Page 56 of Sanctuary with a Dragon
“We’re not here to hurt you,” I said quickly. “I’m going to be the new shifter queen. This is Elandor—he’s the dragon half of the man who’ll be the next Prime.” Man, did that sentence sound bizarre to say. “I have an ability that leads me to shifters who need help, and your need felt the most urgent. Elandor and I are here to help, I promise.”
Her gaze darted between me and Elandor, then flicked toward the door. Whatever was outside scared her more than we did, because she turned back toward the door.
A hose was shoved under the door, releasing a thick gray gas that filled the room. I covered my mouthand nose with my sleeve, my eyes immediately watering from the fumes.
We had to get out!
The woman didn’t waste time. She flipped the safety on her gun, holstered it, and ran to the closet. Grabbing two backpacks, she ran to the bed and flipped the mattress in a quick, practiced motion, retrieving ammo and weapons from underneath, then she bolted for the hotel window.
Elandor, however, had other ideas.
With one nudge of his nose, the hotel door crumpled. He shoved his scaly head through the frame—taking a good chunk of wall with him.
Shouts erupted in the hallway. The woman warily hesitated by the window, weariness etched in every line of her face.
My heart ached for her.
She looked like she’d done this a thousand times?—
A thousand hotel rooms.
A thousand frantic nights.
Always running. Never safe.
I tuned out the chaos in the hall—the shouts and the screams at the sight of my dragon—and focused on the woman.
She was beautiful, though worn. The hallway light illuminated her short strawberry-blond hair, tired brown eyes, and pale, drawn features. Exhaustion clung to her like a shadow.
The infant, now crying again, had wisps of lightbrown hair and bright blue eyes. The woman moved her to her chest, murmuring soothingly.
“Shh, Alanna,” she whispered, still watching the door. “Let the nice dragon have his snack.”
“What are you?” I asked over the sound of Elandor’s maniacal rumbling laughter.
“I’m a bear shifter,” she said hoarsely. She’d calmed the baby, who now watched Elandor’s tail knock over the dresser with fascination. It fell with a crash, breaking apart.
We were going to owe this hotel for damages.
Elandor pulled his head back, and more of the wall crumbled because his head was too big to fit through the doorway.
We werereallygoing to owe for damages.
He glanced at me, his eyes gleaming in excitement.Most of them ran, but I got one.
The woman startled at the sound and feel of Elandor’s telepathic voice speaking to us, then cautiously stepped into the hall. Whatever she saw there made her shoulders slump in disappointment.
“It’s not him.”
“Who?”
She studied me for a moment, clearly debating whether she could trust me. “You’re really the next shifter queen?”
She really is,Elandor said, and that seemed good enough for her.
She patted the baby as she started fussing again,then nodded decisively and began gathering the things she’d left behind in her frantic packing from earlier.
“Alanna’s father.” Her voice was low and rough. “He killed my sister—his mate. She’d left him before the baby was born. In our phone calls, she told me he’d gone crazy and that she feared for her and Alanna’s safety.”
