Page 5

CHAPTER FIVE

BLAKE

I woke to the smell of something cooking in the kitchen.

For a moment, I just lay there, staring up at the ceiling that had become all too familiar over the past few days.

The old wooden beams, the rustic charm of the cabin—it was a world apart from the cold, sterile halls of the Guild, where I used to spend most of my time.

I wasn’t used to waking up without the sound of alarms or the pressure of a new assignment hanging over my head.

I wasn’t used to the luxury of staying in bed for as long as I wanted, without the constant fear that my next mission could be my last.

No, I realized with a strange pang of relief, I didn’t miss the Guild at all.

Sparring at the crack of dawn, being pitted against my fellow hunters as they tried to prove their superiority over each other, over me—I didn’t miss any of it.

It had been brutal, a dog-eat-dog world where the weak were always pushed to the margins.

And I had never been the strongest, not like Finn or the others. They thrived in that environment. I survived it. Barely.

The smell of coffee pulled me from my thoughts, and I dragged myself out of bed, stretching as I stood.

My body still ached from the wounds I’d suffered, but they were healing faster than they should, thanks to Samuel.

I ran a hand over the oversized shirt I was wearing, another one of Samuel’s.

I had secretly started to like wearing his clothes, even though I told myself I shouldn’t.

It was comforting in a way I didn’t want to think too much about.

I padded quietly toward the kitchen, the wooden floor creaking softly under my bare feet.

When I entered, Samuel was standing at the stove, his back to me as he worked a frying pan.

He didn’t need to turn around to know I was there.

“Morning,” he said. “Coffee’s ready. Pour me a cup too, will you? Breakfast will be ready soon.”

I nodded, even though he hadn’t looked back. Samuel always knew where I was—he could scent me, hear me.

I was getting used to it, to the way he could always seem to sense me.

There had been a time when that would have unnerved me, when the thought of being under constant surveillance by a shifter would have made my skin crawl.

But now… I didn’t mind it as much.

I shouldn’t get too comfortable, though. I still planned on leaving once I was strong enough.

This situation—whatever it was between us—was temporary. It had to be.

I grabbed two mugs and poured coffee into both, bringing one over to him. He took it with a nod of thanks, still focused on the pan.

I sat down at the small table, taking in the smell of the spread before me.

My stomach growled at the sight of eggs, bacon, and some kind of fresh bread that made my mouth water.

It was the first time we’d eaten together like this.

In the past, I’d taken my meals back to the room, wanting to keep some distance between us.

But this… this felt more intimate. More real.

Samuel set a plate down in front of me and sat across from me, his own plate piled high.

We ate in silence for a few minutes, and I couldn’t help but savor the food.

It was good, really good, and the quiet between us was comfortable in a way I hadn’t expected.

“So,” I started, breaking the silence, “about those rogues…”

Samuel’s eyes flicked up to meet mine, his expression unreadable.

I hesitated, then pushed forward.

“Gordon and I were sent here on a mission to deal with a rogue wolf. Just one. We didn’t expect to run into an entire group of them. Honestly, we didn’t know what we were walking into,” I said.

Samuel’s jaw tightened slightly, and I wondered if I’d hit a nerve. Then he sighed and set his fork down.

“I was sent me here too,” he said. “But I wasn’t sent to deal with wolves.”

“What were you sent to deal with, then?” I asked, genuinely curious.

If he wasn’t here for the rogues, what could possibly be more dangerous than that?

Samuel paused, his eyes darkening for a moment. He looked at me with an intensity that made my breath hitch.

“A rogue dragon,” Samuel finally said.

I blinked, then laughed. “A dragon? Seriously? Those are extinct.”

Samuel didn’t laugh with me. His face remained dead serious, and something shifted in the air between us.

“We’re not extinct,” he said quietly, his eyes locking onto mine. “We’re still here.”

The room felt like it had suddenly dropped ten degrees.

I swallowed hard, and in that moment, I saw it—his eyes flickered gold, and I caught a glimpse of something beneath his skin.

Something massive, terrifying, and ancient. Scales, claws, wings… A dragon.

The bond between us pulsed, and through it, I felt the presence of his beast.

It was so different from the wolves I had faced before, so much more primal and dangerous.

I could feel its hunger, its rage, and its possessiveness.

My heart raced, my pulse quickening in a mixture of fear and something else… something darker. Something that thrilled me.

“You’re… a dragon shifter?” I whispered, my voice shaky.

Samuel nodded slowly, his eyes not leaving mine. “Yes.”

I pushed my plate away, my appetite vanishing.

“I didn’t even know dragon shifters still existed. They’re supposed to be legends, stories we tell kids to keep them from wandering too far into the woods,” I said.

“Most of my kind have gone into hiding,” Samuel explained, his voice calm but firm. “But some… some have gone rogue. The one I’m hunting is dangerous, Blake. More dangerous than you realize.”

I didn’t know how to process this. The thought of dragons—actual dragons—being real, living among us, sent my mind spinning.

But it wasn’t just the revelation that rocked me.

It was the way Samuel looked at me, the way the bond between us hummed with life, with power.

There was something raw in his gaze, something that called to me, even though I knew I should resist.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Samuel’s eyes softened, the golden hue fading.

“I didn’t want to scare you,” he said.

I laughed bitterly. “Too late for that.”

For a moment, we just stared at each other, the silence between us heavy with unsaid words.

My mind was racing, trying to make sense of it all—dragons, rogues, the bond between us that felt like it was tightening around my heart, drawing me closer to him even when I wanted to pull away.

But the truth was, I wasn’t scared of Samuel. Not really. I was scared of what being near him made me feel.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Blake,” Samuel said softly, as if reading my thoughts.

“I know,” I whispered back, surprising myself with how much I meant it.

His hand reached across the table, his fingers brushing mine, and a jolt of electricity shot through me.

The bond flared, and for a moment, I could feel the depth of his emotions—his protectiveness, his possessiveness, his desire.

And just like that, I realized I was in deeper than I’d ever thought possible.

I wasn’t sure what scared me more: the fact that I was sitting across from a dragon shifter, or the fact that I was starting to feel like I didn’t want to leave.

“I’m still leaving,” I said, though the words sounded hollow even to my own ears.

Samuel’s lips twitched into a knowing smile. “If you like.”

The strange, almost tender moment between us shattered when we both heard a loud thump from outside.

My heart leapt into my throat.

Samuel’s face hardened instantly, the warmth in his eyes replaced with the sharp focus of a predator sensing danger.

“Stay here,” Samuel ordered, his voice low and firm.

Of course, I didn’t listen.

As he moved toward the door, I was right behind him, my own fear tangled with the strange sense of protectiveness I felt toward him.

Maybe it was because of the bond.

Maybe it was because, for the first time in a long while, I wasn’t facing something dangerous alone.

But there was no way I was staying back.

Samuel’s hand shot out to stop me, holding me back with an almost casual ease.

His broad back blocked my view, his stance tense and alert.

Overprotective dragon, I thought, a flicker of dark humor cutting through the anxiety tightening my chest.

After a long moment, he seemed to decide it was safe—safe enough, at least—and lowered his arm, allowing me to step beside him.

The door creaked open, and cold morning air rushed in as Samuel swung it wide.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat.

There, lying just outside the cabin, were three wolves—dead, their bodies twisted and broken as if they’d been tossed aside like rag dolls.

Their eyes were open, glassy, and lifeless, their fur matted with blood and dirt.

I felt a sickening twist in my gut, my mind struggling to process the scene before me.

“What the hell…?” I muttered under my breath, taking a hesitant step forward.

Samuel’s hand came up again, blocking my path.

His gaze was fixed on the dead wolves, but his expression remained unreadable, cold.

I couldn’t tell if he was angry, disturbed, or something else entirely.

Maybe it was just the dragon in him, staying focused on the threat while I was still grappling with what this all meant.

“What does this mean?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

My mind raced through possibilities, but none of them made any sense.

Why would someone or something leave dead wolves on our doorstep?

“It’s a message,” Samuel replied, his voice as calm as if we were discussing the weather.

A chill ran down my spine at his words. A message. Whoever had done this wanted us to see it. Wanted us to know. But what ?

“What message?” I asked, glancing up at him, hoping he had some kind of explanation.

“That we’re next,” Samuel said, his gaze shifting to me.

His eyes glowed faintly, that eerie gold flicker I had come to recognize as a sign his dragon was close to the surface.

The air between us thickened, the weight of his words sinking in.

My throat tightened, and for a second, the world felt like it was tilting on its axis. Someone—something—was hunting us.

I didn’t need Samuel’s shifter senses to tell me that much.

Suddenly, the cabin didn’t feel safe anymore. The walls felt too thin, the isolation too vulnerable.

My pulse quickened, my fight-or-flight instincts roaring to life.

I had faced danger before, countless times, but this was different. This wasn’t just about survival. This was personal.

Samuel’s hand brushed mine, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts.

“Let’s head back inside,” he said, his voice quieter now, but no less commanding.

I nodded, still staring at the bodies for another heartbeat.

My legs felt heavy as I turned and followed him back into the cabin, the door shutting behind us with a solid thud.

The moment we were inside, I felt the weight of what had just happened settle over me like a suffocating blanket.

“We need to talk,” I said, breaking the silence as we stood in the center of the small room.

“Agreed,” Samuel said, crossing his arms, his posture tense. “There’s more going on here. The rogues… they’re working together.”

“Working together?” I asked, my voice edged with frustration.

I’d never heard of anything like that before.

He hesitated for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully.

“The dragon I’m hunting,” Samuel began, his jaw clenching, “I suspect he’s working with the rogue wolves or controlling them somehow.”

My blood ran cold. “Is that possible?” I asked.

Samuel simply nodded.

I swallowed, the enormity of what he was saying sinking in.

“So what do we do?” I asked, my voice steadier than I felt. “We can’t just sit here and wait for him to come to us.”

“No,” Samuel agreed. “But we need to be smart about this. You’re still healing, and I’m not about to let you charge headfirst into a battle you’re not ready for.”

I bristled at his words, but deep down, I knew he was right. As much as I hated to admit it, I wasn’t in any shape to fight. Not yet.

“So what?” I asked, crossing my arms. “We just hide out here?”

“For now,” Samuel said, his tone firm but not unkind. “I’ll keep watch. And when the time comes, we’ll face this together.”

Together. The word echoed in my mind, stirring something unfamiliar in my chest.

For so long, I had been alone, fighting my battles on my own. But now… now I wasn’t.

And as terrifying as the thought of this rogue dragon was, there was a strange, undeniable comfort in knowing that Samuel and I would face it side by side.

But I couldn’t help the nagging fear that this was just the beginning—and that whatever was coming for us would be worse than anything I had ever faced before.