The Dragon's Claim

Chapter 4

Dorgan

“Have you lost your mind, Pandeo? We need to lock her up, pronto! Do you know who her father is?! She could be a spy!" Kuma spits, his voice booming through the walls, vibrating with a fury I've never seen from him before. The usually cheerful bear shifter is almost shaking, his fists tight at his sides.

That alone says it all—this girl, this situation, has shaken him deeply.

Pan doesn't flinch. "Her life is in danger. We must protect her," he replies, his voice low but strong. I see a spark in his golden cat eyes.

Kuma throws his arms wide, pacing like a caged beast. "We have no such responsibility! She's human! Not only that—she's his daughter. The man who destroyed everything we built. Who slaughtered our people like they were nothing? Venga ya!"

The air in the room thickens. The mention of him—the General—is enough to set anyone on edge. I feel it myself. The ache of everything that name carries.

I step forward before the two of them tear into each other. "That's enough," I say, trying to keep my voice even, but I let a sliver of alpha dominance creep into the tone. "We're not going to solve this by screaming over one another."

Kuma exhales, but the fire in his eyes hasn't dimmed. I nod at Pan. "Explain. From the beginning."

Pan straightens, his voice quieter now. "I spotted someone moving along the reserve during my rounds this morning. I followed her and watched her for a while. She was fast, then she caught on to me. She bolted, and I—" He hesitates, guilt flickering across his face, "—I chased her. Took her down. Hard. I didn't know who she was. I only knew she was too close to camp."

His jaw tightens. "Then I saw her face. I immediately recognized her. Sasha."

Kuma scoffs, but doesn't interrupt this time.

"She's changed a lot, but it was her. So I healed her. I had hurt her with the take down. I did that."

"You healed her? Hombre!" Kuma cuts in, his voice rising again. "Seriously, Pan? Why don't you go tattoo our secrets on her forehead while you're at it?! Maybe throw in our location coordinates as a bonus!"

"Enough!" This time, I let more of my alpha energy roll through the room like thunder. Kuma stiffens, the rage in him coiling but restrained—barely.

"I get it, Kuma. You have every right to be angry. We've all lost people to her father. But Sasha isn't him. We don't know who she is—not yet."

I turn to Pan, meeting his eyes. "Keep going."

Pan takes a deep breath. His golden eyes are heavy with the weight of his duty. "After I healed her, I brought her here; we talked. She didn't know where she was going exactly — all she knew was that she had to run. She's terrified. And not of us — of them. The General's soldiers. She wasn't sent here. She's running from them."

Kuma scoffs loudly but keeps himself in check under my glare.

"And?" I prompt, feeling the tension in the room like a taut wire ready to snap.

"She said she needs help. She's being hunted. She's desperate enough to come here without knowing who she might run into. She didn't know that I was here; hell, she didn't even know that I was alive. That doesn't sound like a spy to me," Pan says, clenching his fists at his sides. "And more than that... she's family. She's my family."

The room falls silent at that, the air thick with shock. Even Kuma looks taken aback, his mouth falling open slightly before he shuts it with a loud click.

Family. I stare at Pan, weighing his words carefully. Pandeo doesn't throw that word around lightly. For him to say it now is a huge deal.

"She's my sister," Pan says softly this time, emotion creeping into his voice. "Maybe not by blood. But she's my sister all the same. I know her."

Kuma rubs a hand down his face, clearly struggling. "She was raised by that monstruo."

"So was I," Pan snaps back immediately. "Don't you dare judge her by her father's sins!"

I cross my arms, thinking. The safe thing to do would be to lock her up, interrogate her, and find out exactly what she knows. But looking at Pan, the sheer protectiveness radiating off him, I know that's not going to fly. And honestly? My gut is telling me the same thing.

"She stays," I say finally, my voice brooking no argument. Kuma growls low in his throat but doesn't speak. "We'll keep her under watch. If she proves to be a threat, we will deal with it then. But until she gives us a reason to doubt her, she's under our protection."

Pan relaxes, and I catch a faint hint of gratitude in his gaze before he masks it again.

"Don't make me regret this, Pan," I warn him quietly.

"You won't," he says with quiet certainty.

I turn towards the door, already thinking ahead. If the General's soldiers are after her, it's only a matter of time before they track her here. If they do, we'll face much bigger problems than a scared girl with too much blood on her name.

Pandeo nods once at me, tight and controlled, and disappears down the hall to fetch the girl.

The room stays heavy after he's gone, the air thick with tension. Kuma’s still glaring at the door, like he wants to burn a hole through it. I can almost feel his anger radiating off him. I scrub a hand through my hair and sigh, already dreading how sideways this is bound to go.

"You know I'm right to be cautious, jefe," Kuma grumbles, pacing like a caged bear. Which, considering what he is, isn't much of a stretch. "You know what the General's capable of."

"I do," I say evenly, locking eyes with him. "We all do. That's why we're going to be smart about this."

"Smart is not letting her near this place," he snaps back.

"Assuming she's guilty without hearing her out is reckless," I say, my voice sharp enough to silence him. "We do this properly, Kuma. We don't stoop to his level."

Kuma looks away, jaw tight, but he doesn't argue. Good. I can't have him flying off the handle the moment the girl steps into the room.

I glance at the door again, half expecting Pandeo to already be back. He's likely guiding her, so she won't run when she sees us all lined up like a firing squad. I can only imagine what's going through her head right now.

Kuma huffs out a breath, folding his arms. "Do you honestly trust Pan's judgment on this?"

"I trust Pan," I say without hesitation. "His loyalty has never been in question."

That seems to hit Kuma somewhere deep. He shifts awkwardly, then mutters, "I know. I just—" He cuts himself off, jaw clenching again.

"I get it, Kuma," I say, softening my tone a little. "You're not wrong to be worried. But Pan's not thinking with his heart here. He knows what's at stake. He wouldn't risk everything we've built unless he believed she was worth it."

Kuma doesn't answer, but he doesn't argue either. That's as good as a win right now.

For a long moment, it's quiet, the only sound the low hum of the reserve around us. I can feel the tension of what's about to happen pressing down on me. This isn't only about some runaway human girl. If she's telling the truth, if she is running from him, then everything could change. Fast.

And if she's lying…

I shove the thought aside.

Footsteps echo down the hall — two sets. I straighten up, and Kuma's whole body tenses like a coiled spring.

Showtime.

Sasha

I've been pacing the room Pan brought me to and introduced me to the shifter, Tivani. She seems kind and tries to chat with me politely, but I get too nervous for small talk. What am I doing here? What if they don't believe me? What if they think I'm a spy, sent by my father? I'm so tired of running. Every time I look over my shoulder, I see his face and feel his control pressing on me. He's a monster. It still feels like a punch to the gut every time I let myself admit that, but it's the truth. I can't pretend anymore.

I didn't see what he was—what he did. I was blind for so long, too desperate for affection, too eager to believe that he loved me. But now I know. Now I see the lies for what they were.

I still reel from the shock at seeing Pan again. Another lie told by him, uncovered. I have to remind myself again that he really is alive, that he actually lives in the very reserve I was looking for. He disappeared overnight two years ago. The General told me he had died during a mission, but refused to give me any further information. His look whenever I asked about it or mentioned Pan told me right away that this topic was off-limits. I always wondered how everyone could continue as normal after his disappearance. Pan had always felt like family to me, like a big brother. The General had brought him to the base when I was about 5 years old, shortly after my mother's death. He was the only one, apart from Dr. O'Brien, who gave me any sort of attention or affection. I only ever got Father’s attention when he was angry with me or when he was training me. This training also began when Pan arrived. At first, we trained together. Then, Pan had to train much longer and soon became one of the elite warriors. I only joined their training after Pan was gone.

I never fully understood why the General brought Pan home. When I was younger, I used to think my father did it for me, so I wouldn't be so lonely. As I grew older, I realized he never treated Pan like a son—more like his own personal war machine. Pan was often locked in isolation for days as punishment. I would sneak into the room they locked him in and talk to him. I tried to sneak him some food once, but we were caught, and we both received a severe beating. After that, Pan begged me and made me promise never to try that again. He couldn't handle knowing I was in pain because of him.

It didn't stop me from going to him when they punished him, though. One night, when I was around 16 years old, I fell asleep next to the door. After a hard punishment, the General started locking me in my room when Pan went to isolation. Around the same time, Father had prohibited us from spending any time together. We still tried, of course, but our interactions slowly dwindled. Pan was also out on missions, often away from the base. I grew miserable—he was the only friend I had ever had. After he disappeared, I sank into full depression. My father thought more training was the answer. He made me fight with his elite warriors or the shifters he controlled. I can feel bile rising in my throat, and I bite down hard on my bottom lip to keep it down. Focus, Sasha. Focus. I have to think about what's in front of me, not the past, not the hurt, not the betrayal.

I thank the stars it was Pan who found me. Maybe others wouldn't have been so eager to give me a chance to explain.