Lucas’s mouth straightened. “Then we’ll run. But with me carrying two, we won’t get far. If they catch us—Nikolai will come for me. The gate rules don’t apply to him.”
I gritted my teeth. “If he taps into the core energy to gate here—”
Lucas’s gaze met mine. “This volcano would no longer be extinct, and that’s just for starters.”
I suddenly couldn’t breathe. Then I swallowed, and straightened. Riley looked from Lucas to me, and I offered a tremulous smile.
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s see if we can find your Dragon.”
32
Rafael
Lucas offered to help, but I sensed his relief when I sent him away.
“There’s nothing you can do,” I said. “And if it fails, we are going to need your wings. So resting is the most productive thing for you.”
He nodded, his eyes darting between me and Riley. Finally, he said, “Good luck,” and left.
I turned to Riley. She watched me with her beautiful green-rimmed eyes, and my heart flipped right over.
Not a promising start.
“This is likely going to be unpleasant and even painful. My skills are not what they could be, and I have to focus my energy on the end goal. If it becomes unbearable, please tell me, and we’ll pause. Okay?”
Riley lifted her chin and her eyes glittered. “Just do it.”
I admired her bravery. But then, she’d never been through anything like this. “Lie back in the middle of the bed,” I said.
She did so, and my stupid Satyr half immediately went where it had no business going, considering I needed to stay focused.
“Move over a bit.” I had to clear my throat in between the first two words, as my voice wavered.
She shuffled over, and I sat down beside her on the bed, pulling my legs up and crossing them.
Riley raised a brow. “You’re limber for a guy.”
“I’m no ordinary guy,” I pointed out. It came out as a seductive purr, my Satyr making a grab for control. I pushed back on it and twitched my lips into a smile.
She sucked her lip between her teeth. But all she said was, “What do I do?”
“First, I’m going to assess which of your systems are craving the crystal dust. Then, if I can find the Dragon in you, I will call it out.”
She frowned. “It’s only been a few days since I was bitten. Doesn’t it take longer than that?”
I swallowed. “That hasn’t been long, but the Dragon virus is virulent. And between fated mates, it can progress very fast.”
She hesitated. “And if we’re not fated?”
“Then he wouldn’t have bitten you.”
“He wants nothing to do with me.” I could barely hear her. “He’s an asshole.”
“I agree that he’s not exactly Mr. Sunshine. His human may have other ideas, but his beast certainly thinks you are his mate, or it wouldn’t have gone through with it.”
She absorbed that. Then she said, “Where did you go when we were at the inn?”
I forced myself to breathe. “I needed to feed, so I went hunting.”
