It was too late for words. My form enlarged swiftly, towering over the clearing, wings unfurling with a sound like sails catching the wind. The human part of me retreated as my draconic instincts took over, yet I clung to one imperative thought: keep her safe. My dragon huffed at me as if reminding me that he loved her as much as I did.
Through my heightened senses, I felt rather than saw Erin's reaction. Her fear was palpable, a wild, desperate energy that spurred her into motion. She staggered back, her mouth open in a silent scream that soon found its voice.
"Erin!" I roared, though it came out as an earth-shaking bellow. Oh, damn, that was stupid.
Her scream tore through the forest, piercing and sharp, as she turned and fled. Panic propelled her, and I could hear her heart thundering, her breaths coming in ragged gasps as she ran. She ran from me, the creature she could not comprehend, the man she might have loved now lost to this monstrous form.
"Erin, wait." I tried again, but the roar echoed hollowly among the trees, doing nothing to slow her escape. This time, I tried talking straight into her head, but she was probably too panicked to understand.Erin, please wait!
She disappeared into the woods, her screams still echoing long after she was out of sight. My dragonheart clenched, a feeling of desolation settling over me as I watched the space where she had been, the space now empty except for the fading echoes of her terror.
Chapter 27
Erin
I bolted through the woods,my breath ragged and my heart pounding against my ribs like a frantic bird seeking escape from a cage. No, prey escaping the beast. Branches whipped at my face, leaving thin, stinging lines in their wake. My mind could not erase the image of that dragon—its massive wings outstretched, shimmering with an otherworldly brilliance as sunlight danced along the giant scales. Its leg, a colossal column of muscle and sinew, was as thick as my waist. The impossibility of it all clawed at my reason.
No human could transform into such a creature. It was impossible. Yet, Ashton had. I'd seen him do it! He was a freaking dragon!
I stumbled into the clearing behind the inn, gasping for air, and made a beeline for Nathan'shouse. When I arrived, he was outside, leaning against his porch railing, nearly collapsing.
"Erin, what's happened?" he asked, concern etching his features as he caught me by my shoulders.
"I saw... a dragon," I choked out through the fear. I nearly didn't tell him. He might've thought I had finally gone completely bananas.
"Come inside," Nathan said gently, guiding me into his home. We stepped directly into his kitchen, a large, inviting space that smelled faintly of brewing coffee and something subtly sweet, like cinnamon. The room was clean, but lived-in, with warm, honey-toned wooden cabinets lining the walls and a large, sturdy farmhouse table dominating the center. Once we were seated at the table, he handed me a glass of water. "Now, Erin, you need to understand something about this town."
I took a trembling sip, my gaze fixed on him, waiting for an explanation that could possibly make sense of the madness. There had to be something to make it make sense.
"Pretty much everyone here... well, they're magical," he said, his eyes never leaving mine. "Most of us have abilities or... are a bit more than human. Those who aren't gifted with magic, like you, the humans, are deeply trusted to keep our secrets."
"Magical? Like storybook magical?" I said quietly, the water glass shaking in my hand. Was that why peoplehadn't talked to me much when I came to town? Because I hadn't known their secrets?
"Exactly," he nodded. "Like me, I am a wolf shifter."
"A what?" I blinked in disbelief. I looked around his kitchen and glanced out into the living room. "Is Elle a wolf shifter too?"
As the words left my mouth, I realized that if he was, his daughter probably would be too.
He nodded. "She is, and so is Gavin."
The chief of police was a wolf shifter. "That's crazy." Holy frick.
He stood up, a serious look crossing his face. "I'm going to show you. Please, don't freak out. It's still me. I'm still Nathan."
Before I could protest, he stripped to his underwear. Ashton hadn't had to strip.
Nathan's form blurred, fur sprouting, muscles growing, and bones popping as he morphed seamlessly into the shape of an enormous wolf. His underwear tore off his body in the process, ripping to shreds.
His fur was a rich brown that matched the color of his hair in human form except it was thick and dense, catching the dim kitchen light in shifting waves of umber and gold. A majestic mane of darker hair fanned out around his neck and shoulders, giving him an evenmore imposing silhouette. Every individual strand seemed to vibrate with a wild, untamed energy. I tensed.
My first instinct was to scream, but the softness in the wolf's eyes held me still. He was indeed still Nathan, just as he said. I could see it.
I hadn't given myself a chance to see it with Ashton. I hadn't taken the time to really look. Even after him telling me I was safe. Even after I promised I trusted him. His roar had just cut through me, igniting my fight or flight.
I stared at the wolf, atNathan, my mind racing to piece together the fragmented reality that had been my life until now. Every oddity and whisper about the town suddenly fell into place, aligning with a truth too fantastical to believe yet impossible to deny.
"Okay," I finally uttered, a shaky acceptance of the world I'd been blind to—a world where dragons soared in the sky above me, and neighbors turned into wolves.
