Finding Faith (Return of the Dragons)

Guilt welled up inside of her when she thought of all he’d already lost, and the thoughts that must have been running through his head when he found her empty truck, with her nowhere in sight.

“God, Cody, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think that through. It was a human, and I knew you’d be here soon. I told myself I couldn’t be so terrified that I let a human get away, so I followed his scent until it ended just around the bend. You must have gotten to the gate right as I walked out of sight. I’m so sorry.”

Shaking his head, he ran his hand up and down her back, like he was still reassuring himself that she was actually there. “Don’t ever apologize for finding your bravery and strength, especially when you thought you lost them. And especially because of my hang ups. I know how much following that scent scared you, and I’m proud as fuck that you did it. Just promise me, if you do something like that again, that you won’t hesitate to call on your dragon. I don’t give a fuck who’s around to see her. You let her out and let her protect you.”

She nodded without hesitation. “I promise. She was right there, on the surface and ready to take over if anything happened.”

“Good. Now, what set you off? It couldn’t have just been that scent. Although, I can still smell traces, and it’s horrible.”

Giving him a strained smile, she nodded at the gate. “There’s a note up there. I’m surprised you didn’t see it when you came out.”

Taking her by the hand, he walked over to it. “I was looking for you. And once I saw that you were gone, nothing else even registered.”

Reaching up, he took the note, stiffening as he read it. “Fuck. It’s not over, then.”

“It doesn’t look like it. But Cody, that’s a human scent. I mean, we don’t want any humans knowing about us, but it’s better than shifters, right? Shifters are harder to fight against.”

“That’s true.” The look in his eyes turned distant. “Now that I think of it, when I was fighting the men at the drive-in and one of them shifted, the humans looked horrified. Maybe the shifter was a traitor, and he was leading the humans to other shifters, hoping the humans would help him kill them.”

“That sounds like a good possibility, especially since the man here was human, too.”

“Either way, it’s not over. And by the words on this note, it won’t be for a while yet.”

“It doesn’t look that way, unfortunately. But I know we’ve got this, no matter what comes our way.”

Giving her his knee weakening half smile, he placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “Come on. Let’s get inside the compound. I don’t like you being out in the open like this, not right now.”

She nodded, following him back to the truck as warmth spread through her chest. She’d been terrified earlier, but she knew, if it came down to it, she could protect herself.

But she loved how much he wanted to protect her, too.

Her pulse skittered as she slanted a look at him, her next realization hitting her hard, although she wasn’t sure why. She should have already known.

It wasn’t just his protectiveness, or kindness, or sexiness she loved.

It wasn’t just his caring nature and giving heart.

It was him. She loved him, and she knew that even if he wasn’t her mate, there wasn’t another man in the world who could ever have her heart like he did.

Chapter 21

Cody

“I really don’t think they’re going to go for that, Cody,” Olivia said as she followed him inside his house.

“You need to try to talk them into it, Liv. The humans are clearly coming after the troop, and I don’t want any of you caught in the crossfire because of us. My company will be renovating your house, remember? I’ll be over there a lot. Plus, if they see you and I together—which they might already have done—then you could already be on their radar.”

“Okay, say that’s true. That still doesn’t change the fact that we’re dragons. We’re not defenseless, and we’re more than capable of fighting a battle.”

“And how much more might damage might that do to the other dragons while they’re trying to heal? Just try, is all I’m asking. We have plenty of room for all of you until the threat is over.”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “Or maybe it’ll help them realize they don’t ever have to be scared of a threat again if they win a battle, and that will help them heal. But okay, fine. I’ll ask them, but I’m telling you, they’ll say no.”

The corner of his mouth turned up at the barely there eye roll she gave him, and he was just about to take her into his arms when they were interrupted.

“You’re a dragon? Sweet. I didn’t know they still existed.”

Olivia startled, her wide green gaze flying to Axel as he walked out of the kitchen with a sandwich in his hand. She looked rapidly between the two of them, probably taking in their similarities, as her brow furrowed.