“I’ll call the head of the art department later and see if they’ll allow me to change my major.”
“Yes,” he whispered as he pulled her in for another kiss.
They were so wrapped up in each other that they didn’t notice the waters outside, churning and creeping over the shore.
13
Asher left his mate at home. She promised to call the college while he was meeting with his clan. He kissed her goodbye and a twinge of pride cushioned his heart. He left floating on a cloud, but it quickly dissipated beneath him the closer he got to the cabins.
He hadn’t yet told Zara about the dragon in the lake. She was so afraid of everything in her life that he didn’t have the heart to warn her about Zane just yet. He knew it was selfish. If he told her about Zane, she would certainly run away. She’d already spent so much of her life surrounded by evil people. She didn’t have to endure Zane, too.
The clan was gathered outside. Jude stood with her hands on her hips, staring out over the lake. The others lounged around her, on the picnic table, on the grass. Only Cole stood near her. Having Jude around had breathed life into Cole once more. Asher always feared that their previous leader had beaten it out of him, breaking a part of the man the day that Alistair nearly killed him.
Now, they faced another menace. Asher wished they could catch a break. They pretended like Zane was only a small problem, an annoyance really. The truth was that Zane presented the largest danger they’d ever come across. Not only could Zane reveal the presence of dragon shifters and potentially hurt hundreds of humans in the process, but the clan had grown lately.
Asher and his old clanmates stood to lose the mates they only recently found if Zane couldn’t be stopped.
He jammed the truck into park and slid out. He wanted to be back with Zara. She would be smiling right about now. There would be dreams in her eyes, visions of the future she never thought possible. Asher wanted to see that sparkle, not talk about whether or not it was time to kill his old friend.
“Is it time to drain the lake yet?” Asher joked as he approached the group.
Cole grunted in agreement. Heath looked like he was trying to figure out the logistics.
“It’s not like we have a virgin sacrifice that we can throw in,” Asher mumbled.
Finding Zane a mate was their best bet, yet how did someone help a sea monster date? It wasn’t like they could put his image up on a dating app and broadcast that he was a trapped monster seeking true love’s kiss.
Asher leaned on the end of the picnic table and deferred to Jude. “What’s your plan, boss lady?”
“I know how much you all love your fists, especially you, but I was thinking of trying another approach.” Jude moved forward cautiously, looking from expectant face to expectant face. “What if we tried talking to him?”
Now, Asher was all about backing up Jude whenever possible, but he wasn’t sure what she was trying to get at. Zane had become a monster. They’d all seen him in action. Asher’s old cabin took the brunt of Zane’s malice, looking worse for wear every time.
That wasn’t quite right. Zane wasn’t the beast that Asher considered him. The pink haired dragon woman that had returned to them seemed to have some sort of sway over Zane. She made requests, and Zane answered. It showed them that there was still a small part of their friend in there. He remembered Charlie and what she meant to him.
“You’re asking us to remind Zane why we’re trying to help him. Right? Show him that we’re still his friends, not his enemies?”
Jude nodded. She looked to everyone for approval.
Past her, the lake retreated. Asher scowled. The lake seemed lower than usual. He stepped away from the gathering to investigate. The air was silent. He couldn’t hear a single bird or cricket anywhere. His heart gave one nervous thump.
Then the water rushed back in. It slapped his ankles, and he let out a breath. Any time the water moved, they all suspected Zane. Asher would be grateful for the day that they no longer had to worry about the whole lake. They wouldn’t have to watch for water-beasts and spouts that could tug people into the lake’s depths.
Lately, Zane had been displaying a lot of power. The waves at the beach should have been impossible, and yet Zane channeled everything he had into sweeping everyone away. Asher watched the water around his feet wash away again. Fear tingled up his spine.
He waited for the water to rise and crash over him, but it never happened. Zane didn’t attack them.
If he wasn’t going to try to attack his clan again, then what was the trapped monster up to? Asher cocked his head. He even tried asking Zane out loud. Not that Zane ever answered to him. The only person he would ever respond to was Charlie.
Once more, Asher felt the crash of water as it flooded back in. Asher’s head snapped up. Zara was home alone. At the lake house that sat on the lake shore. His heart sank like a stone, but he forced himself to move, already running down the road.
Zara paced the floor of the lake house. The phone held to her ear was growing hotter by the moment. The university line was busy. Apparently, everyone attending this semester had last minute questions. She couldn’t deny that she was nervous.
This was a sudden turn in her life that she never would have allowed had it not been for Asher. Because of him, she could be the person she never thought she would get the chance to be. It was like a dream come true. She imagined long days in the art studio, sitting in the quad with a sketchbook like the other art students, and having her fingers smeared with graphite.
Zara wasn’t paying attention to the lake outside. She had forgotten about the occurrence at the beach and the monumental waves that nearly swept everyone away. She was so tangled up in her love with Asher that she’d forgotten the way the water held her down and the malice it had shown her.
The water outside slapped against the side of the house just as the person on the other end finally picked up. Zara’s heart leapt with anticipation. She launched into why she was excited to switch majors and let a bit of pleading enter her voice because she knew it was almost too late to change majors.
While she wondered what Oscar and Regina would think of the sudden change, water pelted the windows. She scowled and leaned closer to the window, craning her neck to glare at the sky. It didn’t look like rain. It could have been a bird, tossing something against the glass, she reasoned.
The department assistant on the phone asked if she was paying attention. Zara had to quickly apologize after missing nearly everything the assistant told her to do. Still, Zara watched the window with suspicion, waiting for it to do…something. She didn’t know what she expected, only that every hair on her body stood on end.
She was still on the phone when the first wave smashed against the window. Zara leapt back, her heart pounding. A spiderweb crack spread over the giant glass pane. There was a long moment of silence. She watched the water drip from the windows, unable to believe what just happened.
The house was above the lake. It shouldn’t have endured waves, but there was no denying what happened. The woman on the phone asked Zara if she was okay, but Zara didn’t have the words to respond. Inch by inch, Zara approached the window. She peered out just in time to see another wave come crashing down.
The window shattered and water spilled onto the floor. Zara cursed and ran for a towel to mop it up. Glass disappeared in the water. She couldn’t tell it apart and sliced her hand on a shard. The phone fell into the puddle when she jerked back. Red blossomed over the floor as her blood dripped.
Zara gripped her wounded hand as the cut slowly stitched itself back together. There was a muffled sound from the phone laying face down on the floor. The woman called out, but Zara didn’t have time to answer. Another wave smashed against the windows.
This time the water slammed through and shoved Zara. She fell to the floor, the wind knocked from her lungs. She gasped for breath, but the water waited for no one. It filled the house. The walls cracked and wooden support beams groane
d. She tried to get to her feet, but the water kept tugging at her.
The roof was crumbling. Bits of it rained down around her. The wall where the windows had been was gone. It was like the water was tearing at it with clawed hands. It tore bits of the house apart as it reached for her.
No, it wasn’t reaching for her. She just happened to be in the way. Useless and ineffective, Zara could do nothing more than scramble for safety. Every time she got her feet under her, the water swiped them again. Chunks of the lake house fell into the lake. The wave receded and she slipped away with it.
The water dragged her under. The couch drifted above her. Beside it was a chunk of the roof. On the other side was a piece of wall. Canvases covered the water’s surface and cast dark shadows over her.
This was how she was going to die, beneath the ruins of the house she nearly called home.
14
It was broad daylight, but Asher couldn’t get home fast enough. He unleashed his beast and took to the air. What he saw from above devastated him. The lake house was in pieces. It wasn’t the pieces of the home that broke him, but the knowledge that Zara had been here. He’d left her alone.
Asher hadn’t told her about Zane. He’d left her alone, on the edge of Zane’s lake.
This was his fault.
He’d promised to keep her safe, but he’d failed her.
Asher landed amongst the rubble, searching high and low for his mate, but he couldn’t find her. She wasn’t outside. She wasn’t in the bedroom that was still somewhat standing. Zara was nowhere to be found.
He howled. The trees around him shook. Pieces of drywall fell and crumbled on the wet ground. Lowering his head, he prowled toward the water. Zara’s paintings, the portrait and the landscape, were floating on the lake like bodies. Asher hissed.
Two more dragons landed beside him, one burnished gold and the other a scarred black. Jude and Cole hadn’t wasted time in following. Asher didn’t know what to say though. He couldn’t speak in this form. He could only lash his tail in frustration.
The more time he wasted, the worse the situation could become. Asher regarded the water again. His heart stuttered. Small bubbles broke the surface. It could have been from anything. Zane had sunk so much of his home. Yet, Asher knew. He could feel the tug, feel her life slipping away.
He didn’t have time to let out the beast’s furious fire. He dove into the lake headfirst. The water was dark and murky. Pieces of the lake house blocked his way. He slapped them with his tail. Deeper and deeper he swam. There was no Zane or Zara, only the pieces of his busted home.
Hope flickered briefly as he wondered if Zara was waiting for him on the shore. But she wasn’t. He could feel her down here. All he had to do was follow the bond that brought them together. He might not be able to reel her into him, but he could follow the thread. Even blind and deaf, he would find her.
Asher made a promise and he would keep it. No one, not even Zane, would hurt his mate.
He was going to wring Zane’s neck the moment he stepped out of this damn lake. Once the spell was gone and Zane could walk on ground, all bets were off. Everyone was going to have a conversation with Zane, one that included fists.
Asher reached out. He didn’t know why or how, but his claws met skin. She didn’t move. Fire burned his insides. The beast wanted to roar. He pulled her into his body and pumped his wings to propel them toward the surface.
I can’t stand your happiness, Zane growled. What makes you so deserving of love? Who said you could have a mate while I rotted down here?
Asher snarled despite the water that filled his mouth. He made a silent promise to Zane. One that he would keep in the future. Asher knew how to hurt. His beast craved pain, both delivering and bearing it. Showing Zane what it meant to hurt would please him to no end.
Jude and Cole had changed back to human. When Asher surfaced, they waded in and tugged Zara from his grasp. Asher growled at first. Jude spoke plainly to him, reminding him that they were there to help. Zara needed medical attention.
He clutched her tight for one heartbeat before giving her over. Cole carried her to shore. Asher waited for Zane to grab his tail and drag him down again. Floating on the surface of the water, Asher welcomed Zane’s presence. If Asher climbed ashore, he would have to see Zara’s blue face.
There was no way she was dead. He refused to believe it.
All of his promises and he’d failed her.
The fire in the back of Asher’s throat demanded to be released. He unleashed it over the water and a column of steam billowed into the air. Anger still burned inside him. There was no getting it out. He would never escape the failure that was binding him.
Then, he heard a cough. It was small and weak, but it was her. His mate.
Asher leapt out of the water. He shifted as he climbed the stones of the shore. When he got to her, he fell to his knees and pulled her into his lap. Tears burned his eyes. He told himself that he had gotten dirt in them. That was all.
Zara coughed again. She spilled water all over him, but he didn’t care. She was alive. He could feel her heartbeat thundering against his chest.
She shoved him away. Her actions were weak, but he couldn’t deny her. She fumbled out of his grasp and onto the ground where she vomited more water. Once she was done heaving, Asher reached to lay a comforting hand on her back. She pushed him away again.
Before he could say anything, she got to her feet and stalked away. She was shaky and couldn’t walk straight. Asher should have helped her, but he was rooted to the spot. Zara didn’t look back at him. Not once. She got to the driveway at the top of the hill and dropped. He waited for her to call for him, but Zara said nothing.
Her shoulder shook and he realized she was crying. Asher felt useless. He tried approaching her, but she held out her hand to keep him away.
“This is too much,” she croaked. The words brought another string of coughs out of her.
“What do you want me to do?” Asher was desperate. He would do anything.
He’d gotten used to women walking out of his life. None ever tried to stay. They came and went, always replaced by the next nameless face. Until Zara. She’d stayed the night. She’d fallen asleep in his arms. Asher was certain that she was his mate.
But she kept walking away.
On her feet, she mumbled, “I just need some time…away from here.”
She peeled off her wet clothes and gave herself over to the fox inside her. The creature landed on the ground as if it were lighter than air. It cast one last reproaching look back at Asher before leaping into the woods and disappearing from his life.
Asher plucked the canvas paintings from the water. The wooden frames were bloated and ruined. He gripped them tight. They were all he had left of Zara after she ran away. Hell, they were all he had left, period.
Behind him was the wreckage of his lake house. All that was still standing was the bedroom. Even that was waterlogged and waiting for mildew to creep in. Everything that he had built with Zara behind those walls was gone. All he had was the memory of the short time they spent together.
He trudged back to shore and laid the paintings out in the sun with the hope that they could dry. They might be ruined forever, but he wanted to salvage something from what he had. Zara meant everything to him. She was still all he thought about.
The only time she wasn’t on his mind was when he was cursing Zane. Asher dove into the lake a few times, his hands flexing with the need to wrap them around his friend’s neck. As usual, he found nothing in the water. The spell holding Zane made him impossible to find. It gave the man too much power.
Asher couldn’t wait until they broke it and he could snap Zane’s neck.
Alec made regular visits to drag Asher out of the water. He would throw Asher to the ground then set about picking up the rubble of the house. They fought more than once. Asher needed to vent the endless rage building inside him. Alec just happened to be within reaching distance.
They would
bloody each other until a shape blotted out the sun above and dropped onto them. The burnished gold dragon would split them apart, flames spilling from her muzzle as she growled at them. It would only last for a moment before Asher leapt again.
“Go call your manager. Schedule another fight if you’re going to act like this,” Alec said the last time. He wiped blood from his chin with the back of his hand. More filled his mouth, so he spit it onto the ground.
Asher didn’t trust himself to be able to fight on television. He didn’t know if he’d be able to hold back. His career was a feat of control and Asher had none just now. His humanity was crumbling. All that was left inside him was the roaring beast.
With a snarl, Asher turned away. He had nowhere to hide. Jude told him to sleep in the old cabin since Charlie had moved in with Alec, but Asher didn’t want to be around all the mated pairs. Their love sickened him. Not because he was jealous or annoyed, but because he hated himself for ruining what he had with Zara.
It was his fault that everything fell apart. His decisions had led to the destruction of his home and Zara’s brush with death. She needed safety and he had promised it to her.
Then he failed.
“Get off your ass,” Alec shouted.
Asher snarled, more and more feral by the minute. Alec wasn’t afraid, though. He kicked Asher. To them, it was a gentle nudge, but it knocked Asher to the side.
“If you don’t get up and put yourself to use, then I’m going to kick some sense into you.”
“Where’s Charlie? She needs to take you somewhere else.” Asher stared down at his empty hands, the ones that had once held his mate but no longer could.
“You have the money to rebuild this house. Call a contractor. Get it started. You didn’t get all your braincells knocked out of your head for nothing. You’re made of money and it’s not helping anyone if you just sit on it.”
Asher (Keepers Of The Lake Book 4) Page 12