Page 62 of The Soul of the Dragon

“We don’t have a few days,” Isaac grumbled.

I started to ask why not when Sprite started running in circles and screeching unintelligibly.

“What the fuck?” Isaac covered his ears.

“Ensley, what is wrong?”

She cried louder and ran faster, her little body practically vibrating with the ferocity in which she moved. I had no idea what was happening, but I guessed she would just have to get whatever this was out of her system.

“Are you going to stop her?”

“Hell, no. Whatever it is, she needs to get it out.”

“Then I will. There’s more to her than meets the eye. I can feel it.”

I shook my head, and stepped into his path. “Leave her alone. You’ve bullied her enough.”

“It’s not bullying when she keeps instigating this shit.” He seemed angry, but he also didn’t make any more moves in her direction.

“You have to stay here until I come back for you.” We turned in relief to find she’d stopped whatever insanity had gripped her. “I’ve made arrangements for you. There’s a cottage on the outskirts of the village where you can take shelter and hide until this passes. The less people who know you are here the better. Especially now.” She wrinkled her nose as if something stunk.

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that. We were met by the King’s guard. Several people will already know by now.”

“I’m not worried about them,” she said. “Some of the villagers report on both sides, and the less the other side knows about your whereabouts the better. With any luck they’ll all assume you’ve made your way to uncle’s palace by now. The more they think you’ve moved on and that freedom is the only thing you hope to gain, the better.”

“That makes sense,” I said.

Isaac nodded. “Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, I agree. So where is this cottage and will there be food? I’m fucking starving.”

Sprite pointed down a path that led into the woods in the opposite direction from the village. “Follow to the end of that path and you won’t be able to miss it. Everything you need will be waiting. And for Goddess’s sake do something about that stink. If you two cross back through the portal smelling like you do now, they’ll know you’re coming before you make it past the falls. Wait until it passes before you even try.”

I started to ask what she meant, but as usual, she ran off without looking back or giving us a chance to ask anymore questions.

“Fucking creepy. I can’t believe we keep having to rely on her help.”

I turned back to Isaac. “If it makes you feel any better, I doubt she trusts you anymore than you trust her.”

“Nothing about her makes me feel better,” he grumbled as we began following the path in the direction she pointed. “However, if I don’t get some rest and some food in me, we’re going to have a much more dangerous creature to deal with than a demon.”

“And apparently we need to bathe. We must stink.”

He stopped abruptly and I turned to face him.

“That’s not what she meant. You must know that by now. And you absolutely do not stink. Quite the opposite. Your scent is like a field of wildflowers laced with the smoke of wildfire. It’s intoxicating”

I resisted lifting my arm to test his words since he had to be insane to compare me to wildfires and flowers. “Then what did she mean?”

“Your omega status, little beast. It rockets your scent off the charts and draws in every alpha creature who could mate with you. Including me.”

I shook my head and turned away. I didn’t want to hear this right now. There was too much at stake for us to get waylaid by sex now. Although he did look particularly delectable at the moment despite his grumpy attitude.

“I think we have more important things to worry about right now, don’t you? We aren’t safe.” And talking about it only brought everything I felt into a sharper focus. The ache, the arousal. It had been simmering for quite some time and even I was concerned that I would explode with it if I didn’t find a way to keep it locked down.

“She’s right you know. Your scent is pronounced, and it will only get worse before it gets better.”

“So you keep insisting. But what about what I feel? Or want for that matter?”

“Both are important. Although since you are an omega, what you need and what you want may be at odds for the next few days.”

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