Chapter 6

The intensity in Austin’s eyes sent Tulia’s heart thumping so fast she could hardly catch her breath. She knew that possessive look. Her dragon had all but laid claim to this man that she didn’t even know, but Tulia wasn’t so easily fooled. A male might look noble and honorable on the outside, but inside, where it mattered, they could be evil down to the core. Sure, his actions so far hadn’t shown a wicked side, but time would be the true test. Reyn and the other Eldurcrest men hadn’t started out that way, either.

She took tentative steps to the mouth of the cave before gingerly turning, only to find Austin standing right behind her rather than where she had thought she’d left him. She jumped at his nearness, stumbling back another step. In an instant, he had his hands on her shoulders, righting her.

“You were so quiet, I didn’t realize you’d followed, sorry,” she mumbled as she looked away from his penetrating gaze.

“I should have warned you. I just wanted to be there in case you fell, but once again, I was the cause of it.” He grinned and shook his head before releasing her. “At the rate you’re going, we should be able to take flight by nightfall. We can be in Colorado tomorrow.”

Her breath caught in her throat. He meant it. The honesty in his eyes didn’t lie. He would help her find her parents. “I don’t know why you’re doing this, but thank you.”

He squinted his eyes at her, his grin faltering a little as he tipped his head to the side, assessing her. “I’ve already told you why. And that was before I knew you were mine,” he said in a voice so sure it made Tulia’s breath catch in her throat.

“I belong to no one.”

His smile disappeared altogether as hurt flashed in his eyes so fast that she couldn’t quite be sure she’d seen it at all.

“It’s fine. I’m not here to pressure you, or even claim you. I’m here to protect you. But my dragon has found its mate. There’s no getting around that. At some point, we will face this discussion again.”

With that, Austin went to his pack and pulled something from it before pressing past her to the opening of the cave. “Looks like you can manage walking okay. I’m going to gather more birch leaves and see if I can get a phone signal on the next rise. I’ll stay within sight, so you don’t have to worry about being attacked.”

Something inside her wanted to soothe the situation, or rather, the man she’d hurt with her words, but she ignored the small voice telling her to go to him. Before she could process what he was doing, he faced the outside world and dropped his jeans to the ground. Austin slung a tiny pouch around his neck and slipped what she could only assume was the phone inside it before he jumped from the small ledge outside. He disappeared for a moment, then a dark purple dragon shot up into the air, whooshing past her.

The image of him standing before her with no clothing seared into her mind. Heat swept through her. Maybe she should have looked away, rather than take in the vast expanse of his muscular back and the tightness of his ass, but it had all happened so fast, she didn’t have time to react. At least, that’s what she told herself. Her dragon snorted. Whatever. You probably made me look, she chastised the beast.

***

Austin leapt off the ledge with a grin on his face before shifting. His mate’s gaze hadn’t left his body as he’d undressed. The warm caress of her stare tingled along his skin. He’d taken an extra moment while securing the phone into the pouch, prolonging the time before leaving her. Even when he’d swooped past the opening to a higher elevation, she’d been rooted to the same spot, looking out past where he had just been. She might not want a mate, or even acknowledge him as hers, but she hadn’t shied away from getting her fill of him, either.

He circled the area twice, ensuring no threats were anywhere near the cave before going to the next rise in the mountain. He shifted as his claws hit the ground. From there, he had a direct line of sight to where Tulia remained hidden. He was in the perfect position to intercept if the enemy came for her. Not that he expected retaliation—yet. Both the Black Wing and the Eldurcrest clans were ruthless and persistent. They wouldn’t take kindly to having a breeding aged female removed from their grasps.

And, if what he’d been told about Reyn Rivers was true, he’d be doubly affronted. Losing Charlotte after he’d sold to the Black Wings would hurt not only his ego, but his credibility. Losing a second would sign his death warrant, and he was smart enough to know that. Pursuing Tulia wasn’t a matter of pride. Recovering her and delivering her to the assholes that would hurt her meant Reyn would live to see another day. He’d never give up.

Austin kept his eyes on the mouth of the cavern. It didn’t take long for Tulia to come into the sunlight and to the ledge of the mountain’s drop-off. She peered down, then glanced at the small trail he’d used when he’d carried her before wrapping her arms around her waist and looking over to where he stood. He doubted she could see exactly where he was, but she searched for him just the same.

Without taking his gaze from her, he pressed the power button on the phone. After a moment, the screen lit up. One bar remained strong while the second flickered. If he could get word out to the clan about Tulia’s parents heading to Colorado, they might provide assistance in keeping them safe. Tulia had thought sending her parents off without her would remove them from harm’s way, but Austin knew better. Those chasing her would use whatever they deemed necessary to bring her back—including her parents.

Austin punched Jace’s number and waited.

“Hey, tell me you have some good news,” Jace said when he answered on the third ring. The line was a little scratchy and had a bit of an echo, but it was otherwise clear.

“I have Tulia. I’m keeping her hidden until nightfall, and then we’re heading to Colorado. Any chance we have anyone in the area that can help out?”

Jace paused. “I’m not sure. Let me check with Luke. Why Colorado? You’re supposed to come straight to Glen Farley with her.”

“She separated from her parents. They’re still on the run and planning to meet there.”

“Shit. They’ll go after the parents to get to her,” Jace said, confirming what Austin already believed.

“That’s my fear.”

“Luke’s coming in. We’ll figure something out. Get your ass back here so we can keep her safe. Who knows? She might even be a mate to one of our men,” Jace added.

“She’s not,” Austin denied in a sharper tone than he’d intended, then instantly regretted it the moment Jace’s laughter rang out over the line.

“It’s like that, is it? She yours?”

“Yes.” He wasn’t going to deny his mate to anyone, least of all his clan leader.

“Alright. I’ll see who we can mobilize into the area to bring them in. Charlotte, Stella, and Maddie can figure out the new living arrangements for when they get here.”

Austin released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “I appreciate it, man.”

Jace made a non-committal sound. “It’s all good. I’m happy for you. Keep us posted.”

When the call ended, Austin shoved the phone back into the pouch, grabbed some birch leaves and scrunched them in there right along with the phone, then shifted again. His stomach grumbled for food, but he ignored it. Once Tulia could shift, he’d hunt with her and make sure she was fed, then eat, as well. Until then, nothing but her safety mattered.