Page 29 of Protector Dragon's Shattered Mate

“I’m sure all of you are aware that my mother’s coven is responsible for the death and complete annihilation of Kellan, Quinn, Liam, and Brennan’s clan. Niall, my own mate, also belonged to their clan. It happened decades ago but it is never far from our minds. The magic they used was cruel, ruthless, and methodical. No one should ever underestimate the wolves just because they are not magical, or they aren’t demi-gods or dragon shifters. The demons we fought most recently were predictable in their behavior; these wolves may not be nearly as stable. And thank you for hearing me out,” Nora said.

He took a few more minutes for them to get out of the kitchen because every single shifter wanted to greet Nora. Not that Sofia blamed them. She would feel the same way. She’d never really had the opportunity to have close friends in her clan. Backstabbing and manipulation were their values that her clan held close. But maybe she would have the opportunity in Rhett’s clan to make some friends.

Seeing all of them rally around each other and step in to help her, someone they barely knew, was making her reconsider the idea of going to live in the Canadian wilderness.

Or maybe she’d run into a clan up there. Levi’s dragon shifter family was from the eastern side of Canada. But so far no one had been able to tell her if there were any black bear clans in the Northwest Territories. She’d heard rumors of a polar bear clan, but nothing had ever been confirmed.

As soon as they were alone Nora hugged her. “I hope that was okay. I just had to do it. You’re the only person I know who has been captured by those wolves.”

“No, it’s fine. I liked it,” she said shyly. And she had. She’d had too few hugs in her life.

“If you’re willing, please tell me about your time in the pack. I’ve heard it, but a firsthand account is always better than a second or third. But if it causes you too much distress, we’ll stop,” Nora said.

“No, it’s fine. I wasn’t there that long. It was awful, but it could’ve been worse.”

Like it was for Nora.

She told Nora about it from start to finish, starting with running into a wolf in the woods to offering her money. She explained what the spells felt like and what she could remember.

“That’s very helpful. I know some of the others told you that your magical signature is quite bright. It’s vibrant. It’s also uncontrolled.”

“Can you help me control it?” Nora asked.

“Yes. That’s the first thing we’re going to do. We don’t know when or if the wolves will make it here but we want you to be ready.”

Nora’s words reinforced Sofia’s decision to leave. They were all preparing for battle. The battle would become irrelevant if she were no longer around. She was the sole reason that they were coming to Kellan’s house. There was no choice to be made.

“I’ve been a witch all of my life. But I had to unlearn a lot of bad habits. I’ve never been a shifter but from what I’ve learned from Niall, you can also feel your bear inside you.”

“Yes, I can, but I think maybe sometimes what I thought was my bear was actually my magic.”

“Yes. That makes sense.”

By 10:30 p.m. Sofia was exhausted. Her eyes were closing, even as Nora was speaking to her. She wasn’t ready to quit.

“We better call it a night,” Nora said.

“I want to learn more,” Sofia insisted. “I need to.” The anxiety was scraping her insides.

“I think we better get some sleep. Even witches and shifters need sleep,” Nora said—’In case we need to fight the wolves,’ was left unsaid. Nora put her hand on top of Sofia’s. “This won’t be the last time we see each other. I’ll come visit you, and you can come stay with me in Ireland.”

Itisthe last time we’ll see each other.

Once she ran away tonight, she had a feeling that Levi’s clan wasn’t going to welcome her with open arms. Once they found out she rejected him as a mate, they’d probably kick her out anyway.

She swallowed against the lump in her throat, blinking against the sting in her eyes. She’d just found Nora. Or well, Levi had allowed Nora to find her. And now it was all ending. She’d never railed against life’s injustices. There didn’t seem to be any point.

But now she wanted to—she wanted to yell and scream and tear something to pieces. Life wasn’t fair. She had never been so close to having what she wanted. For her entire life she never had it within her grasp, but now for just a brief moment, she almost had something besides herself.

She had rejected Levi, but maybe if the wolves weren’t after her, she could’ve gotten herself together and come back to him if he had been willing to wait.

She could have written to him; she could’ve asked him to wait. But now wherever she went these wolves would follow her.

Everyone was wary of them, maybe it was the trauma that Nora had been through. But the fact that they could hold such a powerful witch for four years, or maybe just that they were an unknown and that they had no morals and no boundaries. But if they had gone to the trouble to cross an ocean for one single half witch/half bear shifter.

She went to Levi again that night, but this time there was no sex. She wrapped her arms around him and held on until he fell asleep. She pressed a kiss to his cheek. He reached out for her when she got up.

But she only patted his arm. “I’m just going to the bathroom,” she said. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.”

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