Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

B eing able to switch on a light whenever she wanted made all the difference to Hayley. No, she didn't want to live down here forever or anything. However, she could keep her panic mostly under control as long as she could see.

And if the lights did go out again, she might not completely freak out if Nathan stayed by her side since something about the dragonman calmed her. Well, tamed her panic. It did nothing to calm her racing heart or how she reacted to his every touch.

Even now, more than five minutes later, just remembering his solid chest against her cheek as she hugged him earlier made her breasts grow heavy and wetness rush between her thighs. It wasn't just that he was toned and probably looked amazing naked. No, his scent both turned her on and made her feel safe. Which was odd, but the truth.

A small voice in her head postured that maybe she was his true mate. In other words, if he kissed her, it'd set off a mate-claim frenzy that wouldn't stop until she was pregnant.

They also said that a dragon's true mate was usually their best chance at happiness. Part of her longed for the fairy tale— to always have someone there for her, in all ways, and to do the same for him.

However, she was far too cynical. Between her ex-boyfriends and the constant battle to get respect with some of her male colleagues, Hayley struggled to believe a guy would support her and not try to make her feel less.

Thinking about her job reminded her of how much she loved it, despite the challenges. And to do what she loved, she needed to find a way out of this place. Yes, get out and get to work.

With a clear head, she went toward the back of the long, narrow bathroom she'd found. There was a faucet, a shower, and a toilet. And when she tested the faucet, water came out. Whoever had designed this secret bunker really had thought of everything.

But at the back of the space was a door, one that wasn't noticeable at first and blended into the wall. However, up close she could just make out the outline and a switch hidden in the wallpaper design. Not wanting to end up locked in a different section on her own, she rushed back to the pantry, grabbed the broom she'd seen, and returned to the bathroom. Standing as far away as she could while still being able to reach the button, she used the broom handle to push it. The door swung away from the wall and stayed open. Only a few dim lights highlighted some sort of rock cavern beyond.

Her curiosity burned to explore right away, but she knew better. Hayley rushed back toward the command center and stopped next to Nathan. His frown didn't bode well. "What's wrong?"

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. Even though it now stuck up in every direction, he still looked good. It was completely unfair.

He replied, "I can't find a way to contact the clan. The generator is running now, and there are some computer-bound applications, but there's no internet, no phone lines, no way to let them know we're here."

Her excitement at finding the hidden cavern faded as the truth set in. "Then we are truly stuck here."

"I'm not about to give up, Hayley. Besides, we still haven't explored the entire area yet. There may still be a way out, a kind of emergency escape route, or something like that."

"Well, as to that, I found a door that opens into a cavern. I didn't want to explore it myself, but maybe we can go together?"

He eyed her for a few beats and shook his head. "Not right now. First, we both need to eat and regain our strength, then take stock of supplies. Only once we can make a survival kit should we go exploring any kind of cavern."

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't say run into it right here and now, without being prepared. I'm not an idiot."

"I know you're not, and I'm sorry." Nathan rubbed his face. "It's just turning into a long day, is all. Even if we could probably live comfortably here for years, I don't really want to live an underground version of Swiss Family Robinson."

"They were stuck on an island as a family. Children would definitely make things more difficult. But, oh! I didn't even think about it before, but will your dragon be okay? There's nowhere big enough for you to shift, at least not that I've seen so far."

Nathan smiled. "He'll be fine for a while. It's not like it becomes painful if I don't shift every day or week or whatever. It makes him antsy, which then makes me grumpy, and we'll become rather unpleasant."

"Grumpier than yesterday, even?"

"Yes, far more."

He stood and stretched his arms over his head. Hayley's gaze roamed his long, lean body. She wondered what he'd look like naked, right before he turned into a dragon. She'd never watched a dragon-shifter do that before. And suddenly, she wanted Nathan to be her first.

Not helping, Hayley. She turned toward the door. "Come on, let's check out the kitchen and pantry. If we can't find any tea, then I may become the grumpiest one of us both."

He chuckled, and she quickly stole a glance. He looked so much…younger and relaxed when he laughed. Maybe she'd try to make him do it more often.

Only because they needed to stay in high spirits and not lose hope. Yes, that was the only reason.

Nathan motioned for her to precede him. "Let's go. I'm starving, and at this point, even army rations sound appetizing."

She scrunched her nose. "I can't say the same. Pouches just don't scream real food to me."

"When you're in the field or fighting or in danger, keeping your energy up is all that matters."

They left the command center and as they approached the kitchen area, she asked, "Since you're a Protector, does that mean you served with the British Army too, like the others?"

He nodded. "I was mostly assigned to intelligence work, though. I did the same drills and training as all the others, but I didn't have to fly into battle or transport big loads in my dragon form or any of that kind of thing."

"You must have high security clearance, or at least you did?"

"I still do, since Stonefire is working more and more with the British Army, thanks to Rafe Hartley's position." She tried to remember what that was when Nathan added, "He's a liaison between Stonefire and the army. Slowly, we've built trust and have been included more in the loop and given a few assignments. Most of them relate to the dragon hunters."

"Those bastards. I can't believe they capture and drain dragons of blood simply to make money, with no regard for their lives and families and who they are."

Hayley had read a few stories about dragons found after the fact, and it had always made her cry. It was one of many reasons she'd never even thought about buying an illegal vial of dragon's blood, even to help her sister.

Nathan's voice brought her back to the present. "Dragon's blood makes a lot of money on the black market. I'm not sure what can be done about that, unless Dr. Sid or any of the other doctors can craft a synthetic version to help humans."

She opened her mouth to ask if the dragon doctors were trying to do that when they entered the kitchen and Nathan made a beeline for the stove. Apparently, their friendly conversation was over.

He said, "It's electric and seems to be in working order."

After testing the faucet, she said, "There's water, too. Both here and in the bathroom, although I don't know if we have hot water or not."

"We'll test that later. If nothing else, we can do it like in the old days and boil water and put it into a tub."

"I hope we don't have to go to weekly baths, though. I know I'm spoiled, but I like a daily bath or shower."

"Agreed." After opening the fridge, Nathan closed it. "I'm not sure what we'll need this for, but it works, too. Now, let's find some food, eat, and strategize."

"I already told you I'm not the best cook, and you admitted the same. So we might have to rely on rations."

"I can make a few things, just nothing fancy. But, yes, we'll probably have to eat rations today."

They went to take stock of the pantry, and when Hayley discovered tea bags, she cheered and did a little dance. She didn't even care that Nathan rolled his eyes at her.

She held up the box. "This is a small comfort, so I'll take it."

He picked up a few of the water jugs. "Until we know if the faucet water is potable, we'll use these for your tea."

As he strode out the door, Hayley couldn't help but stare at his strong arms and tight arse.

What would it be like to grab it as he claimed her?

Wait, no. There would be no claiming. None. Ever.

Hugging her package of tea bags, she chased after him and focused on making tea and food.

Sometime later, they both sat at the table with tea and packages of "curry." Hayley peered at the spoonful of mush and hesitated.

Nathan ate a bite and shrugged. After swallowing, he said, "It tastes fine. It won't win any awards, but at this point, I'd eat used tea leaves to try and feel full."

She sniffed and tried it. The so-called curry wasn't the worst thing she'd ever eaten, so she took another bite and another, realizing just how hungry she was.

Only when her package was half gone did she let out a sigh and sip her tea again. Looking up, she saw Nathan staring at her chest. With dread, she glanced down. Of course she'd dropped some of the orange curry mush on her cardigan.

She removed as much as she could with a napkin, but the orange stain was probably here to stay, given her past track record with curry sauces.

Nathan spoke again. "Don't worry about it. If I'm deep into a coding session, when I'm in a groove and really banging it out on the keyboard, I end up with stains on my shirt, too."

She gestured toward her chest. "It's not exactly the same thing this time, is it?"

"I don't know. You were truly enjoying your food, is all. Besides, you have, ahem, things that act like a shelf and catch things. I don't have to worry about that."

She nearly crossed her arms over her boobs, but resisted. "That just makes it worse, because then guys will stare and act like they had a legitimate reason to leer at me."

His pupils flashed—his dragon must finally be back—and growled. "Who made you feel uncomfortable?"

She blinked. "Um, random men, mostly."

"If anyone does that whilst you're staying on Stonefire, tell me, and I'll have a word."

Maybe she should be offended that he didn't think she could handle herself. And yet, she rather liked that he wanted to protect her.

And if she could protect him back and they were partners? It was something she'd always wanted before but never had.

Not going to happen. She pushed up her glasses, had some more curry, and finally said, "I'll be fine. Bram and Kai both told me to report anyone who makes me feel unwelcome. Provided we get out of here, of course."

"We will."

She tilted her head. "The more time I spend around you, the more I think you're stubborn."

He nodded at her. "Takes one to know one."

"Well, yes, that's true. It should be interesting to see which of us wins in a head-on competition."

He raised his brows. "Are you inventing games to pass the time now?"

"No, but it's bound to happen at some point. The longer we're in close quarters, the more likely it is we're going to butt heads."

"Let's hope it's not a long time," he murmured.

She nearly asked if he couldn't stand her. But given how they had to work together and if he said yes she'd hold a grudge, Hayley decided not to ask and changed the subject. "What do you do for fun?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Are we really going to ask about hobbies and favorite animals?"

She stuck out her tongue. "Excuse me for wanting to get to know you a little better."

He stared, and she stared back, watching as his pupils kept flashing between slits and round. Once they stayed round, he sighed. "Sorry. Long day, stress, and all that."

"Well, there has to be something you do to relieve tension."

His gaze turned heated a second before he looked away. "I play video games sometimes, or go flying in my dragon form."

"Can't say I've played video games, at least not since I was little. But I did like the ones where you had to solve puzzles. Are those the kind you like?"

He shrugged. "Usually you have to solve some sort of puzzle or quest in games. There's one created by dragon-shifters for our own kind, and you can explore certain time periods or legends."

"What, really? That'd be brilliant. Kind of like a fluffy history lesson."

"Sort of. Although none of the historical figures breathed fire to kill their enemies like in the games."

"So, wait, it's made by dragon-shifters and deliberately wrong?"

"Not wrong, but merely a fantasy. Just like humans can be a superhero or adventurer or a knight of old, but with magic or special powers."

"Still, I'm intrigued. You'll have to show me the game later."

If we get out , was left unsaid.

"We'll see." He stood, offered to take her empty pouch and cutlery, and went to clean up. As she watched him wash everything, it hit her that a dustman wouldn't come and collect their rubbish once a week. "What do we do with our trash?"

"There has to be some place to deposit waste, so we'll find it. Maybe even through that door you discovered."

"Well, there seems to be a sewage system in place, so you have to be right. When can we explore the cavern?"

"Let's find something to keep the door open, grab some supplies, and we'll take a quick look. If it's an extensive cave or tunnel system, we'll come back here and rethink our strategy."

She stood. "Then I'm going to look in the pantry and start getting things ready. Because if I don't learn what's beyond that door, and soon, I'll go mad."

He smiled. "I would think a solicitor would have more patience."

"I do for my job. Most of the time. However, when it comes to seeing the sky again, I'm going to become more impatient by the day."

"Go on, then. I'm nearly done."

She nearly rushed off, but stopped, touched his arm, and said softly, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being calm, reasonable, and mostly nice."

"Mostly, huh?"

"You could work on it a little."

As they smiled at each other, Hayley imagined teasing him at every meal, trying to make him laugh until they both were breathless. Naturally, a charged silence would fall, one that ended with them kissing in the bedroom.

Stop it. With a deep breath, she nodded, rushed off, and focused on finding supplies to do her first ever cave exploration.