Page 106 of Shifter Marked and Claimed

“I hope this makes amends for any difficulties my interest may have caused,” the green dragon said.

Cloth rustled as Vedar replied, “It does. Thank you for taking care not to hurt the girl.”

“Of course,” the other man answered. “I could see it meant a great deal to her. You truly have a rare prize.”

I didn’t care about their prize talk as much as I cared about Chloe. Lifting my head, I peeked around Vedar and saw she was still slumped in the chair.

With a dip of his head in my direction, the green dragon moved toward the kitchen. A moment later, the back door banged shut, and I rushed for Chloe.

Her head lolled to the side when I pressed my ear to her chest.

“She’s alive,” I breathed. But she looked like hell. Her face was swollen and starting to bruise.

I turned to look back at Vedar.

“What do we do? If we call the police, they’re going to have a lot of questions we can’t answer.”

Vedar held my gaze for a moment then prowled over to the table near my dad’s chair. He picked up a cell phone from the surface and dialed.

Rather than listening to his quiet conversation, I looked at Dad’s chair in the same spot it had always been. Seeing it so unchanged after everything that had happened to Zoe and me felt unreal. My heart ached with grief I hadn’t really allowed myself to feel. I missed him so much, and I wished more than anything he hadn’t died.

That’s when I noticed the gold, heart-shaped locket that had been next to the phone. It held a picture of my mother. I’d lost it shortly after my father’s funeral.

“Someone is coming,” Vedar said, jerking me from my thoughts.

I stood just as the air beside me started to shimmer. A portal formed, and a familiar woman stepped out.

Adira, the person who’d recruited Zoe and me to live in Uttira, looked around the room. Her gaze skimmed over Chloe and me then landed on Vedar.

“The girl looks like she was severely beaten. The likelihood of anyone believing any tales of monsters she might feel inclined to share is small considering the trauma she’s suffered. A mind wipe shouldn’t be necessary.”

“A mind wipe?” I said, shocked at her callousness. “She needs medical help, Adira.”

Adira spared me a consoling smile.

“Exactly my point. Go ahead and call the paramedics. They will care for the girl. I will portal both of you back to Uttira.”

I looked at Chloe and slowly shook my head.

“We don’t know if her parents are still alive or what she might have suffered. And I don’t want her going through life afraid of every shadow. Ignorance won’t just help keep Uttira secret. It’ll help her heal so she can live a normal life.”

“I’ll pay for it myself,” Vedar said.

I tore my gaze from Chloe’s battered face to give him a grateful smile. He wasn’t looking at me, though. He was glaring at Adira while smoke drifted out of his nose.

“Very well.” Adira produced a phone from her tailored pants and sent a quick text. “I’ll return shortly.”

Vedar picked up the locket, inhaled deeply and handed it to me.

“I thought I lost this,” I said, rubbing my thumb over the smooth surface.

“It was likely taken because it carries your scent. The scent of treasure.”

I looked up at Vedar, drowning in sudden sad understanding.

“Joey took this and gave it to that dragon. That’s how he knew I was treasure?”

Vedar nodded and I struggled with the weight of my guilt. Everything that had happened was because of me. Because of how I smelled.

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