Page 29 of Knot Quite Ready

She laughs, pulling back her power, “Sorry, I tend to leak power when I’m not paying attention. In the sky, no one cares how strong you are. There aren’t any shifter powerplays; it’s nice just to be free.”

I nod in understanding as I follow her up the small staircase, and she waves me into the cock-pit to sit next to her instead of in the seats in the back, “you can sit up with me and give me all the juicy details. I got the low-down from Storm, but I must hear it all. We have a few hours, so sit back, relax, and give it to Dear Rory.”

I laugh and sit back as she starts the plane and goes through all the checks before getting us into the air. The pressure is making me a tad uncomfortable. I preferred running through the forest, not the clouds, but whatever got me closer to my mate.

Before I decide to give a random bird shifter my entire life story, my curiosity gets the best of me, “your power….” I start and let the rest hang in the air. Who was she, and how the fuck was she so strong but working as Calian’s private pilot.

She waves her hand, “Oh, my aunt is the Phoenix on the Shifter Council. I’m technically next in line because of my power, but my cousin wants the mantle. I could care less. Calian offered me a job and his guidance, and I leaped on it. No one argues with him, which works for me. I don’t like the bullshit that comes with politics, you know? Playing favorites and the entire blah blah blah, you must pay for your transgressions,” her voice deepens with the last, and she laughs.

I nod. I definitely understand her point. It wasn’t easy running a Pack, let alone having the mantle of being responsible for multiple packs, and even then, the Council still allowed a lot of shit to fly under the radar. They needed a better system.

“Anyways, enough about me. Tell me everything, and I’ll try to help you not fuck up. She ran for a reason; let’s fix it.”

So for the next few hours, we hash out a plan, which she names ‘Operation Fiery Heart Heist,’ to figure out a way to get my mate through whatever she was terrified of.

Chapter15

Casimir

After we land on a small tarmac, Rory points to the private boat and gives me a quick wave before heading off to "recharge her flames of temptation." I shake my head with a laugh. In the short time, I've been in Cabria Falls, I've met more shifters than I ever had living within my old pack lands. It's easy to see why Calian is so well respected. He has created something quite extraordinary, not only by gaining the respect of various shifters but also providing them with a safe place to be themselves. He has created the exact world that shifters need to truly thrive instead of hiding in the shadows.

Grabbing my bag, I make my way to the waiting boat—although "boat" is putting it mildly, considering it's actually a massive luxury yacht—and give a slight nod to the man who Rory said was named Calder. Tall and powerfully built with dark hair and eyes as blue as the water, he sails, covered in tattoos ranging from tribal ink to a dragon wrapped around his massive arm. Taking a deep breath, I pick up on a scent I have yet to come into contact with myself, but Montgomery answers the question for me—water dragon.

I blink. Well then. Who else did Calian know? Was I going to meet a mermaid shifter next? I wouldn't put it past his connections at this point.

"You, Casimir?" He reaches out a hand as I jump onto the boat and shakes my hand.

"Yes, Calder, I presume?"

He smiles, "That would be me. You can call me Cal. Any friend of Calian is a friend of mine. His mate, Storm, sent me a text threatening to use my scales as toothpicks to take the grass out of her mare's teeth if I didn't bring you both back safely," he laughs and moves to take the rope off the pier.

I shake my head with a laugh, "Yeah, from what I know about her so far, it seems like she can wrap almost everyone around her little finger."

"Yeah, Calian needed someone like that, though; he’s a tough son of a bitch. Regardless, I can stay docked at the island as long as you need, so there's no rush to get back to the boat, or if you need privacy, I can make myself scarce, and you two can take one of the three rooms downstairs. Just don't sink my boat with all the howling," he chuckles.

"I appreciate that," I say gratefully. I drop my bag and follow him to where I presume the captain's area is. "Do you have a special license where you can dock at the islands as long as you want? I thought there were certain maritime laws," I ask, curious but also trying to keep my mind occupied as much as possible to keep myself reasonably sane as the itch to see Aneira eats away at me.

I let out a low whistle as I look around the luxurious captain's bridge. The room is decorated in rich, dark woods and polished brass, giving it a regal feeling. The captain's chair is a large, plush leather seat that looks like it could swivel 360 degrees.

Calder chuckles at my reaction. "Yeah, she's a beauty, isn't she?" he says, gesturing around the room. "The boss sure knows how to live in style."

He starts flipping switches and pulling off into the open sea.

"Calian?"

He chuckles, "No, me. Calian needed a favor, and here I am. As for your previous question, I can dock as long as I want because I own these islands. My pod, or a ripple as most of us prefer, lives within these seas. It's why the islands are rarely found on maps and are difficult to find."

I blink, "So why open it up to a cruise ship?"

"My cruise ship. My people run it, and it only docks here once a year. The humans don't remember the location, just that they went to an exclusive island," he smirks.

Shifters are nothing if not resourceful, I think to myself.

Suddenly, the world shifts beneath me, and Montgomery lets out a howl as I am bombarded with a surge of power that travels along my skin to every nerve ending. A low rumble escapes from my throat as I feel my hair stand on end from the pulsing energy that is now radiating through my veins. The makeshift life support system, made from sheer will alone that has kept my torn, broken heart pumping blood through my emotionally wrecked body, is now gone. Instead, there's a gentle hum that laces its way through my body as the bond between Aneira and me springs back to life. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, allowing the sensation of wholeness to envelop me like a warm embrace.

I take a deep breath, one that finally fills my lungs enough to make me wonder how the hell I've lived these weeks without our bond. I reach out and expect to feel the softness of her skin; our connection is so deep, it's almost tangible. I fight the urge to shift as a crescendo of emotions thunders through my chest until my heartbeat is pounding in time with hers, an overwhelming harmony that sends chills down my spine.

"You okay there, Casimir?" Calder's concerned voice breaks through my whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.

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