by T. S. Ryder
"Stand back," he said.
Lydia pressed back against the wall. Ian concentrated, bringing his fires up through his belly in a concentrated stream. He spat it out, hitting the floor dead center. Chunks of floor burst into the air. Dust flew every which way. Lydia yelped, but Ian repeated the blast, again and again. Soon the gate came into sight. A grid pattern of flickering light expanded over the entrance to a tunnel filled with black smoke.
Ian didn't realize Lydia was standing next to him until she gasped. He took her hand. Behind the bars were demons. They pressed against the light, screeching and wailing. Hundreds of thousands of them, scrambling through the smoke towards the entrance.
"It's damaged," Lydia said, pointing.
One corner of the grid was fainter with a few of the strands of light broken. A demon threw itself repeatedly at this second, gnashing its teeth. Lydia squeezed Ian's hand so tight it hurt.
"You need to fix it." She looked at him with hopeful eyes.
"I can't. I don't have that ability. And if I try to burn them, I might damage the block. You're a Paladin." Ian gripped her shoulders tightly. "You're the one who can fix it. The light from before that revealed the demons in the hospital – that's the only thing that can repair the barrier."
"But I don't know how to control it!"
"You're smarter and have far more talent than you give yourself credit for," Ian said. Sweat trickled down his back. "Just feel it. Trust your gut."
Uncertainty flickered in Lydia's eyes, but she nodded. Closing her eyes, she pressed her hands together. Ian watched, holding his breath. Light seeped from her fingers, and when she spread her hands, it roped between her fingers. She cast a petrified look at Ian, then climbed into the pit. The demons increased their screaming; the one ramming the weak spot spat at her. She ignored them, spreading her light over the grid. The flickering pattern grew stronger, brighter.
The door leading to the main part of the restaurant burst open. Demons began streaming in. Ian yelled, grabbing two knives from a prep station, and charged them. If he turned into a dragon in here, he'd crush Lydia. He sliced across the chest of the first one and ducked under its arm to stab one knife through its ribs while he sliced at a second. His fires were burning low in his belly; he'd used up almost all his stock blasting through the floor. There was enough for just one last burst.
"Ian!" Lydia shouted.
"Fix the barrier," he shouted back, dodging a fist that flew at his face. "Don't worry about me!"
He spared no time checking if she listened to him. One of the demons tried to circle a cooking station to come at her from behind, but Ian grabbed a smaller demon, cut its throat, and hurled it at the sneaking one. It stumbled and he threw a knife into its throat. He sucked in a deep breath and shot out the last of his fire, burning half of them in one go. The uninjured ones shoved aside their flaming comrades and hurtled towards Lydia.
Ian retrieved another knife and stabbed into their leader. His heart pounded, adrenaline flooding his system. His fires wouldn't be restored until he Shifted again. But there was no room.
A fist connected to his kidney. Pain exploded through his whole body, making him stumble. A demon grabbed his wrist, twisting it sharply. He shouted, but managed to keep a grip on the knife. He swung the free arm, sinking the other knife into the demon's eyes. It screeched, releasing him, and he pivoted quickly, whipping the blades off the back of the demon that had just pushed past him. One of them punched him. He ducked. The blow shattered the jaw of another demon.
Ian slipped from the mass, finding his footing again. They were closer to Lydia. Too close. But he was back in a position where he could hold them off. He just needed time for her to repair the barrier and escape.
A startled scream from behind him made him turn. A long-fingered, grey-red hand had thrust from the flickering grid. It wrapped around Lydia's wrist, breaking the light roped through her fingers. Ian's heart jumped to his throat. Lydia yanked on her wrist, screaming again.
The air left his lungs as he was hit from behind. Ian whirled to the demons he was holding back. His muscles ached and his distraction had cost him. He struggled to draw in a proper breath and weakly struck out. The demon pushed him aside; he stabbed into its neck, then tossed his second blade in Lydia's direction.
"Lydia," he tried to shout, but it came out a breathless gasp.
She looked up. Their eyes met; the fear in her gaze melted away to determination, and she ground her teeth together. With a scream, she yanked herself backward. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt of the knife. She stabbed the demon through the arm, then threw her hands wide. The same white light from the hospital spilled from her, making her look like an avenging angel.
The demons screeched and drew back, shielding their eyes. Many of them fell to their knees. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough time for Ian to regain his feet. He collected yet another new knife and dove back in, hacking and slicing.
"You can't stand against the powers of hell!" one of them shouted, stumbling to its feet. "You are tiny, insignificant. You can't do anything!"
"Yes I can," Lydia screamed back. "I can do anything I want! Now go back to hell already and leave us alone!"
Ian killed two demons and risked a glance over his shoulders. Lydia's eyes blazed as she stretched thick bands of light between her hands. She dropped out of sight, but Ian could feel the barrier being reinforced, strengthening against the demons below. Their shouts and curses cut off abruptly. Lydia scrambled from the pit, clutching her knife.
"The gate is restored."
Ian grinned. "Get out the back," he ordered, turning to face the demons again.
Several of them were limping away, but the rest attacked with a renewed fury. Ian dodged fists and knives, using their frenzy to redirect their attacks into each other. There were still so many of them… His resolve strengthened. It didn't matter what happened to him, just so long as Lydia got away, as long as she was safe…
She suddenly jumped onto the top of a cooking station, something big and clumsy in her hands. Ian bit back a curse and started to shout at her to leave. Before he could, though, a rushing noise filled the room and white foam spurted into the air. It flew into the demon's eyes, blinding them. When they cried out, it filled their mouths making them choke and spit. Ian stumbled back, jaw gaping.
"Lydia—"
"You said to trust my gut," she interrupted, aiming the fire extinguisher in her hands at a demon that rushed him.
Ian grinned. "You are an amazing woman. I am going to buy you the biggest rock I can find."
Lydia looked startled for a moment. "Demons! Don't get distracted."
"Right."
He turned his attention back to their enemies. Within moments, the rest of them were dead. His arms felt like blocks of wood, and he dropped the knives. Blood seeped from the various wounds he had received, but he ignored them as he reached for Lydia. She let him help her down from the cooking station.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Me?" Lydia laughed. "You're the one that took on a horde of demons. All I did was throw a little light around. Look, I even got to wear clothes. You're completely naked. You're lucky they didn't go for—"
Ian cut her off with a deep kiss. His heart still pounded, the sudden stop of adrenaline pumping through his veins making him tremble. The possibility of what might have happened burned into his mind. He tightened his grip of Lydia, making sure he wouldn’t lose her.
"I love you," he gasped, moving his mouth to her neck. "I love you."
"I love you, too." She answered his passion with her own, clinging to him. "I love you more than I've ever loved anybody before. But—"
Ian tensed and pulled back. "But?"
Lydia gestured around with a bewildered expression. "What are we going to do about this mess?"
The Dragon burst into laughter. He kissed her once more before he stepped back, holding her hand. "We'll figure it out. I didn't get to be three hundred years old without kno
wing a few tricks."
She smiled and twined her fingers through his, letting him lead her away from the ruined kitchen. It was going to take a lot to fix this mess, but if there was one thing he'd learned since meeting Lydia, anything was possible.
Even melting the stone heart of a Dragon who hated everybody.
Chapter Eleven – Lydia
Lydia lay on the floor, hands stretched over her large, swollen belly. Her stomach felt like it was about to explode. "Kill me," she begged.
A sigh sounded from the other end of the phone she had pressed to her ear. "Don't tell me you ate the entire cake by yourself," Amber said.
"I saved a slice for Ian."
Amber sighed again. "You have got to kick this habit, Lydia. You're going to have a baby soon. How are you going to teach him healthy eating habits if you gorge yourself on desserts all the time? And don't give me that, 'I saved the world from hell' line. I've apologized enough for attacking Ian and I refuse to feel guilty anymore. Even he said I shouldn't worry about it after hearing more about… my past."
"I didn't say anything about you feeling guilty. I just asked for you to kill me."
"Don't eat so much cake if you don't like how you feel."
Lydia huffed, rubbing her stomach. The baby inside started to kick in response. It didn't help the already overly-full feeling that she was experiencing. "If you're not going to be sympathetic, maybe I'll just kick you out of my restaurant."
"If you do that, I'll fire you from being the manager of my restaurant."
Lydia smiled. After almost a year of a strained relationship with Amber, they were back to normal. At least, they were pretty dang close to being back to normal. It had been hard for her friend to come to terms with Lydia being with a dragon, but after hearing the story (several times) she had come around and came to accept that Lydia really did love Ian and that he loved her. Since then, things had been slowly improving. The fact that Ian had bought them a restaurant had helped.
Speak of the Dragon… Ian came into the kitchen. He sighed when he saw Lydia lying on the floor. "Did you eat that whole cake?"
"Whoops, sounds like I should go and let you take your scolding," Amber said. "I'll call you later."
"Yeah. Bye."
Lydia hung up the phone and shook her head, peering innocently at Ian. "I didn't eat it all."
Ian stepped over her and eyed what was left of the cake. "I see. You left me a few crumbs."
"That's a whole piece left," Lydia protested. "Are you going to stand there crying over a cake or help me to bed? I need my rest, remember."
"You just want me to carry you."
Lydia grinned. "Will you?"
Ian rolled his eyes, but swooped down and gathered her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head. "Of course I will. All you need to do is ask. I'll do anything for my mate."
Lydia made a face at that. A committed relationship, she could live with. Wildly in love, yes. Common-law partnership, fiancé, girlfriend-boyfriend, all labels that she liked. Mates just made it sound so animalistic, though. Like all there was between them was sex, not this shared history and broken pasts. To Ian, she knew 'mates' was as good as saying that she was his wife, but she still didn't like the word.
Her Dragon carried her to their shared bedroom where he laid her on the bed and kissed her pregnant belly. A shiver ran down her spine and she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, digging her fingers into his hair.
"Hey, now. You said you needed rest," Ian said, his eyes twinkling as he mock-glared at her.
"I'm not actually that tired. And sex is supposed to help with bringing on labor, right? I'm anxious for our baby to see the world."
Luckily for her, she was not going to lay an egg. Dragons, just like humans, gave birth to live young. The baby wouldn't even start shifting until he was in his teens. Lydia wasn't really looking forward to a teenager prone to spouting fire from his mouth, but Ian assured her that there would be no accidental setting the drapes on fire.
"Good point," Ian murmured, his voice husky. "But you just ate a whole cake. I don't want to upset your stomach."
Lydia pulled him down so his arms were spread to either side of her and their stomachs were brushing against each other. "I didn't actually eat it recently. I'd been lying on that floor for almost two hours."
Worry flashed into her Dragon's eyes. "You're not supposed to lie on your back for long periods of time, the compression—"
"I know, I was on my side for most of it," Lydia assured him. "I'm just saying that right now I feel baby-full, not going-to-throw-up full."
Ian hummed and kissed her again. He rolled her onto her side and settled behind her, his hands coasting over her body. "Are you sure you don't want to wait a little longer?"
Blood rushed to certain parts of her body, making everything sensitive. His touch was driving her crazy. When he slid a hand over her ass, she moaned. "Nope. Don't want to wait."
Ian laughed, shaking his head. He teased her a little about it, but Lydia knew he liked how vocal she was about what she wanted. Lydia liked it, too. The lack of self-confidence she'd suffered was a thing of the past, and she loved it. Almost as much as she loved the feel of Ian's hands wrapping around her hips. She moaned, wiggling her ass against him. The effect was instant, and she giggled as she felt him spring to life.
"You'll be the death of me," Ian whispered, kissing her neck.
He eased her pants off, massaging her legs as he worked his way back up. The feeling relaxed her, and Lydia smiled as she turned her face towards him. A quick kiss was followed by a long one. She took his hand and guided it to her breast. He could never spend too much time there, in her opinion. That and her neck. She wasn't sure which one she liked best. But when his strong fingers kneaded her breasts and his mouth was on her neck, that shot everything to the sky right away.
"No fair," she moaned. "I don't know your secrets yet."
Ian chuckled, continuing to massage her while sucking at her skin. Her core tightened, and Lydia arched herself. Even with her shirt still on, it was enough to send the heat burning hotter through her. She wouldn’t be breathing fire anytime soon, but being with Ian had a lot of advantages.
She grinned, feeling so close to him it was like they were in the same body. All her life she had held onto a fear she couldn’t name, but with him, it all melted away. Now she wasn't afraid to go for what she wanted. She knew who she was, and had never been happier.
"I love," Ian whispered as one of his hands slipped between her legs. "Whoa."
Lydia knew exactly what he meant. She reached behind herself, twisting just enough to reach him while peppering his face with kisses. He huskily told her he loved her, over and over, as she started readying him. It was something he needed, to say the words that he had denied himself for so long. Lydia didn't mind. She would never tire of hearing it.
When Ian eased into her, shockwaves of pleasure burst through her. She clutched at the blanket, biting into the thin fabric of her shirt. His hands gripped her hips. They cried out, moving in time, splashes of color and pleasure blinding them both. Lydia's skin grew so hot she was afraid she might burst into flames. She didn't last long. Bolts shot up and down her spine and through her legs and arms. All her muscles went slack. Her head fell back and she screamed. Ian grunted in her ear, then stopped breathing altogether as he frantically thrust.
Lydia ran out of breath before he stopped. When he did, they lay panting. Lydia moaned, searching blindly for him. He kissed the tips of her fingers. Still inside, he pulled her back closer to him. They lay like that for quite some time, both bodies so hot Lydia almost couldn’t stand it. She loved it, though, and as her body became jelly-like, she laughed.
"What's funny?"
"Nothing. Everything. I don't know. I'm just so happy. Being here with you. I love it. I love you. And to think, if it weren't for those stupid demons, I'd still be calling you Mr. Asshole under my breath."
"You still do."
Lydia
shrugged. "I don't mean it anymore. Most of the time, at least. That counts for something, right? Besides, here I am as big as a whale, and you made me like this."
Ian nuzzled the back of her neck. "Yup. I did. I also cleaned up Maria's restaurant for the second time, took care of the demon bodies, hunted down all the ones that escaped us, and threw enough money at that Scotland hospital that they've forgotten all about us. And as I recall, you were the one who kissed me first."
"I did not," she protested. "Remember? I said that you wouldn’t dare kiss me, and you did."
"You dared me, what was I supposed to do?"
Lydia buried her face into his arm and giggled. "You're lucky I didn't carry pepper spray, or you'd have gotten a face full of it."
"I love pepper," he whispered, his lips capturing her lobe. "And I love you."
She settled herself back again, their hands meeting over her belly. She couldn’t wait for their son to be born… to meet his father. To see this beautiful world that they lived in. As her eyes drifted shut, surrounded by her Dragon's love, a smile spread across her face. Maybe they had had to fight hell to claim it, but she had finally found a little piece of heaven right here.
*****
THE END
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading “The Shifter's Hostage” as much as I liked writing it. Please consider leaving an honest review here; it means a lot to me to hear from you.
T.S. Ryder
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