Page 16 of His Curvy Mate

“I thought I might find you here,” said Talos. “Your brother is worried about the reapers.”

She nodded. “Aren’t you?”

“Had this happened before the dragon claimed you as his own, perhaps I would have been.”

“What’s changed?”

“The wizard you defeated and whose soul Hayden destroyed gave the reapers agency into the land of the living. In order to send them back and to keep them confined to the In-Between, there will need to be a guardian at the gate, so to speak.”

What Talos was saying and what would be needed was immediately obvious. “Do not tell the others.”

“I cannot lie to your brother. He is my alpha.”

“True, but you can protect him and all the rest by making yourself scarce so that he can’t question you.”

“They will not thank you for what you do.”

She smiled. “Not at first, but they’ll have to get over it. We can’t have the reapers wandering around the land of the living. The hellhounds have always been the ones to keep them checked. Hayden and the others have always done so much. The responsibility lies with me.”

Talos said nothing but nodded. Caye turned away from him and left the Hollow without a backward glance. This needed doing, and she would be the one to do it. Had she not freed Andreas from his curse, Xenos may not have summoned the reapers. Even if he had, they may not have heeded his call.

She hurried back to the surface, emerging into the icy plane. Her hellhound shivered, as did she, but her dragon puffed itself up and Caye realized it was time to stretch her wings… literally. She summoned her dragon and felt a strong, fiery mist begin to envelop her. She’d seen the beauty of the maelstrom before as others around her shifted, but hellhounds didn’t have anything so flashy; instead they just shimmered between the worlds.

Thunder, lightning, and a cataclysm of color surrounded her as she felt her body morph and change from human to dragon. The swirling cloud began to dissipate, and she could feel and then see she had become a dragon—not copper in color like Andreas, but one of crimson and gold—the colors of hellfire.

The transformation from human to dragon was both exhilarating and overwhelming for Caye. Sure she’d been a hellhound, but it hadn’t felt like this. As she unfurled her wings for the first time, she realized how massive they were and yet how delicate. The feeling of raw power coursing through her new form was electrifying. Her scales shimmered like polished armor, catching the faint glint of sunlight that peeked through the heavy snowy clouds.

She took a running start and then, with a powerful leap, she launched herself into the air, feeling the cold wind rush against her face and under her wings. The sensation was unlike anything she had ever experienced—a heady mix of freedom and adrenaline. Each beat of her wings propelled her higher, the ground rapidly falling away until the world below became a patchwork of white and gray.

Caye had never cared much for heights, but being in control as she was made her feel as if there was nothing that could harm her. She knew that wasn’t true, but it didn’t take away from how she felt.

The snowy mountains stretched out endlessly before her, their peaks piercing the sky like jagged teeth. The landscape was a breathtaking tapestry of pristine snow, dark rock, and ice, unmarred by human presence. The air was crisp and biting, filling her lungs with a sharp, invigorating chill, and yet she could feel the fire burning in her belly and wasn’t cold.

As she soared over the mountains, she marveled at the serenity of the world below. The silence was profound, broken only by the occasional whistle of the wind and the soft rustling of snow being disturbed by her passage. The vast expanse of the sky and the endless horizon made her feel both insignificant and immensely powerful.

Caye dipped and weaved through the peaks, testing the limits of her new form. The agility and strength of her wings allowed her to navigate the narrowest of passes and soar above the highest ridges with ease. The sense of control and unity with the elements was intoxicating. She had heard of newly-made dragons becoming sky drunk and flying until their body failed them and they plunged from the sky. She understood the phenomenon, but she knew better than to fall for the allure and intoxicating feeling.

Besides, she had a job to do. She needed to find the place where the reapers were coming through to the land of the living, force them back, seal the rift between the realms, and then ensure it was never opened again.

Looking down, she saw a herd of mountain goats, their coats blending almost seamlessly with the snow, moving gracefully through a valley. The sight filled her with a sense of connection to the natural world, a reminder of the delicate balance of life. And it was that balance she had come to restore.

Caye felt an overwhelming sense of freedom and awe as she continued to fly, testing her wings, teaching herself how to fly. The icy wind ruffled her scales and the vast sky opened up before her. Every sweep of her wings, every gust of wind, every snowflake that brushed against her scales added to the exhilarating experience.

In that moment, she understood the true meaning of being a dragon. It was not just about power or fearsome strength; it was about the freedom to soar above the world, to witness its beauty from a perspective few could ever dream of. It was about embracing the primal connection to the earth and sky, feeling the pulse of the natural world in every beat of her wings.

As she banked towards a particularly majestic peak, she realized she’d been drawn back to the cavern in which Xenos had made his lair. The sun broke through the clouds, casting a golden glow over the snowy landscape. As she set her sights on it, a peaceful sense of calm and purpose settled around her. She flew down and landed on the edge, knowing she had found the place to make her stand.

CHAPTER 9

CAYE

Caye shifted back, pulling on the warm clothes and boots she’d brought with her. Having been able to shift her entire life, Caye was always prepared for the shift back to her human form by either bringing with her clothing she could pull on or shifting close to somewhere she could steal something to wear. It didn’t do much good to shift to get somewhere only to end up naked. People tended to notice that kind of thing.

She entered the chamber where they had defeated Xenos. Evil clung to the walls like a parasite to its victim. They’d been so caught up in having killed the wizard they had left behind a dangerous weapon for others to find. Well, not on her watch. She may have fucked up when she’d focused solely on Andreas, but she would now see to ending the wizard’s malicious power once and for all.

She entered a second, ancillary chamber—a cold, dark cavern, its walls lined with ancient runes that still pulsed with a sinister light even after the wizard’s death. At the center of the cavern, a swirling rift crackled with dark energy, the very air around it distorting as reapers poured forth, clamoring over each other to get out of the In-Between, their ghostly forms writhing with malevolent intent. The rift was a tear between worlds, a gateway that allowed the reapers to cross into the realm of the living.

Caye’s eyes burned with determination as she surveyed the chaos. She knew what she had to do. She quickly removed her clothes, shifting into her dragon form. With a deep breath, she unleashed a torrent of dragon fire, scorching the reapers and forcing them back toward the rift. They screeched in fury, their forms flickering and fading as they were driven back.

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