Chapter 37
Brekkon
“I told you I’d give you the money, with interest,” I repeated angrily.
“I also need the Healer you helped heal. The one who had the scales,” Talon said.
I scowled at him. How had he learned of that? “Why?”
He grinned. “Let’s just say I have a client who has paid me very well to retrieve her.”
It was then that I knew the Intra officers were also imposters. If they had that information, they wouldn’t need me. “Who wants her?”
“That’s not your concern. Just tell us how we can find her,” Talon said. “Better yet, call the girl and have her meet us here in the courtyard.”
“I don’t know how to reach her. Hell, I don’t even know her name,” I said.
“It’s Ria Phron,” Talon said.
“If you know all of this, surely you can find her yourself,” I replied.
“Somehow I knew you’d be a pain in my ass. Very well. We’ll play your game,” said Talon. He looked at the Intra officer on the right and nodded. The man took a step toward me.
I stiffened up. “Touch me and I’ll kill you,” I growled.
The man grunted. “Give up the girl.”
“What girl?” I replied with a hard smile.
The other Intra officer slammed his gun against the side of my head and the pain brought me to my knees.
“We’re not going to hurt her,” said Talon, circling me. “So, work with us.”
Fighting through the pain, I slowly stood back up. “How about you… work with this,” I mumbled, giving him the finger.
Talon sighed. “Cute. Brotto?”
The other Intra came at me, but this time I was ready. I shifted into a mid-sized Dragon, shredding my clothing in the process, and blew fire close enough to singe the hair on his arms. He screamed and hollered in pain as he rubbed his forearms.
“I told you to watch for that,” said Talon, shaking his head.
Brotto let out a frustrated growl. He raised the segif and aimed it at me. “Asshole, you’re going down!”
“Now wait a minute,” said Talon. “We need him conscious.”
I leaped into the air and flew away from them. Suddenly, Javich was by my side, his copper wings flapping next to mine. Before I could express my relief, both of us were surrounded by a blaze of fire.
Chapter 38
Natalya
I watched as Talon changed into a ferocious-looking onyx Dragon and charged after Brekkon and Javich. Unfortunately, neither were paying attention and were soon engulfed by Talon’s flames.
“No!” I gasped in horror.
Brekkon and Javich were burned but apparently not crippled by the attack. The two separated and flew around Talon to retaliate, but he was faster and managed to avoid getting hit by their flames.
“Well, look who we’ve got here,” said a voice behind me.
I turned around and found the two Intra officers standing there.
“Get her,” said Brotto.
I tried running, but the other man grabbed me around the waist and raised the segif up to my temple.
“Stop moving or you’re dead,” he snapped.
I stopped struggling and the man pulled me away from the boulders and out into the open, catching Brekkon’s eye. He flew down and landed in front of us while Javich and Talon circled each other in the air.
“Let her go,” he growled in his Dragon’s voice.
Brotto glared at him. “Or what? You’ll shoot fire at them? Mattis, just use her as a shield.”
Mattis positioned me so I was in front of him. I made a laughable shield, considering he was about a foot taller than me.
“Go ahead,” I said loudly. “I can heal myself, he can’t.”
“Good point,” said Brekkon. “Say goodbye to your face, asshole.”
Mattis swore and let me go.
I raced over to Brekkon and got behind him.
“You idiot!” Brotto yelled. “He wouldn’t have risked hurting her!”
“How was I supposed to know?” grumbled Mattis.
Talon landed with a loud thud in front of Brekkon. “Give me what I want or I’ll cast a spell on the girl,” he said. “I’ll cause her more pain than fire could ever inflict upon her.”
Javich landed next to Brekkon. “Leave, Talon. Before you never get the chance to again. It’s two against one. You can’t win.”
“I always win,” said Talon. “Especially when there is magic involved.”
“Boss, I think she’s the Healer you’re looking for,” said Brotto.
Talon looked at me and his lips curled up into an evil grin. “Is that so?”
“She’s not the one you’re looking for,” said Brekkon.
“She claimed to be a Healer,” said Mattis.
“Let’s put it to the test then, shall we?” replied Talon.
Before I knew what was happening, he opened his mouth and spewed fire toward us. I dropped down behind Brekkon, but could still feel the stinging heat of the flames.
Brekkon roared angrily and then charged after Talon, knocking him backward. With claws and fangs, they began battling before us, first in the grass and then up in the sky.
Javich placed himself between me and the Intra officers. “Go into the building,” he ordered.
“What about them?” I said, nodding toward the two Intra officers who were whispering to each other.
“I’ll take care of those two,” he replied, opening his mouth. Javich exhaled, blowing a stream of fire in their direction. The two men ran for cover and I sprang toward the building. As I opened the door, a group of six Intra officers came rushing toward me. Leading them was Jacob Sneed. I sighed in relief.
“Is that Talon?” asked Jacob, looking up into the darkened sky.
“Yes. And the silver one is Brekkon. Please… don’t hurt him.”
“Don’t worry, we’ve got the situation covered,” he said, motioning toward the other officers. They rushed outside, their segifs aimed and ready to fire.
“Did my sister call you? Ria?” I asked, watching as Talon’s men were blasted with blue light. They both dropped to the ground.
“Yes and one of the presidents saw what was happening,” Jacob said, pointing up.
I’d forgotten all about the orb in the sky. The one monitoring us.
The Intra turned on Javich, who quickly shifted back to his Human state.
“I’m not with them,” he said, raising his hands in the air.
Seeing that Javich was naked, I turned toward the two Dragons still battling in the sky.
“What should we do?” asked one of the Intra, nodding toward Talon and Brekkon.
“Get them down,” Jacob replied.
I watched in horror as the men turned their guns toward the fighting Dragons and shot into the air. Both Dragons were engulfed in blue light. They dropped down to the grass, unconscious.
“Brekkon!” I cried, running toward him. I got down on my knees and touched the scales on his back, which felt like hardened snake skin.
“He’s just unconscious,” said Jacob, stopping next to me. “He’ll be fine.”
“He fell almost forty feet from the sky,” I replied, glaring at him. I knew Brekkon would survive, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t have pain or broken bones. “You could have warned him before firing.”
“And risked getting charred by Talon? No thanks,” said one of the other Intra, walking over to us. “Speaking of which—what should we do with Talon? He’s still in Dragon form.”
While the two men discussed how to handle the criminals, I closed my eyes and ran my hands over Brekkon’s body, trying to detect any damage caused from the fall. Although I wasn’t familiar with a Dragon’s skeletal system, as far as I could tell, everything seemed to be intact.
“Javich,” I called out. “I need your help.”
He walked over to me and kneeled down next to Brekkon. “How is he?”
“I don’t know. I was goin
g to see what you thought.”
Javich gave me a reassuring smile. “If it’s the fall you’re worried about, Brekkon will fine. As far as his head goes, nobody can help him there. I’ve been trying for years to set him straight.”
Seeing that he was joking, I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness.”
“Excuse me, Javich? We have some questions about Talon,” said one of the Intra officers.
“Okay,” he replied, getting back up. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” I said, placing my hands on Brekkon’s head. I closed my eyes and concentrated on reviving him. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes.
“Where’s Talon?” he asked, standing up quickly.
“Intra has him,” I said, smiling. “He’s still unconscious, so we have nothing to worry about.”
Looking relieved, Brekkon changed back into his Human form.
“Are you okay?” he asked, pulling me to him.
“Yes.” I touched his face, so very grateful that he was alive and safe. “How do you feel?”
“Not bad, considering. My hip feels a little tender.”
“That’s probably from the fall,” I said and then told him how the Intra had blasted him with a segif.
“That makes sense,” he replied. “No wonder why I feel like shit.” He looked around. “Where is Javich?”
I pointed to the naked Shifter who was unabashedly being interviewed by one of the female Intras.
Brekkon smirked and shook his head. “That’s Javich for you. Sometimes I think he just likes shocking people.”
“He’s definitely good at it,” I said.
Brekkon stared down into my eyes. “I don’t know what I would have done if Talon had harmed you.”
“I was so worried about you, too,” I replied.
He touched my face. “All I kept thinking about was that if Talon killed me, I’d never get the chance to tell you just how much I love you.”
My eyes grew misty. “And I never thought I’d get the chance to ask you what your favor color is.”
The look he gave me was priceless. “I just told you I loved you and you’re still wondering about my favorite color?”
I laughed. “I just couldn’t resist teasing you and… I love you, too, Brekkon. But, honestly—what is your favorite color?”
“It used to be blue, but then I met you. You have the most vibrant green eyes I’ve ever seen. How can that not be my favorite color?”
I melted.
He pulled me against his chest “And what is your favorite color? I should probably know if I’m going to put the right kind of gem on your finger.”
“My favorite color is blue, and considering I’m going to be a mother to your children soon, we should probably start getting to know each other more, and not just in bed.”
He pulled away slightly. “What did you just say?” Brekkon asked, his eyes searching mine.
“I’m pregnant,” I said, smiling shyly.
He looked down at my stomach. “But, how? I thought you said we weren’t compatible?”
“Apparently, I was wrong. Healers don’t know everything you know,” I teased.
Brekkon touched my stomach. “Is it safe?”
“I have to believe so,” I said.
He looked worried.
“I’ll be fine,” I replied. “Remember, our offspring won’t just be Dragons. They’ll be Healers, too.”
Brekkon relaxed. “I suppose you’re right.”
I smiled. “You don’t seem too excited about the news.”
Brekkon grinned back at me. “Are you kidding me?! I’m thrilled. I’m just concerned about the pregnancy.”
“Don’t be. We’ll get through this together.”
He pulled me against him again. “We will. I told you before, Natalya, I never want to lose you.”
“You won’t,” I whispered, noticing that Jacob Sneed was walking toward us.
“Here,” he said, handing Brekkon a blanket. “Maybe you can persuade your friend over there to put his clothing back on. We found it over by the boulders.”
Brekkon glanced toward Javich and smiled. “I’ll try, but he’s one of those free-spirited Dragons.”
“Apparently,” said Jacob. “Anyway, we need a statement from the both of you and then you can be on your way.”
“Sounds good,” said Brekkon. “What will happen to Talon?”
“He’ll be taken back to Pinao, where he’ll be charged with a number of different crimes,” replied Jacob.
“Will he go to prison?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m sure he’ll be locked away for a very long time,” Jacob said. “The AS has been looking for him for a while now. I’m just curious as to how he got inside the Complex.”
“Me, too,” replied Brekkon. “And what about those two Intra imposters?”
“They’re citizens,” said Jacob. “Somehow, they were able to steal some of our uniforms.”
“Or, they were given the uniforms by someone working for you,” I replied.
Jacob frowned. “Maybe. We’ll get to the bottom of it somehow.”
“This is the second time we’ve run into Intra imposters,” said Brekkon. “Seems to me you could use a better security system.”
Jacob shrugged. “We actually have a top-notch one. Unfortunately, with this many individuals living inside the Complex, there’s bound to be some security breaches.”
I looked at Brekkon. “At least you don’t have to worry about Talon any longer.”
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” he said.
“What did Talon want with you anyway?” asked Jacob.
“He claimed to be looking for a Healer,” replied Brekkon. “In fact, he wanted your sister, Natalya.”
I stared at him in shock. “Why?”
“He mentioned that someone was paying him to bring Ria back. I wonder if it’s the old man with the pie.”
“Galdor?” I said, an image of the creepy old man flashing through my brain. He was old enough to be our father. It had been bad enough when he’d tried getting fresh with me, but then to ask my sister for marriage. It had really pissed me off.
Brekkon nodded. “He said the man had offered a lot of money. Is Galdor rich?”
“I don’t really know,” I replied.
“What was this about Galdor?” asked Javich, walking over, still buck naked.
I averted my eyes. “Apparently, someone sent Talon here to kidnap Ria—and for a large sum of money. We think it was Galdor.”
Javich growled in the back of his throat. “Over my naked, dead body.”
Brekkon rolled his eyes. “Thanks for that image.”
“Who is Galdor?” Jacob asked, amused.
I explained who he was and how we thought he may have bribed Talon into trying to kidnap her.
“In all honesty, I don’t think there’s anything we can do about Galdor,” said Jacob. “Unless Talon admits that he was paid to retrieve her from the Complex. But, I doubt a guy like him would confess.”
“Is there a way I can send a message to Galdor?” asked Javich, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I’m sure there is,” said Jacob. “What kind of message?”
“He needs to know that she’s engaged to a Dragon. One who’ll be paying him a visit after he leaves the Complex if he tries pulling this shit again,” Javich replied firmly. “Nobody tries stealing my girl.”
Jacob nodded. “Well, I’ll see what I can do.”
“I’d appreciate it,” said Javich.
As the Intra officer walked away, I looked at Javich, and for the first time, was okay with him being engaged to Ria. I was still worried that they were rushing into things, but I knew he’d guard her with his life.
As if reading my mind, he looked at me. “Another reason why Ria needs to move in with me. I know you don’t approve of our relationship, but even you must see that she needs my protection.”
“As long as your love is included with that,” I said smi
ling, “I won’t stand in the way of what the two of you want.”
He relaxed. “Once a copper Dragon falls in love, it’s forever. She will have my protection, my loyalty, and my heart until my last breath. I promise you.”
From the look in his eyes, I knew he was speaking from the heart. “You have my blessing.”
Javich grinned. “I’d hug you right now, but Brekkon probably wouldn’t approve.”
“Probably not,” said Brekkon, putting his arm around me. “By the way, your clothes weren’t ruined like mine so do us all a favor and get dressed.”
Javich winked at me. “Unlike copper Dragons, silver are much more modest. And with reason. We’re bigger in every way.”
I smirked and nodded toward his pelvis. “Especially your imaginations.”
Brekkon threw his head back and laughed.
Chapter 39
Two Years Later
Natalya
“I can tell what the problem is already. You’re pregnant,” I said to Cleo. We were at the clinic and she’d been complaining of an upset stomach.
“What? You’re kidding! I can’t be pregnant,” she replied, looking horrified.
“What did you expect? Having sex with so many individuals, you were bound to get pregnant sometime.”
“I haven’t been sleeping around,” she said. “There is just one in my bed these days.”
I raised my eyebrow. She’d never mentioned anything and we spoke often. “Who?”
“A client of mine.” She smiled humorlessly. “He’ll be happy, though. He’s been asking me to marry him for the past four months.”
“Do you love him?”
She nodded.
“That’s great then, isn’t it?” I answered, smiling at her.
“Not exactly. I love him, but not the idea of children. They frighten me. I mean, look at your three hellions.”
Brekkon and I had ended up having triplets, two boys and a girl. Dante, Oren, and Camille. I had to admit, they were a handful and kept us on our toes, but we loved them dearly.
I pretended to be surprised at the statement. “Whatever do you mean?”
She smirked. “I’ve helped watch them. They get into everything and are always lighting things on fire. I’m sorry, but your kids scare me.”
Blood of Brekkon (The Complex Book 0) Page 14