No, it certainly wasn’t Krystal that was making Hugh feel downcast. In fact, Krystal was perhaps the one bright spot in everything. The war was ramping up, and Hugh knew that dark, dark days were ahead. He’d known this for a while, and he had expected to be called into battle soon. He just hadn’t expected it to be today.
He stared down at his phone, which sat on the table next to him. Every now and then it buzzed, indicating another email. Hugh didn’t bother picking up the phone to read the messages. He already knew what he needed to know. He was being sent on a mission, together with a group of Falcon Cross soldiers, to try to recover a dragon shifter whom the Dark Warriors had supposedly captured. Normally, Hugh loved a good action-packed mission, and this mission certainly sounded like it would be action-packed. But Hugh was not excited about working with Falcon Cross soldiers. This made the addition of outside armies seem so official—and all while the mystery remained unsolved of whom on the City Guard was treasonous.
But Hugh had no choice other than to obey. He was sworn to protect and obey the High Council, and they were ordering him to go. Hugh could hardly argue or beg off the mission. He had no good excuse, and he’d made no secret of the fact that he didn’t want to work with outside armies. If he tried to get out of the mission, everyone would know right away why he didn’t want to go. Besides, Hugh wasn’t exactly in the High Council’s good graces at the moment. They hadn’t been happy at his impromptu rescue attempt of Krystal, and Hugh knew better than to push them any further at the moment.
He worried about Krystal’s safety while he was gone, but he would ask some of his dragon buddies who were staying in the city to keep an eye on her. His buddies all had amazing lifemates, too, and Hugh was sure any of them would welcome Krystal into their home. Especially once they learned that Krystal was Hugh’s lifemate.
“Hey.”
Krystal’s voice made Hugh jump. He turned around and laughed at her. “Damn, woman. You know how to sneak up on a dragon. That’s impressive. This is the second time you’ve startled me.”
“Sorry,” she smiled at him and came to sit across from him at the table. She was wearing his sweats again, and she looked so sexy in them that he could have laid her across the kitchen table and made love to her again, right then and there. He might have, too, if not for the fact that he needed to leave for his mission in about ten minutes.
“I’m glad you’re up,” he said. “I didn’t want to wake you, but I have some news.”
She furrowed her brow into a worried look. “Okay.”
“I’m being sent on a mission. I have to leave in a few minutes, actually.”
Her brow furrowed further. “What kind of a mission?”
“The High Council is sending me and a few other Falcon Cross soldiers to try to rescue a dragon shifter the Dark Warriors have captured. It’s a joint mission with some soldiers from Falcon Cross.”
Hugh winced, waiting for Krystal to gloat when she realized that this meant that the High Council had approved joining up with outside armies. To her credit, though, she didn’t gloat. Instead, she took a moment to process what he said, and then nodded.
“If they’ve officially made using outside armies Torch Lake policy, then perhaps I’m safe.”
It was Hugh’s turn to furrow his brow. “What do you mean?”
“You know why the Dark Warriors kidnapped me, right?”
“Uh, not exactly. Although I’m beginning to guess…”
“They were upset that I was campaigning to bring in outside armies. They wanted to get rid of me before I influenced anyone else in that direction, I guess. Now that decision is made, maybe they’ll move on to harassing other people.”
Hugh shook his head in amazement. “Wow. They were really against the outside armies, then.”
Krystal nodded, and then said in a gentle voice, “Which I think only goes to show that it’s the right decision. If they’re so worried about it, then they must know that the strength we’ll have in numbers will be enough to defeat them. And don’t you think if they did have spies in those armies that they’d be happy about us joining with them?”
Hugh could see that Krystal had a point, but he was still loathe to agree with her. “Just because they don’t have spies right now doesn’t mean they won’t have them in the future.”
Krystal frowned. “Why are you so convinced that there are so many spies out there? Has it been a big problem in Torch Lake in the past or something?”
Hugh shrugged. “It’s a big problem right now. There’s a spy in the midst of the High Council meetings, but no one knows who it is. And the fact that the Dark Warriors were able to so easily get past the City Guard proves that someone on that guard is in cahoots with the enemy. We should take care of the problems in our own midst before we go trying to add more problems.”
“Adding more armies isn’t necessarily adding more problems,” Krystal said in an exasperated voice. “And clearly, the High Council agrees with me on that.”
“Of course they do, because they haven’t seen the way outsiders can cause problems. I have. The clan I was in before the war had huge problems with outsiders. They let outside armies help us, but those outsiders weren’t loyal to the clan the way our own clan citizens were. The outsiders were easily bribed into selling us out. They betrayed us, and that’s a big reason that almost my whole clan was lost in the last war.”
Krystal chewed her lower lip for a few moments, as if trying to decide what to say. She looked adorable when she was thinking, and Hugh once again let himself fantasize for a moment about laying her out on the table and making love to her. But time was running even shorter now than it had been before.
Krystal finally shrugged. “I know you don’t agree with me, but I also think you should have an open mind. Don’t let the fact that your clan was screwed over before keep you from getting to know the Falcon Cross soldiers on this mission. Falcon Cross is a good place, full of really good people. And we’re all on the same side, after all. We all want to fight off evil.”
Hugh only grunted.
Krystal gave him a sad smile. “Come on, Hugh. They were so scared of armies joining forces that they came after me to try to stop it. Little old me! They know there’s power in numbers. Give the Falcon Cross soldiers a chance. For me?”
She flashed him an impossibly adorable smile, and he sighed. “No promises, other than that I’ll think about what you said. But I still think you’re wrong.”
She laughed. “You’re a stubborn one.”
“I always have been. Sometimes I think the High Council can’t stand me. They know I’m a good dragon, and loyal to Torch Lake and our cause. But they tell me all the time that I’d be a lot easier to deal with if I behaved myself a little more.”
Krystal grinned at him. “A misbehaving dragon. Now that sounds dangerous.”
Hugh laughed. There was so much more he wanted to tell Krystal, but there was no time now. He only had minutes before he had to leave, and how did you explain to someone in such a short amount of time that you want to spend the rest of your life with them? How could Hugh tell Krystal that she was his lifemate and then just rush out the door? It didn’t seem like the right way to handle things. So he settled on promising her that they would talk soon.
“I promise not to misbehave too badly on this mission. After all, I want to come back to you in one piece. We have a lot to discuss.”
“We don’t have to make a big deal out of things,” she said too quickly, in a tone of voice that told him that she clearly did want to make a big deal out of things.
He shook his finger at her. “Come on. You know that last night was a big deal. It was a big deal to me, and I can see in your eyes that it mattered to you, too. I have to leave in the next minute or so, so I don’t want to get into a serious discussion right now. But I do want you to know that I care deeply about you, and I see a long, happy future for us, okay? We’ll talk more about it when I get back.”
She bit her lip again. “Okay.�
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“While I’m gone, I’m gonna ask one of my dragon buddies if you can stay at their place. Your house is still closed off for investigation, and I’m not convinced that you’d be safe there alone, anyway. The Dark Warriors might want to come back for vengeance.”
“I’m sure it’s fine. They’ll move on from me now that the decision on armies is made.”
“Maybe, maybe not. But I’ll be worried about you if you’re by yourself. Please just stay with one of my friends? They all have really sweet wives, too. You’ll really like being around them, I promise.”
Krystal shrugged. “Okay. If it’ll make you happy.”
“It will. I’ll send you a text later with the information.”
“Alright.”
Hugh stood to leave, his heart already aching at the thought of leaving Krystal. He picked up his mission bag, which was already loaded with supplies, and gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile. “I left you a key on the counter. Feel free to stay as long as you like. There’s coffee in the pot, and mugs are up there. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
She nodded as he leaned over to kiss her, and gave him a wide, bright smile. But despite the contented expression on his face, he couldn’t quite shake the uneasy feeling that he shouldn’t be leaving her alone like this.
What if something happened to him on this mission, and he never got the chance to tell her everything that was in his heart to say? What if he died without ever explaining that he believed she was his lifemate? These possibilities tore at his heartstrings, and yet, he had no choice but to go, and to leave too many things unspoken between them. As he turned to leave, though, he decided that there was one thing he could say now—one thing he wanted to make sure she knew, no matter what happened to him. Turning and running back to her, he took her face in his hands and smiled down at her.
“Hey,” he said, looking deep into her eyes. “I love you.”
She smiled at him, and tears filled her eyes. “I love you, too.”
When she said the words back to him, his whole body felt warm with happiness. He kissed her one more time, then turned to leave again. All he could do was hope that he would get another chance to say those words to her.
But in wartime, nothing was guaranteed.
Chapter Twelve
“Pay attention, Searle!”
The sound of his last name called out sharply by the mission commander snapped Hugh out of his daydream. The commander gave him a sharp look, and then moved on, strolling through the rest of the camp, barking orders and reprimands along the way.
Hugh scowled in the direction of the commander, then turned back to sharpening his pocketknife, as he had been doing moments ago. What did it matter if he was a little lost in thought? He wasn’t on guard duty, and despite his absentmindedness he was still ready to shift and fight at a moment’s notice. The second he heard the battle signal, he’d be on his feet and morphing into dragon form.
Of course, it didn’t help that the commander was from Falcon Cross. Hugh wasn’t happy about submitting to a commander from another clan, but the High Council had insisted that this man was one of the best commanders, and that it would do wonders for Falcon Cross-Torch Lake relations if Falcon Cross was allowed to take the command for this mission.
“Stop moping. We should be able to attack the Dark Warriors tomorrow. Some action will cheer you right up.”
Hugh looked up and glared at Mitch, another of the Torch Lake dragon shifters who had come on the mission.
“I’m not moping. I’m just irritated that I can’t sharpen my pocketknife in peace.”
“Well don’t let me stop you. I’m just saying…we can’t change the decision the High Council made, so we might as well make the best of the mission we’re on.”
Hugh frowned at Mitch. For a moment he thought about asking how Mitch managed to stay so calm when Vickie, Mitch’s lifemate, was back in Torch Lake alone. But then Hugh would probably have to explain to Mitch that he’d found his lifemate, and he wasn’t feeling up to a conversation about that right now.
“I’m gonna turn in,” Hugh said with a huff, standing and heading for his tent.
Mitch shrugged. “Alright. But, hey, behave yourself tomorrow would you?”
Hugh narrowed his eyes at Mitch. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Mitch shrugged. “I know you. You’re always trying to be on the front lines, getting all the glory. But this is a team effort. So play like a team player tomorrow, ok? We don’t want to offend the Falcon Cross military.”
For a moment, Hugh was angry at Mitch. But then he laughed. “I’m not trying to get all the glory. I’m just being myself. I can’t help it if I’m the best of the best in our military.”
Hugh puffed his chest out and Mitch laughed too. “Get out of here, man,” Mitch said. “I can’t stand your big ego.”
Hugh laughed and saluted Mitch, then went to his tent. But his laughter died down as soon as he was lying alone. Staring up at the dark canvas of his tent, all he could think about was Krystal. He’d left her in good hands—she was staying with his dragon shifter buddy Stan and Stan’s lifemate Abbey. But it was still hard to be away from her. Hugh wasn’t convinced that the Dark Warriors were done going after Krystal. And even if they were, no one in Torch Lake was truly safe until the traitor on the City Guard was found. Hugh couldn’t understand why the High Council wasn’t making that a priority. Hugh would much rather have been interrogating City Guard members than sitting out here in the middle of the forest with a bunch of Falcon Cross soldiers.
With these thoughts on his mind, Hugh drifted off to sleep. His dreams centered around Krystal, and he would have loved to stay asleep and dreaming forever. But around two in the morning, the war siren sounded off in camp. Hugh woke up with a start, confused for a moment about where he was and what was going on—but only for a moment. Then his training and instinct kicked in. He jumped out of his tent and went to the left side of camp where he had been assigned to go in an emergency. Falcon Cross and Torch Lake soldiers alike were running to their posts, all moving quickly and calmly.
Well, the Falcon Cross soldiers are well-trained, at least, Hugh had to admit to himself. He still didn’t trust them the way he trusted the Torch Lake soldiers, but at least they knew what to do in an emergency.
The war sirens were still blaring, their urgent, wailing cries echoing through the camp. Along with the other shifters in his assigned squadron, Hugh began to strip out of his clothes so he wouldn’t ruin them when he shifted. Within minutes, there were piles of clothes all over the place, and Hugh and the others were beginning to shift. Hugh felt a rush of adrenaline as his dragon form took over. He loved the thrill of battle.
He still wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, but he knew the Dark Warriors must be on the offensive. His army was under attack, and he needed to be ready to fight. He stood, tense and waiting, as the sirens continued and soldiers across the camp made preparations to fight. He could hardly wait to get his claws on some Dark Warriors. He was still angry at them for what they had done to Krystal.
He didn’t have to wait long. A few minutes later, he saw a dark cloud in the sky—a cloud made up of dark wizards riding in on their broomsticks. He heard roars and snarls in the distance that indicated the shifter portion of the Dark Warriors’ army was coming toward them as well. This was going to be a full-on battle, it seemed.
All around him, shifters started running forward. They would meet the enemy shifters head on, and hopefully keep them at bay. But Hugh didn’t run with them. Instead, he rose into the sky, along with the wizards and the few other dragons who had come on this mission. He would be fighting high up in the air, flapping his wings furiously and breathing out fire at any Dark Warrior who came across his path. Hugh had been born for this.
The clash of the Dark Warriors and the good armies was loud and chaotic. Screams and roars of anger rang out from both sides, and for several minutes all Hugh could see was a sea of black. Wizards
zipped by him on their broomsticks, casting attack spells at their opponents. Below him, shifters bared their teeth and ran full-speed to attack.
Hugh dove expertly back and forth through the air, breathing fire at Dark Warriors while being careful to avoid the Falcon Cross and Torch Lake soldiers. The battle raged on for half an hour with not much change, and Hugh started to wonder just how many enemy soldiers there were. The Dark Warriors must have been doubling down on their recruiting efforts. He had never seen them show up in numbers this large—or this organized. The situation for the side of good was indeed becoming desperate.
The Dark Warriors had become bolder as of late, too. They were constantly on the offensive, whereas before they had always hidden out and tried to avoid battles. Today, their scouts must have seen this large army coming and decided to attack.
Hugh’s heart filled with anger, even as his lungs filled with fire. Fine, let them attack. He would show them that they were messing with the wrong town. Moving even faster than before, Hugh dove in and out among the soldiers. Every time he blasted a Dark Warrior with fire, he thought of Krystal. He was doing this for her, to avenge her. They had messed with the wrong woman when they messed with his lifemate.
Hugh was so caught up in the fervor of battle that he hardly noticed the sharp jab of pain that hit him underneath his left dragon arm, in what was best described as the armpit area. But he noticed a few seconds later when his wings suddenly stopped working and he began hurtling toward the ground. Confused, Hugh tried to flap, but his wings did not respond. In that awful moment, he realized what the sharp jab of pain had meant: one of the wizards had managed to hit him in one of the few vulnerable spots on his dragon hide. He was now under the influence of some sort of spell, likely a stunning spell.
Dragon Misbehaving (Torch Lake Shifters Book 11) Page 7