Ginger:

  Pendragon pulled me behind him even as I continued to whine. “I really should stay near Kyren.”

  “Is there anything you can do to help alleviate her heat?” He asked even though we both knew he knew the answer to his question.

  “No, but that doesn’t change the fact that my brother left her to me to watch.”

  “And Liam is in the office next door to her suit. He will be able to keep an eye on her.” While he wasn’t wrong, I didn’t trust that wolf. The way the rest of the shifter community treated him was closer to a mob boss than anything else. Even going so far as to beat the jeweler so they could get control over something they had no right to touch. At least he was smart enough to hand the thing back to her.

  A shiver raced down my spine and along my tail at the thought of what might have happened if he chose to hold onto it until she managed to steal it back. Sure, she wouldn’t be able to do anything to him or his for a while, but the moment she was able to match them in terms of power she would clean house and there would be nothing any of us could say or do to stop her. Well, most of us. Xander might have been able to save their asses.

  My eyes widened as Pendragon dragged me out of the spire and into a section I had never been to. Hell, I didn’t know that there were flat sections on the roof, let alone that one could simply walk onto one. He let me go long enough to transform. His gold scales glittered in the setting sun.

  Every time I saw his massive draconic form, my heart clenched at the thought that he was mine and always would be. If I ever had doubts, I simply had to touch the mark he had left on my shoulder or watch his heated gaze as it followed me wherever I went.

  “Okay, fine.” I huffed. “I am sure the alpha can keep an eye on our fox for a little while. Where are you taking me?”

  ‘I thought we would have dinner under the stars.’ His voice was soft as he spoke directly into my mind. One of the benefits of being mated to a dragon, though I had no clue how to talk back without speaking out loud.

  “Sounds nice.” It did. The stars in this world were completely different than those on Earth and they constantly changed. That fact alone drove all the astronomers and nerds nuts. Something about it being impossible. Given that there was magic in this world, I shook my head at anyone who thought something was impossible. “Do I need to grab food or…”

  A huffed breath washed over me as his head dropped to look at me in the eyes. ‘As if I would let my mate go hungry. Now get on so that we can fill your stomach before I fill your belly.’ And that was one reason I loved talking mind to mind. No one could hear some of the embarrassing things he said.

  Cheeks enflamed, I raced around his head before jumping up to the top of his back. The spot right in front of both wings and behind his forelegs was perfect. My legs fit into the small recess without pinching or needing me to hold on too tight lest I fall off. It was almost as if it was made for me.

  Either he trusted that I was in place or that he could catch me before I hit the ground because he didn’t wait before leaping off the edge of the building.

  Within moments, the view of various roofs and skyrises was replaced by a cloudscape broken only by scattered mountaintops. This was the highest I had ever been and it felt amazing, albeit cold made worse by the light moisture that glistened on his and my skin. I would need to remind him to avoid clouds in the future if I could help it. Sure the water was suspended in the air but that didn’t stop it from gathering the moment you tried to pass through.

  Fortunately, my vitality combined with a bit of fire was enough to deal with the chill. Comfortable, I looked out at the cloudscape as I marveled at the feeling of freedom. If this was what pilots through history felt every time they flew, no wonder they fought to do so whenever they could. All too soon, Pendragon started to slow down as a flat-topped mountain grew ever larger.

  Most of it was made of snow-covered stone, save for the lone tree. It wasn’t as scraggley as I expected given the conditions it lived in. If anything, the tree was thriving. Then again, it wasn’t like it had anything to compete with.

  His wings beat hard, once, twice, three times before his feet settled to the ground with a thud. It was hard enough that the tree shivered from the force. I jumped down before he did something stupid like shift with me still on his back. Something told me that he would do it just so he had the chance to catch me. Then again, maybe I would take my time climbing down next time.

  Small orbs of light flickered into existence across the small plateau as he pulled item after item from his inventory. Soft blankets and pillows covered bare stone while various plates and dishes followed after it. I laughed as he pulled out the fifth heaping dish. “Are you trying to fatten me up so that you can eat me?”

  His eyes met mine as I realized what I had just said. “Would you refuse your mate if he wanted to eat you out.” His chuckles were cut off as I grabbed a nearby pillow and threw it at the lust-filled beast. He took that as a queue to get to work. My spent missile dropped to the ground as he stalked toward me. I did what anyone would do in a similar situation. I turned and ran.

  His footsteps stayed steady as he followed me. Given that there was nowhere for me to go, I would eventually end up in his arms and we both knew it. But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t make him work for it.

  Several hours, and orgasms, later, I found myself more at peace than ever before. Sure, this world was dangerous but it had magic and Pendragon. It had freedom and offered everyone a semblance of control over their future. All things that Earth never had. All things that I would never give up.

  Which was the exact moment that I received a call from the Alpha. “What do you need?” I asked without waiting for the wolf to talk.

  “I lost Kyren.” His words sounded clipped and worried.

  My body stiffened as I ground out. “What do you mean you LOST Kyren? How can you lose someone in the middle of their heat? Especially when you are next FUCKING DOOR?!” Pendragon's growls rumbled as he rolled out from under me. Starting to pack everything up as I tried to get answers.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “I was busy dealing with something when she made her escape.”

  Though he couldn’t see it, I narrowed my eyes. Something told me that someone had distracted him. “Dealing with something or doing someone?” His lack of response was all I needed to hear. “We will be there in…” I looked over at my dragon. He held up both hands before returning to cleaning up. “ten minutes.” Then I hung up on the moron. I mean, just how hard was it to keep an ear open for one person?

  A minute later found us once again in the air. This time the ride was fast and steep as Pendragon arrowed his way through the clouds and directly toward the tower. The speed generated enough wind to whip my hair against my back and dust to grind against my face and arms. Both did enough damage that my health actually started to visibly drop.

  As the bar dropped below three-fourths, the spire came into view. It visibly grew as the seconds slowly ticked by. Ten ticks later, Pendragon started to slow as we crossed over the city's outer walls. Multiple guards waved at us, indicating that we needed to present ourselves at the gate. Like that was going to happen.

  Halfway through the city, a small group of guards with the ability to fly moved to intercept us. Not that they were able to. Not until Pendragon’s legs smashed into the flat roof we had taken off of not twelve hours ago.

  As they surrounded us, one took it upon herself to shout orders and demand answers. “Stop! Identify yourselves and state your reasons for entering the city in such a manner NOW!”

  Pendragon shifted back to his human shape as I dropped to the ground. “Pendragon and mate. We are here because a certain alpha has managed to lose his charge. Get out of our way before I make you.” I inwardly scoffed at that. He wouldn’t have to make them because I would do so if they didn’t do so in five seconds.

  Too bad they did as ordered. We rushed past them as we raced into the building. Given the sounds of stomping feet, they chose to join us. I couldn’t say that I minded all that much. We would need as many hands as we could get to search this maze of a building in a reasonable timeframe.

  Liam and his beta stood outside his temporary office. For some reason, he looked nervous. Something about the amount of stone and water scattered through the hall and into the office space was interesting. I would have to ask for the story later. “I don’t know what…” he started. I pushed past him, not caring to hear his excuses. I would leave it to my brother to deal with him if anything happened to Kyren.

  The room I had left Kyren in was empty. Judging by the smells, she had left the place within the last hour which meant that she couldn’t have gotten far. Of course, if she was easily tracked the wolves would have done just that. I tried to think about just where she could have gone and only one thought came to mind. She would somehow end up in trouble, again. Something about her drew her towards trouble. I mean, who would end up finding themselves facing against demons in the starter town?

  But what trouble was there in this city? Demons were not an issue, or at least they shouldn’t be. I mean, there were political groups that would want to exploit her, but something told me that wasn’t the kind of trouble she would find herself in. The only trouble that she might find herself in was something related to the oracles, but they should be locked up tight.

  Then again, they should have been safe and protected yet still ended up dying. Given the lack of other ideas, I asked my dragon a question. “Where are the oracles?” The look he returned was full of confusion. Not that I blamed him.

  While he didn’t answer me, one of the guards that had followed us did so instead. “They should be in the central garden. Why?”

  I ignored the question as I turned to Liam. “Lead the way there, wolf.” His lack of hesitation in following my order told me that he understood just how fucked he was. His only chance of surviving Xander was to do everything and anything I asked without question.

  As a group, we raced down hall after hall, through one room after another, until we were forced to stop by a solid wall of magic. Behind which three mages stood side by side as they glared down at us. “State your name and business.” Came a nasely voice.

  We didn’t have time to deal with idiots. “Move!” I growled. Unsurprisingly, they didn’t move.

  As I moved forward to force the issue, Pendragon grabbed my shoulder. “Has anyone checked on the oracles recently?”

  “What business is it of yours?” The voice sneered back. The blatant disrespect caught me off guard because that was not how one would speak to a superior.

  “Is that really how you should talk to your Commander?”

  “I don’t see my commander or any other person in my chain of command here. Just a bunch of people trying to break into a locked-down section of the building.”

  Pendragon’s arms tensed as he prepared to strike at the idiot for his insolent words. Lucky for everyone on the other side of the shield, a second voice joined them. “Gerard, it wouldn’t hurt to go check on the oracles a little early.” Gerard, I assume, turned and jogged down the hall. The moment revealed the man sitting behind a nearby desk built into a nook in the wall. While I recognized the man, I couldn’t place him.

  Everyone stood still as we waited for his man to return. When he did, his words caused everyone to turn and look at him in shock. “The door is magically sealed. I am unable to open it.”

  The shock was enough of a distraction to weaken the shield blocking off our path forward. I poured mana into my small knife, empowering the runes etched into it. The blade cut through the shield as if it were a thin piece of cloth.

  Before anyone could react, Pendragon and I raced past the group. It didn’t take us but a few moments to find the lone door in the hall. A quick tug at the handle confirmed the guard's words. I lifted my knife to slash at the spell and break it only to be stopped as I was moved to the side.

  As if he had doubled in size, Pendragon pushed enough mana into his body to allow him to break boulders with ease. As his fist slammed into the door, the building shook. Still, the door stayed closed. Punch after punch, the door refused to budge. Soon, spells joined in trying to force our way in. Either empowering the dragon directly or weakening the door.

  Finally, the door gave way. Exploding into dust as we finally broke through to find the other side full of death. As I raced in, I found Kyren squshed between someone and the table in the middle of the room. Even as I approached, I could tell that her breathing was one of the few signs of life in the room.

  Before I could grab her, an arm pulled me back. I clawed at it as I tried to get to her. To help her in any way. Surely there was something I could do? I had a few healing spells, albeit none that were all that good, but surely anything was better than nothing. Right?

  Someone blurred past me and my captor. Their feet slid through the blood as they came to a stop next to Kyren. On one shoulder was the sign of the medical core. The sight of the symbol was enough to stop my continuous struggle. I took the moment to finally look around the room.

  Death filled the room. Given the injuries, I was fairly sure most, if not all of the wounds were not caused by a weapon. At least, not one that I knew. In fact, most of them looked to have died from some sort of poison, albeit poisons that I didn’t recognize. Sure, I knew I didn’t know much about poison or the various types, but I also knew that this wasn’t the first time these people had been attacked, and still nothing had come of it.

  Knowing that I had no choice, I called the one person that I knew would do anything to figure out who had attacked his friend. “Call Xander.” I managed to get the words out without screaming, but only just.

  The moment the call connected, I found myself unable to control my voice. “XANDER! YOU NEED TO RETURN NOW!”

  His voice sounded annoyed and tight. Almost as if he was questioning my sanity with his question. “Why?!”

  “IT’S KYREN!” My voice cracked as I tried to keep from crying at the sight of her body as a medic removed the body pinning her to the table. Going with my gut, I spoke my theory. “SHE WAS POISONED!”

  Xander’s voice lost every bit of emotion. A fact that scared the ever-loving shit out of me. It usually meant that either someone was about to die or would soon wish they were dead. “How?”

  “WE DON’T KNOW!” I said as tears started to break through my barriers. “SHE…I DON’T KNOW IF SHE WILL SURVIVE!” My voice finally gave out as the tears came flooding out. Pendragon pulled me into his chest and held me there for who knew how long.