“Can you really only have one shifting form?” Mischa asked. She had scooted forward on the couch.
I blinked a few times at her.
Braxton spoke before I could. “Why do you ask?”
She shook her head. Her hair, which was much longer than mine, fell around her face. “It’s just that I always dreamed about being able to shift.” She looked between all of us. “But in these dreams I wasn’t a wolf … I was a dragon.”
I couldn’t speak, so Braxton answered her. “You can’t have more than one animal, there are no dual shifters, but since you’ve never shifted before … well, maybe you are a dragon.”
Chapter 4
Braxton’s eyes were as wide as mine when he met my gaze; we were almost having a silent communication. Could she be a dragon shifter? I was asking him, knowing that would make Mischa the only known female dragon shifter in existence today. Braxton nodded his reply, his blue eyes reminding me that dragon was an anomaly, a random quirk in DNA or something. It was not passed from parent to child. Braxton’s father was a lion shifter.
I was kind of pissed off. I tried to sort through my feelings, but I couldn’t halt the growling trembles that were racking my chest.
“What does this mean?” Mischa backed up a little, which probably had to do with the fact my lips were half curled into a snarl and my hands were in a clawed position, but I hadn’t shifted them yet.
One of the boys started to explain to her about dragons and their power. Meanwhile, I was trying to contain myself, my wolf, and the demon. Why was I reacting so violently? Did I not like the thought that my sister would be so much more powerful or revered than me? I turned the thought over and over. It might have been a small part of that, but something else was riding my emotions hard. As I met a pair of stunning sky blue eyes, I recognized the origin of my fury. I was jealous – not of her power, but of what a female dragon would mean. Shifters tended to stick with their own for mating and companionship. Every male dragon in the world – who were very few – would want Mischa. Including the man standing before me.
My eyes roved over the hard planes of Braxton’s beautiful face, his bronze skin and hair as black as my own. I couldn’t lose him. Once he was mated, his female would steal him away. We are possessive like that, and none would tolerate our close friendship. Even my sister would have an issue with it. It was our nature.
Braxton captured my hand. “You will never lose me,” he murmured, reading the agony on my face. “A hundred dragon females could exist – you’re my number one. Best friends for life, I haven’t forgotten my promise.”
His words and soothing power wrapped around me, calming the wolf and the demon inside. I knew one day the Compass brothers would settle down, find true loves or mates, but we were way too young now. I was not prepared to give them up yet. They were my pack and I loved each and every one of their crazy asses. I knew my fear that the women in their lives would not accept our friendship was justified. Like I said, possessiveness is common in supernatural groups. I’d never expect the boys to choose me over their loves. I shook off my melancholy, no point creating worries for what tomorrow would bring.
I stumbled across to my shell-shocked sister and sank in next to her. Even though I said I wouldn’t be nice again, I decided to give her one more chance for some Jessa comfort. My arm dropped over her shoulders, and this time instead of flinching away she grabbed my tank and pulled me closer. She buried her head into my shoulder. I widened my eyes as I stared at the top of her head.
“I’m thinking we need to speak with Dad,” I said, running a single stroke of my hand over her silky hair. She smelled flowery, like her shampoo or lotion was scented. But it was very light, and had none of the chemical undertones I always smelled in commercial products.
I heard grumbles and muttering amongst the quads. I knew they wouldn’t be happy if a dragon shifter had been hidden from the community. But what had Dad actually known of Mischa?
“Did you find anything in the forest?” I asked as I held Mischa. I could feel her calming under my touch.
The Compasses started moving around the room, dropping off weapons and their packs. Except for Braxton of course, he was his own weapon and took nothing with him.
Tyson growled. “They have the prison hidden from every one of my spells. Jake couldn’t even get a read from the trees on the prison or fey kill. Whoever did the original security on Vanguard did a goddamned thorough job.”
Mischa’s head flew up. “You’re looking for the prison? Why?”
Jacob kicked off his boots before answering. “We’re to be the next council leaders. In just under three years. At this stage, according to our studies, we should be starting our initiation and training, learning of all the aspects of leading the High Council of America.”