Eternal

by Rebecca Royce

  He stopped and gripped the banister. “Dougal?”

  “I need some help, guys. And I think you’re the only person who can help me, Devon. I’m sorry to come here needing help...”

  He waved his hand in the air. “You’re family. Tell me something, did my brother mate you before he knocked you up or somehow leave you disgraced without making an honest Female of you?”

  “We’re mated.”

  “Had no idea Dougal was such a smart Male.”

  Lena laughed, covering her smile with her hands. “This is the happiest thing to happen in so long.”

  At least one of them has a sunny disposition.

  ****

  Devon sat back in his chair. His movements were so like Dougal’s, except more relaxed. It hadn’t always been that way. From her mother’s description, Devon had come home a much-damaged Wolf. Lena helped him recover.

  “So what you’re saying is you can burn the eggs.” He scratched his chin.

  “Yes. When the Queen lays the eggs, she secretes...”

  Lena interrupted. “It’s so gross.”

  “Lena.” Devon put his hand on hers. “Please.”

  “Sorry. I’ll go bake something. I really can’t think about secretions.” Her sister rose and walked into the kitchen with a bounce in her step.

  “You still have heat here to cook with?” The whole area had been decimated.

  Devon shrugged. “I fixed some stuff, so we get a little. I did it for the whole neighborhood. My parents’ home still works too. Not that we have any food to spare. We’re starting a farming and hunting rotation. We don’t want to leave. There are enough of us who were in the war and recovered. I think we can maintain our world here. For the present, anyway.”

  “I think we can put them on hold. If she can’t guarantee her eggs won’t be burned before birth, she won’t be able to revive her army every time there’s an assault.”

  “Tell me how you did this.”

  “I went to the lab. After I left the fishing hut.” She left out the bit about keeping the dragon. They’d taken the news about her controlling dragons pretty well. Being licked by Breezy? That might be too much. “Everyone was gone. They’d fled. Only they’d made pretty good progress. I spent the last five weeks finishing it.”

  “On your own.” Devon shook his head. “You know we’ve had no idea where you were. Almost everyone checked in. If I’d known you planned on going to the front line, I would have stopped it.”

  “Have you declared yourself the Male of our family then?”

  He nodded. “Damn right. None of your other sister’s Males are proving very worthy.”

  His words were probably true. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t let you all know anything. Otherwise, Dougal...”

  “Dougal wouldn’t have known what a lucky bastard he got to be.” Devon drummed his hands on the table. “We’ve had no word. I don’t know if he died on the battle day or not.”

  “Who would send word anymore?” She sighed. “And if he’s not gone, then he’s a dragon prison. You would know better than anyone what it’s like.”

  Caitlyn couldn’t let herself think of Dougal. He’d become a hole she couldn’t fill, an ache she’d never relieve. He’d died on a beach without her. Wherever he was, if there was more to come after death, she wanted to make him proud of how she handled things, the steps she took to keep their baby safe. What else could she do? How else was she to rise every day and move on?

  “I hate to think of my big brother in such a situation.” Devon shuddered. “Tell me about burning the eggs.”

  “It’s so simple, Devon. Such an easy solution it’s frankly embarrassing we didn’t realize the idea earlier.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t leave me in suspense, sister.”

  “Wash them off. First the water. Then the flame.” She showed him her vial. “I happen to be in possession of the best cleaning solution ever made.”

  ****

  Five days later.

  Caitlyn watched the group of Males leave with mixed emotions. They were going to execute her plan and she couldn’t go along. A kick in her belly reminded her why she had to sit on the porch and watch them leave.

  It would take one day to get to the coast and, if Devon did everything correctly, half a night to alight every egg on dragon island. She’d have to imagine the blaze.

  Lena came and sat next to her, placing her head on Caitlyn’s shoulder. “Nice to have you here with me while they go do this.”

  A gust of wind hit her in the face and she looked to make sure the wind was from weather, not a dragon. Fortunately, the skies remained lizardless. “Let’s face it, they wouldn’t be doing this if not for me.”

  Her stomach turned and not from the baby. What if it all went horribly wrong?

  “This is the first chance we’ve had in a long time to make anything better.” Her sister tapped her belly. “And you made Dev’s parents so happy. They might never have Dougal back. They certainly won’t have Auggie. Or Robbie. They’ll have this one. A grandbaby they never expected.”

  “Right.” She smiled at the way Dougal’s mom had embraced her. The Owens didn’t seem to mind, or notice, Caitlyn’s obvious deficiency.

  Lena hadn’t discussed her plans about childbirth. Her sister was still quite young but Females didn’t generally wait very long after mating. Of course, things were so screwy. Maybe she didn’t want to bring a life into the madness. Caitlyn took a deep breath. What had happened, happened. Perhaps she was lucky fate hadn’t given her the chance to overthink it.

  “You should have come to us right away. Not lived all these months by yourself.”

  “I only came because I needed help getting to the eggs. I wouldn’t have risked you otherwise.”

  Lena sighed loudly, an exaggerated noise. “Because you can talk to dragons.”

  “Yes.” What was confusing about this?

  “How about humans? And leprechauns? Giants? Can you talk to them, too?”

  Caitlyn wobbled to her feet. Her days of jumping around were quite behind her. “You think I’ve imagined this.”

  “I think you’ve been alone for a good long time. Maybe you’re losing track of reality.”

  She put her hands on her hips. What was there to say when her young sister all but called her crazy? “I’m going to go lay in my bed for a while.”

  “Good.” Lena smiled. “I think resting’s a smart move. Rest. Try to breathe. Resist the urge to shift. All the things we’re supposed to do when we’re pregnant.”

  “Thanks for the reminder.” She didn’t usually resort to sarcasm with family. “I had forgotten for three seconds I was growing life in my belly.”

  The woods called to her and she had to resist the pull. “Can’t shift.”

  In her whole life, she’d never wanted to and because she couldn’t, it was all she wanted. The last two full moons had been agony.

  She trudged the stairs. Sleep sounded good. It couldn’t hurt to take a nap for an hour. Then she’d rise and help with some of the farming duties. Anything to take her mind off things.

  Caitlyn was asleep before her head hit the pillow. She didn’t remember dreaming or have any idea how long she rested but Lena shouting brought her around fast.

  Her younger sister yelled as she ran the stairs. “Caitlyn. Wake up. They’re coming.”

  “Devon?” How long had she slept?

  “The dragons. We have to hide. In the basement. Behind the book case. They can’t smell like we can and maybe if we stay really quiet.”

  “How many?” She pushed off the remainder of sleep. “Lena, how many are there?”

  “I saw two.”

  Caitlyn trudged toward the front door. Right then was as good a time as any to see if she could handle more than one of the creatures. After the ease of Breezy, she rather thought she could.

  She’d gotten to the front door before Lena realized she didn’t mean to make for the basement.

  “What are y
ou doing?” Lena practically squeaked.

  “I’m going outside to manage the dragons.”

  Her sister tugged on her arm. “I don’t think you’re well.”

  Caitlyn had enough. She whirled on her sister, pointing her finger in her face. “You listen to me, Lena Knox Owens. This might be a weird time to say this, but I used to change your diapers. I am older than you. I have never, not a day in my life, been out of my mind. I’d love the chance sometime to see what losing it is like. I am going to handle these dragons.”

  Her sister had paled. The dragons were getting closer. It was then it occurred to Caitlyn she wasn’t frightened. Not even a little bit.

  “Caitlyn. Please.”

  “If you believe nothing else, know this. I would rather die on this porch than cower in this basement. The only time in my life I’ve ever been truly terrified—and I say this knowing I almost died in a cave on a dragon nest island—was in that basement. You go run and hide there if you wish. I won’t judge you, sweetheart.”

  Lena stepped back only not off the porch. “I won’t leave you here alone. You’re my sister. My very pregnant big sister. Whatever happens, we do it together.”

  “Right.” Caitlyn stepped off the porch to get a better look at the flying menaces. They were both green. One of them had a little blue on it, the other the same pure green as Breezy.

  “Let’s see how much you two make my head hurt, shall we?”

  Chapter Ten

  Dougal’s chance had finally come. The dragons woke him with blows, then dragged him from his cell. He was hungry, thirsty, so dirty he could barely stand the stench of himself, and more done with any situation than he’d ever been before in his life. How had Devon lived five years in a dragon prison? His brother’s fortitude never ceased to amaze him.

  Of course his brother had never had his hand chopped off. So maybe they were even. Robbie and Auggie had been killed in an explosion. Hard, fast, and then over. Lucky bastards.

  He was a three-legged Wolf. Who knew if he could actually take a dragon? Gods, he’d die trying.

  For Caitlyn. They’d presumably not found her yet or he’d have heard about it. The Queen paced back and forth in her room. Dougal watched her from the doorway. She was agitated, screaming in her language. He couldn’t understand her. He knew panic, however, when he saw it.

  The woman didn’t like something that was happening.

  “You.” She rounded on him like he’d had something to do with her angst. “How did this happen?”

  “I’m afraid I have no idea to what you refer.”

  “My eggs are on fire.”

  For the first time in months he could feel it. Such a strange emotion to come over him in these circumstances. Pure, unadulterated, joy.

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” He grinned from ear-to-ear. “She did it. She figured out how to burn your fucking supply of endless soldiers. Ha. That’s the best news ever. I guess you don’t have her, do you? Still haven’t found my brilliant mate.”

  The Queen dragon roared rushing at him. “Those are my babies.”

  His body itched to shift. Almost. The time had come. “Yes. You seem really maternal about them too. Slaughtering the one who liked Caitlyn. I’m truly sorry for your losses.”

  She roared and he called his shift onto himself. In a room filled with dragons, it was insanity to shift. He’d never make it out alive. But neither would the Queen.

  He’d no sooner gotten into his hobbled form when the room went black. It took him a moment to acknowledge he hadn’t passed out. He was awake. Sounds filled the room. Flapping wings, roars. Then nothing.

  Dougal limped forward. Unless his nose had seriously failed him, the dragons, including the Queen, had fled the room.

  Well. He knew it wasn’t because he was so terrifying they had to run. What had happened?

  He limped his way out of the room, sniffing the air as he entered the hall. Not one live scent greeted his nose. He called his shift back to return to his human form. The dragons had left? This had to be some kind of trick.

  He supposed it didn’t matter. Whatever their reasons, this was an ample opportunity to get out of there before they came back. Only he couldn’t leave. Not yet. There were other Werewolves in the building. He could smell the acrid, almost paint-like, scent of their pain and terror. He’d get them out before he made his way from wherever this turned out to be.

  Why had the Queen turned and ran? Where had she gone?

  ****

  “Do you know where we are, commander?” Dougal eyed the youngest survivor of their prison camp. They stood together on a hill overlooking a countryside he’d never seen before.

  Dougal looked at the sky. Homer had asked a question, he deserved an answer. “No. When the sun sets, I’ll be able to navigate us a bit by the stars.”

  He hoped. It had been a very long time since he’d been asked to do so. If it turned out star navigation was one of those use it or lose it skills, he’d be seriously screwed.

  A thought dawned on him. “Unless any of you know where we are?”

  Not one of the six Werewolves he rescued answered in the affirmative. At least he wasn’t alone in his being completely lost.

  The six Males shared nothing in common as far as he could tell. They’d all come from different packs initially, different units in the military after things fell apart. Yet, somehow they’d all come to be captive by the dragons.

  “Gentlemen.” They’d all differed to him since he’d freed them and since he was used to leading at this point he might as well continue to so. “I think we’re going to have lots of time to get to know one another while we figure out how to get home. I personally would like to know why each of you were stuck in there.”

  “Sir.” Chevy spoke. “Can you see them all?”

  Dougal turned in the direction Chevy spoke and it took him a minute to realize what he saw. There were hundreds of Werewolves. Some of them in groups, some of them alone. All of them standing still and waiting.

  “I see.” Dougal took a steadying breath. “I think we’d better make sure the dragons aren’t actually here. With so many of us out here, it’s not likely we can sneak away, is it? I’d personally rather not be ambushed out here. Wherever here turns out to be.”

  “Good call.’ Chevy nodded. “Why don’t we spread out?”

  As the minutes passed, plans were made and he thought he’d given pretty good directions. Only he wasn’t sure. His arm ached, throbbed really, and he knew it couldn’t be a good sign. It really would be something to make it all this way and die from infection. What would Caitlyn say if she knew? He’d shifted and his body hadn’t cleaned the wounds?

  His heart panged. One way or another he would see her again before he died. He just had to see her once more.

  ****

  Seven months. It had been so long since the dragons Caitlyn had been managing had gone poof. One second they’d been there, the next gone. What did it mean? She stared at her sleeping son and tried to consider things.

  Every Werewolf she’d encountered lived in an extended period of shock. Devon had burned one set of eggs and every monster on the planet had disappeared.

  “What do you think, Rick?” She kissed the top of his nose and he squirmed in his sleep. “Are they gone?”

  Lena poked her head in the room. “All well?”

  For the last month, since she’d awoken in the middle of the night to find her son was coming fast into the world, her baby sister had asked her the same question. Lena was a caregiver. She wanted everyone around her well and happy.

  “Sure.” She tried to smile and pushed away the sadness always threatening to push through around her happiness. Rick looked exactly like Dougal. She’d named him after Dougal’s father’s father. He’d apparently been a great inventor and helped protect the pack from invaders. It seemed like a good name to choose. In her pack, they never named after the living. To call him Dougal would have been to acknowledge something she couldn’t bring her
heart to do.

  “Hungry?” Lena raised her eyebrows.

  “If I don’t let you feed me, you’re going to fuss, is am I right?”

  Her sister stepped quietly into the room. She stared at the baby for a moment. “He needs his mama to eat.”

  “Then please by all means, feed me.” When Lena moved to leave, Caitlyn grabbed her arm. “It’s too long, isn’t it?”

  Her sister did her the courtesy of not pretending to not understand. “I guess there are two ways to look at it.”

  “Tell me.” Caitlyn would hear anything to finally be able to express the pain radiating from her heart. If she could earn currency based on the things she stopped herself from saying aloud, she’d feed the whole town for a year.

  “It’s been a long time. Seven months since the Dragons vanished. We still don’t know what his absence means or why it happened. Hell, sis, we don’t understand why you could make them do what you did. Sometimes I don’t believe I saw you do it.” Lena shook her head. “Most of the men who were caught on the coast, in the prison there, they’ve come home.”

  And Dougal hadn’t, which meant he wouldn’t be. Caitlyn could feel the tears starting in her eyes. Rick needed her to be strong. Still, she wanted to scream and cry from the unfairness of it all. Although why she would have ever expected any differently was beyond her.

  “Hold on.” Lena kissed the top of her head. “Dragons fly.”

  “Yes.” She sniffed. “Do you have a point?”

  “They could have taken him anywhere in the world. So I guess it comes to this. How much do you want to hold on to believing? For sixteen years you let yourself imagine he was your mate, I know what holding on feels like, I did the same thing. Is it too much to continue for a little while longer? I can’t help thinking, if dragons can vanish, maybe Dougal can still come home.”

  Caitlyn stared at her beautiful baby sister. “When did you get some smart?”

  “Oh come on.” She shrugged. “I’ve always been the brains of the family.”

  ****

  Dougal examined his reflection in the lake. He hardly recognized himself. Skinner than he’d ever been and with a dark beard which made him look frightening especially to himself.