by J. L. Wilder
He pointed toward the black witch, opening his mouth and barreling down on her. She turned just in time to watch him close the distance, an expression of panic on her face right before he opened his mouth and closed it on her neck.
One down, one to go.
But as he turned, the look of pure rage on the blonde witch’s face let him know he was in for a fight. She raised her hand, and Scorn knew this meant she was about to freeze him again.
“Scorn!”
He turned and saw Maddie open the back window and point her hand toward the witch. Before the blonde had a chance to react, she was frozen in place, just like Scorn had been.
Scorn wasn’t about to blow this chance. He summoned his breath and let out a furious jet of flame, one that completely engulfed the witch. Scorn held it there, not wanting to risk her pulling off some kind of spell.
When he closed his mouth, there was nothing left of the witch but a puff of black char that held for a moment before vanishing on the wind.
It was over.
But when he turned his attention back to the truck, he watched as Maddie, her face as pale as milk, collapsed into a heap.
Fuck!
Cam pulled the truck over, and Scorn shifted back, running over to the back door and yanking it open.
Maddie was in a heap in the back, looking pale as death. Panic ran through Scorn as he lifted her head and checked her pulse.
“She all right?” asked Cam.
“Pulse is there but weak as hell. How far away from Seattle are we?”
“Couple of hours,” said Cam. “She gonna make it?”
Scorn had no idea how to answer the question.
“No idea. Just drive.”
He held her close, close enough to feel her heart beat against his chest.
And he’d never been more scared in his life.
CHAPTER 19
MADDIE
Maddie awoke in a soft bed, light pouring into the room that was so bright she didn’t need to open her eyes to know it was the middle of the day.
“Easy, easy.”
Maddie’s body went spear straight. She sat up, her eyes opening. Right away she realized she was in one of the bedrooms of the safe house. Someone, a trim woman in a neat business suit, looking to be in her middle age, stood at the foot of the bed.
“Who are you?” asked Maddie. “What the hell happened? How long have I been out?”
“Dr. Emily Blackfoot,” she said, placing her hand on her chest. “I’m a wolf—and a doctor. I’m not an expert in witches, but I know enough to get around. Witches are more human than shifters are, after all. And you’ve been recovering for three days.”
She sat down on the edge of the bed. Maddie was in a state of mild panic, but the professional demeanor of Dr. Blackfoot managed to put her somewhat at ease.
“As for what happened—you used your powers too hard, too soon. It was more than your body could take, and you passed out. Very common for witches who are only just coming into their powers.”
“And what about Scorn?” she asked. “And his friend—are they all right? And is Katie here?”
“They’re fine,” she said.
“Good. Then send Scorn in.”
“I can,” said Emily. “In a moment. But I wanted to talk to you about something first.”
Maddie was confused. Emily had a grave expression on her face as if she had something she wanted to say but wasn’t sure how to begin.
“What is it? Tell me?”
“When Scorn and Cam brought you here, I did some checks when I first arrived. I took some blood work just to get a sense of your overall health, and the results came back in today.”
Maddie said nothing, wanting her to hurry and get to the point.
“So, I ran some, call them, magical scans on you. And I found something quite interesting.”
“Stop dancing around it, please,” said Maddie. “Tell me what it is.”
The seriousness vanished from her face, replaced by a warm smile. “Maddie, you’re pregnant.”
“What?” The word shot out of her mouth like flames pouring from Scorn’s. “How the fuck am I—”
She stopped herself, not wanting to shout the word. Maddie took a deep breath and collected her thoughts.
“How the hell is...that true?”
“You need a rundown on the birds and the bees? Or in this case, the witches and the dragons?”
“You mean...it’s Scorn’s?” She realized how silly the question was as soon as she’d asked it. Scorn had been the only man she’d been with since her marriage.
“It’s Scorn’s—assuming you haven’t been with another dragon in the last month or two. Not that I’m here to judge.”
Maddie slumped in her bed, the news overwhelming. “How...how do you know so fast? It’s only been a few weeks.”
“One of the big differences between humans and shifters is how quickly gestation takes place—nine months for humans, a third of that for shifters.”
Maddie’s jaw about dropped. “Are you freaking serious?”
She nodded. “Sure am. And from what I can tell, you’ve been pregnant for three weeks.”
“Holy shit,” said Maddie. “Holy fucking shit.”
“And that’s not all.”
“What? How can that not be all? Don’t tell me this kid’s going to come flying out of my vajay on a broomstick or something.”
Emily smiled and shook her head.
“Not quite. What I mean by ‘that’s not all’ is that...this is strange.”
“You’re telling me. I didn’t even know I was a witch until a damn month ago.”
“Not only that,” she said. “But what I mean by ‘it’s strange’ is that this isn’t supposed to happen. Dragons are only able to breed with other dragons, and some humans. Witches and dragons...this is unheard of.”
“But now you’ve heard of it—I’m carrying a kid right now, and it’s both.”
“I’ve never seen this before. And it’s not uncommon for dragons and witches to be drawn to one another—they’re both beings of great power. But while it’s frowned upon, it still happens. No one thinks too much of it because the likelihood of conceiving a child is so small. But not in this case...”
Maddie’s head swam.
“What the hell do I do?” asked Maddie. “I’m barely ready to be a witch, let alone a witch mother!”
“That, I can’t tell you. This is a very unusual situation, so it’s not as if I have examples to draw from. But I can say this.”
“What is it?”
“Scorn, the father...he’s been at your bedside since you were brought in here. Day and night, he’s been right there—” She pointed to a chair near the floor-to-ceiling window, one that appeared well-worn from use. “I can’t tell you what to do, exactly, but as far as fathers go, he seems like the kind of man who’s up to the job.”
Tears formed in Maddie’s eyes. She was happy and scared and overwhelmed all at once. She had no idea how to even begin thinking about what was happening.
“Don’t tell him, please,” said Maddie. “I don’t—”
Emily held up her hand. “I’m not here to pass judgment or force you into any big decisions. All I’m here for is to tell you the facts. What you do next is up to you.”
A pounding sounded from the bedroom door.
“However, I don’t think I’ll be able to keep Scorn out for much longer. You want me to send him in?”
Maddie nodded. “Please.”
“I’ll be around if you need anything. All right?”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
“My pleasure. And congratulations.”
With one more smile, Emily turned and left the room. And as soon as she opened the door, Scorn rushed past her.
“Holy shit,” he said, running over to the bed and dropping to his knees at her side. “How...are you all right?”
How the hell am I supposed to answer that? Yeah, I’m carrying your kid, and we’re both going
to be parents of some kind of hybrid witch-dragon baby in around two months.
There was nothing but concern in his eyes, and Maddie thought about what Emily had said, how Scorn had never left her side while she recovered.
It’s too soon. I need some time to process all of this. I’ll tell him when I’m ready.
“I’m fine, I think. Emily said there’s nothing wrong with me, just that I used my powers too hard too soon.”
Scorn nodded. “Sounds about right. Fucking scary back there, Maddie. I thought we might’ve lost you. Color all drained out of your face; you went limp as a rag doll.”
He took Maddie’s hand, squeezing it. And the look in his eyes was like none she’d seen from him.
“I can’t even lose you, Maddie. No matter what. I’m here to protect you, and that’s what I’m going to do. Because...”
He trailed off and glanced away as if there was something he wanted to say but couldn’t bring himself to utter.
“Because I...”
“Because...”
He shook his head.
“It’s nothing. Nothing we need to worry about right now.”
Maddie nodded, understanding whatever it was, she ought not push him to say it. After all, she knew, there was something that she needed to tell him that she was holding back.
“Right now, we need to worry about this fucking insane alliance happening between the witches and the dragons.”
“How the hell are we going to beat them?” she asked. “They’ve got half the supernatural beings in this state on their side!”
She was panicked, as much as Maddie hated to admit it.
“I’ve barely gotten a handle on my powers, and now I’m already in the middle of a cross-species war.”
“We’re going to be fine,” said Scorn. “We’re going to get through this. Katie’s here, and she’s got some info she found out while we were gone.”
Katie—she’s the exact person I need to talk to right now.
“Where is she?” asked Maddie, throwing her feet off the bed and getting up.
“She’s in the living room,” said Scorn, placing his hand on the small of her back as she rose. “Wait, are you sure you’re feeling all right to move around? You need some more rest if you ask me.”
Between the news about being pregnant and wanting to speak to Katie, Maddie found herself in the middle of a burst of energy.
“I’m good!” she shouted, hurrying from the bedroom.
As she headed out, she stopped and turned, taking in the sight of Scorn in clothes she’d never seen him in before—slacks and a dress shirt and polished shoes.
“Nice threads, by the way. Good look for you.”
“Still getting used to them,” he said with a slight grin. “Kinda want to take them off and get in something covered in dirt.”
She laughed as she ran over and threw her arms around Scorn.
“It’s good to see you, forest hermit.”
“It’s good to see you too, you spoiled city girl.”
Without thinking, she planted a kiss on his lips before hurrying out of the bedroom.
As she approached the living room from the hallway, the sound of giggling flowed toward Maddie, greeting her. It was a strange thing to hear after all she’d been through, and at first, it confused her.
“You’re fucking kidding me.” Maddie recognized Katie’s voice right away. She slowed her pace, making her way to the end of the hall.
And sure enough, Katie was in the living room—and she wasn’t alone. Katie was seated next to Cam on the couch, the two of them chatting over steaming mugs of tea.
“You dodged two fireballs?” she asked, totally enraptured by whatever Cam had been talking to her about. “I’ve seen those things before—they move fast.”
Cam shrugged, Katie sitting next to him with her legs curled up underneath her, hands wrapped around the big mug of tea.
“Just a little expert driving—no big deal.” Cam followed this up with a boyish grin, one that made it clear he was more than happy to have the attention.
Part of Maddie wanted to let the conversation go on, but there wasn’t time for that. She cleared her throat, getting the attention of the both of them.
“Oh, my God!” said Katie, setting her mug down and getting up, hurrying over to Maddie. “You’re all right!”
“Something like that,” said Maddie, Katie throwing her arms around her.
Cam rose too, sauntering over to the pair and giving Maddie a once-over.
“Good to see you back on your feet,” he said.
“Thanks,” said Maddie. “And thanks for saving my ass back there.”
“We’re on the same team now, right?” he asked. “Dragon, witch—doesn’t matter. We’re doing what’s right.” He cleared his throat and stepped back. “Anyway, I’m sure you ladies have a lot of catching up to do—you’ve been out for three days, after all. I’ll go check in with Scorn and see what he’s got planned.”
With that, he left.
Maddie didn’t wait a moment before placing her hand on Katie’s shoulder and leading her into the living room.
“We need to talk,” she said. “Alone.”
“Something wrong?” asked Katie.
“Something’s wrong. Well, I don’t know if wrong is the right way to describe it, but something big is happening.”
“You’re telling me,” said Katie. “Come on.”
The two went up to the second floor of the penthouse, hurrying into the massive study far away from Scorn and Cam. The tall windows gazed out onto the city, and late morning light illuminated the massive space.
“I’m pregnant,” said Maddie, blurting out the words.
“Fuck.”
Katie ran her hands through her hair, pacing around the room as if she’d expected to hear what Maddie had just said.
“I knew this was going to happen.”
“Wait, what?”
Katie sighed, taking a seat in one of the antique leather chairs.
“There’s more to what’s going on, Maddie. More than you know.”
Maddie stood still, her stomach tightening in fear.
“What do you mean?”
“What I mean is...you being this chosen one thing, it’s not just about you and your power—it’s about...” She pointed to Maddie’s belly. “It’s about that—him or her.”
“Stop being cryptic and explain.”
Katie glanced away and sighed, shaking her head as if she’d bitten off more than she could chew.
“There’s this legend, right? It’s about a powerful witch who has powers like we’ve never seen before, right? There’s that part. But the other part isn’t just about her—it’s about her offspring. Specifically, the child she has with a powerful alpha dragon.”
“The doctor said witches and dragons having kids is almost impossible.”
“And she was right. Witches and dragons hate each other, but they also can’t get enough of one another.”
“Like you and Cam,” said Maddie with a slight curl of the corner of her mouth.
Katie blushed a bit. “Um, yeah. Like that.” A small smile formed on her face, and she quickly wiped it away. “But kids between witches and dragons are rare. But this legend, it states that this powerful witch will have a kid right away with a powerful alpha. And the kid will be the one to bring peace between the dragons and witches.”
Maddie placed her hand on her belly, unable to believe that such a kid was growing inside of her. A few weeks ago she thought she was too old to even have kids.
“But it’s far from certain that’s how it will go.”
“What do you mean?”
“If the witches got to the kid first, kept him or her to themselves, or the dragons did the same, then the kid would be the most powerful weapon the other side could possibly have. Imagine a being with the powers of a witch and a dragon. They’d be unstoppable.”
“So, this kid could be the key to peace, or—”
“The cause of total extermination.”
Maddie was overwhelmed by what she’d just heard. She dropped into the nearest chair, letting it all wash over her.
“How do I make sure my kid is good?” asked Maddie. “How do I make sure that none of this happens?”
Katie shrugged. “That’s where things get fuzzy. The legend isn’t about what definitely happens; it’s about what might happen. And there’s no way to make sure we get the good ending, you know?”
Maddie said nothing, thinking the matter over.
“OK, what about the witches you spoke to—the rebel ones.”
“Willowood Coven? They’re interested in taking you in, of course. But they’re not nearly as powerful as Frannie and the Goodwins. With you and Scorn on their side—maybe. But that’s assuming you can handle your powers.”
“And that Scorn would be willing to work with witches.”
“It’s all far from certain,” said Katie. “But you know I’m on your side either way. I’ve got your back, and I’ve got that kid’s back. Whatever you decide, I’m there with you.”
Maddie stepped over, and Katie rose, the two of them hugging.
“You’re about the best damn friend a woman could ask for, you know?”
“That’s right,” said Katie with a grin. “Whatever you need, I’m here for you.”
Maddie nodded. “Good. Because there’s most definitely something I need.”
“What’s that? Name it—anything.”
“I need you to help me escape.”
CHAPTER 20
SCORN
He drove through the woods, Cam at his side.
And he hated to be gone—even for a minute. The safehouse was secure as it gets, sure, but he hated to be apart from Maddie. He’d come so close to losing her before, and he didn’t want to risk it again.
“Why the fuck these guys want to meet out in the middle of nowhere?” snarled Scorn. “Not very fucking convenient.”
He was apart from Maddie and could already feel the rage coming back, this time not under his control. Scorn wanted to punch the driver’s side window, his anger in desperate need of release.