Fire Proof

Chapter Twenty-Eight

My voice had come out in barely a breath, but the figure's head snapped in my direction. I don't think he can see me from there, as I am still hiding behind the rocks to stay away from the Darkness. But maybe it's a mate thing, that he can sense me, or his wolf is hyper aware for his mate and can pick up my voice with ease. I'm still not entirely sure how it all works.

Jupiter gazes up at me, electric blue eyes brighter than they've been in weeks. "Really?" He whispers excitedly, "he came for us?"

Now that I know it's him, it's easy to recognize his dark hair, matching his sister's who stands directly behind him. Her head tilts around slowly, taking in the peaks and tumbled rocks before her.

Focusing again, I strain my ears to listen in on the conversation.

"I'm here for my mate." Bryce announces.

The Darkness scoffs a laugh. "Oh really? And you think we have a pathetic little she-wolf held hostage here somewhere?" I'm surprised the guard speaks so freely. Often we play dumb, even with wolves, pretending to be some off-the-grid village of mountain native people having no clue of the supernatural world.

Bryce squares his shoulders. "She's not a wolf."

Coming to his senses, the Darkness coughs, "your mate's not a wolf? What else would she be then?"

"A dragon!" While she's trying to stand strong next to her Alpha, Kiara's voice gives away her awestruck perspective. Bryce elbows her back a step.

The Darkness cocks his head. "I'm not sure that's possible. Dragons don't have destined mates." He must have decided to just stick with facts, knowing this Alpha isn't up for the game of dancing around words.

"This one does, and I know she was taken here, most probably against her will."

I flinch, hating that he's wrong about that. I left on my own accord, barely needing that much of a push from Aislee. But, I justify to myself, I regret it, and it didn't take me long to miss the Pack.

From some signal I missed — or maybe there wasn't one — shifted wolves start pouring from the treeline, barking and howling as they race across the rocky terrain. Bryce glanced over his shoulder, seeming just as startled as I was. He didn't give this order.

"Wolves!" A shriek rings out through the air, echoing off the smooth boulders. Instantly, the Caves becomes a panic zone.

I don't leave the lookout yet, just pull Jupiter against me as I slam my back against the boulder we're behind in an effort to stay hidden.

From the angle I'm at, I can't watch Bryce any longer, but I can see another Cave mouth, and Aislee appears from the hole. She mutters something before letting out a war screech. "Wolves! Dragons, attack!" She leaps off the cliff edge and shifts midair, her blue scales shimmering like river ripples in the cascading sun rays.

"Oh no." I mumble to myself.

Several more screeches bounce off the surrounding stones and rocks. Aislee disappears from my sight but it's not long before an Earth leaps after her, then two Waters and an Agriculture. After a pause, five Darkness guards fly off after them.

"What do we do?" Jupiter asks. I tear my eyes from the other mouth to stare at him, because I don't know what to say. I don't know how to answer that. I have no plan, no clue what to do.

"Should we hide?" He continues after my silence stretches for several moments. "Or help?"

No way am I letting Jupiter anywhere near the fighting. But I can't send him back to that prison of a room either. My eyes drag from him to the forest. "There." I tell him, meeting his eyes again. "I want you to shift and fly over to the trees. Stay up in one and keep yourself as small as possible. I will come get you when it's all over."