Page 24 of Kiss of Embers
My wolf stirred, and I seized her attention, letting her feel my anxiety. She responded at once, her power rippling in my voice as I motioned toward the tent’s entrance a second time. “I want you to leave.”
Struan’s nostrils flared. But he didn’t bend or back down. Instead, little flames appeared to dance in his eyes.
Finn kept his gaze on me as he palmed Struan’s shoulder. “We’ll go, lass. But what I said before remains true. Struan and I won’t force our claim. We won’t need to. Fate chose you for us, and fate has brought us together. You can deny it, but you can’t outrun destiny.”
In another seemingly coordinated move, he and Struan turned and went to the entrance. Just before they ducked outside, Struan met my gaze over his shoulder. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Zara.”
He and Finn stepped into the night.
For a moment, the tent was still. Finally, Drute turned to me.
“You can’t trust them.”
“I don’t.” I looked at him. “Do you think they’re trying to trick me?” Self-consciousness heated my cheeks. “Or make me respond to them somehow?”
He ran a hand over one of his horns in an uncharacteristically weary gesture. “I can’t be certain.” His gaze was troubled as he lowered his hand. “The bigger question is, why do the dragons want the elixir?”
My breath caught. Because Drute was right. The dragons’ race was underpopulated, yet they were willing to risk their lives for the elixir. According to all the lore I’d read growing up, nothing mattered more to them than finding their mates.
Well, they’d found me. But they weren’t dropping out of the Games and focusing all their energy on claiming me. Why? What was so important that it compelled them to stay in the competition?
Absently, I brushed my fingers over the spot where Struan had held my chin. His touch lingered, as if he’d marked me. Branded me.
But, of course, he hadn’t. My mind was playing tricks. Or maybe the dragons were playing tricks. Hell, maybe it was just the tug of the moon. Even as the thought formed, restlessness gripped me.
“I need to run,” I said, the words leaping out before I could snatch them back. Except I didn’t really want to. Shifting would do me good, especially if the Rules Committee allowed me to stay in the Games. The moon’s call was too strong. I needed toslip my skin and let my wolf have her way for a few hours. My thoughts were always less complicated on four feet.
Drute glanced at the tent’s opening, a frown in his eyes. “Are you sure that’s wise?”
“It’ll take the edge off,” I said, already moving to my bed. I unbuckled my sword and tossed it on the mattress. Drute was silent, but his disapproval floated in the air like a cloud.
I crossed the tent. At the opening, I paused and met Drute’s gaze. “I’ll be fine. You heard Bolveg. Maiming and murdering aren’t allowed.” I smiled. “Otherwise, I would have already murdered Brader.”
Drute sighed. “Please be careful.”
I blew him a kiss. Then I stepped into the night. The moon sparkled overhead. Its heat brushed my skin. Around the camp, laughter and music drifted from various tents. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but giant puddles formed mini ponds on the ground. Hopefully, the damp would keep the other competitors inside.
A different kind of music blared from the jungle. Insects. Wild animals. But I was more dangerous than the jaguars and caimans, and they gave me a wide berth as I shed my clothes and shifted.
Seconds later, I sprinted across the jungle on four feet. Soil flew under my claws. My night vision cast the world in shades of bright blue and green. Wind whipped through my fur as I pushed myself faster, leaping fallen trees and clumps of foliage. The moon’s music flowed through my veins, ferrying away cares about Brader’s schemes and the pack.
Then I caught a scent.
No,scents.
Forest and smoke. Traces of dark incense.
Dragons.Struan and Finn were nearby. As before, their scents drew me, the pull as powerful as the moon. I slowed,picking my way through the trees and low-hanging vines. My pulse quickened as a break in the foliage revealed a large tent bathed in moonlight. Low voices rumbled from a split in the canvas. Shadows moved within.
I drew closer, my ears pricked for sound.
And it came—the deep rhythms of male speech.
“Do you think there’s another way to save her?” Struan asked.
Her?Were they talking about me? I eased forward, careful not to make any noise.
“No,” Finn said. “It’s up to us.”