Page 12 of Hidden Fate

Hey.Thorn’s mouth tightened.What’s wrong?

Nothing.

He arched a brow and narrowed his eyes at me. He wouldn’t let it go.

It’s just…I was thinking about how Mom would’ve loved to paint a picture of this town with me, and then I reached for my bracelet…Emotion crowded uncomfortably in my chest. The last thing I wanted to do was cry, especially in front of Peter.

One day, you’ll be able to wear it again.He nodded as if that settled everything, but my weird mix of emotions intensified, and I realized what it was: grief and a desperate need for calm.I will make it safe for you to paint to your heart’s content and wear whatever jewelry you want without hesitation ever again.

Some of the discomfort ebbed as my heart fluttered.Will that, by chance, include a wedding ring as well?

His irises darkened.Damn straight it will, and an engagement ring. I’ll make everything right as soon as I kill Drake.

Well, that had escalated quickly. Even though I preferred this version of Thorn, I was certain he hadn’t thought of what it would mean if he followed through on that plan—that people would be looking tohimas the new king.

I wouldn’t bring that up until later, when we were closer to shutting Drake down.

We left the little downtown area and turned onto a dirt road that led us deeper into the woods. It seemed like a perfect dragon location with privacy and space away from humans.

The moon was descending, and thick, fluffy clouds floated in the dark sky. After several miles, a red, one-lane covered bridge came into view. Luckily, with how early it was, we didn’t have to worry about traffic. We slowed for each vehicle to cross alone, and then Theron picked up speed, leading us to our destination.

As we followed the dirt road, a shadow flew overhead, too large to be a bird.

My stomach clenched as my heart stopped. I connected,Dragon.

CHAPTERFIVE

“Shit,”Thorn rasped, as he slammed on the brakes. The abrupt stop stirred up dust around us.

The large ebony dragon easily flew over the vehicles and landed on the road in front of Theron’s truck. It opened its wings, making it appear larger. The road was too narrow to turn around.

I scanned the sky as my heart thundered. I expected to find more dragons rushing toward us, but none were visible from where I sat.

Thorn’s and my connection squeezed tightly, melding our fear.

Slamming the Suburban into reverse, Thorn backed up hurriedly, just as Theron jumped from his truck.

What thehellwas he doing? Did he have a death wish? Other warriors could arrive at any second, and he’d climbed out of his vehicle willingly. None of this added up.

Something dropped in the back seat, and Elliott yelped. Eva and Saphira groaned and stirred as the vehicle jerked and dramatically reversed.

“Wait,” Theron shouted, turning toward us with his back to the enemy. “It’s Edna. I recognize the dragon. It’s not theothers.”

Others.

Warriors.

I exhaled, and my shoulders slumped. I’d been so sure that the enemy had found us. Why would Edna do this when she knew we were coming to her house? Was this a warning or scare tactic to ensure we knew she was in control? As if we weren’t already aware. That was the only possibility I could fathom.

Some of the tension in our connection ebbed, relieving the pressure in my chest. Thorn’s scowl was firmly in place, and he swung his door open, marching past the hood of our vehicle right toward them.

We were all tired and stressed, and this scare had pushed Thorn over the edge. I hopped out, then looked back at Saphira.

She yawned and blinked, trying to get her bearings. “What happened?”

That was the question of the hour…literally. “Not sure. But I need to go with Thorn. Keep an eye on Peter, and make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

Peterhmphed, and I didn’t need to see him to picture the scowl on his face.

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