The Dragon's Mate

by Emilia Hartley

  Nick shoved the door aside and walked into the cabin. He wouldn’t involve Tom in this, even though he knew his brother would want to join him. He would protect him, in the same way that Tom had tried to protect him from Jo. Nick accepted that Tom had never meant to hurt him, he’d been trying to protect him in his own way. Jo had already been mixed up in their fight, and it had chased her away, and Nick wasn’t about to pull Tom into this mess. Nick could feel strength rippling through his body, fuelled by fury, and decided that he would be able to take on the Northern Wind pack by himself. He had enough anger for the both of them. Tom didn’t need to be involved in this.

  Walking to the kitchen, Nick felt the bear's strength ripple through his body. It wanted to be let free, wanted to find the Northern Wind pack and tear into them for what they'd done. A final battle, almost. "Not now," Nick growled, stopping the rattle in his throat from growing any bigger. He had to tidy up this place first before it got dark. Glass would need to be swept up, windows boarded and door fixed. Then, he promised the bear, he would go hunting. He would hunt the Northern Wind pack and get them off his back once and for all.

  CHAPTER 18

  Jo tried to smile as the client’s manager talked on and on about how wonderful a painter his client was.

  "Yes," she murmured. "And, of course, that's why we want his work displayed in Liberty Art." To her frustration, the man didn't even stop for breath, praising his client over and over. Jo sat back in her chair with an inward sigh, keeping a professional outward manner at all times. Her mind began to wander, her eyes drifting away from the manager. She wondered how Nick was doing, if he was missing her the way she was missing him. There was a desperation growing as the man continued to talk. She wanted to get away from him and be on her way back to Nick, a sense of urgency almost forcing her to her feet. "Of course, of course," she murmured, wishing the man would simply stop talking and make his decision.

  Tom was another issue, of course. He’d obviously wanted her far away from Nick, and now that she’d seen him change, she could understand why. Fixing her car faster than she’d expected had been a clear sign to leave, but in a way, Jo was glad that he had done it. It had given her the time she needed to clear her head, get over the shock and decide what it was she really wanted. And what she really wanted was to go back and see Nick.

  “Excuse me,” she said, interrupting the manager. “I must press you for a decision. I have other places to go and other people to see and I’m on something of a tight schedule.” She gave him a bright smile, hoping that she hadn’t come across as rude.

  The man sighed. “I must be honest with you, I was hoping you would push harder for the job.”

  “Listen,” Jo replied, sitting forward and folding her hands in her lap. “Liberty Art is an excellent gallery. You know that. What’s the point in me trying to convince you when you’re already aware of our reputation?”

  He pressed his lips together. “You do have a point,” he mumbled, not meeting her gaze.

  “We want your client’s work, as you know, and I’m sure it would be great exposure for him, but at the same time, we can’t sit about and wait until a decision is made. We are a business at the end of the day, which I’m sure you understand.”

  The man nodded, getting to his feet and holding out his hand. “Thank you for being so frank with me. I’ll send the contract over to Liberty Art this afternoon.”

  Jo smiled widely, shaking his hand firmly. “Thank you very much. I look forward to seeing his work in our gallery.” She watched him leave, a sense of satisfaction in her chest knowing that she’d done what she’d set out to do. Brian could have no issue with her resignation now, not when she’d managed to get the client. That part of her life was over now. Grinning to herself, Jo flipped open her laptop and emailed Brian, letting him know that he should expect to get the client’s details this afternoon and also attaching her resignation letter. Closing it carefully, she sat back in her chair and looked around. Everything was exactly as it had been a minute ago, but it all felt completely different. She was free. She could do anything she wanted, go anywhere she wanted and be with anyone she wanted. And she wanted to be with Nick. Picking up her laptop, she got to her feet and practically ran back to her car.

  Tom's phone beeped, and he picked up with a frown, realizing that he'd missed a call from Nick. He'd been beginning to wonder where he was since it was already getting dark and Nick had been away pretty much all day. Holding the phone to his ear, he listened to the voicemail Nick had left him.

  “Tom,” Nick had said. “I’m going to speak to the Northern Wind pack. I’ve had enough of this. They’ve damaged the cabin and I’ve spent hours cleaning and fixing it up. I’ll deal with this on my own, don’t worry.”

  Dropping his hand, Tom stared at his phone in horror. Nick was walking into a death trap. He’d known that his brother was getting tired of the Northern Wind pack pushing them both to join, but talking to them wasn’t going to change their minds. They’d tried that already and it had only made things worse. Slamming his hand on to the table, Tom set his jaw. Why was Nick going by himself? He was going to get himself killed! Deep down, Tom knew that it was because he didn’t want Tom to get hurt, in the same way that Tom had tried to protect Nick from Jo, but that had been a completely different situation. He had to try and help Nick, even if he didn’t want it. All he had to do was change and then follow Nick’s scent.

  Tom was just about to walk out of the door when the sound of a car pulling up caught his ears. Frowning, he sniffed once, catching the smell of Jo's perfume. She was back. He didn't know whether to be happy or annoyed.

  Jo climbed out of the car, rushing straight into the office. “Nick?” she called, as she pushed open the door. “Nick?”

  "He's not here," Tom growled, his anger and frustration over his brother pushing the bear to climb out of his skin. "He's gone, Jo."

  “Gone?” Jo could sense his anger, taking a couple of steps back. “I’m sorry, Tom. I know you’re trying to push me out of Nick’s life, and I can understand why but I have to see him. I need to speak to him at least!”

  “You really care about him, huh?” Tom asked, after a moment of silence.

  “Yes, I do.”

  He nodded, tightly. “It’s not that I don’t like you, Jo, it’s that a shifter’s life is dangerous, too dangerous for humans.”

  She smiled, her voice soft. “You were trying to protect me and him, then.”

  He shrugged. “I suppose, in a way, I was.”

  “I’m sorry if I’ve made you angry.”

  Tom shook his head, his hands clenching. “It’s not you, Jo. Nick’s gone after the Northern Wind pack.”

  “What?”

  Quickly, Tom explained about the voicemail he’d got from Nick. “He thinks he can sort it out just by talking to them, but the last time he tried that, we were both badly beaten – although we won the fight and thought we’d made our point.”

  “But they’ve kept coming back,” Jo said, heavily.

  “Yeah. So I can’t let Nick fight them by himself,” Tom said, elbowing his way past her. “Just stay here, Jo. We’ll be back later.”

  “I’m not staying here alone,” she exclaimed, following after him. “If Nick’s in trouble, I want to help.”

  “Didn’t you just hear what I said?” he exclaimed, rounding on her. “This is too dangerous for delicate humans like you.”

  Jo set her jaw, looking up at him. “I’m coming. I might not be able to help but I want Nick to know I’m here for him. That I’m back.” She wasn’t going to stand around the office, just waiting for him to come back, probably dripping with blood. No, she wanted to go to him. The urge to see him – even in his bear form – was too much to resist.

  Tom clearly had other ideas. He growled loudly, baring his teeth.

  “And you can do that as much as you like,” she commented, completely unafraid. “I’m still coming with you.”

  Tom growled louder, but Jo ignor
ed him, walking over to her car. “I’ll just follow you, will I?”

  There was no time to argue, but Tom knew that Nick would never forgive him if something happened to Jo. “Promise me you’ll stay in the car,” he bit out, his body tensing as the change surged through his body.

  “I promise.” Getting in the car, Jo put on her headlights and watched, in grim fascination, as Tom changed from man to bear. He wasn’t quite as big as Nick, but he was still completely terrifying. Knowing that he wasn’t going to touch her helped Jo to keep calm, revving the engine and following Tom as he began to run into the woods.

  CHAPTER 19

  Nick knew they were here. He could smell them. The fine hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. He kept his body low, making sure that they could tell he wasn’t coming for a fight. All he wanted was to talk, to make them understand that he and Tom wouldn’t be joining the pack. Not now, not ever.

  You got the message, then.

  Nick looked over, his ears pointing forward as he caught the scent of the leader of the Northern Wind pack, Lucas. They’d not seen him for a long time, which meant that this was serious. Yes, I did.

  You’ve changed your mind?

  No.

  A low growl met his ears, although he still couldn’t see Jake anywhere. Why are you here? Jake asked. Flood, Dan, and Jake said you weren't interested.

  I want you to leave us alone.

  A snort, then a growl – and then another growl. There were a few bears here, and they were all lying in wait. I don’t want to fight, he said, showing his intent by sitting back. It was a bold move, but Nick was determined to show them that he wasn’t here for a battle. His powerful paws rested on the ground, as he kept his body relaxed.

  That’s too bad.

  His fur rippled, his body tensing as Nick heard movement behind him, beginning to claw the dirt in warning. This was going to be an all-out attack. Just leave us alone.

  Pushing himself forward, to stand on his four paws, Nick didn’t even have time to breathe before he was attacked from behind. He had two bears hanging from his back, their claws and teeth digging deeply into his skin. Letting out a roar of pain, Nick swiped at Dan, knocking him to the ground just as a third bear – Jake – launched itself at his chest.

  I’m going to die, Nick thought to himself, pain tearing through his body as he struggled to defend himself against three bears, with Lucas - the leader of the Northern Wind pack – wandering closer just to look on. He’d defeated three bears before, but he was already tired from his fight with Tom. He hadn’t quite recovered from his last battle with the Northern Wind Pack either. Summoning all his strength, Nick roared with fury. Sharp claws slashed, sinking deeply into his fur covered skin. There was one bear on his back, one on his front and one swiping at his legs. The moon was big and bright, sending shafts of light through the trees, highlighting moving shadows all around him.

  Deliberately falling back, Nick crushed the bear behind him, kicking the one on his front. The bear reared back, blood staining its teeth, his eyes glowing with hatred. Snorting hard, Nick rolled to his front, spinning to the right and catching the third bear directly across the face. A roar of pain echoed through the trees, as Nick staggered onto his hind legs, standing tall.

  Ready to join us yet? Lucas had stayed in the same place, still watching him. He wouldn’t join the fight unless he had to.

  Nick growled low, baring his teeth. Never.

  The leader looked at him for a long moment, his breath frosting the air. His golden eyes flickered to the bears just out of Nick’s line of vision. Kill him.

  Nick tensed, just as his ears picked up the sound of a car engine and pounding footsteps. Another bear launched himself at the pack leader. Tom.

  The scent of blood filled Tom’s nostrils well before he saw the bears. Forgetting all about Jo following in the car, he ripped a growl from his throat and jumped straight for Lucas. The two mighty bears clashed, roaring at one another as they bit and clawed furiously.

  Nick didn’t have time to even think about how or why his brother was here, turning to launch his own attack on the two other bears that were trying to take him down. Fur flew, growls and roars coming from every throat as the battle raged.

  Jo sat in the car, completely terrified. She’d never seen this kind of violence before, except maybe on television and even then, they never showed how truly brutal it could be. Keeping the car headlights on full beam, she caught her breath as she saw Nick’s bear rise up to his full height, his teeth bared and claws covered in blood. He was enormous and bigger than the other two who were trying to get him to the ground. Their eyes were glinting silver in the moonlight, glowing with an eerie light.

  Gasping out loud, she saw one bear creeping around the outside of the fight, its movements slow and careful. Nick was already fighting for his life, with two bears snapping and clawing at him, while Tom was taking on the pack leader. They looked evenly matched, but Jo knew there was no way Nick could manage to defend himself against three bears alone.

  “They’re going to kill him,” she breathed, blood draining from her face as she saw the third bear standing on its hind legs, preparing to deal Nick a deadly blow. If they could, they would rip his throat out. This was a fight to the death.

  Forgetting all about staying out of sight and away from the battle, Jo revved the engine and drove, as fast as she could, towards the third bear. Pressing her hand to the horn, she drove straight towards the third bear. "Get out of the way," she screamed, hoping Nick would hear her as she plowed towards them all.

  Nick’s senses spun as he heard Jo’s voice. It can’t be. His nose caught her scent, rolling himself out of the way as her car drove straight past him.

  Jo screamed as she rammed the car straight into the bear, its huge body hitting the front of the car and shattering the windscreen. The airbag went off directly in her face, cushioning her head as it snapped forward from the impact. When the scream finally stopped, she slowly looked up to see the enormous bear lying, eyes open and staring, across the bonnet of her car. As she watched, its eyes slowly closed, a shudder taking its body.

  “I’ve killed it,” she whispered, shaking all over as more roars sounded.

  The battle stopped the moment Jo drove the car into the bear, the loud thud and Jo’s screams silencing the night. The two smaller bears that had been attacking Nick backed away, moving closer to the pack leader.

  Tom, his mouth dripping with blood, lolloped over to Nick as best he could, one of his paws badly injured. What’s happened?

  Jo, Nick replied, shaking his fur free of blood and spittle. Drove the car.

  She’s killed Dan, the pack leader snarled, moving closer. Killed one of our pack. She’s dead next.

  Nick reared up, ignoring his injuries, his claws out and lips pulled back to expose his teeth. Leave her alone.

  The pack leader stopped, his claws scraping the ground. She’s human. She killed a shifter. She has to die.

  She’s my mate, Nick growled, putting himself firmly between Jo’s car and the leader. She’s under my protection.

  Tom pushed himself up, standing right next to his brother. We are our own pack now.

  The leader snorted loudly, blowing out his breath in agitation. He knew that the three of them couldn’t take on the alphas, especially when Flood and Jake were badly injured. The issues between them were now more serious since one of his pack had been killed. He needed time to regroup, and time for his bears to recover. This isn’t over.

  Tom and Nick said nothing, simply staring at Lucas, tensed and ready to fight. They wouldn’t be taken in by him, waiting until he’d begun to turn away before relaxing their stance. It wasn’t until the Northern Wind pack walked away, their scent going further and further into the woods that Nick and Tom slowly dropped back to their four paws, turning to look at Jo.

  CHAPTER 20

  Jo scrambled out of the car, her chest heaving with fright. The bear still lay on the hood of her car, pinned ag
ainst the tree. She pushed herself back against a tree as Nick and Tom got to their hind legs in front of her car, obviously protecting her. She was too scared to think straight, her legs shaking like jelly.

  When the bears dropped to their four paws, ambling over to her, she scrabbled back against the trunk. They were terrifying in the moonlight, their silver eyes watching her. Bowing their heads, they shrank back into their human skin, grunting in pain.

  “Jo?” Nick asked, breathing heavily as he finished changing. “Are you okay?”

  She swallowed, wanting to run into his arms. “I’m fine.”

  He slowly came closer, trying not to spook her. “I don’t know whether to yell at you or kiss you,” he mumbled, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. “You could have been killed, Jo.”

  “I know that,” she replied, reaching for him. “But if I hadn’t done something then you…” She trailed off, not able to finish the sentence. Slowly, she became aware that neither of them wore any clothes. “You’re…uh…naked.”

  “Yup.”

  She blushed, embarrassed. “Both of you?”

  “They tend to rip when we change.”

  “Oh.” Jo didn’t know where to look, her eyes drifting somewhere to the left of Nick’s shoulder.

  He grinned. “Sorry. Tom’s usually got spare clothes in the back of the truck.”

  “I didn’t take the truck,” Tom called, wandering over towards them with his hands covering himself. “Got something I can borrow, Jo?”

  “My luggage is in the trunk,” she replied, turning away from him to face Nick. Her face was hot, aware that this was completely normal for them. It was going to take a bit of getting used to for her.

  Reaching for Nick, she took his hand in hers, catching his hiss of pain. “You’re hurt?”

  He nodded. “Just a bit.”