Dragon gave me back my skin slowly. This was the punishment for denying her the kill she wanted.
Sadistic bitch.
Fully naked, I stood in front of the dumbstruck lions. The scent of death and fire hung heavy in the air. I knew my eyes were glowing with my Dragon.
In a trance, I flexed my hand, and it burst into flames. I walked towards Alonzo slowly. Brave mate standing without fear in front of a death bringer.
The Pride tried to yank him back, and I roared. They shrank away.
Smart little pussies.
Lifting my hand, I pressed the flame into his chest, and his screams filled the air along with the smell of burning flesh. Removing my hand, I extinguished the fire with the flick of my wrist. The burn on Alonzo’s chest was raw and red and angry looking, but it was no ordinary injury.
It was in the shape of a dragon.
I told you I’d only hurt him the way I’m supposed to. Now, he bears our mark like we bear his.
Meeting his eyes, I smiled. “Now,” I whispered. “Our monsters truly match.”
And then there was darkness.
CHAPTER 43
ALONZO
Picking up my mate, I held her close to me as I walked in the direction of Leones Land.
Before I had taken ten steps, Keenan was in front me. His eyes were blazing so brightly they were almost hard to look at.
“Where do you think you’re going with her?”
The way he addressed my mate caused a threatening growl to rumble from my chest. “I’m taking her to my home.”
“If she was a lioness that would be fine, but she’s not. She’s a newly Turned dragon with no control.”
“It’s not safe here. The rest of the Pack could come for her,” I explained but Keenan wasn’t trying to hear it.
“Did you see her out there?”
Anger flooded my system, and Adara growled in her sleep, her body pressing closer to mine. Even unconscious, my mate was ready to fight beside me.
“We’re all a little out of control when we first change. You can’t hold that against her especially since she’s one of the buried.”
Keenan threw his hands in the air. “No! Did you see her?” Pushing my way around him, I stomped across the clearing. “Don’t run from me, Alonzo! Answer the question!”
“Of course I saw her! She’s my mate. I couldn’t take my fucking eyes off her.”
“What did she look like?”
“Huh?”
“What. Did. She. Look. Like?”
I skidded to a stop as Keenan’s point finally hit home. My heart thundered in my chest, and I stared down at Adara.
“Oh shit,” I whispered.
“Yeah,” he mumbled.
Whipping in the direction of my father, I glared at him. “Your fucking prophecy didn’t say anything about this. Did you know?”
“I had a hunch,” he said with a shrug. “What’s done is done. We can’t change it now.”
“Are you serious?” Joel cried. “We’re all going to die!”
“No one’s going to die,” Mom replied, rubbing Joel’s back. “Adara won’t kill us. At least, I don’t think she will.”
“I can’t believe this,” I muttered, staring at Adara.
Luke shook his head, blood dripping down his naked body. “Did you not feel her dominance?” he questioned. “Did you not see her all green dragon? Not multi-colored like ninety-nine percent of other dragons. She’s one solid color! Do you know what that means?”
Swallowing down my anxiety, I nodded. “Only female dragons can be solid colored and only solid colored dragons can be royalty. She’s the newest Dragon Queen.”
“Well,” Joel interjected. “Then you also know why we’re all about to die.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “The others will come to take her away. When they come, I will die to keep her with me, and the Pride will do the same.”
Turning from my former Pride, I marched towards my home. Every instinct in me was screaming to take her to my den, protect her, covet her. And, I was going to do just that.
CHAPTER 44
ALONZO
Five days.
It had taken five days for Adara to open her eyes and reveal the chocolate brown color I had missed so much. I watched intently as she looked around in confusion.
“Why I am here?”
Taking in our surroundings, I tried to see everything through her eyes.
She was laid out on an air mattress next to the river bank. The scent of smoke filled the air and ashes blew in the breeze. Both of us were naked. Constant shifting made it impossible to keep on any clothing. My body held a few more scars than it did before she slipped into darkness.
Gathering her into my arms, I buried my face into the crook of her neck. “I missed you.” My voice cracked on the last word, but I was too relieved to be ashamed.
“What happened?” she asked, her voice muffled as I crushed her heated body against mine.
Grabbing a nearby bottle of water, I handed it to her and watched as she drank deeply.
“What’s the last thing you remember?”
Easing back, she scrunched up her nose. “Fighting Dragon in the sky. Burning you, claiming you. Then there are brief flashes of flames. That’s it.”
“You’ve been in and out of consciousness for five days.”
“What?!”
“You passed out. I took you to my house, and that was when the real fun began. Day one: you burned down my house.”
“Oh my, God.”
“You opened your eyes, and they were blazing green. I knew then that you weren’t present. Dragon was awake, and she was furious. You Changed right there in my bedroom, destroyed the place, and burnt it to the ground before eating the ashes.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I keep telling you to stop apologizing to me woman. Especially for this. You didn’t do this. Dragon did.”
“I guess,” she grumbled.
“I decided to keep you here by the river. I couldn’t risk you burning down your own house. At least by the water, I could put out any fires you started.
“Okay…yeah…that makes sense.”
“Day two: you shifted and flew before I could jump on top of you. You burned down Trevor’s house and ate the ashes. Luckily, he wasn’t home.”
Adara looked absolutely horrified.
“Day three: you slept.”
“Well, at least there wasn’t any destruction that day.” She took one look at my face and knew that wasn’t the case. “What happened?”
“The Wolf Pack was pissed and wanted revenge. They wanted to avenge their fallen Alpha and the others, but Trevor wouldn’t allow it. He fought all Alpha challengers for thirty-six hours straight until he came out the victor.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” she asked, her eyes filled with hope. “Right?”
“No baby, it’s not. Day four,” I continued, not wanting to answer any questions about the wolves. That wasn’t my explanation to give. “You were out of control. You and Dragon had been fighting for dominance, and you were getting tired. She would have won if they hadn’t shown up.”
Adara turned towards the trees and her eyes locked on the three women walking towards us. Her body stiffened, and her eyes blazed.
“Who are they?”
Her voice was rough, barely any trace of humanity left.
“From the moment you were Turned, those three women became your sisters.”
“Who. Are. They?”
“They are just like you.” Tilting her head so she would meet my eyes, I kissed her lips gently. “They’re Dragon Queens too.”
CHAPTER 45
ADARA
“Queen?” I asked, disbelief lining the word. “No, I’m just a dragon.”
Dragon rumbled in my chest as the three women moved closer. I told you we’re more than a mere dragon.
“¿Estás despierto?”
My breath caught in my chest as I blatantly stared at the woman wh
o spoke. She was gorgeous. Her golden toned skin glowed against the red tank top that clung to her full breast. Her wavy reddish gold hair framed her heart-shaped face, the bangs falling over her left eye.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Bueno,” she said in a heavy accent that displayed her Hispanic heritage. “Mi nombre es Viena, y yo soy la Reina del Dragón Rojo.”
How the fuck can I understand her?
Though speaking Spanish, I immediately understood that Vienna was the Red Dragon Queen.
Because, Dragon muttered. I know all languages and now, so do you.
She stepped back, and another woman stepped forward.
“Main Aruna hoon, aur main blaik draigan raanee hoon.”
Dragon perfectly translated the Hindi into English. The Black Dragon Queen, Aruna, was obviously of Indian descent. Her dark hair cascaded down to the middle of her back. Her slim frame was draped in a black romper, displaying her long legs. At around my height of 5’10,” she stood inches above Vienna. Her coffee toned eyes bore into me as her thick eyebrows inched up a fraction.
“Kwaye,” the last woman, a chocolate beauty with a heavy South African accent that held British notes, spoke. “NdingumKenzi, iNkosikazi yeBlue Dragon.”
I stared openly at Kenzie, taking in everything from her thick afro and blue sundress to her chunky wooden jewelry and five-inch wedges. Her skin was two shades darker than mine and damn near glowed in the mid-day sun. The Blue Dragon Queen was, in a word, stunning.
Clearing my throat, I opened my mouth and prepared to finally own who I now was…who I was always meant to be. “I’m Adara, the Green Dragon Queen.”
CHAPTER 46
“Tell me what you’ve learned about the dragons?”
The young woman looked up from the thick book she had been studying for the last several hours.
Hell Fire Valley was finally quiet. The Green Dragon Queen had established dominance, and the land was no longer burning. The Farrell Pack had a new Alpha and was in the midst of reestablishing their pecking order.
All was right with the world, for now.
“The dragons are one of the few matriarchies in the shifter world. Only solid colored dragons can be royalty, and only females can be solid colored dragons.”
“Good job,” the older woman praised. “What else?”
“Dragon Queens are never full-blooded. They are always buried and can only be awoken by force or the bite of their true mate. There are four Dragon Queens: red, blue, black, and now, green.” The younger woman scrunched up her brown in concentration. “That is all I know.”
The older woman walked over to a bookshelf and removed a heavy leather-bound book. The cover and pages were worn with age. Setting the book down on the dining table with a thud, the older woman flipped through the pages before finding the one she was looking for.
On the page was a family tree. But, instead of detailing the different branches of a specific family, it showed the lineage of every Dragon Queen.
“The Dragon Queens,” the older woman started. “They possess some of the oldest and purest genes in all of the shifter community. They are awoken for a reason.” She paused to glance at her young pupil, her face grave. “The dragon that each Queen possesses can be traced back to the origins. They do not die like other shifters.”
“I don’t understand.”
“The moment the human holding the dragon dies, the dragon finds another vessel. If you look back, you will see the former Green Dragon Queen, Margaret, died at the exact moment Adara was born. This Green Dragon chose Adara.”
The younger woman gasped. “This is why Adara has memories that aren’t her own.”
“Exactly,” the older woman agreed. “Now, the latest Dragon Queen has awoken. Do you know what that means?”
“No.”
The older woman pressed her palms to the younger woman’s cheeks.
“War is coming.”
EPILOGUE
“We have walked through the darkness of this world. That’s why we are able to see even a sliver of light.”
Gaara
“Naruto”
CHAPTER 47
ADARA
For the first time in a long time, laughter was ringing out over Mashall land. The Leones Pride and Trevor were here to celebrate. What were we celebrating? The fact that I had gone three weeks without burning the area. That was progress.
The scent of grilled meat filled the air, and my stomach growled. In fact, I was hungrier now that I was awakened than I had ever been.
“Here,” Alonzo said, shoving a steak fresh off the grill into my hands. The heat from the meat not bothering me in the least. “My instincts go crazy every time your fucking stomach growls.”
I couldn’t help but grin. I felt the same thing.
For the last two months, I had been trying my best to get a handle on my new life in Hell Fire Valley with Alonzo and Dragon. The other Queens had taken me under their wings...literally.
They broke down everything for me from the origin of the Dragon Queens to my new powers. The more I learned from them, the better my relationship was with Dragon.
Dragon and I were just like my swords, two heavens operating as one. After years of watching me, she didn’t trust me to make the right decisions. That was why she rampaged for five straight days.
The other Queens were the only ones who could stop me. A dragon could only be burned by dragon’s fire. But, a Dragon Queen could only be burned by another Dragon Queen.
I had learned that lesson the hard way over the last two months. But, it was necessary until I gained full dominance over the beast. I wasn’t there yet, but I was making strides.
I was now able to fly without fear of burning the world to ash. Though the Queens were able to teach me how to live with Dragon, Alonzo gave me a reason not to lose control. He was the steady when my life whirled out of control, when the memories attacked, and when Dragon was hard to handle.
Not too long ago, the beast and I finally came to an understanding. I would protect the world from Dragon. In return, Dragon would protect me from the world. We would work in tandem. Two independent souls sharing the same vessel.
Was it perfect? Hell no. But, we made it work.
“Thanks,” I muttered.
Still killing this manners shit!
Placing the steak on a plate, I grabbed a set of utensils instead of eating the meat out of my hands like I wanted to do. I could at least act civilized instead of like a broken monster.
I laughed as Dragon made a noise that sounded suspiciously close to a snort.
I felt Alonzo’s gaze on me, and I gasped at the tender expression on his face, his amber eyes gleaming. I knew that if anyone looked at me, my eyes were positively glowing an inhuman green and the pupils were elongated like a snake’s. Even over the laughter, I could hear his lion’s soft purring as Dragon began humming in my middle. Our animals were talking.
My eyes traveled down his body. I visibly winced at his scarred up chest.
I did that.
I hurt him.
Memories of that day still haunted me. I would never forget the scent of his burning flesh as my Dragon branded him as hers.
The only good thing that came out of that moment--besides being irrevocably tethered to that man--was that he was now immune to my flames. According to the Queens, that was one of the perks of being Dragon royalty.
“You’re not eating.”
Arching my neck back, I was once again blown away by this man.
Oh, I knew hell was coming for us, but I wasn’t worried. He was someone I could depend on. Though I was the Alpha of our two-member crew, Alonzo was the one with the control. He was able to quiet the beast with one look.
Concern creased his forehead. “Your eyes are bright, baby. You need to Change?”
“Please don’t,” Aruna called out from across the patio. “My body needs a break.”
“Do you?” he asked, ignoring the Black Dragon Queen.
&nbs
p; God, I loved him. Crazy monster that awakened a Dragon. Stood in the path of her flames without fear. He was the key. He was the reason that I would never burn the earth.
“Naw, I’m good. I’m happ--”
Before I could finish the statement, bullets rang out over the yard, landing in front of us. Taking a deep breath, I scented the air and felt my heart stop in my chest.
“There!” Alonzo called out, pointing toward the trees at the edge of the clearing.
“It can’t be,” I whispered, moving towards the trees.
Out the corner of my eye, I saw Trevor moving closer as well. His left arm scarred to hell from my flames. His body began to shake, and he heaved a breath, holding back his wolf.
“Yo! Your royal highnesses,” Trevor called out. “You wanna help us with this?”
“I’m working on my tan,” Vienna yelled back.
“I don’t take requests from wolves,” Aruna responded.
“I don’t want to,” Kenzie stated.
Trevor growled, his shoulders hunched as he fought back the Change.
More bullets sprayed the landscape, each of them missing me. Laughter rang out over the clearing, and my heart sped up in my chest. I knew that laugh. It was her.
She was chaos.
She was destruction.
She was a sociopath.
She. Was. Revy.
CHAPTER 48
TREVOR
My wolf burst from my body at the speed of light, and my paws hit the ground running.
Kill them. Kill the one who threatened the Queen.
The deranged beast was only happy when it was time to kill. Usually, I dreaded it. Right now, I relished it. This threat to the new Dragon Queen had to be neutralized immediately.
Adara wasn’t my Alpha, but she was my ally.
I had fought my Pack for days, trying to secure the Alpha position. I had needed to keep her safe until the Seer contacted the other three Dragon Queens to inform them of Adara’s awakening.
The Life, Love, and Death of Adara Marshall Page 10