted, I wanted it too.

With that one word, everything changed. He hadn't asked for anything, not with words, and yet I knew with my single syllable reply something powerful had been set in motion .

I sucked in a breath.

Okay , it probably sounded more like a gasp, but that would be a wrong conclusion. I did not gasp unless it was for dramatic effect.

I wasn't sure what Simon had wanted. He hadn't told me yet, but our magics weren't wasting time waiting for words. I could almost explain my own reaction— I tended to be decisive—but this was the most definitive action Simon had taken since I met him, but I wasn't sure he was aware of what he was doing.

And although I had impulsively agreed to Simon's unspoken invitation for more, it almost felt like my magic was surrendering. Why would it do that?

Before I could utter a word of protest, fence it in, or establish any limits, our magics collided. They rubbed up against one another in a bizarre way that reminded me of cats marking their territory. And apparently my territory now included Simon , and his included me.

Dragons were notoriously independent creatures. My clutch mate and I left our parents' nest as soon as we were able. We all still talked regularly, even doing video calls on holidays, but our lives were separate. My sister and I didn't even live on the same continent as each other or our parents. I'd lived alone for centuries, and I liked it that way. My home was my castle, and my hoard was mine and mine alone.

But this little cat had somehow breached my defenses.

His magic vibrated against mine like it was purring. Such a strange sensation. I wasn't sure what to think of it all. I wasn't disappointed, but it was… unusual. Yes , I'd wanted the cat shifter from the moment I had him in my coils by the lake, but this… this was something different. This wasn't lust. I wasn't merely seeking physical pleasure from him, nor was he just a means of keeping me out of that cage.

This was something else entirely.

Something intangible but powerful clicked into place between us, and I knew in that moment the summoning magic had won. The agreement was made. The contract was complete. Our lives were irrevocably locked together. And neither of us had discussed or agreed to the terms.

Our connection must have originated from whatever spell the whistle had evoked. A bond, but not a natural bond. Before I could retract my magic and extricate it from his, I swore the Eternal Magic herself wrapped around us and added another layer to our bond.

I gasped. This time I could have pretended it was for dramatic effect. The situation warranted a little drama. But the truth was, everything about this made me short of breath. I gasped again.

" Son of a fire breather." I choked out the curse.

My skin tingled with the strength of the newly forged connection. Could it really be so simple? Happen so quickly? Could his life become entwined with mine in one unguarded moment, an impulsive push of magic, and a nudge from the Eternal Magic ?

His magic had decided what would happen, mine had submissively agreed, and boom it was done. Just like that?

I growled at the thought.

I did not submit. I was never the submissive one in any relationship. I was a dragon. I was always in control. What had my magic been thinking ?

Except my magic hadn't acted alone, had it? Simon's had been right there too. We were in this together.

That damn whistle had fucked us both over. Although , based on the way our energies swirled and danced around us like this new arrangement warranted a joyous celebration, it was hard to tell. It almost felt like they were frolicking. And then our magics moved through one another, merging and blending until it was impossible to tell where his ended and mine started. But even now, it all felt hollow. Shallow . Not quite right.

And worse yet, there was no going back. I didn't know how I knew that, I just did.

Nausea roiled through me. This was not what I'd planned when I first realized I'd been summoned. But my magic—well, and Simon's too—had decided for us. And the connection was so much deeper than I could have imagined.

The power of the summoning magic overruled everything else. Now I was trapped here with Simon . I wouldn't be going back to that cage. Not tonight. I wasn't saving anyone. All those people would stay trapped because my magic selfishly chose to connect with Simon .

If my little kitty cat had been holding out hopes of finding his mate, I suspected this pseudo-bond of ours had just destroyed any chance of that happening. It was too deep and powerful to allow another between us. Once the bond formed, even as artificial as it was, it would eliminate the chance of anything else. I hadn't expected that from a summoning bond. Why would anyone perform a summoning if it meant they'd never find their mate?

I'd long ago given up on finding my fated mate, but I wondered if Simon would resent this change. Would he be disappointed when he got to know me better? Of course, I knew I was fabulous, but I'd also never let anyone close enough for them to decide if they thought that was true or not. I prayed my timid little kitty wouldn't regret binding himself to me like this. It was all a little too much, a little too fast.

" What have we done?" I whispered.