Chapter 3 We'll Be Back

Yana’s Point of View

The Dragon was skeptical at first, but eventually allowed me to use his Hearthstone to heal Sparky. And, just as I promised, I returned it to him the moment I was done.

He didn't say another word; he simply took the Hearthstone and left.

We were no match for a dragon, not even an injured one.

Although Sparky’s spiritual core was healed, it would take several days before he returned to his usual self.

I sighed.

“Now I have to find Sareth and roast him.” My ears flattened. “This was the second time that animal scammed me.”

“Meow!” Lumi suddenly hissed, and my gaze snapped toward him.

Once again, he was restless, his back arched as he snarled and hissed at the door; did he sense another danger? Or was the dragon coming back to kill us for good?

Then it hit me… this wasn’t the dragon, it’s something foul.

The hounds…they were close.

Foxes were considered exotic beings because of the supernatural healing magic flowing through our blood. Every fox was born with a bead, which is similar to a Dragon's Hearthstone.

The bead contained the essence of its owner, and it could be used on other, even a shifter on the brink of death.

A fox bead was far more powerful than a moonstone, though it still couldn't compare to a Dragon's Hearthstone.

But there was one crucial difference.

A Dragon could survive without its Hearthstone, but a fox could never survive without their bead.

Once separated from its owner, the fox would die, and that was precisely why foxes were hunted. Traffickers tracked us down, ripping our beads from our bodies, and selling them to wealthy noblemen for outrageous amounts of money.

Dragons, however, were a completely different matter; no sane shifter would dare try to hunt a dragon.

The difference in power was humiliating.

And that was the reason I always use my concealment magic; no one knew I was a fox. No one except…Sareth.

He set me up, he lured them here.

The hounds were getting closer, and my eyes drifted around my office, running meant abandoning everything.

My home.

My livelihood.

This inn was all I had.

I couldn't simply leave it behind; my hands curled into fists.

“If only I were strong enough to fight…” I paused as an idea suddenly struck me, and my eyes widened.

“Terra.” My gaze darted toward the earth sprite. “Can you find that, Dragon?”

Terra nodded; she stretched out her tiny hands, vines immediately sprouted from her palms, their roots shot into the ground.

“Mhm!”

“Good.” I didn't waste another second. “Lead the way, Terra!”

I dashed out of the office, racing against Terra that hovering in front of me.

“Mhm!”  she squealed again, and there he was; he hadn’t gotten far yet, but he was about to go deeper into the forests.

Terra immediately dove into the earth. The ground beneath us trembled.

Roots twisted through the soil before bursting out in front of the Dragon, she rapidly grew into a massive mountain that sealed his path.

He stopped in confusion, before he turned around, his golden eyes settled on me.

“Mhm!” She squealed at me.

“Terra! Good job!” I gave her a thumbs up as I rushed towards him.

“What do you want?” He sounded more curious than annoyed.

His injuries were completely gone; he must have used the magic within his Hearthstone to heal himself. “Are you trying to steal my Hearthstone again?”

“No!” I shook my head frantically. “Please. I need your help.”

My chest was heaving dangerously.

“There are hunters after me.” His eyebrows lifted.

“Hunters?” He repeated the word as though he'd never heard it before. “What is that?”

“They're coming for me,” I said breathlessly. “And they'll kill me if they find me.”

“Chu! Chu!” I heard Pip behind me; I glanced over my shoulder.

Pip and Feather were rushing toward us, with Lumi following close behind. Sparky was sprawled weakly across Lumi's back, his flames barely flickering.

“Please,” I begged, turning back to the Dragon.

He was our only chance. “Please help us.”

The scent suddenly grew stronger; my entire body jerked toward the direction it was coming from.

They were here… my heart slammed against my ribs.

The branches snapped, and leaves rustled, then, one after another, figures emerged from between the trees.

Wolves.

Fifteen of them.

My stomach dropped.

Even with my magic, I was way weaker than a wolf shifter. In my full fox form, they would still outrun me.

And once they caught me— They would tear me apart and rip the bead from my body. I instinctively grabbed the Dragon's arm; his gaze dropped to my hand in surprise.

“What do we have here?” One of the wolves stepped forward.

He was enormous.

Tall.

His muscles strained beneath his clothes as he emerged fully from the trees, but even he looked small compared to the Dragon.

The wolf's eyes swept over me before settling on the man beside me.

A slow, predatory smile spread across his face.

“The serpent wasn't lying.”He let out a pleased laugh, his eyes gleaming as they traveled over me.

“A red fox in the middle of nowhere…” He grinned. “What a lucky day.”

“Stay away from me!” I scrambled backward, instinctively hiding behind the Dragon.

My pets crowded behind me as well, using the dragon as a shield.

Then an idea struck me, a terribly desperate idea.

“I might be a fox,” I blurted, “but my husband here is a Dragon.”

Silence.

The Dragon's head slowly tilted downward, those golden irises stared at me in utter confusion. Now that his injuries had healed, he looked completely different from the terrifying creature who had attacked me and the sprites earlier.

He looked calm, almost detached.

“Wait…” One of the smaller wolf shifters stared at us. “The fox is married to a Dragon?”

The moment the word Dragon left his mouth, I could smell the fear spreading through the wolves.

“The serpent never said anything about a Dragon being here.”

“That doesn't look like a Dragon.” Another one confused.

“He has dark hair and golden irises,” another wolf argued. “That's a trait commonly associated with Dragon shifters.”

“Black Panthers have golden irises too.” Their voices overlapped as they argued. “Dragons have horns, and he doesn’t.”

Then their leader turned his attention toward the Dragon. “Do you know this woman?”

The Dragon's gaze dropped to me; I immediately tightened my fingers around his arm.

“Please,” I whispered, as tears burned in my eyes. “Help me, and I promise I'll pay you back. Please don't let them kill me.”

The wolves' leader stepped forward.

“We'll let you walk away if you leave,” he said to the Dragon. “Just hand over the fox. Nobody needs to get hurt.”

“Please,” I whispered again. “I'll do anything.”

The Dragon looked at me for a long moment.

Then his gaze shifted toward the fifteen wolves, and for one terrifying second, I thought he was going to push me towards them.

Instead, his expression remained completely calm.

“How can you ask a man to leave his wife and run?” My eyes widened; the wolves went silent.

“Leave now.” His golden eyes glowed. “Before I burn every one of you to a crisp.”

The moment the words left his mouth, something changed.

Two enormous horns emerged from his head; they curved majestically from his temples, dark and imposing, framing his face like a crown.

I instinctively stumbled backward. He was…Terrifyingly beautiful.

“He really is a Dragon…” One of the wolves took a nervous step backward. “Look at those horns.”

The leader's expression darkened, but he didn't dare advance.

“Was that damned serpent trying to get us killed?” Another wolf complained.

The wolf leader glared at me one last time; I quickly looked away. I noticed the ugly scar running from the corner of his left eye all the way down to his jaw.

“Let's go.” He sneered at his men before turning his attention back to me. “We'll be back, little fox.”