Chapter 18
Ciaran
The storm raged, but I barely noticed. My eyes stayed locked on Tess. She moved with a stubborn determination that made my chest tighten—not with worry, but with something far more dangerous. Pride. Obsession. Desire. Mine.
The wind screamed through the forest like a living thing, slashing at her small group with claws of rain and lightning. I felt its intent—the unnatural threads of magic woven into the storm’s core. My own magic hummed under my skin, coiled and restless, begging to intervene. But I held back, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. Tess didn’t need rescuing. Not yet. She was stronger than they realized, stronger than even she realized.
Still, it was torture to watch her struggle. Her boots skidded in the mud, her glasses fogged with rain, and her breaths came in ragged gasps. Every misstep, every falter, tested the limits of my patience. But then Mason’s steady hand brushed her elbow, keeping her upright, and a growl rumbled low in my throat. He’s too close.
I forced the possessive thought aside. Mason was loyal to her, protective in a way that was almost admirable. Almost. But it didn’t stop the sharp flare of jealousy that burned through me every time he touched her. Tess belonged to me, whether she realized it yet or not. My shadow magic flickered around me, responding to the surge of emotion, and I had to will it into submission. This wasn’t the time.
Kane’s voice cut through the storm, sharp and commanding. “The trees should provide some cover.”
From my perch in the shadows, I followed as they stumbled into the grove, my movements silent and unseen. The rain soaked through my clothes, but I didn’t feel the cold. My shadow magic kept me hidden, a part of the storm itself. Tess’s voice reached me, soft but steady, as she offered suggestions for fortifying their shelter. Even drenched and trembling, she held her ground, her mind working furiously to solve problems as they arose. Clever, resourceful Tess. My Tess.
Kane nodded in approval, his lips curling into something almost like a smile. The sight made my jaw clench. He saw her value, her brilliance, but he didn’t deserve her. None of them did. She was mine to protect, mine to cherish, mine to— Focus, Ciaran. Not now.
I watched as they worked together to build their shelter, my magic swirling in the darkness around me, ever watchful.
But the storm wasn’t their only enemy.
I felt Selena and Valen before I saw them, their magic slithering through the air like oil on water. Disgust rippled through me as I turned my attention to the treeline, where their figures lurked just out of sight. Selena’s dark magic pulsed, subtle but insidious, weaving tendrils of energy into the shelter’s fragile framework. Valen stood at her side, his crimson eyes gleaming with amusement as he watched the sabotage unfold. Cowards. They wouldn’t face Tess and her team head-on. Instead, they resorted to tricks and treachery.
My magic surged, shadows rippling outward in response to the threat. I could end this now—step out of the darkness and tear Selena and Valen apart before they had a chance to strike. But I stopped myself, the urge to protect warring with the knowledge that Tess needed to face this on her own. She didn’t need me to fight her battles. Not yet.
Still, the decision cost me. My hands trembled with the effort of restraint. They’re threatening our mate. Destroy them.
But not yet. My gaze locked on Selena as she stepped into the clearing, her lips curling into a mocking smile. Her voice carried easily over the storm as she taunted Tess and her team, her words dripping with venom. My claws itched to tear that smug expression from her face, but I forced myself to remain still.
The shelter exploded in a cascade of debris, Selena’s magic tearing it apart with cruel precision. I flinched, every instinct screaming at me to intervene as Tess was thrown backward, her small frame hitting the ground with a force that made my heart lurch. But then Mason was there, pulling her upright with steady hands. She was shaken, but alive. Strong.
My shadows coiled tightly around me, seething with barely contained rage as the confrontation unfolded. Kane’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp and commanding, as he ordered the team to regroup. Selena’s laughter rang out, grating and hollow, as she mocked their efforts. Valen stood at her side, his smile sharp and predatory, his crimson eyes gleaming with malicious amusement. But they didn’t see me, didn’t sense the storm within the storm, watching, waiting.
As Kane faced Selena down, his voice cold and unyielding, I allowed myself a small measure of satisfaction. He wasn’t weak, I’d give him that. But he wasn’t enough. None of them were. Selena and Valen would pay for this—just not here, not now. Tess didn’t need me to intervene, but when the time came, I would make them regret ever laying a hand on her.
I watched as Tess found her footing. Despite the tension, despite the storm, she stood tall, unbroken. My heart swelled with pride—dangerous, obsessive pride. She was everything I’d ever wanted, everything I didn’t deserve but would claim anyway.
As Selena and Valen retreated, their threats hanging in the air like poison, I let my magic settle, though the promise of vengeance burned in my chest. They thought they’d won, but they couldn’t see the threads I was weaving in the darkness. Their time would come, and when it did, I would be the storm that destroyed them.
For now, I stayed in the shadows, watching as Tess and her team regrouped and built a makeshift shelter to get them through the night. She didn’t need me now, but she would. And when that moment came, I would be there—not as a shadow, but as her protector, her mate.
She was safe for the moment, and that gave me the freedom to act. If I was to truly protect her, I needed answers—answers buried in forbidden places, in truths that had been denied to me for centuries. Dracara, the land of dragons. The place where I was not welcome. The place I would have to infiltrate.
“Soon,” I whispered into the storm, my voice lost in the chaos. My gaze lingered on her one last time before I turned away. “You’ll see, Tess. You’re mine.”