Dante regretted that he might end up having to kill the shifter after recognizing him as the decent guard in the bailey.

Then the shifter had called for Bear in an almost pious way. He hadn’t called her by her full title like Dante would have expected, but referred to her in a shortened, familiar nickname. Dante regretted again that he might have to kill him, knowing the guard was such a close friend to his Bear.

But then he’d gotten a whiff of the man and recognized that orange-and-grass scent from the night he found the princess and she’d had that love rash. Dante had known they'd been lovers long before the shifter announced it in an attempt to stake his claim over Bear.

For a moment, only half a second, that regret floated away.

Then Dante realized how absurd that was. Sure, the man had threatened to kill him when he thought he’d fucked Bear--no, raped her. But Dante couldn’t blame him for that. He himself would certainly kill anyone who tried to hurt Bear in that way.

Actually, he already had.

But the fact that the shifter didn’t even consider she might have fucked Dante willingly annoyed him.

Dante wished he could have told Roan how Bear had been begging for his cock just before he arrived. That he’d had Bear’s tit in his mouth. That her cunt was on him, though not on the body part it ought to have been on.

But he would never do that to her. What she chose to share about them and with whom was entirely up to her. Except, of course, when it came to his meddling family. Nobody could keep them out of their business.

Overall, the conversation between Bear and Roan was impressive. Dante couldn’t have been more proud of her for sticking up for the orphans and for herself, not taking any of that shifter’s shit. She’d accomplished what she said she would. She made up an explanation that saved him. Put him on the side of the Orlana’s instead of Sol’s. He supposed he was on the side of the Orlana’s. He was on Bear’s side.

Dante had his senses focused on the shifter, so he wasn’t paying attention to Bear’s breathing and heart rate, but he didn’t think her explanation about wanting to find out the mastermind was a lie. It certainly explained why she’d never tried to escape. Though it was a dumb fucking idea. She was going to let him deliver her to Lunin-knows-who and walk away, thinking she’d be able to woo them as easily as she’d wooed him.

Well, if anyone could do it, it’d be her.

But if she could convince Roan to have the royal guards take out Sol’s empire, all of it could be true. Dante could just be helping her find the mastermind. He wouldn’t have to deliver her. He wouldn’t have to worry about Sol coming after Marnie or Delle. And with Bear vouching for him, he wouldn’t have to worry about being thrown in the dungeons.

Bear had solved everything. Gods, she was perfection. Now if only she could scheme her way out of her betrothal.

Of course, Dante hadn’t allowed any of those thoughts to show on his face during her conversation. He stood still, face neutral. And he remained as such when Bear dismissed Roan.

Dante stared at the shifter, but Roan was staring at Bear as she walked away. Dante couldn’t blame him for that, either. He thought about making a comment about her ass to the shifter, just to piss him off, but he held that in, too. Not because he thought Bear would find it disrespectful; he knew she’d find it funny. He did it because the poor guy already looked like the princess had stomped on his heart, though everything she’d said had been reasonable.

Dante heard Bear enter the cottage, but still he didn’t move to join her and his family inside the walls beyond. “You can see she is safe and cared for. Are you going to cause any trouble if I let you go?”

Roan peeled his eyes from the door Bear disappeared behind. “Are you going to let me go even though she hasn’t commanded it?”

Dante folded his arms over his chest casually. “She doesn’t command me to do anything. She said she would request I release you. Right now, I’m trying to decide if I will acquiesce once she does.”

Roan only scoffed.

Dante looked over the shifter’s stiff, bound body. “I’ve seen you before in Hogard. One of your guards wouldn’t let a woman fetch the necklace she dropped, but you found it and took it to her.”

Roan narrowed his eyes in contempt. “So?”

That told Dante enough. The man didn’t even realize what he did was out of the ordinary. He thought it was normal to be kind. He was a good man. Just shit at his job. “You have other sense gifts? Sight, hearing? Or just the scenting?”

Roan only glared at him.

Dante wouldn’t be sharing anything if the roles were reversed, either. But he could be persuasive. “She didn’t seem to know you had the scenting gift. Just mentioned some guard was waxing poetic about her peaches-and-honeysuckle scent. I had to explain it to her.”

The fight instantly drained out of the shifter. “Some guard?”

“I don’t recall her exact wording,” Dante said, though he felt guilty when the shifter’s face fell even more. Cursing his soft heart, he added, “She said a friend told her she smelled like peaches and honeysuckle. Then added the guard bit, I think.”

Roan released a soft sigh. “Not much better to be called a friend though, is it?”

This conversation was getting uncomfortable quickly. “So, other gifts? I know about the scenting--I have it, too--and I know about your pain trick.”

“Just the scenting and the pain trick,” he admitted in defeat.

Gods, that was pathetic. The shifter had broke in a matter of minutes. Dante turned to walk away when Roan called out.

“Tell her I’m sorry and that I’m ready to listen. I’ll do anything for her.”

#

Dante sat in the kitchen with the door open to the back field while Roan and Bear spoke in private. Of course, Bear had realized he could hear them. But Roan thought they were alone. It made it a bit awkward when the shifter asked no less than four times if she was sure that brute never hurt her. The fourth time, Dante was about to tighten his magic’s grip on the shifter when Bear snapped that if he didn’t stop asking and referring to her companion as such, she would hurt him.

Dante laughed, even as he felt a bit sorry for himself. Just as Roan had been disappointed at being just a nameless friend to her, Dante found he didn’t appreciate being her nameless companion. He listened as Roan suggested she return to Hogard with him, letting Dante—now referred to as your companion—chase the Farren lead by himself. The guard swore he’d interrogate Sol personally, just as soon as she was safe in the complex.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Dante had to admit that plan made much more sense. And if they really could squash Sol and his empire, he would actually much prefer the princess return to the castle where she would be happy and safe, even if it meant he would never see her again. But would she be happy back in Hogard? Now that he realized she’d been scheming this whole time, he wasn’t sure if it had been an act or not when it seemed she didn’t want to return. Dante ignored the small voice that suggested maybe she’d only be happy wherever he was.

Dante waited with bated breath as Roan talked and Bear listened. She didn’t respond for a while after he finished, thinking.

“I need to continue to Farren with my companion,” she announced. “They’re expecting a young woman. If he shows up alone, there’s no way he’s going to be able to get any information out of them.”

Dante breathed a sigh of relief. That was fine with him. They’d continue their journey and he would help her once they reached Kensut rather than abandon her. They’d find the mastermind and Dante would take care of him. Then he’d take her back to Hogard and make sure Roan kept his word to neutralize Sol before fetching Marnie, Delle, and Tamar so they could return here. He’d have to find a new job, but that was long overdue anyway.

It could work.

Dante didn’t listen to the shifter’s response as something nagged at him. He glanced at Marnie and Delle in the common room, talking quietly about a new recipe they wanted to try their hands at. He shook his head, laughing to himself that that’s what they’re talking about at a time like this. Then he flicked his eyes to the circling dragons in the sky.

The two circling dragons.

He shot from his chair, the feet scraping loudly on the stone floor at his movement.

Dante was in front of Roan a moment later, positioning himself between Bear and the shifter. He squeezed his magic’s grip and the guard cried out as Bear gripped his arm, telling him to stop.

“What did you do with her?” Dante growled.

Roan cried out again as Dante squeezed him even tighter. Bear was pulling on his arm, saying words Dante didn’t hear.

“Where is the dragon whisperer you scented in Sartu?” He released his grip just enough for the shifter to speak.

“I didn’t track her once I got here. I was able to pick up Prim’s scent and came straight here,” Roan gasped, his face still contorted in pain.

Delle was behind them now, roused by Dante’s hurried movements. She looked at Dante. “You’re right. She should have been here by now.” Her eyes unfocused as she spoke to her dragon. “Gordy’s not answering Bern.”

Both dragons overhead dove toward the field. The ground shook slightly as the red dragon landed, then shook a bit more when the larger green one touched down. Delle and Marnie dashed to them and scaled their legs within moments.

Before they took off, Dante yelled, “Stay in the sky, Zulas! Keep her safe.”

The enormous beast roared so loudly Dante was afraid his eardrums might burst, offended that Dante would think to give him orders, but he didn’t care. He wouldn’t take any chances. The dragons and their riders were specks in the sky a moment later.

Bear pushed her way past Dante to Roan. “You really don’t know anything about this? She’s my friend, too.”

The shifter shook his head. “All I care about is you. I didn’t waste time looking for her.”

Roan’s arms that had been slightly flared from his sides slackened and dropped, Dante’s magic released. Roan’s eyes widened at the realization then he took a step. Just one step toward Bear, wrapping his arms around her.

Bear didn’t return the embrace, but her eyes fluttered shut as her body sagged. Then she straightened and looked over her shoulder at Dante. “I didn’t say you could release him. We hadn’t come to an agreement yet.”

Dante stared at her for a moment then looked around, confused. The three of them were alone.

“I didn’t release him.”

A taunt energy wrapped around Dante, holding him straight as a board, and he saw his companions separate and stiffen likewise. It wasn’t the same as his gift. It didn’t feel as if a giant fist was squeezing him. It didn’t feel like anything at all. It was more like when he’d taken bad herbs in his youth and simply had no control over his body. He had no control over his magic. Just as a dragon under this spell would have no control over their mind whispering abilities.

He knew, because he was familiar with this gift.

A satin bowerbird flew toward the trio from over the cottage, the sleek black wings gliding effortlessly over the wind, its vibrant blue-violet eyes shining in the midmorning sun.

Blukke shifted in midair, landing on the ground with a graceful bend of his knees. He straightened, looking between his three captives, and smiled at Dante. “Hello, brother.”

Blukke looked as polished as he always did with not a single short, black hair out of place, his mustache combed, his casual off-white tunic unbuttoned far enough to expose his smooth muscled chest. The prick always shaved his chest, ladies man that he fancied himself. And he wore that charming, arrogant smile that ensured his bed was never cold.

Dante flared his nostrils. He wasn’t in the mood for his friend’s shenanigans. “Release me.”

Blukke ignored him, approaching the guard instead, looking him up and down before tipping his head to him. Then he sidestepped to stand in front of Bear. His eyes slid over her much more slowly, and—oldest friend or not—Dante wanted to throttle him as he slowly purred, “Hello, darling. I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure. My name is Blukke Rama.”

The fire Dante had seen in Bear when she threatened to rip his balls off and again when she’d thought he’d lied about Delle being his wife flashed in her eyes, not realizing Blukke wasn’t a danger.

“I don’t care what your name is,” she spat--literally spat--at him, the soft spittles landing on that shaved chest.

Blukke’s smile only widened before he wiped the spit off, rubbing it between his fingertips and thumb. He turned to Dante. “Oh, I like her. I’m guessing you’ve been having quite a bit of fun?” he asked, amused.

“Watch it,” Dante warned.

“Release us now,” Bear demanded, nearly growling herself.

Still facing Dante, Blukke’s smile faded. “I can’t do that.”

Dante’s heart stopped. “What do you mean?”

Blukke stepped toward him, scanning him. “You’ve got the Cavs in chaos, my friend. Sol got desperate when you left. He announced that princess job to his entire army.”

“An army is after…” Bear breathed, fear swallowing the rest of her words. As if Dante would ever let them get to her.

Dante shook his head. He didn’t understand. He had plenty of time to get the princess to Kensut. Sol had no way of knowing he’d changed his mind about what exactly they’d be doing there. And Blukke…

“I offered to split the job with you, and you said no,” he reminded his friend accusingly.

Blukke tilted his head, narrowing his eyes. “Is that why you did it? Because I wouldn’t help you?”

“Did what?” Dante growled, attempting to struggle against Blukke’s magic. Not even his pinkie moved. His heart hammered as he looked at Bear. His Bear. Panic took over. “Don’t do this, Blukke. Don’t take her from me. We can work something out.”

After Bear spoke to Roan this morning, Dante had entertained the hope that he wouldn’t have to deliver her. Since then, he’d resolved that he’d never hand Bear over to the client, no matter what, and he was certainly not going to let Blukke do so, either. He would kill Sol himself if he had to, pushing away that useless thought he’d clung to all these years that his master was too powerful to be trifled with. Dante wasn’t a child anymore. He wasn’t lost. He wasn’t Sol’s minion. He wouldn’t let that piece of shit dictate his future or his family’s anymore.

“Her?” Blukke asked, confused. He shook his head. “I’m here for you. Sol put ten thousand golds on your head, brother.”

Dante blinked. “Why?”

Blukke’s eyes narrowed again as he looked from Dante to Bear. “Who do you think that is?”

The princess sucked in a breath. Dante only stared at his friend.

Understanding washed over Blukke’s face. The bindings released.

Dante immediately surged forward, but not toward Blukke. His hands cupped Bear’s face. “Are you okay?”

She didn’t answer, looking down, her face pale and breathing irregular. Blukke’s magic must be hurting her somehow.

“Release her!” Dante demanded. His friend obliged, Bear’s body sagging slightly into him once the magic was gone.

“Princess?”

Still she didn’t raise her eyes.

“Bear?” He stroked his thumb across her cheek, that panic seeping into his bones.

Nothing. What was wrong with her? Desperate, Dante allowed himself to call her by her name. The first time he’d ever considered uttering it.

“Kallia?” he breathed.

Tear-lined golden brown eyes snapped to his, something like pain in them. She raised her hands to grip his on her face, squeezing them tightly. Her voice was soft, sorrowful. “I told you in the alley: you were mistaking me for someone else. I’m not Princess Kallia.”

Her tears released, twin drops sliding down both cheeks until they met Dante’s thumbs, warm and wet.

Bear vanished into thin air, leaving Dante’s hands to collide into one another in her absence.