Khal nods along and then laughs. "With my people, it's customary for the female to choose anywhere from three to five males to be in her nest. She may not reproduce with all ofthem, but she has the choice of the best genetics to provide her offspring." He shrugs and has the decency to look embarrassed.
Diaval listens and nods. "Only the strongest females of the flights are ever chosen to produce children. Granted, if a mated pair wants one child, it's not forbidden. But there are always two or three females who are the strongest, and they give birth to multiple offspring each time they're pregnant. They have their choice of the strongest males amongst us." He smirks and shakes his head. "With me having my shining personality, I was never a consideration." The bastard smirks at us and laughs.
"You're not that horrible. You can be a real grump sometimes and detached, but I can't see you being that dreadful." Feray looks up at him.
"That could just be the mate bond talking, little one." He smiles ever so briefly. "I will take the compliment. I appreciate it." He reaches up and adjusts his tie like he usually does when he's uncomfortable before looking back at the rest of us. "Torben, you have the contact for the alpha of Blackmore, correct?"
"Yes, I do." I pull my phone out and scroll to his contact information.
"Send him a message that we're going to need accommodations for five when we arrive, and that we would like to discuss pertinent matters in relation to our mate.”b Diaval turns to watch as I type out the message. I turn my phone back to show him. The message is written verbatim. "Perfect. Send it." I press send, and off goes the message to Roman.
The car falls into silence as we listen to the crunch of gravel under the tires. As we decided earlier, we only pass through Norburg. The quaint little town is dark and dreary, lacking anysigns of bright colors or frivolity. I watch Khal go on high alert, looking around all sides of the car as we pass through the village. No sooner do we get out the other side than he finally sighs a breath of relief and slumps back into his seat.
"I hate going through there." He mutters and goes back to typing on his phone. "Diaval, you were correct. Bypassing the Claw and Fang Inn is a very good idea. According to my source, there are several meetings tonight that we should not be a part of."
Diaval nods along and taps his temple. "Sometimes the ancients know what's best, isn't that true?"
Feray glances between Diaval and Khal, then over at me before turning to look out the window. "So ultimately, we're ending up in Blackmore.” She climbs onto my lap again to watch out the window.
"To start with, yes." I press a kiss to her temple as she uses me as her personal chair. "There are at least two other places to look after Blackmore. Dunnam and Crescent Valley are old wolven strongholds. Crescent Valley is going to be difficult to get into. Very few know where the entrance is."
Easton's statement makes Feray sit up and lean over the driver's seat. "Can't you and Diaval fly us there?"
Her innocent question almost chokes Diaval, and Easton's eyebrows shoot up so high I think they might get permanently stuck in his hairline. "Well, um..." Easton fumbles his words, and Diaval coughs to clear his throat.
"There are things about flying with our shifts you must know." Diaval takes a deep breath, and I already know where he's going with it. "For my kind, it's called a mating flight." He fidgets with his tie and looks around. "With you not being a dragon,it changes things. It makes the flight hold more meaning." A hushed "oh" escapes Feray's lips, and she scoots back, climbing into my lap once more. Easton seems uneasy as he drives, and Diaval keeps staring at him.
"Let's table that discussion for later, shall we? For now, let's locate the information we need and take it from there." Diaval quickly changes focus from flying and returns to the task at hand.
My phone dings, and I struggle to get it out of my pocket. "Roman says he'll take us to dinner at the Steak and Ale House in Blackmore if we have time." I read further down the message. It contains the address of the restaurant and the inn where we'll stay when we arrive. I message him back about our planned detours and that I'll contact him when we're getting close.
Feray lies on her side, holding a map in her hand, looking at where we are in relation to where we need to be. Her fingertips trace the path we should follow. Her fingers freeze over the Ferryman's Bridge, and she just stares at it. It's the same bridge her parents died on.
Easton stops the car, and he and Diaval switch seats, allowing Diaval to take over driving for a while. With all the danger around us, it's better to have a fresh set of eyes behind the wheel. Easton turns to sit sideways in the seat, looking back to watch Feray as she pores over the map. She's so focused on the destination that she doesn't realize Easton is watching her like a bear with honey.
Chapter 3
Diaval
Sitting in the passenger seat,I observe my old friend battling his bird over his feelings for the wolf. He hangs on her every word, listening intently. This is exactly why I didn't want a mate. You forget yourself, and slowly your world becomes about them. The last few months have brought terrifying changes in my behavior. Where I once rarely went out to enjoy a drink at the bar, I found myself there frequently—especially the nights that little siren was working.
Easton battles himself and the feelings his phoenix wishes to pursue. It's hard as a mythic to allow oneself to bond to somebody with so few years. I believe that's the most troublesome part for him, even though we would share our lifespan with her. If I'm being honest with myself, the hardest part for me is accepting the others within her bond.
Easton's twitchiness increases almost exponentially, and this won't bode well for the safety of our passengers. I offer for us to pull over and switch so we arrive at our destination safely. He switches places with me quickly, and we're back on the road. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Easton turn to watch her. I can't lieto myself any further. As much as I try to deny it, I have feelings for the little she-wolf in the back seat.
My eyes glance up to the rearview mirror to make sure she's okay. She's curled up tightly, resting on top of her bear mate with her hands pulled against her chest, facing the front of the car. I find myself developing jealousy—a feeling I've never experienced in my entire existence. The pull and need within, and yet the anger that someone else is holding her. The man that I am has not come to terms with the idea that we must share our mate.Even worse, she isn't a dragon like us. She can't fly...my dragon supplies.
Rolling my eyes, I attempt to focus on the road until I notice movement to my right. It becomes apparent as I look over at Easton that he's also jealous the bear gets to hold her. As much as my dragon urges me to go to her, it may not be safe. To live as long as I have, I have enemies lurking in shadows who may try to use her against me. Without a shadow of a doubt, they would use my soft-skinned mate against me, knowing full well I would give them anything to keep her safe.
Huffing out a sigh, I try to remember the safe route to the ocean.She's never been anywhere,my dragon reminds me as I search my memory for sights to show her.
Norburg is as dark as I remember. The dangerous sides of our communities tend to congregate here. The shops are fronts for money laundering and drug dealing for this part of the continent. Khal's people run most of the legal and illegal drug trade for the area. He pulls his hood up over his head and covers his face until we're out of the main part of town. He explained earlier that it was safer if the citizens of Norburg didn't know he was leaving the area—he and his brother keep the rest of thegroup in line. If rumors got out that they were gone, all hell might break loose.
We pass through sketchy parts of the woods after leaving Norburg. Dark shadows of all different sizes move deep within the tree line, and I take his warning seriously. The Fang and Claw Inn is also passed, and you can see the shady underbelly of our society lurking around the outside of the building. Motorcycles and beat-up trucks line up out front with their colors emblazoned upon them. A body comes flying out the front window and crashes onto the hood of a truck. I make haste and get us away from the area, heading toward the Crossroads Inn.
The scenery heading south changes from pines mixed into the woods to mostly hardwoods. The Crossroads Inn is run by one of my flight members, Tregar. He'll provide us with safe refuge for the night and a meal fit for a king. He has a series of suites meant for groups like ours so we may have privacy. Being substantially older than he is, buying his silence will be inexpensive compared to if any of my companions tried it. Feray starts to stretch and move around in the back seat. Easton whips his head back, watching again.
"How about we take a break before we get to the inn? Maybe stretch our legs for a while?" I suggest the break more for Easton than the others. We really don't need him spontaneously combusting in the car.
