Why send her away from her home?
Liana caught herself. She drew in a haggard breath and pushed herself upright. She would not be that person. She would not be weak. Instead, she let the monster rise to the surface, let it pull away the phantom fingers that clenched around her heart and ease the pressure building in her chest.
She had survived worse. She could survive this.
Liana paused. No longer caught in the throes of her emotions, she realized there was someone in her home. She could hear the faint scuffling of feet on the carpet, the soft sound of a muffled snicker. Remaining still, she tilted her head to scent the air. It smelled like the sky before a storm. That was not a smell that her house usually carried. Not unless Rhys bought a new scented candle for the bathroom.
No, there was a dragon in her house. One of the American ones, she thought. From the sounds of their stifled laughter, she guessed they weren’t up to any actual harm, so she went back to what she’d been doing. They could sit, hidden, for all she cared.
As she carried her sandwich into the living room, she wondered what they thought they were up to. Had Dane put her on watch after Farida’s blunt words in the tower? Did everyone think she wanted to die? Why did either of them care?
She was sick of being watched. She was tired of feeling like she was on display or, worse, still in recovery. She hadn’t had to heal since the day the witch stood over her. Liana still had to find a way to thank Gwen, but nothing seemed right. Her mind wandered, but always returned to the burning indignation with each soft scuffle or laugh.
What were they doing?
Her eyes scanned the living area as she sank toward the couch seat, searching for signs of the American dragons. There were no bodies hiding behind her curtains like children; no eyes peeking from around corners.
Liana hit the couch and the world exploded beneath her. She was launched up and over the low coffee table before landing on a stack of DVDs that her brother hadn’t put away. Her heart raced inside her ribcage and her ribs ached from the impact. Looking back, the couch seat had blown apart to reveal what the American dragons had hidden inside of it.
The burst made them appear, laughing so hard they couldn’t breathe. Liana, laying amongst the fallen DVDs and debris from her couch should have felt the rise of anger. Instead, laughter began to bubble up and out of her. She couldn’t stop it. All she could do was clutch her middle as she fought for air between laughs.
The American dragons fell on the floor beside her. Their laughter dying, but the cheerful smiles curving their mouths remaining.
“What the hell was that?” Liana had to ask as she looked over at the ruined couch seat. It didn’t matter. No one would be living here soon, anyway. Well, Rhys and Farida had more time than she did, but Liana didn’t care about a couch.
“It’s the air bag from our rental car,” a dark skinned dragon man said between laughs. Tufts of shining, black hair fell over his dark eyes, but when he looked up and the light caught his gaze they flashed iridescent like a ray of sunlight over an oil slick.
“An airbag?”
The second dragon nodded. He had a mop of blonde and brown curls falling over his forehead, even though the sides were neatly shaved. The smile on his lips were much more subdued, but a hint of pride gleamed in his eyes.
“It took a bit of a steady hand to get it out without activating it, but it was so worth it.”
She smiled. Liana couldn’t help herself.
“Was that some sort of weird initiation ritual? Blow your friend up and say welcome to the family?”
The two dragon men looked at one another before nodding.
“You’re not the first one we’ve blown up, but we don’t blow up everyone. Just the people we like.”
“Just don’t… Don’t tell Dane,” the one with the mop of curls said.
She raised an eyebrow. “Your secret is safe with me…. For now.”
Another figure burst through the door. Liana recognized the smell on the air. Home. Brother. Rhys stood over the three of them, laughing amongst the messy chaos. His eyes lighted on the ruined half of the couch, at his sister laying in a pile of DVDs. She laughed when his brow crinkled and he fought the smile trying to emerge.
“What have you done to the couch? I highly doubt it deserved whatever it was you did.”
“It was kind of a springy piece of shit,” Liana admitted. “I heard Farida say, the other night, that the bloody springs stabbed her.”
She watched her brother’s face turn red. They both knew what Rhys and Farida were doing on the couch when Liana overheard them.
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Chapter Three
The entirety of the red dragon family and more were standing outside the Human Dragon Embassy in the city. Faces looking up at them from every direction, almost as if the entire city had agreed to meet in the small square as the red dragons announced their new leadership and their new plans for their family.
Wesley was dressed in his finest. On one side of him was his American mate, Dakota. A woman Dane wished he could have spoken to more often during his time in Wales if only to hear a familiar accent. Behind them, Maggie tried to keep her spine straight, even if the dark circles under her eyes gave away her pain. Rhiannon stood between the biggest dragon man Dane had ever laid eyes on and a dark eyed GOE agent, both standing like they would be her shields against the world. Not that the vixen needed either. But, damn if Dane didn’t think she should have taken the role as their new leader. She would have done well.
But, the red dragons wanted Wesley to fill the role and so they stood by and helped the man learn what he needed.
Dane felt out of place amongst so many, finding himself wishing he could return home to the wilds of Nebraska. There were never this many people. There were only his dragons, his family, and trees that couldn’t look upon him with fear or hatred like this crowd now did.
The responses were mixed. Some people gathered with awe on their faces while others cheered on with happiness. There was even a row of women screaming to become dragon mates, local police trying their hardest to help the women keep their shirts on. But, it was the sea of dark glares that stabbed Dane in the heart. It almost felt like they could see through the façade he put up, see right down to the true beast that lived inside of him.
He waited for them to revolt, to charge the small group of dragons standing before them. Because, no matter their own numbers, his three dragons standing beside the family of red dragons and the lone white dragon felt small in comparison to the crowd.
His hand reached out and grasped Liana’s. She cast him a narrow-eyed look, but didn’t pull away when he gripped her harder. She just let him have her hand and he couldn’t have been more grateful.
Wesley stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat. All morning, a nervous energy had clung to the young dragon man. Dane didn’t blame him. He worried that he would have to do these things when they established the Embassy in his own country. Glancing sideways, he studied Liana and hoped that she could help him become the man he needed to be to help his people.
The young dragon announced his new role as the leader of the red dragons. He told them the story of his father’s untimely death, of his loss and heart break. Some of the faces in the crowd softened. A few looked as though they thought he deserved it. Dane wanted to march down the steps and help his fist meet those faces.
Wesley introduced them to the newest member of their family, the white dragon who stood as the bridge between one family and the other, the first step toward reconciliation. Nothing could mend the wounds either family had sustained save time, but they could move forward toward a new future.
***
The leader of the American dragons held Liana’s hand in the face of the sea of bodies. It was the first time she’d ever seen him lose his cool. So, she let him hold her hand. It was a small thing to give, one that wouldn’t hinder her if she needed to move.
The c
ity didn’t bother her as much as other places did. She didn’t scour the city’s streets when the men went in search of warm beds once a month, but she had, a few times, snuck out to see what the world had to offer. Never had she known a life when her people weren’t contained to the Territory. Never had she known freedom of the world.
Soon, she would not have freedom, but she would have more of the world. She wondered how much of the States Dane would allow her to see. She would, effectively, be her own person while in the States. She would be an ambassador, still part of her family. But, he was the American leader, the figure head of the largest group of dragons in the whole of the U.S.
If anyone had anything to say about what she did while she was stuck there, it was this man. Part of her truly thought he would show her the country rock by rock if she asked. Was it some sort of kinship he found in her, the thing she’d come to recognize when he sat by her side on the nights she couldn’t sleep, or was it a wish to be away from his leadership duties?
While Dane held her hand, she cast a sidelong glance at the white dragon standing at the other end of their procession. He’d attacked them with the hopes of having his own life ended. So that he wouldn’t have to live without a family or a home. Had it been a moment of weakness that caused her to spare him? Or, was the hope her family clung to infectious?
She could have easily sank her claws into his exposed neck and given him what he wanted. Even a dragon can bleed out. Instead, he’d been brought into the fold. The head of white blonde hair stood back, a part of the group, but not really. His eyes moved sideways, meeting Liana’s. He was attractive, she thought. His waist and shoulders were neat and lean. His jaw was strong, but not Neanderthal strong.
Both Liana and her monster knew that it’d be safer to lay with the white dragon than the American leader. He wouldn’t try to claim her, keep her. The white dragon would be too afraid of Liana to ask her to stay.
It aroused the monster inside her.
Beside her, Dane’s hand tightened on her own. It pulled Liana’s attention back to him, the monster’s gaze rolling away from the white dragon. Dane watched her with guarded eyes. What was behind that hard wall he threw up? Was there a green flash of jealousy? She shouldn’t have been surprised. She shouldn’t have felt the sharp zing of attraction that hit her.
Tomorrow, she would board the plane to the States with Dane and his three, troublesome dragons. The prank they’d pulled on her yesterday hadn’t enraged her. Instead, it had been kind of endearing, a feeling she wasn’t ready for. They made her feel like one of them when she wasn’t one of them.
Liana was a red dragon. Always would be.
No one could take that away from her.
***
Rhys wasn’t good at goodbyes. His body seemed stiff the entire time. Liana knew it was because the last time he’d said goodbye, their parents had died. Now, he was losing Liana, too. It wasn’t that she’d be gone forever. He was always welcome to visit.
She wouldn’t mind seeing Cairo someday, either. She’d even told him so; told him he wouldn’t last long without her, either.
The big dragon man wrapped his arms around his little sister, the woman who, in his eyes, had just been a girl up until weeks ago. Suddenly, she’d morphed not only into a woman, but into a skilled hunter. A dangerous thing.
Now, Rhys held her at arms’ length while he studied her face. His own eyes were glassy with unshed tears. She rolled her eyes and tried to crack a reassuring smile. She would be fine. As much as she didn’t want to leave her family, she would be fine.
She had to be.
There were no other options.
Liana pulled away. The American dragons were getting antsy. They were ready to go home, back to the States where they could fly free and cause as much mischief as they wanted. She knew that the dragon men had been holding back, especially after the couch episode.
She shuddered to imagine the trouble they caused at home.
Rhys’s hand fell on her shoulder and she paused, turning to look. He gave her a soft smile.
“You will always be a red dragon. No matter how far you travel. No matter what other families you join. You never lose where you came from, only gain more.”
She nodded. Rhys’s words were a nice sentiment, but she didn’t feel them. Snowdonia had always been her home and now she would have to leave it behind. She wouldn’t stand by Wesley while he grew into his new role. She wouldn’t see Rhiannon’s baby being born, see its little smile or babysit for the couple.
“Stop acting like this is a damned funeral,” Rhys suddenly said.
Liana’s head perked up. Was that how she was acting? Like she was dying?
She opened her mouth to argue. But, it was true. She felt like more of her was dying. She raked a hand through her hair. This wasn’t the end of the world. She wasn’t being exiled, only travelling. Home would always be here and she could always return.
She just couldn’t stay. Not right now. Not when she wanted to.
Rhys’s eyes moved toward the American leader, the dragon man leaning against the rental car that now had one less airbag. Rhys held the man’s gaze for a long moment, then a look crossed his face. One of happiness that Liana didn’t understand.
“Do I have to tell Farida you’re eyeing other men?” Liana half joked.
Rhys gave her a chastising look, his brows flat over his eyes. She couldn’t help but laugh.
“Don’t be silly. Do me a favor and put some trust in the American leader. I don’t think he’s that bad of a man. You know, when you push the American predisposition for oily cheese aside.”
Liana laughed and threw herself at her brother for one more, long hug.
“I’ll miss you,” she whispered into his shoulder.
“I think you might have your hands a bit too full to miss anything.”
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Chapter Four
The airport was filled with unfamiliar faces and overwhelming smells. Everything reeked, from trashcans to women’s overbearing perfume choices. Liana didn’t know how anyone could stand it. There were even people camped outside bathrooms just for the single outlet beneath the water fountain. The smell radiating from the restrooms was just too much for her.
Her lip curled at the scenes around her. Liana would have asked why the American dragons didn’t fly home if she hadn’t been reluctant to take on her own dragon form. Perhaps the stretch of ocean was too great to fly over. She didn’t imagine there would be many places to rest and riding the air for such long hours would be tiring indeed.
So, she sucked it up, kept her mouth shut, and went on with the plans as they were. Liana clutched her ticket as if it might be snatched from her grip at any moment.
The plane was just a slightly smaller, more cramped version of the same nightmare. She squeezed herself into the barely cushioned seat near the window. Her life was packed into a carry-on bag that had been shoved into a compartment above her head.
Dane was conveniently assigned the seat beside her, his arm pressing against hers. It was a comfort Liana hadn’t expected, one that she pulled away from. She would not become Maggie. She would not let herself like this man, no matter what effect he had on her.
“The Territory back home is as far removed from humanity as we can manage. It’s an expanse of wildlife reserve that is much like your Snowdonia. I promise, you will only have to put up with the smells of the twins,” Dane informed her.
Ahead of them, the three dragon men had managed to sandwich themselves into one, very uncomfortable looking, row. Isaac, the one with the mop of curly hair, was more concerned with the tablet in his lap than anything going on around him. One of the dark haired dragons had produced a book from somewhere. She couldn’t tell if it was Marc or Luc, yet.
The other dark-haired dragon managed to turn in his seat, probably standing on his knees, so that he could look over the back of his chair. Dane turned a very unimpressed eye up toward the dar
k-haired dragon.
Marc, maybe? Liana didn’t want to be wrong. All she knew was this dragon had been the one to put the air bag in her couch cushion. Of course, she hadn’t told Dane about it. She had a feeling the leader would have been very angry when, in truth, Liana had been fine. It’d been the most she’d laughed in months.
“How long is this flight going to take? I’m going to crawl out of my damned skin,” the dragon informed them.
Dane rolled his eyes. “If Isaac and Marc can handle the flight, you can, too. It’s only a seven hour flight.”
The dragon man half collapsed in mock despair, much like a spoiled child. It made Liana laugh. Dane leaned in to whisper in her ear.
“Do not encourage him. He’ll put on an even bigger show.”
Luc, if Marc was the one reading, this had to be Luc, pulled himself together only to pout. “Then we have another flight out to Nebraska.”
Dane nodded. “I don’t know what to tell you. Just be happy that I didn’t leave you there in exchange for Liana.”
She shook her head. “You think we’d keep him? We’d pack him in a crate and send him right back to you.”
Luc stuck his tongue out at her. She winked and bared her teeth, a look she had perfected in the mirror. It made her feel strong. It made others back down. And back down, Luc did. He sank back into his seat after she saw his face slightly drain of color.
“Very nicely done,” Dane commended. “He should be quiet for the next hour or so.”
The voice over the intercom instructed them to fasten their seatbelts and the attendant showed them the proper safety procedures before the plane began to rumble forward. They moved across the tarmac, turning here and there until they reached a long stretch of pavement. Liana nearly pressed her nose to the window as she watched the world outside.
The plane shuddered forward, picking up more and more speed. The wings trembled. The aircraft lifted. The wheels left the ground and she felt the whole cabin wobble from side to side.
Fated Dragons Complete Series: Books 1 - 5 Page 44