“At least tell me something. I’m not asking for a play by play on all the horrible things that happened to you but something to give me a clue to your past.”
“I had a normal life until I was almost 15, then my mom met him, and everything went downhill.” She waited for the questions but he didn’t ask any. “Ron was nice at first. But when he started touching me that changed. He wouldn’t even let me go to school.”
“And he molested you?”
Sophie shuddered. “No, he raped me. There’s a difference.”
“But he never—”
She knew the question and knew he hadn’t taken her innocence. “I don’t know why he never did that. He always promised me that someday—when it was the right time—he would. That time never came. And now he’s gone.”
Aris wrapped his arms around her. “Okay luv. I won’t ask any more questions—for now. But if you feel like you can open up to me please do. I don’t ever want to do anything to trigger your fears.”
Sophie hadn’t thought of it like that. She just knew she didn’t want to talk about the beatings. Or the scars that covered her body. Something she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to talk about with him. It was too personal and not something she wanted to relive anymore. She was truly free. “Let’s go home.”
On the way back she wondered just how she was going to get into the house without the others seeing them. She stayed behind him, the width of his body able to keep her shielded. He laughed when they got on the porch.
There was a note: Next time bring clothes
The guys had left clothes for her on the porch. Great. Things couldn’t get more embarrassing. First she shifted for the first time and face planted and now they had to leave her clothes because she hadn’t been prepared.
“It’s okay to laugh, luv. Enjoy life because now you can. You don’t have anything to worry about anymore.”
If only that were really the case.
Chapter 24
1 month later
Sophie had learned that freedom was amazing. At first she’d been terrified to venture out by herself, but she knew she couldn’t rely on Aris to take care of her. Even though he would do anything for her. She found him adorable—yet frustrating. He always seemed to know when she wanted to be alone—and then he’d want to be around her.
Breakfast in a house full of hungry dragons was always a test to her. She wasn’t used to so many opinions and bickering. It reminded her of when she was in middle school, just before her mother had met Ron. How the boys in the cafeteria would fight and shove each other. The same thing happened here if there wasn’t enough coffee.
She filled the platters having enjoyed learning how to cook. It was something she did several times a week. It was her way of taking care of the men in her life, and they didn’t complain when she made triple the amount they needed.
“Sit down!”
They all planted themselves in their seat. She felt good. If she had told herself before that she’d be the queen bee of a houseful of men she would have died of hysteria. She had a long way to go with healing but right now she was happy and the nightmares happened less and less. The dragon’s voice in her head helped keep her anchored to this reality. She worried she would wake up and realize it was all a dream, but then that dragon would wake up her inner sex kitten and she would track down Aris to make love. She couldn’t get enough of him, and her dragon always wanted him.
She glanced his way and smiled. His nostrils flared and she blushed. The others had learned not to mention the change in her scent. She sat down and watched them fill their plates. Lately she’d been really hungry and a part of her wondered if she was pregnant. Was it even possible? Wasn’t it too soon?
Ilias chocked and Max slapped him on the back. When he met her eyes he blushed. She raised a brow wondering what was going on. They’d gotten close and he was one person she shared her stories with. He was the only one who understood what it meant to be locked away in the darkness.
But then his eyes rolled back and he fell from the table as tremors wracked through his body. Sophie jumped up from her spot and ran to his side.
“Oh no; not again!”
She’d seen this before. When she first met Aris.
Max lifted her up and Blane took her spot, holding Ilias still as he seized.
“He’s too young isn’t he?” She wiped the tear from her cheek. “He shouldn’t be sick.”
Blane met her eyes and shook his head. “He’s showing all the signs that the others had. So far I’m the only one who hasn’t gotten sick, and Ilias is the youngest. It can’t be tied to age then.”
Aris held Ilias still and lifted his eyes to match Sophie’s, as if he thought she could give him all the answers. Sophie wished she could, but it seemed like she had a new mission. One she would do on her on time. Right now, she willed Ilias to be okay. She would make sure every mate was found. She couldn’t lose any of them. They were her family.
Ilias finally stopped convulsing and lay still on the ground. His eyes had sunken in and were closed. His skin was gray and sticky. Sophie knelt by him now and gripped his hand. It was clammy but when he squeezed hers back she nearly wept with joy. He would be okay. But for how long?
***
It made no sense at all. Ilias was the youngest, but they’d noticed how lethargic he had become. He hadn’t eaten much in days and he always seemed to be falling asleep at random hours.
When he fell to the ground Aris’ heart nearly stopped. Ilias was like a son. He was a moody teenager that needed all the love that everyone could offer. Aris did love him, and he loved that Sophie loved him too. He noticed her watching him lately as if she sensed something was wrong, but every time he asked her she shook her head.
When Ilias stopped seizing Aris lifted him from the ground and carried him into the den and onto the couch. It was the place all of them—except Blane had laid.
His theory that the sickness had to do with reaching a certain age was now a bust. What could it mean that Ilias had suddenly gotten so sick?
He needed to think.
“Stay with him,” he ordered Blane who nodded in return.
Aris stormed out of the den and outside. Nature was where he did all his best thinking. Maybe he’d see his mother again—something—anything to help him understand and give him a clue as to how to protect them. Now he wasn’t worried about dying. He wasn’t sick anymore thanks to Sophie, but now the others seemed to be getting sicker.
He let out a breath and dipped his head when he felt Sophie. She knew he needed her. He never had to ask. It was as if she was in his head at times.
“He’ll be okay Aris, we’ll figure this out.”
He wasn’t so sure. He worried every day about his brothers. “I hope you’re right.”
She pressed against his back and wrapped her arms around him. He felt her bury her nose into his shirt and inhale his scent. “I love you Aris,” she whispered.
He froze. She hadn’t said it before. He spun around and gripped her shoulders. “What did you say?”
She rolled her eyes. “I said I love you. As if you didn’t already know that.” She gripped his shirt. “And we will figure this out. Ilias will be okay—and Max and Zarin, and if we’re really lucky, Blane won’t even get sick.”
He kissed her, bruising her lips. He needed to hear those words from her. He also needed to know that she believed in them as a team. He loved when she called them ‘we’. His dragon preened at the words. Knowing they were finally really loved. He had started to wonder if she would ever tell him. “I love you too.”
And she did. Now he needed to make sure his brothers all lived long enough to be able to have what he did. It was up to him and Sophie to save their family. Finally, he no longer had to bear the the weight of the world on his shoulders alone. Sophie stood by his side and embraced some of the burden as her own.
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Saved by a Dragon PREVIEW
Chapter 1
“And that is all for today’s report on Around L.A, your source for everything new and exciting in the Los Angeles area. We’re going to take a few phone calls before we close out the hour, so give us a jingle and let us know what’s happening that we may have missed,” Amy said into the mike.
She sat watching as the lines began to light up on the technician’s console just outside the sound booth where she recorded her daily radio show. To her fans, she was A.J. Webb, a radio personality gaining rapid popularity due to her daily reports on all the happening places to be in the area. To her friends, she was just Amy, voted most likely to become a hermit by her senior class. She had come a long way since she was a demure book nerd in school, having blossomed both in physique and personality during her college days.
“You’re on air with A.J. Webb. What do you have to tell everyone today?” she said cheerfully to the caller patched through to her.
“I just saw a dragon flying near the freeway,” the caller said.
“I’m sorry. Did you say you saw a dragon?” she asked.
“Yes. It was huge. It was a bright blue color with silver wings.”
“I hate to ask you this on the air, but have you perhaps been drinking this morning?” she laughed.
“I’m not seeing things!” the caller said indignantly.
“Okay. So you saw a dragon near the freeway then. What was the dragon doing? Laying eggs? Torching cars?”
“I don’t appreciate your sarcasm. I know what I saw,” the caller said angrily.
“Hey, I’m just trying to determine what the dragon was doing. Surely you didn’t expect to call and report a dragon sighting without getting at least a hint of disbelief!” she replied.
“Listen, you bitch . . .” the man began.
“And let’s move right along to our next caller,” Amy said, hoping the censors caught the expletive before it went out.
There was a delay of a few seconds on her “live” show just for that purpose, but someone would occasionally slip past the censors. The caller clicked off and she went to the next one, a woman who called to tell her about a community movie event being held in an abandoned warehouse for Halloween. She could see that the phone bank was lighting up like crazy, no doubt other naysayers calling to bash the guy seeing dragons.
“What was that all about? Why did you even put him through?” she asked the call screener after finishing up and exiting her booth.
“Well, I thought it would be a hoot, honestly – a morning laugh. But listen. After you cut him off, the phones went nuts with folks reporting dragon sightings.”
“I’m sure they did. People trying to get on the radio by copying what another crazy was saying. Sometimes I wonder why we even allow live phone calls here. There’s always some sort of nut job in the bunch – every single morning!”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right. No more dragon sighting calls, okay?”
“Okay, Amy,” he said with a laugh.
“I appreciate it. I can’t believe people would expect someone to even believe there is a dragon flying around Los Angeles. This is what happens when you legalize weed,” she laughed.
“I don’t think weed causes hallucinations,” he replied.
“You might be wrong about that.”
“I might be. Anyway, I’ll let you get going. I’ve got a meeting with the producers to discuss the format of the show.”
“Again? I hope you aren’t cowing down to them. I don’t want to end up sounding like some sort of low budget product pusher, hocking the latest inventions to the masses.”
“You won’t. I promise.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” she said, turning to push her way through the glass doors as she exited the studio.
It was no secret that the owner of the station had been after the producers to change her show and make it less controversial. Amy was well known for calling out her guests live on the air on scandals they were involved in. No one was spared, not even the politicians that seemed to think the producers were putting them on the air to spew their rhetoric to the masses. That wasn’t her style and it never would be, not even if it meant leaving the show. There were plenty of other stations out there interested in her no-bullshit approach to current events.
“Ah, sunshine,” she said joyfully as the warm, California sun kissed her skin outside the large glass and steel building. Making her way to her car in the studio parking lot, she mentally prepared herself for the drive home. It was rush hour – never a good time of day to be in traffic.
Chapter 2
“This is WDRQ radio weather, bringing you all the latest news from Mother Nature. Today’s high is ninety-six degrees with no rain in sight. Stay cool, Los Angeles,” came the voice of Jon Levine, meteorologist at Amy’s station across her car speakers. She grimaced every time she heard his voice, which she found annoying more than most since she had to listen to his endless complaints in station meetings. It was getting dark outside, and she was still stuck in traffic.
“I need a hovercraft,” she mumbled to herself, wishing such a thing existed.
The station switched back over to the all-music hour it ran at this time of day as she continued to crawl down the highway in bumper-to-bumper traffic that barely moved, her hands clenching the wheel in annoyance. Damn it, she wanted to get home already.
“What the hell?” she said aloud as the car in front of her came to a compete standstill, the driver getting out of his car and looking up at the sky. She craned her neck toward the windshield, trying to get a glimpse of what was there as more people began to climb from their vehicles to look up toward the sky. Not seeing anything, she finally climbed from her car and looked upward. “Oh, my God!” she exclaimed.
Soaring high above them was something large and dark. It was hard to make it out in the dusk that had now fallen, but it looked like a dragon. No way could it be, though. Dragons simply didn’t exist, in L.A. or anywhere else on the planet. It had to be a hoax – a kite perhaps, or a drone dressed up to look that way. She marveled at how realistic it looked. No wonder people were calling to report it as an actual dragon.
Amy watched as it flapped its large wings, appearing to be a deep red metallic color that almost blended in with the night, but not enough to completely conceal it. Kites didn’t move like that. Drones neither. Still, there was a reasonable explanation. The man had said he saw a blue and silver dragon. This one was much darker than that. What was going on here?
“Hey, lady. I want to get home sometime today!” a man yelled from the car behind her.
“Yeah, me too,” she replied, looking forward to see the man in front of her was returning to his car now that the dragon disappeared beyond the horizon.
Inside the car, she reached for her cell phone, hitting speed dial and the handsfree speaker as traffic began to inch forward once again. She waited anxiously while it rang on the other end, finally answered by the station receptionist.
“Melanie, this is Amy. Can you get me The Grid on the phone?” she asked her.
“Sure thing, Amy,” the young woman replied, putting her on hold while she shifted her call to the telephone operator that they nicknamed The Grid because he controlled the large sound and inbound call grid that sat outside her sound booth.
“Go,” he said from the other end.
“It’s Amy. Tell me about the dragon phone calls this morning,” she said.
“Man, there were dozens of them. Crazy people talking about dragons flying over the city,” he said.
“What color did they say they were?” she asked.
“All over the show. There was blue and silver mostly, but a couple said red or orange,” he told her. “Why?”
“Just some thoughts on a follow up,” she replied, unwilling to admit she had seen them too just yet. “Thanks, Grid.”
“Sure. Talk to you later.”
Amy ended the call and wondered what was going on here. Whoever had put those things into the sky had done one hell of a job making them look realistic. Of course, the darkness aided that, but still, what she had been able to make out seemed very authentic looking. She had to know who was behind it. Though she was a radio DJ, her training was as an investigative reporter, and this seemed worthy of further scrutiny if for no other reason than curiosity.
“What do you know about dragons?” she was asking her best friend, Barb, on the phone an hour later when she finally managed to make it out of traffic and into her small apartment just outside the city.
“Dragons?” Barb repeated.
“Yes, dragons.”
“They don’t exist. They never did,” Barb replied.
“Are you certain? There is no evidence to support that they have ever roamed the planet?” Amy asked.
“I am certain. I would stake my anthropology degree on it.”
“What I if I told you that I saw one tonight?”
“I’d have to ask what you are drinking and if I can come over to help you finish it off,” Barb laughed.
“I’m serious, Barb.”
“So am I. Listen, it’s not a matter of dragons no longer existing. They never did.”
“I saw one flying over my head, Barb.”
“I don’t know what you saw, but I can assure you that it wasn’t a dragon. Probably some military experiment.”
“This was no military UFO.”
“Look, even if an animal that size did once exist, it doesn’t anymore, and anything that might have even been similar just wouldn’t have been able to fly. No wing span on an animal would have supported that kind of weight. It is an impossibility. Really, Amy . . . you’re the last person I’d expect to drum up some dragon hoax.”
“I’m not drumming up a hoax. I had a caller earlier on the show that claimed he saw a dragon. I reacted the same way, but then, on my way home, I saw it for myself.”
Saved by Alpha Bear (Paranormal Shifter Romance) (Shadow Claw Book 1) Page 37