She reached in her satchel and cursed. Here was a man that had helped her, bleeding from his head and she had no idea how bad the wound was. To make matters worse, her damn cell phone was plugged into the cigarette lighter in her car with Grace. This man definitely needed medical attention. The only thing she could think to do was to run and get help. She was sure he would be ok, he had made it this long but head wounds were nothing to be taken lightly. She would only be gone five minutes at the most. The corner store was less than a block away. Surely they would let her use the phone. It was an emergency, after all.
Something deep inside told her she had to help him that he had to be ok. She could not get a grip on the reason why this guy was so important to her, she just knew he was. She felt it in ways that were unexplainable, like the feelings people get right before big storms or before they win the lottery. Besides, if her granny had still been around, the elder Masterson would kick her butt if she didn’t help someone who needed it. Even though Granny had passed years ago, Kyndel could still hear her voice like she was standing next to her, “Kyndel, it’s our calling to help those in need.” She looked at the biggest, most handsome man she had ever seen, still lying completely motionless and reasoned that no one would mess with this behemoth of a man, even in his present condition. Someone desperate would only be after his wallet and she figured he did not have a wallet to steal since he didn't even have shoes. The thought of making sure he didn’t have anything worth stealing crossed her mind but then decided she would never be able to explain her hand on his butt if he woke up at that precise moment. The way her luck was going, that was exactly what would happen. Her cheeks warmed at the thought of touching him again, anywhere.
More questions than answers sprung up in her mind. Why was he out at night in just a pair of jeans? What had happened to his head? Had he made the noises she had heard coming from the park? And most of all, why did he make her feel things that she had never felt before? She was pretty sure he wouldn’t have the answer to the last question. Whether he did or didn’t, any answer he had would have to wait until he woke up. Her focus needed to be on getting him some help and getting it fast.
Reassured that she was making the right decision, she hooked her satchel back over her shoulder and turned in the direction of the corner store. Before she could take her first step, the same huge warm hand that had been wrapped around her body earlier was wrapped around her ankle. Again an electrical shock shot through her body from the skin to skin contact with this stranger. She squeaked in fright, twisting the best she could to look into a pair of heavily lidded violet eyes. Well, at least he was awake.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thank the heavens he had woken up in time. There was absolutely no way he could let her get away. No matter how much his body needed to shut down and heal, he had to keep her safe and with him. She would surely have been kidnapped, raped or worse by the guy that was following her, had Rayne not caught sight of them when he was flying over. Not to mention the hunters lying in wait to capture and kill anyone they sensed may be important to his clan. Once again Fate and the Universe had stepped in to make sure he was in the right place at the right time.
He didn’t usually fly so close to civilization without a very good reason that usually included the threat of bodily harm or death to someone he was charged with protecting. However, tonight something had pulled his dragon and by association, him, to the city as soon as the sun had set. A something so strong that it would not be denied, it had been that way for weeks. Every time he took flight, a battle between he and his dragon began. The beast would use his considerable might to force their flight path towards the city, the very direction he had finally flown tonight.
The need his dragon pushed into the forefront of his mind was like a plea for both of them to be in the right place at the right time and it created a burning need within him. Rayne felt as though his beast was hunting something that the man did not know existed. The massive predator that shared his soul had caught a scent and would not be denied his prey. No matter how much Rayne cajoled or tried to distract, his dragon persisted. The battle of wills continued nightly, escalating until this night, when Rayne could no longer deny his dragon what he so desperately desired.
He was worried by the discord he and the dragon within were experiencing. The trust between the warrior and his beast was paramount to their relationship. They shared everything. Nothing between them was ever a secret or a surprise. One being always knew what the other wanted or needed. But this time was different. Rayne had no idea what it was his dragon was seeking, no matter how extensively he searched their unbreakable connection. For the first time that he could ever remember, aside from the week of his transformation, his beast knew something he did not and was demanding that the man give in to the his desires. The overwhelming need to find something encompassed their every shared thought. The beast had used his unparalleled strength to override the man’s wishes, something that had not happened in all their years together.