Griffin Drake

by Emilia Hartley

  “You have to give her back to me,” Griffin warned the creature.

  His heart thundered inside a tight cage, threatening to burst while he reasoned with his mate’s beast. He shuddered to think of what would happen if he couldn’t get Lilah back. Reaching up, he touched her cheek, and hoped it would draw a spark of humanity out of her.

  The beast leaned into his touch, and his stomach dropped. She purred, her hands running up his chest. Her fingers curled at the nape of his neck. Her lips were loose, languid as she took him in

  He should have grabbed her wrists, should have stopped her from touching him in all the ways Lilah refused to, but he couldn’t find it in himself. He was so taken with her. Her touch was a relief, a balm after the sun had burnt him.

  He swallowed and reminded himself that this wasn’t healthy. Lilah wasn’t whole. She and her beast were split. If it went on like this, she would never feel whole. Her life would be troubled by the separate creature squatting inside her.

  Finally, he grasped her wrists and pushed the beast back. The look of hurt in her eyes was chased by vehemence. She would have to deal with rejection for this would never work out. Not until Lilah could live with herself.

  “Shift for her this one time. Show her that it isn’t what she thinks it is. Give her back to me so we can make this work.” He bargained with the beast. “Lilah will stop fighting if she can understand.”

  The beast snarled, pulling back Lilah’s lips. Then, she lunged forward and kissed him. Her teeth dragged against his skin and brought blood to the surface. The wounds were already healing as she spun away from him.

  The beast threw Lilah’s arms wide. The change rippled in the air around her. He watched in stunned silence. The change was so seamless, but he should have known it would be if her beast was in control. One moment, the woman he loved stood before him. The next, a sleek moon-colored beast stood proudly. The beast held her head high. The light of the day caught a shimmer on the horns protruding from the back corners of her head.

  Lilah was…beautiful. Though that wasn’t something he didn’t already know. This creamy beast was unlike any other dragon he’d ever laid eyes on. If Ryker’s Mina was the night sky, then Lilah was the winter moon.

  Just as he was about to shift and join her, his phone rang. Griffin would have ignored it if a scream of pain didn’t split the air. Lilah’s beast spun toward it, spines rising like the hackles of a startled cat. He swallowed and answered the call, knowing whatever was on the other end would be awful.

  “Help. Now.” Wyatt commanded.

  Griffin snarled, wanting to tell his cousin no one gave him orders. Griffin was second in command. Yet, the words died when another roar shook the skies.

  Wyatt began rattling off their location, but Griffin cut him off. “I know where you are. Be there in two minutes.”

  He tossed the phone to the ground with his shirt and pants. Before his beast burst free from him, he fought for a moment to tell Lilah to stay. She didn’t know the first thing about this body or fighting. Even if her beast was in control, it was young. She still had so much to learn.

  And he knew he wouldn’t be able to do anything as long as she was involved. His attention would always be on her.

  He kicked off the ground and, midflight, his dragon appeared. Wings as wide as a plane’s slapped the air and propelled him toward the chaos in the distance. He wondered what caused the confrontation this time.

  Griffin knocked several dragons from the sky on his way. They hit the ground unceremoniously. Ahead, he saw Jasper circled by dragons. It seemed they’d gotten tired of the king. Griffin shouldn’t have been surprised, but the other dragons had not seemed the type to ambush.

  The last incident had been an accidental collision. This looked more thought out. Jasper was alone, with four dragons circling him. Three launched themselves at the golden dragon. The fourth lifted its gaze to the sky. The green beast was scarred, twisting its grin into a monstrous façade.

  ***

  Lilah was trapped in the back of her own mind. She stared out her eyes and watched Griffin leave but wasn’t in control. The beast scoffed at her panic. The world looked different. It was as if she stood higher. The ground was further away. The sky was closer.

  In a flash, Lilah realized that her beast had shifted.

  The creature laughed at her. The humor was short lived as concern creeped back in. Both Lilah and her beast watched Griffin fly in the direction of the battle.

  He is strong, our mate. He will be fine.

  But even the beast’s certainty wavered. It didn’t like him going in alone. The beast tested their wings, stretching each one in turn. Lilah fought against it. She wasn’t going into the sky. She couldn’t. The beast snarled and snapped at the air as if it could bite Lilah.

  No. Lilah refused.

  She would not fly.

  But, Lilah was not in control. The beast was. And the beast’s sights were set on Griffin. From the trees below burst a shape. It collided with Griffin and sent both of them reeling. Lilah held her breath. Her heart stopped. Then, Griffin righted himself and sent a ball of flame flying toward the dragon that’d crashed into him.

  The unfamiliar beast was sent reeling back. It tumbled from the sky. From the corner of her eye, Lilah caught several more dark shapes flying toward the battle. Her heart gave a heavy thud before launching into a frantic pace. The dragons were not the ones she’d gotten to know. They were not Jasper’s metallic court.

  The unfamiliar dragons had called in reinforcements, too. Lilah didn’t know how many of the metallic dragons were there. She could not see the fight that had started it all.

  He told us to stay, the beast reminded her.

  This is wrong, she wanted to scream. The whole fight felt off.

  The incoming dragons all latched onto Griffin at once. The fight that had been in their favor quickly turned. She heard his screech of pain, felt it rip her in half. She dug her claws into the ground. The open sky frightened her.

  She didn’t want to fly.

  But she couldn’t bear Griffin’s pain. The beast hesitated. It was unsure. It listened to Griffin’s command, the unspoken promise that he would be okay. But that fight was anything but okay. They were losing. Griffin was getting hurt.

  Lilah pushed for control. The beast gave a small fight but relinquished the reins and let Lilah claim her body once more. It was awkward. She was suddenly so much more present. She lashed her tail, testing it. The grass tickled her belly, but she could feel nothing on her scales. Ducking her head side to side, she tested the limits of her neck and the weight of her head.

  It was strange, but she was needed. There was no more time. Galloping, she stretched out her wings. The air gathered beneath them and her feet began to lift from the ground. Elation made her light, but then the air shifted. One wing fell while the other lifted. She wobbled. The ground came rushing toward her.

  Grinding her teeth, she threw her weight to the other side. Her wings leveled out. She was still only a handful of feet above the ground. At this rate, she’d never reach Griffin in time.

  Pull up, the beast whispered.

  She did as it asked and tilted the front of her wings up. It thrust her higher in the air. Her heart flipped in her chest, but there was no going back. Ahead, the beasts were dragging Griffin to the ground. They latched onto him, onto his wings.

  Lilah didn’t know the first thing about fighting. Her only thought was of Griffin. She would figure out the rest once she got there. Unfortunately, she didn’t even have time for that. His beast shrank back. The unfamiliar dragons pushed off him. Beneath the cluster of dragons fell a small form.

  Without thinking, she pulled her wings tight to her body. It made her fast. She felt like the falcons she saw on videos. Her body vibrated, the air shaking her as she rocketed toward Griffin’s falling body.

  Like a bullet, she entered the fight. Some of the dragons that attacked Griffin turned their attention on her. She didn’t have time for
them. Unfortunately, they had time for her. They let loose roars that sounded like war cries. The wind changed and her wings wobbled. The tip of her tail brushed a dragon.

  Claws closed around her tail. Pain ripped up her spine and flared at the back of her skull. She didn’t cry out because Griffin’s eyes snapped open. His lips twisted in a vicious scowl. Magic pulsed in the air and the silver dragon reappeared. Griffin snapped at the dragons behind her.

  Blood sprayed in the air, accompanied by sounds of horror and pain. Still, Lilah didn’t look. The wind balanced again and told her the dragons following her were gone. Griffin’s form shrank once again, as if he’d used every last ounce of power.

  Griffin, once again human, was going to hit the ground. She lowered her head and her body followed suit. The bitter taste of panic filled the back of her mouth as the ground rushed toward her.

  This was what she feared most.

  But Griffin was within reach. She grabbed him with her clumsy claws just in time to open her wings. The tops of the trees grazed the sensitive membrane in them before she climbed higher. Lilah didn’t stay and fight. She circled around, back toward the clearing and the road they’d taken earlier.

  Lilah flew all the way home, not stopping to realize she was flying until she landed outside the guest house. The realization that she didn’t know how to shift back burned her nerves. It seared across her mind, until her beast soothed it with a cool serenity.

  The beast reached and grasped the reins of control. Lilah hesitated at first, then gave over. Trust was something she had to work on. The beast was her and she was the beast. It would not steer her in the wrong direction.

  Her form shrank until she was Lilah once again, holding an unconscious man in her arms. He should have felt heavier, but he was only cumbersome.

  “Li-Lilah?” His voice was faint, almost a brush of the wind.

  At first, Lilah thought she’d imagined it. Then, he dragged his toes along the ground in an attempt to stand. He got his feet beneath him, but nearly collapsed. Lilah caught him just before he hit the ground. His eyes drifted shut again and he became dead weight in her arms.

  “I’m so…proud…of you.”

  Determined, she hefted the wounded man in her arms. He’d saved her. Even though he’d been near death and free falling, he’d used the last of his energy to shift and save her from the dragons giving chase. One had her in its clutches. It could have thrown her off balance and she wouldn’t have been able to save herself.

  Griffin could have shifted and saved himself, but he used that last bit for her.

  She set him down on the bed, bedding be damned. Bumble came crying and leapt up beside Griffin. Knowing nothing about dragons, she shooed her cat away, worried that it couldn’t be sanitary. Nonetheless, Bumble stubbornly returned to curl at the crook of Griffin’s neck.

  Lilah sighed, realized she was naked, and decided she didn’t give a damn. She, too, collapsed onto the bed, with one hand on Griffin’s chest to make sure he was still breathing. This was not the crash course in shifting that she imagined.

  The day had started so well, with French toast and sex. Lila knew her curse was to blame. The longer she stayed in Griffin’s life, the more trouble she would cause. It wasn’t fair to put that kind of weight on his shoulders. As long as the curse spread out to those around her, she would always be a hazard.

  Her throat closed and her stomach rebelled at the thought, but she knew she had to leave. That was the only way she could make sure Griffin was safe.

  From her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lilah woke with a start. Sunlight streamed through the window, warning her that it was already mid-morning. Confused, she groaned and sat up. Sight of who stood in the doorway made her freeze.

  Then she yanked a sheet to her chest.

  But Jasper’s eyes weren’t on her. It was as if she didn’t exist. His eyes wavered, tears gathering at the corners, and his jaw hung open in horror. Or shame. He snapped it closed, still staring at Griffin.

  Lilah wanted to say something, to reassure Jasper, but the look of shame morphed into a fury that kept her silent. Jasper spun away from her. Distantly, like he’d made it outside before he broke down, she heard his roar of anguish. The house shook, windows rattling, and she glimpsed a gold beast taking to the sky.

  Her phone was still in the field from the day before, or she would have called one of the other metallic dragons.

  This was her life now. She looked down at herself, at Griffin. They were both covered in blood. At least, his wounds had healed. There were only vague scars left. Her hand hovered over them. They were pink and glossy, when every other time he’d been wounded she saw smooth and unblemished skin.

  How hurt must he have been for his body to heal so poorly? She worried about the wounds she couldn’t see. Had his muscles repaired properly? Or would he be stunted, unable to move properly for the rest of his life? More so, she worried about his mind.

  She fell back onto the bed, laying on her side as she took in Griffin’s profile. Bumble still slept on Griffin’s shoulder. The cat purred loudly and constantly, eyes open like he’d kept vigil all night. She scratched Bumble’s head in thanks, promised him a can of tuna, and reached to touch Griffin’s cheek.

  As much as she tried to protect herself, she loved him. She felt special, like she got to witness a part of him that no one else had ever seen. Griffin had to be so many things for his family, a soldier, a guard, a pillar. When he was with her, Griffin got to be the man he truly was. Just a bit messy and full of heart.

  His future mate would be a lucky woman, Lilah thought. She moved to get up but was stopped when Griffin caught her hand. Her heart flipped in her chest. His brows crashed together as he forced himself into a sitting position. Bumble yowled at the inconvenience, but then settled for Griffin’s blanket covered lap.

  Lilah said nothing for a long moment. She couldn’t find it in herself to tell him she planned on leaving. Guilt over the pink scars crisscrossing his skin was heavy in the pit of her stomach. He had to understand that it was her fault. He probably wanted to throw her out already.

  She had shifted and managed to fly decently well, so her short training was probably finished. There was no reason for her to stay.

  Hanging her head, she managed to tell him Jasper had visited. “He took one look at you and took off like a bat out of hell. A gilded bat.”

  She expected Griffin to laugh, but when she looked at him, his lips were parted in what looked like surprise.

  “I didn’t expect…” Griffin mumbled. He hung his head and his platinum hair fell over his face.

  Lilah couldn’t help but lean into him and push his hair behind his ear. She found tears gathering in his downcast eyes. When he looked up at her, he managed a wobbly smile. Unable to walk away from him, she crawled closer and wrapped herself around him. He clutched her tight.

  “I didn’t think Jasper cared,” Griffin whispered. “I thought I was nothing but a pawn to him. But he still cares. He still cares about all of us.”

  “He needs his mate,” Lilah said. “If his mate will speak to him, then maybe Jasper won’t seem so distant. Maybe Grove will feel more like a home and less like a battlefield.”

  “A dragon is better with his mate.” Griffin pulled her into him, holding her tight. He rested his chin atop her head.

  She felt something inside her stir that was not her beast. It coiled and uncoiled in her stomach, pulling taut like a line that connected her to something else. To Griffin. She didn’t know what that meant or how she should even begin to interpret it. Perhaps it was because he helped her become the shifter that she was.

  Griffin didn’t change her, but he had been the one to help her come to terms with what she was. The only reason she’d been brave enough to fly was because of him. She owed him so much.

  “Looks like I have to make a call to the bank,” he murmured. “I think I owe you seven figures.”

  Lilah jerked back to stare up at
him. He grinned, despite the blood that coated his face and matted his hair. There was happiness brightening his features.

  “You flew yesterday. Am I right? I’m pretty sure I remember being caught like a damsel in distress. We had a deal. I would drop seven figures into your bank account if you learned to fly.”

  “That was a joke,” she warned him. “I didn’t want you to actually do it.”

  “Don’t lie. We both know you wanted the money. Now you can go on and do whatever you want with your life. Family curse be damned. Not that curses exist.”

  This time she pushed away from him completely. Her jaw ached and she realized she was clenching it. “Don’t make fun of me. The curse is real. You and I both know it. Why else would you have been hurt this bad?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because my cousin declared war over a woman who doesn’t want him? That seems about right.” He sobered, teasing nature gone, and reached out to touch her arm. “You can’t blame yourself for what happens to me. I am Jasper’s second in command. When bad things happen in our mountains, I will be in the middle of it. Getting hurt is part of my job.”

  He would not have been hurt this bad if she wasn’t around. If her curse had left him alone, he wouldn’t be riddled with scars. She couldn’t understand why he refused to see the truth.

  His hand slid up her arm to cup the side of her face. She leaned into his touch, even though she knew she had to cut herself off at some point. If she allowed herself to sink into him every time he was near, she would never be able to leave. Then…then his mate would arrive, and her heart would be shattered.

  “You’re just going to have to get used to it.” His brows lowered and then he sighed. “For the time being, at least. Hopefully this war ends soon. I can’t imagine it will go on forever. Jasper’s mate can’t camp in the mountains for the rest of her life.”

  “What’s the point? I could leave and save you worlds of pain.”