Wings of Destiny (Great Plains Dragon Feud Book 5)

by Emilia Hartley

  His smolder died out, and a look of confusion crossed his face. He lifted the collar of his shirt to his nose before recoiling.

  “Bryce,” he said. “I constantly forget that she smells like a damn garden.”

  Teagan cocked her head. “Really? You were hoping to hide the fact that you were with another woman? You’re cute, Reece. You really are, but that’s kind of scummy.”

  “Fuck off, Barnes. Bryce is my cousin. I wouldn’t want anyone to touch her with a ten-foot pole.”

  Teagan’s shoulders dropped. “What the hell? I know your family has a of issues, but that’s really cruel.”

  Reece ran a hand through his hair. She could see the lines on his face now. Whatever he’d done while away from the cabin had taken a toll on him. She watched him put all of his weight on the doorjamb. When he looked at her, there was no more fire in his eyes.

  “What happened?” Teagan asked.

  Reece slid down the door frame to sit on the floor. “Mom called another family meeting. She wanted Bryce to ask her mother for help. Then, Raven dropped a bomb on Mom before Bryce could even turn her down. It turned into an all-out war.”

  Teagan wrapped a towel around herself and went to sit beside Reece. When she flinched away from the cold floor, he pulled her onto his lap. She argued that she was wet, but he ignored her claims. If he didn’t care, then she wasn’t going to either.

  “Raven is pregnant.”

  Teagan sat up straighter. “Really? She and Aiden really hit it off quickly. Didn’t they?”

  “Raven also confessed that she and Aiden dated when they were younger. Mom went absolutely ballistic. I think she’s been feeling like she’s losing her grip on everything, and Raven’s confession proved that Mom never really had a grip on anything to begin with.”

  Teagan leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. He let out a small breath and wrapped an arm around her.

  He tucked a wet curl behind her ear. “Enough about my dysfunctional family. What were you doing when I walked in?”

  Teagan’s face flamed. The truth caught in her throat. She coughed and everything came tumbling out. “I was going to leave. If I stay much longer, then I’m only going to cause more trouble for everyone.”

  “Please don’t.” Reece’s voice was low, almost imperceptible.

  Had she not been this close to him, she never would have heard his plea at all. She put her weight on him and wondered if there was a way out of there where no one got hurt.

  “You were buck-ass naked, though,” Reece pointed out. “I’m pretty sure you weren’t going to walk out in the Nebraska winter like that.”

  “No. I wanted to shift and fly home, but…” She paused. Should she tell him that she’d struggled to shift? It seemed such a vulnerable thing to say, but Reece had never posed a threat before.

  He might seem intimidating at first, and she knew from experience that he could hit pretty hard, but he had never hurt her on purpose. Their first impact had been an accident because of weather conditions.

  She was losing focus. Her mind swirled with too many thoughts. Most of them begged her to stay and see where this might go. The others screamed that this was getting out of hand. Reece was not the danger. Callum was the danger. Alice was the danger.

  It was one thing for Ember to fall for a Montoya man. It was another for Teagan to develop a crush on Alice’s precious son.

  “The weather should be optimal for flying tonight. I checked before coming home. Would you want to try flying with me? I promise I won’t run into you again. I can be very careful around birds.”

  “I should go,” she said, though she made no move to leave.

  Reece nuzzled her shoulder, dramatically wiping his face along her arm like a cat. “Now you can’t. You smell like a Montoya. You have to stay.”

  “Someone needs a roommate,” she teased.

  The only evidence of his laugh was the subtle rise and fall of his shoulders as he huffed a breath into her skin. He didn’t look up at her, though she yearned to see his eyes. She wasn’t sure what she would see in them, but a small voice told her that if she could see his eyes then she would be able to see the truth that sat between them.

  Was this casual flirting? Was it the beginning of something more? The likely answer was that they were both riding the thrill of betraying their parents. She was lonely, he was a practiced flirt. It made their banter easy and enjoyable.

  “I mean it,” he said. “Fly with me. I promise I can be the best wing man you’ve ever seen.”

  She wanted to make a wing man joke but couldn’t put it together while Reece held her. One slip of her towel and she would be naked again. It would be all too easy to let him run his finger underneath the fabric. She shuddered just thinking about it.

  He was a good flirt, but was he a better lover? Her owl said yes, but it didn’t have any evidence. The owl was just smitten with this dragon man.

  Against her better judgement, Teagan nodded. She agreed to go flying with him, because if she didn’t, then she might be tempted to let her towel fall to the floor for another reason. That was an area she wasn’t sure if she was ready to tread, so she rose and gave a nod.

  Reece jumped to his feet, a great grin spreading across his face. He radiated excitement like a puppy. Taking her hand, he led her out of the bathroom and toward the bedroom. Her heart flipped in her chest. She fumbled, confused.

  She immediately imagined Reece shoving her onto his bed and covering her with his body. Was that what he’d meant by flying? Had it been some cleverly hidden euphemism this whole time? She’d expected more seduction from him before this, but…but she wasn’t upset at all.

  Then Reece peeled back a curtain to reveal a sliding glass door. Her cheeks flamed. She couldn’t believe that she’d been so ready to accept sleeping with Reece!

  But as he opened the door, she watched him. His shoulder muscles bunched beneath his shirt. Her body crackled with life, every inch of her skin begging to be touched. The terrycloth towel brushed over her taut nipples. Sleeping with Reece wouldn’t be a bad thing. In fact, she didn’t want to leave without feeling him inside her.

  He looked over his shoulder at her, a grin still brightening his face. “Are you ready?”

  She watched him peel his shirt over his head. The fabric puddled on the floor, but she only had eyes for him. Reece stretched a hand toward her and led her out into the snow. It pricked at her feet, but the warmth of his hand was enough to chase away any chills.

  Feathers brushed against the inside of her skin. Her owl’s excitement radiated through her. She couldn’t help the wide grin that spread across her face. Her heartrate sped up as the wind swirled around her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been excited to shift.

  Reece shifted first. His big claws pierced the snow-covered earth as he stepped forward. He tossed his head and shook out his wings. Teagan stared up at him in awe. His red scales reminded her of dark garnets. He glimmered like jewels in the light spilling out from the bedroom.

  She lifted her own arms and let the towel fall. Reece barely got a glimpse of her naked body before feathers unfurled from her and her feet lifted from the ground. She caught an air current and flew upward to land on the horn curling back from his head. His eyes rolled up to find her, but she was just out of sight.

  Reece didn’t shake her off. If anything, he seemed careful. Each step he took was tender and measured as though he were afraid to shake her off by accident. She didn’t even have to open her wings to retain balance.

  When he reached the edge of the hill, he stopped and waited. Teagan didn’t have to worry about humans. As an owl, her presence here was accepted as normal. She’d never bothered to see if snowy owls were native to Nebraska. Most folk didn’t pay that much attention to their local fauna. They saw an owl and marveled for a moment before moving on to never think about it again.

  Reece, on the other hand, needed to be careful. The sun was setting and quickly letting darkness consume
the landscape. His garnet scales blended well into the night. She could see him clearly because of her owl eyes, but she doubted a human would be able to discern him against the sky once true night came.

  She leapt off his horn and circled the sky, using air currents to climb higher and higher. The wind grazed her feathers, much like the touch of an old friend. She’d missed this. If she didn’t live in dragon-infested territory, she would fly every night.

  The roar of a large beast ripping through the air reached her ears. She banked to the side out of instinct alone, but Reece kept his distance. He made sure that the current sluicing off his wings couldn’t reach her and set her off balance. She appreciated the gesture. Reece flew close, always within eyesight, but never so close that his presence put her in danger.

  He really did know how to fly around birds. Though he’d said it earlier, she was still surprised to find it to be true. She tilted her body and flew away. He followed, slowly keeping his distance. She rose higher into the sky. He stayed below and behind, ready to catch her should she fall.

  Teagan savored the freedom. She’d never had someone fly so carefully with her. When she’d tried to fly with dragons, they’d been big oafs that had messed with the delicate air currents she’d needed to stay afloat.

  She scanned the ground below for signs of movement. From her position, high in the sky, she could see the shudder of tall grass trying to escape the frozen snow. She could see prowling barn cats from the nearby farms. A few mice stirred, awake despite the chill of the winter season.

  Cooing, she banked closer to Reece. He grumbled something that she couldn’t understand. Neither really had the ability to speak in this form. When Reece’s happy grumble turned into a growl, she faltered.

  Reece darted beneath her. His sudden movement sent the air swirling. As she tumbled, she caught sight of what had set him off. There was another dragon ahead. Teagan didn’t throw out her wings to soften her landing in case the dragon ahead might see her. She hit Reece’s back with a thud.

  He tilted his wings downward and dropped, coasting low along the ground. Teagan had to dig her talons into his back to hold on. Without hands, riding a dragon was a little difficult. It reminded her of riding a mechanical bull, but harder.

  She dared a glance up at the shape in the sky. Her vision cut through the dark to reveal a familiar shape. If she had the ability to speak, she would have cursed.

  Her father? Again?

  Teagan was tempted to call Ember and ask her to burn the man’s house to the ground so that he would have something to do other than bother her. But Teagan and Ember hadn’t parted on the best of terms. Teagan wasn’t sure if her sister would answer.

  Besides, it wasn’t like she could pull her phone out and call Ember right here and now. They had to stay out of Callum’s sight, first.

  An urge reared its ugly head. Reece wasn’t afraid of Callum, and he was almost desperate to prove it. The beast wanted to gnash its teeth in preparation for a fight. He wanted to feel scales crush beneath his powerful jaws, feel his talons sink into flesh and tear it asunder.

  But that wasn’t how tonight was going to end. Reece would not give in to his base instincts while Teagan clung tenuously to his back. He needed to get her to safety. If Callum saw them now, there would undoubtedly be a fight. Reece didn’t trust Callum to be careful around Teagan. She would likely get caught up in it and get hurt.

  Anger made Reece’s lips curl. He hated how Teagan’s family had disrespected her. They blamed her. They told her that she was weak and therefore couldn’t join them. All they’d had to do was be more mindful, but no. No one wanted to take that responsibility upon themselves.

  Callum wanted to be a brash beast and force everyone else to deal with him.

  Reece wished he could teach the old dragon a lesson, but he had someone to worry about. Teagan needed Reece to take her home where she would be safe. The ground came up fast. He opened his wings wider and stretched his talons until they touched the snow. They would be safer on the ground, even if it meant a long walk home.

  Teagan cooed softly against his back. He made sure to keep his stride as even as possible. This was not how he’d wanted the night to go. Though the weather had complied, the dragons in the area hadn’t gotten the memo.

  Teagan deserved better than this. Again, that rage filled him. He tried to filter it, but shoving his anger back only made smoke pour from his nostrils. Teagan cooed again. He tried to hold the smoke back, but it slipped into his lungs and made him cough.

  When the weight on his back changed, he knew that Teagan had shifted back to her human form. Her limbs splayed on either side of him, gripping him tight. It couldn’t have been any more comfortable, making him wonder why she’d bothered.

  “I’m sorry my Dad ruined your night. I can tell you’re angry.” There was a sad note of defeat in her voice.

  His anger washed out of him. The fire in his throat faded to a low burn. He tossed his head, swinging it low in shame. His intentions had not been to make her feel bad. This wasn’t her fault, but he couldn’t tell her that just yet.

  She groaned and buried her face in his scales. Teagan put so much onto her own shoulders.

  She reminded him of his sisters. They’d been trapped under the weight of family expectations until recently, too. He wasn’t sure what had convinced them to free themselves. Had it been exhaustion? Had the love of their mates empowered them?

  Reece was helpless in this case. He wasn’t Teagan’s mate. He was just a man who happened to be in her life. The longer she stuck around, the more he cared about her—but that was how life worked. You cared for the people in your life.

  The roar of a dragon shook the trees around him. Reece’s heart leapt into his throat. He galloped along the ground, taking long and loping strides. Teagan clung to his back, but he was afraid that one wrong move would drop her into the snow.

  Her weight on his back shifted. “Dad isn’t coming any closer. I don’t think he saw us.”

  If Teagan hadn’t shifted back already, she could have left him. She could have found a perch in a tree and laid low. Then, if Callum found Reece, then she wouldn’t get caught in the middle. It was their best bet.

  But she didn’t shift. She didn’t let go of him. Teagan held on the whole way home, like Cinderella desperately clinging to her carriage even though it’d turned back into a pumpkin.

  Reece climbed the hill back to his cabin, wary of any sign of Callum in the skies. Keeping to the tree line helped Reece feel safer. If Callum were to look down, he would see the white form of Teagan on Reece’s back. Callum would likely go ballistic at that point.

  Outside the cabin, Teagan slid off Reece’s back and let herself spread out in the snow. He wondered, ruefully, if the cool snow soothed her bruised skin. Riding naked on the back of a dragon couldn’t be that great for anyone.

  She covered her face with her hands. Reece sat back on his haunches and admired the parts of her that she’d left uncovered. Teagan was a striking beauty. Her milky skin was unmarked by tattoos save for small black lines on her ankle. He tilted his head to peer at it and realized that it was a small book.

  He imagined her naked save for one of his blankets around her shoulders as she read a book by lamplight in his living room. The vision struck him with such deep longing that it stole his breath and momentarily distracted him from the issue at hand.

  The wind rushed around them. Teagan cursed and rolled over. She quickly scurried into the open glass door and disappeared inside. Reece raised his head and glared at the dragon landing in the nearby snow. He knew that Teagan’s scent would be all over him and the house. Sticking around would only cause trouble for her, so Reece had to make a move.

  He lashed his tail, sending snow flying through the air, and leapt down the side of the hill. Wings snapping open, he glided down until his talons touched the ground again. Behind him, Callum roared petulantly.

  Had he come to talk? Or had he come for blood?

  C
allum had faced off against the Old Lizard a few times. The Montoya patriarch came home bruised and limping each time, but never near death. Reece had always wondered if the two had formed something like an underground fight club where they could take out their frustrations on one another.

  Reece wasn’t really in the mood to partake. If anything, Reece wanted blood. He wouldn’t pull any punches. Knowing that, he also knew that he couldn’t risk a fight. Callum was still Teagan’s father. Reece could not attack like he wanted to.

  But that meant nothing to Callum, who threw himself after Reece. Callum must have pulled his wings to his body, because he slammed into Reece and sent them tumbling. Reece crashed into a tree. The resounding snap of it cracking in half echoed across the snow.

  Reece shrugged off the tree and staggered to his feet. Callum had rolled further. He skidded to a halt and stayed low to the ground. He wasn’t unconscious, but waiting like a cat on the prowl.

  The sight pissed Reece off. He’d been minding his own damn business. He hadn’t done anything to piss Callum off.

  Alice’s words from earlier in the day floated back to Reece.

  “We can’t let the Barnes family push us out. They’re taking over everything. Soon enough, there will be no Montoya clan.”

  Bryce rolled her eyes. Reece shook his head.

  “Mom, you sound like a paranoid freak. The Montoyas aren’t going to die out. Hell, if anything, our family has grown. Logan has come back to us. Raven is pregnant. We’re not gone, just not under your control.” Reece crossed his arms over his chest.

  Alice sneered for a split second. Then she gathered herself and shook her head. “Logan is a broken man. The Barnes family ruined him when they took Eliana away from him. I won’t deny that she was his mate anymore. The fact still stands, though, that the Barnes family sacrificed their own daughter in order to break one of our strongest shifters.”

  Reece doubted that was what had happened. Then he followed his mother’s train of thought and ended up at the destination that she hadn’t yet brought up. “Do you really think Jensen and Adrien are going to betray my sisters?”