“So, you say,” Zane said. “We don’t agree on that point and I don’t think we ever will, but let’s get on with it.”
Ryan got to his feet and she jumped up, slipped out of the row, then followed him up to the front, her mouth dry, her heart pounding. “We’re here today to ask the council to recognize our marriage,” Ryan addressed the council when Zachary nodded to him. “I’m here to pledge my life to Paula, I swear to protect her as my one true mate. She comes to the clan willingly and with full knowledge of the customs and laws of our people. I ask that you grant her membership in the clan with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities available to all clan members.”
There was a brief silence. “Marcus has spoken to us in support of this union. He claims you have bonded with this human,” Zane said. “Do you support this claim?”
Ryan looked over at Paula and smiled. “Yes, sir, Paula is the only woman for me,” he said, then looked back up at the council. “My life would not be complete without her.”
“Is she willing to pledge her loyalty to the clan?” Zachary asked. “Does she understand what that pledge means?”
Ryan looked over at her and nodded his head. “I understand what it means, sir,” she said, hating the way her voice was shaking. “The clan’s secrets are my secrets and I’ll carry them to my grave or pay the price for telling the world about them with my life.”
There were nods of approval around the table, and even Zane seemed to relax. “I believe we are all satisfied with your answers,” Zachary said. “We will grant your…”
Before he could finish, the door burst open and Ryan’s mother came rushing inside, followed by a man she assumed was his father. “I demand you stop this farce right this second. I challenge the claims of my son and his so-called wife,” his mother called, striding up to the front. “Hurry up, Walter, we were almost too late, and it’s all your fault.”
“What is going on?” Zane asked. “How dare you interrupt…”
“I’m sorry, sir, my wife…” Ryan’s father started, then shook his head. “I would like to issue a formal protest. My son has been taken in by a human. We challenge the marriage, we challenge the bond they claim to have, and demand proof they have any sort of magical connection.”
There was a stunned silence in the room, then everyone began to whisper at once, and she felt the first ripple of alarm. “Ryan, what’s going on?” she asked, noticing several of the council members nodding their heads. “How can we prove that we’re bonded?”
“Your demands will be answered,” Zane said, before Ryan could answer, and she felt hands grabbing her. “Take her away and let the challenge begin.”
She called out for Ryan, but he was being restrained. “Don’t worry, I’ll come for you,” he called just as she was shoved out the door.
A second later, she was being lifted into the air by a dragon. It took everything in her not to scream as they soared higher and higher into the night sky. What felt like a lifetime later, the dragon dove for the Earth, then released her only seconds before they hit the ground, leaving her in a heap on the frozen ground. Another dragon came swooping down from above her head a second later, and a backpack plopped down beside her before it flew off as well.
She sat there stunned for a few seconds, looking around her, wondering what had just happened, then realized her butt was slowly freezing and climbed to her feet. After looking around the clearing, she grabbed the backpack and retreated to the trees to catch her breath and figure out what she was supposed to do, keeping the fear and panic at bay by thinking about Ryan. He would come after her; there was no doubt in her mind. She just needed to figure out how to survive until he found her.
CHAPTER 21
***RYAN***
Ryan fought against the hands holding him back, watching as Paula was dragged out of the meeting house, the dragon inside him awake and ready to fight for its mate. “Where are you taking her?” he growled, then struggled even harder. “Let me go. Do you hear me? You can’t do this.”
“Silence…” Zane roared. “The challenge was made, now you must prove there is a bond between you and Paula. The choice is out of our hands.”
Before he could respond, the door burst open again, and a man came striding in. “It’s done, sir,” he said. “The woman has been left at the secret location.”
His heart sank as panic began to well up inside him. He searched his memory, trying to figure out what they’d done with Paula, but then realized he had no idea what happened when a challenge like this was issued. Turning back to the council, he started to question them, but Zachary shook his head at him. Then Zane stood up, and the room went silent again.
“You have until dawn tomorrow morning to find her. If she’s really your perfect mate, if there truly is a bond between you, it should be easy,” Zane said, then looked around the room.“This meeting is adjourned pending the results of the challenge. Everyone should go home now. We’ll signal you when you can return.”
Shocked, he just stood there, then he saw his mother smiling at him, a satisfied look on her face, and it all hit him at once. Paula was out there somewhere in the forest, cold and alone, waiting for him to find her. If he didn’t, she would freeze to death before morning. Anger welled up inside him and he started to cross the room toward his mother, not sure what he was going to do, but angrier at her than he’d ever been.
Tami stepped in his way. “Leave her, she doesn’t matter right now. You can deal with her later,” she said, grabbing him by the shoulders. “Go find Paula. She needs you now. If you really love her, this is the time to prove it.”
He took one more look at his mother, then ran for the door, already letting his magic surge to the surface, focusing all his thoughts on Paula. His dragon came surging through as soon as he was out of the meeting house and he took to the sky with one powerful leap. Spreading his wings, he shot through the air, going higher and higher until he was hovering above the meeting house. Closing his eyes, he pictured Paula in his mind and waited, holding his breath for some sign of where she was.
As the seconds ticked by and nothing happened, he began to feel desperate, then a warm blast of air hit him, ruffling his feathers and filling him with hope. Following the current of air, he glided away from the clearing and the sound of voices, his entire focus on the woman that he loved. Understanding that the dragon was better equipped to track Paula, he let the creature guide his movements as he flew, the forest slipping by beneath him as he flew farther and farther away from civilization.
***Paula***
Hands shaking, Paula unzipped the backpack, then let out a little cry of happiness when she reached in and pulled out a heavy winter coat. After putting it on, she zipped it up and stuck her freezing hands into the pockets, doing a little dance when she felt a pair of gloves. Slipping her hands into them, she rifled through the backpack, making a mental note of everything inside, then zipped it closed and walked back out into the clearing.
She was far from an expert at surviving in the wilderness, but one thing she knew was that trying to find her way out in the dark would be impossible. Her best hope was to survive the night, giving Ryan time to find her, and then try to walk out in the morning if she was still stranded. Trying to remember the survival lessons her father had taught her, she started looking for a place to build a fire, gathering kindling as she walked.
To her relief, she found a large outcropping of rocks not far from where she’d been dropped, and there was a perfect little indentation that would be just big enough for a fire. Even better, the light from the fire would be reflected on the rocks, making it easier for Ryan to find her. Feeling a renewed sense of hope, she scoured the surrounding area for firewood, only quitting when she was sure she had enough to last the night, then shivering, crawled up under the rock.
