by Connor Crowe
And I hated when other people were right—especially when they rubbed my nose in it.
We reached the cave’s mouth without any sign of the other members of our team. Every time I tried to ask about them, Hugo shushed me and did another one of those wary glances.
Almost like we were being watched.
Almost like we were being followed.
I shivered at the sensation and shook my head, fighting to clear that line of thinking. That was preposterous. We hadn’t seen anyone else on our journey, and Hugo seemed to know where he was going.
As soon as we were enveloped in the darkness of the cave, I snapped at Hugo again. My feet hurt, my stomach growled, and I was feeling a little dizzy, to be honest. I was more of a sprinter on my best day, and this sort of long term exertion was new and taxing on my body.
Not to mention the swirlings of nausea deep in my gut, but that was just out of hunger. Or so I hoped.
“Are you going to tell us what’s going on or are we gonna go on your wild goose chase all night?” I huffed, annoyed.
Lionel was not better off, I noticed. His face was red and sweaty. He doubled over with his hands on his knees, struggling to catch his breath. As a fox shifter living in the wilderness, I’d at least had some physical activity.
Him, on the other hand? He didn’t look like he’d worked out a day in his life, and it showed.
Much to my dismay, Hugo didn’t seem winded at all. He seemed eerily calm. Now I knew why it had gotten on Lionel’s nerves so much when I had done so. This was a serious situation, dammit!
“Okay. We should be safe here.” Hugo said at last. “Have a seat, but perhaps keep a wide berth from me, with, you know...” He waved up and down, gesturing at his body.
Right. The whole phoenix thing.
“Now tell us what’s going on here.”
“I’ll tell you what I know. But it isn’t much. Ever since Tiratina and her cronies left the Isles, things have gone crazy. Weird weather, civil war, chaos. Without the Heart of the Hearth, and with the Emerald Isles’ leaders missing, opposing factions have split off, each competing for dominance. And let me tell you, when dragons start a war, it ain’t pretty.”
He shook his head and stared down at his feet, pursing his lips. There was something there, something still waiting on his tongue, but I couldn’t place what it might be. This was all so new, so much at one time.
In a span of mere hours, my life had changed forever. And I knew, no matter what I did now, things would never go back to the way they were before.
“Excuse me,” Lionel piped up. “This might be a silly question, but I’d come to understand these islands were home to exclusively dragon shifters. What is a phoenix doing here?”
A grin spread across Hugo’s face, showing a blindingly white smile.
“That’s the complicated part I was talking about.”
I waited for him to answer, the possibilities swirling around in my mind. The pieces fell into place right before he spoke.
“I am a dragon shifter.” Hugo shrugged. “I was born into the Emerald Isles flight and have lived here my entire life.”
Lionel opened his mouth. “Your phoenix—”
“Ah. That.” He still hadn’t lost that amused grin. “My mother was a phoenix. My father a dragon. Their mating was forbidden by our people, but they came together in secret. Neither of them expected to fall pregnant. And when I was born, they told me I could never reveal the phoenix side of myself. That hybrids were shunned or eliminated.” His face grew hard. “That almost worked…until the Heart was destroyed.”
It took a few moments for the information to really sink in, but when it did, I could do nothing but stare.
One of the mythical hybrid shifters, here at last.
“This is incredible,” Lionel breathed, scribbling in his notebook so furiously that sweat began to shine on his forehead. “Hybrid shifters! I never thought I’d see the day.”
“What’s up with him?” Hugo asked, jerking a thumb in Lionel’s direction. “He acts like he’s never seen a shifter before.”
I barked out a laugh. “He hasn’t. Not until very recently, anyway.”
Hugo watched us with that wary glance. “And he’s…safe?”
Safe. Huh. That was a funny word, especially when related to him. I asked myself the question. Was he safe?
I realized I didn’t even know.
“He’s with us.” I settled on at last. “More succinctly, he’s with me.”
“A human mate?” Hugo said, surprised. “And a male, at that...your pack is clearly quite different than mine.”
I shrunk away at the mention of pack. I didn’t have a pack. I was fine being on my own, and a pack hierarchy would only tie me down.
But the thought of finally having a place to belong, of having a family...that was almost too attractive to ignore.
“The world is full of diversity,” I continued, still skirting the question. “There are many lives, many experiences. Many that we do not even know about yet.”
Hugo nodded thoughtfully. “Then I welcome you.” Hugo bowed his head, his eyes going to the ground. “I wish that we had met under better circumstances.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Lionel said, brushing the comment off. “Right now, we need to find our team. Will you help us?”
“As much as I can, yes. I will.” He looked around. “But don’t you think we should get some rest first? It’s not good to go out at night, and my fire might attract predators...” He shivered, even though the cave was perfectly warm. What was out there? What was he so afraid of?
I never got an answer to that question.
The sky lit up with fire, and the ground shook beneath us.
Another explosion. Not far from here, when we’d thought we were alone.
7
Lionel
I clung to the wall as the earth shook. Hugo was on his feet in an instant, his eyes blazing with fire.
"Stay here," he snapped. Without missing a beat, he ran out of the cave and into the night.
I looked over to Kit, who shrugged.
"Is that what I think it is?" I asked breathlessly.
Kit nodded once. "Sounds like the same explosion we heard from Hugo."
"You don't think there's another phoenix out there?" My mouth grew dry at the thought. "He said that he was the last."
"He did," Kit agreed. "But it looks like he was wrong. Let's go."
Kit started off toward the flare of light, leaving me alone.
Didn't anyone listen to orders around here? I grumbled, gained my feet, and took off to follow him.
"Impulsive fox,” I muttered as I ran. "You better not be getting us killed."
It wasn't hard to find the source of the explosion. After all, it was a burst of fire in the darkness of night. I caught up with Kit and we followed it like a beacon. My heart thumped painfully against my chest. Each breath was like fire.
Man, I really needed to work out.
"There!" Kit pointed, and when the scene came fully into view, I stopped cold.
It was the same sort of scene we'd encountered with Hugo.
Only this time, there was no fledgling bird in the flames.
There was a man.
And as I drew closer, the gnawing sense of dread I'd felt all evening came to a head.
It wasn't just any man.
That was Elliot.
His face contorted in pain, his eyes wide and pointed to the heavens as flames licked at his body. He fell to his knees. Elliot clawed at the grass and dirt, his limbs flailing in a panic. It did nothing but stoke the flames higher as the rest of the team looked on.
It struck me like a blast to the heart. Elliot, the sweet dragon omega who had cared so deeply for those around him.
Elliot, now engulfed in flames.
He was a dragon...wasn't he? Not a phoenix. Not unless...
Arric rushed toward his mate, his face a mask of terror. He threw a heavy blanket over Elliot, trying t
o suffocate the flames and crying out in pain when they licked at his skin.
I watched, frozen in terror and awe, as the wolf alpha clung to his mate, even in the face of such danger.
"I've got you!" Arric roared, wrapping the blanket around him as tightly as he could. Flames curled around the edges of the blanket and ignited, crawling over his clothes. But yet he held on. Yet he put aside the fear and pain, and simply held his mate.
In that moment, as I watched them, something clicked within me.
Perhaps this whole mating thing wasn't all about happiness and finding the perfect person.
Perhaps it was about being there for someone, and having them be there for you, no matter what. No matter your flaws. No matter your imperfections.
It was about seeing an imperfect person, perfectly. My eyes flicked over to Kit. A new dawn of understanding washed over me.
He was it.
No matter what I tried to rationalize or talk myself out of, he was it for me.
And I knew, deep down in my heart, that even if he caught on fire and burned right in front of me, that I would be there holding him until the end.
Hugo ran forward into the circle of flames, unmindful of the roaring heat expanding all around us. He reached out a hand, and in the flickering glow of the fire I could see glistening tears on his cheeks.
He dropped to his knees in front of Arric and Elliot, and for a blessed moment, the flames weakened. Almost as if they were responding to him.
"...Elliot?" Hugo rasped, his voice breaking.
The flames crackled and hissed, then slowed. Arric opened his squeezed-shut eyes to look upon the man kneeling next to his mate. They looked similar, I noticed now.
Too similar, in fact. I should have noticed it before, but I was too stunned by the existence of a phoenix, and a hybrid shifter at that...
Elliot opened his eyes. Those orbs, once filled with fire and fury, stilled into glowing embers. He slumped to the ground as Arric held him safe.
"...Hugo?" Elliot breathed, and in that moment, I realized.
Elliot had a secret as well.
He wrested himself from Arric's grasp and threw himself at the newcomer, nearly strangling him in a hug.
And to my surprise, Hugo hugged back. Let out a shaky breath. Even a few tears. Chills ran down my spine and into my fingers and toes.
I'd seen a lot of unbelievable things on this journey, but this had to be the most stunning of all.
"Elliot," Hugo breathed, still holding him close. "I'm so sorry. So, so, sorry..."
"Shh...it's okay. You're okay."
"No, I should have been there, El. I should have done something..."
"Don't worry about it. I survived." Elliot shrugged and gave Hugo a big, tear-streaked smile. "It's just so good to see you."
Then the fiery blaze that had once enveloped Elliot's body fizzled out, and there he was. Alive. Unscathed. Safe, once more.
With Elliot's fire gone and my night vision ruined, I could only hear sounds of movement and voices. I held my breath, waiting for my eyes to adjust.
Arric's growl penetrated the silence. Heavy footsteps grew closer. "Mind explaining why you're embracing my mate?"
Elliot made a choked sound between a laugh and a sob. "Babe it's okay. Don't worry. This is Hugo...he's my brother."
"Didn't know you had a brother. From what you told me of your childhood here..."
"I didn't know." Elliot sniffed. "Or rather, I never had a chance to meet him before." A long pause. "My father told me he was dead."
My eyes started to adjust to the darkness, and with it came shapes. Outlines. Movement. Here were two men who had never even met one another, embracing like brothers.
Hell, they were brothers.
And from what it looked like, Hugo had just saved Elliot's life.
The connections snapped together as I watched them. Hugo was a dragon and phoenix hybrid shifter. He was shunned by his family because of his forbidden heritage. And here was another. Elliot, who I'd heard Arric mentioning as a "late bloomer", was starting to show those same qualities that Hugo had, years after the fact.
This Heart of the Hearth, I realized, was more powerful than I'd ever imagined. To think of the terrible power it held over not only these islands, but over their lives...
"Then your father is a fool," Arric said at last, startling me from my thoughts. He regained his stoic composure and stuck his hand out to greet Hugo. "I'm Arric, Elliot's mate. It's an honor to meet you. Thank you, for helping him."
"It's only because I've gone through the same thing myself." Hugo pulled away from Elliot just long enough to shake Elliot's hand. To my surprise, Arric pulled him in for a hug, clapping him on the back.
"Thank you," Arric said again. "I thought I was going to lose him. What was that? Will he be all right?"
"He will be fine," Hugo assured him. "He has phoenix blood, just like I do. And as I was telling our new friends here," he gestured back at Kit and I, "the transformation process has gotten a bit wonky after the Heart of the Hearth was destroyed."
Arric frowned. "I see. I had no idea...Elliot, did you know that you were part phoenix?"
Elliot shook his head. He still had that wide-eyed, shocked look of a scrape with death. "I had heard about them, but was told they were extinct..."
"That rat of a 'father', no doubt." Hugo spat. "You did the right thing, E. I just wish I could have gone with you."
"You're here now." Elliot said. "That's what matters."
Arric, however, still fidgeted in place, casting nervous glances around the ring.
"And the baby..." he said quietly, leaning toward Hugo. "Will they be all right, as well?"
Hugo mouthed the words, his face turning from confusion to surprise in an instant. "Goddess above," he breathed. "He's pregnant?"
"Yeah!" Arric said, beaming.
"That's...wow! Oh my goddess, that's wonderful!" The look on Hugo's face was nothing but sheer joy. "Yes, the baby should be okay. I mean, I don't know any other people like us, and I can't say for sure, but we'll take good care of him, won't we?"
Arric put his arm around Elliot's shoulders. He pulled his mate close and planted a kiss on his forehead. "That we will."
They looked so happy in that moment. That easy, peaceful satisfaction of knowing things were just as they should be. I was happy for them, of course, but I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy in that moment.
I'd always been too busy with my work to settle down and start a family. At least, that's what I'd always told myself.
But looking at the pure love that flowed between them—between brothers, and between lovers—I realized I wanted that, too. Someone to love. Someone to hold. Someone to treasure.
And perhaps even someone to start a family with.
I glanced over at Kit to find he was already watching me. He had questions. Same as I did.
I cocked my head behind us, gesturing to the tree line.
We need to talk. Was that how this projection stuff worked? I was still getting used to the idea that I could sense my mate's presence, even speak to him from inside my mind.
After you, came the reply, and even though I was expecting it, I jumped a little. I didn't think I'd ever get used to hearing voices in my head. Well, voices that weren't mine, anyway.
I checked and double checked the team gathered around Elliot, Hugo, and Arric. Everyone, Tristan included, was preoccupied with Hugo's arrival and Elliot's safety. They wouldn't even notice us leaving.
And this time, I reminded myself, we wouldn't get lost. We wouldn't lose them again.
I stepped away from the chattering crowd and slunk back into the cover of trees, still watching my steps as I went. Kit waited a few moments, then followed.
We weren't far inside the thicket of pine trees. In fact, I could still see the group gathered at the horizon. If something happened, or if they decided to pick up and leave without us again, we'd be able to catch up in no time.
"That's somet
hing, isn't it?" Kit said, staring at the faint glow of the congregation.
I huffed out a rueful laugh. "Huh. Something. That's a word for it."
"What's going on?" Kit crossed his arms. "Stop being all Mr. Serious and just tell me."
I chewed my lip, biting back the retort that sprang to mind. As much as this omega challenged me...maybe that's what I'd needed, all along. Someone to see through my excuses and let me live.
"What?" Kit asked again, his lips quirking upward. "Unless you dragged me out here just cause you couldn't wait to get a taste of my lips again."
Damn him and those fluttering eyelashes. My cock responded instantly, twitching against my pants, but this was too important to mess up. Not now.
I rolled my eyes and regained my composure. "You saw what happened," I started, still feeling around for the right words. "With Elliot."
"Yeah," Kit said. "And?"
"Did you know he was pregnant?"
"Eh, I kinda thought so, but I didn't want to say anything. In case I was wrong, you know."
I ground my teeth. Did everyone know except me?
"You need to tell me something," I started again, but it still didn't sound right. There was no easy way to say this, was there?
"You're wondering if I'm pregnant." Kit finished for me, his voice flat.
"I...yeah." I shrugged. "Remember that night, in the woods?" I shuffled my feet. "Remember how we met?"
Kit scoffed and fixed me with a hard glare. "Are you kidding me? You think I'd forget something like that? No. Never. It's only been playing over and over in my head every day since. In my dreams every night when I sleep. Every waking moment, wondering if I did the right thing. Wondering how this will change my life, and if it will even be a change for the better. So yeah, I remember it."
My face heated and I stared at the ground, taken aback by his harsh words. He didn't sound too happy about it, and I should have just left it at that. Hadn't I already known he didn't want to be my mate? But, self preservation instincts now firmly thrown out the window, I pressed on.
"I knotted you, Kit." I could barely force out the words, my cheeks were flaming so hot with embarrassment. I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling sweat begin to prickle up there. "I didn't even know my dick could do that. Hell, I didn't even know shifters existed, period. I mean, I had my research, and my ideas....but where I come from, everyone thought I was crazy. They fired me, Kit."
