Returning to the dining room with Amara on my heels, I discreetly throw Stone a stern look on my way to the far side of the dining room table, taking a seat by the folder. Kodi is leaning against the wall beside me now, and I bite the inside of my cheek as his shift in position makes it abundantly clear that my fears weren’t unfounded. I’d hoped that his vehement reactions simply stemmed from jealousy; Kodi’s always romanticized the concept of fated mates. But three weeks around Amara and he’s completely attuned to her, instinctually taking subtle steps to put her more at ease.
That would be a relief if this were atypicalmate situation where we were courting her as a unit, but her and Stone being mark-mates changes the dynamic, putting the two of us in more of a... supporting role. From here on out, Kodiak and I will handle any hazardous risks while treating Amara as a member of our legion, protected and supported. Family. But she’s not ours; the Fates have made that perfectly clear. To allow ourselves to pine after her would be a betrayal to our brother, and a recipe for disaster. By the soft smile on Kodiak’s face as he catches sight of her, though? I’m afraid he’s already well on the way to getting his heart thoroughly ripped out.
She pauses the moment she sees Stone’s face, remaining in the doorway. Gaze bouncing between all three of us, she clenches her jaw, but after several tense moments, finally strides up to me while side-eyeing Stone. Withdrawing an envelope from her back pocket, she tosses it onto the table. “Here.”
Spinning the folder around, I flip it open for her to leaf through. “Double check that everything aligns with what you were hoping for and all of the spellings match without any unintentional typos.”
As she hesitates to take her eyes off of us long enough to do so, I can’t fight an appreciative smile as Avery launches off of her shoulder to land on the table between us and ruffles her wings with a cry, attempting to look intimidating. While I trained her well, the instincts are all hers, and I’ve never been more proud of how easily she can read a room.
Amara takes the folder to the far end of the table to inspect, trusting that her makeshift alarm system will warn her if any of us move a muscle. “Looks like it’s all in order.” She withdraws a slip of paper with a raised eyebrow. “You even went so far as to find someone to pretend to be a work reference. Do I need to tip them off first, or are they good at making things up on the fly?”
“It’s my number, and while the first is preferred, I like to think I’m fairly adaptable in the heat of the moment. Also gives you the option to reach out the next time you need help, but there’s a list of contacts in there as well I can personally vouch for.”
Her fingers tighten on the paper before sliding it back in the folder and clutching it to her chest. “I appreciate that.” Glancing at Avery, a shadow of regret flickers across her face before she hides it behind a well-practiced mask, stuffing down her emotions. “Take care of yourselves.” Pivoting on her heel, she walks away with her head held high.
Stone awkwardly clears his throat. “Amara?”
She goes rigid, tension radiating off of her until the bitter taste is so thick on my tongue I have to bite my cheek until I draw blood to dilute it. Slowly, she spins around in the doorway to finally face him head on. When he says nothing more, simply stares at her with pleading panic and an earnest lament as he chokes on his pre-rehearsed speech, she looks between all three of us, releasing a singular dark, humorless laugh.
“I should have known. I suspected something was up when of all the people it could have been that Kodiak brought me to, it was the guy that owned the falcon that randomly latched onto me, but I figured it was the typical ‘ooh, an unmated shifter,’ deal.” With a vicious glare at Kodiak, she takes another step backward. “I fucking knew better, but you clearly weren't hired to drag me back to him, so I talked myself-” she shakes her head. “Nevermind. Let me guess?” Turning her attention to Stone, her nostrils flare. “You had a hunch about what kind of shifter I was after my reaction in the hospital and roped your legion into pinning me down so you could be sure?” Without waiting for his response, she tosses the folder on the table with a disgusted scoff. “This is worthless now.”
“No it’s not.” Stone finally snaps out of it, switching into his patient-reassurance mode and imbuing every bit of confidence he can muster into his voice. “This new paperwork will at least get you by until you find another connection if you really want nothing to do with us, I only ask that you hear me out first. Please?”
She scans the room with a mixture of anger, and regret. Kodi remains stoic at his post, leaving the table as a barrier between her and us to give her an unhindered escape route to the front door. Finally, she clenches her jaw and gives Stone a terse nod.
Rather than any bullshit to ease her into it when we can all feel the clock working against us, he decides to lay it all out there in one fell swoop. Rising to his feet, he lifts his shirt, putting the massive tribal mark on his side on full display. "It appeared after I stitched you up in the hospital."
Instantly, she counters, "You wore gloves the entire time; I watched you."
From his pocket, he withdraws one of the latex gloves he always keeps on hand and demonstrates how it leaves a sliver of wrist exposed at the edge of his sleeve when he bends his hand. "I swear, Amara, it wasn't intentional. I didn't even notice until I was washing my hands afterward."
Studying her face, I share a quick, confused look with Kodi.She actually seems... relieved?
Shoulders relaxing, she gives Stone a rueful smile. "I did a body check as soon as I left that day and am all clear, so I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you’re barking up the wrong tree. Maybe you’ll be lucky and the hospital still has their security footage from that day so you have a shot at tracking down the right person. My deepest sympathies."
When she moves to leave again, he blurts, "Let me check. Please, Amara, I’d never waste your time if I wasn’t sure that it was you."
All of that tension is back in full force as she stiffens, keeping her eyes firmly locked on us as she slowly inches toward the exit.
Kodi shoves off of the wall, but doesn't chase after her yet. "Think about it. Stone's already marked, yeah? So he's not a threat. He can touch you without you risking a mark appearing if it hasn’t already."
As she slows in her retreat, I cautiously add, "Isn't it better to be sure before you leave town? What if you’re wrong, Amara? This is something that no amount of running or pretending it isn't real will make disappear."
She’s quiet for several minutes before clenching her fists at her sides, hissing, “You three will never leave me alone until I prove that you’re wrong, will you?” Determination painting her features, she swallows, meeting Stone’s desperate gaze. “I get it. I may hate it, but I do understand. If our roles were reversed, I’d be a ball of anxiety right now, too.” Pinning Kodiak and me with a sharp look, she declares, “The second either of you moves so much as a muscle, though, I’m gone. No second chances.”
“Of course.”
To set her more at ease, Kodiak eases into the chair at my right, making a point to slide his hands under his thighs. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Wringing the hem of her black long-sleeved shirt, she allows Stone to approach her. Like she was expecting him to club her over the head, when he doesn’t make any sudden movements, waiting patiently for her to take the lead, she releases a heavy exhale.
“We’ll go section by section, because I'm not going to stand here naked in front of you three. And you’re just going to have to take my word for it that everything beneath my underwear is mark free, because that’s a hard line I’m not willing to cross simply to appease you. It’ll take a lot more than this sob story to get a pity flash.”
His eyes darken. “Someone’s tried to coerce you like that before?”
“The ‘my dog died, and I just found out I only have three months to live, woe is me, I’m so sad and lonely,’ pick up line?” With a snort of derision, she gives us her back before stripping off her shirt, using it to cover the front of her body. “Far more often than I care to admit.”
Taking a page out of Kodi’s book, I slide my hands under the table and grip my thighs to hide my reaction. Not only from the manipulative garbage she’s endured, but the sight of her exposed skin. Each and every mark I meticulously file away, internally seething. Shifters may have accelerated healing, but even those that are completely healthy still scar if the wound is deep enough. It just takes a day or two instead of weeks. The little we know about Amara shows that she falls in the malnourished, high-stress category not conducive to swift healing, and we knew she was running from someone, but I figured it was the usual song and dance we’ve seen dozens of times over. Female dragons are highly coveted, so it would be normal that she’d be in hiding if she didn’t have family protecting her.
