Chapter 9

S carlet stomped through the snow, the crunch the only sound in the stillness of mid-morning. Stupid fucking Growler thought he knew everything, but he didn't. He didn't know her.

And he never would. She had to keep him at arm's length. Because the way her lips had tingled at his kiss... She'd seen stars, just like she'd always heard girls talk about at the taverns.

She shook her head and pushed open the door to the barn. Grandma was brushing Rain but didn't look up when she came in.

"So what do you think?" Olive asked, the wind outside picking up with a howl.

Scarlet scowled and began to pace in front of the stalls. "He thinks he's my mate. What the fuck? There's no way the fates would be so cruel."

"The fates don't make mistakes, child," Olive said softly. "It's as the dream foretold."

Scarlet glared at her, then spun on her heel. So that's what Olive hadn't wanted to talk about in the house? The fucking mate bond. "I refuse to accept it."

Olive's sad eyes glowed in the lamplight. "Then you're both doomed, child."

Doomed? Surely she was being overly dramatic.

The whipping wind outside increased, and Scarlet used her hand to make a cutting motion. "No, I won't let it be. Not that it matters right now. What matters is getting you safely to Eirwyn. They're anxious about delivering the egg. You're the only living person who's even seen a dragon egg hatch before. You need to be there."

Olive nodded and waved to a bag by the door. "I know, that's why I packed my bag a week ago. I'm ready when Knox gets here."

Scarlet paused and rubbed her temples. She was getting whiplash from the conversation. "What are you talking about? Knox isn't coming. He sent me to get you."

The ground shook, causing them both to stumble on their feet. Scarlet looked through the open barn door. Faint light shone off green iridescent scales, blocking the view of the cottage. Scarlet's heart raced. He wasn't supposed to be there. Something must be wrong with Eirwyn.

Olive tossed the horse's brush into an empty bucket and strode to the barn door, completely unfazed. "Ah, there you are. How's Eirwyn?"

Scarlet followed Olive out of the barn as the dragon shifted, a curl of green smoke sweeping over him. When it dissipated, Knox stood in only a pair of pants. He raked his hands over his scaled temples, sliding along the topknot mohawk braided down his back. His green eyes flashed as he turned to the barn.

"She's in labor. Please, can you help?" His eyes were wild with fright.

She hadn't seen him this scared since they'd heard the screams of the first carriage accident on the Lone Road.

They'd been children when they'd saved Eirwyn as a baby. They'd been too late to save the king and queen, but she could see the same fear on his face now. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to save his wife.

"She's going to be alright, Knox," she said softly.

He stared at her, his brow furrowed as he shifted on his feet. "You're probably right, but we have to go. Are you ready, Grandma?"

Olive handed her bag over to Knox and said, "Aye, of course, child."

Knox put his hands on his hips and stepped back into the open clearing. Frowning, he pulled a small pouch from his pocket and held it out to them.

"Oh Lailant sent this for Scarlet. I don't know why when you'll be back at Hartsgrove tomorrow, right?"

Olive handed her bag over to Knox and took the pouch, "I'm trying to convince her to run an errand for me, so she might take a week or so to get back."

Olive looked inside the small purse, then looked up at Scarlet with a mischievous grin. Scarlet's spine straightened. That look never boded well. Olive stepped closer, gripped Scarlet's wrist, and pressed the bag into her palm.

"There are no coincidences, child. Lailant knew you'd need this. I'll see you soon. Do what you need to do, but don't rush to get back to Eirwyn. She and the dragonling are going to be alright."

"Did the dream tell you that too?" Scarlet asked, twisting the drawstring on the bag.

Olive nodded and smiled. "Yes, so stop worrying, and go figure out this situation."

She jerked her head toward the cottage, then released Scarlet and turned to Knox. "Knox? I'm ready."

Knox nodded once and disappeared in a flash of cold, green smoke, turning back into the giant, green dragon.

Olive waved her hand and coughed. Her green eyes looked into Scarlet's soul, the soft daylight making them bright.

"Listen to me, Scarlet. All your life, you've been fiercely independent, but in this—with him—you must learn to work together. Talk to him. Get to know him before you reject the mate bond, child, or you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Trust me on this. Trust him."

"But Grandma, a Growler? I can't forget what they did to Mother."

"Nor should you. But saying all Growlers are bad is like saying all humans are good. We both know neither of those are true. Give him a chance to prove himself. That's all I'm asking. And use this if needed."

She squeezed the bag in Scarlet's hand, and Knox snorted his impatience. Green gas sank to the ground as he crouched on his four feet, belly to the ground and Grandma's bag looped around one of his horns. His head jerked like an overly large impatient horse, and Olive stepped onto his wing and threw a leg over his back. She moved the bag and settled her skirts.

Scarlet didn't want them to leave. Then she'd be alone with the Growler. Of course, she could handle him if he attacked. She didn't doubt that. But what if the mate thing was true? Was it something she could resist? Or was it inevitable, fate, ordained by the gods?

"Be safe and listen to your gut," Olive said as Knox lumbered onto his feet and tested the weight on his back.

Scarlet saw a movement by the cottage, and her heart jumped into her throat. No, he couldn't be seen. Knox was too on edge with the impending birth and wouldn't think clearly. He'd just snap Wulfric in half with his massive dragon jaw. Knox started to turn his head toward the cottage, and Scarlet jumped back into his line of sight.

She waved her arms to get Knox's attention and yelled loudly, "Bye! I'll be behind you soon! Go on, go to Eirwyn."

Her heart hammered in her chest, driving her to make a commotion of saying goodbye as Knox launched them into the air. With a few heavy beats of his wings, Scarlet nearly buckled under the whipping frigid air. Then they disappeared into the pale sky, clouds heavy with snow shielding the sun.

Heart still racing, she glared across the glen at the Growler and slipped the pouch into her pants pocket. He stood by the back door to the kitchen, a blanket wrapped around his waist. She couldn't quite make out his expression.

"I didn't quite believe the rumors of the dragon king. I guess I was wrong," he said thoughtfully, his deep voice echoing across the clearing.

She stomped closer, drawn to him like a magnet. "One of the many things you're wrong about."

He smiled, and her feet slowed. A thrill raced up her spine at his smile. Did the clouds part and let the sun shine on his face? No, that was just a trick of the light.

"Oh, I don't doubt that I'm wrong occasionally. But not about us, bunny." He grinned wider, and she scowled.

She crossed her arms and glared, her heart still racing. "You've got a big mouth for a monster."

His grin only widened. "All the better to eat you with, my dear."

A thrill went up her spine at his words, but her throat went dry.

"In your dreams, wolfie," she said, crossing her arms and cocking a hip.

The blanket dropped as he tipped his head up, stepped toward her, and sniffed the air. "The druid is gone."

It wasn't a question, but Scarlet barely processed his words. Her eyes swept down his body. Holy mother of the gods, she had avoided looking at his dick when she was patching him up.

But now, it was just right there.

Her senses seemed to go into overdrive. The auras around him flared before she suppressed them enough to see him. The short layer of gray and black fur over his body made her want to slide her hands all over.

Would it be soft or wiry? The mane of hair on his head blew in the wind, and she shivered. She glanced down at his dick, thick and long as it hung heavy against his thigh.

Damn, he didn't seem to be bothered by the cold at all. And she, well, she was so hot from being near him, the cold felt good.

Was this the mate bond? This undeniable tug in her gut that felt like she was tied to him with a string, and someone was pulling on the string to bring her closer.

No, she couldn't give in to it. No matter how much her mouth watered and her hands tingled to taste and touch him. It would be disrespectful to her mother's memory.

She pursed her lips and looked back up, meeting his gaze with a challenge of her own.

"So she is, but it means little. Get back inside before your busted stitches start bleeding and attract predators."

"Bunny, I am the predator."

His jaw elongated as he stepped outside and spoke, the kitchen door shutting behind him. His grin widened playfully. As much as a predator could, anyway. But the slam of the door reverberated through her as if sealing her fate.

She licked her lips and shifted on the balls of her feet, her nose twitching. She expected the surge of fear, but that familiar emotion didn't greet her. Her head said to run and hide but her body felt the lick of desire ripple through her.

He stepped barefoot onto the frozen grass, the faint light flickering over his muscles and gray fur. "The dizziness is the most concerning, but my skin is almost completely scabbed over, thanks to your help."

With each step he took, Scarlet's heart thumped harder.

She stepped back, her hands going to her daggers. "You busted the stitches–"

"And I put on the ointment when you left. Even as I did, the last one sealed over. Should be completely healed by morning."

She froze, her hands shaking slightly as she grabbed her daggers and held them, combat ready. She'd never had a problem with nerves before, so what the fuck was wrong with her? She took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes, bending her knees to prepare to jump. Whether at him or away from him, she didn't know.

She shook her head on the exhale. "No, you're weak, an invalid." She didn't know who she was trying to convince, him or her.

He grinned as his jaw completely shifted into a wolf's even though he remained upright on two human legs covered in that gray fur. "That tea must've kicked in all the way. Even now, the dizziness is fading. Hells, I feel like I could run for miles."

Panic clawed at her throat, and her nose twitched furiously. The stiff brush of fear slid down her spine like ice.

Damn it, she didn't want the fear or the desire. Why couldn't she just be? She refused to give in to this fear, this rabbit side of her that whispered to run and hide.

What side of her wanted to bend over and just let him rail her with that big dick?

Her cheeks heated at the thought, and he stalked toward her. She backed up, daggers gleaming in the faint light.

He stopped in his tracks, lifting his nose to take a deep sniff of the crisp winter air. "You're hesitant, but not completely terrified like you were in the cottage. We're making progress."

She shot him a glare and took a step back. "I'm cautious, not scared. And I'm not stupid enough to freeze to death out here. Get back inside."

"But it would be so much fun to play," he exclaimed, grinning mischievously. "We could test the druid's theory and see how far we can push our boundaries."

She snorted in response. "It's too cold and it looks like it might snow soon. Only an idiot would think playing in the Feral Forest is a good idea right now."

"Ah, but there's so much room out here compared to inside. So much better to chase you down and eat your pretty pussy, my dear." He prowled closer and sniffed again. "Interesting, you like that dirty talk, bunny? Do you want the big bad wolf to chase you through the woods and pin you down until you moan?"

She gritted her teeth and shook her head vehemently. "Hell no, you don't get to know what I like and don't like, Growler. Let's get that straight right now. You and I will never happen."

He leaned down, his arms turning into paws as his body morphed into his giant wolf form.

She sucked in a breath. "What—what are you doing?" Damn her breathy whisper. She was not scared. She just didn't like surprises.

"If we're not going to happen or take a fun run through the woods, I suppose I can get comfortable then."

Her eyes widened as his tail wagged and he stretched, never taking his golden eyes off her. Fuck, he could talk while shifted?

Knox could only speak to Eirwyn while shifted because she was his mate. But that was all in her mind.

Scarlet could literally hear him. "Can all Growlers speak while shifted?"

He sat on his haunches and scratched behind his ear as he nodded. "Of course." The movement made him seem like an overgrown dog instead of a dangerous monster.

But she wouldn't let down her guard. He yawned, then shook his entire body.

"There, that's so much better. A little sore, but the shift will help speed up the healing. When I turn back, the stitches will be gone along with the open wounds. Then I'll be well enough to play with my mate."

Her hands fisted at her sides. "When are you going to get it through your thick skull that we're not mates? It's not gonna happen, Growler."

He prowled closer, so she bent her knees, bouncing slightly and ready to spring into action.

"Perhaps you don't understand what being mates means for Growlers," he said softly, his eyes sharpening and some of the playfulness falling away. Her nipples perked at his tone, making her grind her teeth in frustration.

"I don't care," she said.

He lowered his head and breathed deeply, then sat on his haunches and looked to the sky. "Growlers rarely find their one true mate. They can mate with anyone, but that's just sex and reproduction. True mates, that's rare."

"So says you," she snorted. She wasn't going to fall for that trick. She wasn't special, other than being twice cursed.

He looked back at her, freezing her in place with those piercing golden eyes that seemed to read her soul. "So says the Elders and everyone in the tribe. In the ten years I've been a Growler, I've only seen three mate bonds snap into place. One couple was already mated when I joined. Another couple met on a hunt with another tribe and immediately sealed the bond."

"And the third?" Damn her curiosity. She pursed her lips, daggers never lowering even as he just sat there.

He stood and faced her, prowling like she had no choice in this. "The third couple denied the mate bond and refused to complete the ritual. They were dead within weeks."

Her breath caught in her throat as fear spiked through her. Then anger turned the paralyzing coldness in her veins to lava.

"If you think I'm going to fall for that, think again. You're not getting in my pants, so you can fuck off or fight me. Bring it on, wolfie."