Minach knocked on Caitlin’s door once again, this time more gently than the last. After a moment the young woman opened it. He nearly gasped when he saw her; she looked like a different person. Her irises had gone light again, her former anger apparently disappeared. Her scent, too, had changed, softening at the edges into something attractive, alluring.

“What do you want?” she asked, but her tone was more curious than harsh. She was staring at him again with her déor’s light eyes. Damn it, the way she looked at him made him feel way beyond self-conscious. Women didn’t look at men like that unless they wanted something from them.

He’d tried to ignore it; tried to tell his eager Dragon that she wasn’t a potential mate, much as her Wolf might want to find her way to him. Caitlin was, for all intents and purposes, a child. Amara, on the other hand, was a woman. Experienced, wise, beautiful. She had a confidence that a woman like Caitlin would only know after many more decades of life.

He braced himself for the conversation to come as he stared down at the other shifter. God, how was he supposed to apologize? He never apologized for anything; well, at least not to anyone but the woman who’d just chastised him outside. For her, he’d do anything.

Remember what Amara said, he told himself. Be kind to the Seeker. Pretend you’re Lyre or something, for fuck’s sake.

“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for how I behaved earlier, Caitlin,” he said, attempting a low, soothing tone. He was pure shite at being anything but grouchy, but it was worth a try, he supposed. “I was impatient and intent on getting answers, but I should have been more considerate towards you.”

“Thank you,” she replied, lowering her chin to give him a strange, quiet smile. “Would you like to come in?” She gestured towards the house’s interior again. Christ, she was inviting him into her lair alone. That was a bad sign. His human side wanted to run away; his Dragon, curious, wanted to waltz in and make himself at home. To claim the house previously owned by one of his own.

Amara would tell you to go inside and talk. Just do it for the greater good, you coward.

“Sure,” he said, stepping inside. He still needed more answers, even if the circumstances were a little tough to stomach.

This time Caitlin guided him into a small sitting room where a comfortable looking blue couch sat against a far wall. She plopped down, patting the cushion next to hers. “Have a seat,” she said. “Would you like some tea?”

“Erm, no. No tea,” he said, sitting down on the edge of the couch, his spine ramrod straight with tension. What the hell was he supposed to do? And why was she being so odd? It was as though the last half hour had never occurred; she was treating him like a friendly guest instead of the hostile entity that she’d all but kicked out a few minutes earlier.

“I have to ask,” he said, turning to his hostess, “why on earth are you being so polite to me?”

Caitlin shrugged her shoulders and smiled. “Dunno,” she said. “My Wolf likes you.”

Ah, so there it was. Her human had retreated to somewhere deep inside, hiding her emotions behind a Wolf whose priorities were decidedly different.

“I see,” he replied. “Your Wolf isn’t bothered by the fact that there’s a large fanged Dragon lurking inside me?”

“No,” she replied. “My mate was the same, of course. It’s a comfort to me to have you close. Takes away anxiety, I suppose. I feel protected around you.”

So, thought Minach, I’m a fucking benevolent pit bull to you.

“I have another question for you, Caitlin. Did Duncan ever give you something that seemed like a strange verse or a riddle? A piece of paper or parchment, anything like that?”

“A verse? No, nothing like that,” she replied. “But it’s the oddest thing that you should ask. A few days ago something came in the mail with his name on it. The post mark was from London, but I don’t know who sent it. I haven’t been able to figure out what it means.”

Minach’s face lit up with hope. “Perhaps the Keeper sent it.”

“The what now?”

“The Keeper is the person—the shifter, rather—who is often in possession of the verse before it makes its way to a Seeker. It seems that someone knew of our search and sent it your way. May I see it?” he asked. He realized he’d been speaking at a mile a minute, his tone growing aggressive again. Slowly, he leaned towards her and added, “It’s very important, Caitlin.”

“Of course you can see it,” she said, rising to her feet. As she did so, she brushed a hand over his knee. Minach watched her leave the room, not entirely certain whether it had been an accident. Moments later she’d disappeared into the front foyer, humming happily as though she didn’t have a care in the world. She was like a woman possessed, this one.

Great, Minach thought. I’m mad about a woman who doesn’t want to touch me, let alone love me. Meanwhile, a Wolf shifter with another man’s spawn in her belly is giving me pretty damned obvious signals that she wants to seduce me into raising her child.

Fuck my sodding life!

“Here it is,” Caitlin said, marching back into the living room, her mood visibly light to match her eyes. She handed him the envelope, smiling when he made eye contact.

“Thank you,” he said, extracting the letter and unfolding it over his thighs.

The letter’s first lines were achingly familiar. Minach had heard them so many times over the months that he could have recited them from memory.

Caitlin seated herself next to him once again as he uttered the words, her right arm nearly close enough to touch his left.

“What does it mean?” she asked.

“Well, the Four are the Relics,” he replied. “We’ve found three, and the Relic of Earth is the last of them. But it’s the next bit that’s important. Those are the lines that are crucial to you as a Seeker.”

He read on, doing his best to memorize the lines as his eyes registered them:

“A broken tower?” said Minach. “A fort on a mound…or a hill? Can you think of such a place?”

“In Cornwall?” Caitlin replied. “Well, there are ruins everywhere. You can’t throw a stone without hitting something old and broken.”

“Damn it,” Minach growled, all but forgetting that he was supposed to behave himself and be sweet. “That is, you and I will have to work this out, won’t we?” He turned back to her and mustered as charming a smile as he could. “Listen, Caitlin,” he said, looking into her eyes. He could smell her Wolf in the room with them, all but masking any remnants of human scent. “Would you do something for me?”

“Of course,” she replied, edging slightly closer to him.

Damn, woman. Calm your Wolf before it tries to sink its teeth into me.

“Would you keep thinking about where this place could be? It’s very important…to me.” With the last two words he leaned towards her, hating himself for the lie in his body language. He was trying to draw out her déor even further, trying to manipulate her to his will. Surprisingly enough, he seemed pretty good at it.

“I will,” she said, “of course. I’d do anything I could to help you, Minach.”

“Thank you.” He rose to his feet in preparation for his departure, which aroused a look of disappointment on Caitlin’s features. “Listen, I’ll come find you tomorrow. I’m sorry again for my behaviour earlier,” he said.

“It’s all right,” she said, pulling herself up to a standing position. “I know you didn’t mean it.”

“You do?” You’re so wrong, lady.

“You’re a Dragon shifter,” she said. “Duncan was the same. He could be wild, untamed, and difficult. But I always knew it was only his Dragon’s strength showing through in a sort of bossy, petulant behaviour. That was why he was such a good Alpha to our people. He didn’t back down from anyone.” She was moving closer again, but she stopped about a foot from him, much to Minach’s relief. “I see the same traits in you.”

“I’m flattered,” he replied, trying hard to imagine what Amara might like him to say in this extremely awkward situation. “That’s a kind compliment.”

“I hope you stay here for some time, Minach,” Caitlin said, laying her hand on his arm and edging her face up towards his. “I’d like to get to know you.”

The Dragon shifter was getting the distinct impression that just as he was manipulating her, her Wolf was trying the same manoeuvre on him. Using her feminine wiles, trying her best to charm him against his will. Were it not for Amara’s existence, she might even have succeeded. Caitlin was beautiful, with large, almond-shaped eyes that had a way of looking into his own, both shy and coquettish at once. An upper lip perfectly shaped like a bow. Peaches and cream skin. Minach could see how Duncan had fallen for her; he could see how any man might succumb to her promise of affection.

However, his own thoughts were with one woman only. A woman who had stormed off somewhere, furious with him. Well, now he’d redeemed herself. He needed to find her and let her know that all was well.

He needed her to like him again.

“I’d like to get to know you as well,” he said softly, his mind reeling with thoughts of Amara. Shit, that sounded like a come-on. “You and your entire pack, that is,” he quickly clarified.

With that, another look of disappointment washed over Caitlin’s face.

Well shite, I’ve said the wrong thing again.

“You in particular, of course,” he said, mustering a crooked smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah? We need—I mean I’d like—to talk further.”

She reached out and took his hand in hers, grasping it tight as she canted her head to the side and smiled up at him. Flirtatious young Wolf. “Yes, tomorrow. I look forward to it.”

“Okay, then,” Minach said awkwardly as he pondered how long he was supposed to leave his fingers in her care. Finally he pulled them loose and turned away. But before he’d managed to take a step she spoke again.

“Minach…”

“Yes?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Are you and Amara…that is…are you…?”

“Are we a couple?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“No. We’re not.”

On this one matter, at least, he could be utterly honest.