Chapter 13 #2
He’s frustrated, I realized with another twist to the gut. He wanted to keep talking to Sorrel alone... That fucking creep!
Part of me wanted to track Konrad down and confront him. He was no match for me one-on-one. But this was the perfect opportunity to rescue Poppy, and I couldn’t let it go to waste.
I slunk to the front door and tried the handle. Nothing. It must’ve locked automatically when it shut. Swearing under my breath, I crept along the side of the building as I searched for a different door, or hell, even a window. I finally found a narrow pane of glass without a mechanism to open it.
Fuck this.
I could’ve punched the window into smithereens, but that would draw too much attention.
Instead, I unfurled my hand and allowed the shift to flow into my fingertips.
My blunt human nails transformed into dagger-sharp claws.
I carved around the window’s perimeter, then kicked it in.
The pane landed with a dull thud on the rug.
I vaulted inside. Immediately, I was hit by the thick stink of alpha bear. It smothered any possible trace of Poppy’s sweet scent. Wrinkling my nose, I hurried down the hall, looking desperately for him. My heart felt sick with worry.
As I barreled into the main living space, I gasped.
Sitting in the corner with only a blanket between him and the cold floor was Poppy.
His eyes widened to the size of moons when he saw me.
“Violet?” he breathed, as if he couldn’t believe I was real.
Rushing forward, I skidded on my knees in front of him. I grabbed his frail body and pulled him into a trembling embrace.
“Fuck, I’m so glad you’re okay,” I muttered as tears stung my eyes. “You’re okay, right? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
Poppy shook his head. “No. He told me to stay still and keep quiet.” He wrapped his hands around my back, clutching onto me like a raft. I noticed then that his wrists weren’t bound, and there was nothing holding him back except Konrad’s word and the locked door.
“And you listened?” I asked through a choked laugh. “Geez, Poppy...”
I allowed myself a couple seconds of selfish hugging to soothe my battered heart. Then I stood and helped Poppy to his feet.
“Come on,” I urged. “We’re getting out of here. You, me, and Sorrel.”
Poppy blinked his big doe eyes at me. They sparkled with hope. “We... we’re leaving? Together? You spoke to him?”
There was no time to explain what I’d just seen. “Well, no, but I’m not leaving him behind. And I’m sure as fuck not letting you stay in this dump for a second longer. Konrad left to hunt, so we gotta go.”
“Okay.”
Poppy seemed strangely calm. I had a brief anxious thought that he’d been drugged. “Seriously, are you all right?” I asked. “You’re pretty relaxed for a hostage.”
He stopped and met my gaze. Seeing them up close, his eyes gleamed bright and clear, without a hint of intoxication.
“I’m calm because I knew you’d come back, Violet,” Poppy said gently.
His words flung an arrow straight into my heart. My sweet wolf never doubted me. He’d put a mountain of faith in me—faith I wasn’t sure I deserved.
I couldn’t let Poppy down ever again.
“I’m here,” I promised, kissing his knuckles in a sudden burst of affection. “Now let’s get the hell out of here.”
Poppy flushed, but stuck close as I led him to the busted window. My pulse skyrocketed. In a few minutes, we’d be gone from this wretched place.
The coast was clear. I vaulted through the empty window, helped Poppy through, then double-checked the surroundings again. It was dark and silent.
“Can you smell anything?” I whispered to Poppy, knowing his wolf’s nose was sharper than mine, even in human form.
He quietly scented the air. “No. The trails are at least ten minutes old.” He paused. “Was Sorrel here?”
“Yeah. I’ll explain later. Right now, my priority is getting you somewhere safe.”
“Is he okay?” Poppy asked, brow furrowed in concern.
“Rorik walked him back to the barracks.”
The mention of Rorik relaxed Poppy. I figured they were friends, or at least that Poppy trusted him with guarding his brother.
“Okay,” Poppy said. “We’re not going to leave him behind, right?”
I faced him. “Trust me, I want Sorrel out of here as much as you do, but if we get caught now, it’s over. Let’s get you to safety first, and then I’ll rescue Sorrel. Promise.”
Poppy’s eyes gleamed, reassured by my promise. “Thank you.”
I led us in the opposite direction Konrad had gone, hoping to avoid him. We sneaked in silence towards the edge of the territory. I barely dared to breathe until we were far from clan grounds. Finally, we crested a low slope that sprawled out into a flat field.
Poppy nudged me, then pointed to a blur in the distance.
His whisper was quieter than an evening breeze.
“There’s a secluded nook there, in a thicket beyond that stream.
Nobody knows about it except me and Sorrel.
” He smiled wistfully. “We played hide and seek there once, back before he got a crush on Konrad...” His smile faded as he faced me, somber and determined.
“We can stay there while we wait for a chance to save him.”
I nodded. He knew this area better than I did, and I welcomed an opportunity to catch my breath. Now out of range of any prying eyes, we shifted into our animal forms and quickly crossed the land to Poppy’s hiding place.
Our journey took an hour on foot. True to his word, Poppy sniffed out the subtle crag in the thicket. The mouth was narrow, but the space opened up inside. It was too tight for my dragon form, but it’d suffice for two men.
When we squeezed past the mouth and stood together in the cool cavern, I took Poppy and crushed him against my chest. It finally felt safe enough to hold him.
“Thank you,” I murmured. “For trusting me.”
Poppy nestled his face against my collarbone. “Always.”
I ran my hand down his bare back. “It’s chilly in here. Take my jacket.” Before he could refuse, I stripped and put it on him.
He nodded gratefully, then murmured, “Your body is warm. It helps to be close like this.”
A fluttering sensation flowed up my spine. I held Poppy as near as physically possible, but it still wasn’t enough. I wanted to take him into me, to cradle his precious, fragile body inside my ribs where he’d always be safe...
The feeling was so intense that I shuddered. Never before had I experienced such an emotion, so vivid and wild it was almost painful.
“Violet?”
My answer came as a warm breath against his hair. “Hm.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Do you... like me?”
I looked Poppy in the eyes. “Well, obviously.”
But his question was a smokescreen. That wasn’t what he was really asking. I understood that as he held my gaze, pale lashes framing his big wet eyes. His question was deeper, seeking an answer straight from the soul.
My heart tripped over itself. The longer I stared at Poppy, the wilder and more crazed I felt. I wanted to gift him his every desire. I wanted him to be happy all the time. I wanted to protect him from the world. I wanted him all to myself.
I wanted him.
Poppy must’ve seen something flicker in my eyes, because he’d subtly angled his face towards mine. Slow, timid. Cautious, in case the answer was no.
My pulse leapt to my throat. Every beat of my heart felt thunderous and loud, as if it would break free from my body and echo against the walls. I grew acutely aware of my hands on his body, the warmth that spread across that connection, the potency of that touch.
I leaned in and brushed my lips against his.
The mildest sound of surprise escaped Poppy before he relaxed, then pressed back to meet me. His mouth was as soft and sweet as the rest of him, like falling into a pile of plush toys—but better in every way.
A sudden firm thought floated across my mind: Poppy is more important to me than my hoard.
He’s more important than anything...
That touch of our lips felt like an eternity. When we pulled away, both our cheeks were flushed. I felt the warmth radiating from Poppy’s face, and his eyes sparkled brighter than a starry night.
I raised a shaky hand to cup his cheek, my thumb caressing his all-encompassing softness. He was so unbelievably tender, inside and out. I felt such a depth of emotion for him that my eyes grew hot with tears.
“Poppy,” I murmured. My chest clenched as I said his name. “Fate brought me to you.”
He let out a tiny whimper, gripping my shirt tighter. “Fate?”
I ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sure of it. That’s why I got caught in that storm and crashed here. It led me to you. And now...” I shivered, my dragon soul lurking close to the surface. “Now, I don’t ever want to let you go.”
Poppy flashed a smile that lit up his entire face. “I don’t want you to let me go.”
A laugh tumbled out of me, and I hugged him closer. “Good. Because I won’t. Ever.” I whispered the last word against his cheek before I kissed him there.
“Promise?” Poppy whispered back.
“I promise, my sweet wolf.”
His eyes glistened with happy tears. The joy on his face echoed the feeling inside me. We were two mirrors reflecting each other’s bliss.
My heart pounded as I caressed his cheek with my thumb. “If that’s how we both feel... then we must be fated mates, huh?”
“What does that mean?” Poppy asked, blinking curiously.
At first I was surprised that he didn’t know. But then I realized there was no way Konrad would ever let his clan learn about fated mates, or worse, believe in them. I was glad to be the one to teach Poppy about such a beautiful concept.
“It’s a magical feeling that happens to shifters.
It means we’re destined to be together,” I explained, still gently stroking his face.
“That no matter what blocks our paths, we’ll always find our way to each other again.
” Leaning in, I pressed our foreheads together.
“It means that our bond can overcome anything. That our love is invincible.”
Poppy swallowed. His pale cheeks had turned a deep shade of pink. “Our love...?”