by Lia Davis
Owen chased Huff, streaking above the treetops, their shadows shooting across the sunlit lake. Owen spread his massive wings and sailed toward Huff, and Huff dodged and flew over the water. Owen followed, weaving in and out and around the trees, then heading into the open air above the lake. Huff flew low, his tail trailing in the water and sending up a large splash. Owen ducked through the waves, the water sliding off his scales and cooling him.
Gods, it was good to be a dragon. He growled and flexed his wings as he soared. He gnashed his teeth and looked to the side. His team almost kept up with him. He was one of the fastest dragons on DSD, and the others were always trying to outfly him. Dylan was the farthest behind, but his expertise was in getting through water quickly, not air.
He would lose a swimming contest against the lean dragon.
They wouldn’t catch him. Not this time. He’d take the next strike at Huff. If Snow could get close enough, his ice could knock the bastard out of the sky. But Owen would burn Huff first. Make him suffer.
Snow and Anders flanked him. Snow gleamed pure white in the bright sun. His birthmark, a single golden scale on his shoulder, flashed as he bobbed and rode the air. Crystal-like spikes lined his back and tail in a jagged line, casting the sunshine into prismatic rainbows. Snow, an ice dragon, was imposing—smaller than Owen, but just as deadly.
With a low shriek, Huff flew low into a glade of trees on the west bank of the lake, disappearing into the greenery. Owen stretched his neck and sped up, afraid of losing the trail, even though he knew they had Huff outnumbered many dragons to one. He wasn’t going to get away.
Stationed in other areas, circling the lake, were many other team members—a true ring of fire assuring that Huff wouldn’t escape. They had him trapped. Owen’s heart filled. Finally, revenge for Jo.
Owen tucked his wings closer as he glided between the trees, easily maneuvering around the trunks and limbs that would stop a less-agile dragon. The deep smell of earth and late summer flowers was overpowered by the scent of evil on the run.
Huff.
He wasn’t that far ahead, but Owen couldn’t shoot flames at him while they were in the trees. He’d start a forest fire that would risk the humans nearby, then the council would be pissed off at him. No, he needed to wait till Huff climbed into the sky again, clear and in his sights.
Then, he’d burn his ass.
Snow and Anders sailed above the treetops. He could hear their wings beating in the air as they swooped and glided, watching and waiting for Huff to emerge from the tree canopy.
Anders was a smaller dragon with a purplish hue and a long, thin tail that was kinked at the end from a fight a year ago. He’d almost been killed in that operation, yet he’d helped get the rogue. Owen smiled a dragon smile. Anders was going to be a great soldier and detective. Smart and strong, he’d come into his own since the fight. He’d learned a lot, and DSD had given him more responsibilities than he’d had before.
He hated Huff as much as the rest of them did, having seen how Huff almost destroyed the team when he killed Jo.
Huff swung around a large oak and went straight up out of the trees into the clear air above. Whether he was making a run to escape or turning to fight, Owen wasn’t sure. He wasn’t getting out of his sights, though.
Owen changed course, narrowly dodging a pine and sending a shower of pinecones to the ground as he flew up out of the forest. Huff was high, almost to the clouds, and streaking through the sky at a speed Owen had never seen from him before.
He glanced left and right. Snow and Anders were directly behind him. Snow’s eyes were mere slits—he was pissed. If they had to fly all day until Huff tired out and landed, then that’s what they would do.
This was Huff’s last stand.
Owen’s rage at the thought of his lifeless sister, and Huff’s laughter about it bubbled in his gut and boiled over, sending every muscle into a state of hyperstrength. He shot forward, closing in on Huff like an anger-fueled rocket.
Just one solid blast would do it, and it would feel so good. Owen shot out a small stream of fire. A warm up.
Huff weaved and dove in the clouds, and Owen followed. Sucking in a breath, he released it, shooting toward Huff. The flames covered the rogue, making him lose speed for a moment. Then he dashed off again, nosediving for the lake, his tail still flaming, the odor of burnt meat singeing the air.
Owen and the others followed. What the hell was Huff doing?
His wings close to his body, Huff, his profile sleek, broke through the surface, diving deep and sending up a large splash. Owen blinked, crashing into the lake at a higher speed than he should’ve. He broke the water with his face, and the impact hurt like hell. But he didn’t stop.
Huff wouldn’t escape underwater, either. Dragons could swim and hold their breath a long time. He’d find the bastard.
Besides, Dylan was around somewhere.
Splashes and a fountain of bubbles entered nearby. Snow and Anders joined him. The white dragon shot through the dark water like a torpedo. Anders followed, a bit slower but swimming like a champ. Owen spotted Huff ahead, slowing in the murky lake. None of them could use their elemental powers in the water. He’d have to catch up to Huff and wrestle him to land.
Huff moved to the surface, paddling and kicking, his tail spinning to propel him forward. Owen followed, his lungs beginning to burn from exertion and holding his breath. They left the water at the same time, Snow and Anders right behind them, their wet scales glistening.
Owen shot another burst of flames, hitting Huff in the lower back. The odor of burnt flesh filled the air and fueled Owen’s anger even more. Huff was not invincible.
Make him suffer. Like he made Jo suffer. Owen roared and gnashed his teeth. He wanted to tear the muscles away from Huff’s bones and spit them out. He pushed another flame toward Huff, but Huff dodged to the left. Anders shot his fireball at Huff, and it glanced off his shoulder in a blue ball of flame. Huff yowled and shook, losing his flying balance and flapping his wings furiously to stay in the air.
Time to go in for the kill. Owen screamed the dragon roar that indicated the three of them should position themselves around Huff in a triangle. While he was dazed, they could surround him, then take him out for good.
Snow moved to the west and Anders flapped to his position east of Huff. Owen hung back, then surged to catch up as the three DSD dragons closed in on the serial killer. The bastard. Huff sent a blast of green fire toward Anders but missed as Anders dropped altitude quickly, responding with another set of blue fireballs, hitting Huff in the underbelly.
Owen flew as close to Huff as he could and shot a strong burst of fire at Huff, singing the spikes off his back and causing Huff to recoil in pain, a dragon scream echoing off the water. Just as Owen was about to flame him again, Snow swooped in and blasted him with ice—his elemental power—freezing Huff solid momentarily. A direct and perfect hit. The rogue fell out of the sky, spinning clockwise and rushing toward the ground at a great speed. Owen and his team hovered in the air, watching as Huff’s frozen body hit, bouncing once in a field of tall grass then not moving.
Luckily, there were no houses or humans to witness a large dragon falling out of the sky. The people at the end of summer party were hopefully drunk enough that they didn’t really believe what they saw when the dragons lifted off outside the farmhouse.
Owen and his team touched down, shifting back to human while willing their clothes on at the same time.
Was Huff dead? He was still. They approached the dragon cautiously. No movement at all. Then his body changed, morphing into his human form. Lying naked in the middle of a sunlit field, Huff didn’t look like the notorious killer he was. He was broken and battered, his back blackened with burns and his hair mostly burnt off.
Small.
“Owen,” Huff whispered, not opening his eyes.
Owen started toward the psycho, his hands in fists.
Snow caught him by the arm. “What if it’s a trick?”
Owen shook his head. “I don’t think so. Besides, I’ve been wanting to have a word with this bastard for a long time.” He pulled away from Snow and moved close enough to Huff that he could see the ragged rise and fall of his chest.
On his side and bleeding from many open wounds, Huff was pathetic. Owen almost pitied the murderer—for a second. Then he thought of what he’d done to Jo, Sage, and the other women. Huff deserved all of this. He’d asked for it when he kidnapped and murdered innocent women.
No amount of pain was too much for Huff. Owen growled. Even seeing that Huff had two obviously broken legs and what appeared to be broken ribs jutting from his abdomen didn’t make Owen feel much pity for him.
The man and his dragon deserved to suffer.
“Owen,” Huff repeated, barely forming the words, his eyes closed.
Owen leaned closer. Huff’s foul breath came in bursts now as he struggled to breathe. Gurgling noises sounded like blood was filling his lungs. Internal injuries from the fall, most likely. He opened his golden eyes for a second and stared right into Huff’s.
“I’m not sorry.” He blinked. “Jo was mine.”
“You bastard.”
Huff smiled.
Owen’s vision turned red, and he reared back to beat the life out of Owen, but he’d stopped breathing with that smile and his head lolled to the side.
Liam Huff was dead.
He’d walk with the underground dragons now, suffering daily for his crimes. It wasn’t enough.
Owen stood, his arms to the sky. The sun burned above him like a beacon, and he wanted to fly to it—escape forever. A long scream blasted from him, one filled with pain, loss, and guilt. A scream for Jo. A scream for Courtney and Snow. A scream for himself. A scream for Sage and her sister, Nadia. His dragon joined in until Owen collapsed.
As much as he wanted to run away, he couldn’t leave his mate.
It was time for healing.
11
Snow clasped his shoulder. “Go be with your mate.”
Owen gave a short nod but stared at Liam Huff’s remains lying in the grass. He wiped his eyes as sweat dampened his skin. It was over. Jo could finally rest in peace, even if the fucker hadn’t apologized.
His heart slowed and he tried taking deep breaths to relax.
Anders nudged him. “Go, man. We got the cleanup.”
“Thank you.” He looked around. “Thank all of you for what you’ve done.”
“We all loved JoAnna,” Snow said. “I don’t know how I’ll go on now. My one reason to live was to avenge her death. Now what?”
“We’ll figure it out.”
With slow steps, he made his way back to the farmhouse and his truck. He took long breaths of the air. Somehow, it felt cleaner in his lungs. His shoulders relaxed and he massaged his neck. Huff was dead. It was finally sinking in. No more nightmares or worries about the horrible dragon. The human females he’d killed would go down as unsolved cases, but for DSD, this one was in the books. He smiled and pulled out his cell. A text message from Courtney popped up onscreen.
Mate! Was she okay? How the hell would he handle this one? Would she ever talk to him again?
At Mercy Hospital. Sage is resting. Your mate is in shock. Hurry.
Owen sighed. This wasn’t good.
He replied: On my way. Huff has been exterminated.
The ride to the hospital was the longest of his life. He had no idea how Nadia would react to him. His damn dragon had been quiet the whole way. Maybe it was resting from the fire, but he suspected it had more to do with the fact it was worried, too. If their mate rejected them… Well, what would he do?
As stubborn as Nadia could be, he might never convince her he wasn’t a monster—convince her how much he loved her. Didn’t dragons hold a mystery that most women loved? He sure hoped so. He’d barely had his mate come into his life—she couldn’t leave already.
He parked in the visitor’s parking lot, snagged a ticket, and stuck it in his visor. He had no idea how long he’d be at the hospital. He hated the place, but he’d stay as long as he was needed and wanted.
Not since Jo had been held hostage had he felt so helpless. His fate was not his own. His happiness solely depended on Nadia. He hopped out of the truck and locked it, pocketing the keys.
Only one way to find out. No one had ever accused him of not facing his issues. He stopped at the information desk and got Sage’s room number. He noted how the receptionist stared at him—he looked like he’d been in a brawl.
He had.
The corridor to Sage’s room was eerily quiet, as if the hospital staff had closed it off. No one passed him in the hallway, and he didn’t see other patients being wheeled about. There it was.
Room 416.
He peered in the doorway of Sage’s room. Sage lay in the bed, hooked up to basic monitoring. Courtney spotted him and rose to meet him.
“The doctors want to keep Sage overnight for observation.” She kept her voice low. “Huff gave her a sedative, not enough to do real damage, but enough to make her loopy and compliant. I would have liked to beat the fuck out of Huff before you guys killed him.”
“Huff had a hard time flying with frozen wings. He crashed hard.”
Courtney snorted. “Too quick of a death. I wanted him to suffer—a lot.”
“I agree. Not enough pain, though he was pretty broken when I talked to him.” Owen leaned against the corridor wall. “I almost can’t believe he’s gone.”
“What? What did he say?” Courtney’s eyes widened and she crossed her arms.
“Not much. He didn’t apologize. In fact, he said he wasn’t sorry.” Owen glanced down the long hallway. Liam Huff was dead. How long would it take to process the fact that his sole reason for living since Jo was murdered now lay dead himself?
“Asshole to the end.” Courtney shook her head. “I shouldn’t have expected any different.”
“Did you?”
“No. Not really. Though it’s difficult to believe that some dragons can be so cruel. I’m glad he’s gone.”
“Good riddance.”
“Agreed.” She lightly punched him in the shoulder. “Go answer your mate’s questions. She’s totally in shock. And go slow with her. She’s had a lot dumped on her in the last twenty-four hours.”
No shit. He took a breath and exhaled before entering the room. Here goes nothing.
Nadia lifted her head and met his gaze. A frown tugged at her lips, and she drew her brows together. Her strawberry-blond hair was tousled, like she’d been running her fingers through it with worry. She didn’t speak, just turned her attention back on her sister.
Owen stood inside the door. At least he didn’t smell fear on her. He wondered how much Courtney had told her.
“Sage is going to be okay.” She spoke without looking at him.
“Thank the gods.”
The beeping monitors made the room feel smaller. He waited for Nadia to speak, but she didn’t look at him.
There was a long silence before Owen spoke. “Huff is dead. He won’t be kidnapping or killing anyone else.”
“That’s good…” She drifted off as if she had another thought but decided not to say it.
He shut the door, then pulled a chair closer to her and sat. “I know you have questions.”
She shook her head. “I don’t even know where to start.” Nadia paused, and he forced himself to be patient. Finally, she asked, “Courtney said I was your mate. What does that mean, exactly?”
His dragon hopped up at her mention of mate. Owen hushed him. How the hell would he explain this to a human? Especially one who’d just been through what was likely the most harrowing time of her life. He had to tell her what would seem to be the most preposterous thing she’d ever heard and then hope she didn’t throw things at him as he ran from the room.
Where to start? “Dragons usually only have one mate in a lifetime. When we meet, it’s instant attraction and hard to stay away.” He held out his hand. “It’s how I’ve
felt since I met you.”
She glanced at his hand but didn’t take it. “I don’t know you. Yeah, I was falling for you. Things felt different—deeper. Even though I’d only known you a short time, I felt like everything was meant to be. Then you shifted into a dragon… That is a little hard to process. I don’t even know what is real anymore. I don’t know how to handle all this.”
“But you’re not as fearful as you were when you left the farmhouse. I sense it. And yes, the concept of mates means we are meant to be together. I’m so glad you feel the mating pull. It’s not always evident in humans. We dragons feel it fiercely, and it’s why I was so clingy.”
“I wouldn’t say you were clingy. Bossy, maybe.” She sighed and leaned back in her chair, picking at the edge of the armrest. “Courtney explained a few things. She said you work for your dragon council. You’re part of their defense department.”
He nodded. “Each team is assembled based on their talents. My team has been together for a while. Jo was still in training when Huff abducted her.”
Nadia lifted her gaze to his. “It’s easier to think of you as the good guys.”
“We are the good guys. Every species has good guys and bad.” He paused, then added, “I couldn’t tell you the truth when we met. We’re bound to secrecy unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
“Some people destroy things they don’t understand.”
“It would be dangerous for humans to know about dragons. They’d likely try to capture us or hunt us to extinction. Or we’d end up going to war, which would mean a lot of innocent people dying.”
“Yeah. But where does that leave us, Owen? A dragon and a human? I’m not sure how that even works.”
“Nadia, I can’t just leave. My dragon is part of me, like a second soul living inside me. We’re a package deal.” He studied her profile as she averted her gaze. “We need our mate. We can’t ever find another as long as you’re alive.”
She jerked her gaze, and he realized his words had come out wrong. He stood and moved closer, then framed her face gently in his hands. “That sounded wrong. When I told you I could never hurt you, I meant it. You are mine—mine to love, mine to protect, mine to make happy for the rest of our lives. No matter how long I have to wait.”