by Dahlia Rose
The end game was coming soon, and to protect their families and their children she knew they would take up arms. Ginna approached her in secret to ask for more training for her and the others. Raven approached Raul and the other dragons about human guns and maybe crossbows for training. Another attack on Paladin would come. There was no other way to say it and through the discussion of the warriors it was decided that while they wanted the people they protected to be happy and carefree, they must know what was coming and how to defend themselves. Orin made the decree that Paladin men and women would train to protect themselves and the place they loved and called home. The winds of change were blowing hard in a realm that had known only peace. For dragons to roam free all would need to work toward the decimation of the Shen.
They sat in the main hall where they held feasts and celebrations. She looked around the room feeling like part of something bigger and yet missing her mother. They’d come full circle, and now the daughter of Vatyrn and the last of the seventh house one again held a place and had a home on Paladin. In the future there would be another generation. The one that rested in her belly, secure until the day they chose to bring her into this world. Michelle knew the day her egg took shape and in her heart she knew it would be a girl. The choice of holding her secure was made by both her and her mate, and they were fine with knowing they protected something more precious than any of the gems on Paladin.
Michelle had plans. She already knew she would use some of the jewelry her mother left to maintain better facilities for her team. She and her mother trained them well and there were too many to bring through the portal to keep them safe. Not that they would leave anyway, just like Paladin their world needed to be protected. She understood Paladin and the warriors were not for humans to know about, but they were losing lives and it was more than most realized. Orin vowed more dragons would keep watch on the earth realm in strategic places. First they would help search for the large Shen cell that had seemingly disappeared.
“You’re deep in thought,” Mursi murmured and kissed her shoulder. “Is it that or are you intrigued by Caye’s father’s cop stories?”
“He is very entertaining, and he reminds me of those guys from the old cop shows. I’m just worried about why the serpent activity decreased in Florida as we followed the nest there,” Michelle said. “Something is so off and my Spidey sense in tingling.”
“Your what?” He gave her a look of confusion.
“Sorry, I liked comic books as a kid, it means my instinct is telling me something is very wrong,” she answered.
“We’ll go back through the portal tomorrow and keep searching,” Mursi said.
“That sounds great. I don’t like leaving my people for too long especially now that Mike has decided to get a testosterone boost,” Michelle answered.
“He had a thing for you, honey,” Mursi answered. “Having an influx of dragon males… It’s a man thing.”
“It’s a stupid thing, they are people we care about….” Michelle muttered and then stopped talking.
She grabbed Mursi’s hand and squeezed to get his attention to where her gaze was in the corner. He followed her gaze and laced fingers with her as they saw what no one else could see. Larissa stood in the corner, her face radiant with a smile and she gave them a nod before she faded away from sight. Mursi brought her hand to his lips and kissed the skin of her wrist. Michelle knew they’d never see her again but she would be the guardian of their children.
Just then Caye’s best friends, Jeff and Dale, rushed into the main hall. Their faces looked worried and Michelle was instantly wary. A sense of urgency gripped her gut, something was very wrong.
“One of the messengers we keep on the other side of the portal just came through with a message,” Jeff said grimly.
Caye stood and said in a voice trembling with fear, “Who in my family did they take?”
“Oh sweetie, it’s not for you,” Dale gasped and waved her to sit down. “Michelle, it’s from your people, someone called Mike.”
“Oh shit, what’s happened?” Michelle was on her feet and ready to move through the portal.
“The caretaker said he was panicked, hurt, and probably going into shock so the message was kind of chaotic. It seems he didn’t take your orders to heart and took a team into the everglades. They were ambushed and tried to use your houseboat as a fallback position,” Jeff explained. “Four were killed, three females taken… Michelle, your friend Kiara was at your houseboat and they took her.”
“I’m so sorry, sweetie,” Dale said in dismay.
Everyone started talking but it was all a fuzzy garbled mess in her head, she could hear the blood rushing in her own ears. They thought her people were dead, but they didn’t know Kiara, they didn’t know the spitfire that was her friend. She wouldn’t be used, she’d find a way to escape or talk her way out of it before the Shen could hurt her.
“Everyone be quiet!” she yelled and took a deep breath. “Mursi, we’re going to go find them and I’m going to throttle Mike so you may need to hold me back from killing him.”
“Not if I get to him first.” Bior stood. “I’ll go with you and no one will hold me back from killing the little fool.”
Michelle saw it in Bior’s eyes as soon as Kiara’s name was mentioned. He cared, he might not want to admit it but he cared.
Even though she was pissed and scared she didn’t really want Mike dead. Bior was dead serious so she had to think quickly.
Michelle stopped him with a hand on his arm as he tried to move past her. “No, we can go talk to him and you can start the search moving outward from the houseboat. Bior, she’ll need help quickly, while she can talk an Eskimo into buying an air conditioner it won’t be help for long and when they start hurting….when anyone gets hurt she’ll want to fight and she won’t think and she’ll die.”
“That won’t happen, I vow it,” Bior said and began to walk away.
“I’ll go with you,” Gaerar, another dragon warrior said. “Two sets of eyes are better than one.”
“Sire,” Mursi said.
“Go,” Orin said. “Michelle, find your people and if any more help is needed it shall be sent immediately.”
Mursi and Michelle ran out of the palace and down the massive marble steps with Bior and Eric on their heels. Kiara hold on, she begged mentally. They tossed clothes aside as they ran, not caring about a pair of jeans or a shirt, only about becoming their dragon and heading through the portal. Bior didn’t even undress but tore his clothes apart as his dragon took shape. Michelle wondered what they would find or if they were too late. She prayed they weren’t because if the Shen thought she was a menace, she would become the hand of wrath if her friend was dead. They were about to hunt….
The End
Coming soon the next installment of the Paladin Dragon Series from author Dahlia Rose. “A Dragon’s Hope.”
About the Author
Dahlia Rose is the best-selling author of contemporary and paranormal romance with a hint of Caribbean spice. She was born and raised on a Caribbean island and now currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her five kids, who she affectionately nicknamed “The Children of the Corn,” and her biggest supporter and longtime love. She has a love of erotica, dark fantasy, sci-fi, and the things that go bump in the night. Books and writing are her biggest passions, and she hopes to open your imagination to the unknown between the pages of her books.
Sugar and Spice Press
Where romance is everything nice.
www.SugarNSpicePress.com
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