Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

Z ane walked through the streets of Misty Vale, his heart heavy with the pain of losing his mate.

There must be a way forward. But if there was, he couldn't see it. Not yet, at least. He thought of calling his friend Beth, but for what? To whine about his situation? No. And he wasn't going to burden her with the weight of the threats Ghost had made if he went against him.

But he couldn't stay cooped up, he needed to move. There had to be a way, even though it was taking every ounce of his strength and every bit of his will to stay open to the possibility. The alternative was worse. What was the point without Alena?

As he walked through downtown, his head downcast, the bustling streets, once a source of comfort and familiarity, now felt foreign and hostile. Every step seemed to mock him, reminding him of what he'd lost, what he'd been forced to give up. He began to wonder if he was being followed, too. Or were they only watching Alena? At the moment, there was little point in checking. What could he do about it if they were? Nothing made sense without his mate.

As if Zane didn't already feel bad enough, as he passed by Misty Brews, he looked up to see Ghost leaned against the wall, a smug grin plastered on his face. The biker gave him a mocking salute, as if to say, "I own you now."

Zane gritted his teeth, his dragon snarling within him. The urge to shift, to tear the arrogant prick limb from limb, was almost overwhelming. But he couldn't. Not without risking everything. The town, his kind's secret, and mostly Alena.

Patience, Zane. Good things come to those who don't shift and rip dirtbag bikers to pieces. Right. He almost chuckled out loud. It was either that or scream. He felt so powerless.

The word echoed in his mind, taunting him. He'd always prided himself on his strength, his ability to protect those he loved. But now? Now he felt like a puppet on strings, dancing to Ghost's twisted tune. But he only nodded at the biker.

Fuck!

Later that day, he stopped by his family's offices. Despite his own problems, he still needed to stay abreast of overall developments. In truth, now more than ever. He needed to see where his family stood after the events of the meeting.

Immediately passing through the door, he could already hear his brothers engaged in tense conversation.

"Zane," Dash greeted him as he walked into the main office bullpen. "Where have you been? We need to get on the same page here. What a fucking shitshow that meeting was, huh?"

"Tell me about it," he replied, doing his best not to reveal his annoyance or despair.

"Yeah, those bears just don't want to look for solutions," Striker added.

"Solutions?" Zane repeated with a start, unable to hold it in. "Not sure threatening to drive them out of town or enforce some kind of split down the middle of Misty Vale were exactly solutions. And when the hell did all that get discussed, anyway?" He did his best to control his temper, but his frustration was obvious.

"Yeah, Dad surprised us with that one, but I get it. He's looking for a long-term solution. You have to realize he has had to live with this conflict for a long time. He just wants an end to it. It might sound extreme, but maybe he's right, we just don't get along," Dash offered.

Zane's heart sank. He wanted to argue and point out the obvious. How would they respond if the bears had said dragons should leave town? But he just didn't have it in him. Besides, did he really even care at this point?

Without Alena, it was like all the wind had been taken out of his sails. For a brief moment, he wondered: if his brothers knew the truth about him and Alena, and about Ghost, maybe they could help? But just as soon as he entertained the thought, he dismissed it. His dragon hissed at the idea.

No. They would only get Alena killed. And that was if they even believed him about Ghost and his manipulations in the first place. And to even get to Ghost's threats, he would have to tell them about Alena. No, he'd had enough of their judgment for a lifetime already. He would have to somehow handle this himself. But how?

He told his brothers things were "progressing" with the bikers and getting things up and running at Misty Brews, and he vowed to stay on his toes as far as the situation in town was concerned. Having checked in with his brothers, and after promises to stay in close contact during this tense time, he excused himself.

That night, unable to bear the suffocating confines of his home, Zane took to the skies in his dragon form. He had to take care not to be reckless and snuck out to do so, on the off chance they were in fact watching him.

Now you are just being paranoid, he had told himself. The sense of powerlessness was overwhelming, as were the constant ruminations about his love, Alena.

But in his dragon form, with the cool night air rushing over his scales, he had a short respite. The stars blurred together as he pushed himself faster and faster. His beast roared his pain and frustration to the heavens, a sound of pure anguish and fury. His dragon only wanted vengeance and to be with their mate. Though he allowed his beast to take wing, he still had to exert some control. His dragon, untethered, was apt to go on the hunt and burn Ghost to a crisp as soon as he found him. That was obviously not an option until Alena was safe and sound again by his side.

After burning off the sharpest parts of his rage, he landed back on the outskirts of town. His body aching and his heart empty, Zane shifted back into his human form. Donning his clothes, he stared up at the night sky, the stars cold and distant. He would walk home.

Think! There must be a way…

He'd flown for hours, desperate for an escape from the pain that consumed him. But even the rush of soaring through the clouds couldn't erase the hollow feeling in his chest, the knowledge that he'd lost the one thing that truly mattered. Alena—his mate, his love, his everything. He'd pushed her away, shattered her heart to keep her safe. But in doing so, he'd destroyed himself, too. Was this how it would always be? Living half a life, haunted by the ghost of what could have been?

Snap out of it, he told himself, but he could not. Letting out a roar of pure frustration, Zane slammed his fist into the trunk of an old oak tree, the pain a welcome distraction from the agony in his soul. He sank to his knees, exhaustion and despair dragging at his limbs. Some dragon he was, brought low by a love he couldn't fight for. Fight or not, however, he knew one thing for sure as he let his back fall into the grass and looked up at the lone moon. He could no sooner stop loving Alena than he could stop breathing. And without her, he was lost.