by Anna Lowe
“Could. I can’t follow the trail any farther than that. At the same time, though, Morgan seems to have been consolidating his own power. I don’t know what’s worse — Morgan working for Drax, or Morgan growing bold enough to break out on his own.”
Kai chewed on that for a little while. “Why Tessa, then? Why not any other human?”
Silas fixed him with a pointed look. “That’s what you’re supposed to be finding out.”
Kai glared back. Okay, he’d spent more time enjoying her company than investigating her background. But it was important to find out who Tessa was as a person, right?
“So, get to it, already,” Silas grunted, heading for the stairs. “Find out everything you can about her. I want this cleared up as soon as possible. I want her safe, but out of here. You understand that?”
Kai’s dragon almost bared his teeth, but he fought his animal side back.
“What about Morgan? He could attack another woman any time.”
Silas paused long enough to glare. “We’ll get Morgan. One way or another, I swear we will.”
I swear, too, Kai’s dragon rumbled.
Silas nodded his good-bye and left with one final, don’t-get-involved-with-that-human glare.
Kai took a deep breath to calm his dragon down and looked out over Pailolo Channel — the eight-mile stretch of water that separated Maui and Molokai. Well, he tried, but instinct kept pulling his gaze over to the roof peeking out among the trees by the beach. Was Tessa asleep? Was she worried? Was she lonely?
I’d love to fly on nights like these, she’d sighed so wistfully, it tugged on his heart.
He couldn’t imagine not being able to fly. To never feel the air under his wings or soar toward the sun. He couldn’t imagine being earthbound all the time.
Imagine flying with her, his dragon whispered.
He closed his eyes and leaned closer to the edge of his veranda. The drop from there was sheer, and it wasn’t protected by a rail. He was a dragon, after all, and he needed a place to take off and land.
Imagine taking off with her, his dragon murmured. We could guide her through the mountains. We could show her how we glide over the sea.
He breathed in deeply, picturing what fun it would be. How exhilarating to share his favorite pastime with someone like her.
We could teach her how to ride the updrafts over the sea cliffs of Molokai. How to flick her wings—
Kai’s eyes snapped open. Whoa. Wait. His dragon wasn’t talking about taking Tessa flying. It was talking about teaching her to fly on her own.
She’s human, he said.
We could claim her, his dragon whispered. Make her ours. Then she could be a dragon, too.
Are you nuts?
You know the old legends, his dragon hissed.
Of course, he knew the old legends. His father had lived long enough for him to learn dragon lore.
In the old days, plenty of dragons turned human mates, his dragon said.
That was in the old days, he pointed out. Not in the past hundred years.
Mating with a human was one thing, accomplished by a careful bite to the neck. But turning a human into a dragon meant puffing fire into that wound — a dangerous step his parents had never attempted.
But it could work. Wolves do it all the time. Bears, too, his dragon said.
Dragons are different. We need fire to turn our mates. Dad never risked turning Mom.
His parents had bonded for life, but his father never dared to turn his mother into a dragon. She’d been too timid to try, for one thing, and the risk was too great in his father’s mind.
Maybe he should have turned her, his dragon growled. Maybe then she would have survived.
Kai scratched his chest then caught himself. He’d been resisting his dragon all day. Now that the sun had set, he could let his dragon out and distract it with a good, long flight. That would settle his soul enough for him to think clearly. He could work everything out of his system and research Tessa’s family as soon as he returned.
Yes, his dragon hissed. Let’s fly.
He shed his clothes quickly and dropped them on a chair, then stood at the very edge of the veranda with his toes curled over the edge. He tipped his chin up to the stars and raised his arms wide.
Fly, his dragon hummed as his body heat surged.
His blood coursed faster, and his heartbeat went from steady thumps to a quicker, staccato pace.
Fly, he agreed, spreading his fingers, giving in at last.
It hurt — the ripping sensation in his shoulders that signaled the start of a shift, but there was a thrill to it, too. A high. A burst of adrenaline. His fingers stretched painfully, but as his wings extended — wider and wider until they spanned the full width of his ledge — that, too, gave him a rush. His toes stiffened as they turned into claws. His ears pulled back as his face elongated, and his skin turned tough and leathery.
He took a deep breath and exhaled, blasting a stream of fire into the night.
I am dragon, his second side roared. I am free.
He let loose another ten-foot blast, then launched himself upward and off the ledge. A moment later, he was gliding over Koa Point.
Every time he flew, Kai counted himself lucky — not just to be a dragon, but to be one of the last of the mighty Llewellyn clan, like Silas. They shifted into big, powerful dragons, unlike some distant cousins who could shift but not grow past human size.
Wow. You’re even bigger than an elephant, Hunter had said in awe the first time he’d witnessed Kai shift when they were both teens.
Kai had scowled at the time. Elephants were big, clunky things. Dragons were sleek. Powerful. Elegant, almost.
Fly, his dragon cried, relishing the rush of wind under his wings.
Normally, he buzzed the roof of Boone’s place on his way out to sea, just for the fun of hearing the wolf complain. But tonight, he angled north to sweep over the guest cottage. Not too low, because he didn’t want to startle Tessa. But not too high, so he could still sense her presence.
Just picture flying with her at our side, his dragon hummed.
He pushed the thought away — far away — and held perfectly still until he was far enough from the little cottage to beat his wings. Heading straight into the rippling line of silver water that was the moon’s reflection on the sea, he smiled.
The true road to heaven, just like his father had said. But instead of following the silver line out, he found himself making a long loop until he was headed straight back the way he’d come. Straight back to Tessa.
That’s the road to heaven, his dragon said. The road to our mate.
He wanted to protest, but the reflection did seem brighter as he skimmed the surface on this new heading. The single light in the cottage glowed, drawing him forward.
Home, a dreamy voice in his mind called. That is home.
It took everything he had not to pull up and land on Tessa’s doorstep as his dragon demanded.
Keep flying, he insisted. Keep flying, damn it.
Home, his dragon chanted, barely responding. That is home. She is home.
Kai cursed and pounded on the thin wall between his conscience and his dragon’s.
Keep flying! We can’t scare her!
It was all too easy for him to imagine his dragon landing with a burst of flames, crooning to Tessa to come out. Jesus, she’d run screaming for the hills.
Need Tessa, his dragon roared. Admit that she’s our mate!
She can’t be.
Admit it. Admit it, and I’ll leave the wooing to you.
Kai cursed, but what could he do?
All right! All right, already. Just keep flying.
And, whoosh! His dragon curled the lower edge of his wings and climbed, barely clearing the trees. In fact, his tail clipped a palm and shook the fronds furiously. But a minute later, he was shooting toward the moon and crying in glee.
She’s mine! Yippee!
If Kai had been in human form, he’d have dro
pped his head into his hands in defeat. But he wasn’t human. He was a dragon, heading for the mountains, screeching in joy.
He skimmed the lower slopes, then banked and made a loop over the Kahalawai peaks before shooting off through the lush valleys of West Maui. Just like he used to do as a kid, dodging rock formations like the Iao Needle at the last possible second just for the thrill of it.
Clearly, he’d kept his dragon leashed too long.
Maybe you’ve kept your heart leashed for too long, his dragon snapped back.
Obviously, the beast wasn’t about to cede control. The best Kai could do was quietly, subtly, detour to the northwest.
Let’s fly over Molokai, he tried. A nice, long flight.
His dragon’s ears twitched. We haven’t been there in a while.
We can fly along the cliffs, he said, making his voice soft. That would be fun.
Good idea, his dragon agreed. We can find the best spots to take Tessa someday.
Kai rolled his eyes, but heck. Whatever it took to wear his dragon out, he was willing to do.
Molokai, his dragon murmured, heading northwest. Maybe even farther. We can fly to Oahu and back in one night.
Kai made a face. Molokai was okay, but Oahu was a hundred-mile flight, and he needed time to investigate Tessa’s family before dawn, when Silas would demand a report.
On the other hand, a marathon flight would tire out his dragon and shut the creature up for a while.
Sure, he said. Oahu.
It was a beautiful night, he had to admit. The kind of night when the sky and the sea seemed to melt together, at least from his altitude, and the islands seemed to float in midair. It was relatively calm, too, except for the crosswinds blasting off the western end of Molokai. But after that, it was all smooth flying with the lights of Oahu guiding him on. The stars twinkled overhead, and his wings felt broader than ever. His body strong, his tail long and supple. And damn, did it feel good to let his dragon push the limits once in a while.
One loop of Diamond Head, he decided as the lights of Honolulu drew near. And then we head home.
His dragon nodded. Then we head home.
He swooped over the hill, banking in line with the crater’s curve, then shot back out over the sea. Molokai and Lanai were two dim lumps on the watery horizon. The trade winds had died down, making it an easy flight — until a vague sensation sounded an alarm in his mind.
He craned his long neck and spotted three dark shapes against the lights of Honolulu. He squinted, then roared.
Dragons!
He hesitated briefly. The state of Hawaii had its share of shifters, but he and Silas were the only two dragons residing in the islands. Who could those three intruders possibly be?
Dragons were highly territorial and rarely strayed far from home turf. When they did, it was mostly to wage war. Kai looked closer, wishing the moonlight would reveal more than the dull sheen of their leathery skin. One thing was clear: the dragons held their necks out, straining for maximum speed. If he maintained his easy, long-distance glide, they’d catch up in seconds. And if they’d only recently launched, they’d be far fresher.
Kai was still a good mile from land, over open ocean where he’d have space to fight. He waited a second longer then nose-dived with his wings folded tight against his sides. Just as quickly as he started the fall, he hit the brakes, spreading his wings wide to come up beneath the three strangers, catching them by surprise.
He puffed into the darkness — a single lick of fire that in dragon-speech demanded, Friend or foe?
He hoped for the former, but his money was on the latter, and when the three replied with long, incendiary blasts aimed at his wings, he had his answer.
Foe. Definitely foe, he decided, shooting back his own line of fire before wheeling away.
His mind spun as he roared into the night. Who are you? What do you want?
The snickering voice of the central dragon reached into his mind. Who we are is of no consequence. What we want is your treasure.
Treasure? Kai laughed, which came out as a bark in his dragon voice. Of all the dragons in the world to ambush, he and Silas were probably the least worthwhile targets. Their family had been robbed of everything. Between the two of them, Kai and Silas didn’t have anything any self-respecting dragon would call a treasure. Not a proper treasure, that is.
We want your treasure, the dragon on the right added. And we want her alive.
Kai was so caught off guard by the remark, he hesitated a moment too long. He flinched at the sound of another eruption of flame — dragon fire that caught him on the wingtip and seared his flesh.
He roared and spun away then turned back to attack the nearest of the three. Opening his jaws wide, he steeled his wings for the kickback and called forth his own burst of flame.
Three against one, he calculated, spinning to face the second dragon. Ninety miles away from home. Shit. This was not what he’d been planning for the night.
Chapter Eight
“Whoa,” Tessa murmured, sitting straight up in bed when a mighty crash sounded outside, making the ground shake.
She sat stock-still for a minute, clutching the sheets, blinking at the morning light, wondering where she was.
Her dreams had been filled with a confusing blur of images — like barbecues that turned into bonfires and raged out of control — but no loud noises. Not like the sound of a hang glider crashing through the trees and tumbling across the lawn in front of the house.
Then she remembered — this was Hawaii, not Arizona. And — oh, my — that probably wasn’t a hang glider outside her door.
She threw back the sheets and ran to the front door, where she wavered for a second. What if that was Damien Morgan coming to steal her away?
But Morgan, she decided a moment later, would bellow and roar, and all she heard outside was a low, rumbly moan. Slowly, she cracked open the door and peeked.
Nothing. Not in her line of sight anyway. But the moan grew louder.
She edged a few inches out, holding on to the doorframe as if a tornado might come along and whip her away.
“Tessa.” A whisper reached her ears, barely audible over the sound of the sea and the rustling foliage. The sound was so low, it would have been easy to dismiss. But instinct drew her closer, and her soul cried out. What if that was Kai? What if he was hurt? Before she knew what she was doing, she’d thrown the door wide and rushed outside.
“Kai?”
She got as far as two steps off the porch before screeching to an abrupt stop.
“Oh, my God,” she whispered, backing up slowly.
It wasn’t Kai. It wasn’t even human, and it sure as hell wasn’t a hang glider.
It was a dragon. A real-life dragon, lying crumpled on the ground.
Tessa gulped down the scream in her throat, unsure if she was more fascinated or frightened. She’d been half hoping the shifter thing was an elaborate hoax. Hoping that when Ella had shifted to fox form in front of her eyes, there’d been some kind of trick involved. But holy smokes. The creature that lay before her was as big as a truck, and its chest rose and fell with each heavy breath. Its ridged tail flicked quietly, sending pebbles tumbling over the beach, and its claws clutched at the ground.
It’s in pain, she realized.
She stood frozen in place, wondering what to do. Wondering what it would do.
The dragon moaned. One massive wing dragged across the ground, bent at a strange angle, while the other was folded neatly across the beast’s side.
Tessa. The whisper reached her mind exactly as its eyes opened, focused on her. Eyes so blue, they rivaled the sky.
She stiffened, and her breath caught.
“Kai?”
He blinked, and her heart jumped into her throat. It really was him. And whoa — he really was a dragon shifter.
Her heart thumped the way it had when she’d first met him at the estate gate — hard and heavy, along with an achy sensation under her ribs and a yearning
she couldn’t explain.
One second, she was rooted to the ground. The next, she rushed up to him and fell to her knees. “Kai…”
His muzzle was almost as big as her torso, but her fear had vanished, replaced by the instinct to hold and help. How badly was he hurt? Was he dying?
“Keep still,” she murmured, touching one of his long, tapered ears. Marveling at how silky it felt despite the weather-hardened appearance. Crying at the pain she could sense.
She scanned his huge body, trying to make out the nature of his injuries, but her mind kept stalling out on the basics.
Wings. Kai has wings.
Great, sectioned wings that looked remarkably delicate despite their sheer expanse. A broad, armored chest that rose and fell with every heated exhale, and a ridged neck. All that and incredibly blue eyes that gazed at her in a mixture of wonder and relief.
“Kai,” she whispered, rubbing his ear.
She couldn’t make out any details, only that patches of his leathery skin were darker than others. Was that blood? And the wing — was it broken?
A low, rumbly sound echoed through the ground, and she jerked away. But the sound stopped, too, and that wave of yearning swept over her again as if leaving an inch between her body and Kai’s was too much. As if she belonged there with him.
When she reached out gingerly and started stroking his ears again, the rumble resumed and Kai sighed.
That rumble wasn’t a growl of warning. It was a dragon’s version of a purr. He liked being petted.
And damn, she liked it, too. Her body warmed, and if it hadn’t been for his injuries, she’d have been tempted to curl up beside him.
She kneeled, touching his ears, trying to process the jumble of emotions inside. Fear. Wonder. Worry. Love.
Whoa. Wait a minute. Love? She stared at her hand as it moved over his ears.
She was probably just mixed up. Still in shock over all that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours. That had to be it, right?
But the ache inside her grew and grew, and she found herself moving closer to the dragon.
Closer to Kai, her soul whispered deep inside.
She closed her eyes, still stroking his ears, telling herself she wasn’t crazy. Just a little mixed up. Running for help seemed like a sensible option, but she couldn’t drag herself away. She couldn’t think clearly at all, as if she was in a bubble, apart from the world. Apart from everything but Kai.