Skyborn (Dragons & Druids #1)(27)

Logan looked pensive. “That’s the only thing I can think of, because if it’s something else we’re screwed.”

I swallowed hard. “Why?” I hadn’t meant to sound scared, but dammit my voice trembled.

Logan pierced me with his gaze. “Because now that we’ve bound your scent, unless you shift or put on some magical light display, we should be safe. Unless…”

I bit the bottom of my lip.

“Unless they’ve found another way to hunt you,” Keegan offered.

Hunt. That word was awful. It made me feel like an animal, which I guess I was.

“Oh,” was all I could say.

Nadine, who I was learning was our optimistic one, bumped me with her hip. “Doesn’t matter. Once we’re done training you, you’ll be able to take down druids blindfolded.”

I didn’t dare look at Sophie’s expression, or anyone else’s for that matter. I wanted to believe the lie. I wanted to believe that I could take down something that threw red balls of magical fire.

“That’s right!” Logan piped in. “Training starts bright and early tomorrow morning. As long as we think this safe house is secure, we stay here. If we get a tip that hunters are nearby, we run.”

It had been hard for me to tell up to this point who was in charge, Logan or Keegan.

“You got it, boss.” Keegan clapped Logan on the back and I realized that Keegan took orders from Logan, and the pack took orders from Keegan. Like they were both alphas in some weird way.

“Sophie and I get the mermaid room!” Nadine yelled, and bolted down the hall.

That brought a smile to Sophie’s face. “You’re so weird.” But Sophie slung her backpack over her shoulder and followed her.

Keegan laughed. “I’ll take the cowboy room. I’ll give instructions for Cooper, Dom, and Gear to take night watch.”

The what and what rooms? Keegan left down the same hallway that Nadine and Sophie had gone down, and Logan looked at me. “That leaves you in the unicorn room, and me in the grandma room.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you all on drugs? Because I’ll have what you’re having.” It was a joke obviously. Drugs were not my thing. But it got him to smile and he motioned for me to follow him upstairs.

I picked up my pillowcase full of belongings and followed his tight butt up the stairs. As I passed the front door, I saw Gear sitting out on the porch staring at the dark trees. Was I going to be able to sleep tonight? Knowing they could be out there … hunting us? I had been staring off to the side, so I didn’t notice when Logan stopped, and I slammed into the back of him.

“Oofh.” All the air left my body. Feeling the tight muscles in his back up against my chest was making my dragon and me flush with heat. I stepped back a pace and tried to catch my breath.

“Sorry. This is your room,” he said in a growly voice. We’d reached the top of the stairs and mine was the first room to the right.

I stepped forward and peeked into the open door as Logan flicked on the light and set Mitten’s down.

I smiled. “The unicorn room…”

Logan grinned sexily. “That’s right.”

There was a white daybed against one wall, and above it was painted a giant and beautifully-done unicorn, complete with green trees, a rainbow, and even butterflies. I stepped inside and moved closer to the bed, before spinning around to face my fellow dragon.

“Like I said, it was a home for kids.” Logan had one hand tucked into the front of his jeans as he leaned against my doorframe.

“I have a stupid question,” I blurted out.

He nodded. “Shoot.”

I plopped my pillowcase on the bed and looked up at him, playing with the hem of my shirt. “Are my dragon and I … the same person. I mean, are we one?”

Logan nodded in understanding. “Yes. Although it doesn’t feel that way at first. Especially if you have lived your whole life as a human. She’s just another aspect of your soul. It’s all you, but she will come to the surface to keep you safe, just as your anger or rage would come to the surface in an argument.”

Huh. Interesting.

When I didn’t say anything else, he ran his fingers over the scruff on his chin. “Well, I’m just next door, so … if you need anything or whatever.”

He was positively blushing and I couldn’t help but smile. I don’t think he had meant it to sound like a sexual invite, but it did; now he looked embarrassed.

“Alright. Thanks,” I muttered.

“I mean if you hear something in the night and get scared or whatever…”

I nodded. “I’ll run in screaming, don’t worry.”

He relaxed a little. “I’ll see you bright and early for training.”

Ugh. Training. Sounded awful, but I nodded because I knew he was trying to keep me alive.

As the door closed behind him, I sank into the bed and stared up at the happy unicorn jumping through a rainbow on the wall. What the hell had become of my life? Dragon shifter, on the run with a bunch of wild animals. Selling my scales for major cash.

Cash!

I sat bolt upright and scrambled through my pillowcase to pull out my black laptop. It had a custom skin of a fairy on it that I drew in freshman year of college. All those years of fantasy drawings, I couldn’t believe some of them could be real. Now they were.