Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Nathan

Runa was tight-lipped about why we were moving. The only one who seemed to know the full story was my dad if the jumpiness was anything to go by, but he wasn’t any more forthcoming than Runa was. I could only stay away for about an hour before my tiger couldn’t stand the separation anymore. Aiden and Andrew stood near the entrance to the cave, giving me my space, but it only made me feel trapped. I trudged out of the water, shaking out my fur, but I was too worked up to shift back. Instead, I grabbed my clothes in my mouth and headed for the cave entrance, where I caught snippets of Andrew and Aiden’s discussion.

“How do you feel about it?”

“You know how I feel about it,” Aiden growled.

“No. I know how your dragon feels about it. It’s more simple for him. How do you feel about it?”

Aiden wasn’t looking in my direction, but I could hear the scowl in his voice as he glared out over the ocean. “I’m conflicted. I want to trust her. She saved your life. Ethan’s life. She’s delivered two of the cubs in Blackridge. She says she is a healer. That is her purpose. But she also stole a dragon’s fire. Who do you think that spell was intended for? I doubt it was something she came up with on the fly.”

Stole a dragon’s fire? That wasn’t possible.

Then again… I didn’t know witches were a thing until Runa, either. What else did I not know? Just how much was I left in the dark? And how the hell was I supposed to protect my family if I didn’t know?

“No. I doubt it too. What do you want to do about it?”

Aiden jerked to face his mate, a deep frown on his face. “What do you mean?”

I wanted an answer to that question as well. If the dragon thought Runa was a threat that needed to be handled, we had a problem. She was carrying my cub. I wasn’t going to let him or anyone else hurt her, no matter what she’d done in the past.

A low growl escaped me, a warning to the two men standing nearby. They turned together and Aiden moved on instinct, putting himself between me and his mate. His mate, who was threatening the mother of my cub. I dropped the clothes, baring my teeth at them.

“Nathan,” Aiden said calmly. “We are not a threat to you.”

“Aiden? What’s happening?” Andrew asked from behind him. He was smart not to leave his mate’s protection.

“He sees us as a threat.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “He’s not fully in control. Nathan. Remember who you are.”

A snarl made Andrew jump and an answering rattle came from Aiden, his pupils thinning like a cat and glowing a brilliant sapphire. If he thought I couldn’t take him just because he was a dragon, he was going to end up surprised. I was trained to take out animals bigger and tougher than me. I had the scars to prove it.

I was readying myself to pounce when a voice in the wind caught my attention. A familiar voice.

“Nathan. Come back. Come back to me.”

Runa.

A war waged within me, to face the threat or to follow the voice that called for me. The voice that seemed to tether itself to my heart and tug, pulling me away from the hunt and back to her.

Aiden took a few steps back, pushing Andrew back with him. It gave me enough space to slink past them, though I didn’t take my eye off them until I was fully out of the cave and they were out of sight. Then I took off, barreling through the brush towards home. It was dangerous, I wasn’t supposed to be in this form during the day, but I couldn’t make myself shift. All I saw was threats. Something was coming for Runa. And I needed to keep her safe.

Dad stood at the door like he knew I’d come. He held it open and didn’t comment when I ran inside. I raced into my room, skidding to a stop when I saw her. She was right where I left her, her face still pale. But her eyes glowed purple and the wind in the room tossed her hair around like she was back on the beach. She was holding hands with the two witches, though I didn’t know why. I didn't know anything about magic. All I knew was that she called for me.

Leaping onto the bed, I stalked closer, not stopping until I stood over her, our faces inches apart. When the witches released her hands, her eyes stopped glowing, though they were still purple. She lifted a shaky hand to my face, sinking her fingers into my fur. Not fear. I didn’t smell fear on her. Just weakness. She was tired.

Suddenly, she pulled hard on my fur, making me growl. “Don’t pick fights with dragons,” she scolded.

Incredulous, I shifted back, still crouched over her with her hand in my hair. “Did you just pull my hair?”

“It was necessary. I’m supposed to be resting.”

Shame forced me to sit back, careful not to rest any of my weight on her. Martha sighed heavily.

“Shifters. Put some pants on, will you? We aren’t all voyeurs.”

I lifted my lip in a scowl, grabbing the edge of the blanket and tossing it over my lap. I didn’t want to get dressed yet. I still felt an intense pull to stay near Runa. I wasn’t moving until I knew she was okay.

Martha rolled her eyes at my lazy attempt at modesty, muttering under her breath as she left the room. Laurie took Runa’s hand again, checking her over like I’d seen her do several times since Runa lost consciousness. She smiled softly and patted her hand before following Martha out and closing the door behind her. Runa sighed, leaning on the pillows she was propped up against.

“Have you regained your control?” she queried. There still wasn’t any judgment there, despite how I knew she felt about me. She didn’t trust me. The feeling was mutual. My tiger was more on board with trusting her than I was. It’d take more time for the both of us.

“How did you know?”

She waved her hand toward the open window. “The wind told me. It tells me a lot of things. Like how you weren’t seen by any humans, but it was a close call because a few of your neighbors walked down to the beach just a minute after you were hidden in the grass.”

My face wrinkled in disbelief. I struggled to wrap my head around the idea of magic. I saw their ritual, so I knew it was real, but it was hard to convince myself that the wind was sentient and could speak.

“Isn’t that magic? They said you weren’t supposed to use magic. You’re still recovering.” I didn’t want her putting the cub at risk. Not even for me.

Runa sighed. “Yes, and no. Listening to the spirits doesn’t require magic. It requires a clear mind and a strong connection. Even you could do it if you learned to settle your mind. Talking through them, like I did to get your focus, requires magic, but I didn’t use mine. Martha and Laurie lent me theirs for the spell. It was either that or go out after you, and I didn't have the strength for that.”

I dropped my gaze to my lap, frowning at the covers. “You shouldn’t have put yourself at risk for me.”

“You shouldn’t have challenged a dragon,” she snarked back.

It was a grave warning. I was stupid to think I could get past a dragon to his mate. But she said it so sassily that I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips. Which got my hair pulled in response. I hissed, grimacing until she released me again.

“Didn’t you learn in preschool not to pull hair?” I demanded, rubbing at the sore spot.

“I was homeschooled,” she deadpanned.

I snorted and when I looked up at her, she looked amused. It eased something in my chest, and I let out a shaky sigh.

“I didn’t like the way they were talking about you,” I admitted.

She shook her head slowly. “I don’t care how they talk about me. Your safety should not be put in jeopardy from their words. They won’t hurt me. Not while I carry the dragon’s kin. You have nothing to be afraid of.”

She said she didn’t care, but I saw the look in her eyes. A flash of pain, and then a mask came up to hide it. Maybe it was for the best that I was going with her. Whatever was happening back in Aiden’s mountains, Runa wasn’t being treated well. If I could protect her from it, I would. And if I could put an end to it, even better.

The wind came through the window, more gently that time. It ruffled my hair and warmed my skin before moving on to Runa. She tipped her head, listening, and a smile ghosted across her face.

“If he wants to hear your message, he’ll have to learn how to listen.”