Page 59 of Catastrophe

“No, I’m not captured. I’m here to save you.” His brows relaxed slightly, and he pulled me into his arms. I stroked his hair and nuzzled into his neck as I wrapped my legs around his waist, holding him so tight it would take the gods themselves to part us. I whispered, “I won’t leave you to be hurt.”

“You shouldn’t be near the hunters. Nor should you have healed me. You should be safe, away from me.” He pressed his lips firmly against my head. “But I’m relieved to see you here. Feeling our bond so empty has been torture.”

I squeezed him again before unwrapping my legs, and he set me down. “Maybe it’s working again now. I’m inside the wards at the compound. Maybe that’s why we can dreamwalk.”

“Perhaps. Either way, I thank the gods for being able to see you again. I don’t want to be separated from my little cat ever again.”

“Once I get you out, I’ll have Baelen find us some enchanted chain so we can’t ever be parted again.”

“I look forward to it.” He stroked my hair back as he whispered, “Where’s Baelen? Is Charlie truly a dragon?”

A figure emerged from the mist behind Zaide, distracting me from the question. A figure with blazing red eyes.

“Baelen,” I gasped and pulled Zaide to greet our soul mate.

I captured him in a tight squeeze, Zaide at my back pressing me even closer to our soul mate, his arms around us, locking us all together. My heart felt full. I took a moment to breathe in the scent of Baelen as he rumbled, “Zaide. Clawdia. I’m so glad to see you both safe.”

Baelen caressed my hip while pressing his other hand against Zaide’s thigh lightly. He soon pulled it away when Zaide stiffened and asked incredulously. “You aren’t with her? She’s with the hunters alone?”

“She portaled away from Elizabeth in the middle of the night, which is the last thing I heard.” Baelen glared at me, and I looked guiltily away. “Until now, I didn’t know where she was.” He gripped my chin and moved my face to meet his furious gaze. “You thought it was a good idea to face the hunters alone? To rescue Zaide without our help? You didn’t think to tell Charlie and me where you went?”

“Clawdia, you promised you wouldn’t leave again.” Zaide’s sad eyes felt like a dagger to my heart. “You promised. Why do you keep putting yourself in danger?”

“You will need to be punished,” Baelen announced.

“Punished?” I gasped. “I know I worried you, but I had to come. If I waited for you and Charlie, then we would put each other in more danger, especially since Charlie’s brand-new to shifting. I am the stealthiest.”

Zaide interrupted, “So, Charlie was the dragon on the island? Not Fafnir?”

“Yes,” Baelen replied and then sighed, “And you may have a point about Charlie. He is rather temperamental right now.”

“Fuck you very much,” Charlie’s voice called from the mists, and we all turned to see him stride toward us.

“Charlie!” I called, overjoyed.

He laughed and ran over, arms wide open, to join our embrace. “Group hug.”

Tears welled up in my eyes as my bonds suddenly felt warm and bright in my soul. I held back as sob as I said, “I missed you all.”

“You didn’t have to leave, you div.” He flicked my forehead before kissing the spot he’d just hurt. He smiled as he said, “But I get why you are. I know the damage an innocent cat can cause, so give them hell, Clawdicat, and get our golden giant out of that place.” His faith in me made the tears I’d been holding back spill over, and I nodded with a shaky smile. “Aw, don’t cry, Clawdicat.”

“I’m just so glad I can feel our bond again. I thought you were dead,” I wailed.

My men squeezed me tighter, and kisses were placed all over my head, neck, and shoulders. With my eyes squeezed shut, I couldn’t tell whose lips were whose, nor whose hands roamed my body. I just enjoyed the feeling of having all my favorite people in the world surrounding me once again.

“You go, I go,” Charlie replied, “But nothing happened. We’re both fine. I’m a little scalier, but we’re all fine.”

Baelen sighed as he asked, “You’re just going to forgive her? Just like that? Did I not hear you threaten to ring her neck when you next saw her?”

“Did I say that?” Charlie asked with a cheeky smile. He cupped my face and squished my cheeks before turning us to Baelen. “Are you really going to look at those big eyes and tell me you want to stay angry?”

CHAPTER 15

BAELEN

Shocked at their easy acceptance of Clawdia’s behavior, her endangerment of not only us, but herself, I stared aghast at my new family.

For the first time since I discovered them, we were all together, all of us knowing we would continue to be together, be a unit, until our deaths. I was not possessed. We were all alive and somewhat safe. It may have been a dream, but it signified that our bonds were reconnecting once more, and I was thankful for it.

---