The Dragon Shifter’s Desire by Harmony Raines

Chapter Twenty-Eight – Ivan

The journey back to Wishing Moon Bay went by in a daze. Without the need for him to sense his treasure, Ivan took a larger amount of the potion, not wanting to risk being seen for what he was.

I don’t like hiding,his dragon complained. However, they both knew this was the right thing to do to keep them all safe. And his treasure from being discovered.

“We’re nearly at the portal.” Larisa licked her lips as she glanced at Ivan and then switched her gaze back to the world outside the car. He’d barely taken any notice of their surroundings as Zara drove them across the fae realm. Whether it was sunny or cloudy, if they were passing through forests or an open plain, it had all been a blur.

“Once we’re through, you can shift and the spell will break,” Karros reminded him.

“Once we’re through, Argothorn might sense the pendant and come to claim it,” Zara reminded them. “So, you’d better shift, Ivan, in case we need you to protect us.”

Larisa leaned across Ivan and grabbed his pack. “I got the map. The location spell should still be working, right?”

“Yes. It should work for weeks. My grandma makes some of the most potent spells.” Karros leaned his elbow on the car door and stared out of the window. “We should have gone back past her house and asked her if she has a spell that could subdue Argothorn. I’d prefer to deal with a doped-up dragon than a pissed-off one.”

“Are there any potions that would subdue a dragon?” Larisa sat forward on her seat. “If there was, it might be worth a trip back to her house before we go to the dragon isle.”

“I don’t know,” Karros admitted. “And even if there was, she might not give it to us. The fae stay out of dragon business and the dragons stray out of the fae’s business. That’s how it works, as an unwritten rule.”

“It makes sense.” Zara glanced in the rearview mirror as Larisa spread the map out on the seat between her and Ivan. “Anything?”

Larisa stared at the map and Ivan shifted his position so that he could check it out, too. Relief flooded him. The dragon hadn’t moved.

“No. He’s still in the same place.” She didn’t refold the map. Once they passed out of the fae realm, they would have to keep a constant eye on the map. Any movement might mean they needed to prepare to fight.

“Thank goodness.” Karros ran a hand through his hair. “I was worried he might have made a move while we were in the fae realm.”

“Me, too.” Larisa stared at the map. “Maybe we should hide the pendant just inside the fae realm. We could come and get it when we’re ready to make our move.”

“Too risky,” Karros replied. “And, after all the time you and your family have been searching for it...”

“You’re right.” Larisa glanced at Ivan, her fear obvious.

Ivan summoned his strength then leaned forward, clasping her hand. “Don’t worry. As soon as we’re through the portal, I’ll be back to my normal self.”

“Oh, great.” Zara slowed the car as they reached the village on the edge of the fae realm.

“What’s wrong?” Larisa quickly folded the map and put it back in the pack.

“There’s a vehicle blocking the road. We’ll have to go around it.” She glanced nervously in the rearview mirror.

“Can you see me?” Ivan asked.

“I can see you. Thankfully I can’t see your dragon.” She stared straight ahead, and Ivan slumped down in his seat. “If anyone asks, we’ll tell them he’s drunk.”

“It’s a good thing that Gilliam gave us a couple of bottles of his homemade wine. It makes our story more convincing.” Karros leaned back in his seat and stared out of the window. However, the shifter’s senses were probably trained on the group of people gathered around the vehicle up ahead. Ivan’s certainly were.

“Okay, here we go. They’ll be able to see inside the truck for a moment or two as we pass by. But the spell is working so just act cool.” Zara rolled her shoulders but still looked tense as she navigated around the vehicle which appeared to have a flat tire.

Larisa barely breathed when the truck dipped dangerously to the right as Zara left the road and drove along the uneven grass next to the road. Ivan closed his eyes, his senses fixed on his mate and the people outside of the truck. If they posed any danger to the people he loved, his dragon would break the spell, deal with the threat and then fly to the portal.

Simple,his dragon growled, longing to be free of the spell.

But incredibly dangerous,Ivan reminded him as the dragon fought for freedom. If anything goes wrong or anyone recognizes Karros, he won’t ever be able to come back to his homeland. We must play it cool.

Cool is not easy for a dragon. His dragon snorted fire before he settled down and closed his eyes.

The truck bumped back onto the road. Ivan kept his senses firmly fixed on the people of the village as they kept on moving. Sweat soaked his forehead, reminding him of when he was eight. A fever took hold of him, and Valerie had tried in vain to break it before she resorted to a consult from a witch.

He could still taste the vile syrupy potion Valerie had made him drink. He also recalled the almost immediate relief as his body cooled and his temperature returned to normal.

“Ivan.” His mate touched his arm and he jerked awake.

“Are we through?” The people of the village had gone. He no longer sensed them, and the air tasted different on his tongue.

“We’re through,” Zara confirmed but she didn’t stop the truck.

“We should put some distance between us and the portal before you shift,” Karros explained. “Just in case people saw us and recognized me.”

“You flatter yourself that you’re well known,” Zara quipped. “But you’re right, we don’t want to take any chances. Not when we’ve gotten this far.”

Ivan reached for the door and grabbed hold of it, hoisting himself into a sitting position. The spell still had a firm grip on him, and he desperately wanted to break free, but his friends were right. He just needed to be a little more patient.

“Okay, here we go.” Zara turned the steering wheel to the left and steered the truck off the road until they were partly hidden by a clump of thick trees.

“I’ll get out.” Ivan pulled the handle and the truck door opened. “Then you should drive off. I’ll give it a few minutes before I shift. Just to be sure.”

“Careful.” Larisa grabbed hold of his jacket as he nearly fell out of the truck to land flat on his face. “Should I go with you?”

Ivan shook his head. “No. Just in case my dragon doesn’t fly as well as he usually does. We don’t want you to fall off our back.”

“Ivan...” Larisa followed him as he got out of the truck. “I could walk from here.”

“No, go with Karros and Zara. I’ll meet you back at the hotel,” he assured her.

“Ivan will probably be back to the hotel before us.” Zara rolled down the window and watched Ivan as he leaned heavily on a tree. “If you’re not, I’ll come back and find you.”

Ivan nodded and raised his hand. “I’ll be okay.”

Larisa glanced at him over her shoulder before she got back in the truck and closed the door. “See you soon.”

He nodded and straightened up as Zara put the truck in drive and pulled back onto the road. He focused on the engine as it grew fainter, the pull of his mate almost too much to bear as the distance between them grew. The spell was already beginning to wear off. But he wanted it broken.

When he could no longer hear the sound of the engine, he staggered back toward the road. There, he finally gave in to his dragon. The air cracked and popped before the world faded and he was gone from it.

The shift was slow, as if everything was working in slow motion. Then, as his dragon burst into the world, the spell was torn apart and he was free.

The dragon ran along the road for a couple of long strides before he leaped into the air. The world fell away, and he climbed, higher and higher until the world below seemed small and insignificant. But it wasn’t insignificant. His mate was there and now that the spell no longer held him in its grip, he could sense her completely.

Swooping down, he fixed his senses on his mate until the truck came into view. With hard downbeats of his wings, he raced after the truck, shadowing it as Zara drove to the hotel. With a clear head, he could see the town below him and experience the familiarity of home.

His dragon landed in the corner of the hotel parking lot just as the truck left the road. Zara parked in a bay next to him and gave him a thumbs-up. The dragon nodded his gratitude and waited for Larisa to exit the vehicle.

“It’s good to see you.” Larisa ran to him and flung her arms around him as best she could. The dragon lowered his head and nuzzled her before he closed his eyes and inhaled her scent.

I don’t want her to go to the dragon isle, his dragon said mournfully.

Neither do I, but there’s no other way,Ivan replied.

There’s always another way, we simply don’t know what it is. Yet.His dragon lifted his head and sighed heavily.

We’d better figure out what that other way is fast if we want to stop Larisa from going. We can’t hang around and give Argothorn a chance to come here for the pendant.

“Ivan!” Valerie appeared at the top of the steps leading into the hotel. “Thank goodness you’re back.”

“Mom.” Ivan didn’t let go of Larisa’s hand as he strode toward Valerie.

His mom was already halfway down the steps before he reached her. “I was worried about you.”

“We’re fine.” He looked down into her face. “You’ve been crying.”

Valerie brushed her hand across her eyes. “We should go inside and talk.”

“Mom, what happened?” Ivan didn’t want to wait for the news.

“Zara, Karros. You should come, too.” Valerie ushered them toward the hotel entrance.

“Mom, you’re worrying me. What happened?” Ivan stepped in front of Valerie, but she brushed him aside.

“Not out here.” She turned around and looked over her shoulder before she ducked inside the hotel.

“The map!” Larisa turned around and ran back to the truck and grabbed her pack along with Ivan’s pack, which contained the map. As she scrambled back out of the truck, she placed her hand over her pocket, checking that the pendant was still there. It was becoming a habit, one they needed to be rid of. She looked up and caught his eye, and her hand immediately dropped to her side. “Got it.”

“Go on in,” Ivan told Zara and Karros.

“Do you have any idea what’s wrong?” Zara’s face was pale as she ran up the steps.

“No idea.” Ivan waited for Larisa who yanked the map out of the pack and unrolled it while she walked. “Has the dragon moved?”

“No.” Larisa shook her head. “If the spell is working then the dragon hasn’t moved.”

“Good.” He sighed and then grabbed her hand and hurried into the hotel. “That would be my worst-case scenario.”

“By the look on Valerie’s face, something equally bad seems to have happened.” Larisa followed behind Karros and Zara as they went to Valerie’s apartment.

However, Ivan froze and turned toward the kitchen as they passed through the hotel foyer. “Elise isn’t here.”

“Maybe she’s taking an hour off,” Larisa suggested.

“Jeremy,” Ivan barked at the guy behind the reception desk. “Where’s Elise? Why isn’t she cooking the lunches?”

“She’s not here,” Jeremy replied.

“Where is she?” Ivan let go of Larisa’s hand and stalked toward the desk.

“Ivan.” Larisa grabbed his jacket and pulled him away. “You should hear this from Valerie.”

“Larisa is right. Valerie is the one you need to listen to. I’m just the receptionist,” Jeremy replied yet his face showed his fears. Which frightened Ivan more.

Ivan nodded and turned on his heel. His palms were clammy as he strode after his mom. “I’ll have to listen to what Mom has to say and then get to the kitchen.”

“I get the feeling that whatever has happened might be more important than whether your diners have their meals served on time or not.” Larisa stroked his back soothingly.

“You’re right.” He blinked a couple of times as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. “If Elise has left the kitchen, then there must be something very wrong.”

“Maybe she’s just sick,” Larisa suggested, although her tone told him she wasn’t convinced the problem was that simple.

“There you are!” Valerie called impatiently from the hallway of her apartment.

“What’s going on?” Ivan asked. “Why the secrecy?”

“Because I don’t want everyone knowing our business,” Valerie hissed.

“Why don’t you sit down, and I’ll make some nice tea,” Larisa put her arm around Valerie’s waist and the older woman leaned into her.

“Mom.” Ivan was by Valerie’s side and half-guiding, half-carrying her to her favorite chair in the sitting room.

“Tea can wait,” Valerie croaked as she sat down heavily in her chair.

“Where’s Elise?” Ivan hunkered down next to his mom.

“She’s with Caleb.” Valerie’s jaw clenched and she cupped Ivan’s face in her hand.

“Where are they?” Ivan asked again.

“Silas came last night.” Valerie swallowed hard.

“Silas took them?” Ivan fought to keep his dragon contained. If the vampire had hurt his family, he’d go over to the vampire’s lair and tear his head from his shoulders or rip out his heart. Or both.

“No,” Valerie said quickly. “He came for his promises.”

“His promises?” Larisa asked.

“A while back Silas helped Helena. In return they owed him. Like a favor,” Ivan explained.

“Caleb and Aiden offered to fulfill the favors. Helena and Penny are about to have their babies...” Valerie sniffed loudly.

“What did he ask them to do?” Ivan croaked.

“Caleb and Elise have gone to see Grandma Hannah. And Aiden and Flora have gone to fetch Fiona,” Valerie explained.

“Fiona?” Ivan frowned. “What does she have to do with all this?”

“Silas didn’t say. But I know it’s got to do with the dragon on dragon isle.” She choked back tears. “I always thought I could keep you all safe.”

“You did keep us safe,” Ivan told her as he wrapped his arms around her fragile body.

“It’s me who brought trouble to your family,” Larisa said. “But I’ll put it right.”

Larisa spun around and headed for the door.

“No!” Ivan sprang up and slipped past her to block her way.

“We agreed this is what we need to do,” she protested.

“We did,” he agreed. “But maybe whatever Silas has planned is our other way.”

“A vampire? You’re going to trust a vampire? One who forced your brothers to make promises.” She shook her head. “What if he’s not on your side?”

“Then I’ll kill him, and we’ll go back to plan A,” Ivan said simply.