Page 14 of Dragon's Golden Mate
“Well, first I trip over my own feet like an idiot, and now I can’t fix this busted knee!” she hissed. “I should be able to at least heal it well enough to walk again, but it’s just not working.”
“You didn’t trip. It was an earthquake of some sort. I felt it, too.” There was something odd about it. Over the centuries, Kendrick had experienced numerous earthquakes, everything from minor tremors to massive vibrations that split the ground. This one, for some reason, didn’t quite feel natural.
He wanted to know more about it, but he’d figure it out later. Right now, he was only concerned with Maeve. His dragon felt fierce and protective inside him as he held her there on the side of the street. Itwanted nothing more than to shift and wrap its massive wings around her, keeping her safe.
“Try again,” he urged gently. “I’m sure you can do it.”
Her mouth twisted in pain as she reached for her knee again. She was the injured one, but it hurt him to see her like that. His beast writhed and ached inside him, longing to do something about it. But there was no enemy to avenge, and he didn’t know any magic.
Maeve once again reached for her knee. She breathed deeply, making her body press against his. It wasn’t right that she could bring him so much pleasure with the merest touch, yet he couldn’t erase her pain.
Tiny gold sparks flew from her fingertips. That had to be good, right?
But Maeve sagged in his arms. “Something’s wrong with me. My magic hasn’t been working for the last few days. I couldn’t light the candles, I couldn’t do a lesson with Nia, and now I can’t even heal myself.”
He saw defeat and fear in her face, and his heart ripped.
“I’ll need to shift.”
Kendrick glanced around. Several other peoplewere moving carefully through the neighborhood. The quake had been a small one, but it’d managed to knock flowerpots off porches. People checked their phones for information, looking uncertain. They weren’t paying attention to him or to Maeve, but they were still right in the middle of town. “Well, you can’t do that here.”
“Maybe I can walk back to Tina’s place, or at least hobble,” she suggested, pointing toward the way they’d come.
Kendrick thought about just how far they’d already walked. It hadn’t been a big deal as long as they were both on their feet, but he didn’t want her to suffer any longer than she had to. As he took in their surroundings, he found just the right spot.
“I think I have a better solution.” Kendrick already had his right arm around her back, and now he slipped his left under her legs. He lifted slowly, being careful of her knee, but she still sucked a hissing breath in through her teeth. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right,” she gasped. Maeve’s arms circled his neck, and she lay her head against his shoulder. “Now, I’m a literal burden, though.”
“Not at all.” If she hadn’t been injured, he would’ve bounced her around in his arms just to prove his point.
“Where are we going?” Maeve lifted her head slightly when she realized he wasn’t heading back down the sidewalk.
He was crossing it, instead. “There’s a little grove of trees back here.”
“You want me to shifthere? Right in town?” Maeve shook her head, but she held onto him even more tightly. “I can’t do that. Salem is pretty liberal, but I think even the folks here will have something to say if they see a wolf in their backyard.”
“Everyone is distracted by the quake.” Kendrick slipped into a narrow alleyway between two buildings. He ducked under the low-hanging branch of a tulip tree. “They’re not paying any attention to us, and no one will see you back here.”
“I don’t know about this. Is this someone’s yard?”
“It might be.” He laid her on the ground in front of a couple of young, thick cedars that formed a wall along the backside of the tiny clearing. A thicket of sassafras grew off to the left, and maples and oaks surrounded them everywhere else. “If it is, they must not be too concerned with their landscaping.”
“Well, I don’t see any windows that look straight down here,” Maeve admitted.
He knelt in front of her. “You don’t have anythingto worry about beyond maybe getting a few bugs up your skirt. I promise. I’m here to protect you.”
Maeve’s soft brown eyes had picked up the earthy tones that surrounded them, bringing out hints of green and yellow that he hadn’t seen before. “I’ll trust you, then.”
“I like to think you can.” Kendrick fell into those eyes, and for a brief moment, he forgot the potential danger they’d be in if anyone did happen to see her. “I’m right here.”
She nodded. “Now, let’s see if I can actually do this. If my magic is already failing me, there’s no telling whether or not I’m still in touch with my wolf.”
Kendrick put his back to the cedars, ready to spring forward if anyone should somehow manage to find them. “You only need your other form for a few minutes. I’m sure you can do it.”
Through the worry and agony in her face, she managed to smile a little. “You have an awful lot of confidence in me.”
“I think it’s well deserved.” He pointedly looked away from her to scan the area around them. Kendrick wanted her to know he meant every word of what he’d said. He’d stand there and protect her while she shifted. If by chance someone happenedto see her and tried to come after them, they’d have a dragon to contend with.
