Chapter 6

Chapter Six

N athan could tell they weren't the first to ever trigger the revolving fireplace because of the lack of dust and new-ish candles and matches. However, the more important question was who'd known about this secret set of rooms—had it been friend or foe? The latter could mean booby traps or danger in general.

Before he could run through who it might be, he noticed Hayley. From her tense posture, quick breaths, and eyes darting around the room like a trapped animal, he guessed she didn't like enclosed spaces.

His dragon spoke up. Then help her.

I was about to.

Then stop stalling.

Nathan moved closer to the human and offered his hand. Once she took it with a weak smile, a jolt shot through his body.

Not wanting to think about why he'd reacted that way, he focused on Hayley again. Once he squeezed her hand in reassurance, he stated, "We'll find a way out, I promise."

She searched his face and said, "Okay."

He didn't like her uncertain tone, so he squeezed her hand again and felt her relax a little more. "Right, then let's start searching."

She merely nodded, and he continued to squeeze her hand every so often as they walked. For some reason, he wanted to help ease her fears and make her forget where they were.

His dragon said, You can try and say it's for her. But every time after the first was because you wanted to.

What are you talking about?

Her soft and small, yet strong hand fits perfectly in ours. Not to mention you felt the tingle as soon as our skin touched hers.

He had. But Nathan still tried to ignore it.

His dragon said, But for how long? You should kiss her.

No. Not going to happen. Now, shut it whilst I try to find a way out.

His beast sniffed and fell silent. Probably because Hayley's anxiety had upset him as much as Nathan.

Another huge red flag about something he refused to think about.

Focus. They reached the closest door, and he offered the candelabra to Hayley. "Take it for a second."

As soon as she did, he twisted the handle, and it opened. Inside was another room, but one that looked more like a storage closet of some sort. He reached for the candles. "Give it here."

Hayley handed it back and asked, "Are those tins of food and jugs of water?"

They moved further inside and he lifted the light. "I think so. Some of it looks like the Protector rations we use for assignments. Kind of like military survival food."

"But why would that kind of stuff be stored here in such an out-of-the-way place? Plus, you're a Protector, so if they kept it stocked on purpose, wouldn't they have told you?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Kai is the only one who knows every secret inside Stonefire. Although why he'd maintain a secret bunker and not tell the other Protectors, I have no idea."

Hayley's voice was more even than it'd been since the fireplace had trapped them. "Well, then, let's keep searching. Since this stuff doesn't look to be expired, it means someone knows it's here. And if we find more clues, it could tell us a bit more of what's going on down here."

Nathan released Hayley's hand and lifted some of the tins and pouches. "These still have years left before going bad, which means it most likely wasn't left by the traitors."

"That's good then, right?"

"Maybe." Not wanting to talk about additional risks just yet and worry her further, he motioned toward the next door with his head. "Come on. Let's check what's through that other door we saw."

Even though his dragon urged him to take Hayley's hand again, Nathan resisted. Touching the female distracted him, and he couldn't chance it.

They exited, backtracked, and he turned the handle. It opened, too, but to a hallway full of doors, maybe eight in total.

Hayley said, "This is going to take a while. Can't your supersensitive dragon nose locate fresh air?"

"We're not bloodhounds. But the air isn't overly stale, meaning there's definitely some sort of ventilation system in place."

"That's a positive, at least. So let's go find the source. The sooner we get out of here, the better."

He glanced over at Hayley, only to see the human shift her feet and wrap her arms around her middle.

His dragon spoke up. She's terrified. Help her feel better.

If we do that, it'll take longer to find an exit.

I'm in no hurry. I like being near her.

Before his beast could do something daft, like suggest he pull her close and kiss her, Nathan decided to put more space between him and Hayley. So he strode toward the nearest door and opened it, revealing a bedroom. Behind another door was a bathroom. Then a kitchen and some more bedrooms, until finally he found what looked like a mini-command center.

He turned to tell Hayley this was good news, but she wasn't there. He raced into the hallway and saw her sitting on the ground, her arms wrapped around her legs, with her head resting atop her knees.

She looked so small and fragile, the opposite of the female he'd first met. He didn't like it.

Nathan moved to sit beside her. "What's wrong, Hayley?"

She shook her head, her voice muffled when she replied, "I just need a minute."

His dragon spoke up. I told you she was terrified.

Ignoring his beast, Nathan decided to distract the human with conversation. "Is there a reason you don't like enclosed spaces?"

For a few beats, he thought she wouldn't answer. But eventually she said, "If there was a window, or I knew I could leave whenever I wanted, I would probably be fine. However, when it's dark, small, and I can't leave? Then it reminds me of the time I was locked inside a trunk."

Both man and beast growled. "Who the fuck locked you inside a trunk?"

She shrugged but never lifted her head. "My cousin. He's a few years older than me, but we never really got along. He liked bullying people to get what he wanted, and I always tried to negotiate and be the peacemaker. And this one time…"

Her voice trailed off, and he asked softly, "What happened?"

After raising her head and meeting his gaze, Hayley replied, "He started shouting at one of the local kids about how he wanted to drive his dad's tractor. He was nine, and I was seven, but I've always been advanced for my age. I tried to get him to abandon the idea, saying both of our parents had forbidden us to drive any kind of farm equipment until we were older. My cousin—named Nigel—ignored me and eventually beat up the local boy until he gave up the location of his dad's tractor keys. As soon as Nigel went off to drive it, I ran home to tell my parents. As much as I didn't like my cousin, I didn't want him to get hurt, or even worse, hurt somebody else."

She quieted, her eyes going distant as if reliving a memory.

It was hard to picture solicitor Hayley growing up on a farm. And yet, the image of her running through the fields, laughing, and being far too curious about life, rushed into his mind.

And after her karaoke performance the night before, Nathan knew she'd never be boring.

His dragon spoke up. No, she'd be an adventure. Our adventure.

Nathan focused on the human female. "Did you manage to stop your cousin?"

Hayley jumped a little, as if being yanked from a memory. She shook her head. "No. By the time my parents and his parents found him, he'd driven the tractor into the side of the horse barn and hurt some of the animals. He got into a lot of trouble and was put on restriction. But eventually he could leave his house again, and when our families came together for Christmas, he cornered me in a room. And that's when he, when he…"

"He fucking locked you inside a trunk."

"Yes."

Nathan clenched his fingers into a fist, wishing he could find this Nigel and kick his arse. Dragon-shifters were stronger than humans, and he could teach the bastard what it felt like to be the weaker one for a change.

His dragon said, Focus on Hayley, not the arsehole.

It was only then that he noticed how she shivered. He tentatively put a hand on her shoulder. She immediately turned and nestled against his chest. As Nathan wrapped his arms around her, he inhaled her scent of woman and something fruity. She smelled so fucking good.

His beast said, I agree. Hold her always. She should be ours to protect.

Not wanting to ask his dragon if the human was their true mate, he stroked Hayley's back and said gently, "I'm sorry that happened to you, Hayley. Say the word and once we get out of here—because we bloody well will get out of here—I'll hunt down the bastard and teach him a lesson."

She burrowed more against his chest as her arms went around him. For a few beats, they were silent, merely holding each other.

It felt rather…nice. And warm. And the urge to protect Hayley against any threat rose inside him.

She finally replied, "Thanks, but the idiot got himself killed driving drunk, so he's not anyone's problem any longer."

He grunted. "Damn. I wanted the chance to punch him."

After lifting her head, Hayley smiled up at him. "Are you really pouting about my awful cousin being dead?"

"Yes."

She shook her head. "It's better not to think of him at all."

Nathan raised a hand and brushed some of the stray strands of hair from Hayley's cheek. Her skin was soft and warm, and he wanted to lean down and kiss her.

Wait, no. He most definitely wasn't going to kiss her.

His dragon growled. Why not? Kiss her. Then she'll be ours.

Hayley's voice kept him from replying to his beast. "Is your dragon helping you plot the demise of someone already dead?"

"No. Just being his annoying self."

His dragon growled. You're a dick.

I'm not going to tell her you want me to kiss her.

His beast sniffed. You're no fun.

The human leaned back, and Nathan reluctantly released her. She tried to smooth her disheveled hair, which only made it stand up more. He couldn't help but smile.

She raised her eyebrows. "So you do smile."

He reached out and tugged a lock of her hair. "I do."

Batting his hand away, she frowned. "I know I'm not the most put-together person. But given the circumstances, don't laugh at me."

"I'm not laughing at you. You're just…"

"What?"

Adorable. Beautiful. Brave. Mine.

Wait, had that been his dragon's thoughts?

His beast laughed. No. That was all you.

Oh, shit. He had to be careful.

"Well?"

Right, he needed to answer Hayley's question. "You're amusing, in an unintentional way."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "That's not a compliment."

"Yes, it is. Few people can make me smile, so it's definitely a good thing."

She tilted her head. "Is it, though? Because I bet you're smiling at the state of my hair. It's straight, and it never stays put, no matter what I try. And I don't like it short, because then I have to get it cut all the time." She sighed. "It's truly a no-win situation."

His eyes roamed over her dark hair, loving how it brushed against her chest and shoulders. "Your hair is perfect."

She stood up slowly. "Okay, what have you done with Nathan Woodhouse? Because that seems out of character for you."

He also stood. And it took everything he had not to pull her close, run his fingers through her hair, and show her how perfect she was. For him.

Fuck.

His dragon cackled, and he mentally gave his beast the middle finger.

After clearing his throat, he turned from her and gestured toward the mini-command center. "I might be able to trigger the emergency power supply from there. For your protection, you should stay with me."

"Yes, for my protection. Just in case."

He glanced over his shoulder and as she readjusted her glasses, he suddenly wondered what she looked like without them.

Which was ridiculous.

His dragon sighed. Eventually, you'll have to accept the truth.

Which is?

You're not ready to hear it. Just make her less afraid for now.

With that, his dragon curled up and fell asleep inside his mind.

He wasn't stupid and knew what his dragon was alluding to. But for now, he refused to deal with it. So Nathan gestured toward the end of the hallway. "Come on."

They walked into the room, and he surveyed the computers, panels, and various other electronics. This was what he was good at, and it would take all of his focus to restore the power and learn what he could about the secret bunker-like space.

There wouldn't be time to think about Hayley or his dragon's secret.

And if he stole a few glances every now and then, it was only to ensure Hayley was still in the room and safe. Just that, and nothing more.