Page 26 of Alan

“I wish to hear them out,” Selene announced.

The tension in the room ebbed away as all of us relaxed, even if not all of us wanted to or felt it a wise decision.

When she nodded, the torchlight went brighter—and at the same time, Keira appeared along the wall to my left. She’d been standing there all along, blocked by a spell which had rendered her invisible to us. I should have known.

Tamhas ran to her, enfolding her in a tight embrace which she returned.

Beside them stood a girl with longish dark hair, whose petite frame seemed overwhelmed by the oversized sweater and baggy pants she wore. Both forearms were loaded with bracelets, including the one which Keira had found in the woods.

I had the immediate impression that she wished to hide herself. It made sense in relation to what Tamhas had already told me about her.

Our eyes met.

My dragon roared in recognition of something it had never seen before. My human consciousness rejected the notion out of hand, declaring it impossible.

The dragon knew better.

It was the dragon who moved my feet in her direction, who led me to take her hands in mine. “Emelie?” I asked, staring into her tear-filled gray eyes.

“Yes.”

“I am Alan. Are you well? Have they harmed you in any way?”

“You ought to know better than to ask such a question,” Selene called out, easily able to hear me.

I ignored her in favor of focusing on Emelie. “Are you well?”

“Extremely confused, but nobody has hurt me.” She looked over my shoulder, to Tamhas and Keira. The two of them were still lost in each other and would be for at least another few minutes. “What’s happening here? I wish somebody would tell me.”

“You don’t know?”

“I know she’s a witch,” she whispered, nodding to Keira. “I know she’s one of them.”

“A Priestess,” I murmured. “Though, in essence, there is not much of a difference.”

“What’s happening here?” Her eyes searched mine, her forehead creasing in a worried frown—then, she withdrew her hands from mine. “Wait. I forgot.”

“Forgot what?” I took a step closer to her, which she responded to by stepping further away from me.

“She wouldn’t tell me who you are. She didn’t get the chance. But I know there’s something weird about you, too, because you have something to do with them.”

“You have no reason to fear us.” I nearly said me, but stopped myself in time.

“I’ll make that decision for myself.” She folded her arms, tucking her hands underneath.

My heart sank. I merely wanted her to trust me. The last thing I wanted was to harm her.

“Well?” Selene asked. “If there is so much for us to discuss, we had better get to it. I believe more than enough years have passed.”

The clan looked to me for guidance. The coven looked to me for explanation.

My dragon wanted nothing but Emelie. She was our mate, now and always.

That would have to wait.

So would the confusion that I felt at the strength of my emotions.

“Is there somewhere we can sit?” I asked.

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