by Pearl Foxx
She tried to hide her disappointment at the loss of his body pressed against her, but couldn’t help a frown crossing her face. Why did he always seem like he wanted to run away when he talked to her? Why wouldn’t he even say good morning? It was like it was all he could do to get up and away from her. And that was the very last thing she wanted.
She rolled back to the Draqon baby and tickled his belly, getting a puff of smoke in response. “It’s time to wake up, fuzzy bunny.”
The baby twitched and one paw stretched out in a giant stretch as it yawned. A spark of fire landed on the hammock. The ember went out before causing any damage.
“Time to get up.”
When she spoke again, the Draqon baby lifted his head and looked at her with bleary eyes.
“We can’t sleep forever. Come on. I’ll help you out.” She reached for the baby, and he grabbed onto her arms, allowing her to pull him up to her chest. When she reached out, Nestan was ready to take him and put the baby on his shoulder as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Linnea smiled to see how the boys had bonded. She’d hoped that Nestan would get over his prejudice and come to see that the Draqon only needed a little kindness. Maybe that was all any of them needed. It was certainly what Nestan seemed to need, even though he rarely accepted any kindness from her.
The evening passed quickly with the jungle darkening around them and the nighttime’s creatures waking just beyond the trees’ shadows. Linnea and Nestan ate dinner and said their goodbyes to the few Katu who had bothered paying attention to them. It felt as if the panthers couldn’t wait for the interlopers to leave their home.
Their aloof nature unnerved Linnea. Especially the way the shifted panthers watched with their tails twitching on the ground, their yellow eyes rarely blinking. It felt like she was being hunted, and she was eager to get on the way. The sooner they got to Nestan’s home, the sooner she could begin her search for her sister.
When they left the overgrown city at dusk, their Katu escorts set a punishing pace. But this time they weren’t running for their lives, and she was able to take in the enormous leaves that made up the thick canopy above her head. The towering trees were beautiful, and in the growing dark, the light of two moons drifted down on top of them, allowing slivers of moonlight to light their path through the jungle’s floor.
Her feet still hurt from everything she’d been through the last few days, but the softer shoes the Katu had given her made it easier to make the trek. Now and then she would try to talk to Nestan, but he had clammed up completely, unwilling to speak beyond monosyllabic responses and the occasional grunt. Nonetheless, he’d still turn to help her over the difficult terrain, and they passed the baby Draqon back and forth as the hours passed.
When they approached a clearing, he pointed in the distance toward a sweeping mountain range. She easily spotted the tallest mountain he singled out. “That’s my home. We’re getting close.”
“It looks a million miles away,” she whined dramatically, pulling the tiniest hint of a smile from him.
“Looks can be deceiving,” he said before setting a fast pace to keep up with the Katu.
She watched his back as she followed. He seemed to grow taller and stronger the closer they got to his home. His long hair was pulled back in a tie the Katu had given him, showing off his handsome face and keeping him from hiding away beneath the dark shadow of his beard. Now and then long tendrils of his hair fell free and he brushed them back behind his ears.
Had his hair been long before his father had taken him? Had he always been gruff and quiet? Would his people even recognize him? Thoughts of him tumbled through her mind, distracting her and comforting her.
When they finally arrived at the base of the mountain, the Katu led them to what appeared to be a crag in the rocks, a pathway that seemed to go nowhere but into the dark. Nestan stopped and turned to the panther who stood closest to them.
“Thank you for bringing us here. I will speak with Gerrit about your question and send a comm with his answer. But stay close. I’m certain he will be more than happy to discuss this with you face-to-face.”
The Katu leader’s furry ears twitched, her yellow eyes blinking lazily. Finally, she dipped her head in agreement, whiskers twitching, before leaping up onto the rocks in front of them. With a low rumbling growl, the Katu took off before Linnea had a chance to thank them.
She followed closely behind Nestan as he wove his way through the rocky path. The Draqon baby had been in his arms, but as the moonlight faded into the coming dawn he reached for her. She held him, murmuring soft, nonsensical words to soothe him as they approached the main Vilkan city.
Nestan’s footsteps sounded lighter the farther they went. He walked on the balls of his feet, practically levitating off the path. The weight of his sadness lifted from his body the closer they got. When he glanced back to make sure she was keeping up, his eyes gleamed brighter than ever, brimming with excitement. She couldn’t imagine what it must be like to walk back into the arms of a community he loved and had been denied for six months. Especially considering the way his father treated him.
The path ended at a set of giant wooden and steel doors. He rapped his knuckles six times.
She stood slightly behind him, gripping the Draqon baby in her arms, and waited.
And waited.
After what seemed like an eternity, one of the two doors slid open just enough for someone to see outside. “Nestan?”
He nodded curtly. Business-like, as if he’d never left. But the muscles in his back twitched from the effort to stand so still and tall. “Swanson, tell Gerrit I’m here. I need to see him immediately.”
“I can’t believe it.” The giant wooden door swung open, and a man at least two heads taller than Linnea and twice as wide pulled Nestan into a tight embrace. “Shit, man! We’ve missed you so much. How did you get out of there? I know Gerrit is going to—”
The man who spoke was struck dumb at the sight of her holding the Draqon baby.
Nestan placed a hand on the man’s chest, steadying his friend before speaking. “This is Linnea. She’s a friend of mine. She was captured by my father. The Draqon baby was a prisoner, too. He won’t do anyone any harm.”
“Rayner isn’t going to be happy about this at all,” the man muttered before giving Nestan another slap on the back and wrapping an arm around him. “But if you’re home, I guess we can let it slide. I’ll announce a feast.”
Nestan stepped out of the man’s arms and shook his head. “No feast. No homecoming. No big special treatment. I don’t want anyone to make any kind of fuss about this. I just need to see Gerrit.”
Swanson tilted his head, his brow furrowing deeply. “Why? You aren’t staying?”
Nestan laughed, and her shoulders relaxed at the sound. His laughter was bright, warm, and pure. She’d heard him laugh a few times, but it always had an edge of darkness to it as though he was laughing at himself. But this … it was sheer joy and pure Nestan.
She could listen to the sound of his laughter for the rest of her life and never grow tired of it.
“Of course I’m staying. I just don’t want a big fuss, okay?”
Swanson beamed with relief. “Thank Great Avilku. Gerrit has been intolerable without you around. If it weren’t for his mate, he would have been insufferable.”
Nestan’s mouth fell open with shock. The expression on his dark, bearded face was almost comical. “He found a mate? But he always said he would never marry to solidify his place as Alpha.”
“No,” Swanson said, his eyes glinting. “She’s his true mate. Just wait until you see them together. It’s almost disgusting how much they kiss and coo at each other.”
“Wow,” Nestan murmured. His gaze slid to her. “I’ve missed so much.”
“Yeah, well, you’re the one knocking on the gates with a human and a Draqon baby, so I think we’ve all got a lot of catching up to do. Get in here. Gerrit will have my tail if I keep you waiting ou
t there any longer, but you better stop by my place when you have a chance so we can catch up.” Swanson stepped back, swinging the door open wider, and welcomed them inside the hollowed mountain of Clan Vilka.
At least, the lanky Vilka welcomed them into a barricaded entry and two more sets of doors. Instead of stepping into a vast cavernous space like Linnea expected, they navigated through low-ceiling corridors made of rough-hewn rock walls. The air was damp, and their steps echoed.
“Do you want to go straight to the donjon?” Swanson asked, watching Nestan carefully. His eyes lingered on the sharp points of Nestan’s cheekbones and his tangled, long hair.
Nestan nodded. “But let’s go the back way.”
“People have missed you, Nestan. They’ll want to see you.”
“I just … I just can’t right now.”
His eyes tightened into a squint, and the line between his eyebrows deepened. He’d been through so much, it was no wonder he didn’t want to have a feast or celebration or see a huge crowd of people. He probably just wanted to see his friends and sleep for a year. After everything he’d been through, who could blame him? It was probably exactly how Jude felt. While Linnea has grown painfully attached to Nestan and the Draqon on her hip, she couldn’t wait until the moment she could take Jude home where she’d be safe.
“Sure. No problem.” Swanson smiled too widely. “I was just about to grab some breakfast. I’ll see you later.” He nodded at Linnea, his eyes darting warily to the Draqon in her arms before he hurried off in the opposite direction.
Nestan took her hand, and they walked through another series of closed off alleys and tunnels. She got the distinct impression that they were winding toward the center of the mountain. Occasionally they passed an opening overlooking the mountain’s interior, but they passed them so quickly that Linnea was only able to get a brief glimpse of what Nestan’s home was like.
The glimpses told her only one thing: the mountain was huge.
They turned a corner leading into another hall with a set of doors at the end, and Nestan squeezed her hand, pulling her to a stop. When he looked down at her, his eyes were softer than she’d ever seen them except for a fleeting moment when they’d kissed. “Gerrit is my best friend, but he’s also the Alpha. Please try to keep him under control, okay?”
He lifted his chin toward the softly puffing Draqon on her shoulder. As if he understood Nestan’s words, the baby swiped a paw at him. She chuckled. “You say that like you think I have any sort of control over him. But I’ll try.”
“Thank you.” Squeezing her hand, Nestan smiled at her. A real, true smile. Her stomach dropped like she’d missed a step.
This was Nestan happy.
Dropping her hand, he walked the rest of the way to the set of smaller ornate wooden doors at the end of the hall. Before he could reach for the handle and open them, the doors sprang open.
A person barreled through, and she hardly had time to squeak in surprise before they leaped at Nestan. The Draqon baby gave a hiss and sputter of smoke. Before he could gather his acid to spit, she settled a comforting hand on his snout as she watched the scene before her.
The large, blond man with dark pants and no shirt nearly knocked Nestan over as he pulled him into a giant bear hug. “Cousin!”
“Gerrit!” Nestan said the name with a smile.
The two men, hugging and clapping each other’s backs, made her think of wolf pups tackling each other. Although Nestan didn’t respond with the same enthusiasm, it was clear he was thrilled to see Gerrit. She doubted he would have allowed such physical contact with any other person aside from his best friend. Except maybe her.
He was the same height as Gerrit, and while his thinness put him at a disadvantage, it didn’t make him the weaker of the two. From the way they grappled and hugged, a real affection existed between them.
Finally releasing Nestan, Gerrit stepped back. His eyes landed on her and the Draqon on her shoulder. The baby huffed a plume of smoke at Gerrit, and the Alpha’s brows spiked. With a booming laugh, he wrapped and arm around Nestan’s shoulders and said, “I see we have a lot to talk about!”
“Gerrit,” a smile tugged at the corners of Nestan’s mouth when he turned bright eyes on her, “this is Linnea. And, uh, that’s … that’s a Draqon young. We don’t know his name. He hasn’t shifted out of his second form.”
“Good to meet you, Linnea.” Gerrit bowed slightly toward her before his eyes landed on the baby. “I don’t know how I feel about a Draqon in my mountain, even if it’s a trapped young. But we’ll talk about that later.” He cuffed Nestan’s neck. “Blessed Avilku, Nestan, I thought you were dead.”
Gerrit’s voice sounded thick with emotion, and while Nestan appeared happy to be home with his friend, the wrinkle of worry between his eyes had returned. He seemed almost cowed by his friend’s embrace, like being touched and manhandled so roughly was more than he could handle.
“Nestan,” she said with a smile, “can you take the baby? He’s getting heavy.”
“Sure.” He stepped forward quickly, his voice filled with relief. “Come here, little guy.”
The Draqon jumped to Nestan’s shoulder easily, flapping his one good wing. The baby’s back paws clawed into Nestan’s flesh ever so slightly to steady himself, and his front paws mashed into Nestan’s messy, dark hair.
“Only you,” Gerrit laughed again, a warm, hearty sound. However, he didn’t go to hug Nestan, keeping his distance like Linnea had guessed he would when a Draqon sat on his best friend’s shoulders.
“He won’t hurt anyone, I vow it,” Nestan stated quickly. “My father had him in a cage, and we couldn’t leave him behind.” He winced slightly. “There’s a lot to tell you.”
At the weight in his voice, Gerrit grew serious and nodded. “Of course. I’m just glad to have you home. And you’re welcome as well, Linnea. Please come in and sit. We can talk. My mate will be here soon. You will like her,” he said with a wink at Nestan.
He led them into his donjon, and Linnea, not knowing what else to do, closed the doors behind them. They came to a sitting area where lush pillows and large wooden high-back chairs were arranged comfortably around an oversized table. Oversized for her anyway. She imagined it was just the right size for the Vilkas.
Before they even had a chance to sit, another massive creature rushed into the room, breathless. A smaller redheaded woman trailed behind him, already laughing, her arms wrapped around a bulging stomach that rested low on her hips.
“Rayner, wait!” Nestan quickly disentangled the Draqon from his locks and passed him back over to Linnea before he could get swept into another bone-crushing hug.
“How can I possibly wait—” the man began before he registered what Nestan had been holding. “Is that a Draqon? How the hell … Never mind. You can tell me later. Come here, you smelly pup.”
The previous scene with Gerrit replayed itself with Rayner pulling Nestan into a hug. The redhead had tears running down her face, and she joined the embrace, forcing her little body in between the two giant men despite the baby she carried. She touched Nestan on the face, brushing her fingers through his hair and generally making a fuss.
Linnea’s eyes met Nestan’s. She saw him teetering on the edge of panic. His gaze darted toward the door and her as if he was trying to figure out the best way to make his escape. He was going to freak out any second now if they didn’t lay off all this attention.
She stepped forward, the Draqon baby squawking and flapping in her arms, and cleared her throat. “I’m new here, and I don’t know what’s going on with this planet, but that giant asshole Savas is selling trapped shifter babies in exchange for human women to trade. And we need to talk about it. Now.”
Nestan stared at her as everyone else slowly turned around. She could see the relief and thanks in his eyes, even if he was unsure how to express it.
“Okay,” Gerrit replied, slowly dragging the word out. Rayner and the redhead stepped back from Nestan, exchanging gla
nces. “That does sound important. Here. Sit and let’s talk.”
“My father is out of control,” Nestan began, pulling out a chair for Linnea before taking the one next to her. “It’s true about the trapped young being kidnapped. The Katu confirmed it.”
Sitting, she heaved a long sigh at the relief her aching feet instantly felt. The Draqon baby climbed out of her lap and played around Nestan’s legs, picking up his toes and trying to stuff his tail up the hem of Nestan’s long pants. It would’ve been adorable, even downright ovary-exploding if they were literally anywhere else. But the expressions of horror from the rest of the room put any playfulness she felt on the back burner.
“We know Savas has been involved in the flesh trade since he left. It seems he’s been selling human women to the Hyla,” Gerrit said. He sat at the head of the table with Rayner to his right. “But we didn’t know about the trapped young. You’re sure about that? You say the Katu confirmed it?”
“I’m not surprised the Hylas are buying Savas’s stolen women. We saw one of the high-ranking Hylan mages at Father’s camp. He was there to collect a shipment of women Savas had imported from Earth. What’s more important, though,” Nestan continued, “is that my father has betrayed us to the humans.”
“How do you know this?” Rayner spoke in such a controlled voice that it made her think of stories about volcanoes and how they would rumble quietly right before they exploded into massive destruction.
She cleared her throat. “When I was on Earth, I overheard flesh traders talking about an agreement they’d made with Commander Gideon. He’s the head of the military—”
“We know who he is,” the redhead said. “My name is Vera. I’m from Zynthar International. I’m sorry you were taken from Earth. We will make sure that you get home safely.”
Linnea waved off Vera’s calm reassurance. “No. No. I was taken on purpose. I’m searching for my sister.”
Vera’s lips parted slightly with surprise.