Page 9 of Full Moon
We move back inside the house, not wanting to leave Feray for long. Diaval arches a brow, looking at Khal. Khal raises his head and flicks his tongue out over Feray. "Khal says her scent is changing slowly. We have days at best."
I pace and look in the general direction of the ice cavern. If I'm being honest with myself, I'm the last person alive who knows where it is. "Tomorrow we need to have Feray shift and tell her wolf to head home." My gaze turns to Torben. "As first mate and another terrestrial warm-blooded shifter, her wolf will listen to you." The words taste like ash on my tongue.
Torben looks back at Khal's coils, then in the direction I was staring. "It's not strong, but there's a pull in that direction." He raises his hand and points.
"You said there's a pull. I thought only Feray would feel it."
"I feel it because of Feray. It's like a small child tugging on my sleeve." He furrows his brows, studying the direction he feels the tug. He walks toward the wood line, and I follow.
Diaval chooses to remain with Khal. I walk silently behind Torben. We walk for what feels like forever until we reach a cliff. Looking down into the valley below, off in the distance—a sea of white. Cloud-covered mountain tops block my view. Even with my phenomenal eyesight, I can't see through the thick clouds on the horizon.
Shaking my head, I rest a hand on Torben's shoulder. "Come on. We need to get back to the others. Tomorrow, we have to find a way to get down there."
I turn to leave and listen for Torben to follow. He hesitates for several moments before I hear his footsteps behind me. My biggest concern is that getting closer to the entrance may cause negative reactions from our shifts. Torben feels the pull. Diaval and Khal are getting twitchy. My bird and I are very concerned for Feray's safety.
Their primal drive to protect Feray combined with the pull—it's a recipe for disaster. Making it back to the house, we find Diaval sitting next to Khal outside, watching the area. "Why didn't you stay inside the alpha house?"
Diaval's eyes find mine. "In case of spontaneous shifting, it's safer to be outside tonight. Feray is very antsy—it's like a thousand ants running over her skin."
His explanation makes sense. I make a mental check of myself, and there it is. Deep down, a small ripple—almost like a constant gentle wind blowing through my feathers. So gentle I barely noticed it.
"Diaval, your shift is the one I'm most concerned about. How are you doing?" I study my oldest friend. Under the surface of his skin, I can see the occasional ripple of scales.
"I'd be remiss if I lied and said I'm fine." He tilts his head, choosing his next words carefully. "It feels as if something is lifting each scale on my body one by one. Very irritating."
His tone betrays the level of agitation he's experiencing.
"Torben, how are you doing?" I watch a wave of fur run down his arms.
"Not great." He shakes his head just before his bear rips free from its human bonds.
"I have a theory." Diaval moves over to look into Khal's coils. "She's shifted." He paces, then moves to stand where Khal and I can both look at him. "The stronger the bond, the stronger the urge to shift with her." That makes me look at Torben.
"Makes sense. They were bonded for weeks before Khal." I motion between Khal's coils and Torben.
"If we're following bonding order, then it's you next," Diaval points out.
"That's what concerns me. What if I burst into flames in a small, confined space? I mean, being an ancient, I should have better control than that—in theory."
"Why don't you shift and go for a flight? I'll watch over the family. If I need to shift, I will." Diaval's eyes glow briefly, then fade. I think he's fighting harder than he's letting on.
I nod wordlessly and walk off into the cover of the trees. Carefully, I strip and lay my clothes over a low-lying branch before allowing my bird to surface. The urge to ignite is stronger than expected.
Taking flight, I break the canopy into the night sky and allow my flames to ripple over my feathers. For the first time today, I feel as if I can draw a full, deep breath. With every flap of my wings, I fly further from camp, searching the area. I follow the slight pull to the north, curious about where it's leading me.
As I near the mountain range that separates the northern packs from the rest of the world, the pull becomes stronger. Along the mountain range, partially hidden by clouds, I can see mountain goats and other creatures moving in the snow. This bodes well for us—Diaval can hunt for everyone before we enter the cavern. Then comes the concern for our dragon-kin. Will the cold affect them? If they shift, they'll burn through more energy to maintain their warmth than normal.
In the trunk of the car, I know we have gear for cold weather. In theory, Feray shouldn't need it if she stays shifted. Torben should be fine because of his bond with Feray preventing him from hibernating.
I make several passes by the mountains, looking things over. There's no way to get the vehicle down into the valley. The ancient packs were smart, hiding their entrance here. It's probably one of the most inaccessible places I've ever seen. After I've exhausted every option, I turn to head back. When I return, I see probably the most unexpected sight I've ever witnessed.
Diaval's dragon lies curled around Khal with Torben's bear between his front feet. He raises his great head slowly to look at me, then lays it back down.
I guess everyone is sleeping together tonight. Looking Diaval over, I see the tall, slightly curved spikes on his tail and land there, extinguishing my flames. Beneath me, I feel the steady rise and fall of my oldest friend's breathing. Somewhere in those coils, Feray sleeps. Safe. Protected by all of us.
A dragon, a basilisk, a bear, and a phoenix—all wrapped around one small wolf.
This is going to prove to be a very long night indeed.
But there's nowhere else I'd rather be.
