11. Alfie

Iwas restless and wanted to see Blaze. My whole days suddenly revolved around him, and I counted down the time until I could sneak out of the castle and see him.

I particularly liked the way he smiled when he saw me. That made me feel good.

With that thought, I was already out of my door and heading down to the woods. I had to hurry over to the far edge which was nearest to the boundary or people would be able to see me from the castle. I always got impatient on that part because I wanted to get to Blaze sooner.

I was concentrating so hard on getting to our den that I didn't even look around me.

I had no idea that the shot was coming before the bullet sliced into me and a stinging sensation tore through my arm.

It actually took me a moment to process it and I stopped moving and looked down at my arm. Only when I saw the blood did it click that, yes, that was a wound.

Dropping to the ground, I ducked my head, not knowing if more shots would be coming. I felt very foolish as I crawled along the grass but, when I heard another shot ring out, and another, I didn't feel so silly. Those bullets whipped past over my head.

I should have been scared for my life or angry that someone had dared to shoot into our territory, but I actually didn't think about that at all. My only thought became a single, overwhelming need to get near to Blaze.

I was so worried that he would be hurt that I stood up too soon and sprinted for the tree line a few yards early. Another shot rang out and I heard the thud of the bullet slam against the tree beside me.

Dashing between the trees, I stumbled and ran as fast as I could towards the den.

I didn't need to get all the way there, though. I saw my bond with Blaze flare up, as bright as fire, and I could almost feel the fear emanating from Blaze as he rushed out to find me.

I knew he was coming because he set off for where the noise had been, and I'd run to the trees at an angle. We would probably have missed each other if we didn't have that bond.

He shot past me somewhere in the distance, and he was silent. The only reason I knew was because of the bond and I followed it, stumbling after him.

Then I realised that he was heading for the shooter and I shouted, "Blaze, wait! I'm over here! Don't go out there, it's dangerous."

I found him. Well, we were running towards each other, so I guess we found each other.

He rushed straight over to me, his face tight and afraid.

"Are you hurt, Alfie? Oh my gosh, you're bleeding. You've been shot!"

Strangely, as soon as I was with him, I felt incredibly calm. Normally if something happened, I got into a panic and it was Morgan who had to be the sensible one. Now, though, it was my turn.

I reached out my hand and touched Blaze's shoulder, and I kept my voice calm and soothing as I said, "I'm okay, Blaze, I promise. It's only the one shot and it doesn't hurt too much. I'm a dragon, I'll be fine."

As I spoke, I manoeuvred us round so that I was between him and the place where the shots had come from. Just in case.

His bright eyes looked up at me, wide and filled with emotion. "Are you sure you're fine?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm not worried about the bullet, honestly. Actually, I'm more worried about telling Mother that I got shot. She's going to have a fit. She worries," I said, with a cringe.

That was an understatement. My mother seemed to worry about me constantly and I had always dismissed it as something that mothers did but I had to admit, occasionally I'd like her to worry less. Like when I wanted to go outside and she wouldn't let me.

I sighed. She was going to take this really badly.

"Are you sure you're alright? Do you need to sit down? Can you breathe properly?"

"Yes, I can. I was only sighing. I'm not looking forward to telling everyone about this, that's all."

Blaze drew back and I suddenly realised that I'd kept my hand on him. I missed the feel of him right there as soon as he was gone.

"Are you sure you're not going to bleed to death?"

I resisted the urge to smile. I didn't want Blaze to think I was laughing at him. I was just happy that he was so worried about me, and it was clear he didn't have much understanding of dragon physiology. I would already be healing. It hurt, sure, but that was all. And it had ruined my shirt. All in all, it wasn't a disaster.

I reached for his hand and held it in mine. His fingers were cooler than I'd thought they would be.

"I'm fine, I promise. Are you cold?"

Blaze shivered. "I think it's the shock. I was- I was worried."

I smiled, taking hold of his hand properly. It was small and delicate inside mine, and I stood so close that our shoulders brushed.

"Nobody got in," I assured him. That was the most important thing, and it meant we were safe here, inside the woods. "Come on, let's get you back to the den where you can warm up."

I led him back between the trees and he walked alongside me, letting me set the pace. I made sure to stay beside him and he glanced around a bit as we went, as though he were nervous.

Blaze was always afraid of being caught, afraid of being hurt. There was a lingering worry in the corner of his mind, and I could never soothe it away. I desperately wanted to.

Everything inside me wanted to soothe and protect Blaze, to make him feel safe and warm and loved. I wanted to curl around him and hold him tightly, keep him close to me forever.

He glanced behind us again, over to the boundary.

I tightened my grip on his hand, making sure he could feel me there. "Don't worry, whoever it was can't get in."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" I answered instinctively and didn't actually stop to think about it. I just wanted to reassure my friend that he was safe.

"I got in," he said.

"They won't though. They were outside the boundary."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I caught a glimpse of them. Oh, hang on, do you think I should go back and see if I can spot them? I need to be able to identify them if I'm going to tell Glimmer what to look out for."

Blaze's hand tightened around mine and my stomach glowed suddenly like I'd eaten a load of embers.

"No, I don't think you should go back. They'll be long gone by now."

"I don't even know what they were. I should have stopped to look."

"No, you shouldn't!"

Blaze sounded so emphatic about that and it made me smile.

We were at the door of the den by that point and I pushed it open and waited for Blaze to go inside. He stopped in the doorway and looked up at me with those gold-flecked amber eyes.

"I think they were a dragon. I could sense their fire. You're not going back there, are you?"

"No."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

It would be more sensible for me to tell Glimmer, anyway, rather than go rummaging around there myself. For a start, he knew the magic around the borders, which I didn't. I felt bad about that all over again. I'd felt ashamed about it for the first time ever when I'd had to confess to Blaze that I couldn't do any magic. Couldn't even shift.

I'd suddenly felt so young and useless, except I wasn't even really that young. Just useless.

I pushed that feeling aside and led Blaze over to the armchair I'd brought down for him. Then I draped the blanket over him and said, "You sit there and keep warm. You've had a nasty shock."

"You're the one who was shot!"

"Yes, but—"

I stopped. I couldn't actually think of a reason that I wanted to take care of Blaze other than I wanted to do it. I wanted to make sure he was okay and not unhappy and that he'd be safe and warm out here. I really hated leaving him alone while I was in the castle. Knowing he was out here without me was like having a constant itch that I couldn't scratch.

He looked up at me again, but this time it was from underneath his lashes. That look seemed to burn through my whole body in a slow, sensual wave. He was so stunning. His eyes were amber, glittering with flecks of gold. I could stare into those eyes forever. My body grew hot as I looked and I hurriedly turned my back on him to rummage through the basket of food.

I was hiding my sudden erection. I hadn't meant to get one, not right in front of my friend, but my body never seemed to be properly under my control when I was around Blaze. I'd done the research and knew that men my age practically sprung boners at the drop of a hat but I'd never experienced it until Blaze had showed up. Now I was constantly trying to hide my body from him but too desperate to be near him to actually leave.

Instead, I had to quickly sit down on one of the wooden chairs and hand Blaze a bar of chocolate.

"You should eat this. It's good for shock."

He took it and raised it to his lips. My eyes followed the chocolate compulsively, watching those lips part and the chocolate sliding between them.

He noticed my stare and asked, "Do you want some?"

The blush that warmed his cheeks as he asked made me burn up inside. He looked so beautiful, sitting there all wrapped up, offering me his chocolate bar with a bite already taken out of it.

I took the chocolate and nibbled at it before giving it back, sorry that I didn't get to taste him on it.

"Thank you," he said.

"What for?"

I couldn't remember doing anything actually useful.

Blaze shifted in his chair, and I leaned across to him to tuck the blanket tighter around him when it slipped down his legs. I didn't want him getting cold.

"For that," he said at last.

"The blanket?"

"No, for… taking care of me. It's sweet of you."

"Oh. Well, that's okay. I like doing that. I want you to be taken care of."

I also liked being the one to do it, but that sounded weird. How I managed not to say it out loud, I don't know. Maybe I was growing as a person and wouldn't be so embarrassing from now on.

Somehow, Blaze made me feel as though I wasn't messing up. He liked being taken care of and it felt special to me that I got to be the one to do it. Nobody else in my clan needed to be looked after that way and, if they did, they certainly wouldn't ask me to be the one to do it. I was the youngest and they hadn't seemed to notice yet that I wasn't a baby any longer. Taking care of Blaze made something inside of me pulse with energy and my bonds shone brighter.

It was an unfamiliar feeling but it felt… right.

"You really should go back to the castle and get your arm taken care of."

I nodded. I knew that, I did. The wound hurt a lot and I really needed to tell someone about it so they could double-check the border, but I didn't want to go. Only the thought that the mysterious dragon would be lurking there and waiting to shoot at another of my clan made me get up.

"You're right, I need to go and report this. Will you please stay inside here where you'll be safe?"

Blaze nodded. I never questioned that he was telling me the truth. I knew he was. I could see his sincerity in the way our bond blazed with worry and compassion and care.

That thought kept me going as I hurried back to the castle to warn my clan not to go near the borders until Glimmer had ensured it was safe.