Chapter 26 - Kaius

The team is gearing up for patrol, everyone milling around and exchanging quiet jokes, when my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out to see a text from Julie. I can't help the small smile that spreads on my face at her joke.

"Who's got you grinning like a lovesick fool?" Milo asks, leaning up against the wall.

"Julie," I admit, slipping the phone back into my pocket. "She's got jokes today. Why was the miner so good in bed?"

Milo looks at me and shrugs, giving up on the joke.

"Because they're familiar with long shafts," I chuckle.

"That's awful," Milo laughs.

"Ah, Ms. Julie. I knew you had a thing for redheads, Kaius." Rufus teases, tossing a basket of rolled-up clothes on the ground in front of him. We are getting ready to replenish our various stashes before patrolling tonight.

"She still refusing to stay somewhere else or let someone stay with her?" Orion asks.

"Yes," I growl. Irritated that she still won't see reason.

"Maybe if you kept her more satisfied than her books, she'd be willing to listen to you," Rufus quips.

"You are hilarious. Just so funny," I deadpan.

"Hey, Man," Evander chimes in, "We're just happy for you. Julie's a good one."

"Yeah," I mumble, my smile fading a little. "She is."

Cyrus, who's been listening from the corner, finally speaks up. "Alright, enough chitchat. Let's get moving. We need to restock the crates, and then we can split off for individual patrols tonight. We need to monitor the usual spots."

We gather our gear and head out, the night air cool against our skin. As we reach the clearing near the smaller cabins, we spot Roscoe running across the trail with a pair of gold aviators on his face.

"Damn it, Roscoe! That's the third pair of my sunglasses the little fucker has taken!" Rufus shouts as he spots him.

Roscoe chitters and scrambles off toward the woods in search of who knows what. He gives a final high-pitched chirp before disappearing into the brush, and I laugh. I love the little burglar. He cracks me up. That Rufus, who is hands down one of the most fearless individuals I've ever met, is tormented by the idea of him brings me endless joy.

What I won't tell Rufus is that I have rewarded Roscoe with a bowl of grapes every time he brings me any of Rufus's things. His watch, glasses, keys, scarves. An entire box of Roscoe's trophies is stashed under my bed next to the small box where I keep extra snacks.

"He just admires your style," I tease, nudging him with my elbow.

"One of these days, I'm going to find some way to get even with you," Rufus grumbles, his eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of Roscoe. "I swear, that little demon has got it out for me."

"Yeah, sure," Orion says with a smirk. "He's probably plotting where he can scam some more grapes from."

"You could just try locking your door. I'm pretty sure he can't pick locks," Milo laughs from ahead of us.

"You guys are the worst. Fucking trash panda from hell," Rufus huffs.

"Rude. I haven't seen him eat trash in ages. Popcorn is his new favorite," I laugh.

We split up into our patrol groups, with Cyrus taking Rufus and Orion. Evander, Milo, and I head toward Merl's. We have a crate out by Merl's and one closer to the edge of town we need to replenish.

My thoughts drift back to the night Merl was attacked, and guilt settles deep into my stomach. I know I need to focus, to stay alert, but my mind keeps drifting back to Julie. I can't help but feel like I didn't handle things well in the argument with her. I'm worried that I'm going to screw this up, and one of us will end up hurt again.

"You okay, Man?" Evander asks, noticing my distraction.

"Yeah," I say, forcing a smile. "Just thinking about Merl."

"He's tough," Milo adds, his voice reassuring. "He'll be fine even with Julie out on her own. He's been doing really well in his physical therapy."

"I know," I say, flexing my hands, "I just wish I could've done more. It's my fault he got so badly hurt."

"You can't do that to yourself. All we can ever do in the moment is our best. Dwelling on it and beating yourself up will not change that," Evander offers with a shrug.

"I know, I just can't help but replay it," I sigh as we reach a clearing.

Evander signals for us to stop. I crouch down, checking the area for any sign of movement. The silence is thick. Every rustle in the leaves, every creak of the branches, puts me on edge.

Evander motions for us to continue, and we advance slowly. I scan the shadows for any sign of Eclipse. There are tracks, and the scent of two shifters is thick in the air. We start to follow the scent to the edge of Merl's property, and it fades like they took to the air. I don't love that they are still this close.

The pressure to get them out of this town and away from these people feels like it's building by the day. I hate that we've had to concede any shred of power over to them, especially in the council. I don't think it had the effect Cyrus hoped.

They aren't distracted. They're getting closer.

The rest of the patrol is long and uneventful, but the sense of unease never leaves me. I can"t help but feel like we're being watched, like danger is lurking just out of sight, but there are no immediate signs of anyone.

I let out a breath of relief as we head back to Merl's cabin. The feeling of unease still lingers, and I know we can't let our guard down. We take a few hours to finish our patrol and head back to the main house. I grab my phone from my gear and check for any messages from Julie. There's one waiting for me asking how the patrol went. No mention of the argument.

I decide to call her, wanting to hear her voice and hopefully figure out how to apologize for the way I handled things this morning. She picks up after the first ring, and I can't fight the sigh of relief that escapes me.

"Hey," she says, her voice soft.

"Hey," I reply, feeling a smile spread across my face. "How's everything going?"

"Good," she says, her tone light. "I'm just lying in bed, reading."

"Oh? What is it tonight?" I say, leaning against the wall. "Rakish dukes?"

"Dragon shapeshifters," she laughs, and I can hear the smile in her voice. "What about you? How was patrol?"

"It was fine," I say, glancing around the porch. "We didn't run into any trouble."

"That's good to hear," she says, relief clear in her voice.There's a brief pause before she speaks again, and I can't help but think she sounds hesitant. "Kaius, about earlier…"

"Hey. I'm sorry about that," I say quickly, not wanting to dwell on our argument. "I understand. I didn't think about how it was coming across. I'm not trying to control you. I am just worried. That's all."

"You sure you understand why I don't like you trying to dictate anything like that?" she asks, her voice muted.

"I do," I say, my voice softening. "I know that you've dealt with that in the past from everyone. I don't want to be that person. None of what I was saying was me doubting you. I'm worried, and I still have some guilt over not keeping your uncle safe last time."

"I know. I'm not trying to discount that either. I get that there's a reason to be worried," she says, letting out a breath. "Thank you for understanding. That means a lot."

I head down the path that leads from Lena and Cyrus's house toward town. My steps are long and lazy. Talking to her is comforting, and I can't help but relax into the conversation now that we've at least addressed the argument. I'm headed toward the museum with little thought behind it.

"So, this book, what does it tell you about dragon shifters?"