3. Doyle
CHAPTER THREE
DOYLE
I didn't know what prompted me to leave the thick of the fighting to follow that mysterious and delicious scent.
Our grizzly shifter allies had come through for us and narrowed down the location of Liliana's coven in Yellow Ridge, a small town in the mountains that was half a day's flight from Sky Stead.
After a week of planning with the bears, I was eager to fight, to put a stop to the black coven's operations, and yet...here I was deviating from the fight in search of...him.
That frightened pale-faced shifter that I spotted earlier, running far away from me, from the chaos.
The forest was alive with the sounds of battle: roars of Draven and Ivan, growls of our bear allies, and the crackling energy of spells.
But as I broke away from the main fray, all those noises seemed to fade, replaced by the rhythmic pounding of my own heart.
I couldn’t focus on anything else but that scent. It was intoxicating, a heady mix of pine and something uniquely his.
Flying over the towering pines, I followed his trail, moving swiftly and silently. His scent grew stronger, leading me deeper into the heart of the forest.
I found him in a forest clearing, his chest heaving with fear and exertion. His eyes, wide and full of terror, locked onto mine as I landed with a thump.
Seeing him up close, the first thing that struck me was how similar he looked to my William.
At first, I even thought memory or perhaps a talented witch like Liliana was playing tricks on me. Upon closer examination, I realized there were a few differences between him and William.
William had dark gold curls, while this…fox shifter had hair the color of dark chocolate and blue eyes instead of green.
Still, the resemblance was eerie and that made me undeniably curious about him.
I could still hear the sounds of fighting in the distance but in this clearing, everything seemed to stand still.
I thought he would pass out right there and then, but he met my gaze.
“Um...hello? If you have no intentions of eating me, can you let me go?" His voice was shaky, but there was a hint of defiance in it.
It would have been more impressive if he wasn’t trembling. Then again, his fear was justified.
Judging by the state of his filthy clothes and how skinny he was, he’d been kept prisoner by the coven for some time.
I was guessing he escaped during the commotion of the battle, only to stumble upon a battlefield.
Anyone would feel disjointed and confused in his shoes. I then changed to my human form. Bones broke, my scales and wings disappeared as I shrank.
In my dragon form, practically nothing could hurt me and yet for some reason I wanted this fox shifter to feel at ease around me.
To that, I needed to be less imposing. Zane would’ve probably reprimanded me for my actions.
Ivan too, would tell me I was inviting harm to myself for a complete stranger and yet…I felt a strange and indescribable pull to this fox shifter.
He gaped at me, and when I did nothing else, he looked me up and down.
His face turned an endearing shade of pink as he looked at my assets, then swiftly turned his attention back to my face.
"Who are you?" I demanded, keeping my voice low but firm.
He flinched, his gaze darting around as if seeking an escape route.
"I...I don't want any trouble," he stammered. "I just want to get away from here."
"You were part of Liliana's coven?" I asked, stepping closer.
He backed up against a tree, his pale face even more pronounced against the dark bark.
“No,” he whispered. “Her people took me when I was out getting dinner with my dad. She forces people to do terrible things. I had no choice."
The anger surged within me, not just at Liliana but at the entire situation.
Here was someone who had suffered terribly, someone who had the courage to run, and now he was afraid, thinking he was facing another threat.
"What's your name?" I asked, softening my tone.
“Michael Wilson,” he replied, a spark of hope flickering in his eyes. “You?”
Don’t look at me like that, I thought, like I’m your white knight or saviour. The last person I loved, I failed.
“I’m Doyle. Michael, if you want to get out of here, you have to trust me," I said, extending my hand. “I can protect you, but you have to come with me now."
He hesitated for a moment before placing his trembling hand in mine. As I pulled him to his feet, a sense of resolve washed over me.
No matter what happened next, I wasn’t going to let Michael die.
Suddenly, a crackling sound pierced the air, and I turned just in time to see a burst of magical energy heading straight for us.
Instinctively, I put myself before Michael and tackled him to the ground.
Michael gasped, clutching my arm as the ground around us sizzled from the impact.
Shifting to my other form now would leave me vulnerable as it would take some time. Our only option was to run.
“We have to move, now!" I urged, pulling him along.
We darted through the trees, the sounds of the battle growing louder. I could feel the presence of Liliana's forces closing in on us.
Every step was a race against time, every breath a struggle to stay ahead of the danger. As we ran, Michael stumbled, and I caught him before he could fall.
"Keep going," I urged. "We're almost there."
Finally, we burst through the trees and into the main battlefield, where the coven house was still burning.
Our allies were holding their ground, but the fight was far from over. I scanned the chaos, searching for a safe path through the melee.
"There!" I pointed to a group of our bear allies gathered behind a truck.
We sprinted towards them, dodging spells and bullets. The forest was a blur of motion and danger, each step a gamble.
As we reached the circle, one of the bears—a massive grizzly shifter named Mayhem—recognized me and nodded.
"Doyle, who is this?" Mayhem asked, eyeing Michael.
Another bear noticed my nakedness and handed me a spare pair of jeans, which I hastily put on.
"One of the escaped familiars from Liliana’s coven,” I replied. "We need to get him to safety."
Mayhem nodded and motioned for us to enter the truck. “He’ll be safe in there,” he said.
I was glad Mayhem didn’t ask why I was in this form or why I disappeared from the battlefield. He turned back to his bears, barking orders.
As we moved inside the truck, I felt a sense of relief. For now, Michael was safe. But the battle was far from over, and I knew I couldn't rest until Liliana was dead.
I hadn’t seen her earlier and wondered if she somehow managed to escape.
That thought angered me, and it must’ve shown on my face, because Michael hesitantly touched my arm.
The effect was immediate. My seething dragon calmed down, and I looked at him.
He had obviously been through hell, yet he still offered me, a complete stranger, solace when I needed it. A surge of protectiveness filled me.
“Stay here. The bears won’t let anything happen to you,” I told him.
I was about to leave the truck, but he grabbed my shoulder.
“Where are you going?” he asked, terror in his eyes.
“I can’t abandon my allies. The fighting’s almost done. I’ll return to you right away,” I told him.
“Promise me,” he whispered.
It struck me how vulnerable he looked at that moment. A stray thought occurred to me. If Michael ran away while I wasn’t looking… no. I couldn’t allow that.
After the trauma he’d been through, there was no telling what he’d do next. Right now, he was looking to me for answers.
I touched his cheek, pleased he didn’t push me away or recoil.
I kissed him gently, softly, surprised when he kissed me back fiercely. Reluctantly, I pulled away, because I was certain I would get lost in those vulnerable blue eyes.
“Promise me,” he repeated, his voice trembling.
“I promise,” I told him, and he finally released me.
I stepped out of the truck, my heart pounding for reasons beyond the battle. The air crackled with energy as spells and bullets flew past.
I could see my allies holding the line.Draven and Ivan were still in the air, looking for stragglers. I needed to help them, to finish this fight once and for all.
“Mayhem, give me cover. I’m changing forms,” I told Mayhem, who nodded to the other grizzly shifters.
Agony swept through my entire body as bones broke and reformed, and scales covered me as I grew in size. Through it all, I felt Michael's gaze on me.
Something had changed within me when I found him. When I entered this fight, all I could think about was avenging William and finally putting an end to Liliana.
But now? I was looking forward to getting to know Michael better. The chaos around me seemed less daunting, the danger less menacing.
Every day since William’s death had been a struggle to live, but for the first time in a long while, I felt a spark of hope.