Max gestured for her to sit, and he perched on the railing. “Look, this might seem crazy to a human. Which you are. But the point is, we aren’t, and even though we aren’t pure bred, there are some instincts inside of us, and finding our true mate is one of those. So, to Ilias he’s celebrating, not wondering if by human standards that it’s too soon.”
“But I am human, and for me I’ve known him for a day. That’s just plain crazy.”
“Why does it matter? If you feel it, embrace it. But I’ll tell you this right now. If you don’t accept him as your mate, he’ll die. And I don’t mean you have to do anything kinky. The bonding can come later. You just have to speak the words and mean them. Period.”
“How can you be so blasé about this? He’s your family.”
Max rolled his shoulders. “Because I have faith that destiny wouldn’t just fuck with us and send us the perfect match only to be rejected. It can’t work like that or end that way. We’re called Halflings, and let me tell you, our lives have been no picnic. Something good has to come outta it.”
And in that moment, she got it. The reason why Zarin was harsh, or that Aris tried to use positive thinking over his overly grouchy-like appearance, and that the quiet one looked terribly sad. Max used his humor, but right then, he wasn’t laughing.
“So Ilias has been through a lot of stuff?”
He shrugged. “He’s only been with us for less than two years. Trauma isn’t something we easily open up about. But yeah, we know he’s been through some shit. We all have, and look at Aris and Sophie. She was human when they met.”
“Was human?”
Max moved to the small couch and plopped down. He ran his hand through his hair, pushing the strands from his pale blue eyes. “Shit, he didn’t tell you anything.”
“Uh, nothing about not being human anymore.” She was on the verge of running. “So, tell me before I think you’re all crazy and run for the hills.”
“I shouldn’t have to tell you this,” he said and growled. “Okay, so it goes like this: each of us carries two breeds of dragon. They fight with each other because the second one is searching for its new home – our mate. So, before Aris met Sophie, he carried both a Black Dragon and a Golden Dragon. He didn’t know this of course at that time, since he was the first. Anyway, when he and Sophie mated, the Golden Dragon made her body its home, thus turning her into a dragon. We are sick because we carry two beasts, one of which doesn’t belong to us.” He laid his hands on his jeans and rubbed them over the fabric. “They belong to our other half.”
Her brows raised high, and she knew her mouth was open. She was going to be a dragon. “Does it hurt?”
“You’d have to ask Sophie. She’s the only one who’s experienced it.”
“What are your two breeds?”
Again, he shrugged. “I haven’t been getting anything extra than normal, so I won’t know until they battle, and if we’re right, the dragons get restless when their mate is near, and that is why Ilias has been so sick.”
And this is what she’d come home for? Andrea laced her fingers together in her lap and let out a breath. Could she really do this? Could she take one of his beasts, or if Max was right, the beast made for her as her own?
CHAPTER 7
Three days later
She left sometime while Ilias was unconscious – three days before, when it all fell apart, when he had to be a little too honest too fast, or rather, Max had to for him since he was on the couch at that point, but at least she didn’t run. Max explained that she took things fairly well, considering her own problems.
“Considering what?” he’d asked.
“The drugs, man. She’s struggling something fierce.”
Ilias didn’t want to believe that she was an addict. He hoped that it was a fluke, that he could easily help her overcome whatever it was that caused her to start in the first place.
“I think the fact that she must be a willing host for a freakin’ dragon would be stressful enough.”
But it had been three days, and he hadn’t seen or heard from her. Luckily for her. he was still basically bed ridden those last few days.
But tonight, he felt fine. In fact, he felt better than he had before. It was a small reprieve that he could actually get out of bed and do something – anything. He was antsy and was going stir crazy from lack of movement.
“Nice to see you off that damn couch,” Zarin said. His tone was gruff, but Ilias glanced and saw the smile.
“Yeah, it’s great. I’m going to corner my mate tonight. She hasn’t been back.”
Zarin huffed.
“What’s your problem?”
“She’s a junkie, man. I’m not okay with that.”
Ilias growled and edged closer to his brother. His eyes had already shifted, ready for a fight. “How can you judge her? We have no idea what her life is like, and didn’t you hear her? She made a mistake, and it’s not easy to quit.”
“That’s no excuse.”
Ilias was pissed. It was Zarin’s attitude that wasn’t helping matters. “Well, stop it. If she doesn’t come back here because of your issue…”
Ilias stepped into Zarin’s personal space, and his body tensed. His heart pounded against chest, and he clenched his fists. “…Then you and I will have a problem.”
Zarin’s eyes widened, and he stepped back. “What the fuck, Ilias? There’s something different about you.”
Ilias shrugged. Having a mate changed something in hm.
“No, really.” Zarin circled him. “You’re bigger, your voice is deeper, and even your hair is different.”
“So?”
Aris took that moment to walk into the kitchen with the paper in his hand. He looked up from the page and did a double take. “What the hell?”
“Right, I told you,” Zarin said.
“You’ve grown and—”
Ilias stalked out of the room before Zarin could finish. He did feel different – stronger, less tired, and definitely bigger. He thought he’d imagined it, but nope. He glanced at himself long enough to see the changes the others mentioned, then he stormed back into the kitchen. “Are you telling me I just hit puberty?”
“Well your birthday was—” Aris started.
“Yesterday,” Ilias finished for him. “Well, hell.”
“Looks like you’ve hit manhood.”
He glared at Zarin. “Andrea’s going to flip out.”
“You need to go make sure she hasn’t doped herself out too bad.”
“Knock it off, Zarin. Everyone has their own demons,” Aris snapped. “Do we need to talk about the things you’ve done in your past that aren’t any better than what Andrea is doing?”
Ilias’ curiosity was piqued. A part of him wanted to find out just what Aris meant. He and Zarin were close, but neither of them had really opened up about their pasts. It seemed he wasn’t the only one tired of Zarin’s attitude.
“I know it should have been you next, but apparently, fate isn’t sending our mates based on age. You’ll find your mate, brother.”
“It’s not right. I’m older, and I’ve been sick for ages. Ilias just started showing signs and look – he has a mate.”
It all made sense. Zarin was jealous or maybe worried he wasn’t going to get a mate. Aris gestured for him to leave. Ilias nodded and walked outside.
Even the hot air felt different on his skin. He couldn’t believe how much he’d changed, and overnight at that. He was a good five inches taller and wider, but not like Aris or Zarin.
***
He stood by the old oak tree and watched Andrea’s house. The house was lit up, but he couldn’t sense Andrea. Her scent was old. The hairs on his neck stood, and he scouted the area around the house. As he made his way around the house, a tiny breeze picked up, and he picked up a scent he vaguely recognized, but he couldn’t place it. Nothing stood out, but something wasn’t right. The air was still, and he felt like he was being watched. Ilias narrowed his eyes and scanned the
area around Andrea’s house.
He didn’t want to take a chance. He went back to the front and climbed the stairs. Just as he was about to knock, the door swung open, and Andrea’s mother stalked toward him. She gripped his shirt with heavy fists and shoved him against the railing. Her arms shook, but she held him firm and in control. Her eyes had dark circles under them, and her stiff posture said something was wrong.
“Where is she?”
Ilias cocked his head and broke his own rules.
‘She’s gone, my baby. She can’t just disappear.’ Then, ‘She went with that boy, maybe he wasn’t no good, and now he’s here. Why does he look scared?’
“I haven’t seen her. I’ve been sick. Didn’t Andrea come home?”
“She never came home or called. Her brother’s been searchin’. He can’t find her.” She deflated and let go of him before back away and crossing her arms across her chest. Like mother, like daughter.
Ilias thought about it. Andrea’s mother wasn’t there when they left. “She hasn’t been back?” His heart raced as his dragons panicked. Sharp pain shot through his head, but he kept the pain from his face. He didn’t need Nadine knowing he was worried, but then it happened. For the first time, he saw the other beast – the beast meant to join his mate. She was beautiful and red. He wanted to see more of her, but Andrea first. The dragon paced in a rush of red flames, circling around, anxious to be free, or break free from the constraints of the Silver Dragon.
‘Now! We must find her now. She’s in danger.’
“No!” Nadine’s shoulders shook. A mother’s worst nightmare was losing their child, no matter how old. Or so he saw on movies all the time. Maybe it did happen in truth for some humans.
Even though the thoughts in his head were wreaking havoc on him, he stayed as calm as possible. “Look Nada, I haven’t seen her. I was unconscious for the last three days.”
Her eyes widened as if she thought he’d be able to give her the answer she desperately needed. “Then where’s my baby?”
Defeat filled his body. No longer did he feel energized. His mate was missing. “I have no idea, but I’m going to find her. I promise.”
Nadine shook her head and wiped tears from her dark cheeks. “You can’t promise.”
“Where would she go?”
“This was her first time in town. We moved here while she was at school. She lives in the dorms.”
He had no idea what he was going to do, but he wouldn’t stop looking until he found her. “I’ll let you know what I find.” He turned around and ran back to the side of the house, trying to pick up that strange scent he’d found. That had to be the key.
‘Finally, you do something.’
The Silver Dragon growled out his disagreement. He knew Ilias was doing what he could and was content to let their human lead.
‘I’m gonna find her.’ He thought it more for himself than the dragons at ends with one another in his head, but maybe Red would chill out.
‘Men…’ But she settled down accepting that Ilias was going to find her host.
CHAPTER 8
Ilias didn’t go home and ask for help like he should have. He wanted to do this on his own. No, he needed to do it on his own. The others treated him like a baby, and he was tired of it. This was the perfect opportunity to prove that he wasn’t some adolescent that needed hand holding. He loved them all; they were his family, but being the youngest sucked.
He kept his guard up for the Golden Dragon. He didn’t need to get in its grasp again. That was something he and the tribe would have to figure out after he found Andrea and brought her home. That dragon needed to go. This time, he wouldn’t be as lucky as to get hit by a car – imagine, getting hit being lucky. His dragons were alert, waiting to find anything to lead them to Andrea.
Downtown, there were a few lamps to light the street and what was lit was empty. No one roamed the streets, but every shadow made him more alert. All the local shops were closed except the bar, and he could hear the music from the street. The closer he got, the more on edge he felt. Pinpricks of unease slid up his arms, and his heart raced. He scanned the area, searching for the dragon, but he was nowhere around. He didn’t sense him or feel his magic anywhere nearby. Not that it would matter. If that dragon wanted him, Ilias was sure he knew how to shield his magic.
He did find the scent from Andrea’s backyard, but it was faint. His beasts growled when they took in the scent. This was what he was looking for, what would lead him to his mate. The scent wasn’t very fresh. It was almost as if it lingered on something, rather than the being it belonged to. Did that mean he wouldn’t find her? That wasn’t acceptable. Ilias wouldn’t give up.
He followed the trail through the alley, passing garbage cans. The stench of moldy food and dirty diapers made him cough and overpowered the scent he needed to find. He hurried through to the other side, ignoring the cat hissing at him. He had no time to calm the feline. When he broke out from the alley, he came into a field of nothing but grass – long grass that hadn’t been cut in a long ass time. The land was abandoned, or so it would seem, but he caught the mystery scent again and let his dragon lead. It was dark, and there was no way to find anything. His eyes shifted, but this time, instead of their normal change, they were different. Fire lit the area, and he could see even more clearly than he could before. It was Red’s vision that would help him now. He shifted his fingers to claws. Who needed a weapon when he was one? He slowed his heart and eased into the open field. Even though the moon was high in the sky, storm clouds hid it from view. Ilias saw only the outline, and it did him no good. There wasn’t a star in sight. The rolling, grey clouds warned of a storm on its way. He needed to find Andrea and the sooner, the better. Unease trickled down his spine and he knew he was close. To what, he wasn’t sure, but he would find her, and hopefully she wasn’t hurt. His gut told him that everything wasn’t all right.
He kept walking, taking it slow and letting his senses lead him. He wasn’t prepared when pain tore through his gut, dragging him to his knees. He clutched his stomach and dry heaved. The back of his throat burned, and his eyes watered. He retched, emptying the contents onto the ground and braced his hands on his thighs to catch his breath.
Ilias stood up slowly and exhaled. Sweat coated his forehead, and his hair clung to his skin. He staggered forward. She was here, and he knew for sure he wasn’t going to like what he found. He pushed forward through the long grass until he saw a dark shape. Both dragons stormed around, his silver trying to break out. He growled and closed the distance before falling to his knees. It was Andrea. She was laid face down. The scent he followed lingered on her skin, on her clothing, and in her hair.
He flipped her over, pulling her into his arms. Bruises covered her face, and blood was caked in her long hair. He held his finger to her neck and felt her pulse. It was faint and her skin was cool, but it was there; she was alive. Ilias’ eyes stung. This was all his fault. If he wouldn’t have tried to get her to understand so fast, if he wouldn’t have gotten so sick, he would have been able to talk to her and keep her from leaving. She ran off, and no one looked after her while he was unconscious for three days. He slid his arms under her body and stood. Now that he’d found her, he felt marginally better. He was still weak, but he took it slow as he held her close. One foot in front of the other. Deep breath in, and deep breath out. Each step hurt, but he would get her home.
In that moment, Ilias made a decision: she wouldn’t be leaving his sight. He would protect her from herself. He hated that she smelled of someone else. Someone who had hurt her. The scent of the drugs lingered on her as well. He couldn’t fault her for needing comfort, but she must have run into the wrong person. She’d been in the field for God only knew how long. As he trudged through the open field, Ilias knew he couldn’t walk through town carrying a battered woman in his arms. In his desperation, he reached out and called for help. It was the first time he actively used his telepathy, and he hoped it worked. He needed his bro
thers to help him.
‘It’s Ilias. I need help!’
***
Zarin
At the house, Zarin froze and held his head. He could have sworn he’d heard Ilias. He went into the den where his sick brother had spent most of the last few days and frowned. Ilias never asked for anything, and he found it comforting that when he did call, he called for him. Zarin suddenly felt bad with how he’d been treating his best friend. Since Andrea came into his life, he was jealous, not only because he found his mate so early, but because Zarin worried he’d never be loved. That maybe his time was almost up, and he wouldn’t ever get to be happy. That maybe his past would haunt him forever, and he would be punished. That fate deemed him unworthy of a mate. All of those things circled in his head. Zarin didn’t handle negativity well.
‘You’ll find your mate. I promise.’
Zarin jumped and growled. ‘What the hell?’
‘I’ll explain later, but I need you to come to the bar.’
Zarin laughed. Ilias wasn’t even old enough to drink. Not that alcohol did anything to them. Their dragons absorbed the liquor and metabolized it faster than sugar. ‘What do you need?’
‘I found Andrea, hurt. Hurry, please.’
Zarin wasn’t laughing anymore. In fact, guilt climbed up his spine and dug in. He knew he should have been looking out for that girl. No matter what his issues were, they’d just told another human – one with a drug problem at that – about their secret. She was bound to be stressed to the max, and he knew she was upset when she’d left. Instead of being there for her, he had let his anger overpower his actions.
He shook his head. ‘No wonder why fate hasn’t sent me my mate…’ He forgot Ilias was somehow how in his fuckin’ head.
Ilias: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (Stratham Dragons Book 2) Page 4