by Haley Weir
“It’s alright Crylaine, what do you need?”
“She has been spotted.” Drake rose from the bed and pulled on his pants. If the warrior was uncomfortable by his nudity, he didn’t show it. He was staring at Claire intently, and returned the gaze. She wasn’t backing down now. If Drake really was true to his word, nothing would happen to her.
“Crylaine this is Claire. Claire, this is my second in command, Crylaine.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Crylaine didn’t extend his hand in greeting, and Claire didn’t offer hers. Maybe she was being rude, but she barely knew Drake. She wasn't ready to be introduced to his family. She nodded to him instead and he bowed his head.
When Drake entered the hall, he gestured to the elevator. Claire thought there was no other way around it. She stepped onto the lift with the two men and had to press herself into the back corner to make room. The ride was a silent, awkward one and she felt like she should say something, but she was still so angry with Drake that she couldn’t think of anything appropriate in front of one of his warriors.
When they had reached the bottom, they stepped off into a plain hallway that led to a state of the art kitchen. Claire found herself staring at two more of Drake’s warriors, one who looked very young, and the other whose face appeared to have shadows, giving him a sinister look. Brooding worked well for him, because he was still just as sexy as the rest.
Claire crossed her arms over her chest and stepped off to the side, not bothering to introduce herself. She supposed if Drake really wanted her to know everyone, he would make the introductions. Then, she accidentally bumped into someone who came around the corner from the pantry on the opposite side of the fridge. An older man with silver at his temple cried out and steadied her by grasping her elbows. He had brown eyes and wore a plain black suit. This must be the butler Drake had told her about.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured.
“It’s quite alright, Miss. I’m Corey. If there is anything you require, please let me know how I may be of assistance.”
Claire nodded. He turned back to the pantry, and disappeared behind the swinging doors. The kitchen was massive, with stainless steel and marble countertops. The fixtures were simple, elegant, and efficient. Claire wondered how these men could afford such luxurious places.
Claire had been unwillingly transported to a world of strange and bizarre things. She missed her own home in the worst way. She wanted to be surrounded by her musty old books, taking comfort in flipping through the pages that she had already read so many times. This place and its occupants seemed so foreign. She found herself missing her mom, too. It wasn’t like her mom was waiting for her back at her apartment, but she at least had photographs and old memoirs to bring her comfort. She yearned for her old creature comforts.
Claire turned back to Drake, who smiled at her reassuringly..“This is Claire. Claire this is Arrlien and Scyros.” He pointed first to the brooding warrior and then to the young warrior. Both males nodded, and Claire returned the gesture, but she felt more like a prisoner then a house guest at the moment. At least she felt a modicum of warmth when she looked at Drake, despite her anger. She was drawn to him in a way she could not explain. Claire turned around when Corey came back in the room, glad to see a smiling face aimed in her direction.
“Are you hungry? Did you eat?” he asked. Claire blushed, remembering the food that Drake had tossed to the side earlier that day. She felt bad for wasting it.
“I am a bit, yeah. Do you have any coffee?”
“Of course!” Corey turned to the coffee machine and brewed her a cup. The aroma of the freshly ground beans was a comfort she desperately needed as Drake continued to converse with his warriors. Once she had the cup in her hands, Claire sat on one of the stools at the island. Sipping the warm beverage seemed to warm the icy uncertainty in her mind.
“Claire.” Drake’s voice was soft near her ear that she shivered, remembering the effects of how his tongue had on her body. She turned to look at him. “I have to go. The Serpentina escaped, and my warriors and I must find her to ensure your safety.”
“And I’m supposed to do what? Sit here like a good girl and wait for you to return?” she asked sarcastically.
“I know this isn’t easy,” he said simply.
“No, you don’t! You don’t know anything about being a human. You don’t know how this feels at all!” Claire felt the spike of guilt spread through her when Drake winced at her harsh words. She hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings, but he had no idea how uncertain, hopeless, and helpless she felt. .Claire looked back down in her coffee. “Just go. When you get back I want to go home. I have classes and responsibilities in the city.”
She was certain he would just turn away and leave, but she felt the softness of his lips on her temple when he leaned over and kissed her. “I know you’re angry with me. But I would like to have a conversation with you when I return, if you are up for it.” ”
Claire didn’t say anything. After a moment, she heard him walk back across the kitchen. She was fighting to hold back tears. Claire turned to wish Drake good luck and to be careful, but just as she turned, the door to the back entrance clicked shut. He was gone.
Chapter 6
Drake climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV. Crylaine tossed him a t-shirt and he didn’t require shoes for this journey, so he let the carpet of the floor knead his feet. Where they were going, no human eyes would see them, so he didn’t need to play the part of civilized man.
His brothers eyes were on him, but he did not want to talk about the interaction he just had with Claire. Before he left, he made sure that Corey would take good care of Claire in his absence.
Drake didn’t anticipate that seeing a woman to be so difficult. In the past, women would practically beg him and his brothers to marry them. But that was a different time. Now, women wanted their own independence and freedom. He could only imagine someone as proud as Claire having all of her options taken away. She could do nothing but rely on him and his warriors; that must be a bitter pill to swallow for her. He should have foreseen that he would have to contend with her pride and independence in order to satisfy her. But he still had the strange sense that there was something she wasn’t telling him. Claire had walls built around her and she didn’t easily let anyone past them. He wanted to know why.
His best guess was that it was due to some sort of emotional trauma. Someone hurt her in the past, and he wanted nothing more than to find the man and make sure he never hurt Claire again. But Drake was quickly learning that today’s world was not designed to use violence as a problem solving tactic. Diplomacy was the name of the game, just as it had been when he wooed the Dean into letting him into the history professor post.
Drake shook his head, clearing his mind of these confusing and nuanced thoughts.. He wondered if he would ever learn to balance the fine line of old world warring versus new age dating practices with modern women. He couldn’t think about Claire right now, because she was a distraction. Distractions could get him and his warriors killed. Arrlien reported that the Serpentina was spotted a few miles upriver, but she entered a vast series of cave systems. The plan was for them to drive as far as they could up the river, find a secluded place to park, and then swim to the cave systems under water. Drake didn’t love the idea of swimming up the Hudson, but he felt like they had no other choice. They could pass unseen under the water by any boaters and swimmers.
Drake rode in silence as Crylaine drove and laid out the plan for them all. Once they reached the caves, they would each take a separate path to corner the Serpentina. The Serpentina nested near Niagara Falls, far from where they were now by car or foot, but by night it was only a couple hours of flight. It made it difficult to maintain the house on the Hudson, knowing they could be attacked any night. It was why Drake wanted the Serpentina dealt with so badly. If they found her before she could return to the nest, then the others might not find out about Claire..
It took about
half an hour to get close enough to the caves and dive into the water. Drake removed his clothing, and his warriors followed suit. He took a running jump, and felt the scales slide forward from beneath his skin. The frigid water made him gasp, but he began beating his wings underwater, letting his body sluice through the murky depths. His tail acted like a propeller and it cut back and forth behind him, and he felt the bubbles from his warriors Drake made his way up river, occasionally spotting bits of debris, like old tires and trash floating by. There was a stove and even an old Chevy truck. He wondered why humans were so keen to destroy the beautiful things that surrounded them. He felt the greatest desire to preserve and protect the environment, but they didn’t seem to care about what might one day become lost to them.
Drake found he enjoyed that most about Claire. She was one of the rare few who saw the importance of preservation . Drake found her passion for studying and understanding the cultures and societies that came before her enticing. He felt like, given enough time to grow accustomed to him and his brothers, she would appreciate his need to preserve his own species. She saw the devastation of extinction, both of animals and human civilizations. Drake was hoping to appeal to that side of her to calm her ire. But he needed to focus. He could see the mouth of the cave system. The water rushed into the caves and disappeared somewhere below the earth. He let the current take him and swallow him into the cave as well.
Drake was grateful when he was able to break the surface of the water. His eyes lit up and cast a soft glow like torchlight across the stalactites inside the musty walls. Water droplets dripped down into the river, and he let himself shift back to human form and stand on the ledge, so as to give his brothers a chance to emerge behind him. He could already see the potential threat before them. The cave was only big enough for one dragon at a time. The four of them would have to take separate paths and shift back in order to all fit. But if a fight broke out with a Serpentina, the space was so narrow it was going to be almost impossible to maneuver.
Crylaine stood beside Drake. Arrlien and Scyros followed. The four of them carefully scanned the dark space, looking for a glimmer of scales or the glint of fire in the Serpentina’s eyes. It was possible she hadn’t receded into the depths of the cave system, and was choosing to wait out the day at the mouth of the cave, so she would have an easier time escaping once night fell.
Drake didn’t spot her, and neither did his warriors. He began to slowly make his way to the tunnel on the left and gestured to the others to each pick a tunnel and follow his lead. They knew the plan was to scour the cave system until they flushed her out. Drake shifted once again, feeling the weight of his body and the broadness of his wings brush the sides of the tunnel. It was so tight, he was eventually going to have to stop flying and walk on his paws. It helped that he had razor-sharp claws to grip the slippery surfaces, but moving around was still difficult. He also felt sluggish, which wasn’t good. It meant his core temperature had dropped in the water. A dragon could never truly die until their hearts were removed, but the reason they didn’t like water was because it cooled them and sapped their energy. If he was feeling sluggish, he could only imagine what his warriors were feeling. He prayed for their safety and that he would be the one to find the Serpentina. He had always been the fastest and strongest, making him the ruler by brute strength and speed. If he was killed, that would mean Crylaine would take his place.
Drake didn’t want to think about that. He wondered what would happen to Claire if anything were to happen to him. Would his brothers take care of her? Would she let them? Or would she insist on returning home where the threat of the Serpentina lay waiting to ambush her in order to get to her because of him? Drake tried to push thoughts of her from his mind, knowing he needed to focus now more than ever. But he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since yesterday morning. She had been on his mind ever since she walked through the door, and the very thought of her made him burn with need for her. Maybe that was a good thing, because it added a little pep and vigor to his movements which was lacking due to the fire inside him being dampened. Now he understood what kindled that fire: passion. His drive had always come from a passion for life and his brothers, but now he found the passion he felt for a woman. It burned brighter and hotter than anything he had ever felt before. Was he falling in love with Claire? Drake didn’t want to push that thought away. He knew how stubborn he could be, but when something was his, it was his alone. Afterall, he was a dragon, which came with all of the possessive needs that the human folklore talked about.
He didn’t have hordes of gold hidden away in caves anywhere, but he certainly had money put away in banks all over the world. His wealth came from centuries of learning to be smart with monetary investments. He lived comfortably. Even so, he recognized he and his brothers were all missing something in their lives. It was something more important than riches and gorgeous residences. When he had admitted that they needed mates to pair with, an almost collective sigh of relief came from his brothers. Sure, the war with the Serpentina kept them busy, but it was hard knowing what to fight for without a partner to share their lives with.. His duty had changed from matchmaker between the warriors and Serpentina to commander of ridding the world of the Serpentina after they had turned. He couldn’t figure out a way to bring them back, and he couldn’t leave them to terrorize innocent humans. That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. Every time he took the life of one of his female counterparts, some of the fire inside flickered and died a little. Then, he met Claire, and all those tamped out fires seemed to reignite. He wondered if she would understand what that meant to him, to have to take the life of the females he had once protected and cherished. He knew all of them by name, and by reputation. The warriors started referring to them simply as Serpentina, because it made an almost impossible job possible. But it never felt good. . Perhaps that was why he felt the overwhelming desire to protect Claire. He knew she didn’t like being saved, but would she understand if she gave him the opportunity to explain.
Drake wasn’t sure he would have the opportunity to find out, when distracted by his thoughts, he never saw the razor-sharp claws cut through the black depths of the cave and rake down across his back.
He slammed into the wall opposite the claws and fell to the cave floor. Stalactites fell from the ceiling due to the rumbling and vibrating his huge body caused throughout the cave. The bellow of rage and fire he emitted was sure to draw the attention of his brothers, but he wasn’t sure if they would arrive in time to help him.
The Serpentina was already standing on the ground, ready to attack again. Drake found the strength to push up as her claws came down and although he felt the burning slash from the wound, he was able to throw her off balance. She screamed in anger and frustration, which came out as a hiss of fire. He felt his side burn from the heat of her breath. He continued to slam his body into hers like a battering ram as he heard the distant rumble of his brothers coming to his aid. Drake felt the blood from his back splatter the rocks below him. One of his wings had caught on her talons and she shredded it like ribbons, which would take him a long time to heal. He could heal faster in this form, but he and his warriors wanted to finish her and leave before any authorities came to investigate. That meant he would have to shift into human form, and he was bound to be a very wounded.
He continued to pummel the Serpentina who was slowly losing her strength. She wouldn’t survive, but if she did, she would be a massive bruise walking around with wings. She was slightly smaller than Scyros, who was still small in his young age. He knew who she was, but he didn’t have the heart to rehash the details of her unnaturally long life. There was no way he could finish the job if he associated with her on a personal level.
Drake leaned over and snapped at her neck with his teeth. He knew that he could incapacitate her by doing so. The problem was, he was so injured himself, he missed and she nearly took a chunk out of his own neck.
Drake was grateful when Crylaine came pressing throug
h the tunnel. He slammed into the Serpentina one last time and pinned her to the wall while Crylaine finished the job. His strength was starting to fade when Scyros and Arrlien came around the corner in human form. Crylaine started removing the heart of the Serpentina when Drake collapsed and felt the tugging sensation of his form being squeezed.
He felt the blood trickle down his back as Crylaine dragged the Serpentina towards the entrance of the cave. If anyone came exploring, finding a dragon carcass was not something the dragon species needed right now. Exposure was tricky enough with modern technology. Most of the time, when a dragon skeleton was unearthed, it could be passed off as a dinosaur. But Drake was hoping the water in the cave would rise high enough to wash away the evidence of blood. Judging by the water marks, the river did flood on occasion, so he might be in luck. Crylaine would dismember her and weight down her limbs, sending her to the depths of the Hudson for fish food. Her bones would wash down river, someday being discovered by someone and classified as a morphed dinosaur or whale bone if it made it all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.
Arrlien knelt over Drake and studied his wounds. There wasn’t much he could do for him in the cave, but he was skilled in battle wounds. Drake knew he wasn’t dying, but it was still immensely unpleasant and painful. Scyros looked worried and Drake tried to smile at him reassuringly. This wasn’t his first battle wound, and it certainly wouldn’t be his last.
“How do you want to handle this, my Lord?” Arrlien asked, deadly serious. Drake considered their options. It was probably better to get back to the house, so he didn’t get caught by humans. But at the same time, if Claire saw him like this, she was sure to run and never come back to him. Drake didn’t have a chance to decide though, because the loss of blood caused the blackness of unconsciousness to come over him when he tried to answer.