Dragon Protectors: Shifter Romance Collection

by Lola Gabriel

  “Send us to purgatory! Set us on fire! It is better than suffocating!”

  Owen threw his head back, ready to unleash a spray of flames over the group.

  “Stop!” Wilder yelled. “Wait.” A shocked silence befell the group, and his brothers stared at him. “What if I tell you the savior is coming?” Wilder said to the trolls. “What would you say then?”

  He waited for mocking laughter. To his great relief, no one laughed at his words.

  “Are you lying?” a female demanded, stepping forward. “Because if you’re lying, we’ll just come back.”

  “I’m not lying,” Wilder assured her. “He is coming, and he will stop the walls from closing in around us.”

  “You can’t trust him, Mirabelle, he’s a dragon!” someone else cried.

  “If I don’t find a solution,” Wilder told them. “If the savior doesn’t help us, I, too, will stay here and die with you.”

  A din washed through the crowd, and they all looked at Wilder with wide, uncertain eyes.

  “That’s my promise to you as ruler of the Hollows,” Wilder continued through the exclamations.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Lennox hissed. “You can’t promise them that!”

  “Why not? If we don’t find Cassia, I have no reason to live.”

  “Wilder!”

  “So, do we have a deal?” Wilder demanded of the crowd. “My life is on the line, too.” The trolls looked to one another, and Wilder could see they were nodding in consensus. “You can die in the palace,” he told them morbidly to sweeten the pot. Disturbingly, that seemed to solidify their agreement.

  “Now stop torching the Trenches, you damned fools!” Lennox yelled as they turned to leave the palace. No one acknowledged him.

  One by one, the brothers reclaimed their mortal forms.

  “Wilder,” Owen growled. “You shouldn’t have made that promise to them. We both know that you’re not going to stay if shit hits the fan.”

  “I have never backed down on my honor,” Wilder snapped back, insulted. “And I won’t with this, either.”

  “Wilder,” Cybil called to him from the hallway where she had been watching.

  “What?”

  “Have you considered what will happen if we do find Cassia and the baby is not the savior?”

  A chill of apprehension slid through him, for he had not considered that at all. “I guess we’ll have to deal with that if we come to it, won’t we? But in order for that to happen, Cybil, we’ll have to find Cassia.”

  “Or a sane way to stop the walls from closing it,” Lennox muttered under his breath.

  17

  “Everything looks great, Ms. Walters,” Dr. Carlsbad said. “Do you want to see the baby?”

  Cassia swallowed and nodded, eyeing the ultrasound through unshed tears.

  “Nothing’s wrong at all?” she asked nervously, and the doctor laughed kindly.

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Walters, but you ask that at every appointment,” he explained. “Don’t worry, it’s first-time mother jitters. I assure you, the baby is exactly where he should be for seventeen weeks.” Cassia offered him a small smile and nodded.

  “You’re right,” she sighed. “It’s just… I was always told I couldn’t have children, and… well, you know, I’m almost prepared for the worst right now.”

  “There is no worst. You’re more than halfway through your pregnancy as of right now. Soon, you’ll have a beautiful baby in your arms, and you’ll see all your fears were for nothing.”

  Not likely, Cassia thought to herself. My fears are only just beginning. She sat up as the doctor reached for her chart.

  “I’m still worried about your lack of support system here in Norfolk,” he told her. “I would feel a lot better if you had at least a friend I could contact if need be—”

  “I really came to Virginia for a fresh start,” Cassia told him curtly. They’d had the same conversation every appointment. I guess we’re both being redundant, she thought with some bitterness. “I’m not feeling overly social.”

  “Ms. Walters…”

  “Please, doctor,” she interrupted him. “I know it’s your job to worry about the wellbeing of your patients, but in this case, you’re going to have to trust me. I’ve got this.”

  “I guess I don’t have much of a choice in the matter, do I?” He was trying to keep his voice light, but Cassia could hear the reproval in his tone. “Until next time, Ms. Walters.”

  She nodded and waited for him to leave before redressing. The Lisette Walters persona that Evan had found for her was working out better than she’d hoped. Not once had anyone come looking for her, and although it had only been a few months, she found herself relaxing despite her circumstances.

  But that didn’t mean she didn’t think about Wilder every day. She wished she’d thought to hold onto his number before dumping her phone, but at the same time, she was glad she hadn’t. Cassia had no way of knowing if she was being sought out by religious fanatics who intended to hurt her child, but she had a feeling that Val was not alone in her core beliefs.

  I need to find a way to contact Wilder, she had thought dozens of times, though she’d never acted on it. Perhaps it was fear for her child, or the worry that Wilder might reject her after being gone for so long. Whatever the reason was, Cassia resisted the urge to drive back to the only portal she knew of and re-entering the Hollows. If the Hollows are still there.

  And that was the other side of it—maybe, if the Hollows were to disappear, her baby wouldn’t be endangered anymore.

  There were so many “what if” questions and so few answers. For the first time in her life, Cassia realized she was lonely, and she knew that had everything to do with Wilder and the life he’d shown her. It wasn’t just the palace and the mystery of the Hollows; it was an entirely different way of life, one where she had actually felt at peace.

  Sometimes, when she was trying to sleep, she would envision herself on that staircase, moving down the red carpet in the very gown she’d imagined that first day on the steps, right before Wilder had taken her against the wall.

  Does he think about me when he passes that wall? Does he wonder where I am? He had no way of knowing about their baby. He probably just assumed she got scared, like her mother, and ran off. And he wouldn’t wait around for a weak woman. He might have already moved on.

  The idea of that sent pangs of jealousy and sorrow through Cassia.

  When she walked through Norfolk to do her shopping or simply take in the sights, she found herself staring at people, wondering if they were born in the Hollows. She was supposed to inherently know, and yet she didn’t. Was it that she had just not met any?

  It was a confusing guessing game. Sometimes, if a stranger held her gaze for too long, Cassia found herself staring back, trying to communicate with them telepathically, but she never received a response.

  Yep. You’re losing your mind, she would think. There were other days when she was sure she had dreamed up the entire scenario, Wilder and all. I’m pregnant by immaculate conception, she’d say to herself. Again, she considered that she was taking full leave of her senses.

  It wasn’t until she entered her fifth month of pregnancy that it happened.

  She was walking through Northside Park when a couple passed her, and the hairs on the back of her neck rose.

  Lycan, sprite, Cassia thought. The two words popped into her head automatically, and she found herself whirling to gape at them as they sauntered by her without so much as a casual look. There was certainly nothing about them that seemed outwardly unusual, but Cassia realized that her intuition was picking up on what Wilder had already promised her it would.

  It made her heart race with excitement.

  I can identify potential threats this way, she thought, looking around the park. By the time she walked out, she had identified two more sprites and a vampire kid on a skateboard. No one paid her any mind. They’re so used to seeing one another. I’m nothing new to them,
and they’re not looking for me to kill me…

  She pressed her hands against her swollen womb. “Do you hear that? I don’t think we’re being sought out. Did Mom lie to me to keep me away from Wilder?”

  The idea made her queasy. Combined with the guilt that she hadn’t seen her mother in months, it was not a good feeling for her.

  “We’ll lay low for another few days and see what happens, all right, little one?”

  There was a slight stirring in her gut, as though her baby could hear her, and it gave Cassia the boost of confidence she needed.

  You’re growing a baby dragon. You have everything you need for backup, she tried to reassure herself.

  For one week, Cassia made an effort to go out as much as possible and interact with as many people as she could. She was stunned to realize exactly how many immortals walked among them, and the knowledge gave her hope.

  She wondered what the etiquette was about striking up a conversation regarding the Hollows, but she dared not. She remembered what Wilder had said about the rules, and she didn’t want to call attention to herself by violating them.

  Still, I wonder if there’s another access portal nearby, she thought. No matter how close she tried to stay to the other immortals or listen in on their conversations, none of them ever discussed the Hollows or what was happening. If they haven’t found a solution to the walls, they must be down to a fraction of where it was, she thought worriedly. The idea that some of the beings were forced to remain or would die leaving troubled her.

  “What do you say, little one? Should we investigate?”

  Again, her baby kicked, affirming her decision. Sooner or later, Cassia needed to find Wilder and tell him about his child. Her intention had been to wait until their baby was born, find a secure place for him, and then go to Wilder for protection. But as she realized how close they were to the Hollow’s six-month deadline, she knew she couldn’t wait any longer.

  So on a grey Sunday afternoon, Cassia packed a single bag and told her landlord she was going to visit family for a few days. “Don’t be alarmed if I’m not around.”

  “Oh, honey, I wish you wouldn’t drive to New York alone in your condition.” Lynnie, the old lady, had a heart of gold but was much too nosy for Cassia’s liking. It already annoyed Cassia that she had disclosed where she was going. She hadn’t meant to until Lynnie broke her down.

  “It’s only six hours,” Cassia told her. “I promise to stop if I get tired or hungry.”

  “Will you call when you get there?”

  “I’m only going to be gone a few—” She caught Lynnie’s disapproving look. “All right.”

  It was a foreign feeling, being looked after, and if Cassia could stop resisting for even two minutes, she might have realized that it filled her with a sense of family that she’d never known before.

  Hormones! she chided herself as she drove away. You really don’t need anyone… except Wilder. The thought of seeing him again made her more nervous with each mile that passed, and by the time she crossed the state line, a cold sweat had broken out over her brow. Maybe everyone is just biding their time, waiting for me to return, she mused as a familiar sense of paranoia began to overtake her. Maybe I’m walking into a trap.

  Cassia parked her new BMW across from the alleyway she knew led to the portal and touched her belly again.

  “We’re going to meet your daddy,” she told her unborn child. “Give me a sign if you think this is a bad idea.”

  There was no movement, and Cassia wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or bad.

  “Last chance,” she told him, but there was still no response. “You picked a great time to go to sleep.”

  Somewhat awkwardly, she slipped out of the driver’s seat and locked the door with her key fob. The area was not the best New York had to offer, but Cassia didn’t want to venture far from her car.

  I just hope they leave the tires if they come for it, she thought with mild amusement. Through the alley, she made her way to the brick wall and located the spot to unearth the access. The wall slipped away, and Cassia moved inside. When she pushed the other side, though, nothing happened.

  The portal was sealed from the Hollows.

  Fear prickled through her, and she tried again, thinking maybe she hadn’t pushed hard enough. There was still nothing.

  Oh, God…

  What did that mean? Did it mean that the portal was sealed, or that the Hollows had been overrun?

  Cassia gritted her teeth and hurried back out into the lot, sliding the wall behind her.

  “Well, well, well,” someone leered as she turned. “Look what we have here.”

  Vampire. Lycan. Lycan. Three men loomed over her, their mouths curled into leers over elongated teeth.

  “I’m pregnant,” she told them flatly, pulling the flap of her coat away to expose her belly.

  “We know,” the vampire replied. “We were counting on that.”

  They stepped toward her, and Cassia turned to run. However, they seemed to anticipate her move, and they grabbed at her before she could take one foot forward.

  “Don’t run,” one of the Lycans hissed. “You’ll just make things so much worse than you already have.”

  Cassia closed her eyes as tears flooded them. Don’t worry, baby, she told it silently. I’ll get us out of here.

  “Come on, Cassia. We’ve been waiting a long time for you.”

  She was dragged toward a white van with no windows in the cargo hold, and her mind started to race frantically. I’ll wait until we’re at a light, kick them in the face, and—

  “We can read your thoughts,” the vampire sighed, and Cassia’s face turned crimson. “There’s no need for violence. We’re not here to hurt you.”

  “Oh, no?” she retorted. “You’re just kidnapping a pregnant woman?”

  The trio stopped walking to look at each other in mild confusion.

  “We’re escorting a pregnant dragon back to the baby’s father,” one of the Lycans corrected.

  “I… What?” Cassia demanded. She wasn’t sure which part was the hardest to comprehend.

  “Yes, Cassia. We’re taking you back to the Hollows,” the vampire explained, but his blue eyes clouded over slightly as he opened the van door. “What’s left of the Hollows, anyway.”

  “H-how did you know I’d be here today?” Cassia questioned, not knowing if they could be trusted.

  “We didn’t. We’ve been on constant watch of this portal since you left. We hoped that sooner or later you’d come back to use it, and here you are.”

  “You’ve been watching this portal for four months?”

  “Well, we have shifts. We’re part of the Hollows Security.”

  “What’s left of the Hollows,” the vampire said again.

  “Gus, would you stop it?” one of his companions growled as they led her into the van. “Everything is going to be fine now that Cassia is coming home.”

  “What happened? Did the walls shrink?”

  “There is about one fourth of the Hollows remaining. The Trenches have been abolished. Everyone who can has moved to the Sunside, and the rest remain in the palace, waiting on the inevitable.”

  “Shit,” Cassia mumbled. One of the Lycans had started the van, and now they were moving. “Wait a second—how are we getting to the palace if the portals are all blocked?”

  “There’s only one left, and it’s through a rather perilous slew of rocks, so we’ll carry you through.”

  “You’re not carrying me anywhere,” Cassia laughed. “I can walk.”

  “No!” Gus and one of the Lycans yelled.

  “The baby must be protected at all costs. He’s our only hope now.”

  “What?”

  “The baby you are carrying is the savior,” Gus explained. Cassia laughed, but the smile faded as quickly as it came on.

  “Oh.” She cleared her throat, not intending to make fun of anyone’s beliefs. “How did we come to this conclusion?”

  “He i
s a third-generation dragon born in this lifetime,” said the second Lycan. “He is predicted to be the ruler of the Hollows, and only He can protect it.”

  “I see.” Cassia didn’t, actually, but something told her to drop it. I’ll discuss this with Wilder when I see him. “Wait a second… How did you know I was pregnant?” she demanded. Her escorts looked at one another and shrugged.

  “Mr. Wilder Parker knew.”

  How?

  There was only one place he could have known: from Cassia’s mother.

  He did go looking for me, she realized, her heart filling with joy. He was worried about me, even before he knew about the baby. More guilt flooded her, but there was little she could do about it now. I’ll take him in my arms and tell him how sorry I am for not going to him for protection. Everything will be right with us again, just as it was before.

  “How much longer until we get to the portal?” Cassia asked impatiently. They’d barely been driving five minutes.

  “About an hour, Cassia. You need to relax. It’s not good for the baby for you to be stressed out.”

  Cassia gaped at the Lycan. “Oh? Have you been pregnant, senator?” she quipped. He blushed in embarrassment, but Gus laughed at her words.

  “I’m sorry we don’t have any food or drinks for you. We can stop on the way if you—”

  “No! I just want to get there and see Wilder,” Cassia told them. “Why is he still down there? If the portals are sealing, isn’t it dangerous for him to stay there? He might not make it out.” There was an uncomfortable silence, and the three other occupants of the van shared a look. “What?” Cassia demanded. “What is going on?”

  Gus cleared his throat. “Mr. Parker made a deal with some of the trolls just after you left.”

  “What kind of deal?”

  “There were riots when the Hollows learned about the Big Shift, and property was being destroyed all over the place. The citizens knew they were going to die in the Hollows. They broke into the palace, and the princes confronted them, all prepared to strike them aflame, but the trolls didn’t care. They knew they were looking at death, anyway. They figured why not go out in luxury.”