“I’m not making this up to make you feel better!”
“Then how would you even know what Sammy thought and felt?” he asked, his tone taking on an edge I wasn’t used to. We’d never been this open with one another. I knew we were both feeling raw and vulnerable. We’d never been in this much pain. Well, Mack always was, but I hadn’t realized it until today. Until I felt those deep feelings for him. Sammy’s feelings.
“Because that’s all she wanted to keep showing me today!” I blurted. “Every memory I saw, you were there. It’s like you were all she thought about, next to how to fix me! I kept trying to learn about Jocelyn, but instead, I’m reliving every intimate moment the two of you had together!” I growled out the words, frustrated I had to feel those times. They confused me. Made me want to draw nearer to his heaving chest. They made me want to throw my arms around him and press my lips against his.
Instead, we stared at each other. Mack’s eyes widened as my words fully sank in.
“Sammy.” He slipped with the name, but I didn’t care. “I’m sorry. I had no idea how hard it would be for you… to see that.”
“It’s not,” I lied. “And you have nothing to apologize for.” I rubbed my hand across my forehead, trying to shake off the emotions swirling inside me. The desire to kiss Mack was about to make me crazy. Maybe Tonbo wasn’t so far off after all. Maybe Sammy and I are together now. That would sure explain this. I sighed. Just my crappy luck Mack showed up to get me after today and not Blake.
Thinking of Blake, my heart lurched painfully. It was like a sleeping giant finally awoke. Slowly the longing for Mack began to ebb.
“Listen, Mack, I just want you to know that after what I saw today, I feel for what you are going through. I know you and Sammy had real feelings for each other. Those don’t just go away.”
He lifted one eyebrow, but he didn’t say anything for a moment. Slowly, he reached over and took my hand into his. For a second, I felt like I couldn’t breathe right. His touch sent a thrill through me. I wanted to draw closer, feel more of him. His eyes darted between mine. I sensed he was holding his breath too.
Time stood on its head. I wasn’t sure how long we sat there, just staring at each other. Finally, he used his other hand to open the door.
Turning to meet my gaze again, he said, “Look, let’s not talk about Sammy anymore. At least, not about that. I shouldn’t have vented on you. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. This is kind of confusing… for both of us.”
With the way my heart fluttered when he glanced at my lips, I almost pulled him to me with our clasped hands. Instead, I made a rash decision and practically bolted from the room, dragging him along with me.
If he noticed the way I fidgeted or didn’t answer his proposition, he made a point not to let me know. Instead, he gave me a reassuring smile and began walking down the hallway, swinging my hand and arm with his. Part of me knew it was all a show, that he was really dying inside and didn’t want me to know. The other part reasoned, If he can pretend that just didn’t happen, so can I.
“So, Kory’s dating Jocelyn, huh?” he asked.
Glad to change the subject, I finished telling him everything I’d learned, which looking back, wasn’t that much. He nodded along as he listened. When we reached the outside of Tonbo’s office, I realized I had no idea where we were heading. Or where Blake was for that matter.
“Is Blake still with Jaxon?” I asked, worry filling me.
Mack frowned. “Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “He… asked me to come get you. Help you get ready to leave.”
I eyed him, sensing there was something he wasn’t telling me. “Spill it, Mack,”
He grimaced. “It hasn’t been a good visit today.”
“What? What’s going on? Is Blake okay?” Now panic gripped me.
“Blake’s fine. He’s not hurt. He just… Jaxon can’t get the bug under control yet. Blake doesn’t want to leave him like that.”
I bit my lip. “Oh.” I felt awful inside. “This is my fault. I’m the one who asked Blake to talk to Jaxon about me again.”
“Don’t blame yourself. This is something Jaxon has to overcome—somehow.”
“Well, maybe I can help.”
“What? No way.” Mack shook his head at me, like he already knew what I was thinking.
I sighed in defeat. I hated to admit to Mack that in some strange way, I felt drawn to Jaxon. Logically, I really didn’t need to see him. So why was I always pushing to? It just felt like we had unresolved issues between us.
Yeah, he wants to kill me. I frowned. Great, I’m even more messed up than I thought.
“Okay, fine. I give. I won’t try to help,” I grumbled. Feeling irritated and too wiped out to argue more, I pointed in the direction Tonbo’s estate was. “Hey, I think I’m going to head back and take a bath while I wait for Blake.”
“Alright,” Mack said, moving to follow after me.
I held up my hand. “I know the way. Why don’t you go check on Jaxon’s progress and let me know in a bit?”
He hesitated, and then nodded. “Sure thing. Go try to relax.”
“Okay, I will. See ya, Mack.” Purposefully taking off before him, I peeked over my shoulder, waving back at him. He waited until I’d gone a distance before he rose up and flew in the opposite direction.
As soon as I felt I could, I tucked in an alleyway, my heart galloping in my chest. I knew picking up Mack’s scent would be easy. I could follow him in camo. Just see where they’re keeping Jaxon. What can the harm in that be?
Chapter 22
It had turned out to be extremely easy to track Mack. His lingering scent of spices filled me with a strange excitement. I didn’t even have to think about it. My body took over as soon as I had camoed out. Zigzagging through City’s buildings, I wasn’t too surprised to see Jaxon wasn’t being held downtown. After five minutes of flying, I’d entered the more secluded side of the island. There weren’t many buildings or houses. Probably better to keep a caged, wild killer out where no one lives.
Heading toward the green-carpeted mountains that made up the center of City’s island, I dropped down lower to the ground, not wanting to miss Mack’s scent. I scanned the area, seeing only rough rock outcroppings, green moss, trees, swaying vines… nothing manmade around. A little worried I’d messed up, I slowed my pace. Breathing deeply, I identified Mack’s scent through the tropical flora surrounding me. Good. They’re out here somewhere. To get a better vantage point, I rose up higher. It was then I spied a flash of metal off to the right through the canopy of trees, up higher on the mountain. Moving closer, I could tell it was a rooftop.
There you are. A thrill shot through me. With eyes alert, senses heightened, I carefully made my way toward the building. I had no idea what kind of security measure Tonbo might have taken. I didn’t want to set off any alarms. I just wanted a closer look.
Even with the lush vegetation surrounding it, I could make out the general U shape of the building. Painted white, there were few windows or doors that I could see. Following Mack’s path, I dropped down to the left wing of the building. Seeing there was a manned guardhouse, I realized I’d foolishly assumed I could just peek through some window and see Blake and Jaxon. I sat back against the tree I’d landed in, debating what to do.
I should just turn around and head back now. That’s what I should do. But something in me wasn’t satisfied. There was a courtyard past the guardhouse, stone pavers leading up to the white building. The final obstacle to get through was two massive steel doors. Glancing around, I was surprised to see there was only a low block fence surrounding the place, looking like it was more for decoration. When you can just fly over, what good is a fence anyway?
The place didn’t really scream prison. Not with flowers, small palm trees, and manicured bushes landscaping the courtyard. There was even a large fountain in the middle of it all. I bit my thumbnail, my insides screaming to take action, but I needed some kind of plan. Or a reason t
o get the dragon in the guardhouse to let me pass, without alerting Blake I was here.
My way in presented itself as two dragons flew up to the guardhouse. They were both dressed in cargo shorts, carrying large boxes. As the guard dragon gave them a curt nod, probably recognizing who they were, I zoomed forward. Carefully sidling up next to the two, I prayed my scent wouldn’t be a dead giveaway. Immediately, the dragon closest to me glanced in my direction.
“Hey, you smell that?” he asked the other two.
“What?” the one bearing a box asked. I could tell what they were delivering wasn’t light; both of their foreheads were glistening with sweat. Guess when you hide up in the mountains, driving deliveries up isn’t really an option.
“Smells like… flowers,” he said, his eyes searching where I was. Blake had said most dragons and damsels couldn’t detect you once you were in camo. They relied solely on scent to identify others once invisible. I was an anomaly, my eyesight just sharp enough to see the faint outlines of others.
“We’re in the middle of the freaking jungle, idiot,” the other grumbled. “Everything smells like flowers. Let’s get rid of these supplies. My arms are killing me.”
Seeing how well built the two were, I had a haunch those boxes probably weighed a ton. The guard chuckled and waved us on. As we made our way through the courtyard, flying lower to the ground, I continued to hold my breath. It wasn’t just the sense of smell that was heightened. If these two heard me exhale, I’d be found out. I stayed as close as I dared without touching either one of them.
The guard must have pushed something because as soon as we drew near, the two metal doors opened like French doors. Once inside the brightly lit building, I waited until the delivery boys veered off, making their way down the left corridor. Only once I was sure they were far enough away, I inhaled deeply, hoping to decipher Mack’s scent over the smell of the two new dragons.
Identifying it, I shot to the right. Knowing it had a relatively simple layout from the outside, I was slightly surprised at how large it felt inside. With white-tiled floor and white walls, it reminded me more of an old hospital wing. Deciding to walk instead of fly, I passed closed door after closed door. Having no windows to peer into, I was more than curious as to what was behind them. But that’s not why I’m here, I reminded myself. Mack’s scent carried me down the hall, where I could see it dead-ended with a large pot of flowers sitting on a side table.
My adrenaline spiked. Jaxon’s behind one of these closed doors. Wonder which one? I got my answer when the door at the very end of the hall opened, and Mack stepped out. I froze, once again holding my breath. He hadn’t looked my way yet. He shut the door behind him, his lips downturned. I glanced around in panic. Suddenly, this whole idea of mine seemed ludicrous. What am I thinking? They’re going to figure out I’m here. There are not a lot of places to hide if all these other doors are locked.
Mack didn’t move. He only leaned against the wall. Removing his glasses, he shut his eyes and began kneading them with his knuckles.
I wanted to draw nearer, but I didn’t. Mack knows my scent, unlike those delivery guys. Too late, I remembered Blake had said that Mack had an uncanny sense of smell. His eyes popped opened. Throwing his glasses back on, he flew right for me before I could backpedal fast enough.
He grabbed my arms and wordlessly dragged me back. Opening a side door that was apparently empty and unlocked, he pushed me into the room. Not used to Mack being so forceful, I could only stare at him in shock.
He paced the floor, his mouth working, but no words coming out. Finally, he turned on his heel and faced me. “Samantha, I know it’s you, so you might as well ditch the camo.” He ran his hands through his hair, exhaling loudly. “Sorry I was so rough. But if Jaxon catches your scent, these walls won’t be strong enough to hold him back. Not today, anyway.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say. I didn’t want to be visible; I knew my face was flaming red with embarrassment. I’m such an idiot. What am I doing here?
I ditched the camo anyway. As soon as Mack laid on eyes on me, his face softened. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you… it’s just… this is the last place you should be. What are you doing here?” he asked, echoing my own sentiment.
“I wasn’t going to go any closer; I just wanted to see where Jaxon was… see how it’s going.” I knew my reasoning sounded ridiculous. Somehow, I didn’t think telling Mack that my insides were itching to come here would help my case.
“Listen, I know you don’t like being left out,” Mack said, folding his arms. “But Blake and I aren’t trying to hide things from you anymore. Jaxon’s dangerous, plain and simple. Sure, his holding room keeps him in place. Most of the time, Tonbo’s got him strung out on different serums, trying to undo the damage that’s been done. But lately, the bug has gotten pretty fed up. And then with Blake bringing you up this morning… Well… let’s just say the bug’s winning today.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but the sound of a door crashing open down the hall reverberated down the tiled hallway back to us. Two seconds later, the sound of glass shattering pierced the air. Mack cursed, pushing me back.
“Stay in here, no matter what,” he commanded.
He bolted through the doorway, leaving me standing in the middle of an empty room, unsure what to do. Instinctively, I switched to camo, my heart galloping in my chest.
“Jaxon…” Blake’s voice carried back to me. “I don’t want to hurt you. You have to control this thing!”
I gripped the doorframe, trying to keep myself from leaving the room. My insides screamed to go to Blake, but I knew seeing me would only make it worse for Jaxon, and in the end, Blake too. Still wanting to know what was happening, I carefully peered around the wall I clutched.
I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep from crying out. Right in the middle of the broken floral arrangement, Blake was pinned against the wall, the bug holding him up by his throat. Mack didn’t waste time. He flew straight for Jaxon, grabbing hold of his neck from behind.
“Jaxon, if you can’t stop this, we’ll have to knock you out again. Come on, man, fight this!” Mack yelled.
The bug roared, no coherent words coming out. With his free hand, he swiped at Mack like he was an annoying fly on his back. Seeing how purple Blake’s face had turned, I no longer cared if the guys got mad at me. If I don’t do something, the bug’s going to kill him!
I didn’t stop to second-guess myself, flying into the hallway. Instantly, the bug spun around, dropping Blake and throwing Mack’s body off him. It didn’t matter that I was invisible—his black-bug eyes honed in on me. He knows I’m here. Somewhere in the background, I saw Blake scrambling to his feet. I spared him a glance to make sure he was all right. His confused stare in my direction crumbled into disappointment. Blake knows I’m here too.
I froze, seeing how the bug wasn’t trying to kill Blake anymore. For a split second, no one moved. The bug’s barrel chest heaved up and down as he peered right at me, Blake’s aqua eyes glared at the back of his brother, and Mack… I glanced around. Where did Mack go?
My heartbeat felt like it was the only thing moving; everything was at a dead standstill, like we were waiting for the penny to drop. All of us knew we might not recover from the ripples of this one moment.
I ditched the camo. For a split second, Blake’s shoulders fell, and then his entire body straightened, his muscles tightening. He’s ready to do whatever it takes to stop his brother. I can’t let that happen. This is all my fault. I should never have come. Why did I? I wanted to transform into Jaxon’s son again, but something inside me told me not to.
I shocked myself when I said, “Jaxon, I’m here.”
“Finally,” the bug growled. “I’ve been waiting.”
Chapter 23
Blake sucked in air, his eyes wide as he stared at the monstrous form of his brother. He grabbed on to his brother’s back, even though the bug hadn’t moved. The words the bug had said were terrifying, b
ut the lack of movement on the bug’s part was confusing everyone. Me, most of all. Now what? I got his attention… what do I say to stop this?
“Well, I’m here now, so let Jaxon come back,” I said, hoping no one heard the way my voice shook.
A low rumble shook through the bug’s frame, echoing down the hallway. It ended in a horrible cackle.
“Jaxon?” The bug roared with laughter. “He’s done fighting me. I’ve won. Jaxon’s gone.”
“No, he’s not,” I argued, but it didn’t matter. His words had enraged Blake. He pulled back on the bug, wrapping his arms around his throat, putting him in a chokehold.
“You’re lying. Jaxon was just here,” Blake hissed into the bug’s ear. “He’s the one who wins this, not you.”
The bug only laughed harder. “You fools. Nothing can stop me. Unlike Jaxon, I have no weaknesses.”
“You’re wrong,” I instinctively said. “You do have one weakness.”
The bug’s black eyes squinted in my direction, ignoring Blake’s tightening grip on his neck.
“It’s me,” I declared.
The bug wailed and rushed forward, the thrumming from his heavy wings making the entire hall vibrate and whip with air. Blake yelled for me to get out of there as he pulled back harder on his chokehold, twisting the bug’s neck at a horrible angle. I shot away from them both, pushing my wings to their limit.
The bug was mere feet away from me when he stopped his pursuit long enough to wrestle with Blake. Reaching back over his shoulders, the bug grabbed onto Blake’s wings, flipping him over his head and hurling him across the room.
“Blake!” I cried, seeing how mangled his wings were when he hit the wall and slid to the ground like a dead weight.
The bug grabbed onto me, his arms and legs snaking around mine. “I need you,” he croaked, his nasty face inches from mine. There was something desperate in those black eyes. “I need you to…”
I didn’t even see Blake move. One second, he looked unconscious on the floor, and the next, he was tearing me from the bug’s grasp. I stumbled back, falling to the ground. Blake didn’t stop charging his brother. Shoving him back, his forearm pinning the bug’s throat to the wall, Blake brought up a shard of glass he must have picked up from the broken vase. The veins in Blake’s arms and neck were bulging. I knew this was it. The final blow to kill his brother. By the rage I saw in those eyes, I knew the dragon in Blake had taken over.
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