The eggs and bland bread weren’t appealing, but I knew I had to keep fed if I wanted to be at my best, so I shoved the remaining bits of food into my mouth and headed to the tubs against one of the cave walls.

  I rinsed the food off in the tub of dirty water, then deposited the dishes into the soapy, cleaner one next to it.

  Turning back to Lykem, I knew what I needed to do next. “I’m going back to Earth. I need to let Dawsyn’s family know that I’m looking for her and will update them as soon as I can.”

  He grinned, but I shook my head before he could reply. “You’re staying here.”

  “Not a chance in hell,” he said. “You’re not the only one who gets to have all the fun.”

  I wouldn’t call telling my mate’s family that I couldn’t find her fun, but whatever he wanted to think.

  “No.” I headed toward the cave exit, ignoring the shifters sleeping on tattered blankets draped over the dirt floor. If I thought too much about the living conditions here, I was going to lose my damn mind.

  I had to find Dawsyn first.

  By the time I reached the opening, Lykem was keeping stride with me and staying silent.

  “You’re not going,” I said.

  Still, he said nothing.

  “They need you here,” I added.

  We got outside, and it was time for me to shift so that I could get to the portal quicker, but Lykem skipped ahead and beat me to it.

  The stubborn fucker wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

  At least I still had my phone. I didn’t need to drive back to the academy. I could call River, give the update, and we could come back. We’d be gone for five or ten minutes.

  I called the shift forward, reveling in the charged energy of my dragon as his body formed. He was in the sky just a few seconds behind Lykem, and we followed his red dragon toward the portal opening.

  My eyes still scanned the area below, but there was nothing new to see. Not even new destruction. Since coming back, things had been exceedingly quiet, which bothered me and several others. If whoever had been attacking had stopped, what were they planning next? That was an answer we likely wouldn’t get until it was too late.

  We arrived at the portal and shifted back to our human forms, and I placed my hand on Lykem’s chest. “You need to conceal your energy before we walk through this portal.”

  He gave me one of his signature smirks. “I prepared for this moment the day you came back.” Then, he closed his eyes and a shimmer of opaque energy covered his body for a few seconds.

  When he looked my way again, the cockiness of his grin wasn’t something I had any intention of responding to. Instead, I concealed my own energy, noticing that the magic was harder to pull from, which meant I would need to use another scale soon to re-up the cloaking spell.

  The portal before us was an invisible forcefield between two trees, one that could be sensed, but never seen. The energy made my skin itch, but I didn’t hesitate walking through the doorway.

  Three steps forward and I was standing at the base of a snow-covered mountain. Another second later, my phone began vibrating like crazy in my pocket.

  I moved out of the way to check the messages as Lykem stepped through.

  “What the fuck is this shit?” He shuddered. “You didn’t tell me my balls might freeze off.”

  I ignored his complaints as I stared at the screen on my phone.

  River: Why haven’t you called me back? Where the fuck is Dawsyn?

  River: Beatrix called. Roman and Cait have called. You need to answer the damn phone.

  River: You’re so fucked if you don’t bring her back.

  Unknown: I have your scales and blood, boy. I will find you and you will give me my granddaughter.

  Unknown: You have twelve hours before the hunt begins.

  There were others, but I stopped reading as soon as Lykem punched me in the shoulder. “Look up.”

  I slid my phone back into my pocket as I sensed Dawsyn’s GiGi and two wolf shifters in front of us.

  I should have expected this. I’d known they’d be furious, but had hoped that River would have made them understand that I wasn’t the one who took her.

  “Cillian,” Beatrix said with a snarl. “Where is Dawsyn?”

  The man beside her stormed forward, vengeance in his raging blue eyes and dripping with alpha power. The woman behind him looked just like my mate with her brunette hair and sharp facial features.

  Feeling rather confident these were Dawsyn’s parents, I didn’t try to stop the alpha wolf as he pinned me against the rocks. “I don’t care who you are. If you don’t bring back my daughter, I will rip every fucking scale from your body.”

  His forearm pressed into my throat, and I saw Lykem stepping closer, but I shook my head, trying to tell him to stay back. Unfortunately, Dawsyn’s dad thought I was telling him no.

  He smashed his forehead into my face, likely breaking my nose based on the sharp pains radiating from there.

  “Don’t fucking tell me no,” he hissed. “Or it will be the last thing you do.”

  The woman approached. “Roman, he can’t talk if you’re choking him, and he’s Dawsyn’s mate. He doesn’t smell like her, which means he hasn’t been with her. Let him explain.”

  “As much as I love a good torture session,” Beatrix said, “Cait’s right. I saw them together. His intentions were good. At least then.”

  Roman shoved me harder into the jagged rocks of the mountain. “Speak. Quickly.” Then, he turned to the old witch. “We’re still going to discuss you knowing about all this days ago.”

  She didn’t seem at all afraid of the wolf shifter. Instead, she gave her attention back to me. “You gave me your scales and blood. I can track you anywhere on Earth, and you don’t have what you need to save your realm, because it belongs to me. Tell us what happened to Dawsyn.”

  “You got the short end of the stick with in-laws,” Lykem whispered, garnering a snarl from Roman, but a grin from Beatrix.

  I ignored them and started relaying everything I knew. “River was taken and I’m assuming used as bait to get Dawsyn to cooperate with whoever has her.”

  “You don’t know who took my daughter?” This time it was Cait who snarled.

  “Not yet, but it’s not for lack of trying.”

  Lykem clasped my shoulder. “Cillian has only slept and ate when he’s been forced to. Even then, it hasn’t been enough. He’s spent hours scouring our realm for your daughter as have several others including myself.”

  They all seemed to ignore him, so I repeated much of the same.

  “How is it that you can’t find a single wolf amongst the dragons?” Roman asked, being held back by Cait and still seething.

  “Our world isn’t like yours,” I said. “We have magic, but it’s not something we can track. Someone has been attacking our realm for months now, and I believe that’s who took Dawsyn, but I don’t know why. What I do know is that I won’t stop until I’ve found her.”

  “Yet, you’re not looking for her now,” Beatrix stated.

  “Only because he knew her family deserved an update,” Lykem interjected again.

  Cait bowed her head once in my direction. “We appreciate that. Now, tell us how we can help.”

  “There isn’t—” I started to speak, but Roman cut me off.

  “Don’t tell me there isn’t anything we can do for our own daughter,” he snapped. “You have no idea what we’re capable of.”

  I held my hands up in defense. “I have no doubt that you’re each a force to be reckoned with, and I would love the help, but I can’t get you into my realm. Only those with dragon energy can get in.”

  “Yet, that’s where my daughter is,” he pointed out, forcing me to take the conversation in a direction I was hoping to avoid.

  “I believe the person that took your daughter forced her to become his mate,” I said, the words tasting like acid on my tongue and making my stomach churn.

  “There’s no other way they could have gotten her in?” Cait asked, an ache in her tone that only a mother could have for their daughter in this situation.

  I shook my head. “The connection I felt to her—one very strong—is gone. That would have only happened one way.”

  “Unless she figured out how to reject you,” Roman said. “River told us that Dawsyn wasn’t sure she wanted you.”

  No, she hadn’t been, but I knew better. Dawsyn didn’t do this because it was what she wanted.

  “She wouldn’t have disappeared like this and rejected him,” Cait said. “And she would have needed a witch to help her. Something she shouldn’t have known about.”

  All eyes went to Beatrix.

  “Well, I didn’t tell her,” she said. “I didn’t even tell the two of you when you wanted to know.”

  Lykem stepped forward. “If I can get the portal to allow others through, would you come help us?”

  Roman answered with a resounding “yes” before Lykem had even finished speaking.

  “That would be appreciated,” Cait said as well.

  Beatrix was the only one who didn’t respond, but after our previous interactions, that didn’t surprise me.

  “Only two of our elders still live,” Lykem said. “I will speak with them as soon as we return and see what can be done.”

  “How many have you lost?” Cait asked.

  My friend’s eyes cast down, and his voice lowered. “Too many.”

  “We need to get back,” I said. “I have no way to communicate with you while I’m in Drago. We don’t have cell phones there and never needed to figure out a way to communicate outside of our realm. But I do promise to come back just as soon as I have any news or in three more days, whichever comes first.”

  “It better be with news sooner than that,” Roman grumbled, and I hoped like hell I could make that happen.

  “Do you need anything from us?” Cait asked, and I glanced at Beatrix.

  “Have you been able to acquire the items for the spell?”

  There was a spark of something I didn’t understand in her eyes until she began to speak. “Of course I have, but you won’t get a single thing from me until my granddaughter is returned safely.”

  “What if the spell could help me get her back?” I asked.

  “That spell would kill her if she wasn’t prepared for it,” Beatrix said pointedly. “Find her, bring her back, get the spell. End of discussion.”

  The witch turned her back on me and walked several steps away before she began opening a portal to somewhere with bright sunshine and a large grassy area.

  Cait left Roman’s side and reached for my hand, squeezing it forcefully. “Bring me back my daughter, Cillian.”

  “I will,” I promised, and hoped like hell I wasn’t lying.

  Chapter Eight

  DAWSYN

  As long as we weren’t losing count, I’d been gone for seven days. Every day had been different, and I never knew what to expect, but that didn’t matter any longer. I was getting the hell out of this cage.

  Earlier that morning, I was brought a bucket of clean water, a towel, and a white dress by The Psycho with strict instructions to get clean or else.

  I wanted to laugh at her “or else” because she didn’t frighten me, but I’d refrained, shrinking my body back.

  I wanted them to think I was afraid in hopes that their guard would be lowered once I put my plan into action.

  We can beat them regardless, my wolf said.

  While I knew that, I wasn’t opposed to anything I could do to make things easier.

  Are you sure you’re going to be okay? I asked her.

  The main part of our plan involved me shifting and her running full speed out of there. She hadn’t run for over a week, which could have had adverse effects.

  I’ll be more than fine, she replied.

  I had no choice but to trust her.

  While we waited for either Knox or Estelle to return, I took advantage of the things I’d been given and used the bucket to clean up. Though, I didn’t leave my clothes off. I put them back on and put the white cotton dress over my jeans and t-shirt.

  Part of my ruse was to keep my head down, step forward once the door was fully open, then shift. My wolf would then ram her head into whoever was standing in our path to freedom and we’d travel out the way we’d come in.

  It was a plan with few steps, but there was so much that could go wrong. I wasn’t going to forget that until we were far away from this fucking forest.

  Several hours later, what I assumed to be early evening, the shield around my cell finally broke and the door opened.

  I stayed huddled in the corner of the mattress with the dress pulled over my knees, hiding my other clothes, and peeked up through my lashes.

  The relief I felt at seeing Estelle there, holding a light at her side, instead of Knox, was huge. I had enough motivation that I felt like I could have beaten Knox, but this just made things easier.

  “Let’s go,” she grumbled. “Knox requires your presence.”

  Staying in the shadows as much as I could, I carefully slid off the bed and backed against the wall. “I don’t want to go.”

  She raised a hand and stepped toward me, just far enough out of the way of the door like I’d hoped.

  Now, I said to my wolf, and she pushed forward with a ferocity unlike I’d ever experienced from her.

  Within the blink of an eye, we’d shifted, and there was a faint glow inside the room. Estelle paused, narrowly missing a claw to the face, but couldn’t get out of the way before we slammed into her, our head driving into her stomach and knocking her against the opposite wall.

  Her limp body was only in our peripherals for the briefest of seconds before we were barreling down the walkway between cells.

  I felt bad for Darius—the only other person I knew to be down here—but I had to save myself before I could save anyone else.

  Claws dug into the dirt surface, propelling us forward faster as I recalled the way we’d come before. Though, the counting of steps was no longer helpful considering I wasn’t the one taking them.

  I know where I’m going, my wolf said, turning sharply down another hallway.

  We saw no one else for much longer than I expected, but there was a roar that echoed behind us that I had no problem hearing.

  Faster, I urged.

  We still didn’t know if we were going to be able to open the door. Knox had said he was the only one that could open it when we arrived, but I had a small hope that people could leave of their own accord.

  I would have liked to find that out ahead of time, but the opportunity had never come. Trial by fire would have to be good enough.

  “Dawsyn!” Knox screamed from somewhere too close behind me.

  We’re almost there, my wolf assured me as we continued to run.

  There were two guards in front of us. Two men who weren’t moving out of the way. I didn’t know if they deserved to die or not, but we were left with very few choices when we got to them.

  One swiped clawed hands at our front flank and the other grabbed onto our throat, squeezing hard.

  Our saving grace was that none of these tunnels were big enough for them to fully shift, but that didn’t mean these dragon shifters weren’t tapping into their beasts’ strength.

  We kicked our hind legs out, pushing back one attacker and forcing him to release our throat. Without overthinking, my wolf’s teeth ripped into the next guy’s throat, tearing it out in one go.

  The other one got back up, and we charged forward, cutting into his stomach with our claws and ramming him into the wall hard enough to knock him out.

  If someone helped him soon enough, he might live, but that wasn’t my concern at the moment.

  Knox’s bellows were too close for comfort, and the door was still too far away.

  We’re going to make it, my wolf vowed, and I did my best to keep her optimism at the forefront of my thoughts.

  Two turns later and the stairs to the exit were right there in front of us. Just when we turned to go up, Knox’s fist rammed into our side, knocking the air from our lungs.

  Fuck, that hurts.

  While I was stuck processing the pain, my wolf was still in defensive mode. She whipped our body around and bared her teeth at Knox, who merely laughed at us.

  “Oh, Little Wolf,” he cooed. “You’re not leaving here until I’m done with you.”

  He reached forward, grabbing onto our front leg, and my wolf didn’t hesitate in biting the shit out of his arm.

  We have to hurt him enough that we’ll have time to shift and me to open the door, I reminded my wolf.

  She was powerful in her own right, but no matter how strong she was, that didn’t change the fact she didn’t have opposable thumbs.

  Her responding snarl was enough confirmation that she hadn’t forgotten the most important part of the plan.

  Knox grabbed us again, but we were ready with claws and teeth. At least, we were until he sent a current of burning electricity through us.

  My wolf’s howl was soul piercing, and whatever ability Knox had was making our body cease to move any longer.

  “I think I’ll put a muzzle on you now. Maybe even a collar with my name on it to remind you that you’re my bitch,” Knox said as he grabbed us by the scruff. “You’re coming with me and not leaving my sight again.”

  We couldn’t hold back the whimper as he forced our body across the open area, further away from the door that led to our freedom.

  Fuck. We’d been so close. I didn’t know what I was going to do if Knox tried to force himself on me or touch me in any way other than he already had. The thought of it made my body vibrate with fury and disgust.

  We have to get out of here, I said to my wolf. Not that she didn’t already know that.

  Her awareness wasn’t all there, which I was thankful for when Knox threw us into a wall next to one of the other tunnels. “If you run again, the pain you’re feeling now will seem like child’s play.”

  I wanted to scream “fuck you” in his smug face, but there was little to no strength left in me. With my wolf fading out, I was resigned to accept that I was stuck here a little longer, but that didn’t mean we wouldn’t try again.