Ancient Enemy - Katie Reus Page 0,9

the gentle sound of the wolves’ paws against grass in the distance. They would be here soon.

Less than five minutes later, he was proved right when Darius and the other two strode out of the darkness, in human form and fully dressed. The wolves looked surprised to see all of the farmers outside the barn and glaring at them.

For a moment, as all the farmers stared at them with mistrust in their gazes, including Dallas, he was struck by the reality that he’d mistrusted all witches for so long. Even if he hadn’t known them. That was…not a good feeling. The mistrust that rolled off them right now scraped against his senses, making his dragon edgy.

“I’m sorry you felt the need to run from us,” Darius said as he approached Dallas.

“Are you really surprised? When four warrior males show up on my land and try to take my dragon away?”

He paused. “Fair enough. Look, King wants to talk to you about setting up some greenhouses, food plots and mini-forests in the city. He knows how talented you are with natural magic and basically growing things. He wants your help. The dragon surprised us, that’s all.”

“Willow. Her name is Willow,” she snapped, all fire and attitude.

“Ah, yes, Willow surprised us. You can bring her into the city with you. Nothing will happen to her and I swear she’ll be under King’s protection.”

Dallas looked over at Rhys then, eyebrows raised.

He nodded, and the fact that she actually trusted him felt strange. She didn’t even know his name.

“Okay,” she finally said. “But first I need to go talk with the others to make sure my goats and crops will be tended to. And I need to get my sprinklers set up so everything is watered.”

Hazel strode up then, a couple inches taller than Dallas, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry about anything. We’ll take care of everything. Just make sure you take your damn phone and I’ll keep you updated. Stay as long as you need.”

Dallas turned and gave Hazel a big hug. “Thank you.”

Rhys had the strange thought that he wished she was wrapping her arms around him.

“I guarantee if any of you hurt Dallas or Willow, you’re going to answer to all of us,” Hazel said matter-of-factly as she looked Darius in the eye. “You won’t like what happens if you screw up.”

Rhys blinked in surprise because it was clear that Hazel was a peaceful shifter. There were no waves of aggression rolling off her and she didn’t carry herself in the way apex predators did. But he could also see the electricity spark between her and Darius.

Darius cleared his throat, and there was almost a hint of amusement in the wolf’s gaze as he nodded in agreement—as if he didn’t take her seriously.

Rhys kind of figured that he should, because this whole group of pissed-off females could probably wreak havoc if they chose to. It didn’t matter if they were apex predators or not.

“I will bring your friend and dragon back in one piece, unharmed and happy,” Darius said quietly, watching Hazel with a whole lot of male interest.

Hazel sniffed once. “Good.”

“How long will I be in the city?” Dallas asked Darius.

A deep, completely uncivilized part of Rhys wanted to demand that she look at him, and only him. Which was ridiculous. But there it was. His libido had been dead for…as long as he could remember. But one sniff of this beautiful female—this witch—and something had awoken inside him. He didn’t like it at all.

“A week, maybe. But I can’t say for certain. We’ve got a place for you to stay, though we didn’t realize you had a pet,” Darius said, looking past her at the still cowering Willow, who was watching them with her wings lifted just enough to show her eyes. “She really is cute,” Darius murmured.

Dallas sniffed as if to say “duh.”

“How do you think she’ll do around a bunch of wolves?” Dallas asked, biting her bottom lip.

“She can stay with me,” Rhys said before Darius could answer.

They both turned to look at him then. He lifted a shoulder. “What? You know who I live with. Almost all females.” He was staying in a mansion owned by his oldest brother’s mate and a random group of shifters—avian shifters, a phoenix, a couple tigers, and a lazy male lion. It was a misfit crew to be sure, but he had a feeling Willow would be at ease with the females. They would probably fawn