Chapter 29 Chance
Chance
Two hours into our flight lesson, Flora dropped from the air, hit the landing awkwardly, then threw up her wings in triumph. She waved one golden wing at Tash, who was heading down the hill toward the stream.
Did you see that? I didn't even break my nose."
I whistled. "Next time, try it with your eyes open. Adds to the thrill."
She snorted, doubled over with silent laughter, then sprawled flat in the grass, wings fanned out for the sun.
Fifi and Flora were doing great, but no way I would've called this easy.
Sixteen years of repressed magic don't just fall into line because I asked nicely.
Still, the kid was stubborn, my kind of stubborn, and after three passes up the meadow, her wings had started catching real air, not just awkward leaps that left her flailing in the grass.
She'd flown pretty well the other day with Mother and me, but we'd practically lifted her into the air and kept her supported the whole time.
This was her doing it entirely on her own.
"For a rookie, you're crushing it," I shouted from the porch.
She rolled her eyes, but her tail flicked with pride. I'm a natural, Dad.
Man, I loved hearing Dad, whether it was from Mere, Fifi, or Flora.
The sun was out for the first time in days.
The breeze was a bit strong, especially for a new flier, slicing across the ridge, but Flora had handled it.
Her first solo landing had ended with a faceplant in a patch of moss, but she hadn't snarled or sulked.
Just dusted herself off, flexed her claws, and took another lap. I couldn't have been prouder.
I kept an eye out, but the world up here was safe.
No strangers, no bullshit. Just us and whatever the mountain wanted to throw our way.
I let her bask in the sun for a while, just enjoying this time with my daughter as I tried to think of ways to bond with Mere.
It was easy with Fiona, given our dragons, but Mere was going to be a bit of a harder nut to crack.
I caught the scent of oranges from the kitchen.
Mom, probably baking up another apology batch of muffins.
But the air buzzed. Something electric. Like the air before a thunderclap. Something wasn't quite right. I needed to clap eyes on Tash.
Fifi rolled over, wings vanishing as she shifted back. She yanked her hoodie on.
"Are you going down to the creek?" she asked like she could read my mind.
"Yeah. Your mom could probably use a hand with the samples. She's probably cussing the SkyArc cameras by now."
Fifi wrinkled her nose. "They're creepy. I'm gonna crash. Wake me up for lunch."
I could see half the valley from here, the way the creek cut through the trees, the line of willows bending over the far shore. That's where Tash would be.
I checked my phone. No new messages. I held off on texting. I didn't want to come off like a stalker. She needed space, especially after how intense Christmas had been. I wasn't about to be the guy who hounded the woman he was supposed to be wooing.
But fuck, I wanted to.
So I waited. Gave her a couple of minutes, then took the long way down, the path that snaked behind the old orchard before turning back straight toward the creek.
The woods thickened, branches clawing at my sleeves, but I barely noticed. All I could think about was her.
Funny. I'd survived enough heartbreak to sink a battleship and two bone-headed brothers, but none of it rattled me like the idea of screwing this up.
With each step down the trail, the air charged. Seriously, something was wrong. Every hair on my arms stood up. Caden stirred in my chest, teeth bared.
Then it hit.
Not a thought, not a word, just a full-body gut-punch of terror that didn't belong to me.
Tash.
It speared through the back of my skull, raw and wild, panic clawing at my insides like acid. There was anger in it, and pain, mixed with stubborn determination. The wave built up, and just like that, I was in her head.
Fuck.
I'd heard about this. Once, maybe twice in my whole life.
The mate link. Instant, total, like a hotline to your lover's mind.
And I'd dismissed those stories as bullshit, stuff you told over whiskey to wind up your cousins.
It only happened to bonded pairs, the old school fated mates.
Not to people like me. It was nearly unheard of before the mating bond was completed, before the bite.
But here it was.
I could taste her fear. Most of the time, emotions couldn't be sensed until they'd been going for a while, which added urgency to my reaction. My legs snapped into motion. I forgot the path and crashed through the brush, heading straight for the creek.
I could feel the ache in my hands echoing her, her fingers locked in a death grip around something, something important to her, the feel of someone manhandling her.
Caden roared in my brain, desperate and pissed.
All he wanted was to tear down anything in the way.
The heat of his anger nearly blinded me, and I used it to push me forward.
That was the only play I had. I couldn't shift.
I had no doubt about who was doing this to Tash, and they could not see Caden.
Branches whipped my face. My boots dug into the ground to stop a skid. I caught a flash of color at the water's edge. Her windbreaker, surrounded by two SkyArc motherfuckers.
Her fear flared again, and it nearly blacked me out with rage.
My hands curled themselves into fists. My sight narrowed. Every muscle wanted blood.
Caden roared.
The only thing that mattered was getting her out.
I zeroed in on the bastards who'd touched her and hit the creek in a dead sprint.
Tash was stuck between two men, William Hanlon and one I didn't recognize, locked in a struggle for that battered sample case, with blood on her wrist. The other SkyArc goon, the bigger one, meaner, had one arm cocked like he'd been dying for an excuse to use it.
Huey barked and snapped at the men. Every time he lunged, the bigger thug tried to punt him into the trees.
I roared. Not a dragon sound, not yet, but enough to rattle the creek. "Get your hands off of her!"
That's when they noticed me. William's eyes widened, his mouth opening for some slick retort, but I'd already closed half the distance.
The first punch connected with William's jaw, hard.
Not as hard as I could've. That would've killed him.
Not enough to drop him, but enough to wrench him away from Tash.
She sagged, catching herself on trembling knees, with a death grip on her sample case.
Huey dove for cover between her feet, still barking.
William reeled, then bounced back with more spring than I'd expected. He blocked my follow-up, slammed his palm into my collarbone, and tried to shove me off-balance.
He was strong. No way a man that strong hadn't thrown down before.
Behind me, the second guy grabbed for my shoulder. My elbow came up almost without thought, and cracked him straight in the nose. Cartilage crunched. He stumbled, eyes watering. Good.
William barreled forward, fists flying. His first shot rammed into my cheekbone, but I ignored the flare of pain. The bastard knew how to throw a hook. His second strike caught my ribs, but I rode it out, grabbed his jacket, and yanked him off his feet.
We crashed into the mud, rolling. The world narrowed to fists, knees, the absolute need to break him into little pieces before he hurt her again. Yet I still had to hold myself back. I couldn't fully let Caden have his way. Even without shifting, my strength was enough to snap this bastard's neck.
Tash screamed my name, or maybe it was just a raw sound. I couldn't tell through the bloodlust pounding in my ears.
William twisted under me, braced his knee, and bucked up. We broke apart, both panting, mud streaking our faces.
"You want to fucking dance?" he spat, blood on his teeth.
Caden clawed himself loose, enough that heat stung my face, flooding my sinuses, burning through my veins. My vision sharpened, edges turning orange.
William's pupils dilated. He stared straight at my eyes, right at the dragon staring back.
He froze. The fury didn't disappear, but something in his posture shifted. Calculating. He flicked a weird glance at his buddy, who was still clutching his shattered nose and whimpering against a tree.
I thought he'd charge again. Instead, he showed his palms. "Not worth it," he said, low. "Come on, let's bounce."
He hauled his partner upright. The crony staggered, blinking slowly, involuntary tears leaking down his face, the area around his nose and mouth already swelling.
William didn't care. He just kept his head down, hustled up the ridge, but not before throwing one last, icy look, like he was memorizing the scene for later.
Chase them! Kill them! They hurt her!
I wanted to. But Tash was the important thing now.
She'd sunk to her knees by the creek, Huey squirming against her, both of them shaking. Her hair, pulled free of its hair tie, spilled in dark coils around her face, her hands wrapped around the dog as if he were the last good thing in the world.
Murder could wait.
I staggered to her side, dropped to one knee, and fought the urge to wrap her up and never let go. "Jesus, Tash, talk to me. Are you, did they, fuck, did they hurt you?"
She looked up, brown eyes wild, and my heart cracked. Her cheek was scraped, lower lip split, blood painting the lines of her wrist where William had tried to rip the samples away.
Huey whined, licking her palm, then hid his nose under her elbow.
She tried to answer, but her teeth rattled so hard she could only manage, "They tried. I held on, I didn't let them—"
"That's enough. You did well, and I promise, they'll never touch you again."
I shrugged out of my jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Her hands trembled in the sleeves, but she gripped the cuff like a lifeline.