Chapter 11
Wayne
The truck engine had barely quieted before I shifted. I’d just gotten onto clan territory, and if I didn’t shift, I was going to find Bianca and claim her.
And that wasn’t a good idea considering she didn’t even know about dragons at all yet.
Rushing over the trees after leaving my truck just inside our land, I flew as far as I could, the boundaries of the clan’s acreage clear in my mind.
Then I turned and let my claws skim the trees as I flew back the other way as far as I could.
Luckily, over the years we’d acquired miles and miles of property along the coast, giving me ample room to fly.
And fly.
And fly.
My plan had worked, but too damn well. By the time I walked Bee to her car, I was wound so tight with pent-up energy I didn’t even go back inside to clean up.
I just locked the doors and grabbed my keys, then hit the road, coming straight here to fly my pent-up desire out.
My need to claim her was almost more than I could take.
By the time I made it back to the clearing, my wings and muscles in my back burning with fatigue, I’d been flying for hours.
I hadn’t done a flight this long in years, and I felt it.
Damn. I needed to set aside more flying time or I’d turn into one of these old-timers that barely flew during clan runs.
They spent most of the time walking around the woods.
No, thanks.
When I reached the clearing, I was surprised to see I wasn’t alone. Sammy lay in the middle of the clearing, and the earth and grass below her glowed with an ethereal light. I landed softly and shifted into my skin. “Come sit,” Sammy said without moving.
I hesitated, but only for a moment. The energy coming from the earth was palpable and alluring. Stepping lightly, I sat beside the witch and watched her lie there with her eyes closed.
“Lone witches need tethers,” she said. “It keeps us from going dark.”
That explained the earth connection. “Covens help with it, too?”
She sat up and tossed out her hair. “Indeed. My coven shunned me a very long time ago. Our priestess, the most powerful among the witches, feared me. My power was easily double hers. As I came of age, she convinced them I’d go dark.
” She sighed. “I nearly did. I was all alone and largely untrained. My emotions guided my magic.”
A smile lit up her petite face. “And then I connected here. Like I was meant to be guardian over these lands and this clan. Bluewater Cove and her dragons became my family. I’ve watched over generation after generation of dragons here, and each has become something of myself. My children.”
Well, that confirmed that. I’d always wondered if her magic made her immortal. She’d have to be, or extremely long-lived, to watch over so many dragons. “Why are you telling me this?” I asked.
“I know you fight your aggression. You need to better channel your emotions, even more so now than ever, since you are accepting the mating bond fully.”
I flared my nostrils at her. “I have. I’m a different man now,” I said. “I do yoga and go to counseling.” She knew about the therapy. It had been her suggestion.
Sammy nodded and patted my knee. “I know. And you’ve made impressive strides. But you still fight your aggression. It’s still there under the surface. You fight it and redirect it, but it’s causing you to overheat. Have you noticed?”
As it turned out, I had. I’d been running hot lately, and now that I thought about it, it had been since I’d been so focused on channeling my anger into yoga or breathing exercises.
“What am I supposed to do?” I asked. “I’m out of ideas for dispersing the anger so that it doesn’t hurt anyone I love. Or myself.”
“You’ve got some hurt that you need to let go of.” She met my gaze under the moonlight, and it felt like she was looking deep inside me, and all my secrets were laid bare. “Bottling it up isn’t doing you or Bianca any good.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do?” I asked. “Yell at a ghost?” Most of my anger, as I was sure she knew, was directed at my father.
She shrugged. “If you think it’ll help, then sure. Let it out.”
Throwing myself backward, I spread my arms out in the soft grass. “I’m not the philosophical type,” I said.
“I know a spell,” she said simply. “It would help you talk to your father.”
I rolled my head to the side and stared at her. “Are you serious?”
She just raised her eyebrows. I guessed she was serious, then.
Sammy sighed and grabbed her big purse, several feet away in the grass.
After rummaging around in it, she pulled out a braided leather bracelet with a simple teal bead in the center.
“Wear that. It’ll help with the heat until you figure out how to let the rest of it go.
” She stood and brushed out her skirts. “It’s only temporary, because eventually you’ve got to face your demons. ”
Then, poof, she disappeared. I groaned and threw my arm over my eyes. Damn it. I hated when the little witch was right, which was damn near all the time. I’d thrown a bandage over my past pain and the habits I’d picked up from my father weren’t fooled by the gauze.
And a simple dressing wouldn’t heal or close a gaping wound like the one my father had left in me.
I lay in the grass for a few minutes, then tied the bracelet on my wrist before trudging back to my truck.
Once inside, I checked my phone before pulling back onto the country road and found a message from Bee.
I’m home safe.
I’d requested she let me know when she got home. Smiling, I replied that I was glad to hear it and wished her a good night’s sleep.
Thanks, you too. And you should take some medicine for that fever. You were burning up.
I chuckled and put my phone down. A pill wouldn’t calm the heat inside me. Maybe a cold shower would.
Wake up. We’re doing a bonfire at my place. Bianca is coming. Lunchtime.
I squinted at my phone screen the next morning, then a slow smile spread across my face. Bianca would be there. Hell, yes.
After firing off a reply to Jace, I jumped out of bed and went straight for the shower. I’d taken a cold one last night but hadn’t actually washed my hair or anything. If I was going to be beside Bee at a bonfire, I had to smell great.
Thirty minutes later, I was shaved and had splashed on a bit of cologne.
With my bracelet on, I hopped in the truck and headed for Jace’s.
I’d slept really late since all my meal prep for the weekend was done yesterday.
My delivery guy was handling all the pickups and deliveries for the weekend as usual.
That was part of my career change. Unless it was a special event I took on, I always took weekends off.
Work-life balance. It was a real thing.
When I pulled into Jace’s driveway, I realized I really had slept late. His yard was full of people, and several bonfires had been built. Dragons and humans huddled around the fires in yard chairs or spread out on blankets.
The humans were the easiest to spot. Since several of our number had taken human mates, we tended to have more humans showing up to events, unless it was a clan run, of course. We all knew not to shift at these low-key clan get-togethers anymore. Too many ignorant eyes could be around.
I hurried across the yard to the biggest fire. Bianca sat beside Briana, who, though she was human, was very pregnant. She had her coat unbuttoned and was lying back in a big yard chair, rubbing her belly with a smile on her face.
Bee, on the other hand, was huddled up as close to the fire as she could get on a big blanket with another blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
This was perfect, since I was like a walking electric blanket. The bracelet Sammy gave me had kept me from overheating, but I was pretty sure my temp was still elevated, and warm enough to keep Bee from freezing.
“Hey,” I said softly. “Can I join you?”
She nodded and covered her pink nose with her hand and the blanket. “Sorry, but I’m thinking about taking off,” she said. “I’m freezing.”
I chuckled and moved closer. “You know, I didn’t have a fever. I run hot. Always have. I’d be happy to snuggle under that blanket with you and warm you up.”
Bee froze and turned to stare at me. “Seriously?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, been like this all my life.”
She rolled her eyes. “I meant did you seriously just ask me to snuggle, but…” She sighed. “Okay. And don’t get the wrong idea, big boy. If I wasn’t so cold, you’d have no chance in this.”
With a low chuckle, I pulled the blanket off of her and put one leg on either side of her, scooting close from behind. “Now, lean back.”
She did, and her curly hair tickled my chin as I draped the blanket over her.
“Oh, my gosh.” She sighed and closed her eyes as she rested her head on my chest.
Hot damn.
“You’re so warm,” Bee whispered. “This is great.”
“So, you’re about to be an aunt again,” I said to start the conversation. “Are you excited?”
She nodded against my chest. “I am. I adore Hayden. She’s going to come stay with me when they’re at the hospital and maybe for a day or two after. I can’t wait to have her.”
As much as I loved my niece and nephew and would do anything in the world for them, I wasn’t at all sure that I wanted children. If she were dead set on having them, then perhaps I’d come around to the idea, but if it were just up to me… probably not.
“Do you want children of your own?” I asked.
Bee stiffened. “Um, no, not really.” She twisted in front of me to peer up into my eyes. “I know that’s a hard line for some people.”