The Dragon's Mate

by Emilia Hartley

  “Nice to meet you,” she stammered, staring at him.

  “This must be a bit of a shock,” Jo said, walking over to her. “Sorry we didn’t tell you before, Savannah, but we had to be sure.”

  “Sure about what?”

  “That we could trust you,” Nick explained, as Tom leaned against the counter. His dark eyes were watching her reaction, his arms folded across his body.

  Savannah nodded, uncomfortably aware of Tom watching her. "I'm quite surprised if I'm honest," she explained, as Dan shuffled past her.

  “Of course you are,” Jo exclaimed, walking over to take Savannah’s arm. “I’m sorry we couldn’t tell you straight away, but we’ve been looking after Dan.”

  “Did something happen to you?” Savannah asked. As far as she knew, and as far as Lucas knew, Dan was dead. So what had happened to him?

  Dan swallowed hard, glancing at Tom’s dark face before answering. “I got hit by a car. They were kind enough to look after me.”

  “Oh,” Savannah murmured, her heart now beating frantically in her chest. “I take it you hurt your leg?”

  “A bad fracture,” Tom interrupted. “But it seems to be healing well enough now.”

  “I’m glad to hear it,” Savannah said, quietly. “Can I get anyone a coffee? I know I could do with one!”

  Catching Dan's eye, Savannah walked to the coffee machine and began to make herself a coffee, trying to calm herself down. Her hands were sweaty and she could barely think straight. Dan wasn't dead after all! Instead, Tom, Nick, and Jo had somehow brought him back here and looked after him until he was well enough to walk. This wasn't the evil, treacherous and cruel pack that Lucas had described. Finally, Savannah admitted that this pack was the exact opposite of what Lucas had said. In fact, she was beginning to think that the Northern Wind pack was the cruel ones, not these shifters here.

  “Jo,” Nick murmured. “Can you grab us the snacks from the car? I think I left them there the last time we went to the store.”

  Knowing that he was asking for a few minutes to talk to Savannah alone, Jo gave his arm a light squeeze before leaving the office. “Sure,” she said, smiling. “Just make me a coffee for when I come back, Savannah!”

  Savannah nodded, panic rising in her throat. She hoped that Dan knew what she’d tried to communicate through her sharp look and shake of the head. He couldn’t give away even the slightest clue that they knew one another. It was too dangerous.

  Handing out the coffees, and leaving one cooling for Jo, Savannah sat down and looked at the three men in front of her. Dan smiled at her, letting her know that he’d understood her message. Nick was sitting back, his legs crossed at the ankles, seemingly very relaxed, while Tom hadn’t moved at all. He was still staring at her, his arms folded and a grim look on his face. The familiar suspicion was in his eyes, and Savannah knew she couldn’t blame him. After her actions last night, he was probably confused, hurt and angry, and they’d not really had a chance to talk since then.

  “So,” Savannah began, trying to keep the tremble from her voice. “You’re another shifter.”

  “Yeah,” Dan replied, sitting down in one of the seats and stretching out his leg.

  “Jo’s the only one who’s not,” Nick grinned, earning a dark look from Tom. He clearly wasn’t in the mood to laugh.

  Savannah let out a long breath. “What are you doing here? I don’t understand why you were in that back room.”

  "Long story," Tom interrupted before Dan could reply. "His leg was pretty banged up so he's been resting in there until it heals."

  “First day I’ve been able to walk on it,” Dan replied, smiling. “Have to say though, the service hasn’t exactly been bad!”

  Nick shook his head. “You haven’t exactly been happy about staying here, Dan.”

  Dan gave him a wry look. “Can you blame me?”

  Tom snorted, looking away. Savannah, remembering that she was supposed to be curious about what was going on, cleared her throat. “Can someone please explain to me what is going on?”

  "Remember I told you about the Northern Wind pack?” Tom asked.

  “Yes,” she replied, trying to look confused. “You said there was some kind of fight?”

  Tom nodded, his face grim. “Yes, exactly. Dan caught up in that. We’re just helping him get back on his feet.”

  “Literally,” Nick grinned, breaking the tension.

  Savannah narrowed her eyes slightly. Tom wasn’t exactly giving a lot away. She wanted to know exactly what had happened, without giving away that she knew Dan. It looked like Tom wasn’t going to be giving her any kind of real explanation any time soon – and certainly wasn’t admitting to anything to do with Dan’s injury - so somehow, she’d have to get Dan by himself.

  Nick stretched, yawning widely. “Dan will be here until he’s ready to move on,” he added. “However long that takes.”

  "Keen to get rid of me?" Dan muttered while Tom rolled his eyes.

  “No, not at all,” Nick replied. “In fact, you’re welcome to stay on here, Dan. You don’t have to go back if you don’t want to. I want to make that clear to you.”

  Savannah’s breath caught in her chest. Nick was offering Dan the chance to stay in his pack? It would mean changing his allegiance from Lucas to Nick, which wasn’t exactly an easy decision and would definitely have consequences. Savannah didn’t think Lucas would take that kind of news well. She glanced at Dan, who looked right back at her for just a moment.

  “Thanks,” he said, eventually, glancing over at Nick. “I’m going to have to think that over.”

  “Sure,” Nick replied, lazily. “You’ve got time.”

  Savannah could hardly breathe. Dan, a member of the Northern Wind pack had just told Nick that he was going to think about leaving that pack and join his. She could barely believe it. Everything about Dan’s face and the way he spoke told her he was being honest. It told Savannah that it wasn’t just her that was seeing the big differences between this pack and the Northern Wind pack. It told her that this was serious and she was going to have to think pretty hard about her own choices. Her head filled with thoughts, tumbling over one another, making it difficult to think straight.

  “Excuse me,” she mumbled, getting to her feet and making for the door. “I need some air.” Three pairs of eyes watched her as she left the office, stumbling out into the fresh air.

  CHAPTER 15

  Savanah walked into the woods, needing some time to calm her thoughts down. Everything was so confusing. Taking a deep breath, she slumped down and let her back rest against a tree trunk, closing her eyes. She let her mind drift, pushing away any thought of Tom and Dan or Lucas. Instead, she just listened to the sound of the birds chirping and the wind in the trees. The familiar sounds calmed her frantically thumping heart, and let her mind clear.

  “Is everything okay?”

  Her eyes flew open. Tom was standing right in front of her, looking down with confusion in his eyes. She’d not heard him come into the woods. The man knew how to be stealthy, that was for sure.

  “Savannah?”

  Tom watched as she sighed, her eyes closing again. Her skin was pale and he could almost hear the fast beat of her heart. Everything about her was telling him she was confused about something, but he didn’t know what. Was this the reason she’d run away from him last night? “Won’t you tell me what’s going on?” he asked, quietly, bending down beside her.

  Savannah let out a long sigh. “I’m just a bit confused, Tom.”

  His dark eyes flickered. “Yes, I can tell.”

  She looked at him then, swallowing hard. There was no way she could tell him the truth about Lucas or Dan, as much as she wanted to be honest with him. “I’m sorry, Tom.”

  He frowned. “What for?”

  “I don’t know,” she whispered. “For everything. For running away from you last night.”

  Sitting down on the ground, Tom looked deeply into her eyes. He wasn’t angry any more, not even fr
ustrated. The way she’d walked out of the office, clearly upset, had made something break in his chest. She was hurting and he didn’t know why. He wanted to find out so he could help her. Tom knew he was beginning to care for Savannah, and that didn’t frighten him as much as it once had. She was the picture of misery and Tom felt his heart almost break for her. “Why did you run away, Savannah?” he asked, quietly.

  “Because I was afraid,” she answered, honestly. “I’m afraid of what’s going on between us, of what I feel.”

  “Why?”

  She shrugged. “I wasn’t meant to start falling for you.”

  He frowned, not sure what she meant. Had someone warned her about him or was it just a something she had promised herself?

  “I can’t help what I feel,” Savannah continued, her voice barely loud enough for him to hear. “I want to be with you, Tom.” Her eyes suddenly flooded as she admitted to herself what she honestly, truly, wanted. She didn’t want to be anywhere near Lucas, she wanted to stay here with Tom. In the few weeks she’d known him, he’d shown her how different things could be. There was no fear in this pack, no demands for respect or punishment for stepping out of line. Instead, there was respect and consideration. Tom would never hurt her, but Lucas wouldn’t hesitate to if she crossed him.

  “I want to be with you too, Savannah,” Tom murmured, running his fingers down her arm. “I’m not going to lie, Savannah, I’m pretty scared too.”

  “You are?” she asked, wiping her eyes hurriedly. “Of what?”

  “Look,” Tom explained, dropping his head as a slight rush of embarrassment filled him. “I’m not the romantic type. I don’t do the ‘falling in love’ stuff. I mean, I never have before. I don’t know how to do this,” he continued, reaching for her hand. “That’s what scares me.”

  Savannah couldn't do anything except lean forward and kiss him. Tears fell down her cheeks as their lips met, as she finally let her emotions run free. There was something between her and Tom that was going to grow if she'd let it, something that might develop into love. That scared her, but Tom had just told her it scared him too. His honesty and openness had let her really see him for the first time – vulnerable but sincere. She couldn't stop her arms going around his neck as she pulled him closer, wanting to hold onto every inch of him.

  “Savannah,” Tom growled, tearing his mouth from hers and looking into her eyes. “Don’t run away from me again.”

  “I won’t,” she promised, as he gently brushed tears away from her cheek. “I won’t run again, Tom.”

  Later that afternoon, Savannah was back at her desk, working hard. She and Tom had shared more than a few kisses out in the woods and had been on the verge of taking things further before Nick had begun shouting for them both. He'd been a bit worried, apparently, although Tom's growl had let them both know that he wasn't exactly happy at being called back.

  Savannah felt a shiver of delight rush through her as she remembered the hopeful gleam in his eye. The next time they were alone, she wasn’t going to run. She was going to give herself completely to Tom, knowing that she’d made her decision. There was no chance of her going back to Lucas, not now. Savannah had made her choice, as she was choosing Tom.

  “Savannah?”

  Turning in her chair, Savannah gave Jo a quick smile.

  “Listen,” Jo began. “Nick and I have to make a quick trip out of town. We won’t be gone long, it’s just to pick up some specialist parts.”

  “Okay, no problem,” Savannah replied, feeling a quick rush of excitement at the thought of being alone with Tom.

  “Dan will still be here,” Jo continued – as Savannah felt her excitement die away. She’d forgotten about him. “But Tom’s around too. If you like, I can put the lock back on the room. Dan won’t hurt you but I want you to feel safe.”

  “No, no, I’ll be fine,” Savannah replied, quickly.

  “Are you sure?”

  Savannah nodded, her smile becoming a little strained. She was going to have to talk to Dan at some point and hope that he’d understand her reasons for not coming back to the Northern Wind pack. And, if he didn’t, she was going to have to tell Tom the truth. She couldn’t risk Dan attacking Tom, Nick or Jo.

  “Okay, see you later,” Jo smiled, lifting a hand before she left the office.

  Savannah let out a long breath, hearing the door to Dan’s room open as Jo’s car pulled away.

  “Are they gone?”

  “Yes,” Savannah whispered, fully aware that Tom was still outside working somewhere.

  “Great,” Dan replied, limping over to throw his arms around her. “I can’t believe you’re here, Savannah! What’s going on?”

  Savannah gave him a quick hug, before stepping back. “We have a lot to talk about, Dan,” she replied, sitting back down in her chair. “I’m not sure you’re going to like all of it.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Dan frowned, limping over to pull out another chair, before sitting down and stretching out his leg.

  “So, what’s been going on?” he asked, frowning.

  “I should ask you that first,” Savannah exclaimed. “Lucas told me you were dead!”

  Dan’s eyebrows shot up. “He thinks I’m dead?”

  “The whole pack does.”

  “Oh.”

  Savannah leaned forward, studying Dan. “What happened, Dan?”

  He grimaced, sitting back in his chair. “Jo hit me with her car.”

  “What?” Savannah gasped.

  Dan shifted uncomfortably. “It was under Lucas’ orders. We were meant to try and kill Nick. I went for the death blow. She was only trying to save Nick – which she managed.”

  Savanah stared at him, the blood draining from her face and turning to ice in her veins. Lucas had wanted them to kill another shifter? That was utter madness! For one thing, shifters didn’t kill other shifters and, for another, that would be murder. “Why?” she whispered, clinging to her chair as the world began to spin.

  “He had his reasons,” Dan shrugged, his mouth set in a grim line. “And, as you know, we don’t always get to know what those reasons are.”

  Taking great heaving breaths, Savannah waited for everything to stop spinning. At one point, she had thought that taking revenge on Nick or Tom had been the right thing to do, after what they'd done to Dan. Now, she realized, Lucas had been intending to kill one of them in the first place, without provocation.

  “Lucas didn’t like it when they refused to join us,” Dan continued, quietly. “I guess killing one or both of them was the only way for him to assert his dominance.”

  “I can’t believe this,” Savannah whispered, blinking a few times to orient herself.

  Dan sighed. "I've had a lot of time to think, Savannah. These shifters aren't all bad if you can believe that. I know Lucas has said lots of things about them, but I'm beginning to realize that they're not all bad."

  Savannah could only nod, feeling exactly the same thing herself.

  “How long have you been working here for?” Dan asked. “I’m assuming that Lucas has sent you here for whatever reason.”

  “I’ve been here a few weeks,” Savannah replied, miserably. “Lucas sent me here and just told me to get them to trust me, that’s all.”

  Dan grimaced. “So you don’t know what his plan is, then?”

  She shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

  Studying her for a moment, Dan let out a sigh. “Doesn’t look like you’re happy about it, Savannah.”

  “That’s because I’m not!” she exclaimed, her voice suddenly loud. “I don’t want any of them to get hurt.” She watched as Dan’s eyebrows rose but carried on anyway. “I know we’re part of the Northern Wind pack, and we’re meant to be loyal to Lucas but I can’t do what he’s asking me, Dan. I’m not sure what Lucas is planning, but he’s going to use the trust between me and Tom to his advantage and…I’ve decided I won’t let him.” Her breath began to come a little more quickly as she waited for Dan’s reaction. T
o her utter relief, he gave her a wry smile.

  “You don’t need to be afraid of me, Savannah. I’m not planning to run back to Lucas any time soon.”

  She looked at him, surprised. “You’re thinking about taking up Nick’s offer of joining this pack instead?”

  He nodded, slowly. “I’m thinking about it.”

  Savannah blinked twice, completely surprised. Dan had been one of Lucas’ most loyal supporters, so she was stunned that he was thinking about leaving the Northern Wind pack.

  "I was furious with them at first, don't get me wrong," Dan continued, as if he could read her thoughts. "I hated being here, hated them. But slowly, I realized that they were just defending themselves against an unprovoked attack. I realized that we had been told to kill one or both of them, and I'd just agreed without asking any questions." His mouth twisted. "I’m not sure if I want to be a part of a pack like that anymore, Savannah."

  Savannah stared at Dan, understanding him completely. Finally, everything she’d been struggling with made sense. The fact that Dan was struggling with his own loyalty made her feel a bit better about her own. She’d been right. There was something different about this pack and, it was so different, that Savannah knew she didn’t want to go back to the Northern Wind pack. She didn’t want to be told when she could shift and when she couldn’t. She wanted to be able to ask questions and to be respected in her own right – and she would have nothing like that with Lucas. In fact, if she so much as opened her mouth to question something he’d ordered, there would be immediate consequences. A shudder ran through her, as she closed her eyes to block out the memory.

  “You’ve been struggling, huh?”

  She nodded, opening her eyes to see Dan's sympathetic face. "I thought you were dead, and that they'd killed you in cold blood. I didn't realize…." Savannah shook her head. "I care about these shifters, Dan. And about Jo too, even though she's not a shifter. I want to stay a part of this pack. I don’t want to go back to Lucas.” It would mean finding a new place to live in town, somewhere safe, but she could do that. Now that she had a job, there was no reason to keep living at Lucas’ old place.