Page 2 of House of Shifters and Smoke

“Barbie isn’t inside,” I said, my voice rough as I fought to keep a cool head. “She might’ve been taken. Search the region. Turn every stone over outside Underhill until we have her trail!”

“Yes, Your Highness!” my men answered as one.

“Whoever took her will regret they were ever born!” Rock growled. Barbie was known to be a pain in the butt, but she had grown on him.

My men divided into three groups and spread out to track Barbie.

Cami stayed with me, worry on her face. She’d been watching Barbie for me in the shadows. She’d reported to me right away when the other heirs dragged Barbie to perform a private dance for them. She’d also texted me when Barbie kicked down the door to the druid’s class and ran out like a bat out of hell.

I’d dream-walked to my little scorpion when I didn’t see her return to the house. She’d been troubled, but I hadn’t paid close attention since I’d let my lust cloud my judgment. I’d thought with my dick. This primal need to fuck her every moment might get her killed one day.

My dragon growled, blaming me again. He hadn’t protested but urged me on when I tried to get into my mate’s pants last time. But there was no excuse for my neglect of her needs and safety.

I’d thought her anxiety came from being bullied, but she’d handled it well, better than anyone else. I’d meant to ask her why she’d kicked down the druid’s door and if that fucker had crossed a line and bothered her.

Now she was gone.

The possibility of her never returning petrified me, icing over my blood.

No, I wouldn’t accept that outcome. Not a fucking chance! I’d find her and guard her.

My dragon bellowed in rage and fear for our mate, wanting to take over so he could fly to every corner to look for her. I reined him in, reasoning with him. It wasn’t time for him to be out yet and draw the enemies’ attention to us. Plus, he wasn’t exactly an experienced tracker.

My cold eyes landed on Rock, my righthand man, and he nodded and stripped at once.

Rock was a werewolf, different than a shifter. A shifter could transform faster. It took a werewolf over a minute to change to their animal form, even a powerful one like Rock.

Indisputably, a werewolf had a better nose than a shifter and was mightier in physical combat, though a werewolf didn’t have a powerful shifter’s advantage of possessing any elemental magic.

Wild magic touched down on my shoulder as a raven, the form it chose for the moment. Everyone gasped in awe at the sight.

“Underhill demands to assist us in searching for Barbie,” I said.

While Rock was still going through the transformation, I dashed toward another path to cover more ground to hunt for Barbie, my heart encased in ice and my throat tight, but I fought back cold panic. I needed my usual icy calm, so I could bring home the girl who no one else knew was my true mate.

A few minutes later, Rock and I ended up in the same spot halfway between Underhill and the House of Chaos. I scented Barbie. She’d been here and battled her enemies not long ago.

I took in the scene. My gaze moved from the newly broken twigs on the ground to the blood that had splattered the blades of grass. Someone had tried to erase the trail with witch magic, but they hadn’t been thorough. The abductors had left in a hurry. I bet that they hadn’t had a choice. Barbie was never a girl who would roll over. She must’ve given them hell.

As the scent of Barbie’s blood drifted toward my nostrils, nausea shot into my stomach. My dragon coiled in me, thrashing. He’d never been so agitated, his fear for her pounding in my veins, echoing mine.

But feeling afraid and helpless would get us nowhere.

Let me do my fucking job so we can find our mate! I growled back.

Rock in his werewolf form nodded at my silent conclusion before taking off again to double back and track where the trail had gone cold, his shiny black fur vanishing between the bushes.

The raven form of wild magic departed my shoulder and alighted on the spot where Barbie had bled. It raised its head, wailing. A heartbeat later, it was gone, returning to report to Underhill.

I tried to drum out all the panicked noises in my head and focus on the scene, replaying the battle in my head, desperate to find any trace that could lead to Barbie.

They took her from here! my dragon informed me in outrage, sniffing and puffing out a stream of fire and smoke. They took her to the sky. He snarled. Let me out to look for her in the sky. I can do what your two legs can’t do, princeling!

My dragon had stayed dormant by choice, especially after my engagement to the Queen of the Underworld. All these years, he hadn’t talked to me much. He’d only woken up after spotting Barbie, and now he looked forward to every chance to be in her presence, soaking in her scent. He hadn’t exactly demanded to shift in front of her yet, since he was a little shy when it came to her and didn’t want to scare her away with his big, ugly lizard form.

He’d been waiting for me to establish a solid relationship with her first, urging me to break up with Queen Lilith, unable to comprehend not only the political repercussions but also that such a rash act would only get our mate assassinated.

You want to wait until your machination is mature, and now she’s been taken! my dragon roared at me. You should’ve acted earlier. You should’ve protected her!

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