Page 9 of Bound to the Dragon (Wild Fated Shifters #3)

MADISON

I lock the door to my suite, more to keep myself in than anyone out.

The feeling of helplessness over this power, the connection to Blaze, is unparalleled by anything I’ve ever experienced in my life.

It’s not merely the sexual pull, my body physically calling out to him, but the emotional need to be in his space, his scent still lingering in my nose.

There’s no control over my own body, the yearning inside me feral, like I’m some wild animal without any free will of my own.

I desperately need a distraction, something to keep my mind off this man… my fated mate.

I still can’t believe this is happening.

There’s still no word from Virginia or my mother, but they must be getting close to Silver Glade territory by now.

But if Virginia is still in the car, I can’t tell her about this discreetly without my mother hearing about it.

I’m crawling out of my skin, and I need to do something, but if I step foot out the door, I’m going to head right back into Blaze’s space, and I’m sure this time, neither one of us will be able to resist. I won’t be able to help myself.

At the same time, if I stay, I’m going to tear the wallpaper off the walls.

Will it be so bad if we consummate our mating right now, like this?

As if in tune with my internal agony, my phone chimes from where it’s charging on the writing desk. I hurry to answer it as a knock echoes from across the sitting room.

Oh, gods, please don’t let it be Blaze. I have no willpower left to fight now. Simultaneously, I hope it is him. I’m ready to succumb to him fully.

The text is from Virginia, announcing her arrival home, and I exhale as I call out, “Who is it?”

“It’s Lillian. I came to see if you need anything, Luna.”

Cautiously, I amble toward the door to let the assistant inside, my lips pursing. Did Blaze send her, or is she just being a good assistant?

Throwing open the door, I look at the shy-looking staff member. Can she sense our bond yet? There’s no doubt everyone will be able to the minute they see us together. I can feel it pulsating within me.

“I don’t need anything. Was any of the staff harmed during the attack?”

She’s taken aback by my question. “Some. But nothing life-threatening, and they’re all being treated.”

Maybe I should go check on them. I am the Luna now. The staff members are part of my responsibility.

“Can you take me to them?”

“Take you to them?” Lillian blinks several times as if I’ve asked her to bring me a unicorn.

“If they’ll accept visitors. I’d like to check in on them.” I have to do something. Anything to keep me away from the Alpha, or I’ll be trailing after him like a lost puppy.

“Of course, Luna. They would be honored to have you visit. Any time you like.”

I tuck my phone in my back pocket and follow her out into the hallway, closing the suite door behind me. Again, I’m overcome by Blaze’s presence everywhere. He’s in every part of the house, his being, his essence.

And the need for him consumes me completely. I’ll never make it like this, resisting. We have to accept this, sooner rather than later.

“Are you all right?” Lillian’s voice brings me back to the present moment.

“Hmm?”

“You weren’t harmed today?” Her lovely blue eyes peer at me with concern.

Define “harmed,” Lillian .

“I wasn’t hurt by the attackers, thankfully.” There’s no need to launch into a diatribe about my real feelings about any of it. She doesn’t get paid enough to listen to what I’m going through.

The further we travel up the staircase, the less I feel Blaze, although it’s still a very vivid connection.

I guess Blaze doesn’t spend a lot of time up here, but there is no escaping his presence anywhere.

I could run back to Silver Glade, and I’m sure I would still have him all over me.

But for the first time since I arrived in Shadow Pine, I have absolutely no desire to go anywhere.

The third story is smaller, narrower, with more of a hotel-style layout than the other two floors.

“Who would you like to see first?” Lillian stops in front of one of the nondescript doors.

I eye her with mild embarrassment. “I wouldn’t know,” I admit. “Can you just tell me?”

“Of course.”

She knocks on the door we’re standing in front of, and through its thickness, muffled movements scrape along the doorway. I find myself facing a bandaged older female, and my heart leaps into my throat. Those monsters attacked the elderly, too!

“Luna.” She bows to me and steps back to allow me inside. “Please, come inside. If I’d known you were coming, I would have been better prepared for you.”

“Estrella, the Luna came to see how you are doing,” Lillian explains on my behalf.

“Please!” Estrella extends a trembling hand, and I instantly understand my mistake. I shouldn’t have blindsided them.

“No, I’m not staying,” I jump in quickly, realizing that my arrival has made her uncomfortable. “I only wanted to check in on the injured. Is there anything the Alpha or I can do for you to make you more comfortable?”

Even saying “Alpha” sends spirals through my entire body, conjuring an image of Blaze’s hazel eyes. I wonder if these feelings will diminish over time, but something tells me the bond will only grow over time.

“N-no. That’s very generous. Thank you.” She’s confused but grateful for the gesture.

“You reach out to me anytime if you do. You know where to find me, and I don’t want you to hesitate.”

Estrella merely gapes at me.

“I mean it,” I insist, my mind racing on how we can make her life easier while she recovers.

“T-thank you, Luna.”

“Come on, Lillian. Let’s let Estrella rest. There must be others to visit. Thank you for seeing me today. And please don’t forget to reach out if you need anything.”

I usher my assistant along the hallway before Estrella has to think of anything else to say to me.

But I stop short of knocking on another door when Estrella’s closes.

“Is something wrong?” Lillian cocks her head, perplexed when I stop in the narrow hallway.

The staff doesn’t know me well enough for me to waltz through here like a queen greeting her subjects.

But they know Lillian and are comfortable with her.

I need to build a better rapport with them before making unexpected visits like this.

But I don’t explain this to Lillian. I’m still not sure how much I can trust my personal assistant.

“No. I just realized I have to make a phone call. I want you to follow up with every one of the injury victims and tell them the same thing I told Estrella. I’m going to see the Alpha about getting them a compensation package as well.”

“Oh, that’s very generous.” She hesitates. “I don’t know if he’ll go for it.”

Her response only confirms what I already suspected about the closeness in their relationship. “He’ll go for it. His employees were injured at work. It’s the least we can do for loyal staff.”

Lillian’s eyes widen at my bold statement. “All right. If that’s what you want me to tell them.”

“It is. I’ll be in my suite if you need me.”

She parts her lips, but no words come out. I stare at her expectantly. “What, Lillian?”

“It is your mating night. Shouldn’t you be in the Alpha’s suite?”

My knees buckle at the thought of being alone with Blaze tonight or any night, but it is inevitable. We will be there sooner or later. And it floods me with excitement without a hint of nervousness. I want to be with him, wholly and completely.

“Thanks, but I’ll worry about my own sleeping arrangements.

” I stride back down the steps and almost collide with Blaze at the bottom of the stairs.

His hands reach out to stop me, and I inhale sharply at his touch.

Another jolt of electricity vibrates through me, and I give up. I’m powerless, and I accept that now.

A surge of raw desire slams into me with devastating force.

“What are you doing in the staff quarters?” he asks me.

I untangle myself from his grip and reluctantly slide out of it, but the feelings of his fingers remain on my bare arms.

“I’m checking on the injured staff members. You should do the same. And give them compensation for what they endured today.”

Blaze frowns at the statement. “For what? It wasn’t my fault they got hurt.”

I glare at him. “It still happened on your watch, didn’t it? You’re still their employer. The least you can do is act like you have their backs. They’re just as much a part of your pack as the enforcers or anyone else.”

He merely stares at me, the desire in his eyes making me distinctly uncomfortable, but I don’t back down.

Finally, he wretches his eyes away. “Fine.”

Really? Just like that?

Without another word, he pivots and stalks toward his wing, leaving me gawking after him. “That’s it?” I sputter after him.

He pauses halfway down the hall and glances back. “I don’t want to fight with you, Madison. Haven’t I made that clear?”

He’s turning this around on me now.

I inhale sharply. “I’m not trying to fight.” I hang my head and step toward him. “I just think that they deserve this. I want to make a good impression on them as Luna.”

“And I said fine. But I need something from you, and I don’t want an argument about it.”

I don’t like where this is going already, but I suppose I should have expected him to want something in return. “That depends on what it is.”

Blaze leans against the railing and exhales, his muscled arms rippling beneath the fabric of his shirt.

How did I not notice every contour of his body so distinctly before now?

I can’t help but memorize the gold flecks in his hazel stare, the lighter stubble around his five o’clock shadow near his chin.

My eyes trail lower toward his belt, and I’m distracted as he continues.

I imagine what he looks like without all those clothes on, what I might look like writhing beneath his rippled frame, clinging to the broad muscles of his arms…

“You’re the Luna now, which means you have added responsibilities.”

It takes me a minute to notice that he’s waiting for me to respond, and my cheeks flame when I realize where my eyes are lingering. “I know that.”

“Well, a part of that will mean planning events here.”

I shrug. “I did that at home as the Beta’s daughter. I can handle your packmates.”

He pauses, and my eyes narrow slightly as I detect more that I’m not going to like.

“You need to plan another mating ceremony.”

The statement doesn’t compute off the bat. “Okay. Who’s getting mated?”

He laughs, and the sound is so foreign, my jaw drops. I like the sound, and flabbergasted, I chime, “Wow! You actually know how to laugh.”

My statement makes him chuckle harder.

“That’s because you know how to crack jokes,” he retorts. “You need to plan our mating ceremony again.”

Blood seeps out of my face. “W-what?”

“You can have the staff help, of course, but?—”

I don’t let him finish, my head waving wildly. “After what happened today, do you really think that’s a good idea?”

“It’s necessary.” His flat, emotionless tone is back, and I don’t like it one bit.

“Necessary?”

“Yes. The ceremony was interrupted, and it needs to be completed properly.”

I don’t know quite how to respond. “Um, okay. When should I schedule this?”

He cocks his head pensively. “That will be for you to decide. But until we know who’s responsible for the attack today, I would suggest you keep the date a secret for now. We wouldn’t want another surprise, would we?”

I scoff. “You know what would prevent that altogether? Not staging another ceremony. What’s the point, Blaze? We’re already mated. A party isn’t going to change anything.”

“It will!” His passion takes me aback. “It’s necessary. Our ceremony was interrupted. We’ll do it right. Can I count on you, or did I make the wrong choice for a Luna?”

Well, that was a cheap shot.

“You can’t really do better than your fated mate, can you?” I bite back.

Again, a sardonic smile touches his lips. “Use the staff, but be vague about the date. We’ll do it here again.”

I’m dumbfounded by his insistence, but I can tell that no amount of reasoning will change his mind.

He departs again, and this time, I don’t try to stop him.

Okay, this settles it. I have to call Virginia. I’m going to explode if I don’t tell someone what’s going on.