Chapter 16 Kai
Chapter sixteen
Kai
“Trust is a tricky thing.”
The plane descends, touching down on the runway of the small airfield just outside Portland. As the engines whir to a halt, the tension inside the cabin seems to swell, punctuated only by the soft click of our seatbelts being unfastened.
As I step out onto the tarmac, the brisk Oregon air wraps around me, carrying with it a sense of urgency. I take a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering unease. That dream—it felt too real, too vivid. Its impact leaves me rattled, my thoughts clouded with dread.
I follow Penn as he makes his way down the stairs and over to the large SUV waiting for us.
Without a word, Penn takes his place behind the wheel, his movements purposeful as he guides the vehicle onto the dirt track that leads away from the airfield.
I stare out the window, the rhythmic hum of the engine providing a steady soundtrack to this fucking nightmare.
Lost in the depths of my thoughts, I can’t shake the haunting image of Ash’s battered and bruised body from my mind’s eye. Why didn’t she tell me where she was going?
The question echoes in the recesses of my brain, unanswered and unyielding.
As the landscape blurs past the windows, the weight of uncertainty presses down on me, suffocating and relentless.
“Why?” I ask into the silence of the car, the only sound being the tires on the road.
Penn sighs, and I catch his grip on the steering wheel tightening momentarily.
“Why did you send her there, of all places?”
“Ash is the best at what she does. There is something of great value in Faerie, something my brothers and I desperately seek.”
Anger simmers in the pit of my stomach. “Then why not retrieve it yourselves?”
“Because we can’t cross into Faerie. A witch put a curse on us, trapping us in this realm. If we were to try to cross realms, we would be torn apart. Literally.”
Despite my anger subsiding to some extent, I cannot let go of the blame I place on him and his brothers for imposing this upon Ash in the first place.
Penn turns down a gravel driveway and a large house comes into view.
The house’s immense size and expansive wrap-around porch have me in awe.
The rolling green hills with the forest backdrop are really stunning.
My attention snaps to the front door as it suddenly swings open, revealing a handful of people who step out onto the porch.
Lukas Black, the alpha, stands out from the rest with his imposing stature.
I also see Sander and Kyra among the group.
Penn stops the car, and we sit for a moment, taking in the six figures staring at us from the porch.
Then Lukas and Nesrin slowly make their way down the steps, accompanied by a blond-haired man and an Asian man, who stand only a few feet behind them.
I look over at Penn, waiting. He is eyeing them through the front window and green scales ripple over the exposed skin of his neck, the only indication of his discomfort.
Simultaneously, we both grab the door handles and proceed to get out. We walk toward the group together and come to a halt a few feet from them. My eyes widen at the sight of Nesrin’s unmistakably round stomach. It has only been seven weeks since I saw her last. Had I not noticed back then?
In a show of respect, I lower my head, and Penn follows suit.
“Alpha. Luna,” he says.
“I know you,” Lukas says, looking at me. “But not you.” His green gaze swings to Penn.
“My name is Penn. I’m here to ask for your assistance.”
A sudden commotion from the side of the house draws our attention.
Three small pups come racing around the corner, their tails wagging with unrestrained excitement as they dash around the yard.
Tiny paws make rhythmic patters against the ground, and their playful yips fill the air, completely oblivious to the presence of the visitors.
But it’s the small dragon that captures my attention.
Its scales shimmer in brilliant hues of green and blue, reflecting the sunlight with a captivating shine.
Despite its diminutive size, perched atop the dragon’s back is a small blond child, no older than five.
Her wide eyes are a mesmerizing blend of blue and violet, filled with a mix of wonder and mischief.
She sits confidently on the dragon’s back, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“What the hell?” I mutter.
The dragon’s wings unfurl with a whoosh when it sees us, creating a small gust of wind that rolls across the ground. Its keen golden eyes lock onto us, a curious tilt to its head.
Penn steps forward, his attention now focused on the dragon. Sensing the tension building in the air, I reach out and grasp his arm. Even through his suit jacket, I can feel the armored scales of his dragon as he fights against the shift.
“You have a dragon?” he growls.
Lukas steps forward, eyes glowing with the formidable power of an alpha protecting his pack. “That dragon is family.”
“How do you have a dragon?” Penn snarls, snapping his attention back to Lukas.
“None of your fucking business, Kotov,” Lukas replies, his shoulders rolling back. He has clearly connected the dots as to exactly who has entered his territory.
Fuck, we need to deescalate this, or they will never help us. Getting to Ash is my only priority.
Nesrin claps her hands, and a big smile spreads across her face, while everyone else seems frozen, too afraid to break the tension suffocating the air.
“How does an alpha keep his pack in line?” she says, her hands clasped under her chin as her gaze bounces around. “No one?”
Her presence fills the surrounding air with light and positive energy. “With a strict ‘paw and order’ policy!” The giggle that follows has my lips twitching.
Lukas drops his head, trying to hide his smile.
The Asian man rubs a hand over his jaw. “You need to find better jokes,” he says.
Slowly, the tension begins to dissolve, and the atmosphere shifts into a more relaxed state.
“My jokes work,” she retorts, shooting him a look over her shoulder.
“We are laughing at you, not with you,” the blond man at Lukas’s side remarks.
“Whatever. You’re just jealous you’re not as cool as me. Now come sit,” Nesrin says, gesturing us toward the house.
I see then that Sander and his wife, Kyra, have made their way over to the children. Quickly, they usher them down the hill toward the community of houses. The small dragon and the young girl trail closely behind. Each of them casts a quick glance back at us, their eyes filled with curiosity.
Nesrin hooks her arm in mine and drags me along, my heart jumping in surprise. “You look extremely troubled, Kai,” she whispers. “Your aura is in unrest.”
A sense of calm and peace engulfs me as I reply, the soft embrace of tranquility easing the strain on my frazzled emotions.
“It’s Ash,” I reply.
“I figured. But why are you with one of the Kotov dragon shifters?”
I glance down at her, and she looks back up at me, her head cocked to the side inquisitively. Her eyes, a captivating shade of warm amber, seem to penetrate my soul, as if she possesses an intimate understanding of who I truly am. It’s unnerving.
“Ash works for them. They sent her on one last mission, and she hasn’t returned.”
Nesrin’s eyes narrow and she drops my arm, spinning on her heels and poking Penn in the chest. “What the hell did you do?!”
Penn’s eyes widen and he blinks, taken aback. With a swift motion, Lukas scoops Nesrin up and sets her down on the outdoor sofa, while the Asian man gracefully steps between them, ensuring their safety while the alpha’s back is turned.
“You cannot confront people in your state,” Lukas growls out.
Nesrin snorts and crosses her arms. “I’m pregnant, not an invalid.”
“I don’t care,” Lukas says, placing a kiss on her head before standing. Then he turns to Penn and me, his arms crossing over his massive chest. “State your business.”
Penn’s jaw clenches, and I nudge him with my elbow. His eyes flash in warning as he looks at me.
“I need your help contacting the Puca. Ash entered the Faerie realm with him, and he is the only one who knows exactly where she entered the Outlands. We need to follow her scent and see if she made it to the Valley of the Dead.”
“Well, that sounds ominous as shit,” the blond says.
Nesrin’s eyes bore into Penn, her nostrils flaring with anger.
Penn ignores her and faces the blond shifter, raising an eyebrow. “And you are?”
Lukas shifts his stance, arms crossed and eyes glowing. “This is my beta, Zee, and that’s Gabe.”
Penn eyes each of them strangely.
I step forward, my attention on Nesrin. “Please help me get to Faerie. Ash is in trouble, and I need to go to her,” I plead, a hint of desperation leaking into my voice, but I’m not ashamed. That woman brings me to my knees every damn day, and I don’t care who knows.
Nesrin worries her bottom lip. “I already sent for Nero.”
“But?” I ask, sensing the word hanging in the air.
“But—”
“NO! Absolutely not, Freckles!” Lukas bellows, making us all jump in surprise.
“He won’t be—”
Lukas slashes his hand angrily through the air. “This is not our fight.”
In an instant, Nesrin springs to her feet. Despite her small stature, there’s a menacing expression in her eyes.
“You’re being unreasonable,” she snaps.
“Me? I’m being unreasonable? You’re carrying our child. It’s not safe to go to Faerie.”
I furrow my brow. That’s what she was going to say?
“I’m going alone,” I state.
Nesrin and Lukas’s focus swings my way, and I continue.
“Thank you, but Lukas is right. This isn’t your fight, and you are carrying precious cargo. I would never ask it of you.”
“You didn’t ask. I was offering.”
“Well, I respectfully decline.”
Lukas steps up to his mate and wife, wrapping his arms around her and dragging her into his chest. “I know you want to help, but that is Nero’s job.”
Nesrin huffs, her gaze dropping. “Fine.”
Lukas looks at Penn. “What exactly did you send Ash into?”
“I have no need to disclose that information.”
Flames of anger ignite within me, and I shoot a piercing glare at the dragon shifter. Ash’s life is on the line here, and he’s still being an entitled prick.
As Gabe leans against the railing, a playful smirk dances on his lips. “He and his two brothers are looking for the last female dragon shifter.”
Penn stiffens, his skin rippling and forming a layer of scales that adds an eerie texture to his appearance.
“Don’t read my mind, mutt,” he snarls.
I step up to Penn before Lukas can intervene. “Calm the fuck down. We are here for Ash.” Then realization dawns. “Or are you only here because you still want her to retrieve your damn—”
“Does it matter?” he snaps, his eyes a fiery shade of green, glowing intensely like hot flames.
Disappointment washes over me as I shake my head. “I thought you actually cared for her.”
Penn remains silent, and just as the tension begins to escalate, relief arrives in the form of horse hooves pounding in the distance. All of us instinctively shift our attention toward the source, where a majestic black stallion emerges over the hill, making his way from the direction of the river.
The Puca seamlessly shifts from a horse to a man in the blink of an eye.
A tall, dark-skinned man casually walks toward the house, his strides effortlessly covering the distance without any sense of urgency, but also in no time at all.
His muscular physique is accentuated by the intricate tattoos that adorn his chest, arms, and look to continue over his back. This is the Puca?
He’s a commanding presence; his confident stride exudes an air of power and grace. I meet his piercing golden eyes, and a sense of heaviness weighs down on me. In the next instant, he stands directly in front of me. Despite the intensity, I refuse to back down, meeting his gaze head-on.
It’s Nesrin who breaks the standoff, stepping between us, her hands landing on both our chests and pushing us back a step. “Nero, this is Kai Cartwright. He’s here looking for Ashwiyaa.”
Nero blinks and drops his gaze to Nesrin, then pulls her in for a hug. “Good to see you, Daughter of Light.”
“Would you stop calling me that?” she grumbles.
“Never.” He smirks.
“Can we get on with it?” Penn interjects angrily.
Nero releases Nesrin and strides purposefully toward Penn, seizing him by the collar. “You have no right to demand anything of me. You and your family spent two hundred years making demands of Ashwiyaa and now look what’s happened.”
Penn’s eyes bore into Nero’s, radiating clear disdain, but he wisely chooses to remain silent. I’m honestly not sure who would win if it came to blows, but Penn is right—we need to get a move on.
“What Penn is trying to say is that Ash is in real danger. I saw her in my dreams. She is being held prisoner by something evil and it’s feeding off her. She is in a bad way and doesn’t have access to her magic.”
Nero releases his grip on Penn, his fingers slipping away like whispers in the wind. He turns his attention to me, his golden eyes filled with a mixture of determination and concern. The air around us crackles with electric energy.
“When Ashwiyaa never showed up at the rendezvous, I was worried and sent scouts out looking for her, but they have been unsuccessful in tracking her. However, being that she is your chosen mate, I think you should be able to locate her. I will take you to the place where I last laid eyes on Ashwiyaa,” he says, his voice steady yet tinged with a hint of regret.
“The Outlands are forbidden, and I cannot enter. If it were not for this restriction, I would have followed her without hesitation.” Nero’s expression softens, his worry evident as he continues.
“Time is working against us if Ashwiyaa is truly trapped without any means of getting out, so we must act immediately.”