Chapter 10 Torben
Torben
Feray's bold decision to venture into the dragon's den wasn't lost on any of us.
As she emerges from Diaval's room after changing, a radiant smile graces her face, flooding the room with her warmth.
Her arrival has a magnetic effect on the rest of the group, making us pause to admire her vibrant spirit.
"Be careful," Easton advises, a fond smile gracing his lips as he presses them to Feray's forehead. Her smile in response is all the reassurance he needs—their connection clear in the way they gaze at each other.
Diaval, ever the stoic and grumpy one, makes his way to Feray next.
He meticulously adjusts a few stray strands of hair and gives her some essential supplies—a water bottle and a handful of snack sticks.
His fingers linger under her chin, gently lifting it with his index finger while his thumb rests atop her lower lip.
The unspoken affection in the air is undeniable, and it gives me hope for the grumpy bastard.
Diaval seals his care with a kiss on Feray's forehead, passing her to Khal.
Khal, in his playful nature, can't resist a bit of levity. He scoops Feray up into his arms, spinning her in a joyful circle before entrusting her to my care.
"I'll probably be asleep in the front seat by the time you get to the car," he teases.
"Can you grab a few spray bottles of Shed Spray?
It's almost time for my shift to shed his skin.
" Feray's laughter echoes through the room.
Her joy makes me truly appreciate the bonds forged among us during these trying times.
As I agree to Khal's request and make a mental note to retrieve the shed spray, Feray's departure marks the beginning of a new adventure.
I can't help but feel a sense of hope about our unconventional family.
Feray's small notebook makes a reappearance, and she adds the shed spray to her ever-growing list with a mischievous grin.
"Yup, just added it to my list. See everyone soon!
" Her cheerful farewell mingles with the last words of our makeshift family as they wish her well.
With swift efficiency, Feray seizes my hand and whisks me out the door, her eagerness contagious and setting the morning's tone.
The early light of dawn filters gently between the small, weathered buildings of this peaceful little town. The world rouses itself in a soft symphony of muted colors, painting the cobblestone streets with a delicate palette of pinks and oranges.
Hand in hand, we stroll through this serene tableau on a mission that carries an unusual blend of responsibility and affection.
As we amble along, I can't resist stealing sidelong glances at Feray, captivated by the grace in her every step.
She glides with a natural elegance that leaves me spellbound, her silhouette etched against the backdrop of the pastel dawn.
Her fiery hair, touched by the first rays of sunlight, shimmers like embers in a fire. Her laughter, like a melodious tune, dances on the morning breeze. In the gentle early light, she's nothing short of a living, breathing masterpiece.
I squeeze her hand gently, and she looks at me with eyes that mirror the sky above—a soft, endless blue that makes my heart skip a beat.
It's moments like these, in the quiet intimacy of dawn, that I realize how profoundly I love her.
Her smile, so tender and filled with a touch of vulnerability, is my favorite sight in the world.
The apothecary's shop is nestled on the corner, a quaint little establishment with its aged, creaky door.
A bell tinkles as we enter, announcing our presence to the elderly apothecary behind the counter.
He greets us with a warm, knowing smile.
"Good morning, sir. I need a birth control tincture meant for wolf shifters.
" Feray asks in a low tone, and the shopkeeper smiles softly.
"Of course, dear. Let me grab the two types I have, and you can pick the one you need." The apothecary fetches two small glass vials. Feray looks them both over, then chooses the purple one.
"Can I get as many of these as you have?" Her question catches him off guard, and he heads back into the back room.
"Oh, and I forgot—we need a few bottles of Shed Spray as well." She says quickly as it dawns on her she forgot Khal's order.
"You know that's not meant for wolves, correct?" The shopkeeper asks.
Feray giggles and nods. "I know. I was asked to pick it up while I was out."
The way Feray doesn't mention it's for her mate makes me look at her oddly.
Her eyes lock with mine and flare for a moment.
I feel the warning in her gaze wash over me, as if she shoved me physically.
There has to be a very good reason why she didn't say who it was for.
The shopkeeper returns with several bottles of spray, and Feray picks three different ones, not sure which would be best.
"If you told me which shifter you were shopping for, I can point you in the right direction." The shopkeeper smiles sweetly, the wrinkles in the corners of his eyes creasing.
"She's dragon-kin. That's all she wanted me to say." The smoothness of Feray's face and her even tone shocks me. She's lying right to the shopkeeper, and it appears she's telling the truth.
"Ah, that makes all the difference." The shopkeeper reaches under the counter and pulls out a different kind of spray. "Dragon-kin's scales are very difficult to shed. This should help her immensely."
He offers Feray the bottle, and she untwists the cap and sniffs it.
Smiling, she puts the top back on. "I'll take six.
" The shopkeeper pulls out five more and boxes them with her tinctures.
We complete the transaction, leaving the shop with the stash of tinctures and sprays held securely in my grasp.
Our footsteps carry us toward a nearby park, where we find a quiet bench under the shade of a sprawling oak tree.
We sit down, fingers still entwined, and she takes the tincture immediately.
She makes a disgusted face as she shakes her head.
"Yuck. I was hoping it was grape flavored.
Boy, was I wrong." She laughs and stares at the little vial in her hand.
I know she hates it. Her instincts, much like my own, are to start a family. It's not safe yet, sadly. Hopefully sooner than later we'll figure out why she's being hunted. For now, my number one job is to keep my mate happy and safe.
"We should probably head back, little wolf." Leaning over, I kiss her temple and pull her into my lap for a moment, hugging her tightly. I miss the feel of my mate in my arms. "Will you hunt with me later?"
Gently, I nuzzle her cheek before placing a kiss there. "Of course." She stands up suddenly and starts dragging me back toward the inn. Her sudden enthusiasm earns a hearty chuckle from me as I'm dragged up the road.
"Why didn't you tell the shopkeeper it was for your mate?" Her omission of the truth bothers my bear and me both.
She pauses, drawing in a deep breath. "If we're being hunted and watched—if someone asks around about me or who I'm traveling with—dragon-kin is not an exact answer.
There are dozens of subspecies. They wouldn't know about Diaval or Khal, since that's species-specific.
Saying 'she' instead of 'he' also throws things off.
" Her eyes glow with the power of her wolf as she looks up at me.
"I may not be as strong as everyone else, but I protect what's mine however I can.
" What she says makes sense. If we're being followed or tracked, saying it was for her mate or for a basilisk would be like flashing a neon sign over our heads.
"Makes sense, little wolf. I just didn't understand why you did it." Smiling, I kiss her temple before we continue on our way.
As we approach, we watch Easton and Diaval loading the car with a sleeping Khal in the front seat.
When we get close, Feray climbs into the car, settling herself in the middle of the back seat.
She leans forward, fastens Khal's seatbelt, and snuggles him into place for the ride.
I help finish loading the SUV, then climb in the back with Easton and Feray.
She shocks me by placing her back against Easton, allowing him to hold her while she stretches her legs out over my lap.
"Diaval, what can you tell us about Vasserdell?" Since it appears our mate has decided to sleep more, I need to learn about our next stop.
"It's an old draconic stronghold for the older species of dragons and dragon-kin.
Unlike Norburg, you'll find many species versus only basilisks.
" He glances back using the rearview mirror.
"There are ruins near the town where several of my ancestors are laid to rest. I haven't visited in decades, mainly because the female I was almost forced to be mated to is the matriarch. "
Diaval visibly shivers, thinking about what we're walking into.
"Is it safe to bring Feray there?" I look over at my sleeping mate wrapped in Easton's arms. His eyes burn with the fire and intensity of his shift, watching over her.
"She has two mythics, a basilisk, and a Kodiak berserker in her nest. She can't get much safer than she is right now." He glances down quickly. "I'll give her my scale before we get there. The rest will have to wait." Diaval goes silent as his stony mask falls back in place.
"She has to accept his shift and fly with him." Easton whispers so as not to wake Feray. "A Skull Dragon's natural intimidation ability is very hard for a smaller shifter to withstand." Easton glances up and watches Diaval nod stiffly. Come to think of it, I've never seen him shift either.
"Have you seen his dragon before?"
Looking back at Easton, he nods and looks down. "Yeah. It scared me to death." He looks down at Feray, and a single tear rolls down his cheek. "I'll make the sacrifice to walk with her when it's time. I can resurrect." He runs his fingers through her hair, playing with her feather.
"So it can kill her?" I try my best to quell the fear building in my chest.
"It's why it's imperative I plant my scale first. The intimidation shouldn't affect her once it's in place." Diaval's tone is rough, and the feeling inside the car becomes almost oppressive.
Feray half-wakes and yawns before sitting up and reaching out to touch Diaval. "Shhh... you're okay." Her tone is almost hypnotic, and the oppressive feeling fades away. As soon as it does, she lies back down and goes back to sleep.
"She shouldn't be able to do that." Diaval whispers.
"Why?" I glance between him and Easton.
"She's not bonded to him yet." Easton glances down, then his head whips toward me so he can look me in the eye. "It's because of me. My feather." He brushes his knuckles over her hair, touching her feather.
"What does that have to do with anything?" His answer confuses me more than I was before. The sudden left turn we just took mentally throws me off.
Diaval sighs and pulls over for a moment.
"What my old friend is so tactfully trying to say is that it's because of his feather—she's gotten stronger.
Her Luna gifts. From what I know of the lass, she's not a warrior, but she will go to war if someone she loves is threatened.
Thankfully, unlike her witch sister, she does have the self-preservation instinct.
" As much as I want to let Diaval's tone piss me off, he's right.
Feray studies the situation before she reacts.
That, coupled with how scary intelligent she is, makes her more formidable than some of the alphas I've met over the years.
I watch as my little wolf snuggles into Easton's chest. "So between his feather and your scale, you believe she'll survive meeting your dragon?" My heart beats erratically in my chest as I watch the minute changes in the creases around Diaval's eyes.
"She has to." His terse, definitive answer doesn't exactly comfort me.
"What do you mean, she has to? You aren't bonded to her fully. Her dying won't destroy you the way it will the three of us." My bear claws at my chest, wanting to be released. He feels he needs to protect Feray from the dragon. What the actual fuck is Diaval thinking?
"What Diaval is failing to express—" Easton starts to explain when Diaval cuts him off.
"My dragon will go insane if he accidentally kills his mate.
The rampages written in the history books will be nothing compared to what he will do.
" His tone sounds broken as he glances between us.
"The literal fate of the world rests in her little hands.
" His voice softens as he turns further to look into the backseat at Feray while she sleeps.
He watches her for several moments before turning back to face forward.
With a sigh, he gets us back on the road.
Taking my cue, I close my eyes, hoping against hope that whatever needs to happen at the next stop, my love, my heart, survives.