Toby winced. It would have been comical under any other circumstances, but even the small amount of drama made Melody exhausted.
“Mrs Hardinger, I’m coming to you now as a student needing help,” she clarified, when it looked like the older woman would protest. “I think we need to check for hexes again. I’m so tired, I’m wondering if I’ve been hit by another lethargy one.”
“Oh, well, yes, we can do that first if you like?”
Melody nodded. “Just lethargy, anything else can wait until we’ve sorted the other thing out.”
The counsellor walked over to her and rested her fingers lightly on Melody’s temple. “No,” she said after a moment. “Not lethargy, but there are a couple there. We’ll deal with them later, and check the cabin again, okay?”
“Alright,” she said, standing. “Let’s do this.”
Together, they walked out the door, the shifters following in silence until Asher piped up.
“Where are we going?” he demanded. “What’s so important that only she can do it?”
There was an answering rumble from Dean, but Melody thought it was more in agreement than anything else.
“He’s in the forest near the swimming hole,” Mrs Hardinger replied, saying nothing more.
“Oh, fuck,” Nick said aloud. “Hey guys, we need to stay back here. Otherwise we’ll just set him off again.”
“Set who off?” snapped Dean, clearly agitated.
Enough was enough. Melody stopped and turned on them.
“Justin is stuck in his dragon form. I’m going to force his shift. He’s not going to want to see me as it is. Nick’s right. Arriving with you all in tow is only going to make matters worse. Please stay here.”
“Like fuck we will,” growled Trent, surprising her. “I’m not allowing you within a kilometer of a pissed off dragon. If he’s stuck, then he’s fucking stuck.”
Melody gaped. Who was this man? Trent had never spoken to her like that before. Of them all, he was the most submissive. What on earth was going on?
“Oh, shit,” Ryan said, and she turned to look at him. “Hey, has anyone told Melody, Dean and Asher yet?”
She looked between the three of them, and then at Mrs Hardinger who sighed.
“Nick, if you wouldn’t mind?” Mrs Hardinger asked the dragon.
“Done,” he said, tersely.
Melody felt wards spring up around the room. She assumed it was to ensure privacy. What would they need such strong protection for?
“Melody,” Mrs Hardinger said. “You were in shock the other day, so you weren’t a part of this conversation, but basically Trent has undergone a transformation since bonding you. He has two beasts inside him. His fox, who you’ve met, and a dormant beast, who you haven’t. I’m gathering it’s the dormant animal talking now.”
Trent bared his teeth at Mrs Hardinger, his canines lengthening. In response, Toby moved to stand in front of her protectively.
“I am no beast, witch,” Trent said gruffly. “You would do well to remember that.”
Mrs Hardinger stepped around Toby. “And I’m no juvenile fucking pushover witch, beast. You would do well to remember that!” she snapped.
Melody looked from one to the other and back again. “Then who are you?” she asked.
Immediately Trent shifted, but it wasn’t to the fox that she was familiar with. This was a larger beast again, dark in colour and with three tails.
“A kitsune!” she whispered. “But, that’s impossible, two beasts inside one man.”
Trent stood in front of her again, his eyes amber with slitted pupils staring hungrily at her. “Yet, here I stand.” He raised a hand and touched her face gently, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. “And you are my mate.”
A lot of things began to make sense. The way he spoke to her that morning he woke in her bed, some of the expressions she’d caught on his face, even the wariness the others had displayed in his presence.
“You knew,” she whispered, looking at them.
“Yes,” Nick replied. “All of us bar you and your other bonded familiars and Justin were part of the conversation. We need to bring you into the geas now, to prevent you from telling others.”
“No!” shouted Melody, taking a step back and bringing up a ward around herself. “You will not take my will from me again.”
Dean and Asher stepped in front of her, growling ferociously. To her surprise, Trent did too.
“If she says no, then I will not force her, no matter the danger. She has faced enough already, I will not add to it,” Trent said.
This time, however, his voice was different. When he turned to look back at her, his eyes were golden, although the pupils were still slitted. It was his fox talking.
“Can we just help Justin, and then we can talk this out. I can’t deal with everything at once. It’s too much,” Melody said quietly, but she knew all the males heard her.
“Of course, Melody,” Mrs Hardinger said, proving that she had heard too. The older woman turned around and started off again, not waiting for Melody to join her.
It took them another five minutes to navigate the forest, but before long they came out at a large pond with a small jetty on one side and a dubious looking pontoon in the middle.
In the shadows on the other side, the black dragon lay watching them warily. It was what was at his side that made her stop in her tracks. Well, not what, rather who.
Draped over him and around him, a bevvy of witches purred at him, their hands running over his scales as they tried to convince him to challenge them. Shawna was at his head, whispering in his ear, stroking his face as she snuggled up to his jaw. The look she threw over her shoulder at Melody was poisonous.
“What’s she doing here?” Shawna snarled.
Mrs Hardinger ignored her, guiding Melody around the side of the water.
“How close do you have to
