Chapter 2
Lucan
Isoared through the night sky, wings spread wide, self-loathing settling heavy in my chest like I’d swallowed a boulder. The wind whipping past me did nothing to cool the burning embarrassment crawling across my scales.
I was an absolute moron.
My dragon rumbled in protest at our retreat, but even he couldn’t argue with the facts. I’d spent days searching for her, and when I finally did, I’d botched it so spectacularly it deserved an award.
Perhaps the Not-a-Serial-Killer Participation Trophy for telling her not to run while standing naked in the dark.
Or maybe The Hallmark Award for Worst Meet-Cute for the least romantic first-contact scenario.
But my favorite was The Most Likely to be Featured on a True Crime Podcast Gold Medal for ticking every single box on the “How to get a restraining order” checklist in record time.
Landing naked in a woman’s campsite in the middle of the night? What the hell had I been thinking?
My dragon pushed against me, trying to turn back toward her. Ever since we’d caught her scent in the campsite near one of our landing sites, he’d been impatient.
And now her scream echoed in my head, cutting through me like a blade. The pure terror in her eyes when she’d seen me and the way she’d fumbled for her bear spray all spoke of a woman who’d been genuinely afraid.
Of me.
The one thing I’d never wanted to be was someone who frightened others. My whole life, I had been a calming presence. Not the wild-eyed creature lunging from the shadows and destroying in seconds what typically took me mere moments to build: trust.
I prided myself on reading rooms and winning people over, and I had so catastrophically misread the entire situation. I’d let my dragon take over my common sense, and now I had no clue how to salvage the situation.
I could still smell the acrid bite of the bear spray lingering in my nostrils. It had at least knocked some sense into me, and I hadn’t chased after her. My dragon had wanted to, but following a terrified woman deeper into the forest would have only made things worse.
If that were even possible.
But of course, I made it worse. I’d been driven by some idiotic impulse to go into her tent and leave my gift.
As if a fancy knife would somehow make up for traumatizing her.
As if she’d return to her campsite, find it, and think, “Oh, the naked forest stalker left me something shiny. How romantic!”
When she hadn’t returned after a few minutes, I shifted and took to the sky, circling the area to make sure she was safe before reluctantly heading toward Wings End.
The lights from the RV park came into view in the distance, nestled among the trees like stars. Home. Usually, the sight filled me with comfort, but tonight it reminded me of what I’d potentially lost before I’d had it.
I spotted Zarek standing in a clearing we used for shifts, his arms crossed over his chest. Even from the sky, I could see the impatience in his posture.
Great. Zarek’s judgment was just what I needed after the night I’d had. Not that I planned on telling him, but unfortunately, his bullshit detector was strong.
I circled once, losing altitude before tucking my wings and landing. The ground shook beneath my claws, and I beat my wings harder than necessary. I took petty satisfaction in the way Zarek had to shift his stance to keep his balance.
I shifted, bones cracking and reforming, scales melting into skin, until I stood on two feet instead of four.
“You’re late.” Zarek tossed me my shorts and shirt.
“Lost track of time. Nothing to report.” I pulled on my shorts, failing to inform him I’d found the person who had been too close to our treasure.
She wasn’t close to it now, though, and I was curious why she’d been so far away from the trails. Our hoard was hidden in a location that even a very experienced hiker would shy away from. So why had my mate been there?
Zarek’s blue eyes narrowed, studying me with that analytical gaze that missed nothing. “What’s that smell?” He stepped closer, nose wrinkling. “Is that—” His eyes widened slightly. “Bear spray?”
I tugged my shirt over my head, using the moment to compose my face. “Maybe.”
“Maybe?” Zarek’s eyebrows shot up, nearly disappearing into his hairline.
“It’s complicated.” I ran a hand through my hair.
“What happened?” His expression morphed from mild irritation to something more akin to fascination.
I could practically see his brain cataloging every disaster scenario that might explain my current state.
The slight twitch at the corner of his mouth suggested he was torn between concern and the urge to laugh at whatever mess I’d gotten myself into.
I needed to be careful about this. Zarek was the most on edge about our hoard, and if he connected the dots that my mate was the one who had been trespassing, his dragon would not accept her.
And without that acceptance, I’d never fully bond with my mate.
Mine.
The certainty my dragon had was undiminished despite our disastrous first meeting.
“There was a female camper, and I wanted to check on her.”
Zarek looked confused, his forehead creasing as he tilted his head slightly to the side. The expression was similar to a dog hearing a squeaky toy—something I’d never tell him to his face if I wanted to keep all my limbs intact.
“I was naked.” I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the lingering tension there.
“You were naked,” he repeated. “And she... bear-sprayed you? Before or after you introduced yourself?” His efforts to fight a smile became more pronounced.
I looked away, suddenly fascinated by the tree line. “I might have forgotten that part.”
“Forgot to introduce yourself.” Zarek’s voice was flat, but I could hear the laughter he was suppressing. “So you what? Appeared before her?”
“Yes?” I mumbled.
The silence that followed was almost worse than if he’d laughed outright.
“Let me make sure I understand,” he said finally. “You found a solo camper, showed up naked, said nothing intelligible, and then were surprised when she bear-sprayed you.”
When he put it like that...
“I said, ‘Don’t run,’” I offered weakly.
Zarek pinched the bridge of his nose. “Because that’s not terrifying at all.”
My dragon growled, a sound that vibrated through my chest. “I didn’t mean to scare her.” I paced a few steps away, frustration building. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready to patrol?”
I should tell him there was no need, but then what? He’d want to find and interrogate her, and if he did that…
Smoke curled from my nostrils—a dead giveaway of my agitation. I quickly wiped my face, hoping Zarek hadn’t noticed, but of course he had.
“What was that for?” He shifted into a stance that meant he wouldn’t let something go.
Damn it. I needed to get my dragon under control before I gave everything away. The possessive creature inside me was practically clawing at my ribcage, desperate to find her again.
“Nothing.” I tried to sound casual while fighting an internal battle. I waved my hand dismissively near my face. “Just some of the bear spray is burning my nose, and my dragon is grumpy about it.”
A half-truth at best. The spray burned, but that wasn’t why smoke was pouring out of me like a chimney. Until I claimed my mate and we bonded, every male would be a threat.
And right now, that meant lying to one of my quad.
Maybe I deserved the face full of capsaicin.