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Chapter 8
“Is something wrong?” I glanced over at Gage, who’d been quiet ever since we’d left my tower. We’d been speed-walking for a while through the woods and crossed paths with only deer and rabbits. With Gage’s senses, he’d pick up on a cougar or other predator stalking up behind us, so I wasn’t worried about being ambushed. Still, shadows danced beneath his eyes, and he offered me a weak smile.
My head swam with worry that after everything I’d told him, he now figured I was a basket case, that I posed too much risk, and I was the farthest thing from normal. Was he reconsidering helping me?
I finally broke the silence. “Look. You don’t have to do this with me. You’re under no obligation—”
“It’s not that,” he said, his voice deep.
“Then what is it?” My voice wavered because for so long I’d pushed Gage away, scared he’d get harmed.
He didn’t respond at first, and I waited, giving him time. Getting a man to speak openly was as hard as digging a ten-foot hole in the ground with my bare hands. I wrapped my arms around myself to keep from shaking him and demanding answers. Instead, I busied myself with surveying the land.
Around us, the oaks swathed with moss grew sparser, and in the distance, an open field spread out. Lions ruled this territory and everyone else living here had to follow their law. Many shifters steered clear of the area to avoid dealing with their egos. Lions saw themselves as kings of the animal kingdom. Yet I recalled Reed in my tower, his dread and fury. Learning that someone hunted down his kind had killed me. It was one thing for a group of shifters to live by their own rules, but getting exterminated was monstrous.
Trepidation crept into my chest. What if Reed wasn’t with his pride and they confirmed my worst fears that he’d never returned home? Guilt chiseled at my brain. I couldn’t undo the past, only try to make amends. I had to believe he was still alive. Or would his pride blame me and make us pay?
Then don’t tell them the truth.
I ignored my inner voice, who clearly didn’t feel remorse, while I recalled how Reed had pressed up against me, and my insatiable reaction to our proximity. Despite my concoction of emotions, I was excited to embrace him and tell him I was sorry for not telling him about the gargoyle right away. Something tightened in my gut.Please let him be alive.
“I’ve let you down.” Gage’s whispered words floated on the wind.
At first, I wasn’t sure what he was talking about until I recalled my question about why he was behaving strangely. “You’re being silly.”
We emerged from the forest and stepped into the open plain spanning outward as far as the eye could see. Trees continued on either side of us in a U-shape. Mountain peaks in the distance blotted the starry sky, towering over the land like giants. Enormous oaks with wide branches riddled the landscape, their greenery gleaming beneath the moonlight’s silvery glow.
“If I could take my dragon form,” he continued, “I’d offer you a tooth to use for a dagger.”
Shock rattled through me, and I halted, taking Gage’s hand. “You’re doing more than I could have asked for by not judging me, and for helping me find a solution.”
His hooded gaze darkened. “But if I could transform, I’d solve your problems in an instant.” He turned away, marching deeper into the field ahead of me.
It never occurred to me once how this might have impacted him, or his inability to shift. His inability to fully shift had always been a dark mote with him. I rushed after him and took his hand in mine. What I ought to have done was find a book on dragons and determine how to help Gage transform. “What about returning to the family who found you in the woods?” I suggested. “We can ask them more questions about what else they found with you. Maybe someone who lived there saw—”
He froze, and I bumped into him.
“Shh. Hear that?”
I glanced around and listened, but all I heard was my pounding heart. “What is it?” I whispered.
“Foliage breaking. Someone’s stalking us. We’re being watched.” He sniffed the air, and I scanned the surrounding woodland covered in the moon’s glimmer. Branches swayed in the breeze, grating together, and my skin pinpricked. I suddenly hated being out in the open and vulnerable.
“Surely, they won’t hurt us,” I insisted, my muscles tense, unsure if I was convincing myself more than Gage. “We’re not here with the intention to attack.” Three animals emerged from the woods to my right. If we ran, how far would we get? When they strode into the moonlight, I gasped at the powerful lions closing in. None had manes… Must be females. Powerful paws hit the ground, their breaths steaming in the darkness.
How long have they been following you?
I clenched my fists. Gage stepped in front of me, blocking me from their presence. But two more animals came forward from the forest on our left.
“We’re trespassing in their territory,” Gage said. “Who are we here to see again?”
“Reed. He’s the pride leader, and—”
He snapped around to face me, his frown worrying me. “You didn’t tell me he was the leader. They won’t take us to him.” His voice climbed.
“Why the hell not? Once Reed sees me, we’ll be fine.” I bit down on my lower lip, and my heart throbbed fast. I should have told Gage everything upfront, but I’d assumed we’d walk in and find Reed in no time.
“Lions take no one to their alpha. They protect him with their lives. Selfish bastards.”
