Chapter 21
Wren
“What is that?” I ask, my eyes locked on the tall structure looming ahead of us through the trees. “Sheesh, it’s big.”
“That is Sky’s Edge,” Grim says, his voice a deep rumble.
“Sky’s Edge,” I repeat like an idiot. “It looks like…it…like…” I’m squinting, trying to decide.
We get closer, pushing through a large thicket of trees into a more open area, and I see more of the structure. My jaw literally drops.
“Wow,” I say, almost to myself. “It looks like an obstacle from an obstacle course, but that can’t be it. It’s far too high.” I tilt my head back, putting a hand over my eyes to shield them from the sun. It might be late afternoon, but it’s still glaring.
I whistle low. The thing has to be several stories tall. It’s constructed from wooden beams and covered with a sturdy-looking net. How it doesn’t topple over in a storm is anyone’s guess.
“It is an obstacle,” Grim confirms. “One of seven that make up the course.”
“I know you shifters are quicker, stronger, and faster than humans, but this is crazy. Have you climbed that thing?” I ask him, looking his way.
“I’ve done the course.” He shrugs like it’s nothing.
“You climbed all the way up there?” I say, gesturing wildly at the monstrosity.
“It was easy,” he says with a nod.
I roll my eyes. “Right. If you say so.”
Then again, he is strong. Sooooo very strong.
I have to force my gaze from tracking over him yet again.
From his biceps to his broad shoulders and down his muscled chest. My eyes are drawn to his side.
The wound has completely closed over. The skin still looks angry and puckered, but it’s nowhere near as bad as it was before.
I still can’t believe how quickly shifters heal. My eyes want to drift some more.
Do not look down, Wren. Do not look at his abs, or his tight ass, or his…
Don’t look at that particular part of his anatomy.
I fail spectacularly, my eyes dropping for just a second before I jerk them back up to his face.
He’s looking at me with definite amusement dancing in his eyes.
“Where are we?” My cheeks heat instantly. Shit! Did he catch me staring at him again? I hope not. I really need to stop that, and right now.
“This is the Tribute Training Academy,” he tells me, gesturing toward the obstacle course and the area beyond. “It should be completely vacant this time of year. The new batch of Tributes are due to arrive in a couple of weeks.”
“Tributes… As in humans?” I sound shocked because I am. “The humans who are sent from the Mainland each year to come here to train?” I look back at the towering obstacle. “That’s an obstacle course for humans?”
He nods.
“No way.”
“Yes way,” he says. “They have to be successful before moving to the next phase, which is to see if they can mind-bond with a dragon. If so, then they start learning how to ride.”
“Mind-bonding.” I make a thoughtful noise as I process this information. “How does that work exactly?”
“It’s hard to explain.” He starts walking again, and I fall into step beside him. “It’s a mental bond between beast and human. Only certain humans can do it. Most don’t have the ability. Even then, dragons are very picky about who they mind-bond with.”
“Mind-bond,” I say again, trying to figure out what it is exactly.
“It’s a channel that develops between human and beast where they are able to communicate. The human has influence over the dragon, making them far less feral.”
“You’re talking about what dragon riders do with their dragons. I knew they had a special bond, but I didn’t know how it worked exactly.”
Grim nods. “Yep. Dragon riders mind-bond with their dragons.”
“So they talk through their minds with one another?” I ask, intrigued despite everything we’ve been through.
Then I think of that one word whispered in my mind earlier. Human.
No! No way!
“I’d love to know more,” I add when Grim doesn’t say anything.
“It’s complicated,” Grim says, his tone suggesting he doesn’t want to elaborate.
The question pops out before I can stop it. “Have you ever had a mind-bond? Was Jordyn your mind-bond or your girlfriend?” I wince. “Sorry. I’m prying. You don’t have to answer. It’s just that I overheard you talking about her, and I wondered.”
His jaw tightens. “She was mind-bonded to my beast. It was for such a short time.” The words come out clipped. His whole body instantly becomes rigid.
“What happened? Did she die? Did—?”
“No.” He shakes his head. “Nothing like that. She went back to the Mainland. It isn’t a big deal, and it’s not something I want to talk about. It happened. It’s over, and that’s it.” He gives a casual shrug that is anything but casual.
I get the feeling that it was a big deal, and that’s exactly why he doesn’t like to talk about it.
I remember that day when he walked me back from the park, when he mentioned something about feeling lost. That his life had changed suddenly.
That his dreams had changed, and he needed to try to find himself again.
I’m sure it had to do with Jordyn and this mind-bond thing. There has to be a correlation.
Speaking of correlations…
“Um…is there a reason why my head hurts whenever I’m around your dragon?” I ask him carefully.
“It’s only been twice,” he points out.
“Yeah, but both times my head hurt like someone was drilling into my skull.” I shudder at the memory. “I’ve never felt pain like that in all my life. Extreme pain and then nothing. I felt perfectly fine afterward. It was…weird. Do you have any idea what it could be?”
“No.” He shakes his head, but I see something shift. It’s gone before I can identify it. “Maybe you’re allergic to dragons,” he tells me.
I laugh. “I’ve never heard of that.”
“Well, humans don’t generally get close to dragons and live to talk about it. Not very often, at any rate. Humans are allergic to a whole array of things. You could be allergic to dragons.”
I’m not buying it. Maybe if I got a rash or an itchy nose. Maybe if I had an anaphylactic reaction. Also, the pain stopped before his dragon was gone.
“I suppose,” I finally say.
He grunts.
We walk through more dense jungle, pushing aside hanging vines and ducking under low branches. My legs are starting to ache, and my stomach is growling loud enough that I’m sure Grim could hear it without advanced senses.
A large modern building comes into view through the trees.
“So that’s the Tribute Training Academy?” I breathe. “Wow! It’s big.”
“Yep. It will have everything we need. Shelter, clothes.” He glances at me. “I’m sure there will be clothes. Probably uniforms, but clothes are clothes. There should be food in the dry stores. Mostly canned goods, so it won’t be gourmet.”
“Hey,” I rub my stomach, which chooses that moment to growl again, “I’ll take anything at this rate. I’m starving.”
“Let’s see if I can break us in,” he says, walking ahead of me toward the main entrance.
My eyes immediately drop to his ass. I can’t help it. The man is walking around completely naked, all those muscles flexing with each step, and I’m only human.
I stop in my tracks. Looking at Grim’s ass makes me feel sad. It’s so stupid. My first thought is that I have no right. No right to look at his ass. No right to even be alive when poor Sally is dead.
A sob catches in my throat.
Sally.
The image of her falling, blood blooming across her chest, floods my mind.
I make a sound that is somewhere between a soft gasp and a whimper. It happens before I can stop it.
Grim stops and turns. “Are you okay?” His voice is gentle.
I nod.
“You don’t look okay.”
A tear rolls down my cheek. I can’t help it.
“I was just thinking about…” I can’t finish the sentence. “I’m trying hard not to cry. I keep getting flashbacks. I keep seeing her fall, blood all over her…”
In two strides, Grim is in front of me, pulling me into his arms.
I collapse against his chest. He’s warm and solid and safe, and for a few precious moments, I let myself fall apart. His arms tighten around me, one hand rubbing slow circles on my back.
“I’ve got you,” he murmurs against my hair. “I’ve got you.”
I hug him back, clinging to him until the images start to fade. Until the worst of the grief passes and I can breathe again.
“Feeling better?” he asks softly.
I nod against his chest, not quite ready to let go yet.
He doesn’t push. Just holds me until I’m ready.
Finally, I pull back and wipe my eyes. “Sorry. I just—”
“Don’t apologize.” His eyes are serious, intense. “It’s going to take time, Wren. You might even need therapy to get through it. I’m here for you, okay?” He looks me directly in the eye. “I mean that.”
I nod, my throat tight. “Thanks.”
“Any time you’re feeling anxious, afraid, upset…I’m here.”
“Okay…thanks. I appreciate it.”
“We’ll get through this,” he says with conviction.
“I hope so.”
“We will get through this.” His voice is firm, leaving no room for doubt. “I swear.”
I wipe my eyes again and nod. If anyone can make that happen, it’s him. Somehow, despite everything, despite the danger we’re in, despite losing Sally, despite being hunted like criminals, I believe him.
Grim makes me feel safe.