Rivian’s warrior pushed with his paws, desperately trying to keep Saul from latching onto his neck. But Saul was stronger and he slammed the other lion down to the ground, over and over and over.
Lorelei moved forward. Moved closer.
The roaring and growling continued several more minutes. At one point Rivian’s male had Saul on the ground, but only for a moment. Then the tables were turned again and this time the sound of ripping flesh and stilled bodies signaled the end.
Saul removed himself from the tangle of limbs, shook out his mane and chuffed at her. He didn’t stop to clean himself of the warrior’s blood. Instead he was at her side in a moment, nudging her gently but insistently to move away from the scene.
She did as he asked, following his long loping gait all the way down the mountainside.
Hours had passed, but they didn’t stop. Saul couldn’t afford another fight like that in the same day. Her lungs and legs burned from the run. When he finally slowed down she collapsed to the ground, sucking in deep breaths.
So tired. So very tired.
He shifted from his lion and walked from the trees into the large gravel-paved clearing surrounding another cabin.
Lorelei stared from the cover of the forest. This cabin was huge compared to the one they’d been in this morning. And the scent of many Reyleans hung in the air, making her lion’s tail twitch nervously.
More than lions lived nearby. And something much bigger and much scarier.
“Lorelei.” Saul called her name and motioned her to follow him.
She shook her head and refused to move from the shelter of the trees. He was crazy. She could smell dragon all over this place. Nobody messed with dragons. Not even a queen.
“Naomi,” Saul called another woman’s name and knocked on the door.
Another woman’s name on his lips perturbed her, even though he’d told her Naomi was his Vraka’s mate.
Oh, by Fate. His Vraka was a dragon.
She backed away a couple more steps. It couldn’t be. How could it be?
Dragons didn’t mix. Not with anyone. They ruled with fire and killed with fire and demanded tribute with fire. Loyalty and friendship weren’t an option. Belonging to a tribe led by a dragon wasn’t an option.
A baby’s cry froze her in place. Then a woman’s voice floated across the still air surrounding the cabin.
“Saul, what—Good Lord, what happened to you? You’re covered in blood. And you’re injured.” Her tone was filled with dismay and concern. “Col!” She shouted a man’s name over her shoulder.
“Please, Mahadhri. I found a woman. A lioness. She’s from Reylea and she’s been hurt.” Saul’s voice was respectful and filled with care.
“You found a what?” The woman’s focus shifted, flitting along the tree line.
She’s looking for me. Lorelei shrank down, crouching closer to the snow.
“She’s my match, but she’s been hurt badly,” he said, urging Naomi down the steps.
He was trying to bring the dragon’s mate to her. He was crazier than she was. They’d both be roasted alive.
The woman handed off the baby in her arms to a massive male who’d appeared in the doorway behind her. He had the look of a dragon. His eyes sparked with fire and he took a step to follow his mate down the steps of the cabin, but she shook her head and motioned for him to stay.
And he listened.
The enormous fire-breathing alpha male remained in the doorway holding a baby in his arms.
“Hey, sweetie.” Naomi attracted Lorelei’s attention away from the frowning dragon male.
The male was staring straight at the trees. Straight at her as if he could see her through the brush. He probably could.
The female spoke again. “Can you shift for me? I promise, no one is going to hurt you.”
Lorelei took a deep breath and her heart stuttered to a stop in her chest. Just for a moment, but it was long enough to feel it.
The woman was a dragon too.
She backed up a few steps, shaking her big head. He’d brought her to a dragon’s lair to what…sacrifice her? Was she a trophy? Certainly a trespasser and those never remained breathing long on Reylea. Dragons weren’t the forgiving type.
Had everything Saul’d said been a lie?
“You can trust the Mahadhri, Lorelei. I give you my word.” Saul’s tone implored her to stop retreating.
“Saul said you’ve been hurt. Please let us help you. You can bathe. Get into some fresh clothes. Eat. I promise you are safe with us.” Her voice firmed, filling with command and a self-assurance that steadied Lorelei’s erratic heartbeat. “No one will dare come for you under our protection.”
Lorelei took the plunge and pulled back from her lion, shifting back into a person. “You’re a dragon.”
The small woman with curly brown hair and sparkling honey-brown eyes laughed—the carefree laugh of a child with no worries. And why would she worry, she was a dragon. In a second’s time she could shift, burn everything at her feet. Kill any threat.
“Yes, it was an interesting transition, but I was human before being a dragon. I’m from this world, so I know a thing or two about how to survive here. Several of the mates in our group are or were human. You’ll find any and all support you could ever want here.”
“You changed?” Lorelei said, struggling to hide the disbelief in her voice. She didn’t want to offend the chief’s mate, but changing someone into a dragon? How was that possible? “You weren’t born with a dragon.”
“Nope.” Naomi flashed a bright smile. “Come on inside, I promise Col won’t bite. He and Saul can watch the babies and I will help get you all cleaned up and situated. Something to eat. Then maybe we can chat and you can tell me how I can help you.”
“Rivian will come,” Lorelei said.
Naomi shook her head, her curls bouncing. “I don’t know who that is, but nobody will make it through my door unless I want them to. Promise.” Naomi’s eyes flashed with a little flame and heat from her body melted all the snow around her feet instantly. Lorelei noticed that the woman was barefoot and definitely not dressed for the chill in the air. But then, with an internal fire, did they even get cold?
“Saul, you go alert the others that we have trespassers on the mountain. I assume it’s more than the boys can handle on their own? Did you see or hear them?”
Saul shook his head. “The boys are further south, I don’t think they’ve realized the lions are on the mountain yet.”
“Boys?” Lorelei stepped forward. The last thing she wanted was the death of children on her conscious. “You can’t send children after Rivian and his warriors.”
“Oh, no, honey. We call them boys, but they are Reylean wolves and tough as granite slopes on Denali. But they scout the mountain for us. They know not to engage, just to watch and alert us.”
“You have wolves in your tribe?” Lorelei continued to swallow her disbelief. Wolves were unpredictable and angry and cruel. Well, not as bad as Rivian, but the stories certainly made them sound close to the same.
“Oh yes, we have a very diverse group here in Mystery.” Naomi flashed another carefree grin. “Come on, let’s get you out of those torn up clothes. You look like you could really go for a bath and I have an enormous tub I can fill with hot water.”