29. Rehan

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

REHAN

M y blood boiled. I spit cold blue fire into the night air as I hurtled my dragon bulk toward my mate. That hothead, what was he thinking breaking our deal? Had he hurt her? Hid her from me?

As I zoomed closer to my mate, her location became more distinct, below me and slightly left. I slowed, surprised to still be in water territory. If I had hair on my scales, it would have risen. This had to be a trap. Tyson would have had to slip his guards to be in my territory.

I circled, scanning the ground with my dragon vision, but the trees were thick. Other than a hint of running water, I saw nothing but foliage.

A squeaky giggle drifted to me, and my heart relaxed. If she was laughing, the fire dick hadn't hurt her. My heart pinched again. She didn't laugh much with me. Women liked to laugh, didn't they? Had Tyson won her over?

I forced my endless insecurities down. She slept in my bed and blew me every morning without my prompting. She clearly liked me.

"Pull your head out of your ass and find her," I growled, though my dragon mouth couldn't quite form human words.

After spewing a final rage-filled burst of fire into the air, I dove for the trees, shifting mid-flight. I landed, my scales encasing my human form, ready to fight, only to find myself facing a dark cave mouth with water trickling out of the opening. I felt Jay just beyond it.

Another giggle, louder this time, reached my ears.

The entrance was slick with moss. I shifted my hands and feet and sunk my claws into the rocks, scrambling through the short, winding tunnel. Moonlight almost blinded my dragon sight, where it beamed in through a hidden hole in the cavern above us. I stood in front of an underwater lake. The smell of rich earth and mineral water filled my nose. As my eyes adjusted, I zeroed in on a small Island, barely big enough for two, in the center of the lake.

Tyson stood shirtless, his arms loose at his sides. Jay squatted in front of him, pointing at something in the water, a broad smile dazzling her beautiful face.

"Took you long enough," Tyson said.

Jay squeaked in surprise and flopped backward onto Tyson's feet to keep from falling forward. I didn't know I could be jealous of feet.

"Why am I here, Tyson?" I asked, stepping to the edge of the pool. I couldn't see the bottom. I would either need to fly over it or swim to attack him, and even then, chances were Jay would get knocked into the water. It wasn't that big a deal. I could dry her off, but I also wanted to avoid that outcome. "How do you even know about this place? It's in water territory."

"No one cares where a shifter who can't shift wanders," Tyson said, a sad smile ghosting across his face.

I crossed my arms over my chest, refusing to be moved. "I still don't know why I'm here."

Tyson sighed. "It's so we could talk, Rehan."

He reached down and helped Jay stand.

"Look," Tyson rubbed the back of his neck. "Two mate marks, and we both believe we're her true mate."

I whipped my tail. "I am."

"Well, so am I," Tyson said, the playfulness leaving his voice. "After the fire ceremony tomorrow, I was planning on challenging you. But I don't think that would make Wiggles happy." He wrapped an arm around my mate and pulled her to his chest. "So, I would like to propose a truce between us." He rested his chin on her head and took a breath to speak.

Before he could, a bright white light flashed across my vision, blinding me. I swear I saw a pair of brown human eyes, the whites replaced with red, lock onto Jay before the cave reappeared between spots of black. I widened my stance. Ley Line magic none of us could control cracked across the water's surface.

I didn't know what was going on, but Jay needed out of there. With a roar, I grew my wings and launched myself forward. To my surprise, Tyson kissed Jay on the side of the head. Instead of protecting her, he jumped, hooking his grip on the edge of the hole at the top of the cave, and pulled himself up with one arm.

I landed at Jay's side and pulled her into my embrace, though she pushed away from me, still peering at where the bright light flashed. The magic on the water fizzled out.

"Overcompensating for something, are we?" Tyson said, looking down at me. "Your spell didn't do squat."

I didn't take my gaze away from the inside of the cave. "That wasn't my spell."

"Just spontaneous Ley Line magic, then?" Tyson sighed. "You don't have to lie to me. I guess if we can't even be honest, this truly was a waste of time."

Instead of arguing, I bit my lips shut. If Tyson thought Jay might still be in danger, he wouldn't leave. To be petty, I wrapped one of my leathery dark blue wings around Jay so the fire prince couldn't see her.

Jay squeaked as it cut off her vision, but I'd face her wrath later if it meant further pissing off the fire prince.

"Challenge it is," Tyson said to the top of my head. "But if it makes Wiggles sad, it's your fault."

I grunted and gave Tyson a one-fingered salute, still not taking my eyes off the darkness. A frustrated noise accompanied the sound of his shift to his dragon form.

Jay pushed out from under my wing, her phone already out with something written on it.

Jay: Did you see the brown eyes?

She stood stiffly, her gaze pleading with me to say yes.

"I did." I pushed her phone back to her chest. "Spontaneous Ley Line magic isn't a thing, right?"

Jay nodded, and my blood cooled.

"Someone else is or was in this cave with us," I said. Jay shivered, and I pulled her in close. "We'll figure this out, I promise."

My wings were too big to fit through the hole at the top. I could retract them, but with a possible unknown in the cave, I wasn't willing. Our only option was the entrance I came through. I shifted my eyes and prayed that our visitor hadn't left a trap for us in the darkness beyond.