Chapter 17.

 

All morning, Jamie flew passes across the island, searching for enemies. Maya remained with the families and hostages.

Among them were Judith’s family, a short brown-haired man and three small kids that pelted over, shrieking with joy, when they spotted their mother.

Maya stayed away. Someday, she could forgive Judith. One look at her children’s adorable little faces and her heart knew she would have done anything to save them. Her head, however, was not as forgiving. The pain of the betrayal was still too sharp.

By noon, reinforcements had arrived. Four choppers to begin ferrying Kin back to the mainland. A Pack of Wolves and another Dragon, one of Jamie’s Flight, to mop up the last of the Fangs in hiding.

Jamie glowered at them as they jogged over from the helipads. “Finn Donnelly? Seriously? My Alpha sent that dolt? What is he playing at?”

Maya ignored his harsh tone. Though he wouldn’t admit it, her Mate was in a great deal of pain. Not from the Fangs’ attacks – from the damage his own Dragon had done to itself. She could see it in the way he flew with slow, heavy beats of his wings.

A burly blonde man who stood head and shoulders above the other Shifters trotted up. “Wolfe.”

“Donnelly.”

They didn’t shake hands.

Despite the coolness between the two men, the big guy flashed her a warm smile. An infectious grin she couldn’t help but return, even if that made her Mate’s scowl deepen. “What’s the situation?”

“Fine. Lot of people who need transport. Lots of information in the Fangs’ headquarters that we could use. A few stragglers in the woods who need to be hunted down.” Jamie folded his arms across his chest and scowled at the other Dragon. “I’m not sure why Lorde sent you.”

That would be Brandon Lorde, Maya reminded herself. The Alpha of the First Flight.

“To do all those things,” Donnelly replied.

“Doesn’t he think I can take care of trivia?” Light blazed in his eyes, setting them afire.

Donnelly wasn’t fazed by that. “Sure, but clean-up is the point where traditionally, you lose interest in a project and wander off. I’m here to make sure everything gets taken care of.”

Jamie stiffened. Their eyes locked, and now light blazed in Donnelly’s eyes too, transforming them into burning blue sapphires.

She didn’t know Dragons, but she recognized what that meant. Wolves stared each other down to establish dominance. If Dragons had an Alpha, they probably weren’t too different.

And Jamie was in no shape – physically or spiritually – for this kind of pissing contest.

Time to put an end to it.

“Hi!” Maya chirped, stepping between the two of them and interrupting the glare that bound them. “I’m Maya Graham. We haven’t been introduced.”

Both Dragons startled, jumping back as if she’d slapped them. She held out a hand.

The newcomer took it in one of his enormous mitts and shook it gently. “Finn Donnelly. From the First Flight. Pleased to make your acquaintance, though you may want to head over to the pads. Extraction will begin soon and I’m sure you’re anxious to get away from this place.”

“Thanks, but I’m going to be staying for a bit.”

“Wouldn’t recommend it. Things won’t be safe until we find the last of those Fangs.”

“I can protect her,” Jamie growled. “She’s my Mate.”

“Your Mate?” The blonde man’s face went blank as he considered that. “You have a Mate?”

Beside her, Jamie seethed. Eyes bright, he vibrated with annoyance and readied himself for a challenge.

None came. After a moment of silence, Donnelly simply shrugged. “Huh. You’re full of surprises today. Congratulations.”

That last bit was aimed at her. Maya thanked him, wishing desperately she understood what history these men shared.

Ignoring Jamie’s defensive glower, Donnelly continued as if nothing had happened. “I’ll get to work then. One last thing.” He held out an ungainly cell phone with a long antenna. “Lorde wants an update. Now.”

“Fine.” Jamie took it. “Maya, I need to do this. Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she assured him. “I’ll be here when you’re done.”

One last suspicious glare at Donnelly, and he retreated to another room.

The blonde Dragon watched him go. Waited as the door closed, hands folded behind his back. And then kept staring at the door for several moments, until they heard the soft, indistinct mutter of words.

All of this left her uneasy. Did his Flight distrust him that much? Unsure what to say or do, Maya waited.

Once he heard Jamie speaking, Donnelly turned those bright eyes on her. “Pardon me for asking, ma’am, but are you human or Shifter Kin?”

“Human. Wow, it’s, uh, strange to have to tell someone that.” She smiled, hoping to lighten the tension.

And at once, the big man’s face lit up. Despite her Mate’s discomfort, Maya found herself liking him. “I’m sure it is. My Mate was one of the Lost. Shifters who don’t know what they are. The first time she Shifted into a Hare she panicked and damn near got herself hit by a car.”

She laughed, relieved to break the first crack in the ice. Quickly, though, Donnelly grew somber again. “Since you’re human, you may not know this, but your Mate is in very bad shape.”

“I saw his Dragon when we broke the spell that bound him. And I know what Falling means.”

“Good.” He turned a tired, heavy gaze on the closed doors. “I’ve never seen a Dragon recover from an injury that bad. Honestly, I’m amazed he can still fly.”

“For a time, in that dream, I was the only thing keeping him and his Dragon together.” Jamie probably wouldn’t thank her for confessing that. Yet, Maya believed, with all her heart, that truth was the best path.

Donnelly didn’t look surprised. And he offered a confession of his own. “That’s why our Alpha sent me. We got some disturbing reports on him and Lorde was afraid he might need to be, well…”

His voice trailed off, but Maya knew what he meant. “Put down.”

He nodded. That silent agreement sent a shiver down her spine. “Are you the Flight’s assassin?”

She worried that she’d offend him, but he simply snorted. “Hell no. I’m a bulldozer. Assassins are a lot more subtle than me. But I am the guy who does what needs doing. That’s kind of my role in this Flight.”

“Well, I don’t think you’ll need to do anything here.” The firmness in her voice felt silly. Who was she, after all, to try to run off a Dragon?

Finn just smiled. “Neither do I, now that he has a Mate. No pressure, but I think you’re his one hope of salvation.”

“I can do this. I will do this,” she assured him. “I love Jamie Wolfe.”

“Good. Even if we don’t get along, he’s still a member of my Flight. That makes him my brother. So, here.”

He grabbed a pen out of another pocket and scribbled a number down on a scrap of paper. “If you need any advice, call that number.”

Frowning, Maya took it. “Maybe I gave you the wrong impression. I’m not going to be the Flight’s spy. I’m not going to call you with updates on ‘how he’s doing.’”

Donnelly blinked – then burst into loud guffaws. “Oh, hell no, I don’t expect you to call me! I mean, what the hell kind of advice could I give you? ‘Slap him around a bit and tell him to man up!’” Still chuckling, he retrieved the slip of paper and added the name ‘Bree’ above the number.

“This is my Mate’s number. She’s smart. She knows how freaky the Shifter world is when you first encounter it. And, most importantly, she’s got experience healing messed up Dragons.”

Okay, that was different. Maya accepted it again, more cheerfully.

“Wolfe might be the most screwed up member of our Flight, but I gave him some competition. Bree can tell you all about it.”

No shame darkened his face. No wounded pride or anger. Just a big, happy grin.

At the sight of it, Maya’s spirits soared. Compassion was born from shared suffering. If other Dragons could slip yet be forgiven, nothing blocked Jamie’s path of redemption.

“Thank you.” This time, she meant it.

“You’re welcome. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

“Things to do?”

“Yup.” One last pat on the shoulder and then he strode outside, bellowing for the Wolves.

Maya settled down on the coach and waited.

Ten minutes later, Jamie emerged. She scanned his face anxiously, searching for any anger or pain. Confusion, not rebellion, was all she found.

“Everything okay?”

“Yes.” Baffled, he shook his head. “Shockingly okay. I don’t really have anything to announce, but… there are things we need to discuss.”

“Oh yeah…” Maya rolled her eyes, winning a soft snort from him.

“So, let’s start with the basics.” Jamie swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “Maya, I… I really do, rather… you know…”

She arched an eyebrow.

“Fine. Make me say it,” he grumbled. “I love you.”

Joy simmered in her heart, set afire by those three little words. Yet, she reined it back. “Do you want to love me? Because if you don’t… if you resent this… we’ll never be happy.”

“I do.”

“Even if love takes time?” Why, oh why, did she keep pushing him away?

Because facts matter. Because this relationship won’t work unless it’s based on truth.

“Yes.” Unable to face her, he turned to gaze out the window. Yet, his voice continued, soft and steady. “I’d forgotten what it felt like to be whole. To know your purpose. To love, and defend what you love. That’s worth time. Hell, that’s worth a life-time of time!”

With that, she finally set her heart free. Joy swept over her, washing away all cares.

He loved her. Nothing else mattered. He loved her, and she’d heal him.

“But here’s the real question.” Uneasy, he met her gaze. “Do you love me?”

“Oh, yes! Of course! I’ve loved you since you saved me.”

“You mean when I caught you as you fell? You loved me since you fainted?” he teased.

Maya poked him in the ribs. “Yes, silly. Though I didn’t know it then. See, it showed me your heart. No matter how bad things got, no matter how dark your heart grew, you never stopped loving. Your first thought was always other people and how you could protect them. That’s when I knew you were a good man, no matter what you were going through.”

“I’m not sure I agree with your assessment of me.”

“Don’t care. It’s my assessment, and I stand by it.”

He raised her hands to his lips and kissed them, sending a thrill of pleasure shivering through her. “Now, the important question. Am I worth your time? You know how screwed up I am. It will be months… maybe even years… before my Dragon regains its full strength.”

“I don’t care about that. You’re my Mate. I Claimed you and I’ll stand beside you. In sickness and in health,” she added.

Hoping he’d take the hint that there was another important question he hadn’t asked.

And… he missed the clue. “You don’t worry about me being around our child?”

“No! Don’t be ridiculous!”

“I’ve made mistakes. Terrible ones…” Haunted eyes searched her face for any signs of condemnation or doubt.

“Who hasn’t? Okay, maybe not ‘terrible’ ones. But it seems to me that your worst mistakes have only hurt you. That’s easy to forgive.”

“Jamie…” She snuggled closer, wrapping her arms around his hard, muscled chest. Beneath her fingers, she could feel his heart beat. “When I said I needed you, as a father and a Mate, I meant it. I love you. I want to build a family, a life, with you.”

“I want that too,” he whispered, his breath warm on her hair. “So, I guess there’s only one critical question left.”

Heart singing, Maya held her breath.

“What do you think about warm weather?”

“What?” she squawked.

Maya jerked out of his embrace, staring at her Mate in outrage. “Seriously? That’s your last question?!?”

“For now.” A devilish gleam lit his eyes. “A little later, once I have a ring and reservations at a good restaurant, I’ll ask another. But I’m not rushing that one.”

“Okay,” she relented, “but that question’s getting asked, right?”

“Promise.” He held up his hand as if taking an oath. Then muttered, “Now that I know the answer.”

“Coward,” she giggled. “So, what’s this about hot weather?”

“Brandon Lorde, my Alpha, thinks there’s another Wellspring down in the Yucatan. He wants us… you, really, to find it.”

“Wellsprings are those gateways to the Spirit Realm, right?”

“We call it the ‘Other Side’, but yes. That’s what the Fangs had you searching for.”

“Sweet! So I get my old job back – minus the murderous boss and hostile work conditions?”

“Minus that. Plus one doting husband.”

“That last part’s gonna require another question. Remember that.”

Jamie laughed and gave her the Boy Scout salute again. “I promise.”

Gazing at the Dragon she adored, her last doubts faded away. Piece by piece, everything was falling in place. “Sounds good to me.”

“There’s one last thing. If we do find that Wellspring,” he paused, straightening, “Lorde wants us to stay and care for it.”

“Okay.” From the way he watched her, this fact must be important. But she didn’t know enough about the Shifter world to understand why. “We get to leave occasionally, right? I mean, I like the Yucatan and all, but…”

“Oh, of course! It’s not a prison.” Seeing her confusion, he smiled. “My love, Wellsprings are sacred to Dragons. There is nothing more precious in the world. To be offered one, to be trusted to guard and protect it…”

Now she understood. Tears burned her eyes as she realized what a sign of trust this was. The sort of assurance that would be a balm to her wounded Dragon’s soul. Silently, she sent thanks to this mysterious Mr. Lorde, and his kindness.

“I will have everything a Dragon could want. A Mate. A family. A Wellspring to guard. I…” Joy choked him, and she thought she spotted the glint of a tear in his eye too. “I can’t imagine anything more I could want.”

“I can.” Curled against him, she rested her head upon his shoulder.

“Oh?”

“My question. My ring.”

Strong arms wrapped around her, promising a life of joy and passion. “You’ll get those. I swear.”

 

The End