Luckily there were only a few people on the sidewalks passing by, but they didn’t really pay them any attention.
“Shh. What I need to tell you is important and the whole town can’t know. Can you be quiet for a change?”
Tali nodded. “Sorry, but when you talk about dying it sorta freaks me out.”
“I know sorry, but this is serious.” She swallowed.
Here goes nothing.
“Supernatural creatures exist.”
Tali burst out laughing. “Wow sis, what kind of meds do they have you on?”
“Seriously Tal. I’m a dragon now. I took my mate’s second beast, and it took the cancer away. It’s why I could eat, why I sleep normal, and why I can be outside and not be freezing.”
“You’re serious?” Tali stopped walking and grabbed Dallas. “Prove it.”
Now it was Dallas’ turn to laugh. She knew her sister wouldn’t be freaked in a way. “Not here.”
“Where?” her sister asked and looked around. She noticed some trees and pointed. “There?”
Dallas shrugged. “Why not?”
Tali smiled still holding back her giggle fit and they walked across the street towards the park.
Anger wove through her mind and she went to yank her arm away, only the anger wasn’t hers or her sister’s. Someone was still watching and he was mad. She knew it was Jaz. The dragon was watching them. She scanned the area, but she didn’t see anyone who looked like he wanted to kill her so she continued walking across the grass towards the woods. It probably wasn’t the best idea to be out of sight, but she had to show her sister.
Once the trees covered them, Dallas stopped her sister. “Okay here is fine.”
“You’re going to shift into a giant dragon in this small of an area?”
“I haven’t shifted yet, but my eyes. Look at them.” She closed them and summoned her beast. When she opened them, she knew they’d changed by her vision alone, but Tali gasped.
“Oh my gosh, how did you do that?”
“It’s the dragon eyes. When she comes to me.”
“She?”
“Yes, she. Blane held her inside of him with his beast. They call themselves Halflings, but when they find their mates, the female dragon leaves their body and travels to its female host.”
“Whoa.”
“Yeah, I didn’t get much warning. That’s what I meant by almost died, had the witch not brought me back.”
“Wait witches are real too?”
“Wolves too.”
“Holy hell. This world we’re living in just keeps getting better and better.”
“Well getting the beast took away the cancer. I’m not going to die now, Tal.”
Tali’s eyes welled up in tears and fell down her cheeks. “I’m so thrilled, and of course I’m jealous. I wanna see what it looks like when you shift the first time.”
“You can’t be here.”
“Why not?”
A new voice interrupted. “Yeah why not?” His voice was deep and full of anger.
Dallas jumped pissed she hadn’t been more aware. She shoved her baby sister behind her and glared at the dragon with a long black Mohawk. He had the darkest eyes she’d ever seen. He smirked at her as he pulled out a long blade from a sheath on his back.
“It’s not smart to be out alone without help, Dallas.”
“Leave us alone.”
“Tell your sister why she shouldn’t have ever come to town. You put her in danger by allowing it.”
“Don’t listen to him. He’s deranged.”
He laughed. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve heard that. And I have no beef with you. You didn’t kill my brothers.”
“Dallas, who is this creep?”
“Creep, now that’s a good one.”
“Dallas.”
“He’s a Black dragon. He lost his brothers due to the other dragons I know, and now he wants his revenge, and he has Max.”
“Very good. I do have Max, and I’m going to kill you all.”
Tali gasped. “Leave my sister alone. You said it yourself you have no beef with her.”
“You’re not very wise. I can’t very well let her—or you live now.”
“Run Tal.”
“No, I’m not leaving you alone.” She wrapped her arms around Dallas and held on. “This is why you wanted me to leave. You were going to tell me it was dangerous.”
“Yes,” Dallas whispered.
“Now it’s too late.” Jaz said. “I didn’t expect it to be so easy. First Max; then two for the price of one.”
The beast took over and Dallas let her claws extend. Protecting her sister meant everything to her in that moment. She couldn’t let him hurt her.
No, she wouldn’t. This was her fight, not Tali’s.
Chapter 19
Max
Jaz left him alone again. This time Max wasn’t going to sit around and do anything. He knew the tribe was worried about him. He knew that Ilias had to of tried to contract him, but he heard nothing. The damn Demon Rope cut off everything. He couldn’t even feel his beasts, and that was the worst of it all. They were shackled too.
“Come on think,” he whispered to himself. “There has to be a way out of here.”
If there was, he wasn’t seeing it. And for the second time in his life he was completely out of control of his own destiny. Max didn’t like going to that place. The place in his past that had scarred him so deeply. No, he wouldn’t think of the man who hurt him, or the woman that got off by watching. He’d run away so many times, only to be taken back.
There was never any true freedom during those years. This didn’t feel much different. If anything, he should be conditioned to dealing with crazy men, but he shuddered as the memory replayed in his head. It had been awhile since he’d gone down memory lane, and today was not that day. He didn’t like to think about his past, and the best thing for everyone was for him to forget it.
“Lookie what I brought,” Jaz said and came into view.
Max growled when he saw Dallas, and another woman that looked so much like her, it had to be her sister. How the hell did he manage to get them?
“Yeah, they were easy too, but at least Dallas put up more of a fight than you did. She’s stronger than you. Sadly.”
Max knew that Jaz enjoyed taunting him. He couldn’t let his words get to him. But now he was scared. Blane must be going insane with Dallas missing.
“How did he get you?”
Dallas looked up at him and shrugged the best she could being tied up. “I was stupid, but he’s got Tali. We have to get her out of here.”
“There’s no way out for me.”
She studied him as if she forgot Jaz hadn’t left.
“I think this should be fun, don’t you Maxie. Let’s get Dallas and Tali situated and you can watch me torture them?”
“Fuck you, asshole. Don’t touch them. Torture me.”
He looked at him as if he were thinking about it. “Nah, they’ll be more fun. They’ll scream louder.”
“No, I’ll scream. They are tougher than me. Remember I’m a wimp.”
“Pansy is the correct term, but yes, you are right. Maybe they can watch me kill you, and then I can have my way with the pretty little one.”
Dallas struggled at her binds knowing it was her sister he was talking about. Max hated this. How could he save them if he couldn’t save himself? What the hell kind of dragon was he?
The beast was no help either. Demon magic too strong to fight. When Jaz picked up Tali and left leaving Dallas in tears he knew he had to do something. There had to be a way to fight it.
“Dallas, scoot over to me.”
“I can’t,” she said and cried out. “I’m not much of anything.”
“Is that demon rope on you or just rope?”
“How am I supposed to know?” she asked.
“Can you reach your beast?”
She closed her
eyes and a smile formed on her lips. “Yes, she’s not doing well though I don’t think. She’s sleeping.”
“Dammit. Must have the rope. You need to wake her and shift now before you can’t.”
“I don’t know how to.”
“She knows, just channel her and shift now. Before he comes back.”
Max smiled. “You can do it. You’re more dominant that me.”
Dallas smirked. “Says the guy with more muscle than he shows.”
“I’m really submissive, now please don’t tell anyone.”
He could see her shock. Like she couldn’t believe he was submissive.
“I won’t tell.”
It was nice to tell someone the truth. It was because of Jaz that he allowed himself to accept it. He would never be as strong as the others. Even Blane was fierce when provoked.
***
Dallas needed to move. The creep, had her sister, and who knew what he was doing with her. She listened to Max as he explained how to shift. It should break the ropes he said.
She closed her eyes and poked the dragon.
‘Need you to wake up’
The dragon ignored her
‘Our sister is getting hurt by a very bad man.’
This time the beast’s head rose lazily. ‘Can’t move.’
‘Yes, you can, fight it.’
Her beast listened. She rose on all fours. She was a bit unsteady but now they were getting somewhere.
‘Shift.’
The beast huffed. ‘You have to help.’
‘What do I do?’
‘Don’t fight, the first time is always the hardest. It might hurt.’
‘I don’t care just shift.’
Dallas sucked in a breath when the beast took her for her word. Pain laced her spine and her back bowed. She did her best not to scream, but then she heard a scream she recognized. Tears fell in puddles from her eyes. The pain from trying to shift and her sister’s scream.
“Max, help.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Shift and go get her. This isn’t working for me.”
“Okay I’ll try, but if you can’t I probably can’t either.”
She watched as he concentrated. He really was trying to reach his beast.
“I’m sorry I’m so useless.”
“Don’t. You are not useless. This is just a bad situation. I’ll try again.”
This time she used her protective nature.
‘SHIFT.’
Claws elongated and sharp teeth filled her mouth. Every inch of her body felt like it was being torn apart but she was shifting. It was slow and it hurt like nothing she’d ever felt before.
As soon as she stood on all fours and the dizziness faded she took one of her claws and swiped the rope around Max’s neck, then to his wrists, and last his ankle. She stared at him telling him to go get her sister. He didn’t move. She nudged him forward.
“I’m trying to move. Everything is asleep. I’m fighting it.”
Another scream echoed to them and Dallas cried out. She couldn’t wait on Max, but when she turned back—he was gone.
She tried to walk with her beast but ended up on her face. She huffed and stood back up. Come on beast, let’s do this.”
Each movement was slow and steady. If she had thought it would be easy a dragon, then she could think again. It was hard to go from a fairly average human to a giant 300 lb. dragon. She wasn’t used to being in such a big body, and a nonhuman one at that.
But before she got for the beast collapsed and Dallas shifted back. Her body ached from the shift and she couldn’t do anything other than close her eyes. Sleep was what she needed.
Chapter 20
Something shook her. She swatted at a smooth yet firm wall and then her eyes shot open. Max was shaking her awake.
“We have to go, hurry,” he said in a rush.
Blood covered his face. There were tiny cuts on him, no not cuts, claw marks. He was pale and his lip was swollen.
“No, I can’t leave, Tali—”
“Is gone.”
Dallas sat up and ignored how a wave of dizziness rushed through her whole body. “Gone, what do you mean gone?”
He didn’t respond at first, and that’s when she noticed the blood on his shirt and pants. Something bad happened, and he wasn’t going to tell her. There was a determined set to his jaw that reminded him of Tali when she was being stubborn. Dread filled her gut and she stood from the ground, stiff from sleeping on the concrete.
“Where’s my sister, Max?”
“Dallas,” he started then stopped and lifted a battered hand to his face.
“Tell me,” she ordered feeling the tears. Deep inside she knew. Something bad had happened. She remembered hearing her scream and it felt like she was punched in the gut. Pain like she’d never felt ripped through her, and only part of it was hers. The rest was Max’s pain. “She’s gone isn’t she, like gone, gone?”
Max gave her a nod. “I tried; I did, I swear, but Jaz is too strong for me. I mean come on look at me.”
“You’re not weak, you fought for her, didn’t you?”
Another nod. “By the time I got there she was already hurt. He’d stabbed her with the blade. She lost a lot of blood.” He paused and swallowed. “That’s when I tried to fight him. He shifted partially and I can’t do that. I don’t know how, but I gave him everything I had, and that’s why we have to hurry. He’s going to kill us both.”
“I need to see.”
“No—no you really don’t. It will only drive you crazy.”
“But—”
“Please just trust me on this. We need the tribe. We will get him.”
“Do you promise, you and I—we’ll get him?”
“I swear. But first we need to let the others know we’re okay. I’ve already contacted Ilias. They should be here any second.” Max pulled her into a hug. “I’m so sorry.”
She felt his tears on her drip on her head. “It’s not your fault.”
But she was devastated. Her sister came to town and just like Aris said, she would be an easy target. It was all her fault. She should have just called her and told her over the phone. Should have just went to see her. Now she had to bury her.
“To gain a life, one must lose a life.”
That was the truest statement, and now she understood what it meant. Because she cheated death her sister paid the price. Dallas wasn’t sure if she would ever be okay. They were all they had. Their mom passed away years before, and their dad walked out on them when Tali was only barely a year old. Growing up they were not only sisters, but best friends too.
She pulled away from Max and wiped at her own tears. She would never forgive herself. If only she had stayed at the diner.
Max took her hand and kissed it. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Okay, but we’re coming back, and he is going to suffer the way he made her suffer. I will kill him.”
“Oh, will you now?” Jaz asked. “How touching you two comforting each other. Almost makes me want to cry.”
She hated his voice, it grated on her nerves. She hated how he looked, smelled and sounded. She spun towards him pulling her hand from Max’s before she felt her claws and eyes change.
“Pick on someone your own size,” she said and stalked towards him. He was already injured, all she had to do is find his weakness. If evil had one.
No, everyone had a weakness, she just had to find it.
“Oh good, now I get the older sister. This should be fun.” He didn’t come towards her. Instead he watched her trying to figure out what she’d do.
At this point she had no idea, but that didn’t stop her from nearly closing the distance between them. Rage and pain rushed through her. He killed her sister. The beast inside of her growled.
‘Murderer.’
Dallas soaked up the power of the blue dragon. Before she knew what was happening Max grabbed
her clawed hands. At first, she thought he was going to try to pull her away so they could run, but then Jaz’s eyes went wide.
She didn’t know what was going on but dragon magic surrounded them, and every emotion she ever felt was shoved toward the monster who killed her sister.
She gasped when Jaz screamed.
“No—you’re Silver!”
She wasn’t sure what that meant but whatever Max did, he found a way to use her power too—or amplify it. Whatever the case, it left Jaz open and she tugged Max’s hand and closed that small distance between them. With her free hand, she raised it and ripped her claws through his forearms. He covered his face, but she didn’t care as long as she broke skin.
Blood pooled from his arms and she slashed at him again, deeper. She shoved his arms out of the way and shoved her clawed fingers into his chest. She was going to rip his black heart out but he managed to shove her hard enough her claws were ripped out of his chest.
He screamed again and fell to the ground curled up into a tight ball. With one last bit of energy she slammed her foot into his ribs before Max tugged her hand. She tried to fight and stomped on Jaz again; this time she had no idea where the blow landed, but she didn’t care as long as it hurt him. He would feel the pain he put Tali through and then some.
He shrieked and she knew she’d hit something vital.
Good.
Max squeezed her hand.
“They’re here, let’s go. We’ll come back.”
Dallas tried to stay. She didn’t want to leave without her sister’s body. She didn’t want to leave while Jaz was still alive. No matter the case Max was stronger than he gave himself credit for. He pulled her back all the while she fought. She kicked him and screamed. But he still held on. Before she knew what he was doing, she was tossed over his shoulder. She slapped him with clawed fingers and even though he flinched he didn’t make a noise. He kept walking until he found an exit.
The door was ripped from its hinges and that’s when she felt him and the tears rushed forward again.
“Blane,” she said in a whisper. But still Max didn’t put her down and Blane moved to the side while she continued to fight. She needed to see the monster dead. He killed her Tali. Now it was just her, and it was her fault she lost the only family she had left.
Blane (Stratham Shifters Book 5) Page 10