Chapter 19
***TAYLOR***
Chest heaving with the effort not to attack now that the beast inside him had been released, every instinct screaming at him to defend his mate, Taylor stood motionless, willing to let the wolf pack decide how things would end.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Emily turn and run for the door, then disappear into the night, leaving it hanging open, but he never looked away from the pack of animals in front of him.
Fangs bared, they circled him, looking for an opening that didn’t exist, and he almost wished one of them would attack.
Instead, there was a subtle change in the atmosphere in the room and one of the wolves disappeared in a flash of power leaving Stan standing where it had been, an amused look on his face.
The fight far from out of him, every muscle still tensed to attack, Taylor still didn’t move, knew better than to let his guard down until he was completely sure he’d made his point.
“Okay, kid, you win,” Stan said, stepping in front of the other wolves. My boys are going to back down now, and then it’s your turn. We don’t want any bloodshed around here.”
He waited until the last wolf was gone, then shut his magic down, feeling the familiar rush when the dragon buried itself deep inside him and went back to watching and waiting.
There was a heavy silence in the room while they all stared at each other, then he started backing toward the door, not about to turn his back on any of them.
“I’ll just be going now,” he said. “I think it would be a good idea if we just pretended that tonight didn’t happen.”
“That might just be for the best,” Stan said. “Now get out of here before we change our minds.”
As soon as Taylor was through the door, he turned and ran, not because he was scared—he could have taken out the entire pack of wolves with one swipe of his wing—but because he was worried about Emily.
The van was the only vehicle parked in the front lot when he came around the side of the building, and he paused for a second, trying to think like Emily.
In her shoes, considering what she’d just seen, the first place he’d want to go was somewhere safe, and that meant home.
Racing over to the van, he dug the keys out of his pocket, shoved them into the ignition, and with shaking hands started it up.
He hit the road, gravel flying behind him, and gunned it, hoping to catch up with Emily.
He couldn’t imagine how freaked out she must be.
He wasn’t worried that she’d tell anyone what she’d seen; no one would believe her anyway.
He was afraid that she would be scared of him and, even worse, think that he was some kind of monster.
Only a couple of miles down the road, he spotted a pair of tail lights and slowed the van, then recognized Emily’s car parked at the side of the road.
He pulled up behind the car, cut the engine, and turned off the lights, then got out of the van, suddenly nervous about facing Emily after what she’d seen.
He’d never shifted in front of a regular human; it just wasn’t something that was done because there was so much risk, but he’d had no choice; it was that or let the wolves kill them both.
Emily was staring straight ahead when he walked up to her window and he was relieved at first, but then he realized that she was shaking violently. “Hey, it’s okay,” he said, opening the door. “You’re safe and everything is going to be fine.”
She turned and looked up at him, her face white with shock and fear, then shook her head and looked away. “You…they…couldn’t have been real…” she stammered. “Not possible…losing my mind…too scared…”
He crouched down next to her in the open door and took her hands.
“I’m sorry, Emily. This must be a huge shock, but what you saw was real,” he said, keeping his voice gentle.
“I know that it’s hard to believe. We’re taught not to believe in magic, but I can change my form.
I can become a dragon when I want to. It wasn’t your imagination. You’re not going crazy.”
Emily looked down at their joined hands and over at him. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, but she was still trembling. “I’m so cold,” she said, her teeth beginning to chatter. I don’t think I’ll ever get warm again.”
He unlatched her seat belt, then lifted her out of the car and settled her in his lap, his arms wrapped around her. She let out a little sigh. “You’re so warm,” she said, then looked up at him. “Are you sure I’m not going crazy?”
“No, you’re not going crazy. What you saw was real,” he said, rocking her in his arms. “We need to talk about it, but I think we should get you someplace warm and safe. We can go back to my house.”
Emily stiffened in his arms. “You can’t go home, Taylor,” she said, shaking her head.
“That’s why I came looking for you. Someone beat up one of the security guards at the library, and the police think you did it.
They claim they have enough evidence to arrest you.
I guess Sebastian did a better job of implicating you this time. ”
“I should have dealt with him when I had the chance,” he said, cursing under his breath. “We’ll have to find a safe place to hide until this is sorted out. I’m not going to jail; I won’t let Sebastian ruin my reputation.”
“It’s not just Sebastian you have to worry about; the police think you and your friends had something to do with Diego’s disappearance,” she said. “They’re not going to give up until they get the full story. I’m afraid they’re going to try to call it murder and pin it on you and the other Sigmas.”
“How do you know all this?” he asked. “When did you find out?”
Emily didn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked up at him guiltily. “I haven’t been completely honest with you,” she said. “I work for the police, and I’ve been working undercover spying on you.”
***Emily***
“You’re a cop?” Taylor demanded, practically dumping Emily on the ground when he stood up. “What the hell, Emily. Have you been spying on me all this time? That’s why I caught you snooping in the desk. What did you think you’d find?”
“I’m sorry, I wanted to tell you when…well…you know…but my boss wouldn’t let me,” she said, picking herself up off the ground. “Taylor, I don’t think we should be standing on the side of the road talking about this, you’re a wanted man.”
“And you’re the woman who’s going to turn me in,” he said. “I can’t believe I trusted you, I can’t believe I shifted to save you, and you’re trying to arrest me.”
“If I was going to arrest you, I would have already done it, so just shut up,” she shot back at him, then gave him a shove. “I’m trying to help, you gigantic jerk, but maybe I won’t, maybe I’ll just go back to town and let you deal with this all alone.”
She whirled away from him, horrified that tears were forming in her eyes and afraid that if she gave in to them, she’d never be able to stop. “I’m sorry, Emily,” Taylor said, stepping up behind her. “I know that you’re trying to help me, I just…a cop?”
“I didn’t plan to like you,” she said, shrugging her shoulders, but didn’t turn around. “I was just doing my job.”
“I guess we have a lot to talk about,” he said with a sigh turning her around to face him. “I don’t think this is the place to do it, but I know a place we can go.”
“We can’t leave my car here; someone will find it eventually, and I don’t want anyone to think you did something to me,” she said. This is probably going to cost me my job, but I don’t care. Sebastian is out to get you, and until we can find a way to stop him, I’m staying with you.”
“It’s good to know that I’ve got someone on my side,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “But I don’t want you to lose your job. Maybe you should go back to town; I’m sure I can figure this out on my own.”
“I didn’t like that job that much anyway, that’s why I want to go to law school,” she said, smiling up at him. “I can always wait tables to pay the bills. You’re stuck with me, Taylor.”
“I think I like the sound of that,” he said, grinning down at her. “I guess now isn’t the time to kiss you, but I owe you one. Now let’s get out of here before someone comes along and sees us. I know a place where we can stash your car.”
An hour later, they were bumping along on a very rutted dirt road, and all Emily could do was hang onto the door handle and hope that her teeth didn’t rattle out of her head. “Almost there,” Taylor called over the rattling van. “Only a couple more miles.”
The road turned into what she could only describe as a track, and Taylor had to slow the van to a crawl to avoid the big rocks in their path.
Trees finally opened up into a clearing, the road leveled out, and she saw a tiny cabin nestled in the trees.
They rolled to a stop in front of it, and she shivered, looking at the dark windows, imagining a spider-infested mess inside.
“What is this place?” she asked, shivering. “It doesn’t look like anyone has lived here for a long time.”
Taylor shut off the van and switched off the lights, sending them into darkness. “This is the first place we lived after we came here,” he said, looking over at her. “It may not look like much on the outside, but it’s nice inside. Come on, you’ll see.”
Just the thought of getting out of the van exhausted her, but she opened the door and swung her legs out. When she went to stand up, they gave out on her. “Oops, let me help you,” Taylor said, suddenly lifting her into his arms. “It’s been a long night. Maybe I’ll just carry you inside.”
She wanted to argue that she could walk, but the truth was, she wasn’t sure that she could.
Instead, she laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart beating.
Reassured by the sound, she closed her eyes, telling herself she’d just rest them for a second, but the next thing she knew, Taylor was tucking her into a big, soft bed.
Opening her eyes, she was surprised to see a tidy little living space instead of the dirty, dusty disaster she’d been picturing. “This is nice, no cobwebs anywhere,” she said, snuggling down into the covers. “I feel like a princess in this big bed.”
“You get some sleep, sweetheart, I’m going to get a fire started and see what I can find for us to eat,” he said, then leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “Everything will make more sense once you’ve had some sleep.”
Her eyelids were so heavy she couldn’t keep them open, but she wasn’t quite ready to let go; there was something she needed to say.
“You didn’t scare me, the wolves did, but you didn’t,” she mumbled.
“It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen, I still think I dreamed it all, but if I didn’t, thank you for trusting me enough to show me the other you. ”
Taylor sat down next to her on the bed. “This will be hard for you to understand right now, but it’s more than just trust, sweetheart,” he said, smoothing the hair back from her face. “You may not be so happy with me when you find out the rest.”
“Hmmm…too sleepy to care,” she mumbled, then let go, and the welcoming darkness of sleep enveloped her.