Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“Can’t I just fly us all there? This walking on feet crap is for the bears,” Brian grunted, dramatically dragging his feet as he stepped.
“The pull is real subtle, Brian. I already tried explaining this to you. We’re just going to have to walk.
” Alexa listened to Brian groan. She felt Ken’s shoulder brush against hers, sending sweet, intoxicating tingles over her body.
She turned to look at him, wishing she could just stay in his arms. But while they traveled, they needed to be cautious, just in case Erebus or his spies were around.
“And how does this all work again? Because you look exactly the same to me.” Brian continued to drag his feet lazily as he looked over at Ken.
“It’s because I’m letting you see me. Anyone else looking will see a different face and features. And my aura is hidden with the crystals so no one can detect it.” Ken listened to a slight scoff coming from in front of them.
“Ah ah ah,” Mikah interjected, turning to smirk at Ken.
“Okay, no one should be able to. I haven’t figured out what is up with Super Bear. I don’t know how he’s able to detect me.” Ken looked over Mikah with a discerning eye. There was something there he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“I already told you. It’s because I’m her guardian. Your squid brain doesn’t retain much, huh?” Mikah chuckled, flashing a bright, wide grin toward Ken.
“I see that Winnie the Pooh isn’t the only bear stuffed with fluff. Your ability is not because you’re a guardian. It’s as simple as that. Who are your parents? What is known about them?” Ken felt the slight bump from Alexa's arm, and she shook her head quickly.
Mikah shrugged as he looked ahead. “I don’t know. I don’t remember much at all about them. I only remember the torture and the life I lived in the dark.” He turned his head to look at Ken. “Why? What are you thinking?”
“Simple. Both of your parents were not werebears. I can almost guarantee it. You are some sort of hybrid.” Everyone stopped walking and turned to look at Ken curiously.
“Are you certain of that?” Mikah was now studying the deity’s green eyes.
“Yes. I’m surprised the blue iguana never said anything.” Ken watched as Alexa shook her head.
“I don’t think my father knows.”
“He knows, my love. Your father is a deity. I’m sure he knows Mikah is more than just a guardian werebear.” Ken could see Mikah seemed a bit disturbed hearing this. “Little cub, this doesn’t change anything.”
“What else do you think I am?” Mikah asked slowly.
“Now that’s where I’m stumped, because there’s something there that I just can’t put my finger on. But you have an untapped power reserve inside you. You’re much stronger than you let on. I’m curious why you’re hiding it.” Ken watched Mikah’s eyes widen, his lips parting in shock.
“Mikah?” Alexa turned to look at her guardian.
Mikah chuckled and shook his head. “Now you’re the one who has me intrigued.”
“We’ll have a chat about all this later.” Ken turned and looked at Alexa. “It’s only because of his strength that I was comfortable leaving your side.”
“Wait. So how strong is he?” Brian knitted his brows and stared at his friend.
“I’d like to test that out myself. Maybe then I can really get a feel for what you’re mixed with.” Ken shrugged his shoulders and turned to look at Alexa. “Which way now?”
Alexa tilted her head to look into Ken’s green eyes.
It was weird having him close to her, but in a good way.
She wanted to stay as close to him as possible and talk to him about everything.
How was it that now that she had him by her side, they needed to act distant?
She would also need to keep pretending to be Brian’s mate around others.
This would be awkward to do in front of her real mate.
She glanced from hazel to blue to green eyes.
All three important men in her life were all carrying sadness.
She could see it. Was this similar to the life energy her mother talked about seeing?
She wasn’t sure. But from this, she could almost feel the burdens they were each carrying for their own reasons.
Maybe this was the natural camaraderie the men were all feeling?
Brian’s, she felt, was about him not being able to have a mate.
But she was curious about Mikah and Ken’s sadness.
Alexa finally felt her beasts begin to stir inside her.
Yuki was pacing in her mind as her dragon pulsated its strength, like flapping its wings.
She wanted to sigh with relief, being able to feel them again, but there was something wrong.
She looked up to see the men all had their heads turned, looking in the distance.
It was the same direction she could feel herself being pulled.
“That’s where I need to go.” Alexa whispered as she raised her hand to her chest. She lifted her gaze as a burst of warm wind rushed over all of them. Ken moved into her side with his gaze fixed on a figure that was coming toward them.
A young woman with silver hair, gray eyes, and ivory skin stepped into view. She was delicately framed and almost looked like she would break with the slightest touch. But there was a fierceness in her eyes as she looked over everyone.
“I see you brought others. A deity, a guardian, and … a thief.”
Alexa recognized the voice. She stepped out from Ken and faced the young lady. “Bella? Is that you?” She watched the girl nod her head, but she continued to glower at the men.
“A thief? What the hell does that mean?” Brian snorted out in agitation.
Her eyes shot daggers at Brian and Mikah. She reached out her hand quickly, and pulsing wind shot into both men, knocking them off their feet instantly. She turned to look at Ken, who stared her down.
“Those tricks won’t work on me.” Ken’s voice was low and icy as his eyes narrowed on Bella.
A smirk rose on Bella’s face as the world around them shifted and distorted. Alexa looked down in shock as she stood above everyone. It was like she was standing on an invisible ground. She watched Brian and Mikah climbing back onto their feet as Ken bellowed angrily.
“What in the world …” Alexa looked to her side to see Bella standing right beside her.
“It’s an astral projection. But this isn’t going to work on him.” Bella looked at Ken with annoyance. “We only have a couple of minutes before he tears a hole in space. Barbarian.” She reached out and grabbed Alexa's hands.
“What are you doing?” Alexa stared into Bella’s intense, gray eyes.
“Taking you to where even a beast like him will struggle to enter.” Bella grinned as an icy wave flashed around them. At the same time, two large hands ripped into the space they were in. A cruel smile reached her lips as they vanished from the deity’s sight.
“That fucking bitch!” Ken roared, shaking the ground beneath them.
“What the hell was that? What kind of dragon has this power?” Brian looked around as Mikah’s arms trembled with rage.
“The white light I just saw wasn’t from that dragon. It came from a fucking goddess who has a death wish. I’ll rip her apart if she harms Alexa.”
“What goddess?” Brian asked.
“The light felt like Shiva.” Ken looked up at Brian, whose lips pursed into a thin line.
“Just who I need to see about this burning aura of mine.” Brian listened as a low growl came from Mikah.
“Can you get to her?” Mikah raised his gaze to Ken. He was panicked and enraged, and struggling to control himself.
“Let the bitch try to keep me out. Come on. We’re getting Alexa back. Now!”
Alexa watched the world around her change again. Now she was surrounded by powdery, icy snow. The walls around them were made of solid ice that had a few dark openings leading somewhere else. She turned around to look at the young lady standing next to her.
“I don’t understand. I thought you were going to help me. Why did you attack them? Why did you take me? And where did you take me?”
“I am going to help you. And I would hardly call that attacking them. The dragon had it coming. I know of the aura inside him. Scorio.”
“You know about the curse on him? Can you help him? Brian is a great guy. He shouldn’t be punished for the things his grandparents did.”
“Scorio is not a punishment!” Bella snapped as she furrowed her brows. Her eyes then softened and she shook her head. “Shiva has given the burning aura of Scorio to the dragon. But this is what they wanted, right? To have an heir that powerful. Well, now they have it, but at his expense.”
“He didn’t ask for it. He would gladly give Scorio back.”
“He can’t give it back.” Bella frowned and shook her head. “It doesn’t exist like that anymore. It is now part of him.”
“Can Shiva adjust it so that he can command the aura? At this rate, he won’t be able to claim his fated mate. But more than that, he won’t be able to be around his own people. His family and friends. He doesn’t deserve that,” Alexa pleaded, looking at Bella.
“If only one curse can be removed, which one would you choose? Yours? Or his?” Bella asked.
“Are you telling me you’ll only remove one of the curses?” Alexa asked, but Bella only continued to stare at her with her gray, piercing eyes. She seemed different from the dragon she’d met in her dream.
Alexa shook her head slowly as a faint, sad smile spread over her lips. “What kind of choice is that? How could I ever choose my happiness over his? If it can only be one, then cure him.”
A wide grin formed over Bella’s lips, and she rolled her shoulders back. “Now comes the fun part.”
“The fun part?”
“If you want your curse taken away, then you’re going to have to fight for it.”
“Wait? Does that mean you’ll do both?” Alexa asked as she watched the girl shift into her dragon form.
The crystal dragon grew to form, tossing her white mane to the side.
“There is no sky to fight here, so we fight on the ground. If you win, I will take away your curse and see about removing the curse from your … friend. If you lose, you will reject the mate bond and be paired with a mate of Shiva’s choosing. ”
“I see you have a relationship with Shiva. I’m so tired of deities interfering with everyone else’s lives.” Alexa growled lowly as her light blue dragon pushed forward, spreading its wings and flapping them at Bella, sending a gust of wind toward her.
Alexa roared loudly as the crystal dragon stepped toward her.
If this dragon wanted a fight, then she was going to get one.
The two dragons locked eyes with an intensity that could crush a lesser being.
Bella pushed off the ground and rushed toward Alexa.
There was a sound like earth-shattering thunder as the two dragons collided, sending one body slamming into the ground.