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He didn’t respond as he slowly opened the door and shut it behind him. He walked down the hall, passed his room, and took the elevator down to the lobby, standing in silence.
Rejected and defeated, Hammer made his way to Nydia. Without Charlie by his side, there was nothing left for him here. His chest felt heavy, and the knot in his throat persisted, no matter how much he assured himself it was best to leave her alone.
He reached Nydia’s camp and walked through the tents stoically, barely reacting as soldiers pushed his shoulders and scuffled around him.
Pulling back the flap at the entrance of her tent, he saw her leaning over the table, pointing at a map with warriors gathered around her. She was giving them instructions for an ambush of a nearby panther shifter colony.
He patiently waited to the side as she gave her orders, and the warriors cheered their battle cry. They exited the tent. Their faces were solid and determined. Nydia always knew how to rile the soldiers perfectly to execute her goals.
“Nydia,” Hammer said sternly.
Nydia whipped around to face him, a smile crossing her face. “Hammer,” she said, approaching him and shaking his hand. “Good to see you.”
“Likewise,” he responded, following her deeper into the tent.
“I assume you’ve come for your supplies?” she asked cheerfully.
“Yes,” Hammer said slowly. “Whatever you can provide would be of great use.”
“Well,” Nydia said, rummaging in the back of the tent to pull out a blue duffel bag. “There are plenty of pine trees on that side of the mountain, more than enough lumber for you to create a shelter.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for,” Hammer said, taking the bag and emptying the contents onto the table.
He gazed at the fire starter, hatchet, rope, tarp, and map. He picked up each trinket and scrutinized it before stuffing them into the bag.
“So,” Nydia began. “What’s the first thing you’ll do when you get there?”
Hammer closed his eyes as he thought of the life he hoped he would have with Charlie. He wished he had answered that they would create a home together and hunt for dinner. Maybe they would fly around the mountains and explore for the perfect location to set up shop.
“Run a tarp through some branches,” he answered. “Get a small home going until I can begin stacking the logs.”
“A tarp won’t do much good,” a familiar voice chimed in from the tent’s opening.
Hammer turned to see Charlie standing at the entrance with her arms crossed. He returned to stuffing the items in the bag and speaking to Nydia.
“I’ll send a report when I can,” he paused. “And if you’re ever out that way, you and your soldiers are welcome to take shelter if needed.”
Nydia nodded her thanks as Hammer walked past Charlie and out of the tent. He half expected her to chase after him, but no words called out after him.
He debated turning around, trying to convince her she was making a mistake, that he could care for her the way she deserved, but he knew she was firm on her stance.
Reaching into his pocket, he fumbled the ring box around in his fingers as he walked out of the camp toward an empty field. He could feel her eyes on her as he dropped the bag to the ground and began to shift.
His body morphed, and he screamed as he took on his dragon form. He looked at the duffle bag and speared it with a claw before looking toward the mountains, stretching out his wings, and flying off to his new home.
THIRTY-ONE
CHARLIE
She watched as his wings spread over the field, and he disappeared into the blue sky. Her heart sank with regret and, strangely, relief. She hung her head and looked at the ground as she reminded herself what a terrible wife and mother she would be.
She had always been married to the idea of adventures. Staying at home carrying a child around and doing the dishes had never appealed to her, and she couldn’t convince herself it would for anyone, not even Hammer.
A part of her wished she could change who she was, that she could be the woman Hammer wanted in his life, but as her father told her once, love should never make you change; it should make youmoreof who you are.
Walking toward the field, she watched as he became no more than a speck in the sky. Her feet hit the dirt softly as she slowly approached where he’d shifted. She knelt and brushed her fingertips over the claw marks in the ground.
He roared from miles away, and she still shuddered. She stood as she accepted her choice. He needed to be free and find someone better suited for him.
