One long finger tapped out a little tune on the wooden frame before he studied me. “And what would I get in exchange?”
My father growled at the suggestion in his tone.
“A clean sick bay,” I replied.
He inclined his head. “As you say.”
I had no clue whether that meant yes or no, but I wasn’t about to ask. Either he brought the supplies, or he didn’t. Only time would tell. Dad opened one of the wooden storage boxes and peered inside, but whatever he saw there made him drop the lid, wipe his hands on his pants, and set his gear on top. He and Rust kept their rifles on their persons, slings tight against their chests.
I sheathed my daggers and rushed to the nearest porthole. Ancient wood creaked and groaned beneath my boots as the shiprocked and swayed with the tide. Prying the window open, I took in a lungful of fresh air, staring out at the ocean waves.
When I leaned back in, the room still stank, so I crossed the space and threw open the other porthole to create a cross breeze. With the fishmen out of sight and surrounded by the safety of my packmates, a little tension eased from my shoulders as I absentmindedly let my gaze sweep across the receding land… and froze.
The dragon stood on the dock.
CLEAN UP THIS MESS
Ziara
It was him. No question. A shemagh covered most of his face, but I knew that body. Shirtless, because of course he was, there was no mistaking his dark skin, broad shoulders, and the muscles rippling across his chest.
The chest I’d plunged both my daggers into.
How the hell?
Everything inside me went cold. He radiated power even in stillness, a predator zeroing in on his prey.
He’d found us.
Across an ocean, through a sandstorm, and beyond a city that should have buried our trail, he had tracked us down.
My eyes betrayed me, dragging across his body before I could stop them. The revulsion I felt toward myself was immediate and absolute. This creature wanted to destroy everything I loved, yet some twisted, broken part of me couldn’t look away.
The sneeze I’d been fighting finally won. My eyes squeezed shut as it exploded from my face, the sound cracking across the silence like a whip. When I could finally blink and refocus, I wished I hadn’t.
His silver gaze found and locked onto mine, and I didn’t need to see his mouth to know he was smiling. Victory shone in the cocky asshole’s eyes.
My legs gave out. Mack’s hands caught my arms, steadying me, and then he followed my eyes to the dock.
“Who is that, Zee?”
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.
“Alpha, you should see this guy.”
Mack tugged me away to make room for Dad and Rust as he sat me on one of the filthy storage boxes and knelt at my feet, studying my face.
“Who is that guy?”
I tried to answer, but my throat felt like sandpaper. Nothing came out except a rasp.
“The dragon,” Rust said, recognizing him at once. “But how?”
Mack’s eyes widened.
“Impossible,” the alpha boomed, watching the dragon until the ship turned and the dock disappeared from sight. “We could have teleported anywhere in the world. He had no way of knowing where we went. Unless?—”
Dad turned and focused his anger on me.
