Chapter 10.

 

The scent of wood smoke woke her. The pop and crackle of a fire, cushions beneath her head, scratchy and musty.

Gasping, Maya sat bolt upright.

She lay on a couch in a shabby cabin. It boasted a nice stone fireplace, where a crackling blaze burned. Across from her, Judith Little sat in a tattered chair, legs drawn up beneath her.

“Judith!”

With a sad, weak smile, her friend rose. “You’re awake. How are you feeling?”

“You’re alive! You’re okay!”

“Yes.” Strangely, Judith didn’t seem excited about that. She hugged her and was shocked at how weak her friend seemed.

“There was… there was…”

“Hush. You’re safe now.”

Footsteps behind her. Maya flinched – as Jamie appeared, carrying a steaming mug.

“Coffee?”

Those eyes. Emerald green, deep as the sea. Shining when he beat up her kidnapper. Lit from within, like the eyes of that… of that…

“You’re a Dragon!”

Judith froze. And, oddly, her nose began to twitch. Jamie just laughed. “That drug must not be out of your system yet.”

“I wasn’t drugged! I got thrown off a roof and you saved me. A Dragon saved me!”

“Uh huh. Drink the coffee.” His smile was warm and indulgent. Judith continued to sniff and stare.

“It was you! Just like in my dream!”

At that, her friend squealed. “Dream? Oh my God, she’s your Mate?”

“No!” Jamie snapped. At the exact moment that Maya exclaimed, “Yes!”

With a hiss of pain, Jamie doubled over, clutching at his shoulder. What on Earth was wrong with him?

Judith pursed her lips. “You deserved to be bitten for that.”

“Dammit.” He groaned and dropped into a chair, eyes closed.

“He’s a Dragon!”

“I know.”

Her friend… agreed with her? Maya wasn’t sure if that was reassuring or not. And she’d used that strange, enchanting word from her dream: Mate.

“Judith!” Jamie yelled. “You know better than to…”

This time, the timid woman wasn’t backing down. “She’s your Mate, Wolfe! It’s not like you can keep this secret from her!”

“Keep what a secret?” A weird, eerie calm settled over Maya as people seemed to accept her ‘insane’ theory.

“We’re Shifters. Wolfe and me. Shape-shifters. He’s a Dragon. I’m a Hare.”

That was right. That’s what Jamie called her when he spoke to Fowler. “And our boss?”

“A Worm. A fallen Dragon who’s chewed his own wings off. He works for the Fangs of Apophis, a vile group of Shifters.”

“So, things like werewolves exist?”

Why aren’t I freaking out more?

Well, the answer was obvious: she’d seen a Dragon. Kind of hard to ignore that.

Besides, Judith’s demeanor, her nonchalance, calmed her. Like they were talking about something as mundane as dinner. “Yes. Wolves, Bears, Rats, Dragons, and Hares.”

“Why doesn’t anyone notice? I mean, a Dragon just snatched me out of the air over Central Park. How can nobody have seen that?”

The slender woman shrugged. “Most people won’t see what they don’t believe. They’ll panic… forget it… or invent some ‘sane’ explanation like UFOs or gas leaks.”

“Speaking of which,” Jamie grumbled, “why can she remember me?”

The Hare shot him a disgusted look. “Did you forget, she’s your Mate?” He glowered back at her.

“You keep using that word. What does it mean?”

“It means you two need to have a long talk.” Judith rose to her feet. “And you don’t need me here for it.”

“Wait!” Between being saved by a Dragon and finding out about Shifters, she’d almost forgotten the most important thing! “I found out where Criehaven is!”

Quickly, she spelled out what she’d learned from her maps. “I don’t know exactly where it is, but I can get you close. With satellite imagery…”

“Don’t need it,” Jamie replied. “Dragons have astounding eyesight. A few hours of flying across the ocean should do it. This is fantastic!”

Then why wasn’t Judith excited? The Hare stood, drained and dejected, untouched by the news.

“Don’t you understand? We can get your family!”

“It’s too late for them already,” she murmured.

“I can leave now,” Jamie protested. “Be there in a couple hours and…”

“And save other innocent people.” Judith drifted toward the door, her back to the two of them. “It’s already been a day. It’s too late for my children. But you’ll save others. It’s good… Excuse me. You two should talk.” Tears choking her voice, she slipped out of the cabin.