Chapter 21 - Felix

Where is she right now? I ask Aidan through a mind link as I prepare to embark on a journey to the mortal world.

Though it isn't a long journey, it's more of a mental preparation as I rehearse what I want to say to Sierra.

She's at a pharmacy in Charlottesville, Aidan informs me. I'd decided not to act crazed and go back to the surveillance room to watch her every move.

In a few minutes, we'll be reunited, and I'll insist that she opens up to me. Knowing she still loves me now, I'm confident she'll give me another chance.

The two weeks that passed us were probably good. The old saying goes, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." I can only imagine that it's true for us.

I know it's true for me.

Thanks, Aidan.

"Are you finally going back?" Kairo asks as she pops her head through the door.

"I am," I relent with a mocking roll of my eyes. "No thanks to you."

Kairo bleats a huff through puckered lips as she comes inside. "You needed to suffer. You deserve it after what you did to her."

"You're right, but I would have appreciated it if you told me yourself."

Kairo giggles as she scans my bedroom. "Do you want me to have your bedroom prepared for Sierra's return?"

"That won't be necessary," I reply. "I'm planning on staying in Charlottesville for a while before we come back."

"Ah, like a honey—"

"Shhh…" I press a finger to my lips, frowning at my sister. "Do you feel that?" I ask when the buzzing in my ears returns. A shiver of awareness runs down my spine, the flesh on my forearms prickling with goosebumps.

"No," she shakes her head with a frown. "What is it?"

I shudder nondescriptly, glancing behind me at the sliding door leading to my balcony. Strolling toward it, I stare out at the night sky overlooking the island and wonder why the moon suddenly calls out to me. A language I don't understand, but one that feels more like a warning sign.

Something is wrong.

"I've been having these strange feelings since earlier," I tell my sister with a shrug as I rub a palm over my nape. "I think something is wrong." Focusing on my mind, I send a telepathic message to Aidan again.

Aidan… Is she still on your radar?

Yes, Felix. She's on her way to her apartment building.

Another shiver passes through me, but I mentally push aside any negative feelings as I turn to my sister. "It's nothing." I smile feebly. "It must be all the excitement building up. I should go."

"You should," Kairo smiles and pats my shoulder. "Good luck, Brother!"

I take her encouragement with a nod before climbing onto the balcony rails and shifting when I've leaped into the air. The flapping of my wings is powerful as I aim for the skies, butterfly wings flapping in my belly from the excitement I feel.

I'm about to be reunited with the woman I love. I should have never let her go, but I was only trying to respect her decision. I'd put her through a lot, so I understand her confusion.

Now, I can have her back in my arms where I can make up for what I did for the rest of my immortal life.

For eternity, if I must. She's worth every second of it.

When I enter the hemisphere of North America, my dragon flies faster in its haste to get to its mate. But when I slow down over Sierra's apartment, the afternoon sky beaming over this side of the world suddenly feels strange.

The alarming sense that danger is on the horizon is stronger in dragon form, and the dragon's senses are much more prominent than in human form. The scales between my eyes furrow with a frown as I shift through the walls and land in front of Sierra's apartment. I release the use of invisibility just as I settle into human form. The lingering dread doesn't leave my nape, but I clear my throat and press the bell.

The first ring goes unanswered, so I try again.

"Sierra?" I call out after the second bell isn't answered. My heart begins to race in my chest, threatening to beat right out of my chest.

Something happened, so I've been getting a strange feeling for hours. The rising panic prompts me to kick down Sierra's door and rush into her apartment.

"Sierra? Sierra?!" I'm racing around the apartment, panting like a madman in search of her. She's nowhere to be found, no indication that she's even been back here all day.

Aidan! I send a panicked mind link. Where is Sierra? Can you see her on surveillance?

No, he calmly says, infuriating me.

Where is she, Aidan? I grunt, fists curling at my sides. I need to know where she is right now!

I—I don't know, he stammers mentally. I saw her pulling into the parking garage. I thought she'd be in her apartment by now.

" Fuck!" I bellow, rushing out through the door I'd kicked down and racing down the flight of stairs. Maybe I'm overreacting, and I'll find her in her car.

I just can't ignore my gut instinct telling me something is wrong.

I spot her car in the parking garage, rushing over when I notice the driver's door is open wide.

"Sierra?" I call out as I near the car, only to find it empty. Panting uncontrollably, I focus on the buzzing in my ears when Aidan's voice comes through.

The van, he says. It entered the parking garage and left just after she entered.

Her father's van?"

"Yes," he confirms.

I throw Sierra's car door shut, grunting furiously, into the vast expanse of the parking garage.

I knew Diego couldn't be trusted! He's put his daughter in danger again, merely two weeks after being back.

Curling my fists, I'm ready to kill the man. I'll face the consequences of the Council's wrath later.

Right now, I need to save Sierra.

Inform my brothers to be on standby in case I need them," I instruct Aidan. " I'm going to Louisa.

Whatever Aidan says in response to my instruction is lost in my eardrums as fiery rage spreads over me and fuels the dragon as I transform. I fly out of Charlottesville immediately, each flap of my wings angry and deliberate as I make my way to Diego's hometown.

The last time I'd been in Louisa, I'd discovered that his daughter was none other than the woman I love. Now he has her again, for whatever sick and twisted reason. His crooked dealings must have led him to use her as collateral. I'm done being compassionate to a human who doesn't deserve my kindness.

He deserves my wrath, and he won't know what hit him. As I land in the backyard of the small brick-faced house, I shift into human form and burst through the back door.

"Diego!" I roar viciously, his name on my tongue tasting like poison as I step over the broken door and into the kitchen. "I swear to the gods, I'm gonna k—"

"Hello, Felix Vulkan…" A gruff, sinister voice sings before a dark head emerges from behind a wall. The man smirks, tugging on the leather glove in his hand. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Who are you?" I grate menacingly, my chest heaving and falling with every rageful breath I take. Though I can't remember his face, he appears to be one of the goons who'd helped Diego kidnap Sierra the first time.

"Who I am isn't important," he snickers, flashing a set of yellowing teeth at me as he comes closer. "What matters is that you're here now, exactly where we need you to be."

I glare fiercely at the man, my heart thundering with every breath I take. "What do you want?"

"You, of course," he smirks.

As I glower at him, I catch the very subtle flit of his dark eyes as he glances quickly to the left. He thinks he's smart, but I intercept the oncoming attack, dodging just in time to escape the sharp needle pointed at my neck.

The man on my right squeals when I grab him by the neck, flinging him into the nearest wall. Instead of crashing against the wall, his body morphs into a wolf, and he lands on four paws. He peels furry lips back to snarl at me just as the first man lunges forward and shifts mid-air.

Werewolves…

I should have recognized the damp, murky dog smell surrounding Diego's house. When the first werewolf rushes toward me, I invoke the strength of my dragon, wielding my dragon wings from behind my shoulder blades to shield my body from his snapping teeth. The motion of wrapping my wings around me for protection inadvertently smacks the wolf out of the way.

He crashes against the wall in a whimpering pile of crackling ribs. The second one attacks then, charging forward with a warning howl. I spin on my heels, creating a vortex of power that knocks him unconscious long before he hits the wall.

I've barely had to shift into dragon form to take them on, blowing out a hot breath as my wings recede while I tower over the werewolf who still remains conscious.

"Where is she?!" I demand, just as the wolf shifts into human form. Scrambling against the wall, he clutches his neck and pants, his eyes full of horror.

I grab him by the neck as he chokes and splutters, and slam him against the wall. "Did you really think you could take on a dragon shifter?" I sneer venomously, tightening my grip on his neck as I glare ferociously into his troubled eyes. All he can manage is a terse shake of his head, sending droplets of blood from his bleeding mouth scattering around.

"Now tell me where Sierra is," I grate through gritted teeth. All I can see is red—red, hot anger, fury, rage that will have me snapping this one's neck like a twig.

He clearly didn't anticipate my strength, the color seeping from his face as his eyes became almost lifeless.

"Where is she?!" I roar again, but it's too late when, with one final sigh, the werewolf grows limp beneath my touch.

Grunting disgustedly and flinging his lifeless body aside, my breath comes in hot pants as I search the house for any sign of Sierra. With the two werewolves dead, the rest of the house remains empty. It's only when I glance out from the living room window that I realize the red van isn't in the driveway.

They haven't come to Diego's house.

Closing my eyes amid my turmoil, I focus on the mind link. Aidan, I need you to trace the location of the red van.

Already on it, Felix, he replies telepathically. It's parked on the outskirts of town, Aidan proceeds to give me the address of some abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Charlottesville.

Tell my brothers we're dealing with werewolves, I inform him. I'm pretty sure I can take them, but I'm gonna need backup to sweep the place when I'm done.

I return to the kitchen, pick up the syringe filled with a green, murky liquid from the floor, then shove it into my pocket. Whatever was going on, the werewolves had been prepared for my arrival, waiting for me with whatever the potion was. I'll find out more about it later.

For now, I must save Sierra from the wolves. I must kill the man responsible for ousting our existence. Diego Alvarez is about to discover what happens when he betrays dragon shifters.

Especially when his daughter is the mate of one of them.