by Lia Davis
“You’re welcome.” Kirima stood and began collecting plates. “Mac, you and Luke go on out to the porch and see if the lights have appeared yet.”
Mac stood and reached for her dishes. “I’ll help you clear the table.”
Yutu held up his hand. “You’re our guests. Go on outside. Kirima and I will join you after we’re done.”
Luke grinned and touched Mac’s arm lightly. “Come on, grab your coat. The lights are waiting.”
“Maybe. It’s certainly dark enough.”
“I don’t want to miss the show.” He smiled enough that his dimples punctuated his cheeks.
Mac stared, then looked away. Heat stirred in her belly and spread outward. Luke needed to smile more often.
They stopped in the living room to put on their coats. Mac slipped on a pair of deerskin gloves and tugged her hat over her head. She was used to the chilly weather, but the last week had been unseasonably cold. Winter was going to be brutal.
Luke, on the other hand, didn’t wear a hat or gloves. She almost asked why but didn’t want to sound nosey.
“I never get tired of seeing the lights,” she said. “I love the way the colors trail across the sky like magic.”
“Yeah, they’re beautiful. It’s been a while since I’ve seen them. Ready?”
Nodding, Mac followed Luke to the front porch.
Tall, handsome, and smart. He’d fit the bill for a date—if she were dating.
Which she wasn’t.
Luke inhaled deeply, the scent of crisp evergreens and fresh snow filling his lungs. Only a few inches remained on the ground from the recent snowfall. That would change soon. The village was quiet and, because there was so little pollution, the sky was splashed with stars. Even the darkness had a color—deep purplish-blue hues as far as he could see.
It’s what he loved about Alaska.
So far, the aurora hadn’t appeared, though thousands of stars twinkled in the cold night sky.
Mac stood beside him, staring at the horizon past the village rooftops. The area was hilly, with snowcapped mountains in the distance. If the aurora appeared, they’d see almost the whole thing from their vantage point on the porch.
He took in her profile. Chestnut brown hair spilled over her shoulders from her hat, and her skin had the same coloring as the Inuit people—soft, creamy brown with olive tones. Her mother must have been Inuit.
As if sensing him staring, she glanced over. He smiled and hoped it didn’t come across as creepy. To smooth over his stalkerish behavior, he motioned to the rocking chairs. It didn’t hurt to spend time with her. It wasn’t going to become a recurring thing. “Want to sit down?”
She nodded, her lips twitching like she was trying to hide a smile of her own. “Sure.”
He tried not to sniff her, but her scent wafted over him—summer, rain, and warmth. He rubbed his nose. His dragon practically begged to be let out to see their mate, and Luke had a hard time holding him back.
She sure smelled like mate. Damn.
Now what?
If he was being honest with himself about what he should do, he’d get the hell out of there. Mac confused him, and he didn’t have time for that. He needed a good reason to give Owen, so the stubborn-ass dragon would put him back to work. Tracking down rogues was the only distraction he wanted.
No woman. No mate. Ever.
His dragon sighed.
Standing around looking at the sky wasn’t an excuse to be near Mac. He did it because Kirima and Yutu wanted him to stay a while and visit. As long as Mac didn’t know what his dragon was thinking, there wasn’t a risk to Jo’s memory. Right?
Jo had been his mate, his heart. Even though he hadn’t claimed her, they’d promised each other forever.
She was gone now.
His heart ached like a dagger pierced it. He’d never see her again, thanks to that dick dragon who was also now dead. Though some were able to get on with their lives after such a tremendous loss, Luke couldn’t imagine it.
He refused to replace her with another.
Plus, it wouldn’t be fair to Mac to put her in the position of competing with a ghost.
She gazed up at him and smiled. “Aren’t you going to sit? Might be a while before the aurora shows.”
He moved to the rocking chair. The floorboards creaked under him, and he clasped his hands. Coming to Alaska was supposed to help him relax. How had he gotten himself involved again in the village so quickly?
But what would his other option have been? He couldn’t have left Angel out in the snow to die. And if he was honest with himself, he enjoyed being with old friends. Maybe he’d been a little lonely at his cabin.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Mac rocked in the chair beside him, her cheeks rosy from the cold.
“Not much. Just relaxing. It’s been a stressful day. I was worried about Angel, and I’m tired from carrying her all the way back to the village.” The last part was true. Even though he was in great shape, he was exhausted.
Why was he torturing himself by hanging around Mac? He should head home and relax by his own fireplace. No people. No women. No mate.
“It was. I can’t believe you carried her for miles. That took a lot of strength.”
“It wasn’t that big of a deal.” He gripped the rocking chair. He was tired, but it was true. Thankfully he had the strength to carry her in his human form, though it would’ve been easier as a dragon.
“If you say so.”
He counted the floorboard creaks. Twenty. Thirty. Mac wasn’t talking. She seemed content to watch the sky and relax. The more time that passed, the more awkward he felt. He sensed she was cold, even with her coat, but he didn’t dare offer to help her get warm. It could be so nice. Wrapping her in his arms, holding her close…
His face flushed at the image that popped into his mind and he peeked at her to see if she’d sensed it. Her face was serene, eyes closed. Her full lips parted slightly.
“Guess I’m not the only tired one,” he said, keeping his words light and playful. “How are you going to see the lights with your eyes closed?”
“I’m checking the sky often.” She opened her eyes and yawned. “It hasn’t been just a long day, it’s been a long week.”
“You help a lot of people. Like your father did.” He leaned forward. “Is he—”
“Oh, he’s alive! He retired and is living in Fairbanks now.”
A sigh of relief coursed through him. He liked the doctor, though he didn’t know him well. “That’s good to hear. He must be so proud of you. I knew he had a daughter but I’m not sure we ever met.”
“I don’t know. It’s a small village but I wasn’t always here. With school and visiting my grandparents, it’s possible we never did meet.” She stopped rocking and stood. “My father is doing great. I go visit him as often as I can, but it’s been really busy lately. I should make a trip out there soon.”
She leaned on the porch rail, peering up at the sky.
Luke joined her at the rail. The aurora still hadn’t appeared, but the starry sky was beautiful, nonetheless. His dragon wanted to put his arm around Mac. Pull her to him. Kiss her…
No.
He had to get home. Right now. Away from the village and Angel and Yutu and people in general.
And Mac in particular.
“I need to go—” He took a deep breath. “I need to get home.” His dragon roared its disapproval.
Mac placed a hand on his arm and, even through the gloves and fabric, he felt her warmth. His dragon begged, and Luke pushed him away.
No.
“Please don’t leave yet,” Mac’s voice was quiet. “It’s not often I get to talk to someone new.” She looked down but didn’t remove her hand. “I mean, new to me. I know we must’ve met before, but I don’t remember. But you know my father…”
“Yeah. I understand. It can get really lonely in Alaska. Especially in these remote areas.”
“Will you stay?” She looked up at him with bright ey
es.
His dragon jumped up and down on his heart, begging him. “I’m tired and I have a long way to go to get home. I need to go soon.”
Did the words sound as feeble to her as they did to him? His resistance was low. Too tired to deal with this. Walk away.
“Okay.” She pulled her hand away and looked down. “It’s been a long day for both of us. Maybe we can talk again soon?”
“Sure. I’d like that.” No, no, no…
The door burst open, and Yutu rushed out onto the porch, Kirima close behind. The screen slammed shut behind them.
“You aren’t going to believe this.” Yutu’s voice was strained.
Luke’s heart dropped at the burnt taste of fear in the air.
“What is it?” He clenched his fists. “What’s wrong?”
“Elisipie was kidnapped from her front yard.”
“What?” Mac’s voice strained. “Taken by whom? What happened? When?” She grabbed Luke’s hand.
Feeling she needed comforting and against his better judgement, he pulled her close. His dragon rejoiced.
Kirima held on to Yutu. “Her younger sister saw a great winged creature pick her up and fly off with her. It just happened a few minutes ago.”
“A winged creature?” Mac’s voice cracked with dread. “Like a bat?”
“No.” Yutu shook his head. “Like a beast.”
Mac perked up a bit as if snapping out of the fear Luke smelled coming off her. “What can we do to help?”
“The village is forming a search party. I’m headed there now.” Yutu kissed Kirima on the forehead. “You stay here with Jake and Angel. Lock the door.”
Kirima nodded, her mouth drawn into a line. “It’s the beast. He’s come back. Like the legend says.”
Yutu’s voice trembled. “Pray to the gods that isn’t so.”
Luke’s mind spun. What legend? As long as he’d been coming to Alaska, he hadn’t heard any legend, or if he had, he didn’t remember one.
He’d sensed another dragon earlier. Was it responsible? What in the ever-loving hell was going on? There shouldn’t be any dragons flying around where humans could see them. Especially snatching up children like a fucking nightmarish fairytale.
“Look!” Kirima pointed to the sky.
Luke turned to see the splash of vibrant green and pink aurora dancing across the sky.
“The beast is back.” Mac whispered.
Chapter Three
A dragon had snatched a child and carried her off.
Luke had a hard time processing the news. It wasn’t typical of dragons to swoop down and grab a kid, especially with humans around. Even rogue dragons knew better than to let the humans see them. Deep down, something told him this wasn’t an ordinary rogue. But he had no proof or any solid information to go on besides what the witness, the victim’s younger sister, had said. She’d seen a winged beast take her sister and fly off into the night sky.
It sure sounded like a dragon.
Yutu darted back into the house and came out a few moments later with two rifles and some bullets. Luke took one of the guns and a box of ammo.
“Thanks.” He had his own firearms back at the cabin, but it was too far to go retrieve them. He’d have to make do with what Yutu had.
His pulse thundered in his veins, and his dragon was ready to go after who—or what—had taken the girl. The pity party in his head about being on the forced vacation vanished. He had a mission—find Elisipie and that beast.
“We’ll get her back.” Yutu set his mouth in a firm line. “Whatever it takes, we’ll do it.”
Luke nodded and slipped the box of ammo into his coat pocket. Following Yutu off the porch, Luke sensed Mac moving with them. He whirled around and met her gaze, barely holding back a growl.
Before he could ask where she was going, she raised a brow. “I’m going to help. She could be hurt, and I’m a doctor.”
Fuck. He ground his teeth and calmed his dragon. No need to get overprotective. Mac was a grown woman, and he had no intentions of claiming her. The dragon within snorted at the thought, as if he had a say in it. “Stay close.”
Mac rolled her eyes and pushed past him. Stubborn woman. His dragon laughed, knowing they both liked stubborn women. Luke swallowed a retort. No point in pissing her off. They needed to focus on finding the child.
It looked like the whole village had assembled outside the community center. The building was a large, single-story place used by the kids, mostly. There was a basketball hoop at one end of the room and bleachers pulled out from the wall. The center was also used for the village’s celebrations and rituals, especially when it was too cold outside.
Luke glanced around at the three dozen or so people anxiously waiting for the Inuit elder to arrive. All looked as shocked as he felt, and most of them carried guns. They were ready to go. His dragon paced, wanting to get out of there. The odds of finding the girl in the dark were slim, but they had to try.
He scented the elder a moment before he touched him, then a hand clamped down on Luke’s shoulder. Glancing at the man, Luke smiled and nodded. “Muktuk, how are you?”
“I’m well. I’m glad you’re here—it’s been a while. Can you take the lead on the search?”
Luke gave a short nod, noting the fatigue in the older man’s eyes. Mac stepped up beside Luke and stared at Muktuk with interest.
He pushed the feeling away, then addressed the crowd. “We have darkness working against us, but that doesn’t mean we won’t find her. I suggest we split up into small groups and spread out in a fan-shaped pattern into the hills. We’ll all start together and cover more ground that way. It feels like the temperature is falling by the hour, so stay with your team and come back if you get too cold. We don’t need anyone else going missing or needing help. We need to focus on finding Elisipie.”
The group murmured their assent. Luke smelled their fear. It was deep-rooted and acrid, like a nightmare had come true.
“Go ahead and break into teams of six or seven people. We’ll all start from the main road. Let’s head over there now, and I’ll assign your direction. We’ll plan to meet back here in three hours—hopefully, with Elisipie.”
With nods, everyone filed toward the door and out into the night, eager to start the search.
Luke was ready, too. He might have to shift and reveal his own dragon to take the other down. He shook his head and went outside. He’d deal with that issue when he had to.
For now, they’d stick to the plan and comb the area for Elisipie.
* * *
Yutu, Mac, and Luke headed north, rifles in hand. He’d given everyone an assigned direction, so the search was organized and methodical. Everyone was moving with their team, and if they were lucky, one of the groups would find the girl before she froze to death—or met a worse fate.
He needed to contact DSD about the situation. If there was a rogue dragon on the loose in Alaska, they needed to know about it. He’d call the first chance he got.
Mac walked beside him, and Yutu was a step behind. Mac smelled of something more than fear, but he couldn’t pinpoint it. Was it dread? Or hesitation? Whatever it was, it didn’t stop her form keeping up with him. She wanted to find Elisipie as much as anyone else did.
They walked in a parallel line a couple of feet apart from each other. The snow crunched underfoot, and somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled. The aurora danced overhead, and the deep chill of night began to settle in.
Yutu clicked on a flashlight and shined it in the center of their wide path. Luke didn’t need the extra light, but Mac and Yutu would.
“What kind of work do you do?” Mac’s voice rang out over the frozen landscape.
Luke missed a step at her question, then slowed his pace as he scanned the area for any sign of the girl. “Investigating, law enforcement, and special-ops-type things.” And hunting down monsters. It’s what the DSD team told humans when asked. Luke liked to keep it generic and secretive because that usually stopped the
questions.
“Oh, like military.”
“Something like that,” he replied softly.
Yutu spoke up. “He has a job that lets him sit in his cabin in Alaska for weeks at a time.”
“It’s not like you think.” Luke scowled. “I want to be working, but I needed a break.”
“I’m just teasing.” Yutu shifted the rifle into his other hand. “I know you work hard.”
Mac fell silent for a few moments. Luke could sense her mind churning, so he braced himself for another question.
“Have you done many abduction cases?” She peered up at him. “Kidnappings?”
“A few.” He didn’t meet her gaze. Damn, he hated lying to her.
With the way her face had paled when she’d spoken about the beast returning, there was no way he could tell her the truth.
He was one of the beasts she and the villagers feared.
They trekked farther, no one speaking. Maybe Mac wouldn’t ask more questions. The forest lay silent except the sound of snow crunching under their boots as they walked. The arctic was a wonderland.
A dangerous wonderland.
The aurora flickered in the sky, and a ripple of a sensation raced up his spine. A cold gust of air circled them, and even Luke shivered from the icy blast.
Dread settled in the pit of his stomach. The faint screech of a dragon sounded in the distance, too high-pitched for humans to hear. Then a laugh reverberated in his head. Inky, evil darkness gripped his heart.
I feel your pain. Your rage. Join me.
Luke stopped and whirled around with the gun pointing at imaginary creatures, then turned in a circle.
Nothing was there.
Mac placed a hand on his arm, and he jerked his gaze to hers. The concern and compassion etched in her beautiful features calmed the darkness building inside him. What the ever-loving fuck? Had the rogue spoken inside his head? How was that possible? He must have imagined it, though it had sounded real.
And close-by.
“Are you okay?” Mac’s voice held concern.
“What’s wrong?” Yutu asked. “You jumped like an arctic hare spooked by a grizzly.”
