Caleb nodded, serious, and my heart started tripping around my rib cage again.
“If that’s the case, what makes you think they’ll help us? And don’t forget, the creeps at the compound already took down one dragon, so they’ve got some serious firepower of their own.”
After a brief pause, Laurent spoke. “We’re aware. But it was one dragon, and one who lived more as human than dragon. What we plan on bringing is an entire legion who haven’t been human in centuries. With them, the witches, and you, we have enough.”
Me? Between witches and dragons, how did I fit in? “Uhh… what do you mean, me? I mean, I can probably get you back to their dirty lab, but what else can I do?”
“You’re the bait,” Anjelica said.
“Again?” I protested.
She nodded. “But for the dragons this time.”
“What?!”
Laurent put his hand on my arm. “It will be all right, Marti. We’ll be there with you. We just need you to draw them out so that we can talk to them.”
“What do you mean?”
“They will smell Clara on you, as well as your honesty. And they won’t hurt children—“
“But I’m not a child!”
“To them you are. You are still young, small and untouched.”
“Untouched?”
Caleb and Anjelica suddenly looked away and I got that sinking pit in the stomach feeling as Laurent nodded.
“Still a virgin,” he said matter-of-factly. “They don’t harm children or virgins.”
Face hot, I shook my head and stepped back. “How do you know? And what has that go to do with anything, anyway?”
The three of them looked at each other, as if trying to decide what to say.
“Well?” I insisted.
“I checked while you were changing clothes at Midnight Ink,” Anjelica confessed.
“How could you possibly—” My voice sounded a little screechy even to my own ears.
She squared her shoulders, and looked me in the eyes. “I got a little of your fur when we brought you in.”
I glared at her as I remembered feeling the pinch as they pulled me up then dropped me into the shop. “What did you do with it?”
“Just a quick spell—”
“No. The fur. Where’s the rest of it?”
She at least had the grace to look embarrassed. “We used some for the cloaking spell. I’ve kept a little in case we have to spell you again—”
“Give it to me.”
“It’s for your protection.”
I held out my hand. “Give it to me. Now.”
Caleb cleared his throat. “We really do need it for your protection, Marti.”
“I don’t care. I feel violated enough.”
He took in a sharp breath then released it in a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. But please, let us do this to help you.”
Maybe it was embarrassment, or my nerves, or just a delayed reaction to everything that had happened, but my control snapped.
“You’re only helping yourselves! You’re just using me. You don’t give a damn about what happens to me,” I swept out my hand, pointing at the three of them. “You just want me to be your bait and if I get killed along the way, then ‘oh, well, she’s expendable’, right?”
“That is not right,” Laurent said in a voice so grim with authority it stopped my tirade in its tracks. He stalked over and put his hands on my shoulders and looked down at me from his great height.
“We care very much about what happens to each of our own.” His fingers tightened. “And you are one of our own, whether you accept that or not.”
I blinked hard against the tears that sprung to my eyes as I looked back into his turquoise gaze and saw truth there. He startled me by pulling me close and I froze for a second before the waterworks broke free, and I just stood there sobbing against his chest while he held me.
I was only dimly aware of Caleb and Anjelica leaving the barn and have no idea how long I cried. It felt like eternity.
Little by little the world began to intrude: The leather and cologne smell of Laurent’s coat, the metal button pressing against my cheek, and the musty hay scent of the barn, brought me back to myself.
I sniffled and started to draw back and he released me. “Thanks,” I murmured, unable to look at him.
He cupped a hand under my chin and gently forced me to meet his gaze. “That’s what friends are for. You are not alone anymore, Maritza. In reality, you never were. I’m just sorry we’ve had to meet under these circumstances.”
Overwhelmed and uncomfortable, I just muttered another thanks and looked away but not before I saw him smile.
He ruffled my hair. “You’ll be all right, kid. Trust me.”
And somehow, I did.
By the time we’d caught up to Anjelica and Caleb in the woods, I was under control again. I refused to let myself be embarrassed by my outburst—well, at least, refused to show it—and met their eyes square on when we got there.
“So, tell me how I’m supposed to be dragon bait.”
A while later I was deep in the woods, my face scrubbed clean, hands shivering from fear and cold. The others were a good hundred feet back—far enough to make me seem alone, but close enough to use their super speed to get to me, if needed.
Twigs snapped and my booted feet sunk into the mud leftover from the recent snow melt as I made my way closer to what the others assured me was the entrance to a hidden cave. I was award of every sound, every dislodged pebble as I made no effort to be quiet—we wanted them to hear, and smell, me coming.
I was about four feet from the entrance when I felt a whoosh of air and a young man landed in front of me with a soft thud.
A squeaking sound escaped my throat and I backpedaled quickly. I hadn’t seen or heard him coming. I wanted to look above to see if others were going to drop out of the air, but didn’t dare move my eyes away from his.
Swirls of neon green and yellow around vertical-slitted pupils told me this was no regular human. Reminding myself that the others were nearby—god, I hoped they were still nearby—I tried to will my heartbeat into a steadier rhythm.
The guy looked to be a few years older than me—maybe around the same age as Toshio, Caleb, and Cass. Like nineteen or twenty-something.
Silky looking black hair was pulled away from his lean face and tied with a leather strip that held a number of metal and jeweled beads. Those strange but beautiful eyes sat above razor sharp cheekbones that contrasted with a rather soft looking mouth, but all in all, it was a face I didn’t think anyone could easily look away from.
I couldn’t.
I shivered as he cocked his head and blinked, a third eyelid quickly swiping across his eyes.
“You are brave to come here, wolf, even with the others nearby,” he said. His voice was deep, raspy as if he didn’t speak often.
He moved closer and the hairs stood on my arms as he sniffed at me. I stood, frozen, unable to move even without the Laurent’s warning still ringing in my head to show no fear, no matter what. They’d said the dragons in this area didn’t shift—Clara the half-dragon being an exception—but I was willing to bet my last pair of jeans that this was one who had.
He circled around, moving behind me and I twisted my head to watch as far as I could, yet didn’t change my stance.
But when he put his nose at the back of my neck, causing all the tiny hairs to rise, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Forgetting what Laurent had said, I whirled around. “What are you doing?”
He grinned, a terrible smile with nothing human in it. He reached out and my reflexes were no match for his.
We were in the air before I could even process how it happened.
As the roar of pounding, leathery wings dulled my hearing, I could see Laurent, Caleb and Anjelica shouting as I dangled above them, caught in the dragon’s claws as we flew away. Just before the trees blocked my view, I saw Caleb raise his arms, as if to cast a spell, then Laurent and Anjelica pulled
him back.
Gee, thanks guys.
Chapter Thirteen
I squeezed my eyes shut and hung on for dear life to the massive claws surrounding me, not sure if I’d ever been more terrified, and this following a couple of weeks of terrifying encounters. I didn’t really care for heights under normal circumstances, but this….
As the cold air cut froze the moisture on my face from where my eyes and nose had both started running, I had a sudden impulse to just let go. After all, the Awakened could track me now and there was nothing that I, or anyone else, could do about it. Even if I found my dad, even if I rescued Toshio and the gang, I couldn’t stay with them.
I was a danger to everyone I came in contact with.
Experimenting, I tried to lift a finger from the claw I held in a death grip.
I nearly did fall from surprise when a deep voice rumbled in my head, ‘Don’t even think about it.’
Before I even had time to process the weirdness of that, we suddenly twisted, hard, to the left and began a swift descent toward a wall of rock. A screaming wail left my mouth that continued as the claws that held me tightened and pulled me closer to the powerful underbelly of the beast as we shot like a bullet into a dark, dark cave that opened before us.
We twisted and rolled across the cavern, the sound of wings scraping rock accompanied our graceless landing. I was still tucked close against the heaving chest of the dragon who lay on its back, barbed tail flicking powerfully to and fro against the cave, dislodging bits of rock and dust.
We stayed like that, breathing heavily for several moments, before I was suddenly thrust aside to land on my rear end as the dragon twisted, a rumbling moan heaving through its chest. It turned its head toward an opening behind us and let out a roar accompanied by fire that shot down the other side of the cave.
I skittered back, still on my butt, feet scrambling against the cold cave floor when that head turned toward me. Yellow-green eyes now the size of grapefruits focused on my face. I kept scooting backwards until my back hit hard rock.
Tendrils of smoke drifted from the long narrow snout and from between the three inch long fangs that were getting closer to me. A smell, not unlike that of kerosene soaked charcoal, mingled with the scent of smoke and something charred. I assumed it was burnt rock.
I hoped it was burnt rock.
Those great neon bright eyes blinked, and if a dragon could look surprised, then I’d say this one did.
I blinked back. “Fuck.”
It—He!, a voice insisted in my head—chuffed out a sound that could have been a cough or laughter, followed by what was clearly a moan then moved back.
Trembling, I tried to stand. It appeared injured.
I’m injured. I am not an it.
Oh, shit. There went that freaky head talk again. I thought the telepathy thing only happened when we were shifted, not when one was human?
Dragons are different. And you’re welcome, by the way. If not for me, you’d be the one here torn from the rocks.
My mouth dropped open as my brain disengaged. “Look, buddy. You kidnapped me. I didn’t ask you to bring me here, so don’t try to put this on me.”
My sudden bravery came to a screeching halt when those eyes narrowed on me. For a reptile, that face was pretty expressive, and I’d just yelled at one pissed off dragon.
It—he—rose up again and stalked toward me, tail twitching like an angry cat.
I screamed as that huge maw opened and a roar echoed against the cave walls, the booming sound ricocheting off my bones. I tried to run toward another opening at the back of the cave. It was dark and I had no idea what might be lurking back there, but I didn’t care. I was too scared by what was behind me to worry about what might be waiting in the dark.
I didn’t get far before being snatched back by those huge claws. He shook me in the air a few times before the words in my head began to make sense.
Stop running! You will trigger my chase instinct and trust me, I don’t think you’ll like that.
I stopped struggling the moment the enormity of those words settled in.
I was a wolf. I knew what happened at the end of the chase.
That’s right. A rumbling chuckle accompanied the words being sent straight through my skull.
And that just pissed me off again.
STAY OUT OF MY HEAD, I mentally shouted.
My feet hit the floor with a thud as I was unceremoniously dropped. I whirled around, opened my mouth to yell at him again for real this time but no sound came out.
The dragon was gone. In its place stood the human-like male from before. Still frightening, and strangely beautiful.
And completely naked.
“Oh, god.” I whirled back around and shut my eyes. I’d somehow forgotten for a moment that he was a shifter, and just what that meant. I really hoped he hadn’t accidentally incinerated his only clothes earlier with that fire display.
I heard that rumbling chuckle again, but this time with my ears, and not in my head. My hands fisted and it was all I could not to turn and hit him.
“I wouldn’t recommend it.”
Damn it.
I turned around anyway. “I told you to stay out of my head!”
“Eesh, you’re loud. And I’d stay out of your head if you’d quit blasting your thoughts so forcefully. Learn to control yourself.”
Did he really just take that tone with me? “Control myself? Why, you…you…” I sputtered, losing whatever I’d been about to say as he put his hands on his hips, drawing my eyes there. “Put some clothes on!”
That freaky three-lid blink was the only response I got before I turned my back on him again. I rubbed my arms, feeling strangely guilty when his hurt confusion drifted through me.
“It’s cold in here,” I muttered.
I actually felt his mind clear and it was unnerving. Nobody had warned me about this psychic connection thing dragons had. I wondered if they deliberately withheld that information.
“Perhaps. Though I don’t understand why you wouldn’t have known.”
Okay, this was really annoying. I turned around quickly. “I wouldn’t have known because I only found out recently that dragons exist. And as I said, put some clothes on!”
“But I’m not cold. If you are, I can warm you.”
I didn’t want to think about that.
He cocked his head, looking at me as if I were a strange creature he was trying to understand.
Guess we had something in common.
“Please,” I mumbled. “It would just make me feel more comfortable.”
He straightened as if realization had dawned and flashed a smile of reassurance so beautiful my mind went blank for a moment. “Don’t worry, my shy one,” he said. “I won’t take you until our wedding night.”
Any reassurance I’d felt from his smile was obliterated by his cheerful words.
Wedding night?
He looked puzzled again. “Of course. Why else are you here?” he answered my unspoken question.
Lucky I wasn’t taking a drink of anything just then. It would have shot right out my nose. As it was, I sputtered and stuttered for several seconds.
Still coughing, I hacked out, “What the heck are you talking about?”
Once more he gave me that curious head tilt as if I’d said something strange.
A tiny frown formed between his black brows. “Have the females of your pack not told you what happens, then?”
I shook my head, backing up until I hit the cave wall, my arms crossed tightly. “No one said a word about any ‘wedding night’.”
A swift arrow of anger shot through me at his look of shock.
Did Anjelica forget to tell me something? Did Caleb and Laurent conveniently leave out some crucial details when they sent me on a dragon quest?
I closed my eyes. Was this possibly the world’s worst Snipe hunt?
I inhaled deeply before speaking very slowly. “What were they supposed to have told me?”
&n
bsp; Chapter Fourteen
“You think I am here to be your what?” I yelled after he’d finished explaining.
He sighed, not appreciating all the decibels. I had to admit, this cave of his had great acoustics.
“Mate, my little wolf, as in chosen to spend your life with me.”
We’d been over this but my head was still spinning.
Those mutts were so dead for neglecting to mention this to me. Like being a blushing bride for a fricking dragon was something that can just slip your mind.
Could you please stop screaming?
“Stay out of my head, dragon boy.”
I shut my eyes again. They kept popping open with each of his outrageous claims, treating me to a view of his naked body every time, before I remembered to keep them shut.
I wanted to pace around, figure out my next move but, remembering what happened last time, I stayed put.
“And listen to me closely. I am not here to be your mate.” I wanted to open my eyes so my delivery would be in sync with a facial expression, but he was still refusing to put on clothes.
As I heard footsteps, I chanced opening one eye then closed it quickly when I was gifted with a view of his very sculpted behind bending over a trunk I hadn’t noticed.
“And I will never be your mate,” I insisted as I heard the sound of cloth being shaken. After a few seconds, I turned around and opened my eyes once more, relieved to see he was partially clothed. His back was to me, and he hadn’t put on a shirt, but this was better than nothing. Way better.
He turned and caught me staring.
I felt myself blush when he cocked his head again like I was being ridiculous.
“Then why are you here?” he asked.
My tongue tied for a second as I took in the sight of him, bare-chested and in well-fitting jeans. How was it that some guys could just slay you with a pair of jeans?
“Speak,” he ordered, stepping in front of me.
“My friends are in trouble and I need your help to save them from the Awakened,” I blurted out in one breath.
A quirked eyebrow was the only response he had.
Gee, he must be great at poker. If dragons even played poker.
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