Chapter Twenty-One

Madison

T he instant he came through the door, I knew the answer to the question on my lips.

“Giving you the runaround again?”

Callum’s sigh told it all. “Yep. Said they need more time to locate them in the archives. I told them I could go in there and do it myself, but they said—”

“ That’s against procedure ,” I finished.

“Yep.” He clenched his fists until the knuckles turned white. “They’re stalling.”

It was the third time Callum had gone looking for the written reports about the death of his mate, and I knew it was starting to irritate him that they still weren’t ready. Now that he knew Noa had been murdered, his patience was running out. He wanted to begin digging into it. Unfortunately, as we’d discussed, it made the most sense to review the reports before questioning the guards.

“On purpose? Really?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Probably not. I’m just mad at them.”

“It’s understandable,” I said, trying to verbally validate his frustration while resisting the natural temptation to use touch to make him feel seen. I was trying to keep my distance after my conversation with Laura the day before.

He grunted.

“It’s probably very low on their list since it was two years ago, but still, they should get their asses moving.”

Callum looked at me, nodding slowly then more vigorously. “Exactly!” He smacked a fist into his other palm. “Yes, that’s exactly right. They need to get their asses moving.”

I smiled. It was interesting to see Callum so motivated. It was a big change from the person he’d been at first. I liked this side of him, even if he was forced to sit idle until others got their act to go. He had a drive again.

“Stop pacing,” I said. “It’s not going to help.”

“Too much energy. I need to burn some of it off.”

“Hit the gym?” I suggested.

“Already did.” He paused and looked over at me.

For a moment, I thought he was about to suggest something else, but then he smiled and hurried to his room.

“What are you up to?” I asked, trying to cover my relief that he hadn’t suggested what I thought he’d been about to.

Or was that just where your brain went?

I pushed the thought aside as Callum returned with a bundle of clothing in his hands. Now was not the time to go down that line of intrusive thoughts.

“Here,” he said, eagerly shoving the clothing at me.

“You already bought me clothes,” I pointed out, gesturing at the t-shirt and leggings. “I don’t need more … Okay, I mean, I’m not going to say no, but I feel bad about you buying me more clothes.”

“These are different. Go put them on.” He smiled from ear to ear, eyes wide and practically dancing.

“Why?”

“Just go ,” he said, taking me by the shoulders with both his massive hands and propelling me toward my bedroom.

A tiny shiver ran from my neck down my spine, jumping from vertebra to vertebra as it went, all because of how easily he took control.

All at once, I was eager to go because I needed to put some space between us to catch my breath. I’d let him get too close. Touch needed to be avoided until I could figure things out.

“What is this?” I asked as I unfolded the garments on the bed.

They were all a deep forest green. The pants were fleece-lined and stretchy. As soon as I slid them on, I knew I could live in them if needed. They were that comfortable and, best of all, warm .

“You’ll see,” Cal replied.

I did. After tugging the pants into place, I noticed the extra padding on the thighs. Although I’d never been a horse girl, I could make the connection between riding pants just as easily.

The shirt was form-fitting and fleece-lined as well, but it also had two loops sewn very tightly down the sides, and under the fleece, I could feel the bands they were attached to around my waist and back as well.

“Cal,” I said, pulling open the door to find him leaning against the wall, waiting. “What are you planning?”

He grinned, casually looking me up and down. His gaze didn’t linger, but neither was it rushed. I bit down, clenching my jaw so as not to bite my lip while he blatantly checked me out.

“Since you got here, I’ve spent most of my time inside. Doing things to make you more comfortable.”

“Okay,” I said slowly, drawing it out into a suspicious half-question.

“Now, it’s my turn. I need to stretch my wings. And you’re coming with me.”

“I am?”

“Yep!” he said with a laugh. “I’ve seen you watching us on the roof. Staring. I can tell you want to see what it’s like to fly, so let’s go.”

He casually snaked one hand around my waist and propelled me toward the door. I tried to speak up, to tell him he had vastly misunderstood why I was on the roof, but I couldn’t get a word in. He just overrode me, stating how it was going to be great and so much fun and that I would love it.

We got onto the roof and moved off to one side, out of the way of the incoming traffic. The wind had picked up, but under the riding suit, I was perfectly comfortable, the air unable to penetrate the thick material.

“So, the way to get up is, once I shift, I’ll stick out a wing, nice and straight. You use it just like a ramp, okay? Climb onto my back and then sit at the base of my neck.”

“What about a harness?”

Callum shook his head, jogging to the side of the roof, where he retrieved a spool of rope dangling from a hook. “Here, hold this. It’ll go around my neck, double-looped. You pull an end through each of those loops on your shirt. Then you stick your arm through the loop. It’ll keep you locked in tight.”

“Wait, what?” I yelped as he moved into an open space, ignoring my protests.

Then Callum was gone, replaced by the giant red dragon that had haunted my nightmares for weeks.

I stiffened, staring up-up-up as his snout towered far above me. Ruby red scales blinked and glittered in the early afternoon sunlight, creating a blinding array of colors and brightness that lent the massive dragon a shimmering aura around him.

“Well, come on,” Callum urged, his snout parting as he spoke, revealing twin rows of massive reverse-curved teeth.

I shuddered at what they would do to a body if he chose to attack.

“Maddie, I’ll keep you safe. You won’t fall, I promise.”

Falling was the least of my worries.

“Cal, I …”

“You can trust me, Maddie,” he said with a soft promise that rang clear and true.

“Okay,” I heard myself whisper, somewhat reassured.

Perhaps because I knew I could? My life was turned on its end. I was in the Dragon Isles against my will, and yet, through it all, Cal hadn’t once led me astray, lied to me, or treated me poorly.

He was right. I could trust him.

With my hands shaking so bad I nearly lost my grip and fell off, I somehow made it up his extended wing and into the natural seat at the base of his neck just like he’d talked about.

Once I got seated, we got the rope into place. I slung my arms through the loops all the way up to the elbow. The tightness of the rope meant I had to lie forward, flat along his spine.

“Ready?” he asked, his dragon voice similar in tone but deeper, almost unnaturally so.

“Not at all!”

“Good. Here we go.”

I closed my eyes, whispering a prayer as he spread both wings as wide as they would go and crouched onto his hind legs, the motion angling us until I was pointing upward instead of forward.

Then he launched.

“ I WANT OFF THIS RIDE!” I screamed as his legs flexed and shot us into the sky with incredible force.