"Neither is attacking our house."
"You attacked our house first."
"You were trying to take my captain's mate. We had no choice. Maybe if you just stayed away from us and left us alone and stopped eating humans, we could put this all to an end. We don't have anything against you except your dietary habits. It interferes with other people's lives. You understand."
"We rule this world, and you will leave it. Dead or alive."
She charged at him, her mouth open and her fangs bared. She disappeared then reappeared behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck with her nails pressed against his flesh, her fangs on his jugular.
"I have something," Flora yelled from behind him.
Raiden spun, ducking and tumbling backward with the vampire holding onto him. He turned his sword into a dagger and stabbed her from behind.
She screeched and ran away. "What have you done?" she yelled.
Raiden charged back behind the shields and met Flora there. She was holding a mechanical device.
"What is that?"
"It's a bomb. A vampire-killing bomb." She smiled. "It has the vaccine in it. I've also upgraded all of the weapons to include the new antibodies."
Raiden glanced behind him and saw that the female elder had taken form just outside the shields, holding the wound in her gut as black blood seeped over her hands. She fell to her knees, the light in her eyes dimming.
"What have you done?" she screamed again. Her body disintegrated into dust and flew away.
"You think she's dead?" Flora asked.
"I don't know, but she is gone. How do you work this bomb?"
"You just press this button, and in ten seconds, it will explode.
"Got it," he said, taking the bomb. "Go make more."
He winked and launched himself into the sky. He saw her running back to the house as he ascended over the shields. Raiden flew over the battlefield, pressed the button on the bomb, and let it drop. It fell like a stone as the time ticked away. When it hit the ground, it exploded, sending shockwaves across the earth and a spew of tiny particles up into the air. As the particles touched the vampires surrounding the compound, they screamed and disintegrated into dust just as the female elder had. But it didn't just stop on the side where he'd been battling. The particles continued to float around the compound, and they killed the vampires everywhere they went until there were no vampires left.
Raiden landed on the back lawn with Hanish and Zephyr, and they all looked at each other with amazement.
"What was that?" Zephyr asked.
"Flora made a bomb out of the antibodies in the vaccine. She upgraded all of our weapons too.
"I made another one," Flora said, running out of the house.
"It looks like we don't need another one here," Hanish said, looking around.
"But they do need one at the House of Flames,” Flora said.
"Someone should get it there immediately," Hanish said.
"I'll do it," Raiden said.
He shot into the air, holding the bomb under his arm as he went into stealth mode. He flew as fast as his wings would take him, rocketing across the sky like a jet. It normally took half an hour to fly to the House of Flames, but he made it there in fifteen minutes.
"There's a package incoming," Raiden said to Cato through the mental link. "I'm dropping the bomb in five… four… three… two… one…"
Raiden hit the button and dropped the bomb in the largest cluster of vampires. When it hit the ground, it exploded, sending particles of the antibodies up into the air. Every time one of the tiny particles touched a vampire, the vampire disintegrated into dust on the spot. It was like a wave of death with the bodies falling and disintegrating. Raiden descended into the backyard of the House of Flames as the guys gathered around him. The last notes of Aria's song still hung in the air.
"That was amazing," Kian said.
"Flora found a vaccine, using her blood."
"Flora's blood?" Cato asked.
"We were mated. Because she was turned to a vampire and back again, her mated Dragon Soul blood contained a slight variation in the antibodies. That was enough to make the difference. Zephyr and Flora are sure that this combination will prove to be an effective vaccine."
"It's a pretty effective bomb," Dax said, stroking his chin.
"Just in time," Aria said. "The vampire attacks are increasing every day. Hundreds of millions are dead and missing already. We need to get this out there as soon as possible."
"Flora has informed me that it's going to require some more testing before they use it on human subjects," Raiden said. "But it should be soon."
"Or we could just drop a bunch of bombs," Dax said.
"The bombs are effective," Raiden said. "They will be as effective as the vaccine."
"We still have to find a way to administer the vaccine to the population," Cato said. "We can't just tell the human race all they need to do is come get a shot for vampire vaccine. I don't see that going over well."
"But it will happen soon enough," Raiden said. "My mate has found the answer to protecting the planet.”
"Congratulations on finally admitting that Flora was your mate," Dax said, slapping him on the back.
"My dragon didn't say anything. Sue me," Raiden said with a shrug.
"Why don't you come inside for some video games and a beer," Dax said.
Raiden slid his finger over his wrist device, letting Flora know that he had succeeded and where he would be for a while. She replied, saying that sounded like a great idea and telling him to enjoy himself.
"I'd love to," Raiden said. "That sounds exactly like what I need right now."
Chapter 19
The morning after the attack, everyone at the House of Storms gathered to discuss their plans for the vaccine. Krista and the guys even came down to join in the conversation. Everyone was sitting around the back patio with cartons of Chinese takeout in the warm glow of the late-afternoon sunshine. The foliage of the maples had changed, and yellow and orange leaves fluttered in the light breeze. Flora stabbed a piece of kung pao chicken with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth.
"Why don't we just tell people we have a vaccine for the murders?" Ragnar asked.
"Because they don't know about the vampires. They just know people are going missing and dying in spooky ways."
"Why don't we tell them?" Akash asked in a rare moment of agreement with Ragnar.
"I don't know if that's the right move at this point in time," Hanish said.
"After everything that has happened over the last several weeks, it's probably the best time ever," JoJo said as she offered Tor a baby biscuit.
"Perhaps we could run a simulation to project the human reaction to the news," Zephyr suggested.
"There may be a better way," Flora said. "Perhaps if we could find a carrier agent for the vaccine, it would be easier to distribute to humanity than getting them to take a shot."
"What about the particle bombs?" Raiden asked. "Could you distribute the vaccine that way?"
"It's possible," Flora said. "But it would take a lot more testing. The vaccine experiments were done on human blood, using a direct-injection method. The particle carriers would be distributed through the air and would be ingested through the nasal cavities. It would be a completely different method of absorption."
"But it's not beyond the realm of possibility," Zephyr said.
"We have no way of testing that in the lab other than simulations," Flora said. "And simulations are not the best predictors of accuracy."
"How are we going to find human subjects for either the injection or the particle distribution?" Yuki asked.
"That is a good question," Flora said. "It is unethical to do experiments on humans, especially without their knowledge."
"Perhaps we could conduct an experiment at the university," Zephyr said, looking at Flora.
"We would have to have done extensive testing on animals before doing it on humans, and we just don't ha
ve that data."
"Perhaps we could start there," Zephyr said.
"But the fact is that a vaccine like this, which is meant for humans, would have no effect on animals—not in a way that would be provable or that would be observable to human scientists."
"We don't have to show anything but that it's safe," Zephyr said.
"Do you think it would be possible to immunize animals to vampires?" Flora asked.
"If there were, then…" Hanish began.
"Then vampires would be left with nothing to feed on," Zephyr said.
"I would assume that the formula would be different for animals," Flora said.
"Let's leave that for another time," Zephyr said. "Our primary concern right now is humanity. We'll think about animals later—and starving vampires off the face of the earth."
"Well, I suppose it's time to start conducting some animal trials," Flora said.
"Where can we find a few hundred rats?" Zephyr asked.
"I'll have to drive up to the university and ask for access to their laboratories to conduct animal experiments," Flora said. "We can get the use of the labs and the resources if we pay for it."
"I can't think of a better use for our gold hoard than completing our mission here on Earth," Hanish said.
"All right, then," Flora said. "Zephyr, if you and Cato will come with me, then we can begin working on the experiments that will allow us to get access to human subjects."
"You can stay with us if you like," Krista offered. "We've moved into a six-bedroom house on Mercer Island. There should be room for everyone."
"That sounds like a good idea," Flora said.
"I'm contacting Cato now," Zephyr said. "He's asking if Penelope and the baby can come."
"Yes, of course. There will be room for everyone. Our house is huge," Krista said, rubbing her round stomach. "Plus, it will get me more baby time with Effie. And maybe the guys can get a little practice."
"Cato says that they will be ready in half an hour," Zephyr said.
With that settled, Flora and Zephyr drove to the Flame house and picked up Cato, Penelope, and the baby, along with their luggage. They met Krista and her guys at her massive mansion on Mercer Island. Flora was about to tell them that she and Raiden could just stay at her condo, but she knew that having the extra time to brainstorm with Zephyr, Cato, and Yuki all in the same house after their work in the lab would be beneficial. She didn't want to get in Krista's hair, but at least she would be one other woman around to help out with a brand-new baby and a nine-months-pregnant woman in a house full of men.
They put their baggage in their room, and Flora, Zephyr, and Cato made their way to the university. Walking through the grounds of her alma mater as the fall leaves twirled in the air brought back so many good memories. She felt the swell of pride at returning to this place and having accomplished so much since receiving her doctorate only a month before.
They walked into the genetic biology lab and were greeted by the laboratory administrator, Dr. Amelia Barker. Her eyes sparkled when she saw Flora, and a smile crossed her face.
"Flora, it's so good to see you," she said as their group approached the front desk. "What brings you when to the lab today?"
"We would like to conduct some animal trials on an experimental vaccine we're creating. Is there a lab available at this time?"
"There is. You can have lab 3B. It should have all of the equipment you would need to run an experiment like that. Who is your sponsor?"
"I have private funding from the Storm Foundation and the Dragon Foundation."
"Who will be involved?" Dr. Barker asked. “You will need access passes for the lab."
"Only me and my two associates," Flora said. "This is Dr. Zephyr Storm and Dr. Cato Flame."
"If you'll just give me your IDs, I'll get passes made for you," Amelia said.
Zephyr and Cato handed over their IDs, and Amelia came back a few minutes later with lanyards attached to laminated passes. She handed the IDs back to them, and Flora dug her own pass out of her backpack.
"You can get started now if you'd like. If you need access to test subjects, then just fill out the order forms, and the necessary animal subjects should arrive by tomorrow, depending on their availability."
"This study will be done on mice, so there should be plenty of subjects available," Flora said.
"I'll show you where to go." Amelia led them down the hall to the laboratory and scanned her pass over the lock. It buzzed, and she turned the handle on the door. Inside, they found lab equipment with all the necessary tools for their experiment.
"We should get started now," Flora said.
For the rest of the day, the three of them organized their experiment and began writing out the study thesis and methods statement. They placed an order for several hundred mice so they could test their vaccine in several rounds. It would make their experiment more convincing so that they'd be able to move on to human subjects.
"We're going to have to test subjects while following testing protocols—one through blood and one through inhalation," Flora said. "That way, we can ask to have the same with humans. All we're trying to do is prove that it's safe."
When they had completed the first steps of their study and put in an order for their mice, they made their way back to Krista's house, where everyone was having a party. It was the kind of party that was suitable for a new mom and a nine-months-pregnant woman and involved a lot of chocolate, popcorn, foot rubs, and laughter. There were boxes of pizza from the gourmet pizza shop on the island and big pitchers of freshly made lemonade in the refrigerator. The scientists grabbed their pizza and lemonade and sat around the massive living room on the wraparound couches with the rest of the gang, watching a heart-warming movie on the big-screen TV. Penelope rocked her baby in a sling while Ragnar rubbed Krista's feet.
Cato sat down next to Penelope and kissed her cheek. Flora relaxed next to Raiden and took a big bite of sausage, feta cheese, and banana-pepper pizza.
"That one's called the Mount Rainier," Raiden said.
"It's good," Flora said with her mouth full of pizza. "I've had this one before."
"Did you make any progress at the lab today?" Penelope asked.
"We did," Flora said. "We got our lab, started our thesis, and ordered our mice. Tomorrow, the mice should arrive, and we can begin the testing in earnest. Hopefully, it will only take a few days."
When the pizza was finished and the movie was over, everyone went off to bed early, and Flora and Raiden shared a guest bedroom on the second floor, overlooking the lake, at the back of the house.
"Krista has a beautiful home," Flora said before closing the curtains.
"Yuki has put a shield around the place. It's really quite ingenious."
"Krista is a lucky woman to have three dragons of her own."
"Do you wish you had three dragons?" Raiden asked, kissing her cheek.
"I only wish I had you."
"The feeling is mutual," he said with a growl.
Chapter 20
"Come here, my beautiful little scientist," Raiden said, wrapping his arms around her and grasping her neck. He held her from behind, brushing her hair over her shoulder. He kissed her neck, nibbling and licking at the place where he had sunk his teeth just a few days before.
She quivered with excitement as he ran his tongue up the sensitive skin behind her ear and nibbled her earlobes. His hands roamed her body, cupping her breast and dipping between her legs. She gushed with desire, panting with need. Their yearning for each other built and flowed between them. There was so much love and arousal palpitating in the air that it was like the heartbeat of a living thing. They became one body, one mind, like wild animals full of primal need.
Raiden pulled her nightgown up around her hips and slid a hand between her legs as the other kneaded her breast. He kissed her from behind, his erection pressing the cleft between her ass cheeks. He felt the roiling heat of passion building inside him as he touched her. This bond betwee
n him and his mate was the most exquisite experience he had ever felt.
His mind couldn't fully absorb it even now, after they'd been together more than a few times. His fingers touched her swollen wetness, seeking out her pleasure. He knew just how to touch her and just how she felt. She gasped as his fingers twirled on her pleasure bud then slipped inside her. With his fingers deep in her core, he rubbed her with the base of his palm, and she slid back and forth on his grip. He tweaked her nipples, sensing exactly how much pressure would give her the most excitement. He could feel the building need pushing her toward climax.
He could barely stand it. He sank down to his knees and seated her in a chair, pushing her legs open and over the sides of the armrests. He found her hot desire with his tongue and slipped his fingers deep in her channel. Flora gave a full-bodied bellow as the pressure released. Her body clenched around his fingers. It was so beautiful and perfect that he couldn't stop.
He pumped into her, holding her open as he licked her clit while thrusting his fingers deeper and harder. She ran her fingers through his hair as her body released and climaxed over and over for him.
Flora growled at him and pushed him away playfully with her foot. He fell down on the floor, and she crawled over him like a prowling panther. She sank between his legs, taking his full erection in her mouth, then sucked, sliding her velvety-hot mouth up and down over his cock with intense, glorious suction.
He gathered her hair in his fist, moving deeper into her mouth as his hips rocked underneath her. Raiden growled and relented to her need, their desires mingling like a violently loud tone that allowed no other sound or thought inside the mind. She crawled over him, looking into his eyes as she lowered herself down onto his cock. Pressing her hands to his chest, she enveloped him in silky darkness. He closed his eyes, the need almost too much. Gripping her hips, he moved with her, riding the wave of throbbing desire as he slid in and out of her pulsing core.
She held him there as she drank in the pleasure, her long hair tumbling around her shoulders, her breasts bouncing, her nipples erect, and her head tilted back in her eyes closed. Her lips were parted in pure ecstasy. She was so beautiful. He needed to feel her in the deepest place. As her orgasm rained down on both of them, he flipped her over on all fours, took a fistful of her hair, and slipped inside her from behind.
Raiden: House of Storms: Dragon Guardians Book 7 Page 10