“Tells her,” insisted the Dragon.
I glared from him to Matt, then threw up my hands. “All right. I’ll tell Mari. Happy?”
“Nothing about this makes me happy,” Matt growled.
In fact, he looked pretty damned miserable, but I wasn’t sure what to do about it. So I turned my back on him, held Trix tight, and approached the Dragon.
“You’re in my way,” I grated.
He snorted again, before he leaped into the air. The downbeat of his massive wings swirled up a storm of flying dust and leaves that sent Trix into spasms while in my arms. Within seconds, he was gone, and she quieted.
Why did my fool heart want to take flight in his wake? I squinted through the dust, trying to see his flying form.
When I looked back at Matt, he’d shifted back to beast. A tortured mix of disappointment and relief shot through me. The guy was sexy enough as a beast. As a human—well, I didn’t trust myself.
I had, however, collected more tantalizing fodder for my dreams. Wowsers. Had I ever. And if some of my dreams sprouted wings...
“Are yoou heading back?” Matt asked, ranging up alongside me as I started walking. “It’s almoost lunchtime.”
“I guess so.” I set my dog back on her four trembling legs before picking up my pace.
As I lengthened my stride, I did my best to ignore the werewolf slinking along in my wake. But the truth of it was that I was hyperaware of every move he made.
I was conscious of something else, too. Far above us, dancing through the clouds, the Dragon circled.
* * *
Mari was no longer sitting on the bench but had adopted a lotus position at its feet.
When Matt and I approached, she cocked her blocky head as her orange eyes examined us. “Is everything all right?” she asked.
Matt shot me a look and shook his fur. “I’m going foor a shoower,” he announced, trotting off toward the building. His head and tail were carried low, which didn’t jibe with the cocky Aussie that I knew.
Darius had ruined his day, too.
Mari waited for an answer, so I paced a small circle as I told her everything. I wasn’t usually the type to share, and I had intended on bare essentials to satisfy my promise. But something about the Dorinthian encouraged me to open up.
As I finished, I pegged it—my gut told me that I could trust her. An unusual enough concept that I stopped pacing and sat myself down on the bench.
Mari, meanwhile, stared at me in horror. “You have to report him!”
My reaction was swift. “No! It will only prove that Amadeus is right, and he’ll kick me out.”
Mari’s frown deepened. “What about the Watcher, then?”
I crossed my arms and hugged myself. “If it gets bad, I will tell her. It would be best if I solved this on my own.” Even as I said it, I knew it was the only way through. Any attempt to bring in outside help would only end up with me off the team.
The ogress, however, was less than convinced. Her orange eyes had deepened in color, which I assumed was an indication of concern. “How are you going to work with him? He’s team leader.”
“He has to earn that role,” I insisted. “As Cara said, we don’t have to obey him.” I rose from the bench. “Let’s go for lunch.”
Mari’s brow remained heavily furrowed, but she nodded, before she smoothly progressed from lotus to an upright stance. With her reassuring bulk beside me, the last of my nerves subsided. But that I would feel I required such protection, incited a resurgence of anger.
When we entered the cafeteria, only Darius and Aaron sat at our table. There was no sign of Matt or the Dragonshifter.
Darius’s gaze snapped to mine and froze, gleaming with his beast.
Mari looked at me, and I looked at her.
