Page 11 of The Lost Beloved

"They are roaming the woods in groups as large as forty or fifty beasts. I agree they aren't acting together. They're just following one another, no lights or direction behind their blind stares." He leaned back, downed half the water bottle, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. It was obvious that he'd dealt with a lot out there.

“Any openings any possibility that we can make a successful escape from here?” Gage had his doubts before he even asked and those doubts were made true when Dumas sadly shook his head.

"There are too many, and they are spread throughout the forest, and their numbers seem to be getting larger. This is reallygoing to decimate the shifter population around here." Dumas finished his water and set the bottle aside.

"Will it affect us? Will we become mindless murderers like those shifters?" Harley spoke up, and the question was reasonable.

“No the infection takes time and exposure from what I have gleaned from the I’ve killed.” Dumas began to explain but Harley interrupted.

"How could you get that information? They weren't able to speak."

"Vampires and hellhounds have the ability to discern thoughts and intents in their minds and sometimes get glimpses of backgrounds. It's especially easy with some shifter species like cougars and foxes, who don't have a lot of defenses, intellectually speaking. Wolves and bears are more difficult, as are humans." Gage stopped when he saw Harley's eyes go wide.

“You’ve been reading my mind?” He drew out each syllable.

"No, I cannot read your mind, baby. I can get a sense of your emotions, and I can tell if you're scared or in danger, but I can't read beyond that."

“Why, is that the way it is with all humans?”

"Not all humans, but you are my beloved, as I told you earlier, and Fated pairs are unable to read one another in that way. It's just nature's way of keeping couples equal when one is more powerful than the other." Gage stood and walked over to the window.

"We're a couple?" Harley's tone had softened considerably, and Gage turned to regard him over his shoulder.That was the one point he pulled from that entire explanation, and Gage loved him just a little bit more.

"Yes, we are a couple." He responded, and Harley chuckled.

“That’s cool.” Was all he said, and Gage agreed.

CHAPTER SIX

"Michael received the report from Saphir," Josef announced as he entered Nik's office. "It's as bad as we thought. The shifter population in the forest has been infected, and the number of diseased is growing. Those not touched by the evil have made a run for it, and the dragons are sheltering some."

"Will this menace never end?" Nik spoke in a whisper and leaned back in his chair.

“The evil was old and powerful and even though it is now gone its sickness remains and must be eradicated from the forest or nothing will be able to survive there.” Josef stated the truth as he knew it and Nik pulled his mind away from the clouding doubts and back on task.

"What about Gage and Dumas? Were they able to find out anything about their condition?"

"The dragon soldier did a flyover of the Lodge and felt three life forces within. They were identified as a hellhound, a vampire, and a human." Josef told him.

"That's why they couldn't make their escape; they were protecting a human." Nik surmised, and Josef nodded.

“Make ready two units and have them prepared to leave in an hour.” Nik stood and walked over to his munitions closet and began selecting weapons for this particular battle.”

“I’ll have them ready, and I request to join you.” Josef asked and Nik turned to him.

“I want you to stay here Josef and protect my people and to protect Walker. We don’t know what’s out there and I will not risk us both. Magics are insidious and there is no telling what the outcome will be. I need you here.” Nik explained the reasoning and although Josef understood he hated not being at the Master’s side.

"Conrad and Evan will be returning tomorrow. Evan can finish whatever you start today. I know we can't wait. I know from talking to the dragons and just the fact that we have lost contact with Dumas and Gage that this thing is moving quickly. But do wish we had more options." Nik smiled and patted Josef on the shoulder.

"We'll have this blight under control soon, and magics of any kind will never again be allowed in my city."

“What was that?” The three of them pressed up to the windows staring up at the sky as something huge flew past. It was so huge it briefly blocked the sun. Harley took Gage’s hand on instinct and soaked in the calm that always came with his touch.

“It’s a dragon.” Dumas stated and Harley should have been surprised but after the day he’d had there were no more surprises left in this world for him. “Michael contacted the dragon circle when we fell out of contact. More soldiers will be arriving.”

"I hope they realize the number of infected that exist in the forest and come prepared," Gage commented.

"The dragons know." Dumas was certain, and for some reason, that made Harley feel better about the whole thing even though he really didn't understand half of what was going on.

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