Chapter 8 Feray
Feray
I don't know what it is about Diaval, but I just want to listen to him. Sleeping under his dragon's wing was probably the most insane thing I've done besides the tattoo and piercings. Diaval wakes me up by lifting his wing and letting the sun hit me.
"Silly dragon." I yawn before I slide down his side and land on the rocks below.
In the distance, I hear the bleating of sheep, and I smile. "Let's hunt for breakfast."
Through the bond, I tell Easton my plan. He and the others will gather firewood and set up a fire to cook with. Walking to the edge of the big rock, I look down and see Torben staring back at me. I toss down my pack before returning to look at Diaval.
"I have an idea. I'm going to shift. You pick my wolf up in your taloned hand. We fly after the sheep, and when we get close enough, drop me in the snow. You fly ahead to herd them in the right direction." His horned head tilts several times before he leans back, offering me his taloned hand.
"We can land here and I can redress before we join the others.
" I strip, leaving my clothes in a pile.
The excitement I feel about hunting with Diaval makes my blood thrum.
Each time I shift, it feels more fluid and faster than the previous time.
Shaking out my fur, I pause and look up at his dragon.
This is the first time they're seeing each other up close.
Hesitantly, I step closer and sniff at his dragon, and he does the same.
Mate... His dragon's voice echoes in my head.
Mate... My wolf says in response, her voice much softer than usual.
We lick his maw before his taloned hand comes forward to gently pick me up. The contrast of his obsidian scales against my snow-white fur is shocking. If all the clues of my past are true, I belong in the arctic.
What of my mates? How will they survive?
Diaval takes off, and it's a new experience—feeling the rush of wind as my legs dangle beneath me.
The sky stretches out endlessly, a vast expanse of blue meeting the stark white of the snow-covered mountains below.
My heart pounds with a mix of fear and exhilaration.
The icy wind bites at my muzzle, but it's nothing compared to the thrill of flight.
We will be fine. As long as I can hunt and eat, the temperature will not be an issue, Diaval reassures me.
I blink in surprise. How did you hear me?
Two reasons. One, we are mates. Two, we are in direct contact with each other. He shifts his massive wings, changing direction smoothly. This herd will do nicely.
My pulse quickens, instincts sharpening as I prepare for the hunt.
The moment Diaval is low enough, he releases me into the snow.
The cold is a shock, but my paws find traction instantly.
I take off at top speed, my fur blending seamlessly with the deep snow as I circle around to approach the herd from downwind.
The sheep are too busy watching Diaval's imposing dragon form to notice me.
It's like I'm a ghost in the snow.
The adrenaline surges through me, muscles coiling and uncoiling with each stride.
The ewe at the back of the herd doesn't even have time to react.
With a powerful leap, I lunge at her, teeth bared, the thrill of the hunt consuming me.
The world narrows to this single moment—the instinctive drive to go for her throat and crush it.
The feel of her thick wool giving way to the soft hide beneath it tickles as much as it drives me to clamp down harder.
Her strangled scream alerts the other sheep to my presence, and they take off.
A ram doesn't make it far before Diaval's dragon snaps it up, swallowing it whole.
Blood sprays me and the snow around me as I hold on to the ewe.
The first time she rears up almost throws me off balance.
I know now not to allow her to rise onto her hind legs.
The deer never put up this much of a fight.
She's quite strong compared to the deer I'm used to hunting.
With every thrash, I remind myself I was made for this.
With a final, violent shake, I rip a sizable chunk of her throat out, spraying blood everywhere.
Her death knell echoes in the valley, and Diaval returns to me.
When his dragon sets down, he reaches out to take the sheep first, then his free hand grabs me. It's interesting to watch him rise on his hind legs to launch us vertically into the air. You did good. Diaval's words send a pulse of pride down the bond. I can't help but preen under his praise.
Your dragon did all the work. I just grabbed on for the ride of my life. I giggle in the mental bond, remembering her thrashing.
We circle the flat rock several times before Diaval drops the ewe. Stepping out of the shadows, I notice Khal waiting for us. He's smiling and shaking his head at me. Before I know it, Diaval drops me into Khal's waiting arms.
"Good job, Precious." Khal looks my blood-soaked fur over.
Diaval lands behind us and blows flames at the snowpack above us. The water runs down the mountainside, and I shift to go stand under it.
Khal is laughing at me as he runs after me with a towel. "You could have waited until I was ready."
Looking up, I let the warm water run over my face.
"Diaval is somehow giving me hot water. I will not waste it.
" I scrub quickly and use the soap and washcloth that Khal hands me to make sure to get rid of the blood scent.
When I'm clean, I step out from under the water and smile.
"All clean, Diaval. Thank you." No sooner are the words out of my mouth than he shifts back and rifles through the bag Khal brought.
Khal helps me towel off before I get dressed back in my clothes.
"We went hunting together." I'm beaming. I'm so incredibly happy I got to hunt with Diaval. I never thought I would experience it because of his prey drive.
"There are things we need to discuss over breakfast." Diaval says as Khal tends to the ewe, breaking it down.
"Did I do something wrong?" I tilt my head.
"No, but I have questions and I want everyone present when I ask them. It's nothing bad, I promise." Diaval grips my chin and kisses me gently before grabbing the hind legs Khal offers him. I watch Diaval start his descent, and fear coils in my stomach.
Moving quickly, I climb between the rocks the same way I made it up. Getting down is definitely easier than climbing up. Stupid gravity. Easton is already roasting chunks of the ewe over the fire as Diaval paces anxiously. Now I'm definitely getting concerned.
"Okay, we're here." Torben scoops me up in his arms to hug me.
"I've been pondering something." Diaval says, and everyone stops moving. He's not usually the talkative one in the group. "How is it we keep getting found?" His eyes move from bond-mate to bond-mate.
"I've been wondering the same thing. I've gone so far as to search the items we carried with us for magical trackers and have found nothing." Easton says.
"Fer, did you ever knowingly give anyone hair or blood besides us or your sister?" Diaval asks.
I shake my head. "No, why?"
"Mages need an object of a person to track them." Easton offers as he turns the meat and shakes salt over it.
Khal stops and stares at me, then the others. "The club is locked up tighter than the treasury at the bank."
"Fi put up wards on the house, so that's safe." I shrug as Easton hands me meat on a stick.
"Wait..." Torben shoots up and starts pacing.
"The fire at the Dionysian Delight. Whatever wards were on that place broke the minute it burned down.
" The second the words fall from his lips, I stiffen.
If they're tracking me, that means they're tracking Fi as well.
I feel the urge to find Fi and make sure she's okay.
Fur ripples in waves as the panic sets in.
Strong hands grip me and spin me. The next thing I know, I'm staring up into Khal's eyes.
"Deep breath, Precious." His voice resonates, hitting a tone that makes my wolf take notice.
There's a slight glow in his eyes as the serpentine slits surface.
"Your sister is safe. She has Khol, Dezi, Tiernan, and Rev with her.
" His eyes pulse with every word, and I feel the fight drain out of me slowly.
"You trust Tiernan, right?" I nod. "You know he won't let anything happen to his mate, right? "
Slowly, I nod again. Khal kisses my lips gently and then my forehead before releasing me. It takes several moments and two head shakes to clear the fog.
"Damn it, you did the snake thing again." Pouting, I stomp my foot.
"It worked, didn't it?" He says almost smugly.
"Yeah..." I hate it when he's right.
"Back on task." Easton says. "All things point to someone having stolen items from the apartment above the bar. Revelin's tour is very public, so even if Fi is being tracked, so is the tour. Without knowing what was taken, we can't ward against it."
"So what do we do?" My eyes sweep over my mates.
"Just stay vigilant. Unfortunately, that means no more walking off by yourself." Diaval's voice changes tone mid-sentence. He caught himself using the tone I don't like and changed it. Even cantankerous dragons can be taught.
"Fair enough."
"How far is the cavern we need from here?" Torben's tone betrays his worry.
After I finish chewing, I close my eyes and concentrate on the pull. "Oddly enough..." Turning my head, I look toward the back of the cavern. "Down that way."
"Makes sense with what we fought at the back of the cavern." Khal shrugs.
"It also explains why very few find their way into the northern territories." Easton offers.
"How are we going to keep Diaval and Khal warm enough up there?" Torben stands, looking at the dragon and basilisk in the group.
Diaval moves around the cavern. "As long as I can eat frequently, I will be fine. I can only assume the same holds true for Khal."
"In theory, yes. Either that or I just can't shift." Khal shrugs. "My powers can be used in either form. They're not as effective as if I was shifted, but they work."
"I can shift and carry most of the supplies when we have to cross the tundra. Something about being mated to Feray has made it so I don't need to hibernate." Torben says.
"That's odd, isn't it?" I glance at Diaval and Easton.
"Yes, but I am not questioning this boon." Diaval says.
"Easton, will you be okay up there?"
"On fire, yes. Flameless, no—my bird won't tolerate it. Worst case, I'll remain unshifted like Khal and Diaval." Easton starts making jerky strips out of what we didn't eat.
"Feray or Diaval are our best chances for hunting up there. She's built for it, and Diaval can just swoop in and grab something." Torben finishes his fourth meat stick.
"We'll figure it out when we leave Dunnum." Khal checks his phone for the millionth time.
"Anything?" What I want to ask is if he's heard from his brother.
"No, everything's quiet. Business is running as usual.
" His phone pings several times, and he fires back a quick answer.
"Half a dozen brawls, which is normal. Results from trials I was overseeing came in.
As far as they're concerned, I'm looking for more suppliers.
" There's a shift in Khal's demeanor when he talks about the family business.
I snuggle in close and kiss the underside of his jaw. "I see the real you, Khal." Reaching up, I caress the emotionless mask he wears. "I see the real you under who you have to be for work."
His features soften almost immediately. "Thank you." He kisses me softly, then gives me a hug. "Let's get going. I want to see where your people come from." His lips press against my temple before he releases me and starts packing his bag.
Drawing in a deep breath, I walk to the edge of where the sunlight reaches.
Peering down into the darkness of the cavern, something inside me sings a warning.
I will never be the same once I cross through that opening into the tundra.
My blood thrums with the endless possibilities.
In the back of my mind, a little voice asks:
What would Fi do?
That's easy. She'd say fuck it, I'm in.
I take a step forward into the darkness.