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I paid and collected my red coin carved with a wolf head on one side. With it in my pocket, I slid into the back row because it was empty and that meant I didn’t have to make small talk. Don’t get me wrong. I loved crowds and mingling and letting myself be carried away with conversations. Anything that made me feel less alone. But tonight, I wasn’t here to make friends. I had to keep focused. I’d approach Dustin after his battle to ask for his help.
A loud bell rang and everyone fell silent. I straightened in my seat as my champion, enormous as a bear, a hairy chest and shoulders, strutted into the pit. I smirked, having seen him fight. Despite his size, the man was fast, which meant he’d be quick when tackling the gargoyle, and if he had to escape. I counted on his agility to keep him alive.
Dustin pounded his chest with a fist and roared, giving me shivers. Who didn’t enjoy a decent fight? The crowd exploded with cheers… definitely a favorite. He rarely lost a fight, but then would I expect anything less from a bear shifter? Their kind was rarely seen outside the White Peak realm. I’d met a few in my time, and each had been burly and terrifying.
A few full moons ago, a bear shifter had put out a call to help him with a curse, so I’d caught up with him at a tavern in Darkwoods and we’d struck a deal. For a huge bag of gold coins, I’d promised him a witch who’d fix his problem. He’d been quick to agree, and one thing I’d give his kind, they took everything seriously—from the six shots of rum he’d drunk without a sign of being intoxicated to his ceaselessly stoic expression to punching out a thug who’d decided on the wrong time to hold up the tavern.
Anyway, Bee had been the perfect person to help the bear shifter with his curse. She was a friend of mine I’d bumped into when I’d sensed her magic the first time we’d met. And damn, that girl was powerful, but she’d said she couldn’t help me with my hex because she only did white magic. A load of bull. She was scared of her power—I saw it on the way she trembled and shied away from the topic. I’d had plans to convince her to change her mind over a month ago. I was supposed to meet her at a bar in White Peak to introduce her to the bear shifter. It was risky to travel so far, but this was the highest-paying job I’d ever been offered. So I’d booked a seat on a superfast carriage with dragon horses. Except the venture had ended brutally for me. The carriage’s tire had snapped and sent the vehicle into a spin, crashing us into a tree. Both horses had panicked and broken free. I’d trekked back home fast but never made it. The gargoyle had found me and beaten me so bad, I hadn’t been able to walk for days. So I’d missed our appointment.
Hopefully, she’d helped the bears with their dilemma. I might need to find a way to catch up with her soon and explain why I’d ditched her.
Don’t recommend it. She lives in Terra and it’s too far. You take too many unnecessary risks.
“Maybe I’ll ask her to visit me somewhere in the middle between us.” It would give me enough time to return home before sunrise.
“Hey, Sugar Pops, still talking to yourself?” A deep male voice found me, and a ping of excitement filled me. Always did when Gage approached.
He plonked down next to me, his arm brushing against mine, and his warmth was a blanket engulfing me. No matter the weather, his skin sizzled hot. He wore a black shirt with gold buttons. His belt buckle was a golden flame, and even his damn shoes were tipped with gold. Yep, dragon shifters loved their sparkle.
“Heard you’ve been missing me.” I stuck my tongue out at him.
He had the greenest emerald eyes crowned by busy brows. Short, black hair shone like onyx stones beneath the candlelight. His stubble added to his strong appearance—the square jawline, solid chest, and thick arms. But something more always lay behind his gaze, like a hidden treasure just out of reach.
We might have broken up a few months ago, but I still adored him. I never should have dated him. What could I offer? A life of only spending time together at night? How long before I would slip up and the gargoyle killed him because Gage wouldn’t back down from a fight? I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone. So I’d made the hardest decision in the world. I’d broken up with the man who treated me like an angel and it had defeated me, but this was for his safety. Not mine. I had a shitty life. And now doubts flooded my mind about asking Dustin to help.
What if things derail fast with the gargoyle?
I planned to put myself in the line of fire to give Dustin a chance to run if the situation got out of hand. The gargoyle always went for me over others. But I prayed it wouldn’t get to that stage and Dustin’s swiftness with a blade and his strength would give us the upper hand over the gargoyle. Something I lacked.
“I always miss you,” Gage whispered, distracting me from my thoughts.
“Don’t, Gage. Please.” My chest constricted. We’d forged a bond where we used to finish each other’s sentences, where I’d beam with excitement each moment we spent together, where his laughter brought more joy to my life than I’d ever experienced before.
Around us, the audience boomed with cheers. Dustin pumped his fist into the air while his opponent lay sprawled at his feet. I’d missed a great blow, yet sitting next to Gage brought back too many amazing memories—and that wasn’t a good thing. Gage always left me tingling, so I’d kept my distance from Brawl to avoid the agony.
“What’s been keeping you away for so long?” he asked in his nonchalant way, as if he didn’t care that we sat next to each other without me reaching out and taking his hand in mine like we always used to do during fighting matches. I’d squeeze his fingers each time someone threw a punch.
“Been busy with jobs and stuff.” I smiled, but the gesture felt fake knowing I was here to ask Dustin for help with a problem I couldn’t tell Gage about. If I succeeded tonight, then Gage and I might have a chance together.
The book I’d stolen had said to stab the gargoyle in the heart. That was my focus. Back in the arena, Dustin had his opponent over his head, spinning him as if he were bread dough being tossed into the air. The crowd laughed and screamed for him to slam his challenger down.
Gage’s leg nudged mine.
I glanced up at him. “Have you by any chance worked out a way to transform into a full dragon yet?” I squirmed in my seat, hoping he wouldn’t read too much into my curiosity.
He raised an arched brow. “If I had, I’d have flown over your tower to get your attention. I’d collect you and fly you to every realm you’ve always wanted to visit.”
And that right there was why Gage would always be in my heart… He loved hard and he was loyal. I missed him so damn much, but fear kept me at bay. I couldn’t risk his safety until I was free. He deserved better. Heartache swirled unrestrained in my chest, and my head swam with the cruelty of life. Yet Gage looked at me with a smile in his eyes. One day I craved to carry the same positive outlook for my future.
“One of my clients is searching for a dragon-tooth dagger. And if you could shift, well then, it might help me.” I hated lying to him, and I lowered my gaze.
He rubbed a hand over his jawline, the scratchy sound of his stubble cutting through the silence between the applause. Dustin paraded around the arena, his rival on the ground with a bloody face.
“Wish I could transform, but…” His words faded, and I took his hand in mine, squeezing it.
“It’s all right. Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” Regret washed over me in slow waves. He’d grown up homeless with no family, discarded as a child, and couldn’t completely transform. I’d once seen him unleash his wings. They were mesmerizing and glorious. Apparently, the only part of him that could shift.
His brow furrowed, and I stared out as Dustin marched out of the arena. He’d have a few more battles tonight, but before that, I had to speak to him.
