Finding the Dragon (Dásreach Council Book 1) (41 page)

“Did you get the license on the truck that hit me?” She croaked at him. Her voice was raspy.

Kai smiled down at her. His relief was so great that he was stunned speechless. The Great Spirit had brought his woman back to him.

“Lass, can you tell me what you need me to do?” With one arm gripping her to him, he rubbed his other hand up and down her arm.

“Give me a minute.” She forced out.

“As long as you need.” He promised.

It took everything Kai had to stay still and allow Alvena to do what she needed to do. She stretched in his arms and began to struggle to sit up. He wasn’t ready to let her go, so he pulled her to a sitting position in his lap. She looked around and got a confused look.

“Where are we?” Her hands moved to his shoulders to brace herself as she looked up at him.

“Not sure, lass, you decided to try and take a header off of the Harley, so I thought it best that we use the shelter of this ole’ maple here for a bit.” He grinned at her. She looked so fragile that he just wanted to reassure her.

Alvena’s hand pulled back and clenched at her chest. She looked between Kai and the bike. Watching the events play out in her mind, the emotions crossing her face, until she shaped her lips into an “O” of surprise.

“Shit. I had a panic attack. I haven’t had one of those in quite some time.”

“So, you’ve had these before?” Kai asked and she nodded at him. “Do you know what causes them, what caused this one? Am I going to have to worry about it happening again? I don’t want to take the chance on the Harley if you are likely to faint while riding.”

Kai sat and stared at her, just waiting for her answers. She appeared to be processing things slowly and he kicked himself for throwing so much at her so soon after waking up.

“Um,” she licked her lips, “yes, a few times. As for what causes them? Typically stress. I’m guessing that the stress and anxiety of the last several days caught up to me.”

Kai caressed her face and ran his fingers through her hair as he waited for more information. When it didn’t appear to be forthcoming he prompted her.

“Well, will it happen again?”

“It’s possible.” She responded quietly. “But, I think it didn’t help that I didn’t eat but part of a sandwich and some water the day before last. There was the water and sandwich at the cabin. At the bar, I had the Coke. When we ran to the airport and the hotel, you picked up dinner…” Alvena blushed as her words trailed off.

“But, we never had the chance to eat it.” He supplied her.

“Yes, and this morning I just grabbed a bagel and some watered-down orange juice, before you rushed me to the airport.”

Kai reached for the bag that was sitting beside him. He unzipped it and rummaged for a bit before pulling out one of the chocolate bars he had bought Alvena. He handed it to her and then pulled out a water bottle.

“Which do you want first, lass?” He waved the bottle at the chocolate she held.

Alvena smiled at him and began to unwrap the candy. “Chocolate of course.” She said as she took a bite.

As Kai watched her enjoy the candy bar, he couldn’t help but be grateful for finding her and for having her brought back to him. It had been a quick trip, and not an easy one to find love, bumpy and uncomfortable, but he wouldn’t change a minute of it if the changes meant that he wouldn’t have her in his life.

Chapter 29

Al stormed around the hotel room. Once she had talked Kai back on the motorcycle, he had made multiple stops and had refused to drive far. At one point he had contacted Dar and arranged for some money. They were now checked into a motel that looked like it could be a stand in for the “Bates Motel.” She was restless and tired of being coddled, but the man refused to listen to her. He had left her alone in the room only because he was convinced that she needed food, and had left only after issuing strict instructions to stay in bed and rest.

She loved the man, but was beyond fed up with people who thought they could tell her what to do. Her fury was rising and she felt as if something was moving inside of her. Al paced in the small room thinking about everything that had happened, so much had changed in her life in only a handful of days. It was just over a week ago that she first saw Kai, and now she felt that her life wouldn’t be complete without him. Her life was flying out of her control and it really pissed her off. Since when did she let others make her choices? She thought and realized that she always had. When she was young her parents had been over-protective and a bit over-bearing. As she got older, her friends, teachers, and bosses soon took the place of her parents. She was always worrying about everyone else and being talked into things. She had a few good friends, like Maureen, that never pushed and liked her for her, but many of the people that were in her life had taken her for granted. And, the worst part was she let them. Look at how she had first met Kai, she had been running late because her boss had once again talked her into staying even when they both knew she needed to leave. Al growled and stomped faster on her path back and forth in the room.

“I won’t let them do it anymore!” She yelled to the room. “I will make my own fucking decisions. And, when I say no, it’s
NO
from now on.”

She had to find her friends. Kai had said he would put her into contact with them and still had not followed through. One more chance. She would give him one more chance and if he didn’t find her a way to talk to Nat and Rogue, then she was leaving and going to go find them. It was her fault that they were in this situation and she had to make it right for them. That meant she needed to find them and get them safely back home. It was her job and she would do it, no matter what she had to do.

Al nodded her head to herself.
Yes. That’s what I’ll do.

Three knocks, a pause, and then two knocks. Kai’s signal that it was him at the door before he opened it. The moment the door swung open she was right there in his space.

“I want to talk to my friends. Right. Fucking. Now.” She demanded as she stuck her finger in his chest.

“Um… what?” With a look of confusion and concern on his face, he walked into the room and kicked the door closed behind him.

Kai placed several bags on the small table in the corner and turned to look at her. A quizzical look in his eyes, he came to Al and felt her forehead. She jerked back from him and stomped away.

“Lass, you’re burning up.” He said as he followed her. “I think we should take you to the hospital…”

“I don’t need to go to the damn hospital. I’m feeling better than I have in a long time. I want to talk to my friends.” She turned to him, her hands on her hips. “You said you would let me talk to them, but as of right now, I have not talked to them.”

***

Kai watched as his mate paced the room in front of him. She hadn’t stopped moving since he walked in the door and when he had touched her, her skin felt like it was burning. Alvena didn’t appear to be sick, other than her behavior seeming off for her and how hot her skin was to the touch. Maybe she didn’t need a hospital, but Kai had no idea what was going on with her. His dragon spirit guardian was going crazy. Usually Kai was able to get advice from the spirit guardian, but this time all he could get was two words, over and over, mate and mine. Between his dragon and the woman in front of him, he felt like he was going crazy. When did he enter an alternate universe?

“So, are you going to keep your promise or not?” Alvena seethed.

Kai watched as his mate stood in front of him in what he now thought of as her Valkyrie stance, a slight breeze seemed to pick up in the room and made her hair move around her face. As he watched, he could swear that smoke came out of her nostrils. His mate was acting like an untrained Dásreach. She reminded him of himself when he first accepted the dragon spirit guardian. But, that couldn’t be what was happening to her. She had to go through the mating ceremony to receive a spirit guardian and her powers.

“Fine. I’m leaving then. I’m going to go and find my friends.” Still in shock, Alvena was past him before he snapped out of his trance.

As she came close, he could swear she smelled slightly of smoke. The difference in her scent brought him around quickly and he grabbed her arm.

“Hold on, lass. Just a minute. Give me a minute.” He pleaded. “I’m confused Alvena and I’m just trying to catch up.”

“Okay. Five minutes, then I’m out of here. My friends need me. It’s my fault that they are in this mess and I need to get them out. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to them because of me.” Alvena was rambling and talking so fast.

“Lass, how about we sit and figure out exactly what we need to do?”

“No, you have five minutes to let me talk to Rogue and Nat or I’m gone.” She stood and glared at him.

“Alright, let me make some phone calls. When I talked to Dar earlier he still hadn’t had any contact with either of them.” Kai picked up the hotel phone and dialed Dar.

He ended up calling collect, because he didn’t have the money to charge it to the room. Once he connected and Dar accepted the charges, he jumped right in, his time was ticking away and he didn’t want to hurt Alvena by trying to restrain her.

“Dar, I need to reach Charlie and Malkum.” He demanded.

“No, you need to speak to Nat and Rogue. I don’t care about your friends.” Alvena demanded from beside him.

“Yes, lass, I know.” He said to her, before going back to Dar on the other end of the phone. “Dar, Alvena
really
needs to talk to her friends.”

“Um, well, I still don’t know how to contact Charlie or Malkum. I’m sorry Kai, but they are both staying way below the radar.” Dar replied.

“Shite. Alvena is really upset and something is going on with her. I’d swear she had gone through the mating and is now struggling to handle the changes that come with it.” Kai replied.

“You should contact the Shaman.” Dar stated simply.

“Do you have any leads at all on where either of them are?” He wasn’t too proud to beg. He needed to give Alvena what she wanted so she would calm down and they could figure out what was going on.

“Not really, Malkum is out of the bayou. He told the trackers that we sent after him that he was going to find out what happened to the women who disappeared after visiting the tattoo shops. But, he didn’t tell them where he was going and hasn’t called in. As for Charlie, he hasn’t checked in since that first time and I don’t expect him to with how he was acting.” Dar gave him the update.

“Kai, this is not acceptable.” Alvena chimed in from the other side of the bed.

“What do you want me to do, Alvena? I’ll do just about anything you ask.” He said as he watched her.

“I told you what I want.” She yelled at him.

“I know lass, but it’s out of my hands. If Dar can’t reach them, we won’t find them either.”

Kai stood up from the bed, the phone in his hand forgotten. He was feeling blindsided by the changes in his mate. He would love her no matter what, but he didn’t know how to react to her right now. Fear gripped him each time he said anything, afraid that she would do something foolish. Thunder crashed outside of the hotel. Kai looked upwards.
What in the world?
It had been a completely clear evening. There were no storms expected. He looked down into the eyes of a dragon. His mate was standing there, with fire behind her eyes.
Shite. What the fuck is going on?
He lifted the phone to his ear.

“Dar? I need you to keep me on the line and call the Shaman.”

“Sure, give me a minute.” Dar replied without asking any questions. There were times that he was grateful that Dar was a man of few words. This was one of them.

“Alvena, lass, we’re going to call the Shaman. If anyone can help, he can.” It wasn’t a lie, he just wasn’t calling for the question she wanted answered.

“Fine.” She said as she continued to pace at the bottom of the bed. She still hadn’t stopped moving since he had entered the room.

Inside himself, he felt another storm brewing. His spirit guardian was getting even more restless. Roaring and scratching at Kai’s insides, the dragon was demanding his mate. Not Kai’s mate, but his, the dragon’s mate. Too much was coming at him and for the first time, Kai was clueless about a course of action. Even when he was unsure in the past, he had always had ideas and a direction to start, but this time, he had nothing.

“Kai.” Dar called from the phone.

Kai looked at it a moment, before he realized who it was and answered him. “Dar, Aye.”

“I have the Shaman and I’ve connected him to our call.” Dar responded.

“Kai, go ahead, tell me what you need.” The Shaman said through the connection.

Kai explained to him what was going on, he told him about everything, not knowing what would be important for the Shaman to know. He started with when he first saw Alvena and how he had felt and continued on to when he had first spoken with her at the airport and then met her friends when they reached Memphis. He described all of the attacks and how they had found out that Rogue and Nat were Malkum and Charlie’s mates. His worry for his brothers couldn’t be held back. The Shaman listened intently and, oddly, so had Alvena. She had stopped pacing and had listened to every word.