Page 21 of Love Fire

20

BRENT

The bed’s empty when I come out of the bathroom.

“Erin?”

I look everywhere. The door’s open. My body tenses up. My veins turn cold.

She did not just leave. She couldn’t have. She wouldn’t dare. Especially after what we did not too many seconds ago.

I run out of my room, heading straight to the main door. Wide open. Rain comes down hard as stones. Anger fuels inside me.

“ERIN!” I bellow out into the storm.

I sniff the air, trying to catch the smallest hint of her sweet scent. Nothing. The water and mud block it out. There’s only one thing I can do now.

I shift into my beastly form. I don’t care if anyone sees me. I have to find her. Now.

I fly over the trees, but my wings struggle with the weight of the rain. I keep afloat while still sniffing her out. She couldn’t have gone far into the forest.

“ERIN!” I howl.

No sign of her. All the work that I put into getting this close to her. For what? So she can escape right under my claws?

I may not be the nicest out there. I may not also be her first pick, but damn. Is it that awful to be around me that she would run off?

Fuck, I’m such an idiot. I can’t even admit to myself why I’m upset. The information is meaningless without her, right. It’s not the only thing I want from her.

I got a taste of her. This is the start of any addiction. Even if she were to refuse to give any information, I wouldn’t care. I want more of her now.

Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine!

I want to protect her. I need to protect her. I know something’s not right. What if she’s in danger out there and I’m too late?

Each rock and shrub makes me take a second look, thinking it’s her. There’s a river nearby. If she got caught in a landslide and…

Dear God, no. I can’t even think about that possibility. There’s no way.

My desperation catches up to me. I swat the trees with my mighty tail to get a better view. Would a little fire clear up a grove? We can always replant the missing trees.

I shake my head, smoke coming out of my snout. No, I can’t burn down the forest. Think clearly, Brent. Don’t be fucking stupid again.

I concentrate on my hearing instead of using my nose. There’s the thundering of the rain against the ground, the roaring waters of the river. The flapping of my wings.

Finally, it’s there. The pitter-patter of bare feet.

My eyes zero in a few meters north. Erin runs near a hill with fallen trees. Without a second thought, I swoop down.

After landing right in front of her, I let out a booming roar. I scowl down at her, not caring that she trembles before my dragon form. Her eyes full of terror actually turn me on. How utterly enticing.

“Brent?” she asks in a shaky voice.

She takes a few steps away from me. I shift back into my human form. I grab one of her arms and pull her close to me. Her heart beating against my chest relieve me.

I lay it on her. “What the fuck did you think you were doing? Are you going insane?”

She pushes me off, much to my dismay. She bites her lip, staring at me with watery eyes again. I’m on high alert now. Something is wrong.

---