The Alpha Dragon's Protection (Dragon Shifters 0f Kahului Book 4)

by Brittany White

  This place felt too open, too exposed. There’d been no real signs of Ludovic since his odd visit with Carrie.

  His mate hadn’t mentioned it again. Ludovic didn’t haunt her as much as Caleb did. Edvard held her during the nights when her nightmares caused her to scream out in alarm. They were becoming fewer now. The bond between them was strengthening and dulling those painful memories for her. The first time she’d spoken about Caleb to him, he’d wanted to murder the bastard all over again.

  He listened to her speak of the struggles she had getting away from him and wanted to roar at the injustice of it. He’d never had difficulty listening to Carrie speak of anything. He loved to hear her talk about her life. He loved when she taught him something.

  He…loved her. But when she spoke about this man, this Caleb, every violent instinct he ever held within him during the darkest nights of his life roared to the surface. He was not finished with Caleb. The man might be dead. But his family wasn’t. His parents weren’t. If he had siblings, Edvard would find them one day. If any of them exhibited the same traits Caleb had, he would take them out with zero hesitation.

  His fingers clenched around his glass with the thought of it. Gregor caught Edvard’s eye and he nodded. They could sense each other’s emotions if they were high enough. His brother’s emotional intelligence was higher than most of the other dragons’, and Edvard knew Gregor could tell his thoughts had gone dark.

  The sound of trickling water around him alerted him to something being not quite right. He looked down at the cement floor and couldn’t see anything amiss.

  “Do you hear that?” Daegal asked.

  The women couldn’t hear a thing. No one else sensed anything amiss. The music, a blend of rock and oldies still continued to play. But foreboding pricked at the back of Edvard’s neck.

  He stood up, against Carrie’s protest. “Stay,” he told her. “I’m going to check something out.” Gregor rose with him. As they walked to the front of the bar, water roared in from every single opening.

  “Shit!” Gregor shouted. They would not be harmed, but the humans would be caught in here and drown. “Get everyone out!” he roared.

  People were staring at him like he’d lost his mind. Edvard rushed over to Carrie. She stood, her eyes wide as she stared in horror at the water rushing around their feet.

  “Take Sara and everyone and get out,” Edvard shouted.

  Carrie shook her head. Her lean frame trembled in fear as the water rose higher around them. A second later, she squared her shoulders. “No, go see what this is about. We’re all strong swimmers. We’ll get them out.”

  Edvard’s lips thinned. He didn’t like it. But they couldn’t handle Ludovic – because that was who this stunt reeked of – and the humans at the same time. With a sharp nod, he and the other dragons rushed toward the entrance.

  By then the water was up to their calves. Edvard stopped and spun around. Horror filled him as he realized what the other dragons had done. From what he could tell, the area surrounding the humans was sealed. The water would continue to rise because it had nowhere else to go.

  Gregor’s eyes widened as he realized the same thing.

  The doors burst open, allowing some of the water out. Not where the humans were. Either the girls would get them out or they would drown. Memories of the time before their banishment played through his head. It felt like the same thing was happening, but this time they had so much more to lose.

  Kalika stood in the doorway, her red lips curled in a victorious smile. Blue green scales flickered over her skin. “Hello, boys,” she cooed.

  “Kalika,” Edvard growled. “Release the humans and we will go with you.”

  She studied a long, red nail. “Nah. You’ll go with me anyway.” Her dark eyes flashed silver and a huge wave came from behind her, taking them all off-guard. Edvard lost his balance, but quickly righted himself. Sebastian was the only one unsurprised by her behavior. He stepped forward through the rushing water, stopped in front of her and smiled.

  Kalika’s dark eyes flashed in surprise, then wonder, and as she was lifting a finger to caress his cheek, Sebastian punched her right in the face.

  Beside him, Gregor winced. “She deserved that,” he said, after a moment. The big dragon picked himself up from the floor and stood beside Edvard.

  “Aye,” he agreed. There was no sign of Ludovic.

  “Get ‘em, honey!” Jillian screamed from behind them.

  Kalika went down for a moment, but she was one of them. When she got to her feet, she licked blood off her lips. “Feisty,” she purred. “I like that.”

  Daegal came up beside them. “This is a distraction,” he murmured. “Throw everything you have at her.” He looked back at the humans, his gaze stricken. “If we do not defeat him soon, they may die.”

  Carrie and the other women were all ushering the humans to the back of the bar. They’d frequented the place before and he had to trust they knew what they were doing. Carrie turned and gave Edvard one long last look before she disappeared.

  His heart ached. For better or worse, this had to be the end of Ludovic. He wanted to live his life in peace, with Carrie. Edvard nodded and began to pool his magic inside of him. Water magic had a way of soothing his soul. They always went to the water when they had issues or problems or their anger was getting out of control. It took years for their emotions to calm and for the dragon and the person to become one. All of them mastered their dragons at an early age. Today, they stood together and their magic formed and melded. Sebastian stepped away from Kalika and stood next to Daegal. Together, they manifested an enormous dragon out of ice and water, sentient only to their commands.

  Kalika’s eyes widened a fraction.

  They didn’t hesitate. Daegal whispered a command and the construct they created crashed into Kalika, sending her ass over teakettle out the door.

  They followed, trusting the women to get out of the bar.

  13

  Carrie

  Sensible Ella saved the day by wearing a pair of biker boots with a heel so sturdy it would have lasted through the apocalypse. Once they’d all crammed in the back of the bar, so close they could feel each other’s breath, Carrie and Jillian started trying to pry the window open.

  Something made it hold tight and not for the first time, Carrie wondered if magic was involved. No one seemed to question how high the water was rising even though it was almost to their waists and it concerned Carrie. It felt like no one cared whether they lived or died. There was a fatalistic silence among everyone except for her and her friends.

  Like magic.

  She blew out a slow breath as a cold calm settled over her. There was more to think about now than just surviving. Her thoughts drifted back to the pregnancy test sitting on top of her sink.

  Positive.

  She was carrying Edvard’s baby, and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

  Carrie pushed against the window with all of her might. When it didn’t open, she took off the overshirt she wore, wrapped it around the hand not wearing the cast, and tried to punch through the glass.

  When it didn’t budge, Jillian tried. Then Sara.

  Nothing.

  Ella came up to them. “I had a feeling I should wear these tonight. So weird.”

  “Girl, those are ass kicking boots,” Jillian said.

  Ella stood on top of the trash receptacle because she was shorter than them. “Let me try.” She reared back and hit the window once, twice.

  On the third try it shattered, sending a shout up from them. The other people didn’t respond at all.

  “What the hell is wrong with them?” whispered Jillian.

  The back of Carrie’s neck prickled, a warning not all was as it seemed. “I don’t know, but let’s get out of here.”

  As if the magic sensed they’d broken their way out, water rose all at once, sweeping people away from them. Carrie screamed and grabbed someone standing close by her, cursing under her breath about
her cast. The damn thing had been a burden since they’d put it on and she’d been all but useless since then. It finally stopped hurting. Now it just itched all the time, making her count down the days until the doctors took it off.

  “Jillian! Take him!”

  She moved the guy through the water and passed him to her friend. Soaked to the bone and panting, it was like pushing a herd of cows through a flood. As soon as Jillian had him, she grabbed another person, then another. With little fanfare, Jillian shoved them out the window. They might land hard, but they’d be alive.

  Ella kicked out the second window and the third. The water was almost chest high now and roaring unnaturally. It swept around their bodies, angry and like it was looking for a target. Ella and Jillian stayed at the window while Sara and Carrie tried to get everyone back and out of the building. It was like dealing with a dead body. There was no screaming, no crying, no…nothing. The hair on Carrie’s arm rose, her flesh prickled with goosebumps.

  This had to be magic of the darkest kind.

  When they couldn’t see anyone else, they lowered themselves out the window. Carrie went last, landing hard on her knees. The people they saved wandered around like zombies, their eyes blank and their steps shuffled.

  “That’s creepy as hell,” Jillian whispered to her as they ran around to the front.

  Edvard and the other dragons had Kalika cornered. Their magic shimmered around her body, trapping her in a perfect sphere of clear water. She sneered at them, but Carrie couldn’t hear what was being said.

  It was only when the sphere broke that Daegal stepped forward and pulled Kalika up by the hair. “For your crimes against the dragons and humanity, I sentence you to death.”

  “You and your humans,” Kalika spat. “When are you going to realize we are meant to be in power? Not them.”

  “Sebastian?” Daegal inquired. “Her life is yours.”

  Sebastian stepped forward. He stood inches away from Kalika.

  Carrie felt Jillian tense beside her as they watched from several feet away. “What’s happening?” she whispered.

  “Pretty sure Kalika girl is about to get wasted,” Ella said cheerfully.

  Sebastian put his hands around her neck.

  The snap reverberated through the parking lot, sending the girls into a stunned silence.

  “Damn,” Jillian said. “That was cold, even for Sebastian.”

  But he wasn’t finished. Sebastian pulled out the short sword he wore at his waist and finished the job by separating Kalika’s head from her body.

  Carrie turned around, took several steps, and promptly threw up.

  * * *

  Less than a moment later, Edvard swept Carrie up in his arms and pressed a bruising kiss to her lips. She grimaced because she’d just been sick, but he didn’t seem to care. They were both alive and that was the most important thing.

  Sebastian still held Kalika’s head which dampened the romance of the moment.

  Shouts rang out from behind them. Carrie spun only to see all the humans snap out of whatever spell they were under.

  “Why am I soaked?” one woman wondered.

  “How the hell did I get out here?” another asked.

  “We need to make ourselves scarce,” Carrie said.

  An explosion sounded from the distance. Edvard carefully set Carrie to her feet and shut his eyes for a brief moment. “Of course,” he said. “Damn it. Gregor!”

  The dragon was at his side in a second. “It’s the new stadium. That’s where Ludovic is. There are thousands of people there tonight.”

  A few miles away, smoke rose into the air. Gregor tensed. “Let us go.” He snapped his wings open and lunged into the air.

  Sebastian and Daegal followed. Kalika’s head dropped to the earth with a wet thunk.

  Edvard hesitated for a moment. He picked up a lock of Carrie’s hair. “I will come back for you,” he said before he stepped away and opened his dark wings. Seconds later, he was gone.

  “Oh my God,” Ella groaned. “He’s just as romantic as Gregor.”

  Carrie didn’t know about that, but she’d take him just the same. Her hand curled over the still flat expanse of her stomach. He had to come back to her. There was joyous news to tell.

  Carrie turned to her friends. “I need to tell you something.”

  Sara pulled her in for a hug. “You’re pregnant. We know.”

  A wet laugh escaped Carrie. “How?”

  Jillian rolled her eyes and hugged both of them. “We’ve been your friends for years. We know. Sara over here pulled the same stunt earlier and then we all can’t seem to stop copying her!”

  Tears slipped down her cheek. “I’m so freaked out,” she admitted.

  “Girl, don’t worry. Edvard is solid. He’s going to be a wonderful father. He handles Keanu better than I do sometimes. That man has the patience of a saint,” grinned Sara.

  It wasn’t that she was worried about. Carrie knew Edvard was solid. It was whether he loved her or not. He hadn’t said a word about the mating bond, but she felt like sometimes she could sense him. Whether that was a bond or not, time would only tell.

  14

  Edvard

  Fire roared from the roof of the stadium. Smoke billowed out of the windows, making the night sky even darker than it already was. The dragons landed in the parking lot and quickly discussed what to do.

  “We have to take him out with as little collateral damage as possible,” Gregor said. His gaze scanned the area, taking in everything. He would miss nothing. If someone was out there who wished them ill, he would know about it.

  “Ludovic needs to be lured outside. With Kalika gone, he doesn’t have anyone else on his side.”

  The doors to the stadium opened and people rushed out of the building. Edvard breathed a sigh of relief that Ludovic had shown some mercy. He hadn’t the last time and many humans, a lot of them Edvard’s friends, paid the price.

  Gregor took a step back and put a hand on Edvard’s forearm. “Something is wrong,” he urged.

  Edvard frowned at Gregor. When he looked back over at the people, he realized his friend was right.

  The masses of people weren’t escaping. They were heading right for them.

  “There are thousands of them,” Daegal whispered. The doors to all sides of the stadium had opened. People were pouring out from all over the place. A sea of humans writhed toward them. None of the dragons had a fear of humanity, but a mob could easily tear them apart with no remorse. Especially a mob being controlled by Ludovic.

  “What kind of sorcery is this?” Sebastian mumbled. He took a few steps back. Wild eyes scanned the crowd. “How do we handle this?”

  Daegal sighed. He was, at last, without words. Their future king shook his head. “We disable, not kill,” he said, his teeth gnashing. “Remember, they cannot help themselves.” He pointed to Edvard and Gregor. “Go in and take down Ludovic. We’ll try to control the crowd.”

  The two dragons nodded and lunged into the air, careful to cloak themselves before they flew into the stadium.

  The dragons left behind readied themselves, their weapons drawn and their magic at the ready.

  * * *

  Ludovic stood by himself, on the stage, looking for all the world like he had nothing but time on his hands. When he saw Gregor and Edvard, he smiled and beckoned them closer.

  “Come in, my brothers.” Ludovic hadn’t bothered to cover up the damage Ella had inflicted on his once proud visage.

  Edvard winced as he landed and saw the ruin of his face. A fierce smile formed over Gregor’s features. Ella had done that and there was no sharper pride than a warrior as a mate.

  “How do you like your mate’s handiwork?” Ludovic asked, his finger pointing to his eye.

  “I think it’s a fine job,” Gregor said. “Too bad she couldn’t finish the job.”

  “I’m assuming that’s why you’re here?” Ludovic put his hands behind his back like he was some kind of general leading his m
en to victory. The truth was, he’d already led them to death.

  Smoke bloomed around him, the stage light making it look like some macabre magic show. Most of the stadium was empty. The instruments on the stage were flung around like someone had left in a hurry. And the smell was horrendous. Smoke, sweat and fear tinged the air around them, leaving a horrible taste in Edvard’s mouth. His eyes stung with the acrid tang of smoke, and soot stained his golden skin.

  “This will end tonight,” Edvard said, carefully tucking his wings behind him.

  “It will,” Ludovic agreed. “But you see, even if you kill me, you haven’t won.”

  Gregor tilted his head. “And why is that? Isn’t death the ultimate victory?”

  “You’re thinking small, brother,” Ludovic said. He smiled, his ruined face pulling the side of his mouth down and making it look like a pained grimace. “You see, isn’t death sometimes the turning point of the greatest moments in time?”

  Edvard was starting to see where this was going and he didn’t like it one little bit. “So you want to martyr yourself for your cause?” he spit at Ludovic.

  Ludovic laughed. “Trust me, I’m not that magnanimous. I’d rather not die at all. But if I do, my victory is already cemented.”

  Edvard’s gaze flicked back toward the last of the humans filtering out from the stadium. He lowered the weapon in his hand. “You never had any intentions of subjugating the humans, did you?”

  Ludovic laughed, a lethal wicked sound. “And here I thought Gregor was the smart one. No,” he admitted. “Though that will certainly come later.”

  “You want the humans to know of us,” Gregor hissed.

  Ludovic shrugged. “I think you four lunatics were doing a fine enough job of that yourselves. Eventually they would have found out anyway, even without my interference. But…” he grinned. “I got tired of waiting. The humans should know they aren’t at the top of the food chain any longer.”