Chapter 25
Lucan
Iflipped the pancakes with one hand while the other rested on Liz’s hip, keeping her close as we cooked breakfast. My dragon hummed contentedly beneath my skin, but there was an edge to his satisfaction I couldn’t quite shake.
I hadn’t claimed her. Not fully.
The mark I’d described to her was more than just a supernatural hickey. It was permanent. It was binding. And despite how perfectly she fit against me right now, I wasn’t about to rush her into that decision.
“You’re quiet.” Liz glanced up at me as she reached for the syrup. “Having regrets?”
I laughed, flipping the last pancake onto the stack. “Only that we didn’t get to the pancakes sooner. I’m starving.”
“Sex does that.” She gave me a little smirk that made my dragon stir again. “Burns a lot of calories.”
I caught her hand as she walked past, tugging her against my chest. “Then we should definitely do it again. For the heart health benefits.”
“Mm-hm.” She reached up to trace her fingers along my jaw. “As much as I’d love to spend all day improving our cardiovascular health, I have to be at work by three.”
My dragon bristled at the thought of her leaving, but I kept my expression casual. “Beck’s got you on the Saturday shift, huh?”
She sighed. “It’s good money. Tips on weekends are—”
A sharp knock on the door cut her off.
I hadn’t been paying attention to my bonds with the others, but I immediately sensed it was Zarek. Judging by the tension in it, he’d probably just found out about the break-in.
I moved toward the door, opening it as Zarek raised his hand to knock again. His eyes narrowed when he saw me, taking in my shirtless state and the lingering scent of sex hanging in the air.
“Lucan.” He nodded, his face a mask of calm. “I need to speak with Elizabeth.”
My dragon didn’t like his tone or that he’d used her full name. “About what?”
“The knife.”
I rolled my eyes but stepped back, letting him in. Liz stood in the kitchen, her arms crossed over her chest. “Good morning, Zarek.” Her voice was polite but cool.
He inclined his head slightly. “I apologize for interrupting your... breakfast.” His eyes flicked to the pancakes on the counter, then back to her. “I’ve come about our knife.”
“You mean my knife?” She raised an eyebrow.
I bit back a smile.
“Yes.” Zarek’s jaw tightened. “I’d like to see it.”
I stepped in before it could escalate. “We are planning to take it to the hoard today.”
Zarek’s expression shifted, his brow relaxing slightly. “Good.”
I nodded, shooting a glance at Liz. “After breakfast. We were just about to eat.”
Zarek continued to stand there, looking as if he were waiting for an invitation. The awkward silence stretched for a few seconds before Liz cleared her throat.
“Would you like some pancakes, Zarek?” She gestured to the tall stack on the counter. “There’s plenty.”
My dragon perked up, approving of her hospitality despite the tension. She was trying, and that meant something.
Zarek’s eyes widened slightly. He looked at the pancakes, then at Liz, then at me. For a moment, I thought he might actually accept.
“No,” he said finally, his voice clipped. “Thank you,” he added, almost as an afterthought. “I’ll wait outside until you’re ready to leave.”
He turned and walked out, closing the door behind him with a quiet click.
Liz let out a breath. “Is he always this intense?”
“Pretty much.” I slid my arms around her waist from behind. “But he’s trying in his own way.”
“Trying to what? Intimidate me out of town?” She leaned back against me, and I pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“He’s just protective.” I hesitated. “He doesn’t trust easily.”
“I’ve noticed.” She pulled away, grabbing plates from the cupboard. “He looks at me like I’m going to rob you guys blind.”
“Well, technically you have our knife.” I couldn’t help but grin.
She smacked my arm with a dish towel. “I found it in my tent after some naked weirdo ran through my campsite.” She forked several pancakes onto a plate. “Come on, let’s eat before your friend out there gets even grumpier.”
“He’ll come around. And if he doesn’t, I’ll beat him up for you.”
“My hero,” she said dryly, but her smile was real.
I landed carefully, stretching my wings wide to slow our descent as the rocky ground approached. My dragon rumbled with satisfaction at having our mate on our back, especially while flying to our most sacred place.
Zarek swooped down beside us as Liz carefully dismounted. She found her footing a lot easier this time.
I shifted immediately, and Zarek did the same, his massive form condensing into his human shape.
We walked to a crevice between two boulders where a waterproof storage bin sat tucked away. I grabbed two pairs of shorts and tossed one to Zarek.
I pulled mine on and turned to Liz, who was politely averting her eyes despite our earlier activities. I reached for her hand, lacing my fingers through hers. “Ready to see where dragons keep their treasure?”
Her eyes lit up. “More than ready.”
I guided her through a narrow passage in the rocks, one that would look like nothing special if anyone managed to pass by. I grabbed a flashlight from another hidden niche and clicked it on.
I swept the beam across the narrow path ahead before handing it to her. “Stay close and let me know if you need a ride.”
Zarek grumbled behind us, and I moved Liz to the side so he could pass by. He was too impatient, even though I’d bet my share of the hoard that he had been recently.
It was in our nature to check on our hoard, but even before the evidence of someone lurking had been found right outside, he came more than the rest of us.
Liz squeezed my hand as we began navigating the uneven ground. The air grew cooler the farther we walked, and I breathed in the scent of stone.
“It’s just after this bend, behind the giant slab.” I let go of her hand and pressed my hand against the small of her back as we slipped through the narrow entrance.
Liz inhaled sharply as Zarek lit the giant fire pit in the middle of the cavern. The hoard stretched across the massive cave, piles of gold coins, jewelry, antique weapons, gemstones, and artifacts.
Zarek turned and gave Liz a stern look. “You are not to touch anything without permission.”
Before I could tell him to shut up, he shifted. His dragon form filled the space, wings carefully tucked against his body as he turned in a slow circle, inspecting every corner of the room. His scales glimmered a deep sapphire blue in the light.
Liz pressed against me, startled. “What’s he doing?”
“Checking that everything is exactly as we left it. He always does this.”
Satisfied, Zarek shifted back to human form and pulled his shorts on again. “All clear.”
Liz’s eyes filled with wonder. “How did you get all this stuff in here?”
I pointed to a section of the cave wall about ten feet up that was darker and smoother than the rest of the walls. “We melted a hole. Dragon fire burns hot enough to liquefy rock.”
Her eyes widened. “You melted through a mountain?”
“We sure did. Then we carried things in large slings or swallowed and regurgitated smaller items.” I laughed when she scrunched her face in disgust. “It’s a highly effective way to transport and hide treasure when needed.”
I led her toward the center of the hoard, where our most valued items were kept. “You can put the knife wherever feels right to you.”
Liz looked at me uncertainly. “Really?”
Zarek was right behind us and made a growling noise.
I turned to face him. “The knife is yours to contribute, Liz.” I gave Zarek a look that would make even his dragon back down.
He gave a curt nod of acknowledgment and stepped back.
Liz looked around thoughtfully before stepping forward and placing the knife between the same two clay pots I’d taken it from.
“Perfect.” I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple.
“Can I...” She hesitated, glancing at Zarek, who stood with arms crossed, watching her like she might pocket something when he blinked. “Would it be okay if I explored a little? Just look around?”
“Of course.”
Zarek made a sound that wasn’t quite a growl but definitely wasn’t approval.
“She’s not going to steal anything, Zarek.” My dragon was irritated, but nothing good would come from getting into it with Zarek when he was like this.
“I didn’t say she would.”
“You didn’t have to. Your face is doing all the talking.” I turned back to Liz. “Go ahead, but be careful. Some piles aren’t as stable as they look.”
She stepped away from me, moving cautiously through the cavern. Her fingers hovered close but never touched a collection of jeweled daggers.
Zarek shadowed her at a distance, his posture tense.
“She’s my mate, Zarek. She has every right to be here.”
“The mate bond isn’t complete,” he muttered. “Not until you mark her and we do the ceremony.”
I clenched my jaw. “That’s between me and Liz.”
Liz stopped abruptly, her attention caught by something near the back wall. She tilted her head, taking a step closer to examine it.
“What is it?”
“This boulder...” She pointed to a rounded stone about waist-high against the cave wall. “Is it just me, or does it look like it was deliberately placed?”
I frowned, joining her. Looking more closely, I could see what had caught her eye. Behind the boulder, there was the faintest crack in the wall, barely visible in the flickering light. A wisp of darkness seemed to seep through.
My dragon mostly paid attention to treasure, not to whether a boulder had been moved an inch. I crouched to get a better look and shifted my eyes.
Sure enough, there were markings on the ground from it being pushed out. “It almost looks like—”
Before I could finish saying that it looked like a makeshift door, Zarek pushed past us, his expression fierce. Without a word, he braced his hands against the boulder and shoved it aside with a casual strength that made Liz’s eyes widen.
The boulder scraped across the stone floor, revealing a hole barely big enough to squeeze through. Cool air wafted from the darkness beyond.
“Zarek, wait,” I started, but he was already dropping to his knees, peering into the opening.
“Someone’s been here,” he growled, his eyes flashing. Before I could stop him, he dropped to all fours and squeezed through the hole, disappearing into the darkness.
“Zarek!” I shouted after him.
Liz stepped closer to me, her hand finding mine. “I didn’t mean to upset him.”
“It’s not your fault.” I squeezed her fingers and stared at the hole, debating whether to follow him or stay with her.
My mind raced through possibilities. Could this be connected to whoever left those pistachio shells?
We waited in tense silence until Zarek reappeared, his expression thunderous as he squeezed back through the opening. Dust covered his shoulders and chest.
“There’s an exit,” he growled. “Through a narrow crevice on the other side. Too tight for me to fit through. Couldn’t pick up any scent either.” His skin rippled with scales as he stormed past us, heading for the exit.
I watched him go, my chest tight with worry. I’d rarely seen Zarek this rattled, and that concerned me more than the breach itself. Something was seriously wrong with my quad mate.