Then again, the Bloodrite was supposed to bind me, too. So why hadn’t I reported the nightmares to the alpha? WhycouldI keep secrets that the magic should have dragged out of me?
Not nightmares.
No, the dragon tormenting my dreams was something else. I could still feel the bastard’s sword-calloused hand around my battered neck. Squeezing. This was way past nightmare territory.
I needed to report everything to the alpha in the morning.
Mackiel kissed the top of my head. “Anything I can do to help you forget?”
How did this man always know exactly what to say and do? I breathed a sigh of relief, releasing all the problems I couldn’t currently solve and welcoming the distraction he offered. I kissed my way up his chest and neck before settling my lips against his. “Yes, please.”
He carefully rolled me onto my back and tugged up the bottom of my T-shirt to kiss his way down to my core. My brain went blissfully blank as his talented tongue worked over my little bundle of nerves until I couldn’t even remember my own name.He took his time with me, patient and thorough, the way he always was when he knew I was breaking. And when we finally came together, the way he buried his face in my neck told me everything his words hadn’t. He was scared, too.
When we were both sated, he spooned me back into his arms. The feral scent of mating faded as he peppered kisses across my head. “You okay now?”
I almost laughed, because not in the slightest. Tears seared the backs of my eyes, and guilt threatened to rip all my secrets from my chest. I was so far outside the realm of okay that I couldn’t even see it anymore. Needing the reassurance only my partner could give, I blurted out the only truth I could share.
“The dragon will come for his bloodstone. No matter where we are.”
Mackiel stilled and then nodded against the top of my head. He brushed the hair back from my face. “The alpha’s aware. You know he’s got a plan, right?”
Without hesitation, I said, “Yes.” Dad never half-assed anything.
Already feeling better, I turned and buried my head in his neck, breathing in his scent. His arms went around me in silent reassurance that everything would be all right. I wouldn’t need to sacrifice myself. I couldn’t let the dragon get into my head.
Just in case, I asked, “Where’s the bloodstone?” as I settled against his side.
“The alpha has it.”
That was good. The bloodstone was now Dad’s problem. He’d decide which sacrifices had to be made to protect the pack. It was out of my hands.
“Sorry you had to watch the binding,” I whispered, unable to look up at his face.
“I’m not.” Mack’s surrounding arm tightened until there wasn’t so much as a breath between us. “Is it always that… awful?”
“The whole stabbing me in the neck with the bloodstonething was new, but other than that, yeah. My monthly binding sucks.”
“I knew it was bad, but I didn’t?—”
I shook my head, cutting him off. “What happened after I passed out?”
His chest rose and fell as he sucked in a deep breath, but he let me change the subject. “Witchy shit. Your blood seeped into that fucking rock, then it swirled around making shapes before settling into some weird design. The witch said it was a map.”
That was similar to what the box had done before I took the stone. I nearly blurted as much out loud, but that was another detail I’d left out of my report to the alpha. Not intentionally, but he’d asked me a question that sidetracked me, and we never circled back to the box.
And, if I were being honest, I hadn’t wanted to admit that my blood had activated the container’s opening mechanism. That hinted at theories I wasn’t big on considering. Especially since everyone already knew I was a freak. They didn’t need confirmation, and Hitch would have spread the news all over the pack.
“A map of what?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Wherever we’re heading in the morning.”
“You still don’t know?”
“I wasn’t really paying attention to their conversation. All I cared about was making sure you were okay and getting you home.”
Aww. I settled my hand on his chest. “Thank you for that.”
“Always.” His hand cupped mine, keeping it pressed against the hard muscle, as he met my gaze. “We don’t need her to take them out.”
