Page 8 of Galadon
Rayna
The scent of urine filled her nose as Rayna rode Onyx across the interstate. That was how one knew they were entering a different dragon territory, and to be wary if they weren’t welcome. The pavement had cracks and potholes everywhere, along with random half-burnt and rusted cars and trucks. Weeds grew through the random fissures since no one took care of the roads anymore, and year by year, the Earth was reclaiming its land. Had it really been nearly seven years since dragons arrived?
Her horse snorted as she spotted a shifter patrol flying in the distance. Onyx finished taking Rayna to the other side of the interstate, and they entered Taugud land, working their way toward Highway 9 since it would lead very close to the fortress. She didn’t bother to slow down, knowing the two red dragons would catch up to her soon enough.
The grass and weeds were high to traverse, even for Onyx, as they headed in a northeasterly direction. Shortly before reaching the highway she sought, the border patrol caught up and landed before her. Normally, they might have shifted to speak, but her wardrobe and sword marked her as a slayer, and most could recognize her from her time here last year. Rayna was well known for her ability to speak with their kindtelepathically. Not to mention they likely preferred to stay in their beast forms since they’d be more lethal to her that way.
I’ve come to visit your pendragon and his mate, Bailey. They gave me an open invitation to come whenever I wish,she said, speaking into their minds.
The dragon on the left growled at her.We tolerate our leader’s mate, but it does not mean the rest of us appreciate more of your kind on our land.
I’ve never killed a shifter and don’t plan to start now,she argued. However, his temper was sorely testing her restraint.
The other dragon huffed at him, and they likely spoke mind-to-mind privately while she waited. This was why she hadn’t stayed here long after the war ended and rarely visited since then. They didn’t care that she fought and risked her life against the Kandoran. Rayna was a slayer and would never truly be welcome. No one was more aware of that than her.
Nearly ten minutes passed as they argued, and she spotted another red dragon approaching from the east. He roared at the two guards as he landed between her and them. They wasted no time scrambling into the air.
As the new arrival lit up in flames, she dismounted her horse and closed the distance. The three minutes it took for him to finish shifting felt like forever, but as soon as Titan emerged, she leaped into his arms. He hugged her closely. If there was one Taugud who was always happy to see her, it was him. They shared the pain of losing Eliam, his best friend and someone who’d grown on her as the two males often acted as her escort and watched her back.
“I missed you,” she said, pulling back to check him over.
Titan was tall, standing a little over six feet and built like a weightlifter. He had short black hair, an angular face, medium-toned skin, and yellow eyes that used to always reflect mirth and happiness. They were still dull since he had lost his lifelong friend, but they held some warmth for her.
“You look well,” he said, then frowned as he studied her. “But something is bothering you. I can almost smell the sadness and frustration wafting from you.”
His senses weren’t that good—she didn’t think, anyway.
Rayna shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
Titan snorted. “Very little gets to you for long. I can’t imagine what could have upset you living so far out in the middle of nowhere, as you prefer these days.”
He hadn’t seen her latest home, but he’d seen one of the others as she’d moved around over the early winter. Someone had to track her down and make her come for Dragomas festivities after all. No one else would have volunteered except him.
Rayna considered saying nothing, but she recalled the only thing that had ever pulled Titan out of his funk was comforting other people. It wouldn’t kill her to talk about her problems with someone, especially a man she cared about and trusted.
“Galadon found me a few days ago,” she admitted as Onyx clopped his way over to join them.
Surprise lit in Titan’s gaze. “How did that go?”
“He hid and watched while I bathed in a lake and then gave me a hard time about being too close to a nest of Kandoran. Do you think he wants to join me and help kill them?No,of course not. He simply wanted to point out how stupid I’m being,” she sighed.
“Okay, I see a few points to discuss here.” Titan ticked off a finger. “If he watched you bathe, then I suspect he still holds some attraction for you even if he refuses to act on it again.”
“I’m aware, but I’m oath-bound to leave that alone. I may have strutted naked in front of him for longer than necessary and fingered his wing as I walked by him, but I only did that much because it was his fault for showing up when he did.”
The shifter laughed. “I wish I’d seen that, but you’re right that he deserved it. He’s a fool for not seeing you’re the best thing for him, even if I can’t say the same for him being right for you.”
Rayna sighed. “I hate that I can’t just get him out of my mind and move on.”
“Galadon didn’t allow you to talk and get to the bottom of your feelings. Without that closure, it’s much harder. You haven’t been given a chance to fix the problem or at least bring it to a proper conclusion,” Titan surmised.
He was on the younger side for a shifter, but he always proved wise.
“I’ve been trying to figure out what bothered me most, and you just nailed it,” she said, sighing.
“Let’s start walking,” he said, taking her hand while Onyx followed behind them.
There was absolutely nothing sexual about their friendship. Neither of them were attracted to each other in that way, and she often wondered if Eliam had been more to him than he admitted. Just because Aidan’s sister, Phoebe, and hermate, Ozara, had the courage to eventually come out didn’t mean others were as brave.
