Survivor (Dragon Shifter Book 4)

by Naomi Sparks

  When Lex doesn't respond right away, Amasis continues. "You don't have to answer me right away, Aleksander. Think it over. I'm sure you'll come to the right conclusion."

  And then, the call abruptly ends.

  The moment the call dies, the chair Lex is holding onto shatters, sending splinters of wood crumbling to the floor. My heart pounds as I wait for Lex to speak. There's no way he's considering this deal, right? He can't possibly think about trading Faith just to get some Fae blood for Hannah. Can he?

  "You can't consider his deal," I say, staring at Lex. Normally, I'll follow his orders, no matter what. But not this time. I won't give up Faith, not for anything. Not even for him.

  Lex takes a deep breath and shakes his head. "No, I'm not." Then he looks over at Hannah and lets out a sigh. "But we need to find where Faith went and get her back here so we can get out of town. We can't let Amasis get his hands on her again."

  I nod. I should be relieved, but I'm not. I trust Lex with my life, but with the way he's looking at Hannah, I can't be completely sure he won't trade Faith just to save the life of his mate. I want to tell myself I would never consider trading Hannah's life for Faith, but as I think about it, I wonder if there's anything I won't do to protect Faith.

  "I want everyone out there looking for her. Finding her is our priority right now." Lex looks at both me and Bren. He locks eyes with Bren. "Lean on all of your sources. If any of them know anything, I want to hear it. Now let's get out there and find her before he does."

  14

  Faith

  Leon doesn't let me out of his sight for even a moment. I keep my eyes closed, listening to his thoughts, searching for something, anything, that might lead to a way out of here. But he's so focused on me, he's not thinking about anything else. All he wants is to bite me, to claim me and officially make him his mate. He's hoping if he does that, then Amasis won't try to take me from him.

  Even though I haven't experienced morning sickness since losing the baby, my stomach continues to roll, even though I've more than emptied it by now. And that will only delay Leon for so long. He's determined to claim me today. He wasn't in a rush earlier, but as time ticks by, he's getting antsier.

  I need to think of something and soon.

  Leon pushes off the wall and walks over to stand in front of me again. He's grinning. I don't need to use my powers to know what he's thinking. "It seems like your stomach has settled a bit. Maybe we should get this over with now, before the next wave hits you."

  Panic floods through my body. "Air," I gasp out, looking up into his eyes and pleading with him. "I need some fresh air, please."

  Leon looks at me and frowns. I know he's hesitant. He wants to just get it over with now, but, he's worried. He wants to make sure I'm healthy, and I just need to focus on that aspect, to push him.

  "Please. The baby and I...."My hands are bound behind the chair, so I can't clutch my stomach. Instead, I look down at it, hoping he gets the picture. I just need to keep playing up the baby card and the morning sickness. The longer I can delay him, the higher chance I have of someone finding me. At this point, I would even settle for Amasis finding us. Maybe I could escape in the shuffle.

  Finally, Leon lets out a sigh and nods. "Fine. But not for long, okay?" He moves behind me, then undoes the ropes holding my hands to the chair.

  I roll my shoulders a couple times. They ache from having my arms in such an awkward position, and it feels good to have them free again. My wrists are sore too, and I rub them. There are welts from where the rope were tied. God, I hope someone comes soon, I think as Leon leads me outside.

  The moment I'm out there, I take in a deep breath. Until then, I really hadn't realized just how dusty the air inside that little shack is. We're in some industrial-looking, rundown part of town, but at least I'm not breathing in straight dust.

  I look around, being careful not to make it obvious. There's not much else around us. All the other buildings look abandoned. And if there are people in them, it's unlikely they would come help me. Which means I'm on my own.

  I keep my mind as clear as possible, letting Leon's thoughts flow into me with ease. I want to know what he's thinking at all times, no matter how much I hate hearing his despicable thoughts. I need to know if his attention wavers, even for a moment. If that happens, I might get a chance to run. Even if I don't make it far, I might find help. Even if they're no match for a dragon in a fight, it might be too risky for him to grab me again.

  At least, that's my plan.

  Which doesn't happen. We're outside for a couple minutes and Leon's focus is only on me. He doesn't take his eyes off me, doesn't let his guard down for a moment. There's no opening this time, no chance for me run. I wouldn't get more than a couple feet away before he drags me kicking and screaming back into the shack.

  Then, his hand is on my shoulder, squeezing it. "That's enough fresh air. Let's go back inside."

  I don't have any choice other than to let him guide me back into the dingy, dusty shack. My heart races, and I feel like I might pass out. Because now, there's nothing I can do to delay him. He's determined, and nothing I say will stop him this time.

  I back away from him, trying to think of any way I can get out of this. I might use the chair as a weapon, but I know that won't do much. I'm not that strong and even with a weapon, it's hard to do much damage to a dragon. And with how deranged Leon is acting, he'll just get more agitated.

  But it seems like it's my only bet. So, as he inches forward, I maneuver my way back over to the chair. My entire body is shaking, sure that it's going to all be over for me soon, but I'm not ready to give up. I won't give him that satisfaction.

  Once I have the chair between us, I hold onto it and try pleading with him one more time. "Please, Leon. You don't have to do this. I'm sure Amasis will forgive you. It's my fault I got away, not yours."

  Leon lets out a laugh and shakes his head. "You know Amasis. He's not a forgiving person."

  When he takes another step forward, I pick up the chair and smash it over his head with as much strength as I can muster. Leon lets out a roar that echoes around us, nearly deafening me. Then he reaches out and backhands me, knocking me to the ground. Pain stings at my cheek, but I don't really focus on it as he strides toward me.

  "Stop," I try to yell, but it only comes out in a squeak. I try again, louder this time. "Stop! Don't do this!"

  "Shut up," Leon growls. "Now shut up and accept it."

  I scream, louder and louder, hoping someone might come. I don't care who it is. Anyone to distract, even for just a minute. But Leon is on me in an instant, lifting me up off the ground with ease. I try to break free from his grip, but I can't. He's too strong for me.

  Before he can lean in to bite me though, the door at the front of the shack seems to explode inward. A roar rips through the air, and Leon drops me hard on to the ground just before a big shape barrels toward him, slamming him into the wall next to me. He hits it hard enough to make the entire shack shake, pieces of board fall from the ceiling. Another hit like that and the entire place might come crumbling down around us.

  I blink a few times and rub the dust out of my eyes. It's Jerrick standing above me now, his big body between me and Leon. He crouched in a fighting stance, a feral growl coming from him.

  I can barely make out Leon standing a couple feet away now, glaring at the two of us. I can still make out his thoughts, but they're scattered now, full of rage. Leon's not thinking clearly, and even I know going into battle with a clouded mind isn't a good idea. When he rushes at Jerrick, Jerrick sees it coming and swings his right fist. It collides cleanly with Leon's face, sending the smaller man to the ground.

  Jerrick isn't holding back. He's on top of Leon in a flash, pummeling away at him. Leon tries to fight back, but it's no use. He can't dislodge Jerrick and he can't get away from him. He keeps flailing, trying to do anything to get away from Jerrick, but it's useless.

  Eventually, he goes limp and Jerrick stops, gaspi
ng for air as he glares down at Leon. Jerrick’s fists are coated in blood.

  He's dead, I realize, as Leon’s thoughts completely stop. Even when someone is unconscious, there's like a white noise I can detect. But now, I don't get anything from him. Jerrick killed him to protect me.

  Jerrick stands there for a few moments, just catching his breath. Then, in a flash, he takes my hand and leads me out of the shack. My heart pounds as my head whirls, still trying to comprehend what just happened. Jerrick drags me through the abandoned buildings at a run. I can barely keep up with him, but he still doesn't slow down.

  Once we're at the edge, he makes a beeline to his parked bike. Without a word, he gets on it and kicks it to life as I scramble to get on behind him. He's not said a word since showing up, and he's starting to worry me. I can't sense his thoughts because of whatever stupid mental block he has, so I have no idea what's going on.

  "How did you find me?" I ask, yelling over the loud rumble of the bike as Jerrick speeds through the neighborhood.

  Jerrick shrugs. "Something just pulled me in your direction. Once I got close, I tracked your scent and heard you yelling for help."

  I nod. That makes sense. If we really are meant to be mates, being drawn to each other makes sense. It's also explains why when I left, it became harder and harder to keep going once I was away from him. Maybe that pull is stronger, more defined, for him because he's a dragon. There's so much I don't know about the mating bond, so much I don't know about being involved with a dragon.

  But I don't care. Jerrick is here now, and I'm safe. Leon is dead, so that's one less person coming after me.

  I lean against him, taking deep breaths as my heart rate finally settles. We're driving for a little while when I sit back up, looking around us. We're not heading back to the house, I notice. Rather, we're leaving the city. I blink in confusion a couple times, looking around and double checking that I'm not wrong. But no, we're definitely heading out of the city.

  Have the others already packed up the house? How long was I in that shack with Leon?

  "Where are we going?" I yell, more confused than scared. With anyone else, I'd be terrified, but I trust Jerrick.

  "We'll talk about it when you're safe," he yells back, which just makes me even more confused.

  Safe from what? He already got me away from Leon and Leon didn't tell Amasis he had me. So what do I need to be safe from?

  15

  Jerrick

  My head is throbbing, but I refuse to stop driving until I'm well away from the city. There's a secluded area not far ahead, and I make a beeline for it. Out here, no one will be able to find us. Not Amasis and not Lex, either. We're safe, for now.

  It kills me to run from Lex and the others like that. They mean so much to me; they've been my family for so long. But I know the look in Lex's eyes. He'll do anything protect his mate, and I'm not willing to let him sacrifice Faith to do that. I want to believe he won't actually sacrifice her, because he's a better person than Amasis, but I just can't take that risk. At least this way, I take that burden away from him. He doesn't have to make that decision, because I've already made it for him.

  Faith is shaky when I help her off the bike. Even in the low light I can tell she's weak. Shit, I think to myself. She probably hasn't eaten anything all day. God only knows what time she snuck out last night, and I doubt she had time to make herself anything to eat before leaving. And I'm sure Leon didn't feed her.

  Once she's sitting against a large oak tree, I head back over to the bike and dig through my saddle bags. There's some food in there, energy bars and stuff like that. It's not much, but at least it will keep her from passing out on me. When I offer the food to her, she devours it, looking a bit like a dragon herself.

  The thought makes me chuckle, and I move to sit next to her, pulling her against me. I still can't believe how close I came to losing her. I'm not sure what I'd have done if I had arrived after Leon bit her. I'd barely been able to control my rage at the thought of it. If he actually had bitten her, I'm not sure I could have.

  Most likely, my dragon would have taken control. That would've been bad. Even when we shift, we have to maintain some control over our dragons, left to go wild, they destroy anything in their path. If Leon had bitten Faith, I have no doubt my dragon would've destroyed the entire area to get his vengeance.

  But thankfully, I don't have to worry about that now. She's with me. She's safe. Leon is dead. Amasis and Lex are far away now.

  "How are you feeling?" I ask, wondering if he hurt her.

  She shrugs, then sighs and leans against me. "Sore. Tired. But otherwise I'm okay."

  "Good." I tighten my hold around her, glad Leon hadn't physically hurt her. Some good sleep and she should be back to normal again.

  It doesn't take long for both of us to drift off beneath the stars. It's so quiet and peaceful out here, away from the city, that sleep comes easily. Having Faith in my arms again is all I need.

  Something wakes me a few hours later. It's still dark, and I look around, looking for the source. I let my senses extend outward, searching for some sign that someone has found us. But nothing's there. It's then that I realize Faith is sitting up now, staring off into the dark.

  "You okay?" I ask, hoping she's not planning to run off again. Not that there's anywhere for her to go out here. The closest signs of civilization were miles back down the road.

  Faith nods, pulling her legs up against her chest. Something is bothering her, and I want to know what it is. When I reach out and touch her, she doesn't lean into me, she just stays there, staring out into the darkness.

  "I didn't think you'd come," she says after a few moments. "I didn't think anyone would come."

  I stroke her back gently, doing what I can to calm her nerves. I try to think of something to say, what she wants me to say, but my mind comes up blank. Instead, I just go with the truth. "I will always come. I promised you I would protect you, no matter what."

  "But I left!" Faith yells. She stands and walks a few feet away and starts pacing back and forth. I can barely make out tears streaming down her cheeks as she talks. "I panicked. I got scared and left you. I didn't leave a note or anything. I just grabbed my clothes and left. Why would you come after me? You barely know me. Why am I worth risking so much? I don't understand."

  I push up off the ground and walk over to her. I take her hands in mine and hold them. I wait until she looks up into my eyes to speak. "Because I love you. I don't care that you left. I know you were scared. All I cared about was finding you, was making sure you were safe. If you still want to leave, then I'll respect that. I'll help you find somewhere safe to live. But I don't want you to go. I want you to stay with me. Because I love you, Faith."

  The tears fall faster now. Her entire body trembles before she launches herself into my arms. I hold her as she sobs into my chest, caressing her back and pushing my energy into her. I hate seeing her cry, hate not knowing what I should do to make it better. I'm afraid she's will still leave. I meant what I said. I will help her find somewhere to live if that's what she wants. I won't like it, but there's nothing I won't do for her.

  When her crying subsides, she looks up into my eyes. "I love you, too," she says. "It scares the hell out of me. I've never felt like this with anyone else. I love you, more than anything. And I want to stay with you. Forever."

  I hold her even tighter now. My heart feels like it is trying to leap out of my chest as I process everything she said. Unable to stop myself, I lean in and kiss her, hard and fast.

  And she kisses me back with just as much passion. We stand there, in the middle of this dark, secluded area, and make out. And it doesn't take long until our clothes come flying off, scattering around us without a care. Once we're naked and holding each other, I know there's no place I'd rather be than with her.

  I pick her up and she squeaks, clinging to me and giggling as I carry her back over beneath the tree. When I lay her back down on the grass, she looks up at me
, grinning. The tears in her eyes are gone, replaced by a look of lust that reflects exactly what I'm feeling at that moment.

  I lean down and kiss her again, feeling the fire inside me ignite with a roar. I need to have her, need to be inside her again. And this time, I will be the one in control. I want to give her my revenge, torment her until she can't take it anymore. But I'm way too horny for that. I can't spend hours kissing and licking her body like I so desperately want to.

  Instead, I suckle on her breasts for a bit until she shakes and squirming, letting out soft whimpering sounds. Then, I go lower and bury my face between her legs. Her juices assault my mouth, and I can't get enough of how she tastes. She's succulent, like nectar, and I want to spend all night there, just eating her pussy as she moans out, into the open night air.

  There's nothing to muffle her moans here, no reason to. At the house, there were tons of people to overhear us. But now, out here in nature, she can be as free and loud and wild as she wants. And damn it, I want to hear her unabashed sounds of pleasure more than anything. When she threads her fingers through my hair, pushing my head down and her hips up, I know just how close she is.

  And unlike her, I won't keep her begging and wanting more. I want her to come, want to see just how many times I can drive her to that point of no return tonight. We have all night out here, free from distractions, and I plan on using every bit of that time to pleasure her until both of us collapse, exhausted. And judging by the way her whimpering is getting louder, higher pitched, she very, very close to that first one.

  I work harder, my tongue darting in and out of her sex, eager to bring her over the edge. I let my hands roam all over her body, feeling her soft skin as it turns to gooseflesh, feeling her squirm and writhe beneath my touch. God, she is one amazing woman. Even when I'm the one who's supposed to be pleasing her, she turns me on like no other.