by Vella Day
True to her word, as soon as she arrived at the cabin, she ditched her clothes, stepped onto her front porch, and shifted. The evening light was growing dim, but her shifter eyes had no problem seeing where to run. After taking these paths for a few weeks, Chelsea had her favorites. Because water was calming to her, she headed toward the stream. Charging down the path, she let the wind blow in her face. Many of the smells reminded her of Declan, which unfortunately made her worry. What if something happened to him while he was battling the fires? Finn had told her that fire wasn’t a big threat to a dragon, but that it could do some damage with prolonged exposure.
She sighed, wishing Declan were with her right now. They had so much they needed to discuss. If only he could run with her, life would be complete.
A few feet before she reached the fork that led to the stream, a huge ache charged up her leg. A second later, she tumbled forward. Even though she reached out to stop from losing total control, she still landed on her snout. Shit.
It took a second to register that her leg was caught in something. Chelsea’s breaths whooshed out of her as she rolled over to assess the situation. Really? How the hell had she let herself be caught in a trap? Two metal plates pinned her leg tight. And it hurt like a bitch.
Stop struggling, her wolf said. The skin is already cut.
Double crap. Just as she debated whether she should shift and pry open the plates with her hands, something stung her neck. She swatted at it with her paw, only to realize she’d been shot with a dart. What the hell?
Her ability to focus vanished, and lifting her paw became impossible.
Wait! Footsteps sounded far away—or at least it appeared as if they were at a distance. A few seconds later, Marty’s face loomed over her. Marty did this to her? She opened her mouth, but all that came out was a whine.
Part of her wanted to shift and ask him what was going on, but for starters, she’d be naked, and secondly, with the way her body was growing weak, she wasn’t sure she could shift even if she wanted to.
He reached out and stroked her fur. “Stay calm.” He plucked out the dart and tossed it away. “We need to get you out of this trap. What kind of asshole puts a trap in the middle of a running trail?”
Her mind fuzzed. Marty hadn’t set the trap? Who had then? Stick? Did it really matter?
Marty pulled apart the spring, and Chelsea clawed the ground to move forward, only her progress was measured in inches instead of feet. As much as she wanted to run away and lick her wounds, nothing seemed to work. Oh, no. She’d been drugged. Her baby!
Declan was exhausted. Half of the day had been spent fighting the fires that were destroying the farmers’ crops, and the other half was searching for the bastards responsible for the destruction. None of the six Guardians had uncovered anything, which sucked.
“What do you want to do now?” Thane asked. “Stay here tonight or go home and try to get a good night sleep?”
Declan scanned the horizon. “The fires are contained for now.”
“But for how long?”
“We can’t camp here indefinitely. We’ll need some leads.”
“How about Griffin and I keep a close eye on things here, and you and the rest of the guys head back. Hopefully, Logan can do some searching on the dark web to get a hint about who might be responsible.”
That was a good idea. “Are you thinking they will strike again tonight?” Declan asked. “If so, I’ll stay.”
“No. I’m suggesting Griff and I stay tonight just as a precaution. We can reconvene tomorrow at SinCas to discuss strategy.”
“Sounds good.” It didn’t matter if he stayed or went. It was too late to see Chelsea anyway since it was already past eleven. Tomorrow, after the group came up with a plan of action as to how to handle these arsonists, he would stop by and see her.
The flight home was wonderfully uneventful, but even in his dragon form, he could smell the smoke in the air and on his scales. A shower was definitely on the agenda. While he wanted to hear Chelsea’s voice, it was better if he didn’t call. Knowing her, she’d suggest he come over. Given she had to be up early for work tomorrow, it would be best if he let her rest.
Chelsea, Chelsea. It was all he thought about.
Once home, Declan stripped and jumped in the warm shower. He was totally conflicted. With each passing day, his need and desire for her grew. The problem still remained that it wouldn’t be fair to her—or to him—if they lived together. He was already falling in love with her and losing her might kill him. One contributing factor to this intense attraction was the fact that she was the first woman who didn’t want anything from him. Not his money. Not his protection. And not his time. Bess had been selfless too, but she’d been his mate.
Last week, he’d tried staying away from Chelsea for both of their sakes, and his resolve had lasted all of six days. No, the only solution seemed to be to enjoy Chelsea for as long as he could. If and when her mate showed up, he’d have to let her go—painful as it would be.
He huffed out a laugh. No one said life was fair.
Chapter Fifteen
Exhausted from the day’s physical exertion, Declan slept deeply. He would have slept in longer had his cell not rung and awoken him. Naked, he jumped out of bed, rushed to the kitchen and grabbed his cell off the counter. Oh, shit. It was Kaleena. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve been leaving you messages since last night.” Her tense tone caused every protective cell in his body to fire. His mind had been on Chelsea, and he hadn’t checked the screen after he jumped in the shower. “Sorry. I got home late. What’s up?”
“Don’t freak out, but Chelsea thinks she saw something illegal happening at the shelter yesterday.”
That didn’t sound so bad. While stolen pets were a hardship to the owner, all they had to do was search a few shelters for them. He leaned his elbows on the counter. “What exactly did she see?”
Kaleena described the cages, the collars, and the possible shifter signatures. His mind raced. “I can’t help but think the Royals are involved,” his sister said.
He jackknifed upright. “Fuck. Is Chelsea at the shelter now?”
“No. She agreed to call in sick today. I spoke with Dad last night, and he’s figuring out a plan. We can’t just barge in there.”
He could. “I’ll do a quick check at the shelter right now to see if I spot anything.”
“No. We don’t want to tip off this guy, Stick.”
She had such little faith in him. “I’ll pretend I need to speak with Chelsea. Stick will tell me she’s home sick, and I’ll leave, but not before I try to sense other shifter signatures.” Though sensing the identities of multiple ones was next to impossible.
“Okay, but don’t be obvious.”
“I know what I’m doing.”
“You better. We don’t want her boss to come after Chelsea.”
That was the last thing he wanted too. He disconnected and quickly dressed. The team was regrouping at SinCas to discuss the fires, but he might have to be a little late. He made a quick call to his father to explain his dilemma.
“Definitely check out the shelter, but be careful.”
“I also want to talk to Chelsea when I’m finished. Then I’ll head on in to the meeting.”
“If you miss anything, I’ll catch you up,” his dad said.
“Thanks.”
As soon as he disconnected, Declan flew to the shelter. As he neared the main building, he swooped low enough in order to sense any shifter signatures. Only one registered. That was odd since Chelsea had said she’d noted a few when she’d seen the ten cages.
Declan landed and ambled over and into the building, checking for surveillance cameras. He spotted one in the main lobby. A door opened in the back, and Stick came into view. “Hey, Declan.”
The man seemed friendly enough. “I need to talk to Chelsea for a minute. I didn’t see her outside. I trust she’s here someplace?”
He shook his head. “She called in s
ick today.”
Declan widened his eyes, trying to look surprised. “Did she say what was wrong?”
“No, but I know she hasn’t been feeling well for a few days now.”
That troubled him. “I’ll stop by her place then. Thanks.”
Stick smiled. “No problem. Nice to see you again.”
He doubted that. “You too.”
As soon as Declan stepped outside, he took off, confused about a few things. He didn’t like that Chelsea had been ill and had said nothing to him. When he’d stopped over after work the other day, she looked healthy to him. He’d ask her about it for sure.
Even though the cabin was in the woods, his father had trimmed back the trees leading up to the cabin to allow for dragon access. When Declan spotted her car parked in front, he relaxed. After shifting, he jogged up the steps and knocked on her door. “Chelsea, it’s me, Declan.”
When she didn’t answer, his body shot to alert. He called her cell, and it rang inside. What was going on? “Chelsea, open up, please.”
Perhaps she was really sick, though it was possible she could be in the shower, still asleep, or wasn’t ill and had gone for a run. A quick walk around the cabin convinced him she’d decided to enjoy her day off. Given her car was here, a run seemed the most plausible explanation. He might not be a wolf, but his two legs could transport him quite well.
She’d mentioned a few of her preferred trails. Her favorite was to the waterfall. As a kid, he and his siblings had often gone there. Needing to see her, Declan took off at a trot. Because he wasn’t sure if wolves kept to the trails or if they liked to cut through the underbrush, he scoped out the entire area.
He couldn’t remember the last time he went jogging, though right now, his body was enjoying the exercise, despite being bone weary after yesterday’s trials.
As he neared the fork that led to the waterfall, something caught his eye. Maybe it was the way the sunlight was streaming through the branches or how he’d moved to the side of the path to avoid a dip, but a metal stake stuck up from the ground that shouldn’t have been there. Attached to it was a chain. He might have ignored it had the scent of blood not caught his attention.
Hoping there was some innocent reason for it being there, Declan knelt down. A carabiner was attached to the chain, and next to it was a splotch of blood. If by some horrible chance, Chelsea stepped in a trap, all she had to do was shift, pull open the jaws of the trap, and escape. Shifting back into her wolf form would have allowed her to heal quickly. His imagination might have gotten the best of him. Some other animal might have stepped in the trap.
Just as he was about to continue on, something yellow peaked out from a pile of leaves. He parted them to expose a dart. He wasn’t a hunter since the whole idea was abhorrent to him, but if there had been a trap, why sedate the animal?
Declan stood. Hunting wasn’t illegal, and as much as he’d like to find this person who shot the dart, Declan had better things to do—like find Chelsea. He took off at a run toward the waterfall, hoping to find her sitting on the side, either drinking from the river or sunning herself. When he arrived though, no one was there.
“Chelsea?” He called her name several times, but only the wind answered.
Declan searched the area thoroughly. Damn. She must have taken a different path. Determined to find her, he returned to the fork and headed down the other branched path. For the next hour, he searched everywhere but came up empty. There were miles of possibilities. Unless he had help, he’d never be able to search them all.
He headed back to the cabin wondering if a friend had stopped by and taken Chelsea to lunch or maybe to a doctor’s appointment. If so, she should have returned. However, when he arrived at the cabin, she still wasn’t home. Worried, he called Finn at the office.
“Hey, you missed the meeting,” Finn said as a way of greeting.
“I had a good reason. I can’t find Chelsea, and I’m worried.”
“Oh fuck. About two hours ago, I had this pain shoot up my leg, but I dismissed it. Do you think it could be my twin link acting up?” Finn asked, his tone deep and full of concern.
Declan didn’t want to consider that Chelsea had been the one in the trap, but he gave Finn a quick rundown. “I then went to the waterfall and ran down a few other paths, but I couldn’t find her.”
“I can find her. My wolf is excellent at scenting blood—especially if it belongs to my twin. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
It was the best he could hope for. “Thanks.”
Declan paced, all the while trying to figure out where Chelsea might have gone. Calling in sick and then heading into town could get her canned. No, she was smarter than that. She’d keep a low profile. So, where was she? Was she seeing a doctor? He refused to face the possibility that she had been trapped and tranquilized. There had to be a good explanation.
Stick hadn’t acted smug or scared that his secret might have gotten out, nor had he acted as if he was worried that Declan might uncover something. He finally concluded that Stick hadn’t harmed Chelsea. Damn. Then who had—assuming she had been harmed?
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Finn arrived.
“Anything?” Finn asked as he rushed over to Declan.
“Nothing. When I called Chelsea, her phone rang inside the cabin, so she wouldn’t have contacted anyone.”
“Did you look inside for her?” he asked Declan.
“No, but I didn’t sense any shifter signature.” He stuck a hand in his pants. “I have the key though.”
“If she went for a run, she would have stashed the under the mat or something.”
He waved the key. “This works too.”
Together, they went in. Chelsea’s jeans and shirt were tossed on the back of the sofa. “It looks like she went out for a run,” Finn said. “She never was the neatest when she left her stuff in the house.”
“We’ve got to go over the trail again.”
Finn nodded. “Where did you say you saw that stake?”
The memory of the blood on the stake churned his gut. “Maybe a mile up the path. It’s a couple hundred of feet before the path forks.”
“I’d suggest we call Birk, Logan, or Thane, but they all left to find the culprits who lit the fires.”
“Damn.” More guilt assaulted Declan for not lending a hand, but Chelsea had to come first.
“I’ll race ahead. If you hear me howl, come fast,” Finn said.
“I will. Now, go.”
Finn and he raced out of the house. Seconds later, Finn shifted into his wolf form. Declan always thought being a dragon was the best shifter to be in the world. Now he understood why having the ability to shift into more than one animal would give him an added edge. Both his sister and Finn were lucky to possess the ability to choose between two animal forms.
Finn disappeared down the path, and Declan followed. This time, he focused more on his senses. Declan was sure he’d be able to smell her delicious scent or notice if she’d gone off the path. “Chelsea?” he called.
Not that he expected an answer, but if she were injured, he might hear a whimper or a small howl. Before he’d traveled a half-mile, Finn howled, and Declan’s heart stopped. He’d found something. Declan sprinted down the path, flying over the rocks, and batting away the branches in his way. When he reached the stake on the side of the path, Finn was in his human form.
“What is it?” Declan asked.
“It’s Chelsea’s blood.”
Declan’s muscles almost gave way. “Are you sure?”
“I know my twin’s scent.”
“If some fucker trapped her, why tranquilize her?”
“Either he wasn’t a shifter and didn’t know she was one, or he knew damn well it was Chelsea and couldn’t afford for her to talk,” Finn said.
Fuck. “No wonder her boss had been so calm. He probably ordered her to be captured.”
“Are you positive it’s him, or are you guessing?” Finn asked.
&nb
sp; “I’m guessing.”
“Then I say we continue to look for her. Let me call Kaleena. The two of us can search faster.”
The man he had saved on Earth, Ronan, had been a tracker—a man with the ability to find anyone by his scent. If all else failed, Declan might have to ask for his help.
Finn pocketed his phone. “Kaleena will be here as fast as she can.”
“That’s great. I’ve already checked the area around the waterfall, but maybe I missed something.”
“If Chelsea was captured, there’s no telling where they took her. It could be in this part of the countryside or far away.”
Acid churned in his stomach. “What do you suggest? We can’t just sit on our hands,” Declan said. “We have to look everywhere.”
“Agreed,” Finn said. “I think we should have Kaleena travel the paths in her wolf form, while you and I take to the skies.”
“If they have Chelsea in a building, how can we find her?” Declan asked. Usually, he was the one with the ideas. Now, his brain had ceased to function.
“I might be able to sense where she is, assuming she’s conscious. At least on Earth we could do that.”
He inhaled. “We need to try.”
They returned to the cabin just as Kaleena was landing. She quickly shifted. “What’s the plan?”
Finn filled her in. Once she shifted and sped away, Finn and Declan flew off. For the second time in his life, it was as if he lacked the skills to save the person he was fast falling in love with.
Chapter Sixteen
When Chelsea opened her eyes, the pain in her head defied description. The last thing she remembered was Marty hovering over her, offering his help. Blood was caked on her right front paw where the trap had clamped down on her. That was curious. Why hadn’t her wolf healed her yet?
Chelsea rose to all fours, teetered, and dropped back down. Whatever had been in that dart was still messing with her head. Daylight streamed in the window, so she probably hadn’t been unconscious for long. The metal cage she was in really pissed her off though. Chelsea debated shifting, but her human form might not fit in the small space. The lock on the outside of the cage would be impossible to pick without something sharp to poke it with.