Chapter 10

Austin’s heart stuttered as Tulia dived into the deep water. He expected her to pop back out again a few seconds later, as some dragons liked to do when they were frolicking in a lake, but when her body disappeared entirely, it took everything in him not to dive in after her. In his dragon form, his heavy body would sink to the bottom, and even using all his strength, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to make his way back to the surface. In his human form, he’d never be able to reach her, much less help her if she were in trouble. The deep-rooted contentment he’d experienced at having her flying next to him moments before vanished, replaced by a terror so intense his entire being shook. She had gone the one place where he couldn’t easily follow. A place he couldn’t protect her.

Sweeping low, he peered into the murky depths, trying to catch a glimpse of his mate, but there was no use. Even with his superior eyesight, he couldn’t find her. Letting out a mighty roar, Austin expelled his anguish. Bright orange fire spewed from his lips into the evening air as fear and fury at his own inability to keep her safe warred within him. He reached the shallower waters closer to shore and turned back, his claws dipping into the water. Still nothing. He roared again and pulled up. Maybe from a higher vantage point, he’d be able to spot something, anything that would tell him where she was.

Three fucking seconds, and if she didn’t surface, he was going in after her. Now! Get her now! Our mate needs us! his dragon bellowed into his mind.

Fuck! He had no way of knowing how deep the water was, but he’d dive all the way to the bottom if he had to. It was a suicide mission, but there was no way he was leaving his mate to drown.

Three. Two. One. Austin took a deep breath and gave a final roar. He was just about to dive down and plunge into the lake, when a huge splash behind him made him whirl around. His heart skidded to a halt and then galloped full speed ahead.

Tulia shot from the lake like a glistening missile, water trickling down the length of her body and off her tail. Flapping her wings, she sent droplets spraying into the air as she flew to him. He was furious with her for taking such a huge risk with her life, but the relief pouring into him dulled his anger. She was safe.

Tulia rubbed her body along his, offering what he could only assume was comfort before looping around to hover in front of him. She wiggled her head in an odd side to side motion before tossing it up. From her mouth flew a large fish, coming through the air in an arch toward him. Instinct and hunger took over. He caught it, barely chewing before swallowing it down. She flew around to his side again, waiting.

Austin didn’t know if he should laugh or cry. Not that he could do either in this form, but the feeling was there just the same. She had risked her life…to feed him? Warmth filled his chest. She was taking care of him. Didn’t she know that he could—and would—hunt for her and give her anything in the world that was in his power to give?

Of course, she didn’t. Her clan had proven to her time and again that males couldn’t be trusted to provide the basics for survival. It would take time for her to get over what had been done to her by the Eldurcrest clan, but it would happen. He’d prove to her that men of honor treated their females with love and respect. In the end, she would trust him, and if he was lucky, she’d consent to being his. If she didn’t, he’d still provide for her and keep her safe. It would kill him to keep his distance, but it would be worth it to see her happy.

With a determined sigh, he angled his wings and headed off again. They needed to keep moving if they wanted to beat the enemy to Colorado. Tulia kept her position on his right side as they flew. Every once in a while, she got so close that her soft wing brushed against his tougher one, pleasing both him and his dragon with the unintentional caress.

They’d been flying for a few hours non-stop, and Tulia was slowing. It didn’t take a genius to know the little dragon couldn’t cover the same distance he could before resting. She was determined not to let it show, but little by little, she lagged farther behind. Adjusting his speed to accommodate her, he made sure she was always within reach. He had yet to spot any dragons, which didn’t mean a thing. Either the enemy knew better than to engage him, or they were ahead of them. He had a feeling it was the latter.

Tulia’s dragon was breathing hard, and even with him flying at a leisurely pace, she was falling back. They weren’t going to make it all the way to Colorado in one flight. Austin had no idea how old the dragon couple were, but Tulia wouldn’t have separated from them to keep them safe without good reason. He could only hope that Tulia’s father was strong enough to protect his mate until they got there.

Not wanting to veer off course, Austin perused the city below until he found what he was looking for. A large, wooded area with no houses that he could see came into sight, and he started his descent. Tulia didn’t hesitate, following him where he led.

He landed in what the sign at the edge of the property called the Shawnee Country Club with Tulia right next to him. Other than perhaps some cleaning personnel inside the club itself, at that time of night, the area would be deserted of humans. Perfect. When he was certain there were no threats, he shifted, and Tulia quickly followed suit.

“Why did we stop?” she asked, her tone a little annoyed and a lot tired.

He glanced at her, forcing himself to keep his gaze locked on hers and not slide lower to what he could see in the silver moonlight was beautiful ivory skin and curves he wanted to get to know much more intimately. “Because we need to rest.”

“We don’t have time.” She put her fisted hands on her hips and glared at him, making it that much harder for him not to sneak a peek, but he resisted. He’d made a promise—one he would keep no matter how difficult it became.

He put his pack on the ground at his feet and opened it up. At least it gave him something to do other than drool at the sight of her in his peripheral vision. “We won’t do your parents any good if we get there and can’t fight the enemy. We’ll sleep for a couple of hours, get a hot meal, and then head out. Where exactly are we going?”

Tulia put her own pack down. “Pikes Peak. There’s a state park out there that we visited when I was a kid.”

Pikes Peak. He could work with that. It was an ideal location because of the isolation, but that also made it hard to blend in with civilization and disappear if need be. “Okay, if my calculations are right, we’ll be there by two o’clock, three at the latest. Even if they drove non-stop, they wouldn’t have gotten there yet. It’s a minimum twenty-four-hour drive from where we started.”

His words didn’t lessen her frown, but she gave a tired sigh and nodded. “You’re right. My father planned to take the car all the way to the summit unless something happened, then he and mom would take to the sky.”

Austin pulled his jeans and shirt from the pack and yanked them on before doing the same with his shoes. The area her father had chosen was a good place for dragons to meet up, but also isolated—too isolated. If the enemy followed their trail, they wouldn’t be able to hide within the population. He tucked his wallet into his back pocket, acutely aware that she was dressing only a few feet away.

He turned, giving her a bit more privacy, and didn’t look in her direction again until she came up to him and reached for his arm. “Thank you. I appreciate everything you’re doing.”

“Whatever you need, mate. Always.”

Tulia gave him an almost imperceptible nod and the smallest of smiles, but he couldn’t have been happier had he found the biggest dragon hoard on the face of the planet. She didn’t deny his claim and didn’t take her hand from him. He breathed in the warm summer air. The night was full of wonders, the best one of all being the beautiful female putting her trust in him. “Let’s go find a bed. So we can sleep,” he hastened to add when her eyes grew wide and her fingers tightened on his forearm.

When she remained stiff next to him, he sighed. Okay, so she still didn’t fully trust him, but it was a start. “So, tell me about yourself, Tulia. From the display at the lake, I can assume you’re a water dragon. Am I right?” He could keep telling her that she was safe with him, and he would, but until she came to that realization, she’d still doubt it. Fair enough. He’d show her not all men were evil bastards. His clan brothers would show her, as well. By the time they were mated, she’d all but forget the horrors she’d lived through at Eldurcrest. He’d make sure of it.