Page 11 of Dragon Tempted

“You don’t get to make that call. The curse talks about an oracle—Bella and Lily—and there is no way my family and the rest of the clan are going to back down from protecting them.”

“And they shouldn’t. But that doesn’t mean I need to pull them further into this.”

She glared harder. “Too late for that. You pulled them into this mess when you offered to show the Death of Magic painting at the museum Megan worked at. You don’t get to dangle the possibility of finding a cure in front of the clan only to yank it away from them now.”

“That’s not what I’m doing.”

“Then explain it to me.”

Before he could respond, he sensed a change in the air and pushed Sienna against the door, protecting her with his body before pain sliced into his side.

“What the hell?” Sienna sputtered.

“Get inside,” John grunted.

She didn’t argue, instead reaching for the knob and pushing open the door. He rushed her inside and slammed it shut. He looked out the front window, and when he didn’t see anyone approaching, he yanked the curtains closed.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Someone is out there.” He turned toward her, expecting her to panic at the sight of the arrow sticking out of his side.

Instead she shook her head. “Not again.”

What the hell did that mean? He wasn’t sure if the pain or maybe blood loss confused him or if he just didn’t understand this female.

He reached for the shaft, and she held her hand up. “Don’t! You’ll make it worse.” She rushed over to the small kitchen and jerked open a couple of drawers before returning with a knife. “Hold still.” She cut the shaft from the arrow and then pulled her phone from her pocket. “Let me call for help.”

“We don’t have time.”

“Do you know who’s out there?”

“No. But they won’t stay outside for long.” He rushed over to the couch and pushed the end back, groaning from the sharp stab in his side when he bent to flip back the rug covering the trapdoor.

“What are you doing? Let me help,” she insisted.

“I got it. Grab that backpack. We have to go.”

He opened the trapdoor, and Sienna looked at the ladder that led into the hole. “You’re full of surprises, John Baker.”

He held out his hand. “I’ll take the backpack.”

She gave him a pointed look before shaking her head. “I’ve got it. You take care of your side.” Before he could argue, she pulled the backpack on and climbed down the ladder.

He followed her and let the trapdoor fall, snuffing out the light from above. “Head down the tunnel.” He expanded his dragon senses so he could see. “Can you run?”

“I’m not the one with an arrow in my side. I can keep up.”

He reached for her hand and clasped it. Before he thought too much about how his fingers felt wrapped around hers, he started to jog and she kept up, so he ran faster.

Each step was like a stab to his side. He should have yanked the damn arrow out. But he might have lost too much blood if he had, and they would be in more trouble if he passed out.

“You okay?” she asked.

He nodded and kept running. They reached the end of the tunnel, and he parted the brush he had in front of the entry.

“Head to the truck. I’ll be right behind you.”

She looked at him for a moment, and he thought she was going to question him, but instead she ran outside. He opened the small box on the floor and flipped the switch. Sixty seconds appeared on the screen, and he pushed the button and ran outside.