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“That’s the scent of the man we’re after. It’ll be subtle even face to face, but one cannot hide their signature scent, even with copious amounts of magic. He’s a shapeshifter of sorts. He’s killed countless supernaturals and absorbed their powers, hoarding it for his own gain and using it to change his appearance. I’m going to sound paranoid as hell, but he could be anyone.”
“Fuck. So… not just a villain, but a super villain,” Nolan grumbled. “I’ll be patrolling with this in mind now. Maxon’s been scouring the feeds around town.”
“Thank you. Farren can’t remember a thing, and her magic is all but gone,” I explained. Clearly, not every dragon knew because their jaws dropped along with the wolves'. It was quickly replaced by angry indignation. Dragons and wolves were known for being territorial and vindictive, so I was glad we had them as allies instead of enemies.
“Stay vigilant. We will find him,” I promised. “He will atone for his sins, and I will not consult any sort of supernatural law when we exact justice. This one is for us to handle as her mates and brood.”
“Couldn’t agree more,” Maxon said, matching my energy with a wolfish grin of his own. It promised pain, and I hoped he was there when we finally confronted this asshole. I knew he’d help me tear him limb from limb.
“Go back to your mate, Kane. We’ll take the first patrol and organize a schedule,” Maxon promised. “I’m meeting with West today about security up there as well.”
“Thank you,” I said. She needed me right now, not my anger, so I didn’t give in to the urge to argue. I took his offer for what it was, a show of support for our mate and our brood, and decided I wouldn’t give him a hard time about it. It took everything in me to let it fall away, and as I walked back into the lobby of Mountainview, I was eerily calm and focused, ready to give my mate whatever support she needed.
If she allows any at all.
ChapterTwo
Farren
Flashes of their faces haunted my dreams. All four of my supposed mates were more familiar than I wanted to admit, but the details were so fuzzy that I kept that information to myself. I wasn’t about to get their hopes up and make them think they could touch me just yet. There might be small flashes of memories, but it wasn’t enough to make them even remotely familiar. I’d never felt so fucking alone. Being surrounded by all of these people who knew everything about the last few years, or months in my mates’ case, while I knew none of it made me feel like an outsider. I’d never really struggled with confidence until now, and I wasn’t enjoying the experience thus far.
The worst was having my head to myself. Zehra was nowhere to be found, and I missed the sassy dragon more than anything else. I’d taken her for granted, assuming she’d always be there. Man, had I been wrong.
“Come on, Farren. Think,” I chided myself as I paced back and forth in my room. Even it was unfamiliar now, far different than it was five years ago. Five.That much time being gone had me ready to scream. Even my face looked different now, but that was likely because of the attack they’d mentioned. I wasn’t a vain person, but damn, it had left me haggard. My skin was pale and cheeks gaunt; even my chestnut-colored hair was dull and limp.
My body also felt strange to me, like it was hollow now. I’d never considered that holding that much magic had an effect on the way my body felt, but now that it was gone, I felt off balance and hazy.
Then there were the eggs. Couldn’t forget about those.
My hand drifted to my stomach as I considered it. As far as I knew, there were two eggs in there, though that hadn’t been confirmed by any doctor since I’d awoken without my memories. Somehow, I justknew. The small stream of magic that flowed between us was comforting, and I wanted to cling to it with everything I was because it wouldn’t last long. Dragon eggs only had to grow for a few short weeks before we birthed them, then there was another week or so before they fully hatched. It was a quick process that I’d gladly choose over the human’s nine months.
But what happens to my body when they’re gone?
I’d listened to the healer speculate that these sweet babies were keeping me alive, so when they were gone, would I die? Would I leave them motherless? The idea had tears forming in my eyes and my heart breaking into tiny pieces. I’d always thought the world a cruel place, but now Iknewit was. I had done nothing to deserve this. Even more,theyhad done nothing to deserve a motherless life.
My panic amped up as someone knocked on the door. It took every ounce of energy I had to go answer it instead of hiding under my covers. I just knew one of the men who called me their mate was on the other side.
Sure enough, I opened it up to the beta, awitch. That was another mindfuck in itself. Why would my brood have lied about what species we could mate with? What did they stand to gain from that?
My eyes were drawn to him, studying the man I should apparently remember. One of the worst parts of this situation was that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to remember them. I trusted West, so there was a great chance that I’d actually liked these men prior to the attack, but there was something scary about having to fall all over again. I couldn’t assume that my memories would come back, and that meant that this version of me had to fall in like… love… whatever with these men on her own.
His shoulder-length dark hair was mussed like he had been running his hands through it. His goatee and earrings gave him a pirate vibe, but for him it just worked. Of all the men, he scared me the least. Maybe it was because he was a beta, or perhaps it was the scent of the sea that followed him, but either way, I found myself stepping back to let him in.
“If you want me to go, I can, but I thought I’d answer any questions you might have.” He was right; I had just about a million questions. As he passed me, my heart clenched. His presence and scent wrapped around me like a warm embrace, comforting and calming.
“No, stay,” I said in a quiet voice. His frown deepened for a moment, but he hid it quickly. That frown was all it took to second guess myself. I was doing more and more of that lately. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” He blanched. “It’s our fault. We should have protected you better.” He went from calm to intense in the blink of an eye, and I was hit with the urge to make him feel better. I didn’t know if it was an omega instinct or if it was the sleeping part of me that said he was my mate, but I hated to see him looking unhappy or unsure.
“Look, I may not remember the incident or the attack, but I know myself. I’m not the type to let someone do things for me or protect me,” I said with a humorless laugh. “That’s a trait left over from being on my own for years. So I can’t sit here and pretend that I would have even considered letting you protect me or keep me under lock and key—at least not without a fight.”
He smiled at that, and my heart clenched at the sight. No matter how confused my mind was, I wanted to reach out and touch him, wrap myself in his scent. He radiated safety, and I wanted it more than I could put into words, but I held back because that wouldn’t be fair to him. Not when I was so lost. A hug might be all I could stand to give, and he’d only be hurt worse if he mistakenly assumed the hug was a sign of something more, or a greater commitment that I couldn’t guarantee.
“Do you think I’ll get my magic back?” I blurted out. “I feel wrong, and I’m scared.” The admission came out so easily with him, and it was too late to question it or take back the words. All the confusion and strangeness was hurting my head, so at this point, I just needed to get some truths, whether they were what I wanted to hear or not.
“Niko went back to the university to find answers,” he admitted. My heart started to pound, the feeling only worsening when I searched my memories and couldn’t figure out why I was reacting that way.
“Why am I freaking out at that?” I asked. He sighed heavily as he collapsed on the couch.
