Chapter 9

Octane

Trinity groans softly, leaning back against a tree trunk. "That was good. I never knew a dinner of nuts, avocado, and bananas could be so filling and so darned good. Thank you." She gives me a hint of a smile. "You sure do know your way around the jungle."

"It's my pleasure. I'm sorry it couldn't be fresh meat."

"It was so good, I almost don't miss having meat."

"Liar!" I say. "I would have loved a steak on the grill, and I know you feel the same. Perhaps tomorrow night, when we are closer to home, we could risk a fire."

"We should try to make it back. If we push hard, we—"

"No!" I shake my head. "It would be too much for you in one day."

"I can do it. I—"

"I won't risk you or your child. We will rest often; too often for us to make it back from here in a day. You must be nearly six months along by now, surely?"

She nods. "I have roughly two weeks to go before I hit six months. Before my dragon goes dormant."

"I thought so. Your dragon side will already be pulling back. You won't be as strong or have nearly as much stamina as you once had. You need to take it easy, Trinity. You should not have attempted to escape."

"You shouldn't be keeping me captive."

"This conversation again. I'm bored with it. Soon, I won't have to worry as much about you escaping. It'll be more difficult in your human form."

"You're telling me," she mutters. "It's such a stupid design. Pregnant shifters should get stronger as their pregnancy progresses, but instead, we grow weaker and even lose the ability to shift altogether."

"That's why you're supposed to be with your mate right now. He would keep you safe. It's his job. If you were mine, I would not have allowed you to leave Mistveil. I would have protected you with everything I have and everything I am. You should be with him…with your own people. Not out here." I look around the dense, dark jungle full of the sounds of the night. A rustle of leaves, the hooting of an owl, and the calling every so often of some or other creature.

"Well, I'm not yours. Besides, you wouldn't have allowed me to leave Mistveil. Those were your words. Even if you were my mate, you wouldn't get to decide for me. That's not how it works." She levels me with a look. "Sorry to have to tell you, Octane, but I am my own person. I make my own decisions and take my own path in life. No one is making me or letting me do anything, ever." She lifts her brows, daring me to argue.

From the way she is protesting, I would say that someone has tried to control her. Her mate, perhaps. I don't know, but I can't put my finger on it, so I drop it. Her eyes are blazing; her whole demeanor is tense and ready. She almost wants me to argue with her some more.

She's spicy and so fucking sexy that I can't help but take note. Not for the first time, I am glad that Trinity is mated, or I would be sorely tempted to cross a line I have no business crossing.

"You're strong. Your own person, and it's commendable, but it's also a little reckless right now. It's not just you anymore, Trinity. You have to think for two now. With that in mind, you really need to tell me everything you know…please. Soon, you won't be able to make the trip home. You won't have the wings or the scales to take you there."

"Don't you worry about me. I will get back just fine, thank you very much."

"I do worry about you. I have to. I took you prisoner, which means that you are my responsibility whilst in my care. It's up to me to make sure you get a good night's rest and that we take plenty of breaks on the way back tomorrow, just like we did today. I won't put either of you at risk. If something happened to your baby, I would never forgive myself."

Her eyes shimmer. For a moment, it looks like they are filled with tears, but then she blinks a few times, and it is over. Perhaps I misread her emotions. I'm sure I did. She doesn't seem like the type to cry easily.

"You won't have a baby to take if it's gone. I would be no good to you dead," she deadpans.

"You think so fucking little of me." I give a humorless laugh. "I guess I've given you plenty of cause. I won't take your baby," I say. It isn't something I should admit. It's my only leverage. Shadow was right when she said that I should try being nice. The truth is that it stung when Trinity said she didn't trust me. It's stupid because she can't trust me at all. Just like I can't trust her. We're enemies in every sense of the word. It would be stupid, but I hated hearing her say it, nonetheless.

She looks at me like she doesn't quite believe me, which is fine. Once again, I don't blame her.

"We should get some sleep," I tell her.

Trinity nods once and lies down on the dirt, using her arm as a pillow.

"It'll be more comfortable over here," I say, looking down. "There is a nice patch of moss growing under this tree. It's almost as comfy as a mattress."

She snort-laughs. "I highly doubt it. I'm good, thanks."

"I'm afraid that I'm going to have to insist. We'll use each other to keep warm."

"What are you talking about? It's plenty warm enough. Thank you for the kind offer, but I don't want or need your body to keep me warm or for anything else."

"I don't want you running off during the night, little Red." Why do I keep calling her that? I need to stop. It sounds too much like an endearment for my liking.

She narrows her eyes. "You said you wanted me to trust you. Well, trust is a two-way street. I'm fine over here."

"Get your ass over here, Red."

Trinity rolls her eyes and sighs. "Fine. This is completely unnecessary. I don't plan on running again."

"Humor me."

"It's not like I have a choice." She lies down stiffly in front of me, facing away.

I put my arm around her, feeling her stiffen even more.

"Relax, I won't try anything. I need to be sure that you stay right here all night long."

"I will." Her voice is barely loud enough to pick up.

"I know." I wrap my arm around her, gripping her shoulder. My forearm is lying across her breasts. I'm trying hard not to notice how soft they are against my arm.

My body is flush against hers. My cock is resting against her ass. It doesn't help that she smells so damned good. We've spent hours sweating our asses off, and yet she smells fucking amazing. Wild and untamed. Of smokey honey, the scent growing ever sweeter.

Her nipples harden against me.

Fuck!

I inhale and catch the scent of— Holy fucking shit! She's aroused. I have to breathe through my mouth. I have to work hard to stop it from happening to me, too. I pull back just a little, keeping my hand right where it is. I know she'll run if she gets a chance. I know that I would do the same. I can't take that chance. I won't!

"You're not like any mated female I've ever met," I growl; my voice is deep.

"I would prefer it if you didn't talk to me right now," she says through clenched teeth, sounding pissed off.

"Why are you aroused? You shouldn't be." She should want her mate and no one else. These Reds are a strange breed. They're not like us. Sharing! It's unheard of.

I hear her swallow thickly. "I'm not! It's hormones, nothing more and nothing less. Don't flatter yourself. I don't want to talk anymore; I want to sleep."

"Fine, then do it," I rasp.

"I'm trying," she whisper-shouts, still sounding pissed off. "I hate you. You are the biggest asshole I have ever met. You should let me go already. We can stop making each other miserable."

"You can hate me all you want. Now, get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day." I say it as gently as I can.

My cock is thick and hard against my belly. I will the bastard to go down. Thing is, I know if I touched her, she would let me. If I wanted to sink into her warm heat, she would welcome me. She'd probably hate me so much more afterward, but she'd let me do it. All of it.

It makes no sense to me.

None!

Trinity

It took me forever to fall asleep last night.

All I could think about was the man lying against my back, spooning me. The one wrapped around me, holding me tight. I didn't want to react to him, but I did.

It seems I have no control over my body at the moment, and it is infuriating.

Even now, I watch every move he makes with utter fascination.

Octane is partially shifted. He has a smattering of scales over his body. His muscles are pumped and roped. He looks taller and bigger than normal, which is saying something since he is massive on a normal day. His eyes seem to glow as he hoists the deer carcass over his shoulder. Spatters of blood drip down his chest. It's a turn-on. The way he hunted the animal. The way he killed it swiftly with his bare hands. I've never seen anything like it.

"You did it." I'm winded from keeping up with him. My own scales pull back quicker than they appeared. "That was amazing."

"Did you feel the bloodlust?"

"Yes, it was exhilarating." I'm breathing heavily, trying to catch my breath.

"You've never hunted before?" He narrows his eyes.

I shake my head.

"Not even in your dragon form?" He looks shocked.

I shake my head again.

"You're missing out. Moreover, your dragon is missing out. You Reds live very different lives from what I ever imagined. You spoke of a city. Do you have buildings and vehicles, the whole nine yards?"

"Of course." I laugh. "Did you think we lived under a rock?"

"Pretty much. All this time, we saw your kind as feral. We thought you preferred being in your scales. That you were all more dragon than human."

"What gave you that impression?" We walk back to where we set up for the night. Octane insisted that I sit and rest while he looked for firewood earlier. It's all ready to be lit when we get back there.

I'm salivating at the thought of meat.

"The Reds chose to leave all those years ago. You didn't want riders. The Sky Wardens are what keep us sane in our dragon forms. You didn't want to stick to the boundaries the humans gave us. You wanted free rein of the skies. You left for Mistveil, where you chose to differentiate yourselves from us by getting red markings at birth. You became the Reds, and we the Draigers. You all turned feral."

"No, we didn't. It's what you wrongly assumed. We were sick of being dictated to by humans. Sick of being controlled. We didn't turn feral. We're perfectly controlled in our dragon forms. More controlled than we ever were living on Draig."

"That can't be, and yet…it's true. I've seen it firsthand. It doesn't make any sense." He rubs his chin, leaving streaks of blood on his face.

"It's a good thing we're close to water." I smile. He looks terrible…and beautiful, even covered in blood.

"What?" He starts wiping his face, making it worse.

I laugh. "You're covered in blood and gore."

Octane smiles, and I feel that familiar fluttering in my stomach. It isn't the baby. It's my reaction to him. It's annoying. I look away before he can see anything in my eyes. He's far too observant. I don't like that, either.

"It's one of the perks of hunting." He sounds like he's still smiling. "I'll get cleaned up after I get the meat ready for the open flame."

I groan. "I can practically taste it already." I have to say that even the coppery scent of the blood is making me hungry. I guess I haven't lost my dragon quite yet.

"It won't be long." His words hang between us as we walk the rest of the way in silence.

We get back to where we set up camp. I watch as Octane starts a fire. He rubs two sticks together really fast. He's so fast, I can barely see his hands at all. They're just a blur. In no time, the sticks start to smolder where they are rubbing together. The dried-up moss below starts smoking and then catches with one tiny flame.

I squeal. "You did it."

"Nearly there." He gets down low and blows the moss, which catches fire. He adds twigs and then a couple of sticks and soon, the fire is roaring, the flames crackling.

"I'm impressed."

"You need to keep it going while I get this ready for cooking. Throw a log on every so often."

"I can do that," I tell him.

He takes the deer carcass, moving closer to the river, and begins to cut it up using his sharp claws.

I do as he asked and throw a log into the fire every so often, watching as Octane threads chunks of meat onto long sticks, ready for cooking. The flames dance, and the thought of food makes my mouth water.

Octane finishes and leans the sticks against a nearby tree.

"I'll be back," he tells me.

"I won't try to escape," I say, for the record.

"I'll catch you if you try, little Red, and I won't be responsible for the consequences." Once again, I feel that heavy feeling in my lower belly and between my legs.

Crap!

I hate it.

I know he didn't mean to sound like he was flirting, but my body decided to take it that way. Like if I run, he'll catch me and make me beg…on my knees…on all fours.

No!

I have to stop thinking of him like that.

Octane is the enemy.

He is an asshole. Except I'm struggling more and more to think of him that way. I think he's ultimately a good man.

He hangs what is left of the carcass in a nearby tree, bringing me out of my thoughts.

It's getting dark, but I can still see well enough as he wades into the water. I know I shouldn't watch him, but I can't help it. He is a vision of raw masculinity. My eyes follow him as he dips beneath the water, only to emerge seconds later, droplets cascading down his hard body. With strong hands, he washes himself before ducking under once again. As he stands up from the river, my breath catches in my throat – Octane is even more striking when wet. Water drips and splashes around him, accentuating every sculpted muscle of his body. Slowly, he makes his way back, shaking his head and sending water flying in all directions. My mouth goes dry as I realize I'm watching him too intently. He called me out last night for being aroused. I don't want it happening again.

It can't happen again. In fact, I'm dreading going to bed. I won't think about it now.

I quickly throw two logs into the fire, which I have neglected for too long. I watch as sparks fly into the night sky.

The fire isn't as big or as hot as it should be, but Octane doesn't say anything. He stokes the charred wood and adds another log. Then he puts big rocks on either side of the fire, placing the meat sticks over the flames.

It doesn't take long before the meat begins to cook. The scent of roasting venison fills the air, making my stomach grumble. Octane casts a watchful eye over the flames, occasionally turning the sticks to ensure an even cook.

The jungle around us seems to come alive. There is the sound of a distant roar. I look up, gasping, my eyes wide.

"What was that?" I husk out, my heart pounding in my chest.

Octane looks into the dark jungle. "Nothing to be concerned about, just some or other predator. Don't worry too much about it. Dragons are top of the food chain. They won't try anything. It's the smell of the meat that will attract them."

"A predator. What kind of predator?"

"You really are a city-dwelling dragon."

"Yep, I am. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being in my dragon form, but all of this jungle stuff is new to me." My pulse quickens as I scan the darkened undergrowth, my eyes straining for any sign of movement.

"You're safe with me."

I look over at him, and I do feel safe, even though I shouldn't. He's my captor and my enemy, and yet, it's true, I feel safer than I did back at home at times. That is especially true after meeting the father of my child. My world turned on its head. I haven't felt safe a day since.

The fire crackles as a drip of fat spatters into the embers. From the scent, I can tell that the meat is beginning to char nicely.

Octane quickly moves the sticks from the flames, the sizzling venison steaming in the cool jungle air. He hands one to me.

"Wait a few minutes to let the meat cool," he tells me.

I nod. After waiting a short while, I take a small bite; the taste of the succulent meat has me groaning hard. "This is the best thing I've ever eaten."

Octane isn't eating. His eyes are narrowed.

That's when I hear it, too; it's the sound of wings beating. Not just any wings but dragon wings…and there's more than one of them. My first thought is, why couldn't they have waited until after dinner? My second thought is that I don't want to die.