Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

N athan's muscles burned with every inch as he climbed the rope. He couldn't imagine what it'd take for a human to do this kind of thing, and yet he knew Rafe Hartley probably could.

It also didn't help that Nathan's ribs ached as he moved. Getting hit by the bloody stalactite had been agonizing, and it was a miracle he hadn't broken anything, as far as he could tell.

His dragon spoke up. Just think of how happy Hayley will be when we haul her up to the surface again. We can endure the pain for her.

The image of her relieved face made him push even harder.

When he was nearly to the ceiling, his grip slipped, and he fell a short distance as he tried to regain his hold. He grunted as the rope skinned his palms, but he managed to stop from falling down more than a few feet.

His hands throbbed, but gritting his teeth, he climbed again. He hadn't come this far to quit now.

Eventually, he reached the opening, which was about five feet across. The second his hands gripped the edge, he drew on his last bastions of strength to haul himself up and out.

He sprawled onto the ground and stared up at the late afternoon sky, doing his best to catch his breath and ignore his throbbing palms. It was then he heard something nearby that wasn't the normal sounds of nature—no, it was children shouting.

Scanning the surroundings, he noticed how he was in a thicket of trees somewhere outside the clan.

More children's voices carried, and he made out the voice of Elliott Wells, son of Hudson and Nathan's former Protector colleague, Charlie.

"Come on, Joey! You kicked the football somewhere this way."

For a second, he wondered what the hell the children were doing so far from safety. But then he remembered there was a children's camp going on, one with both dragon and human kids.

Which meant he could easily get help and rescue Hayley faster than on his own.

However, before he could chase down the children, he needed to update Hayley. So he went to the opening and shouted, "Hold on tight, Hayley! I'm going to get you out soon, I promise. I need to get some help first, though, love."

Straining his ears, Nathan wondered if she'd heard him. The thought of her alone down there, thinking he'd abandoned her, made his stomach churn.

Then her faint reply came. "I trust you, Nathan."

Her words warmed his heart.

His dragon spoke up. Hurry up. You can think about how much you fancy her later. Our priority is getting her out of there.

I know that, dragon.

Nathan slowly rose, ignoring his ribs, and just as he finally stood upright, Joey Carter and Elliott Wells burst through the foliage. They skidded to a halt right in front of him and blinked.

Elliott spoke first. "Nathan! You're here! But you were missing. Where were you?"

"It's a long story, and I can share it later. However, Hayley is still down that hole there and needs our help. Is your dad here?"

"Yes, and so is Mr. MacLeod and Sebastian. Do you want me to get them?"

Sebastian Randall was one of Stonefire's younger Protectors.

Despite telling Hayley he needed to find help, he was torn about leaving her. However, there was another possibility. "Do either of you have your mobile phone with you?"

They both shook their heads, and Elliott replied, "No. I lost mine, and Dad wouldn't replace it. Joey doesn't have one yet, but Mark does."

He nearly swore, but held back. "Right, well, I don't want to leave Hayley. So, do you two think you can fetch some help?" The boys nodded, and he continued, "Find your dad, Elliott, as well as Sebastian and anyone else who's strong and can help pull the human female up out of a really deep hole. And when you find them, you need to tell them about where she is and to bring supplies. Can you do all that?"

Elliott's pupils flashed to slits and back before he replied, "My dragon will help me remember all that, and I'll get help."

Joey jumped in. "And I've been training with Hudson to not get lost, so I can remember the way back here."

"Good lads. Hurry as fast as you can. And if you get a little lost, shout and I'll answer."

Elliott replied, "Okay, Nathan. We'll be real quick, I promise."

The boys ran, and Nathan sat next to the hole again, willing Hayley to know he hadn't left her.

Hayley hugged herself as she stared at the tiny hole in the ceiling. Nathan had made it through, and she should be happy about it. However, with each passing minute, she felt the space and dimness closing in.

She'd known Nathan's presence had calmed her, but now she recognized just how much. He was strong and clever and dependable. Quite the catch, honestly.

And yet, she still swore there had to be some true mate dragon-shifter magic no one knew about to make her trust him so easily.

Smiling, she imagined teasing Nathan about it again later, which helped chase away her anxiety for a few minutes.

But then the soft drips from the stalactites reminded her of where she was. The only saving grace was the space was a lot larger than the trunk she'd been trapped inside as a child.

Hugging herself tighter, she debated shouting up again to see if Nathan would respond when his faint voice came through the hole. "Hayley! Help's arrived. Shout if you're still there, love."

Maybe later she'd ponder him calling her love in front of others. For the moment, she had one goal—getting out of her own personal hell. "I'm here and waiting!"

"Right, give us a few more minutes. As soon as the sling comes down, sit down and hold on."

"Okay! I'm more than ready!"

"I know, love. It'll be over soon, I promise."

She swore she heard shuffling, but had probably just imagined it. But then someone's voice rang down loudly, as if through a bullhorn—it was Sarah Carter-Wells. "Hayley! We're all here for you and won't leave until we get you out, lass."

When Hayley had first met Sarah through her solicitor work, the woman had been rather shy and closed off. But over the months, they'd become friends. And with her mate's love, Sarah had transformed bit by bit.

Yet more proof that being a dragon's mate could be a wonderful thing.

Focus. "Thank you! It's rather cold down here."

"Okay, they're lowering the swing down now. Hop on and we'll get you up right quick," Sarah said.

Hayley watched as a looped rope was lowered. Only when it was nearly to the ground could she make out a type of leather seat in the loop, which would hopefully make it easier to stay on.

She didn't hesitate to sit and shout, "I'm on and ready!"

Sarah's voice again. "Hold on, Hayley."

Inch by inch, she rose. The entire time, she focused on the opening and the growing noise. It sounded like a large group of people, but how had Nathan found them so quickly? Maybe the underground lake was beneath the clan, although she swore it was too far away for that.

The slow, steady journey upward took forever. However, she never took her gaze from the growing light. That was her freedom, and her chance to see if what she felt for Nathan was real.

By the time she was just below the opening, Nathan's face appeared and relief rushed through her.

"I'll help you up, Hayley. Just take my hand."

When close enough, she did. Nathan pulled her up and into his arms. They stumbled, fell, and she landed on top of him. He groaned, and she tried to scramble off, but he held her against him. "You're not going anywhere."

Uncaring about who saw, she closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder. She barely noticed the hum of voices or the breeze blowing. No, Nathan's heat and scent and the sound of his beating heart were all that mattered.

They'd done it. They'd found a way out. And part of her was afraid to let go of him because back in the real world, she might lose the Nathan she'd come to care for while stuck underground.

Eventually Nathan whispered, "Come on, love. Let's get you warm. Your skin is still like ice."

As he rubbed her arms, she reluctantly raised her head and opened her eyes, only to blink a few times.

Because about twenty people stood around them.

Dr. Sid pushed her way to their side before the female dragon doctor helped Hayley up. "Are you hurt anywhere? Tell me the truth, Hayley."

"No, not me. I'm fine. But a giant stalactite hit Nathan not too long ago in his dragon form. Help him first."

Dr. Sid swung her gaze to Nathan and frowned. "Why the bloody hell didn't you say anything?"

He stood taller. "I needed to rescue Hayley first. Tell me you wouldn't have done the same if it were you and Gregor."

The doctor sighed. "Gregor could have a severed limb and would still find a way to slow the bleeding, call it a scratch, and rescue me." She pointed to a nearby rock. "Sit down and let me examine you."

Hayley moved to follow, but a group of women—both dragon and human—circled around her: Melanie, Nikki, Sarah, Dawn, another human named Samira, and even Percy, the newest clan member, one Hayley hadn't seen much of before.

While Percy hovered at the back of the group, Dawn didn't hesitate to take one of her hands and pull her into a hug. "Thank goodness you're okay, Hayley! We were all so worried about you."

Dawn released her, and Nikki spoke up. "Rafe's been angry with himself for not being able to locate you two. Where the bloody hell were you?"

"Er, that's quite a story. And one I'm not sure I can share until I talk to Bram and Kai."

Bram's voice came from behind her. "I'm here, lass. I was back on Stonefire and it took me a bit to get here." He stopped in front of her. "We'll have that chat soon. For now, Nathan needs to be examined by Sid and you need to go eat and rest up whilst you wait." He glanced around and added, "And don't try pestering them for details either." Bram moved his gaze to Nikki's face. "Find a way to put bars or some sort of barrier on top of these openings without completely closing them off."

Nikki bobbed her head. "I'm on it."

After smiling at Hayley, Nikki rushed off to do who knew what.

Samira threaded her arm through hers and spoke up. "Come on, Hayley. We have some tea and food waiting nearby, in the children's camp. Once you're fed and warm, we'll take you back to Stonefire proper."

Too tired to protest, she nodded. However, before she was guided away, she sought Nathan's gaze. He mouthed, "I'll find you," and then she was whisked down a nearby path.

Each step away from her dragonman only made Hayley more nervous. Because how would Nathan act now that they were back with his clan? Yes, he'd called her love and hugged her. But for all she knew, he'd close up again and the teasing, caring dragonman from the underground bunker system would disappear.

No. She had to believe he'd shown his true self and meant it about wanting her, no matter where they were.

Although her stomach would never settle until she was alone with him again.