Chapter Twenty-Four #2
While I speak, my hand has stopped moving, so he nudges it ever so gently, so I start stroking his snout again. I know he heard me. There's intelligence and a level of understanding in his eyes which is more than an ordinary beast.
“Are you Reaper? Or do you have a name?” I ask, knowing he can’t use words, but hoping that he can nod or something. I’ll spend all day listing names to find his.
He watches me cautiously, and I carry on stroking his nose. I know he’s trying to suss me out, and I hope he doesn’t find me lacking.
I try not to jump out of my skin when I hear an ancient and gravelly voice speaking into my mind. Holy fucking shit.
“Not Reaper. I’m Ryu.”
“You can talk?” I gasp.
“What the fuck?” I hear Loki mutter from behind me, so it’s not common knowledge that they forgot to mention to me.
Instead of replying, Ryu just nods slightly, so he doesn’t dislodge my hand.
“Wow, that’s fucking amazing. I feel incredibly honoured that you spoke to me. Thank you,” I bow my head slightly, showing him the respect he deserves.
“Mate, never bow to me. Equals,” he says into my mind, his words are slightly stilted, but I get the feeling that’s because he doesn’t speak often.
His words sink in, and I tilt my head. “Mate?”
Infuriatingly he just nods, while there are exclaims of more surprise coming from behind me.
“You’re not going to tell me what that means are you?” I ask.
His eyes fill with amusement, and it’s my turn to huff. Movement from behind me has me turning to see the others slowly making their way out of the tree line. Ryu growls menacingly, and without thinking I turn back around to him and tap him on the nose.
“Be nice! They’re friends, your family, and they love you! They’re my friends too!”
I didn’t know dragons could look shocked, but he manages it somehow, and I have to admit it’s pretty fucking comical. Especially when he huffs again, blowing a tiny amount of smoke in my face, but concedes with a roll of his eyes.
“Sassy dragon,” I tease and then turn back to the others, “you can come over. He’ll behave.”
The guys don’t utter anything as they all pick their way over the bodies and come to a stop just behind me.
“I can’t believe you just tapped him on the nose, and he didn’t eat you,” Loki comments, shaking his head.
“I can’t believe he’s so calm. Reaper is never this calm in his dragon form,” Mayhem mutters, staring up at the giant dragon.
“Not Reaper,” I say.
“What?” Killian asks.
“He’s not Reaper, well he is, but he’s got his own personality too, if that makes sense. He’s called Ryu.”
“Fucking hell,” Loki says again, and I’m pretty sure it will be a while before he can get out a proper sentence.
“That’s not how shifters work,” Mayhem points out.
“No, but he’s not a normal shifter. So it could make sense,” Rival adds.
Storm steps forward, and Ryu shifts his attention slightly to him, “Thank you for saving us. If you hadn’t come out, we would’ve been dead.
I know you did it for your mate, but we appreciate it too, and I promise that we’ll fix this void between you and us.
But no immediately attacking when you come out. ”
Ryu tilts his head slightly as if he’s considering it and nods slowly.
“If didn’t come out fighting, pain, too much pain,” Ryu says, when no one seems to react. I translate as my heart breaks for what they’ve been through.
“He said if he didn’t come out fighting, there’d be pain, too much pain.
You said he was treated like a slave, right?
I think maybe it became his defence mechanism, and he hasn’t been let out enough to realise that he and Reaper are safe now,” I try to explain, and Ryu nods, “are you aware when you’re Reaper? ”
“Can be. Choose to sleep unless needed. Not recently, mate, been awake recently.”
“Can Reaper hear us now?” I ask, ignoring the mate thing because I know what that means, and I’m not entirely sure how to handle it.
I mean, this amazing creature couldn’t possibly be my mate, not to mention that although they share the same body and have much the same instincts and personality traits, they do seem to be somewhat separate, so what the dragon feels, Reaper may not.
I’m pulled away from my thoughts as Ryu nods beneath my hand.
“Maybe you guys can work on communicating better with each other so you know it's safe when you come out?” I suggest.
“Try,” he growls. “Reaper agrees.”
“Thank you, I want to see you more, but we need to know it’s safe,”
Ryu nods.
“What the fuck is going on right now?” Kill asks.
“Is he talking to you?” Rival exclaims.
“Yes, and I’m fairly sure he can communicate directly with Reaper, too,” I reply.
“They’re willing to work together so Ryu can come out more?” Storm asks, hope in his tone.
“Yes.”
“Wow, I never thought I’d see the day. Ever since what you said to him about it being so difficult, constantly suppressing a piece of who he is, it’s been playing on my mind, and I’ve been trying to think of a way to help.” Mayhem admits.
“It might be a long road, Reaper’s been ignoring him for a long time, and Ryu is hurt by that,” I say, and receive a huff Ryu in annoyance that I’ve just shared that with them, “oh hush you. You know they’re family. They want the best for you, and sharing real feelings is a part of that.”
“I still can’t get over how easily you're talking to him. Were you scared at all?” Loki asks, finally finding some other words than fucking hell.
“No, I probably should have been, but I knew he wouldn’t hurt me.”
Ryu growls at that, like the thought of causing me harm is absolutely abhorrent to him, and I pat his nose gently, silently letting him know that I know he will never harm me.
“Off subject, but we know for sure that the Headmaster set us up, so what do we do?” Mayhem asks.
“We have a conversation with him,” Killian grins.
“I think that’s a good idea, and why waste time? We’ll do it as soon as we get back,” Storm agrees easily.
“We’re not going to the Shadowlands?” Loki questions.
“No, I think we need to get to the bottom of this first and why the Headmaster wants Farren dead,” Storm replies.
“Plus, I’m even more doubtful that there was even a job in the first place,” Mayhem interjects.
“Good point. Alright, then, let's get going,” Loki says.
I turn back to Ryu, “Do you think you could let Reaper back out for me? I don’t think you’ll fit on a horse, and remaining stealthy wouldn’t be that easy with a dragon.”
He sends me a picture of him flying high in the clouds and then suddenly disappearing.
“Okay, that’s pretty fucking cool.”
“What is?”
“He can camouflage himself when he flies,” I explain. “We still need Reaper out. I promise that you can come out again soon, and not just to fight.”
“I’ll second that,” Storm adds, “I promise that we will make sure that Reaper lets you out. So long as you promise not to go straight into fight mode and communicate properly with Reaper, so you know what’s going on and if you do need to come out fighting.”
Ryu takes a deep inhale, no doubt smelling, to see if Storm is telling the truth. Once satisfied, he nods, closes his eyes, and light envelops him.