Claimed by Desire (4 page)

Chapter Four

W
hen the sun breached the walls of Timeless Gorge, slashing the sky with pink and orange clouds, Misty found Rafe crouched near the wide mouth of the cavern. He was digging through his duffel with his back to her.

He heard her approach. She knew because his hands stilled. But he didn’t turn around.

“Good morning.” Misty crossed her arms and rubbed her hands over them, feeling an odd sensation coil in the pit of her stomach—tension. Was it hers? His? “Didn’t hear you get up.”

“I thought you’d want to get an early start.” Rafe turned around then, his T-shirt and blue jeans clinging to his massive frame. Although his expression was soft, his eyes were guarded. “I said goodbye to the clan and packed some breakfast. I wanted to make sure we’d be ready to fly when you got up.”

He tossed her a granola bar. She ripped it open and started in, pretending not to sense an unsettling vibe rise in the back of her throat. It reminded Misty of the feeling she got back in Castle Arcane—that the dragon in front of her was weakening. They had to recover that stone. Fast.

“I’ve been thinking about our route,” Misty said. “And the quickest way across the isle takes us across the eastern ridge, though Hollow Pass.”

“Misty,” Rafe said, drawing out her name. “Hollow Pass is in the heart of werewolf territory. Flying on the borders of their land was going to be sticky enough…now you want to travel right through the middle of one of their hidden mountain passes?”

“If my suspicion is right, the pass should spit us out in merfolk territory. Queen Elixa said the stone was on the far side of the isle. She was right…since I woke up this morning, I’ve been feeling small tugs of energy pulling me that direction. It’s gotta be the stone.” She shrugged under the pressure of Rafe’s gaze and took another bite. “Anyhow, the pass is too narrow to fly through, so we’ll have to hike from there. Should allow you to rest up a bit, too.”

Rafe slowly closed the distance between them, until Misty had to crane her neck to meet his eyes. His Draco specks reflected the morning light with light shades of green and gold. “You said that you
suspect
we’ll come out in merfolk territory?” He studied her carefully with narrow, squinted eyes. The same eyes that had seduced her last night, heavy-lidded and teeming with lust. “I’m not risking my neck, or yours, on some hunch. If you’ve never traveled the path, we’re not going that way.” He shook his head and went back to his duffel. “We stick with what we know.”

“Hollow Pass is possibly the fastest way to merfolk territory. I studied the maps for years, Rafe. The empaths I traveled across the isle with knew my senses were strong. They gave me the task of charting new routes, thinking I wouldn’t lead them into dangerous territory—I never did. I think Queen Elixa knew it, too, and that’s the reason she brought me here. I’m telling you, if she needs the Draco stone by tomorrow, our only chance of bringing it back to her in that time is through that pass.”

“If the werewolves find us in there, they’ll kill us on sight.”

“You’re acting like they’re heartless beasts who kill first, ask questions later.” Misty stepped to the edge of the cavern. Not even the full morning sun could warm the chill in her bones.

Were the odd feelings stirring inside her because she’d slept with Rafe last night? He’d told her he loved her…shouldn’t that have been comforting? Misty wondered, shivering to the core. Why did she seem even more leery of his feelings than before? It was as if a part of her was worried he’d take it all back again…

No, something was
off
today. Something didn’t feel right. And it wasn’t because she was stunned sex-stupid by the hottest dragon on the isle—heartbreaker or not.

“Most packs are exactly like that, Misty” Rafe said. “They’re merciless shifters. I’ve only met a handful of decent werewolves in my day, and even they had mood swings that’d make your head spin.”

“When I explored their territories years ago, they seemed to warm up just fine.”

“That’s because you were part of an empath family with no loyalties to any one shifting race on the isle. And you were drop-dead gorgeous to boot…still are.”

Misty blushed as he held her gaze. An awareness sparked between them, electrifying the cool, morning air. Damn Rafe and his sexiness all to hell. If he wanted her now, he could have her. Pinned against the mountain wall. On the ground, panting beneath him. Didn’t matter. She was putty in his strong, capable hands. And, oh, how she ached for the caress of those hands on her breasts, her stomach…the juncture between her legs. Merely standing before Rafe, seeing his eyes sparkle with lust, made heat rush to Misty’s center.

Only physical, she reminded herself. She could trust her body to betray her, but never her heart. Never again.

Slowly Rafe slid his duffel over Misty’s shoulder, tightened the straps then stood beside her. As his hand found the small of her back, he whispered, “Try donning scales and a tail and see if you get the same warm reception,” in her ear. “You’re a temptress, Misty. You could drop a man to his knees with one lick of your luscious lips.”

As shivers gathered at the base of Misty’s neck, she thought—for a split second—that Rafe might’ve roped her into his arms and dragged her back to bed to ravish her again. And again.

Instead he sucked in a quick breath and threw off a heady vibe of anxiety that put Misty’s fantasies on lockdown. “But werewolves won’t fall so easily. There’s got to be another way,” he said.

“There’s no other option. Trust me. I’ve gone over all the paths in my head.”

“I just don’t want to risk hiking through the center of the mountain.” He scraped his hands across his head. “Makes us damn vulnerable. I could fly over instead of through it. It would sap more of my strength, but it’d keep the wolves off our tail.”

“The eastern ridge contains some of the largest mountains on the isle. You fly over those peaks and you’ll be so loopy from lack of oxygen, you won’t be able to think straight to find your way back.”

“Oxygen’s overrated anyway.” His eyes shifted to the forest across the gorge. “I could fly us around the ridge. That was my original plan.”

“Do you realize how wide it is? How much time we would waste? No, that’s not a viable option. Besides, you won’t be able to fly the entire way around—you’ll have to stop and rest at some point.”

“Baby, I can go all night.” He reached for her hand, came up with her pinky and sucked it into his mouth.

Tremors of ecstasy fired through her core. “Not this time, Draco.” She buried her laugh and jerked her finger back. “You said yourself we shouldn’t be caught in werewolf territory. Going around the mountain will put us in the exact situation you wanted to avoid. We’ll be on the ground too long and it’ll be too easy for them to track our scent. If we travel through the pass, we’ll be in and out in no time. It’s our best bet.”

She waited for him to argue. When he stood quiet, arms folded in front of him, Misty continued. “Just let me take care of my job—sensing the best route across the isle and back to Castle Arcane. If I fail…if we wind up on a path that puts us face-to-face with a pack of merciless wolves, then you can do your job. You
were
assigned as my guard, remember? I’d hate for you not to have anything to do.”

Rafe rolled his eyes, but Misty felt a release in tension. Like a rubber band snapping in her middle.

“You worry too much,” she said, stroking his shoulder. “If we run into any werewolves in Hollow Pass, we’ll just tell ‘em we’re on the way out. They’re not monsters…you’ll see.”

“They’re wolves by nature, Misty, not poodles. But Queen Elixa assigned you as my partner for a reason.” He bowed his head, a notion that shocked Misty. It was the way a Draco treated his rider. Like a knight worshipping his princess. Her heart hummed. “I fly where you tell me.”

“Thank you.” In a few short minutes, she’d be riding Rafe’s back, clenching her thighs around his middle and burying her face into the silky sheen of his scales. Warm rushes of adrenaline—or something far more delicious—surged through Misty’s body. “You ready?”

Without another word, Rafe kicked off his boots and slipped out of his clothes. He shoved them in the duffel and knelt in the corner, the wide span of his back facing her.

Misty had to focus hard on keeping her breathing even and her heartbeat calm. She averted her eyes, which seemed to help. But when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him pick up a handful of dirt, her attention returned to his drop-dead gorgeous body. Rafe let the dirt sift through his fingers, just like he did before they flew into the gorge. Misty wondered when he’d started the ritual and what it meant….

A gust of wind howled through the cavern as Rafe shifted. Giant green and golden wings unfurled between his pulsing back muscles; they seemed to unfold forever, stretching outward until they brushed dirt off the walls of the cave. Teardrop scales shimmered across the thick span of his body, reflecting the sun’s golden rays.

Watching Rafe shift, seeing the brilliance of his dragon form, Misty felt a strange tenderness flood her. What she wouldn’t have given to live—
even one!—
glorious year on Feralon as Rafe’s rider…

How would her life have been different if she’d stayed and been claimed formally? She’d had such a deep rooted desire to live a shortened life and die on Rafe’s back. She’d been resolute. Certain that there was no way she’d rather live.

Had she changed so much?

Could she imagine living eighty to ninety years on earth without Rafe? She could work hard, get promoted, pick one of the men she’d been seeing—any one, wouldn’t matter much—save some money, buy a house and get married. They would travel the world together, see the Eiffel Tower, Great Wall of China and maybe sail down the Amazon. And when they were ready, they’d settle down outside of the city and have a couple of kids. She’d grow old, content and sit on a worn porch swing through her fragile years.

She’d be happy with that life. Who wouldn’t? But the more Misty thought about it the more a certain weed of a thought sprang into her mind
It’d still fall short of this
.

Could she love Rafe again? The way she did before? Or were the feelings swirling within her simply lust on a rampage?

Ah, hell.
She was in trouble.

Misty straddled Rafe’s middle and squeezed, sending him leaping off the ledge. He dove headfirst. Down, down, deep into the gorge. With a squeal of delight, Misty hugged her arms around his neck and buried her face against him.

Rafe spiraled through the air, faster and faster, his wings circled around him tight. He tilted right and caught a gust of wind. The great span of his wings flattened out, slowing them to a smooth glide.

When Misty opened her eyes some adrenaline-filled seconds later, they were hovering, flying, mere inches above the river at the bottom of the gorge. The iridescent blue ribbon of water was nearly within reach. She’d never been so close before, although she’d admired the river from the top, many times, on many other expeditions.

Misty leaned far over Rafe’s side, sweeping the tips of her fingers over the glassy surface. Her fingers tingled at the chill. She leaned farther over…

With a jolt that screamed “
You’ve had your fun, now knock it off,”
Rafe beat his wings hard, and shot upward through the sky before peaking above the first line of trees across the gorge. Misty held on tight as they soared beneath cotton-candy clouds. Above the rain forest canopy that was green and lush and waiting for rain.

It was somewhere near heaven, as far as Misty was concerned. Seeing the Isle of Feralon from this angle, on Rafe’s back, was beyond Misty’s wildest dreams. It was more exhilarating than exploring on foot…on her own.

And she had every reason to believe it had everything to do with Rafe.

Her heart throbbed with every hard beat of Rafe’s wings. And as she rested on his back, her chest pressed against him, Misty realized his rough breathing matched her own. Heartbeat for heartbeat. Breath for breath. She could sense heat, rich and flowing like molten lava, pulse through his veins. She could feel the raw power of his stride. Every movement. Every firing of his muscles.

They were more in synch than ever before.

Rafe pounded wing for tens of miles. Coasted for hours. Rolled over the land like they’d explored it all their lives. He glided through the air, gently leaning this way and that, careful not to pitch too much that Misty might lose her grip.

It didn’t matter anyway. She was holding strong, her arms and legs cinched around Rafe’s middle as if her life, and her heart, depended on it—because it truly did.

By late afternoon, fat rain clouds tumbled across the horizon, blacking out most of the eastern sky. They hadn’t seen a single werewolf below them, only miles and miles of forest and trails, most of which Misty had explored on earlier expeditions.

And Rafe hadn’t taken a single break. Dracos couldn’t go all day without food and water. At least not as far as they’d traveled. How the hell was Rafe able to do it?

“See that?” Misty pointed to a massive mountain range, the eastern ridge, where forest collided with rock. Tiny smudges of shadow and gnarly stone appeared halfway up the mountain. It was Hollow Pass—the dark, mysterious spot she’d studied on maps and always dreamed of exploring. She would have unearthed its secrets eventually, had she not been kicked off the isle. Misty shuddered with excitement when she realized the moment had come. She was finally getting the chance that was stolen from her. “That’s our stop. Only a little farther.”

Rafe’s long body rippled as he picked up speed, setting his sights on the middle of the mountain. He landed with a heavy
thwomp
on a narrow overhang of rock leading into Hollow Pass
.
Misty slid off his tail and waited for him to shift.

Rafe’s brightly colored scales faded to smooth, tan skin. His wings folded into the rippling muscles of his back, disappearing like they were never there at all. In a heartbeat, the magnificent dragon part of Rafe had shifted into the smoking hot part—the one she wanted to ride in a very different way.