Guarding a Secret: The Dragon God's Wife Book 2 (Dragon Shifter Romance) E-Book

Mac Flynn

• Herausgeber: Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

The world of gods and magic works in mysterious ways, but Anna never expected to find herself trapped in a cat's body.

Her trial in the mortal realm has left her stuck in the form of a silver cat, but luck is on her side when the handsome Lord Eastwei adopts her as his pet. She may not have been the best goddess but she intends to be a loyal pet to the unusually gentle lord. Intentions and outcomes, however, don't always agree and she finds herself in as much trouble as a feline as in her goddess form, especially when she confronts a terrible foe that invades the heavenly realm.

Gravely wounded and with no other choice left to her, Anna reluctantly leaves the side of her beloved dragon god and is led by Arian to the immortal realm of the bear gods. Arian's clan welcomes them with open arms, and the meadows and forests become a refuge where Anna can tend to her wounds without worrying about judgment from above. That turns out to be a cold comfort when her thoughts wander back to her former master even as he is led to believe that his beloved pet was killed in the attack.

Will she ever see the stoic dragon god again, or will she while away millions of years in loneliness?

Leseprobe

GUARDING A SECRET

THE DRAGON GOD’S WIFE

BOOK 2

MAC FLYNN

CONTENTS

Copyright

Author’s Note

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Sneak Peek: Courting a Dragon

A Small Favor

When’s the Next Book?

Series by Mac Flynn

About Mac Flynn

COPYRIGHT

Guarding a Secret (The Dragon God’s Wife Book 2). Copyright © 2025 by Mac Flynn.

Published by Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form or by any or for any use, including recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the author and/or artist. The only except ions shirt excerpts or the cover image in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All the names, characters, organizations, places and events portrayed in this novel or on the cover are either products of the author’s or artist’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author or artist.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for joining me on a journey through my imagination. If you’re looking for romance and adventure with a guaranteed Happily Ever After, then you’ve come to the right place. My books contain paranormal plotting and fantastical action, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

* * *

You can keep in touch with me by joining my newsletter or checking out my website for the latest updates.

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Thank you for giving my book a chance, and Happy Reading!

- Mac Flynn

CHAPTERONE

Twilight. I had once missed that hour when the brilliance of the sun was replaced by the softness of the night.

Now I dreaded it.

The shadows had crept up on me shortly after I left my landing spot and now I found myself in a strange land that was about to dissolve into darkness. I could only imagine what animals lurked in the shadows waiting to chomp on little me.

There was also a problem with this mysterious new body of mine. I had dirty paws, dirty fur, and a tail that just wouldn’t stop swishing about. And the whiskers! Those poking things that had awoken me on that icy barge were constantly twitching.

The last rays of the sun were disappearing behind a horizon of hills as I slunk under a thick mess of brambles. Tiny stickers on the plant stuck to my fur and trapped me in its harsh web. I twisted around and hissed at the offending bush. It didn’t care.

Go figure.

I yanked myself free and tumbled head over four heels to land with a hard thump on a patch of bare earth. My legs ached and my teeth chattered as the chilly night air descended upon me.

What I wouldn’t give for a cat coat.

A crack of a stick made me freeze. I whipped my head about and I could feel my eyes dilate. The world turned from night to daylight as if by magic, but the darkest shadows couldn’t be penetrated. The sound had come from one of those patches of darkness.

The tip of my tail furiously twitched as I hunkered low to the ground. A faint rustling of leaves came to my large ears and my nose detected. . .something. I couldn’t make sense of all the information it was giving me but my brain knew something was wrong. Dangerously wrong.

I crept on my belly forward with the direction of the trouble staying on my right. The darkness was an impenetrable hunk of fallen branches and bushes. A rotting tree ran in one end of the mess and out the other, its moss-covered surface gleaming with twilight dew.

A squealing roar made me freeze and the next moment a pot-bellied creature came crashing out of the darkness. It landed nearly on top of me and I was rolled across the ground, coming to a stop on my back. The thing charged and swung its head down. A pair of thick horns scooped me up and flung me into the air. I yowled and flailed all four legs.

Good thing cats always land on their feet. I landed on my paws but the ground I crashed onto was a spitfire of trouble.

It was the back of my nemesis.

The creature squealed and bucked, tossing me about as my front claws viciously dug between the long bristles and into its rough pelt. I was flung to and fro like a bronco rider until I lost my grip. The wild bucking threw me several yards away where I landed hard and rolled across the rough, prickly ground.

I came to a stop on my side among a mess of stickers and dried leaves. My aching body complained about the rough treatment while my head spun from the hard fling.

A heavy snort shattered my rest. I whipped my head up and my blood froze in my veins.

The creature stepped into my field of vision and I saw it was a huge boar. The heavy tusks curled out of its mouth and up past its face. Its weathered features were mere decorations when I beheld the terrible look in its dark eyes. There was a madness in them that made my heart skip a beat. This creature hungered for blood and I had a fresh supply.

The boar threw its head back and let loose a terrible squeal before it charged. My eyes widened and I rolled out of its way, missing being stomped by its sharp hooves by a mere inches. I scampered to my feet and dug my claws in for grip before I shot off. The boar pursued me, its terrible huffing breathing coming closer and closer to my tail. I ducked and leaped over bushes and fallen trees, but the creature crashed through it all.

One of those fallen trees proved to be more rotten than I predicted. I landed on its bark prepared to vault to the other side when the bark gave way. I yowled as I crashed through into the hollow center. The boar flew over me, snapping its jaws where I had just stood.

I landed hard on my side and a sharp stake stabbed itself into the upper arm of my front leg. Warm blood ran down my fur coat and dripped onto the forest floor.

A shadow stretched over me and I had only a fraction of a second to react. The boar shoved its tusks through the frail walls and I scampered down the slick rotting innards of the tree. It crashed into my little hollow and raced about me, destroying everything in its path. I shot out the far end and dashed through a mess of brush before I stumbled into a small clearing. My wound pounded with pain and I felt a little dizzy as blood gushed from the hole. The world spun around me and the edges were a hazy mess. I could only make it halfway across the clearing before I collapsed onto my side.

The boar slammed through the brush behind me and raced at me, its hungry eyes promising a terrible death. I closed mine and waited for the end.

The boar’s hooves skidded along the hard-packed floor a foot shy of where I lay. It let out a terrible squeal before I heard it spin around and stampede back into the forest.

I peeked open my eyes and watched its behind disappear into the brush. Hope was rekindled inside me, but there was also a rising fear. What had caused the boar to take off in such terror?

A strange shuffling noise made me turn my head to the center of the clearing. I creaked my head around and my heart stopped.

A strange slender plant branch slithered toward me. Its black skin shimmered like rotten flesh and tiny spikes covered its surface. I hissed and scrambled back but my lame leg dragged me down. The thing wrapped around my other front leg and its spikes sank into my flesh. A screeching yowl burst from my mouth and I scrambled back, or tried to. The thing kept its tight grip on me and tugged me toward the shadows at the other end of the clearing. A horrible feeling fell over me as I beheld a strange darkness in those woods. Something terrible awaited me, far more terrible than the end the boar had promised.

I thrashed and dug my heels into the dirt, but nothing worked. The thing dragged me toward the abyss of some hideous unknown nightmare. I was on the precipice of despair when a shimmering light came down from above.

A shadow dropped from on high and sliced the tendril with a flaming weapon. The tendril was cut in twain and my half released me and flopped onto the ground. I limped back but not too far because both my front legs were now wounded. The sliced end shuddered and drooped before it fell into a pile of black ash. The other half slithered backward into the ugly shadows.

My savior straightened and partially turned to me. I hissed in surprise as I beheld the angelic face of Lord Eastwei. He held a flaming sword in his hand which he kept at his side as he strode over to me. I wanted so desperately to lung into his arms but my feeble attempt at a jump ended with me dropping chin-first onto the ground.

Eastwei knelt by my side and inspected both wounds, dirtying his hands with my blood. The blood congealed in my fur and dripped onto the ground. He pursed his lips and examined the rest of me. “You have seen better times.” I could only wag my tail in appreciation. He turned his face about and his eyes fell on the darkness. “Remain here until I return.”

He stood but I was having none of that. No way I wanted to be left alone in this creepy beast-infested forest. I yowled and tried to stand but my shaky front legs collapsed beneath me and I dropped onto the dry dust.

Eastwei studied me for a moment before he stooped and scooped me into one arm. “Stay still.”

I bobbed my head, only too happy to be tucked against him. He strode forward into the woods where the tendril had vanished. My heart pounded in my chest but I felt nothing from the god who carried me. His heart was as impassive as his face as he used his sword to slice his way through the dense forest.

A disgusting squishing sound echoed through the trees and a hideously noxious smell wafted past my nose. I wrinkled my schnoz and pressed closer to Eastwei.

He stopped and studied me. “Do you smell something?”

I nodded and lifted my bloodied paw to point at the way ahead of us.

Eastwei tightened his grip on both me and his sword before he ventured ahead. The odor worsened and I found myself gagging. Even the lord’s impassive expression took a hit as he curled one corner of his lip up in disgust.

The trail of the tendril was easy to follow as the thing had left a black patch of rot in its wake. The path meandered through the woods before those began to thin and finally parted, revealing a small settlement of some dozen homes.

Standing there at the edge of the buildings, I was struck by the eerie silence. The atmosphere was like that of a graveyard. Nothing stirred save for a few bits of clothes on the ground. Eastwei approached the strange pile and used the tip of his sword to burn away the hem of a pant leg.

I screeched as it revealed a shriveled human leg.

CHAPTERTWO

“Quiet!” he hissed. The sharpness in his voice made me clamp my mouth shut.

That’s when I felt it. A shift in the air. A terrible wind blowing at our backs.

Eastwei spun around and swung his sword in front of us. His flaming blade illuminated the shadows, revealing a hideous menagerie of black tendrils. They loomed upon us like a cloud of death. Eastwei’s fiery magic sliced the limbs and the ends dropped to the ground with a squishy sound. They flopped about before they shriveled and turned to ash like the first one.

I followed the trail of dark tendrils as they curled back behind one of the houses. Eastwei carried me after them and we cautiously turned the corner.

A putrid black plant grew out of a hole in the ground. Dozens of tendrils oozed out of its pulsing core. A mess of broad fetid leaves covered most of the fat body, but I could make out throbbing veins all over the thing. A stench of death hung over the thing and that was made even more evident by the piles of clothes that littered the area around its base. Whatever had happened to the people, there was no doubt this thing was responsible.

The plant lifted its tendrils above its body and rattled them. Large balls of rancid mucus flew in all directions. Eastwei leaped back and used his sword to slice those aimed straight at us.

The lord set me down near the corner of the house and walked toward the creature. A faint reddish glow surrounded him and the flames around his sword lengthened, creating a huge blade that stretched for some five feet.

The creature slapped its tendrils against the ground before it flung them at him. Eastwei reacted so quickly that I could barely follow his movements. He dodged, parried, and ducked, all the while slicing at anything that dared brush against his clothes. Each of his counterattacks took him closer to the center.

That’s when I noticed movement beneath the ground behind him. A dirt mound swelled up until a tendril wiggled its way out of the tip of the earthen pile. The slender limb stretched itself to some six feet high and leaned its tip toward Eastwei.

I didn’t even think. I just reacted.

I darted forward with a loud hiss and leaped at the thing. My sharp fangs sank into the tendril and a disgusting tar flooded my mouth. I shut my eyes and forced myself to ignore the bile and focus on keeping my grip as the thing tried to throw me off.

Eastwei spun around and swung his sword in front of him. His blade cut the limb asunder and both it and I dropped to the ground. I fell on my side but managed to spit out the twitching part before it turned to ash.

Eastwei knelt beside me and looked me over. I managed a soft meow and a twitch of my tail. A terrifying red fury slipped into his eyes. He stood and turned to face our foe. The sloppy mess was now a ball with a mess of short trunks for limbs. It flopped about as if trying to pull itself out of its hole and run away.

Eastwei stalked toward it and held his sword out at his side. A fierce heat emanated from the blade and the shortened tendrils the thing swung at him were burned away by his magical aura alone. He reached the throbbing center and grasped the hilt of his sword in both hands before he brought it down on the thing. His fire cut the creature in two and its whole body caught fire. The tendrils were consumed and the squishy center melted into a puddle in the hole.

A strange white cloud floated out of the creature at the same time the thing oozed out of existence. The nebulous fog appeared to hover for a moment over the ruins of the creature and I swore I saw dozens of small golden lights twinkle inside its murky depths. A soft breeze blew past us and the mist dissipated. A faint sigh filled the air that both made chills run down my spine and lifted my spirits. Something wondrous and horrible had happened.

Eastwei stepped back and his sword vanished. He stared unblinking at the pool of black ooze. My heart skipped a beat when I noticed a few bubbles bob up to the surface. The froth worsened and grew into a pile of black bubbles before a dark shape in their center arose and popped them. A twisted, gnarled plant slithered out of the putrid pool and grew to six inches. Horrible black leaves sprouted all over its slender body, as did a few stubby tendrils.

Eastwei reached out to grab the plant. His fingers had hardly touched the slimy stalk when the thing stiffened before flailing about. A black smoke rose from the point of contact and Eastwei jerked his hand away as boils popped up all over the thing’s body. It twisted about and more bubbles boiled up from the pool. The plant shriveled and sank back into the dank water, and a moment later the puddle dried up. Only a hollowed-out blackened hole remained.

The lord draped his arm over his bent leg and examined the hole for a moment before he stood. He turned and walked over to me. I tried to lift my head but a coughing fit overcame me. A few bits of black flesh flew from my mouth and splattered on the ground. I’d never felt as sick in my whole life as I did now.

Eastwei picked me up with all the gentleness of a mother cat and cradled me in one arm. He stroked my back as he turned away from the empty shell and to a heartbreaking sight.

The village had remained as quiet as the grave during our fight, and we soon discovered why. Eastwei trudged up the muddied main street and we beheld dozens of piles of clothes. Shriveled remains stuck out from some of them but most were too shrunken to be seen.

We peeked inside houses and in every outbuilding. Nothing stirred save for the dust and a few homemade wind chimes. They twinkled sadly, singing a song of emptiness.

The domesticated beasts had not escaped unharmed, as we discovered on inspecting one of the small barns. Eastwei pressed a hand against the partially opened door and a shaft of light fell on the barn floor. Shrunken hides and blackened hooves were all that remained of the poor animals. A stench of decay hung in the air. He drew his long sleeve over his face but that didn’t hide the horror and anger in his features. I looked up at him and softly meowed.

I couldn’t stop an ill-timed cough from coming out. A few black specks flew out of my mouth and my stomach did such a flipflop that I let out a whimpering meow and sank deeper into his arms.

Eastwei cast a worried look at me and stroked my head. I couldn’t even manage a purr, so sick did I feel.

He turned us away from that horrible sight and walked down the lonely street. A faint cloud of fiery flakes surrounded us and obscured the area around us for a few seconds. One moment we were in the destroyed village and the next we were walking along the river bank. I noticed the gate to the heaven realm standing not far off.

The lord didn’t move toward that but instead knelt beside the river. He drew out a handkerchief from inside his sleeve and dipped the cloth into the river. I had no idea what he was doing until he pressed his handkerchief against my face and began rubbing.

I shrank from the cold water and twisted my head this way and that to avoid his fingers.

“Hold still,” he commanded me as he dipped the cloth back into the river. “I cannot allow you to return with me without cleaning you of this filth.”

I froze as the implications were clear. No wash, no go back home.

Eastwei continued his cleaning until my face felt fresh and soaked. He tucked the handkerchief back into his sleeve and dipped his cupped palm into the waters. The lord then held the trickling pool of water up to my face.

“Drink.”

I leaned down and habit forced me to try to drink using my lips. My short snout wouldn’t let me do that and I found myself inhaling water through my nostrils. I jerked back as a familiar tingling teased my nose. An adorably tiny sneeze escaped me.

The faintest of smiles crossed Eastwei’s lips before he turned away to get another scoop of water. “This time with your tongue,” he reminded me.

I leaned down and flicked out my tongue like I’d seen cats do a million times. My inexperience meant I dribbled more than I drank but I managed to get enough to whet my mouth and remove some of the taste of that horrid plant.

Eastwei flicked his hand and stood. Now that I was more comfortable I enjoyed the ride as he carried me up the gentle slope toward the center of the island. He raised one hand and the gate activated, revealing the foggy outline of the large gates.

We stepped through and into the bright light of the sky kingdom. The gate stood there imposing and guarded as before. I desperately wanted to swipe at one of the guards but my stomach flip-flopped. A groan came out as a low whining meow.

Eastwei glanced down and stroked my fur. His gentle touch brought a faint purr from deep in my throat but that caused me to suffer another coughing fit. The last remnants of the horrible black flesh flew out and tainted the ground.

The guards stiffened and one of them stepped forward. “What is that matter with that creature, Lord Eastwei?”

“I’m not sure,” Eastwei replied as he brushed his hand over the black spots. Fire shot up from the little specks and they were burned out of existence, leaving nothing behind. “But remain vigilant.”

The guard stood at attention. “Yes, My Lord!”

Eastwei continued, his footsteps taking a purposeful path but I soon realized it wasn’t toward either of our palaces. He strode past the many palaces and across a few bridges to a large island. My ears perked up when I beheld an assortment of stables and pens, all crowded with animals munching away at food or snuffing around for the sake of curiosity.

The home of the caretaker was a timber construction with two floors that more resembled the barns than any of the other palaces in the heavenly realm. A familiar face strolled out the open front doors and leaned against a huge beam that held up the porch roof.

The person was Lord Kang, and he had a curiosity-filled smile on his face. “This is a surprise. What brings you-” He noticed me and pushed off from the beam. “What do you have there?”

“A cat,” came the bland reply as Eastwei stopped short of the porch. “She is hurt.”

Kang hurried up to us and began a thorough inspection of my person. The checkup was so thorough that I would have felt insulted if I were still in my human body. As it was, his touch was gentle and his examination brief.

He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “It looks as though she swallowed something rather unpleasant and her legs will need to be bandaged. We can do that inside, but do you know what she ate?”

“No,” Eastwei replied as we followed Kang into his home.

CHAPTERTHREE

The abode of the animal keeper was a mix of a hunting lodge and a zoo. The furniture wasn’t the dainty tables and chairs like in my home, but massive hunks of wood roughly carved out of whole trees. They looked heavier than the weight of the heavens and shone like the pristine surface of a glacial lake. The walls were decorated with every conceivable type of ancient weapon from swords to spears and even a mace, but no animal heads.

The animals were everywhere else. Birds were perched on the backs of the furniture and a snake slithered between the legs of the chairs, no doubt jealous of their limbs. The strange fire creature lay on a rug in the center of the room. It cracked open one eye and studied us for a moment before returning to its nap.

Kang pointed at a couch with leather padding. “Sit there. I will go fetch the supplies.” He slipped away into the interior of the home.

Eastwei did as he was bidden and lay me in his lap. He stroked my back and this time my purring didn’t lead to more black mucus. I leaned into his gentle touch and rubbed my cheeks against his hand.

“I believe this should work,” Kang spoke up as he sauntered out of the rear of the house. He stopped dead in his tracks and took in the full picture before him. A sly, crooked smile slipped onto his lips. “What an interesting sight this is.”

Eastwei rolled his sharp eyes up and frowned at our host. “Is there a problem?”

Kang shook off his bemused expression and strode toward us. “No problem at all. I was merely worried I had forgotten some of the bandages but I believe I have enough.”

He set the medical supplies on a low table in front of us. They included gauze, a roll of bandages, and a brown bottle with a bitter odor that I assumed was some homemade antiseptic.

Kang held out his arms to me. “Shall I take her?”

“No need,” Eastwei replied as he reached for the supplies. He poured out some of the antiseptic onto a small bundle of gauze and lifted my left leg. I whimpered but held still as he daubed the wound. A terrible stinging pain shot through me but I resisted the urge to yank my leg away.

He did the same to the other leg as Kang took a seat on a roughly carved chair not far away. His sharp curious eyes studied me. “I have never seen a cat with such glistening silver fur. Where did you find this creature?”

“In the land realm of the wild boards,” Eastwei informed him. He set the gauze down and took up the bandage which he carefully wrapped around my paw.

Kang lifted an eyebrow. “What a strange place to find such an elegant creature. Do you wish for me to care for her?”

I stiffened and whipped my head around to look up into Eastwei’s impassive face. His expression didn’t change as he wrapped my wound. “There is no need.”

Kang leaned forward and used a hand to gesture to me. “Then what will you do with her?”

“I will care for her.”

The beast master’s sly smile returned and he arched an eyebrow. “Are you quite sure? Keeping an animal can be quite a nuisance.”

Eastwei moved on to the other paw, the one that had been skewered by the tree. I shut my eyes before he started the daubing. A sharp hiss escaped me and the tip of my tail twitched like a rattler. The pain shot up and down my leg and my fur stood on end.

Eastwei’s soothing voice cut through the agony. “Focus on me.” I lifted my dilated eyes to him and I was struck by the gentleness in his orbs. “This will only take a moment.” I managed a stiff nod and he continued his daubing. The pain sank into my bones but I clenched my teeth against its onslaught.

Kang clapped his hands and shattered the moment. “I had no idea you were so proficient in mastering animals! Perhaps you might teach me your skill?”

“You have little need of my advice,” Eastwei countered as he finished cleaning the wound. He wrapped the bandage around tightly enough that it wouldn’t fall off but loosely enough that I could barely feel it press against the hole.

Eastwei stood with me curled in his arm and tucked close against his chest. I rubbed my cheek against him and reveled in the feeling of his warmth against my fur. “Thank you for the help.”

Kang’s grin stretched from ear to ear as he rose. “I hardly did more than give you the supplies you needed to treat her.” He stepped up to us and scratched the back of my ear. I leaned into the touch and purred, and that earned a laugh from the god. “She is a magnificent creature. You had better care for her or I may come and steal her away.”

I felt an almost imperceptible tightening in Eastwei’s grip on me. “I would advise against it.”

Kang eased back and held up his hands in front of him. “I am only joking, My Lord, only joking.” He straightened and cleared his throat. “However, should you need more assistance with her, do not worry about reaching me.”

Eastwei merely inclined his head and strolled out of the house. I blinked against the bright sun above us but the momentary blindness was only temporary as the familiar red magical glow surrounded us. We teleported and the destination was one of the palaces in the heavenly kingdom, but not one which I had entered. Still, its luscious interior bespoke a person of high rank and I could only assume it belonged to Eastwei.

The lord carried me up a long hallway to a sitting area where he lounged on the reclining seat. He set me in front of him where I happily laid myself down on part of his clothes.

A thin young gentleman scurried out of a side hall to our left and bowed low to Eastwei. “You have returned, my lord. Were you in need of-” He stopped when his attention fell on me. I gave him a soft meow for a hello. “My Lord, has something happened?”

“This animal protected me. I have brought it here to heal,” Eastwei replied as he stroked my fur.

The man’s eyes widened. “Protected you, My Lord? Has something happened?”

Eastwei’s soft expression hardened and he stared at the floor in front of him. “Yes. Inform the king I wish to speak with him as soon as possible.”

The man bowed low at the waist and hurried away. Eastwei continued stroking me as a tense silence settled in the room.

I looked up at him and rubbed my cheek against his hand. He set his gaze on me and pursed his lips. “Perhaps if you could speak you would tell me what it is we fought this day.”

I wish I could tell myself I inwardly mused as I gave him an extra-loud purr.

There it was. That faint smile again. “You appear to be unbothered by the attack. Have you found trouble before?”

Oh boy, had I I thought to myself as I let out a great purr.

Eastwei scratched my head before his brow was darkened by worry. He stared down the hall and pursed his lips. “There is something more to this danger than we had guessed.”

My ears perked up at his words. They implied that he had some knowledge of the plant creature beforehand. The idea left an icy chill in my heart, though not as icy as the creature that strolled down the corridor toward us.

It was Shian and she had a smug smile on her face. I wanted so desperately to wipe that smile off her face but the situation wasn’t ripe for revenge. How could I explain to them in meows and hisses that she had tried to off me in the land realm? I looked about for a pen or pencil, but none was to be found on the low table in front of us. There wasn’t even a scrap of paper.

Shian stopped just shy of the platform and bowed low to Eastwei. “Dadan, I am very glad to see you have returned from the land realm.”

Dadan? I thought to myself. Is that a name for him?

“Was there any doubt?” Eastwei replied.

“There are many stories of the land realm being attacked by some mysterious foe and I worried for you,” Shian explained before she nodded over her shoulder. “And I noticed Puren hurry away with a dark cloud upon his brow as if he was troubled.”

“There is no need to be concerned,” Eastwei assured her as he stroked my back.

His action forced Shian’s attention onto me and a hard look slipped into her eyes. “What is this, Dadan? A stray?”

I drew back my ears and scowled at her.

“Something I discovered in the land realm,” Eastwei answered her as he held up one of my bandaged paws. “I am seeing to her mending.”

Shian’s face tightened as she tried to keep the smile on. “I. . .I see. Would you not prefer that Puren care for the beast? Or perhaps one of my maidservants might care for it? After all, we do not know anything about the creature. It may carry fleas or some contagious disease.”

“I doubt it,” Eastwei mused as his fingers stroked my back. “I see no signs of stress other than the injuries she sustained shortly before I met her.”

My mortal foe eyed me with all the affection of a cat eyeing a mouse. This kitty didn’t like it. “Well, I am sure after your care she will be a creature fit to be seen about the heavenly roads.”

Suck up I muttered as I lay my head down atop Eastwei’s clothes.

“Did you need something?” Eastwei inquired as he looked up at his guest.

Shian’s face brightened. “I only desired to invite you to another dinner. Prince Yushir has promised to come again if you agree.”

“I will consider it,” Eastwei replied as his focus turned to the scurrying figure behind Shian.

It was the noted Puren and the servant had worry written all over his face. He stopped just behind and to one side of Shian and bowed to both of them. “My apologies, My Lord and Lady, but the king requests your presence most urgently.”

CHAPTERFOUR

Eastwei lifted me off his clothes and set me on the cushioned seat. He stood and I made to follow, but neither of my front legs was in working order. I stumbled and fell chin-first onto the cushion. A soft whimpering yowl escaped me.

Eastwei paused and partially turned to face me. “You must remain here and rest.”

He waved his splayed hand in my direction and faint red flakes flowed out of his palm. They descended on me and I felt a strange heat cling to my bones. I tried to move and yowled when I found my legs were as heavy as if each of them was weighed down by an ocean liner.

I yanked my leg one at a time but ended up exhausted after the third heave. Between the exertion and my loss of blood, I readily collapsed onto the cushion.

A faintly devilish smile appeared on Eastwei’s lips before he turned to Puren. “Care for her while I am away.”

Puren bowed his head. “As you wish.”

Eastwei stepped off the low platform and Shian moved to block him. “May I go with you, Dadan?”

The lord lifted his chin slightly. “The matter is a private one.”

“Then I will remain here eagerly awaiting your return,” she offered as she stepped aside and smiled at him. “May your visit with the king be pleasant.”

He inclined his head and strode past her. Eastwei had hardly stepped out the open doors before Shian turned her sharp, icy-blue gaze on me. Her eyes darted to Puren. “Perhaps you might find some food for this. . .creature.” The last word dripped with disgust.

Puren pursed his lips and cast a reluctant glance at me. “But Lord Eastwei-”

“-told you to care for her while he was away, and finding her some food is caring for her,” Shian pointed out as she sauntered past him. She took a seat on the edge of the platform and smiled up at him. “I will keep the creature-that is, the cat company until you return.”

Puren didn’t look too pleased with this arrangement and neither was I. I was even less pleased when he bowed his head and hurried off, leaving me completely alone with the psycho bitch.

Shian slowly turned her head around and examined me with that glacier-hard look she was so good at. “So in the whole of the land realm he finds a cat with silver fur? How very convenient.”

I didn’t like where this line of questioning was leading. I tried to back up but the magic around my legs made me stumble like a newborn calf.

Shian stood and grasped her dress to pick it up before she stepped onto the platform. Her bone-chilling eyes were ever on me as I scuttled backward. Hatred dripped from her lips and her face was marred by deep wrinkles of fury. “I have rid myself of one vermin with silver hair. What do I have to lose by ridding myself of another?”

I wasn’t going to go down without a fight, not this time.

Shian swooped down with one well-manicured hand outstretched to grab my scruff. My legs may have been locked but my head wasn’t. I twisted my head about and clamped both rows of fangs down on her hand. She let out a horrible shriek and jerked her hand back. My grip was so tight that I was dragged along for the ride, but Shian wasn’t any more able to move my legs than I was. The magic dragged her momentum and she ended up losing her balance, falling to her side onto the platform.

I released her and slogged my way off the podium and down the long corridor. Shian floundered about like a fish caught on land before she shot up with her arms on either side of her. The fury I’d seen before was now a volcano of rage. My claws scrambled across the floor as I tried to gain traction from her malevolence. She was a ticking time bomb and I didn’t want to be anywhere near her when she exploded.

My salvation came from around the corner. It wasn’t Eastwei but Puren, but any port in a storm.

I let out a terrible yowl and lunged for him. My efforts fell a few feet flat, as did my face against the floor, but that was one step closer to help.

His appearance made Shian stop dead in her tracks. She grasped her hands in front of herself and slapped on a stiff smile. “You have already returned, Puren?” Her gaze fell on his empty hands and she frowned. “And you bring no food?”

Puren bowed his head and blushed. “I am afraid I do not know what cats eat, Lady Shian. I thought perhaps the cat might come with me to the kitchen and the chef would be able to help.”

Shian’s face was so red that she looked about to pop. However, her upbringing was enough that she kept her volcanic explosion inside, at least to keep up the mask of a sane goddess. “I see. That would be a good idea, but I do not know if Lady Fann would appreciate the creature in her kitchen.”

“Then I will leave it outside and fetch the food,” Puren suggested as he waved a hand over me. I felt the magical shackles fall off and a great weight was lifted from me, both figuratively and literally. Puren scooped me into his arms and bowed low to Shian. “Thank you for assisting in the caring of the cat, Lady Shian. Good day.”

“Good day,” she replied as sweetly as a rattler.

Puren was too innocent to notice the hiss in the words, as he turned without another look and strolled out of the palace. I glanced over his shoulder and beheld Shian standing in the middle of the room with her hands balled into fists at her side. A chilly blue cloud surrounded her and ice formed on the floor.

I’d have to watch my step. She was not only jealous of my feline self but she undoubtedly suspected I was more than meets the eye. I only hoped nobody else would get suspicious until I was ready to inform the world of my transformation.

“Were you being a naughty cat for Lady Shian?” Puren spoke up as he cast a curious look down at me.