“That’s a good idea.” He attempted a smile. “I might go for a run myself.”
“Um.” Ivy hesitated at the window. “Not to sound paranoid, but would you mind waiting until I get back? My dumb wyvern gets anxious when Hope’s left unguarded, and there’ll be a lot of strangers in the house tonight. I think I need to really stretch my wings to clear my head, and I can’t do that if my beast is constantly trying to tug me back here.”
She looked so small and brave and lonely, silhouetted against the darkening twilight. More than anything, he wanted to go over to her and enfold her in his arms. To show her that she wasn’t alone. That she didn’t need to be brave. That he would take care of her, in every way that she needed.
But he couldn’t.
“Of course I’ll watch over Hope,” he said. “But she really is safe here, you know. The wards around the grounds are like invisible walls. Not even a flying shifter can enter the property without the permission of someone in the family.”
A worried wrinkle appeared between her brows. “Uh, I’ve got your permission to go in and out, right?”
“You don’t need it,” he said. “You are family.”
Ivy soared on emerald wings over the winter-bare woods. Things always seemed simpler when she was wrapped in scales, alone and free in the sky. The cold wind swept the cobwebs of human thoughts from her mind, leaving only the bright, sharp desires of the wyvern.
She swooped low over the forest, her sharp eyes picking out the faint marks of deer-tracks through the leafless canopy. Her talons flexed, acid saliva flooding her mouth in anticipation. Having lived her entire life in cities, she’d never had the opportunity to indulge her predatory instincts.
No. The small still-human part of her tugged at her awareness, like a rider pulling on reins. Not that way. I’m not going to let you poach the Earl’s deer.
She snarled in irritation, but allowed herself to be pulled off-course. The sweeping lawns in front of their lair offered easier hunting than the tangled woods, after all.
And indeed, there was a whole herd of creatures approaching, foolishly following each other nose-to-tail along the gravel track. Their bright, staring eyes made them easy targets. They didn’t smell of meat, but their roaring was annoying, and they were on her territory. Throat swelling, she gathered herself to swoop and rain death upon the intruders.
NO. Once again, that irritating part of her forced her away. For pity’s sake, those are guests arriving for the ball! You can’t eat them either!
She fought, but her other-self was too strong. She was forced to soar upward, aborting her dive. Hissing in anger, she spiraled above the grounds, watching the honking beasts crawl up to the front of the lair, disgorging small two-legged shapes from their innards.
Humans. Strange humans.
You could not trust humans. Even the ones who were supposed to care for you could turn mean and cold between one breath and another. You had to be always on guard, always ready to defend what was yours.
Every instinct screamed at her to destroy the strangers. They were too close to her treasures.
Hugh’s there, her human part reminded her. He’ll watch over Hope.
Her bristling spines settled a little. Her mate was powerful. Even the beasts with the burning eyes would be no match for his incandescent wrath. Yes, she could trust him to defend the lair in her absence.
Satisfied, she swept her wings down, her sleek form cleaving the air. She would hunt. She would return with plump prey, and feed choice morsels to her mate.
Hugh’s a vegetarian, her other-self muttered at the bottom of her mind. What are you going to do, slay a salad?
But at least her other half wasn’t clipping her wings anymore. She soared onward, enjoying the icy bite of the night air. The winds in this new territory were challenging, made unpredictable by the rolling hills below. They sported with her, tugging playfully at her lean form. Far more interesting than the thick, flat air above human cities.
She caught sight of the high stone wall that marked the boundary of the estate, and angled her wings to follow it. Best to stay within her mate’s territory, until she could learn who controlled the lands beyond.
Though, she mused, not even the strongest dragon could stand against the combined power of herself and her mate. Together they would expand this great territory even further. They would claim enough hunting grounds to support generations of their offspring—
A strange light caught her attention, interrupting her daydream. She hovered on the wind, narrowing her eyes.
She wasn’t the only creature pacing the boundary tonight. A pack of hulking black shapes ran along the outside edge of the wall, occasionally stopping to sniff and paw at it. Though they were four-legged, they were not fat deer or juicy boar.
They were predators.
The flickering light that had caught her attention shone from their open jaws, backlighting vicious fangs. Their red eyes gleamed bright as flames in the dark.
Hellhounds!
Her human half was suddenly alert, once again taking control of their shared body. Her own instincts called her to swoop down and put an end to the much smaller predators, but her other-self kept them high in the sky, invisible against the scattered clouds.