“Do you believe in dragon’s?”
“Yes, some of my best friends growing up were dragons.”
“Really?” Zeno leaned forward sitting on the edge of the chair.
“No, not really,” Nadia huffed. “I said I want answers not games.”
“This isn’t a game Nadia any more than the fact that a shadow has you trapped in the house. If you want answers, then you’ll have to answer the questions.”
“All right. I don’t believe in dragons, but Alexa’s mother always believed. She raised her on stories of mythical beings that she said still lived to this very day.”
“What do you know about them?” Maceo asked her.
“Not much to be honest. Dragons are supposed to be some type of reptile. They lay eggs and have a thing for treasure. Of course, there’s the whole thing about them breathing fire. Other than that there are different types. Some fly, some are earthbound. There are even water dragons, and yeah that’s about the extent of my knowledge.”
“That’s a good place to start. Let me be cliché and say in the beginning there were dragons along with dinosaurs. The dinosaurs didn’t survive, but the dragons being much more intelligent did. A fast history lesson I know but you need the here and now not the once upon a time. Dragons and man coexisted for a time in human history. They left each other alone for the most part and when they mingled it was not the bloody history of your story books that said we loved to devour humans. We’d rather eat a cow.”
“Yum, steak.” Zeno broke in with a smile and a subtle laugh.
“So you want me to believe that dragons exist?” Nadia’s voice carried a challenge in it.
“No, I want you to listen to what I am telling you. We will talk about belief later,” Maceo said quietly.
“I rather talk about what’s happening here, but I don’t think we are going anywhere soon, so we have time. Please, proceed.”
“Everyone existed in a sort of peace until the demon’s wanted the dragon’s horde.”
“Demon’s?”
“Yes, that’s what they refer to themselves as. They were born though not dropped from the sky.”
“Okay, so these evil demons wanted the dragons treasure. I’m sure the dragons didn’t like this.”
“No, we didn’t. If the demon’s wanted treasure, we told them to amass it the same way we did. They didn’t like that, and soon the two clashed. I think it wouldn’t have been a problem but Mutufa the demon leader began to influence the humans with his dark abilities. He made them believe that we were the enemy. Told them how we would hurt their children as if any one of us wanted a bite size mortal.
“They were seduced by his words and his power and begun to hunt us. At first, we laughed at their vain attempts until they came together in large groups of males with spears and swords. It seems that defending bite size mortals is very important.”
“Having been surrounded and taking a sword to the arm.” Zeno rubbed his arm. “I can tell you it was also very painful.”
“Because you were there a thousand years ago in the thick of things,” Nadia said.
“See I knew dragon mates were intelligent.” He smiled at her.
She rolled her eyes before focusing back on Maceo. “Continue, I must admit as far as bedtime stories go this one is intriguing me.”
“Mutufa and his people continued to stir up the humans. It helped that they could take their shape even as they killed the bite size humans and blamed it on us. Soon we realized we would have to get rid of Mutufa or we would fall victims to the humans. At that time the sky was full of us, but our numbers were beginning to dwindle as we were hunted down.
“My brothers and I began working on how best to stop Mutufa. Eventually, we decided the best way to get rid of him was to lock him up behind the veil. The other plane where souls went after they left this plane.”
“You sent him to hell?”
“We do not believe in a hell as you do. There is a plane that belongs to Eternity; she’s the one that places you where you belong. You may end up in the dark section because your soul is dark or the light section because you are pure. She allowed us access to her plane because she was tired of the rate she was receiving bite size mortals.”
“So you're saying that over a thousand years ago you and your brethren who are dragons locked this shadow up that you call Mutufa on a plane where evil was kept. Why is it here terrorizing me?”
“What you are seeing is just his shadow, not the actual demon, but if he were to be allowed to escape, the world as you know it would come to an end.” Maceo looked at her never smiling.
She looked them over they both seemed to believe every word coming from Maceo’s mouth. Could they be crazy? Should she call Alexa again? Her friend told her to trust them, but this was beyond ridiculousness.
“How are two dragons sitting here looking like humans?” Answer that question. A smile played around her lips. It was such a shame that Maceo was crazy because she liked the way he looked and smelled. She was dying to touch him.
“Give me a minute I am coming to that part of the story. We worked hard on our plan while dragon souls were entering Eternities plane killed by vengeful humans who didn’t realize they were killing the wrong beings. Soon we had a plan it would take all four of us combining the power off our dragon’s together. Something that had never been done before. We opened the door to the next plane and trapped Mutufa between us, but he had a plan of his own.
“Right before we were able to push him through he threw out a black powder, it spread eventually covering the whole earth, but it started with the four of us. It touched us found its way into our bodies. We rushed towards the ground probably the only thing that saved our lives. We became human the transition was painful, and we mourned. I mourned as my dragon body slid away and I was left in the shell of a man. My hoard was so far away from where I was and much too high, I refused to think about it because there was no way I could reach it. We spent years’ hundreds of them as males. At first, we thought our torture would be over quickly that we would succumb to the short years of a human. Eventually as all those around us aged and we didn’t, we realized we still retained our longevity of life.
“This meant we had to move and keep moving before anyone noticed we weren’t aging. I still don’t know how it happened you will have to ask Syn he takes credit for it. One day we changed. We were dragons again able to soar the skies, but soon we realized we were no longer a pure dragon. We were shifters with the abilities to change forms at will. This was helpful because the world no longer believed in dragons.”
“How have you stayed under the radar with telephone poles and wires and antennae’s and satellites and numerous other inventions, like radar? Explain that one.”
“We live in a world that is separate from yours. That you will have to see to believe.”
“I think I’ll need to see your dragon to believe. Why don’t you turn into one now? Either of you.”
“This is a big room but not big enough for me to change into my dragon form. I also would not want to put my weight on the houses foundation.”
Nadia’s cheek burned. Was that a veiled reference to her weight?
“I have no trouble standing on the floor.” Her voice came out bitter, of course, he wanted someone smaller.
“Why would you have a problem standing here? You are tiny my dragon is not.”
“I’m not amused, and I am not tiny.”
“Women are confusing. Dragon mates even more. I’m glad she is your mate and not mine,” Zeno confessed.
“What is he talking about,” she asked Maceo.
“He does not understand why you think you are anything but tiny. I must confess I am confused about this as well.”
She looked down at her body and saw it through the eyes of others. “Of course, you want to be a cook,” one of her associates had said. “All big people love to cook.” That was one of the nice reactions she had to becoming a chef and wanting to open her own restau
rant.
“All you have to do is look at me to see I am bigger than the norm. I should be Alexa’s size.”
“No, Alexa should eat more, but Syn is working on that. You are a perfect size.”
She watched the muscles in his legs constrict under his pants as he stood up and walked over to her. Before she knew it, he leaned over and picked her up.
“Put me down you muscle bound Neanderthal.” Her voice came out shaky.
“Like I said, tiny.” He then threw her up in the air and caught her, then repeated the action.
Zeno laughed while she screamed all the things she was going to do to him when he put her down. It took a few agonizing minutes but her terror turned when she realized he wasn’t breathing hard, and he wasn’t even close to missing her. Suddenly her heart unthawed just a little, and she enjoyed the feel of the air as it passed her face. Her mother throwing her up in the air as a child came back to her. She had forgotten that memory. A laugh left her making her happy for the first time in a long time.
Maceo finally held her close to his chest and just breathed her scent in, while she breathed in his. It was crazy; it was foolish, but in that one minute, it made more sense than hiding out from a shadow.
He placed her back in her chair and stroked her bright red hair before he backed away.
“I love your red hair and your brown eyes,” Maceo said sitting back down.
“Maybe the hair came from a bottle.” Was the only reply she could make while laughter was still on her lips and her heart was beating frantically because those strong fingers had been on her and all she wanted was more. She wanted the simple caress of his hands on her hair to extend to her face then her arms. She wanted to feel the strength of this hands and feel his arms wrapped around her in a hug. She wanted Maceo, and she didn’t know why.
“Not that hair, it’s natural. It tells the world exactly who you are. It’s not your fault that the world has lost its ability to read the signs before it.”
“But you know what my hair means. You can read the sign. Don’t keep me waiting. Tell me.”
“You’re a dragon’s mate. You were meant to mate bond.”
“A what?”
“A dragon mate—my mate.”
Chapter Five
Maceo looked so pleased that she almost wanted to leave it alone—almost. But she wasn’t stupid, and she had a very good idea what he was saying. If he thought, he could just come in here with his good looks, and his hot body and she’d sleep with him because he was calling her mate. He had another thing coming and who did that anyway?
“I am not yours. You can’t just claim me like I’m some prize you get to pick.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him.
“You’re right you’re not mine, and I can’t claim you like a prize. At the same time, you are my mate and all I want is a chance to prove to you we belong together. Isn’t that how they do it in your world. You meet someone you feel chemistry with, and you give them a chance to prove they are the perfect one for you?”
“That sounds about right.”
“Then why wouldn’t you do that with me? I think you’re a prize, beautiful and luscious, but that’s just what my senses tell me about your body. I believe you’re also intelligent and caring. That’s a part of you; I want to get to know then there are all the hidden parts of you that I want to get to know also. I’m not riding in on a steed to snatch you up and tell you; you’re mine. I am coming to you with an offer to get to know who I am.”
That was probably the nicest as well as the hottest offer she ever got. The older she got, the less refined the offers. One man had simply told her she should be pleased that he picked her. Like she was yesterday’s leftovers.
Before she could think of a reply, the house shook.
“This is getting old. If he keeps this up, this place is coming down around our heads.”
“No it isn’t because we’re leaving.” He strode to the window to look outside.
Zeno walked over to him. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“I’m taking suggestions,” Maceo said. “If anybody has a better idea I’m all ears.”
Zeno gave a tired smile and looked at him.
“Sorry, Zeno, if we don’t leave this house will come down. I don’t know what he’s hitting the shield with, but eventually, sooner than later the shield is going to weaken. He may stop when we leave he may not. All I know is that I don’t want us caught in the house if he doesn’t stop. It’s not like we can change here and fly out. Their military would be on us quickly it’s not worth the risk.”
“You really think you can turn into a dragon, don’t you?”
“Does it matter? It’s not like we can do it now.”
“Maybe you should both leave.”
“Do you want us to leave you alone in a house that is shaking? Even if we couldn’t turn into dragons wouldn’t our help getting you away be worth it?”
Humor the crazy male, Nadia. He seemed so normal except for the dragon story and the belief that he was a dragon or was it dragon shifter? She tugged at her hair and stood none of this made sense. She was a good judge of character. Something seemed off about them different but not crazy different almost like English was their second language and because of that, she was missing some vital piece of information to make the translation work.
Maybe the person she needed to humor was herself because there was no way she was letting them walk out of here and leave her behind. Whether she liked it or not right now her survival was hitched to theirs, and she would ride them like the steed he referred to earlier to get out of this situation.
“My bag is packed. When do we go?” She stared up into Maceo’s face making it clear she was walking out of here with them. Would she be alive by the time they made it off the porch, only time would tell?
“As soon as we’re sure everything here is turned off,” Maceo replied leaving the window.
“Where are we going?” Zeno asked watching Maceo and Nadia trying not to stare at the other.
“To a hotel downtown.”
“Why would we leave here to go to a hotel?” Nadia asked. Her eyes clouded with doubt.
“That hotel sits on sacred land that Mutufa won’t be able to approach. That will tilt this hand in our favor. Once there we need to find a place outside of the city where we will be able to lay low. Some place where our dragons will be able to fly.” He answered Nadia’s question while looking at Zeno.
“Sorry brother I don’t understand.” Zeno’s usual smile was missing, and his eyes were clouded over with worry.
“Mutufa is roaming the human earth, but he has not been reported being seen on our island. I believe that means that the door Syn and Alexa shoved him behind is still holding, but he found a different way out. Soon he will find his way back to our island unless we defeat him here first.”
“What are we going to do with the human casualties?” Zeno asked.
“Nothing because we are going to find a place that has almost no humans in it.”
“Maceo, that’s impossible.” She raised her hand to feel her forehead. “Let’s say I believe you, just for a minute. There is no place on the earth that man hasn’t conquered and spread. Maybe the polar ice caps or someplace frigid like that.”
“Believe me, Nadia; this world has plenty of undiscovered spots. We will find one, but for now, we have to get out of here. You retrieve your things.”
She walked away mumbling to herself. How had her life come to this? It was a good life, hard, but good she was finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel and now this. She cast her lot, her life with two men, males who thought they were dragons. Because men didn’t think, they could shift. Well, not sane men. If she made it out of this alive, she would have some words for Alexa.
Grabbing her bag, she checked to make sure everything was turned off and secured upstairs before she walked back down to meet them in the hallway.
“Should we go out the back door
?” she asked.
“I don’t think it matters, and our car is out front,” Maceo replied.
“Well in case we don’t make it it’s been nice knowing you.”
“You also, but I must admit I was looking forward to seeing the fireworks between you and Maceo.”
“Ahh thanks, I think. Ready? We have ninety seconds when I reset the alarm.”
The both nodded. She turned the alarm off and then reset it. Maceo opened the door and stepped out onto the porch followed by Zeno and then Nadia. She locked the door behind her and took a deep breath in which she held captive in her lungs until her vision dimmed a little.
It was quiet. Too quiet, it was making her nervous.
“What’s happening?” she whispered.
Zeno shrugged as Maceo looked around trying to peer through the darkness.
“He’s waiting for us, and he’s taken away one of our weapons.”
“What’s that?” She asked wondering what weapons they had.
“Dragon shadow. With it, we could have placed you in the middle thus protecting you but the lack of light means we won’t be able to use our shadows.”
She nodded it made a strange type of sense. If one shadow could kill her why couldn’t another save her life?
“I hope you have another plan because the longer we stand here, the deeper those shadows get.”
Maceo held out his hand to her. She was wary but eventually stretched hers out so that his fingers were entwined around hers. A spark lit deep within her feeling like a fire on a cold night meant for warming hands. Shivering she clutched him tighter and followed him off the porch with Zeno at her other side.
The first step down made her breath catch, but the next step made her legs shaky. She felt like she was walking through a thick oozing substance meant to keep her in or suffocate her.
“Take shallow breath’s you’ll be okay,” Maceo’s voice came to her from far away.
With difficulty, she nodded and continued to follow him down to the next step. Zeno stumbled causing them to stop for him to get his balance.
“Sorry,” he said looking ashen.
Nadia's Dragon: Nadia's Dragon: A BBW Paranomal Romance (Dragon Mates Book 2) Page 3