Page 56 of Forcing Fate

“Go!” he snarled.

I backed toward the opening of the cave on unsteady legs, not turning my back on the scene before me. General Rafe bent his knees, ready to run or fight. I wasn’t sure which. He stared at the charging creature head on.

“Be still,” he demanded, his voice low and rasping.

Elispeth froze. Her stare found his, and she hissed, recoiling from his gaze. The blue dragonling whined and skidded to a stop. It stared up at him with wide, hateful eyes. Its sharp claws kneaded the stone beneath it, grinding at the surface.

What manner of man could command dragons?

“Be silent.” General Rafe’s tone resonated with deep authority, demanding obedience.

The dragonling opened its maw, baring its needle-like teeth, but made no sound. Elispeth pulled back her pure white head and flicked her tongue out, tasting the air nervously.

“We were not here,” he growled, turning to her.

His back was still to me, and I darted from the cave, hoping to hide near the entrance. I barely rounded the opening when he burst out behind me. Watching his hand wrap the cloth about his head, I stumbled as he crowded me. He glared down at me and my feet moved of their own accord as he rushed me.

Minding my footing on the ledge, I walked as quick as I dared. With my head ducked low, I had every intention of avoiding all conversation and eye contact. His long strides had no problem keeping up with me, however. Still, we made no sound as we hurried along.

His rough hand snared my elbow and shoved me into a small storage cave. I yelped as he tucked his big body against mine, pressing me against the rocks. He clamped a calloused hand over my mouth. I stiffened, panic surging as he tilted his head, listening for something. When he looked down at me, his eye blazed with anger and condemnation.

The rush of blood pounded in my ears, but despite it, I heard footsteps coming down the trail.

General Rafe leaned in close, placing his cheek against my temple. “Play along or you’ll be tossed to the dogs.”

He jerked up my hood to conceal my features and removed his hand from my mouth. I took a quick breath before he slammed his whole body against mine, crushing me into the wall, then buried his face in my neck.

I grabbed the sides of his tunic and held on for dear life, trying my hardest not to flail or fight. My heart lodged in my throat, choking off the threat of any screams at the vulgarity of this. General Rafe placed his lips to my neck, and even though he didn’t move his mouth, it felt as though they seared a brand against my skin.

I barely heard the sharp intake of breath at the cave entrance over the deafening thunder of my pulse. General Rafe looked up leisurely, placing his hand over my cheek. In the back of my whirling brain, I wondered if he did that to hold me or to shield my face from whoever found us.

My breaths came in quick, rasping gasps. I clung to his tunic with a death grip. The person cleared their throat, and their footsteps receded.

“Who was that?” I dared ask, breathless and trembling, trying to get my mind back in order.

I sucked in a breath, desperate to steady myself. Wood smoke, forest, and man flooded my senses. An unfamiliar feeling spread through me, flushing my cheeks and weakening my knees. Another deep breath through my nose, and I inhaled his masculine scent again, letting it anchor me.

“Someone doing what we only pretended,” he grunted, pulling back to look at me.

Embarrassment and shame warmed my cheeks at his insinuation.

He seemed angry, and I could understand why. He caught me breaking the rules—rules that protected both Riders and dragons. I was sneaking around at midnight in nothing by my night shift and cloak.

What I couldn’t understand, however, was how he found me or why he helped me—how he helped me. Most military personnel had no reason to be in the Dragon Canyon, definitely not under cover of darkness.

He braced his hands on the wall beside my head, boxing me in. “What do you think you were doing?” Anger brought his voice low as he demanded an answer.

I dropped my hold on his tunic as if it was on fire and tried to sink into the stone behind me. I turned my face to the side, hoping to escape his burning gaze. He towered over me, closing me in. I was confined, trapped.

“What were you thinking?” He leaned close to my ear, growling each word.

“You wouldn’t understand.” My voice cracked, and I hated how pathetic it made me seem.

Tonight had been a mistake. A huge mistake. One that could cost what little of my reputation I still had. Tears pricked behind my eyes, but I held them shut. I would not cry in front of this beast of a man.

He let out a sigh, heavy and laced with irritation as he stepped back, giving me space. I gulped in breaths of air, filling my greedy lungs. Glancing up, I secured my cloak tighter around myself before looking at my feet.

“I will only tell you this once, so look at me.”

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