“Absolutely not,” Tina #3 screeched. The two others voiced their displeasure quite vocally as well.
Puck Flare’s roar was no small thing, and from the sound of it, the Tinas concurred. I could feel the heat and I was outside of the building. The sound of screams and slapping followed. Had he set them on fire? If they stop, drop and roll they’d live, but…
“You have almost outlived your usefulness,” he hissed as the women moaned and whimpered. “What happened to Peter and Paul? You told me to plan a bogus meeting to throw the Sheriff off and now they’re not here when I need them,” he roared.
“They’ll be here,” Tina #2 assured him, sobbing.
“Peter has the formula on him and I need it now,” he said coldly. “This operation will go up in flames, pun intended, if I don’t have their assistance. If something has happened, I will burn this town to ashes and use you three as kindling.”
“Well, that would suck the big one,” Junior whispered in my ear as he slid his hand over my mouth and thankfully trapped my answering scream on its way out.
“Why can’t I smell you?” I whispered as I punched him in the chest.
“Ouch.” He rubbed his pecs and I rolled my eyes. “I added a new compound to the tanner. Completely erases scent. Vamps can’t even detect it.”
He was brilliant, but he was alone.
“Where are the others?”
“We had a little situation at the station.” He grinned and chuckled. His calm amazed me.
“Spill,” I said as I pulled him to a safer spot behind another broken down building.
“Your buddy Dwayne did the mind meld thing and it went a bit awry.”
“Oh god, is he okay?” The thought of losing Dwayne was incomprehensible to me.
“He’s fine. So are Hank and your granny,” he added quickly. “But the Dragons…” He winced and gagged.
“What?”
“They’re not so fine.”
“Define not so fine,” I said.
“They exploded.” He turned a greenish hue and I backed away just in case he felt the need to hurl.
“How in the heck did they explode? Are they dead?” Was this some kind of Dragon trick?
“Oh, they’re dead alright. Dwayne mumbled some Vampyre voodoo and the Dragons’ skin started bubbling and before you could say, Dolly Parton’s built like a brick shit house, they blew up like a freakin’ bomb. Their guts are spread all the way from Main Street to Hangman’s Trail.”
That was a full six blocks. Impossible. I actually felt the need to hurl. I settled for a small gag and attempted to compartmentalize the visual. Also impossible.
“Dwayne did that?”
“Yep. Yep, he did.” Junior shook his head in wonder. “No clue how we’re gonna explain that one to the humans. Lots of community activities coming up; the Watermelon Festival, the Treasure Hunt, the Potato Sack Olympics…It’s a damn mess and smells like hell.”
“Septic,” I muttered. “Tell them city septic exploded.”
“Might work.” He nodded. “Saw the girls. They told me what was happening. Crazy shit. I wanted them to run, but they were having none of it.”
“I know.” I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. “Apparently the Dragons at the meeting in town had the formula on them. I do believe what they’re trying to do is a three Dragon job. If they don’t come back, and clearly that’s not happening, Puck will incinerate the town.”
“Caught that part,” Junior said as he carefully handed me a squirt gun. As I examined it, wondering if he’d lost his mind, he grabbed my wrist and immobilized me. “Shit’s dangerous, Essie.”
“It’s a squirt gun.”
“Yes, Einstein. It’s a squirt gun. A squirt gun that has a liquid in it that will inhibit a shift—stop it completely. The one thing we can’t let happen is to allow a Dragon to shift. None of us stands a chance against a pissed off psychotic flying reptile the size of a football stadium.”
He was correct. Wolves were deadly, but Dragons beat us on size alone…not to mention the fire thing.
“Did we happen to get the formula before Dwayne blew them up?” I asked.
Junior rolled his eyes and grunted. I took that as a no. Did it matter? Dragons were notoriously selfish and greedy—at least that’s what I’d always heard. There was a very good chance each of them had played a specific role and didn’t show their hand even to each other. It would certainly ensure they needed each other. Or to be more precise…wouldn’t kill each other. It would also explain why Puck was so furious they weren’t back yet.
Holy hell, I didn’t want to be around when Dragon Puck found out they’d been turned to goop.
“I need to go in there and douse the Dragon right now,” I said.
“You’re almost correct,” Hank said from behind me. Junior slapped his hand over my mouth and stifled my screaming again for the second time in five minutes. Hank had definitely used the self tanner too. “But I’m sure you meant we. We need to go douse the Dragon and then tear him to shreds.”
I glanced over at the man who made my world right and I grinned. “Yes, I’m sure I meant to say that.”
“What about the she-wolves?” Junior asked.
Hank put his finger to his lips and pointed. The Tinas were making their way back to the holding room where the girls were. Their hair and clothing was singed and they appeared shell shocked and pissed. Crap.
“Junior, go around this building, come up in the rear and protect the girls. I’d like the Tinas alive, but you have my blessing to use deadly force,” Hank told his brother.
“There’s nothing I’d enjoy more, little bro. Where’s Granny?”
“She stayed in town. Go, go, go.”
Junior quickly shifted and left.
“Dwayne?” I inquired.
“He’s also in town doing crowd control, seeing as he was the one who caused the massive disaster.”
“You left a Vampyre and my granny in charge?” I was shocked and impressed.
“Not just any Vampyre…A three hundred year old gay drag queen Vampyre who can blow up Dragons.”
Hank put his hand over his mouth, closed his eyes and gathered himself for a moment. I was becoming increasingly more relieved that I’d missed Dwayne’s new party trick.
“Your buddy is apparently the hit of Hung. The crowds started chanting ‘Gaga’ as soon as they saw him. They were listening to him more than they were listening to me, so I told him he and Granny were running the show and to clean up his mess. Then I left.”
He shrugged and grimaced.
“Plan?” I asked.
“Your call.”
I swelled with pride that Hank was going to follow my lead. The simple fact that he trusted me meant the world.
“He has fertilized eggs in there somewhere. We need to get them and any computers or files we find.”
“Wait. Eggs? Fertilized?”
“They’re trying to crossbreed species, dismantle the Council, and take over the world.”
“That was nice and succinct.” His eyebrow shot up and I flipped him the bird.
“I’m good like that.” I grinned and gave him a quick kiss. “I’ll go in first and pretend I was running from the Tinas… I’ll tell him they were trying to kill me—that I’m scared. I’ll throw myself in his arms and squirt him.”
Hank pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, a sure sign of I don’t like this plan…I ignored his body language and went on. “As soon as he’s wet, you come in and shoot him in non-kill spots. We’ll restrain him and I’ll find the evidence.”
“Nope, not gonna work.”
“Why isn’t it going to work?”
“You have to get him in the eyes or mouth to make the solution work.” He winced, started to say something and stopped.
“What? Spit it out. We don’t have time,” I said.
“I cannot believe what I’m about to say, but…”
“Say it,” I hissed.
“You drank Dw
ayne’s blood. Yes?”
“Yes.”
“The solution won’t harm a Vamp and even if it stops your shift, I can shift if I need to.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying you need to put some of the liquid in your mouth and kiss the bastard so we get it where it needs to go,” he ground out unhappily. His fists were balled up and his face had flushed red with fury. “I am sick that I just suggested that.”
“It’s brilliant and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Yes, it’s disgusting, but I really want to leave here alive today. Just stay outside until you hear me tell him, um…tell him how hot his lips are. Do you get the double entendre thingie I just said?”
He rolled his eyes and groaned.
“I thought it was pretty good,” I muttered.
“Inspired,” he snapped. “Put the crap in your mouth and let’s do this. I’m going in human. I’m going to try not to shift unless it’s necessary. Even losing a second with a Dragon is deadly. He can still blow fire in his human form. As far as guns go, their healing power is extraordinary and guns are useless. We’ll have to go hand to hand and break his neck. It won’t kill him, but we can restrain him. I fight first and you destroy whatever you find as far as the experiment goes. On the outside chance we die in there, I don’t want him leaving with anything which can be used to make a Wolf-Dragon. If I’m losing you can jump in and help me, but it will be more of a distraction than an advantage if I’m trying to defend you.”
“I find that insulting,” I snapped.
“Have you ever fought a Dragon?”
“Have you?” I shot back.
He stared at me long and hard and I realized he had. He had fought a Dragon. When in the hell had Hank fought a Dragon and how did I not know this?
“Just stay away from his mouth and nose once he’s pissed and we might come out of this in one piece.”
“How do you know all this?” How did he know all of this? This was info I’d never heard.
“Because I’m…”
“Where are they?” Puck bellowed. “Everything I’ve worked for is going to hell. I will kill all of them.”
“Go. Now.”
I quickly squirted some of the liquid in my mouth as I ran toward the door of the building where Puck Flame, the assjacket, was having a hissy fit. The taste was so foul, my eyes watered. Dang it… No, that was good. Crying was good. My inner wolf jerked and fought inside of me, realizing she was trapped. I had no time to calm her. I pushed her down and burst through the door. Eyes wild and body trembling, I took in the scene.
The room was positively high tech. It had been completely refurbished—had to have taken months to create a lab this sophisticated. This was no haphazard operation. Medical tools, computers and vials littered the counters. There was a metal gurney in the center of the room with thick straps attached to it. My stomach roiled as I realized what had happened to my Pack members on that table. Monitors beeped and small petri dishes were cooking under fluorescent lights. Bingo for the eggs.
“What are you doing in here?” Puck demanded, advancing on me.
I shook my head violently and let my tears flow. Speech was impossible or I’d lose the solution.
His demeanor changed lightening fast and an unfamiliar scent filled the room. Oh hell to the no, he was aroused as evidenced by the bulge in his pants.
Use it. Make it work.
Moaning, I threw myself into his arms and rubbed my body against his. It was all I could do not to gag. Between the liquid in my mouth and the disgusting man running his hands over my body I was in hell.
“Are you all right, sweet thing? Did those girls try to hurt you?” he cooed and pulled me flush against his huge frame. Thank god, Hank was outside. This was nothing I wanted him to see.
I shook my head yes and wove my fingers in his hair, pulling his face toward me. He needed no more of an invitation to crush his lips to mine. He forced my mouth open and plundered inside. I spit the solution into his mouth and he jerked back as if burned.
“My god,” he sputtered as his lips puckered unattractively and he coughed. “For such an exquisite girl you have appalling oral hygiene. You need to brush your teeth. Immediately.”
“But your lips are so hot,” I shouted and almost burst out laughing at the puzzled look of horror on his face.
Hank came through the door and everything froze for a moment. Confusion ripped across the Dragon’s face quickly replaced by an anger so intense I almost turned away. How an animal with this much power and ire had been kept at bay by the Council for so many years was mind boggling.
Hank’s power and magic filled the room, and the Dragon looked startled for a brief second. To be honest, I was a little thrown too. When in the hell did Hank get so deadly? The Dragon spread his arms and began to chant.
Nothing. Nothing happened.
His eyes narrowed and the chant became frantic. Hank and I stood our ground and waited. There was power in stillness. Let him play his hand first. Let his fury make him sloppy. We needed any advantage we could get.
Puck Flare’s eyes turned blood red and narrowed to slits. “What have you done to me?” he demanded as a spear of fire flew from his lips. “What have you done?”
Ducking so I didn’t fry was necessary, but he did ask a question. I’d been raised in the South and was occasionally polite. The man deserved an answer.
“I leveled the playing field,” I told him.
“There is no playing field,” he roared. “I am the superior being here. You are dirt beneath my feet.”
“That’s not very nice,” Hank drawled. “I think you should apologize.”
“You think I should what?”
The Dragon was icy and calm. Surely that was not a good sign. He moved toward us as smoke wafted from his nose and ears.
Everything moved in slow motion…and then it didn’t.
It was violent and bloody and I was frozen in shock. The sounds of breaking bones and grunts filled the room. The two men were locked together, fighting for their lives and all I could do was watch in horror. It was almost balletic in its precision and I had no idea who was winning.
Snapping jaws with bloodstained mouths tore at each other.
Holding back was killing me, but Hank was right. He was physically stronger and it seemed like he knew what he was doing.
“Essie, destroy the eggs,” Hank shouted as he took a sharp right hook to the face.
Moving with Vampyre speed, I grabbed a large, heavy tin and began smashing everything on the counters and walls. The Dragon wailed and my blood curdled. I didn’t look back and I didn’t stop. My job was as important as Hank’s. If we died, we would not die in vain. Dying was not on my agenda, but the sound of the battle behind me was nauseating. I quickly crushed the last vials beneath my feet as the Dragon roared with such volume and ire I had to slap my hands over my ears to keep my eardrums from bursting.
Done. I was done. Nothing in the room was salvageable. Wait a minute. I had moved with Vamp speed…I had Vamp strength. What was I thinking?
Turning back to the fight, I tried to find an opening. The Dragon had the Wolf by the neck. Hank struggled and elbowed the Dragon with such force that he flew backward. Both men were in bad shape. Watching time was over. It was my turn to play.
“Hey Puck, I ate a mint. Do you wanna make out now?” The utter ridiculousness of my statement threw him off his game long enough for Hank to pin him. I dove forward and narrowly avoided the explosion of flames Puck aimed at me. Reaching for his neck while Hank had him down was my goal. The vicious head butt to my face was unexpected and my eye began to swell shut immediately.
“Hey…asswipe. That hurt,” I shouted as I pummeled his face, landing a jarring left hook to his nose. The crunch of bone under my fist was sickening, but I wanted more. I was so intent on getting to his neck I completely missed the fact that I was fighting him alone. Hank was on fire and rolling on the floor to put himself out.
“You
think that hurt, you little bitch?” the Dragon hissed viciously. “I will make you hurt so badly you will beg for death.”
I saw the fist coming before it landed and he was right. Several more of those and I would beg for death. New goal…avoid the fist. Jumping back, I dropped into a fighting stance and waited for his next move. He laughed and winked.
“I like your spirit — you would have been a good egg donor. Too bad you have to die.”
He lunged and I moved to my left, raising my knee and propelling it into his Adam’s apple as he went for me. The sheer force I had used surprised me. Again, I mentally kissed Dwayne. However, my strength surprised the Dragon even more. Defensive fighting was no longer an option. I fought with everything I had, but so did he.
The sound of bones snapping was sickening, especially because they were mine, but I healed instantly. Using a combination of martial arts and sheer brute force I was holding my own…barely. Blood ran from my forehead, my nose and god knew where else. I wasn’t going to last much longer. At least I’d destroyed his masterpiece…
The howl from my mate chilled me to the bone. Hank was dying and the Dragon had killed him. I had nothing left to lose. Nothing. The Dragon made the mistake of glancing in the direction of the sound and I knew I had one last opening. Without thinking, I sprang forward, grabbed his head and twisted for all I was worth. The shrill scream and the bones unhinging under my fingers gave me power I didn’t know I possessed. I had no idea if Hank was alive or dead, but I was going out fighting. I twisted and I twisted. I yanked, grunted and howled.
Hot liquid covered my hands and made my grip slippery, but I held on. No letting go. If I let go, I die. Break his neck, restrain him. Break it and we might live. Break. Snap. Destroy. Hurt the Dragon like he had hurt my friends—like he had hurt the Panther and Bear Shifters that had died because he wanted to play God.
Dwayne’s Vampyre blood running through my veins stung. The fury and desperation I felt was my own, but it was mixed with something unfamiliar and terrifying. I needed to get to Hank and make him shift…give him my blood, make him drink. But if I let go, I would be lost. Twist. Twist.
He hadn’t even asked me to marry him yet. He couldn’t die before he asked me to marry him. Twist and pull.
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