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The men glared at each other in a staring contest that could have easily turned into blood and war.
I interrupted them. “Anyway. We came to ask for your assistance.”
Gage cleared his throat and pressed against my side. “Heard someone say the local lion pride leader knew where to get a dragon-tooth dagger.” His words sounded like an accusation—implying that Reed might have killed a dragon.
“You’re aware of my gargoyle problem,” I added, slicing through the thickening tension. I didn’t have time for this macho shit and gave Reed an abridged rendition of my hellish situation—the curse, why I had short hair, and my failed attempt with Dustin and the disastrous outcome. Catching my breath, I said, “With the weapon, I can destroy the gargoyle.”
I chewed on my lip, thinking about Dustin’s situation, deciding that next time, I would slay the monster myself. No one else would risk their lives.
“This explains your strange cat and you living in a tower in the haunted part of the woods.”
“He was in your tower?” Gage rumbled.
Reed smirked, proud of himself. These two would jump into a brawl any moment. Except Reed had beautiful women around him to select from, and Gage never experienced a problem attracting the opposite sex. So what did they both see in me?
Reed stared from me to Gage. “But you’ve got a dragon standing right there, so why are you coming to me?”
I caught the snarl in his voice, and Gage’s chest puffed out as his breaths sped. I stepped between them. “Stop this, please. Reed, I welcomed you to stay in the tower for as long as needed, so I thought you’d extend me a similar generosity. And Gage can’t offer his tooth, or he would have.”
No one said a word.
“Look. We’re both facing problems,” I continued. “So I’ll do whatever I can for you if you assist me with the weapon. What do you say?”
Reed rubbed his jawline and crossed his arms over his chest, creasing his shirt. “I need to know who’s hunting down my pride. But since you didn’t shove me out the window of your tower, I’ll do my best to aid you.”
Reed strutted toward the tree and settled down with his back against the trunk.
“Elliana,” Reed began, and I sat cross-legged in front of him. Gage knelt on the grass next to me. “There’s a collector of artifacts who once mentioned a dragon-tooth knife and a bunch of other items she’d gained from a merchant. Didn’t pay her much heed since it was at the local town market and everyone lied to make a sale. But if she spoke the truth, then one of my friends can help you track down the collector. Kahlo is a tiger shifter and he once saw the collector as she entered a trap door in a tree deep in the forest. Guess that’s where she keeps her collection, so she might have the weapon you’re looking for hidden in there.”
“Perfect,” Gage said. “Tell us where we can find Kahlo, and we’ll be out of here.”
Reed clapped his hands, and the red-haired warrior hopped down from the branches overhead.
I flinched. Was his pride ready to attack the moment we laid a hand on him? We stood no chance.
“I may have a lead to help your missing pride members,” Gage blurted.
Reed’s posture stiffened. He released a long exhale, and I faced Gage. “Do you know something that might assist them?”
Gage shrugged, studying Reed. “I’ve heard rumors about shifters vanishing. Not just your kind, but others. Panthers and wolves and bears.”
Reed climbed to his feet, his expression growing darker. “What else do you know?”
“I need to be sure you’ll help Elliana.”
“Go collect, Kahlo.” Reed barked and met my gaze. “He’s here on pride matters, so you’ve come at a good time.”
I touched Gage’s arm. “Tell him what you know.”
Instead, he dragged me out of Reed’s earshot. He whispered, “Don’t be so easily led by the cat. They never help others—ever. It’s one of their pride rules. So why would he assist you so easily? I’m telling you that when we have any leads on the other members of their pride, he’ll turn on us. So we get his information on the dagger first.”
These past couple of days I’d been to hell, and I longed for things to go smoothly for a change. Instead, Gage was acting like a green-eyed monster, and Reed wasn’t any better. I replied as if my jaw were wired shut. “Let go of me. He offered to help before you even mentioned the missing shifters.”
His mouth opened, then shut again. “But I’m still right. Don’t trust a lion. Their priority is their members at the demise of everyone else. That’s why they live out here away from others. They’re a cult.”
Reed burst out laughing. “A cult! Really? Is that the best you can do?”
Gage brushed past me, and the humming energy from his body leaped from him to me. But something was happening to his shoulder-blades—two bulges pushed outward from under his top, growing in size. He was changing. He pulled off his shirt, but he would only partly shift as that was all he was capable of.
