The Mate (A Fire's Edge Short Story - Prequel)

Chapter 11

Maddie

Silence.

Good silence or bad silence? Maddie could hardly make out Fallon's form from the distance across the foothills that separated them, the darkness obscuring him from her view.

"Fallon?" she called.

She stood at the edge of the ruined earth he and Cole had cleared when they'd hit the ground with all the power of Thor's hammer. Not wanting to distract him if he was still fighting, she tried to keep the panic from her voice. Not sure she succeeded. Fallon whipped his head around, and a hissing noise reached her. Crawling across the ground on all fours, his wings tucked back out of his way, he made his way to where she stood.

Two things struck her at the same time. Fallon was safe.

He'd survived the attack. And... He'd killed Cole.

The dragon shifter's body lay limp and lifeless and appeared to be turning to ash before her eyes, smoldering like coals on a spit.

Logically, she guessed she should be broken up over that. She'd thought of Cole as a friend. At one point, she'd even thought he'd be her mate. Though now, with the way Fallon drew her, she couldn't believe she'd ever considered that. Still, had Cole not just tried to kill her, or kidnap her, she would've been struggling with the heavy burden of guilt. But all she could feel was...relief. Followed by horrible realization.

Maddie went dizzy with it, putting a hand to her head.

Fallon could have died protecting her. She would have lost him before she ever could truly have called him hers. Why was I waiting?

The rightness of their union settled into her with such fierceness, she ached with the need to complete it. Yes, this process was crazy fast, and they still had a lot to figure out, but holding back from this only made them both weaker, more vulnerable. Forcing them to wait denied them both something spectacular.

She didn't care anymore how she knew "spectacular" would be the end result. Maddie let go and trusted her instincts. All the weight that had been holding her down and holding them back lifted, like being filled with air and floating away.

The instant they were alone and somewhere they had time, she'd let Fallon know. She wanted to be his mate like nothing she'd ever wanted before in her life.

"We can't wait around for more," Asher said, before

Fallon could shift. "They probably followed me here."

Shit. Just not right now.

"That's okay," Maddie said, even as she grappled with disappointment and a need to hold her mate, make sure for herself that he wasn't harmed. That would have to wait. "Let's just go."

Fallon nuzzled her with his snout, only relaxing a little as she attempted to wrap her arms around him, not that she could. She kissed one of his scales, firm and smooth against her lips, then scrambled up onto his back.

The next hour passed in a blur. Maddie stayed silent, knowing both dragons needed to focus. Scanning the air constantly for more attackers, Fallon followed Asher into the mountains and through several narrow canyons which hid the entrance to the Blue Clan's stronghold. A series twists and turns and some glimpses of sheer drops in the night had Maddie gripping tighter.

Good thing I'm not afraid of heights. Maybe next time she'd be flying this path herself.

They landed on a circular platform that blended in with the rock if viewed from above. Maddie climbed down and both Fallon and Asher shifted. No one greeted them. In fact, it appeared as though the mountain was deserted.