by Katie Cherry
“So they were basically humans, then.”
“Well, they still retained much of their power along with their wings, but from the outside, yes, that’s how it appeared.”
“And that’s how mutts came to be.”
“You’re quick!” Bonnie laughed. “Yes. After a few centuries, they began to accept humans as mates. The power used to suppress their dragon seemed to amplify to their offspring, though, so they were more human than dragon. Still, they inherited some power, usually focused internally.”
“Which is what has been causing my pain,” Myra mulled.
“Yes,” Bonnie confirmed, nodding. “Your dragon power and your human nature don’t mix too well.”
“One of the guys who kidnapped me mentioned something about how to turn a mutt into a dragon?”
“You’re moving us right along!” Cynthia giggled, taking her turn in the narrative. “There are a couple of sure ways to help you with your pain. Basically, you have to choose a path- dragon, or human. Choose to go human, there are safe ways for a dragon to take your power, ending the pain from the conflict of your two natures. Obviously this shouldn’t also take your life- those psychos,” she muttered, referring to the Denver Demons. “Choose the path of a dragon, and… well, if a dragon gets a mutt pregnant, the baby will be dragon, and the mother will transition as well during the pregnancy. There have also been trials of a mutt taking on power infusions from dragons- like we gave you to revive you- but it’s often dangerous to do. It’s also possible to get in touch with your inner dragon yourself, though it’s more likely to work when paired with power infusions.”
“Like what Jake and the other guy were trying to do with me,” Myra murmured.
“Yes, but a mutt pulling from another mutt is far less effective, as well as more dangerous,” Cynthia clarified.
“So that’s what you’ve been doing here? Fixing mutts one way or the other?”
“That’s where I come in,” Rhys softly informs her, drawing her gaze. “That pub is my post- the others drift about the city- but working in the pub, I have more opportunity to reach out with my power and feel for that of a mutt’s.”
“Me,” Myra whispered, unsure of how to feel about all this.
He nodded solemnly, taking one of Myra’s hands in his to steady her. “Yes. Your power is unusually strong. I sensed you as soon as you walked in the door.”
“Yeah, it helped those Denver Demons pick me out pretty easily too,” she sighed.
“Yes, but also how I found you. I Marked you- think of it as a magical ‘tag’ to help me find you again- and tracked those horrible mutts down for taking you.”
“What ended up happening to them, anyway?” Myra suddenly asked, remembering that Jake had put a tag on her as well. “Jake Marked me too- he could find me here, right?”
Tavin shook his head, his long blond hair waving gently as he did so. “The Denver Demons are no more.”
“We knew they would follow you,” Rhys explained urgently, tightly gripping her fingers. “We couldn’t risk it- or the damage they’ve been causing to other mutts. They had to be stopped.”
Feeling a little queasy, Myra nodded. “No, I get that. …Thank you. All of you. For saving me.”
“Of course,” they all replied, kind smiles around the table. Myra’s heart pounded with gratitude and she smiled back at them.
When no one spoke after a moment, Myra chuckled. “What, is that it? That wasn’t so bad. Wait, what was Tavin supposed to tell me, if you split up the narrative among everyone?”
He smiled at her, and she recognized the gratitude of being remembered. “My job is usually to help the mutt realize that what we’ve said is true. But it sounds like you swallowed it all remarkably well.”
She tilted her head at him. “Sure, but now I’m curious. How do you prove this to anyone?” As if on cue, everyone leapt up from the table. Taking Myra’s hand, Rhys grinned at her as he pulled her after the group jogging out of the kitchen. “Wait… what’s happening?” she gasped, running after him.
“We’re going to show you our wings!” he cried in excitement, tugging at her to go faster. The thrill of the group washed over her, and she felt a grin growing on her own face as she chased after the strange group. Bursting through a glass door, she found herself at the top of a mountain, with nothing before her but green- oddly similar to the painting she had been working on mere hours before dragons entered her life.
“Wait, how far away from Denver are we?” she gasped, a strong wind taking her breath away. The air still felt fresh from the rain the day before.
“Just a little over an hour, don’t worry,” Rhys replied, not breathing hard from the run through the surprisingly large house. “Now come on, you don’t want to miss this.” Following him, she found Tavin stripping his shirt off. Confused but still feeding off the excitement of the group, Myra waited to see the transformation, eagerness blossoming in her chest.
Standing proudly against the backdrop of nature, Tavin smiled with a confidence he hadn’t previously exuded. Then, shrugging his shoulders sharply, great billowing wings unfolded from his back, lifting and stretching toward the sky. Black as midnight, the leathery wings shimmered in the bright morning light like obsidian.
“Oh… my…” Myra couldn’t help herself from running forward, aching with the need to touch the magnificent wings. Tavin obliged, folding one wing to wrap around him, extending toward her. Eagerly reaching out, Myra’s fingers ran over the wings. They were soft to the touch, but firm and strong beneath, seemingly as hard as stone. A rustling sound came from behind her, causing her to spin around. The other guys had shed their own shirts, their own wings stretching out around them, instantly crowding the mountaintop. They were both different colors, from Jasper’s blindingly gold to Rhys’s sapphire ones.
“Holy crap.”
Smirking at her, Jasper leapt into the air, one flap of his wings shooting him high into the sky. Tavin followed, yelling, and Rhys followed with a wild joy in his eyes. The girls were practically dancing with excess energy as they rushed over to Myra to explain. “We have tailored shirts so we don’t have to strip, the guys just like to show off,” Bonnie chuckled, turning to show her back to Myra. Her silky red shirt had two half inch thick cuts, made to look fashionable. Cynthia’s was similar.
“I hope you understand, but we haven’t been able to fly in a while, and it’s just… we gotta go, you know?”
“Oh, sure, of course,” Myra agreed, backing away to allow them to spread their wings. Bonnie’s were a deep chocolatey color, similar to her skin, and Cynthia’s were a light pink. Shouting happily, they leapt into the air to chase after the boys. Myra smiled as she watched the five darting back and forth beneath the silver clouds, swooping and gliding as they reveled in the power of their wings. After a moment, she reached a decision, although she hadn’t been asked, spurred by the feeling electrifying every inch of her body.
Longing.
Chapter Six
Myra fiddled with a piece of her hair absent-mindedly, staring out of a vast window, her gaze falling on the green expanse that surrounded the dragons’ safehouse. The past week had been full of abrupt changes, but she had adjusted to living with five dragons remarkably well, and quickly, according to Jasper- who seemed to have taken to her just as quickly. He was kind enough, but she preferred to spend her time with the calmer and kinder Rhys.
“What are you thinking about?” On cue, the gentle voice sounded at her ear. She turned to Rhys with a smile, accepting the plate with a simple sandwich on it.
“What do you think?” she joked, taking a bite.
That easy smile of his slipped back onto his face. “Myra, you know I’m both impressed and happy with how easily you’ve accepted the dragon part of your life, but…”
“But I think about it too much?” she finished with a laugh. “I can’t help it. I can’t help but imagine flying up there with all of you, wings outstretched… what color do you think they’ll be?”
“You’ve already asked the whole group,” he chuckled.
“Yeah, but you didn’t add your input,” she points out, scooting a little closer to him. “Come on. It’s just you and me. You can tell me.”
He looked at her, something burning about his gaze as he grew serious. “Red.”
“Hmm. Okay. Why? You’re the only one who’s been so sure of their guess.”
“It’s a passionate color,” he murmured, ducking away from her and hiding his face. Myra’s lungs clenched as her stomach did that stupid fluttery thing that only Rhys caused. A stupid smile crossed her face, and she found it impossible to banish. Turning her own face away as Rhys lifted his back up, she took another bite of her food to buy time as she tried to get her thoughts- and her heart- back under control.
“So, what are we focusing on today?” she finally asked, feeling her flushed cheeks cooling at last.
“Getting in touch with your dragon power, and granting you more of my own to help.” Myra couldn’t help but grimace at that. “I know,” he continued, “I know it hurts sometimes, but you decided to become a dragon, and this is the safest and… quickest way,” he quickly finished, blushing. “But eventually, your dragon will be strong enough to break through the magic holding it back.”
Sighing, Myra nodded. She knew he was right. He had even told her that it was how he had transitioned, back before this group was even formed. He had been picked up by a rogue, and as he carried on her work of saving mutts, he gathered some of those he saved into a clan.
“Come on,” he smiled, standing and offering her a hand. She accepted it and allowed him to lead her down the stairs and through halls to their training basement. She was still sore from the workouts they put her through down there, but they said it would help her tap into her stronger dragon side, and she trusted them. Still, she wished there was an easier way.
Reaching the cold, cement basement, she looked around at all the equipment, wondering what they would be focusing on today. Rhys continued past her to the middle of the room, which was cleared for sparring. He didn’t, however, pick up a weapon. Instead, he just looked at her until she walked up to him, drawn in a way she couldn’t explain. When she stopped a few feet from him, he shook his head with a smile. “Come closer, Myra. Don’t be afraid of me.”
“I’m not,” she replied, her voice coming out softer than she meant it to. Taking slow, purposeful steps, she stopped only inches from him, tilting her head up a little to meet his gaze.
“Do you trust me?” he asked, his voice rumbling. Myra nodded, her breath catching. She could smell his unique scent this close, and she had never really noticed it before. It was a woody, musky smell that reminded her of a forest after rain. Noticing herself leaning in, she leaned back again, only just catching herself before their skin touched.
Lifting a hand, Rhys gently, slowly, touched her cheek. Myra didn’t dare to breathe, afraid of breaking whatever spell he was weaving. His eyes moved to her lips and she froze. They quickly went back up to her eyes, but the intensity didn’t lessen.
“Close your eyes,” he commanded. Stomach squeezing, she did as he directed. Unable to see, her only focus was on his nearness, his tender touch, until he spoke again. “Focus on me, Myra. Reach out with the power inside of you. Try to find mine.” His hand brushed along her skin until it reached her shoulder, where his hand grew warm with the steady buzz of what she now recognized as dragon power. Focusing on that quiet buzz, she felt out further in her mind for the ‘vein’ that carried the power from his core to his hand. She held her breath, focusing with all her might to try and find it. Finally, she saw it in her mind’s eye. A thin, golden strand going from his hand, up his arm. Quickly following it, it led her to a power concentrated near his heart. It was bright compared to the vein she had just followed. The gold that swirled in a clump almost seemed to be made of sparkles, with dashes of green, blue, and red throughout.
Gasping, she staggered back, shaking from exhaustion and falling into a chair at the edge of the cleared area. “What… what was…”
“You saw it, you saw my dragon power,” Rhys jubilantly explained, kneeling in front of her, his eyes glowing with excitement and pride. “I can’t believe you did it, after only being with us for five days! Myra, you’re amazing!”
Panting, Myra closed her eyes again, resting her head in her hands. The area in her abdomen that she now knew housed her dragon power burned like it never had before, and the area around it was rock hard. Tears rushed out of her with every pulse from the power and she gasped for relief. Sensing movement, she peeked her eyes open to see Rhys shifting awkwardly from side to side, his own face clenched as though he were in pain.
“Oh, Myra, I wish I could help… but I can only do that by suppressing the dragon in you, and that will negate progress we make…” His hands clenched into fists. “But you say the word, and I’ll gladly take away your pain.”
Hesitating, Myra finally shook her head. “No… I want to be rid of the pain for good. If that means it’s worse for another week or two… so be it. I can… handle it,” she finished with a grunt, pressing her fists against the rock in her stomach.
Gritting his teeth, he nodded before abruptly scooping her into his arms. “Alright,” he accepted, smiling down at her, caring written all over his face. “But you’re not doing it alone.”
*****
Myra woke feeling comfortable and warm. I must have passed out, she realized, thinking back. The last thing she remembered was Rhys’s strong arms around her as he confidently carried her up the stairs and out of the basement. Trying to sit up, she noticed an arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Twisting around, she found Rhys at her back, sound asleep. Smiling, she gently poked his nose. He immediately stirred, slowly pulling his arm back and blinking his eyes open.
“Oh, shoot, I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” he yawned, sitting up and looking at her contritely. “Sorry, I hope… well, I… hope you didn’t feel… uncomfortable,” he blushed, lowering his eyes.
Smiling at his kindness, Myra swooped forward, landing a kiss on his cheek. “I think it was sweet,” she smiled, her heart warming further at his flushed, surprised look.
“Oh… I… uh…” he then fell silent, smiling sheepishly at her. “A- are you hungry?”
Biting back a smile, Myra nodded and took his hand, helping to pull him out of the bed. They walked hand in hand down the hall until Rhys suddenly slipped his hand out of hers and stopped. “What’s wrong?” she asked, feeling a pang in her chest. She was too forward, had let her emotions get the best of her… what was she thinking? She just ruined a great new friendship! Steeling herself against his coming retribution, she swallowed hard, denying her body the chance to cry.
“Nothing. It’s just… I remember my transition period, and everything was so… crazy. …Emotions were heightened, and denied reason. I don’t want to take advantage of you being in that state of emotional confusion.”
“You’re not,” Myra replied, now thoroughly lost.
Rhys let out a big sigh, finally looking back up at her. “Myra… I like you. I like you a lot. But it’s not safe right now. So just… could you hold off deciding either way about me until after you transition?”
Once again, his consideration caused her heart to melt, and his words made her heart glow. “Of course I can do that for you,” she replied, giving him a soft smile. He smiled in return, and the two of them continued toward the kitchen. Myra walked with renewed determination to complete her transition and prove to Rhys that she truly cared for him, and that it wasn’t crazy dragon hormones.
Chapter Seven
“How are you feeling?” Jasper asked, hovering over Myra’s shoulder as she ate breakfast the next day.
“Great, actually,” she replied with a distracted smile.
“Good, because we’re going for a bike ride.”
“What?” Myra asked, snapping to attention. “Everyone is?”
“No,” he chuckled, lean
ing against the counter closer to her than she liked. “Just you and me.”
“Why?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Laughing, he put his hands up. “Hey, it’s okay! It’s Rhys approved. He mentioned how much you want to fly, so I figured getting the wind rushing past you might help pull your dragon out.”
“…Rhys suggested it?” she hesitated.
“Of course. Now come on, princess, the bikes are ready for us!”
Smiling and shaking her head, she followed Jasper to the front door. Two mountain bikes stood on either side of the head of the path leading down the mountain, a blue for her and a red for him. Strapping on the helmet and biking gloves, she adjusted the seat while Jasper waited. Tugging her denim jacket closer against the wind, she again felt a flash of gratitude for Rhys for buying her a new one since her other one was lost somewhere in the dealings with the Denver Demons.
“Ready?” Jasper asked cockily, one foot on the ground and the other on one of the bike pedals. “Let’s see if you can go faster than me!”
“You’re on!” Myra yells, jumping onto her bike and rushing toward the trail. She knew she had a disadvantage not knowing the trails here as well as the others, particularly the athletically inclined Jasper, but a new, competitive nature was stirring in her.
Pedaling hard, she looked as far ahead as she could, planning ahead of time how to avoid each rock and dip in the trail. Before long, she began to relax and enjoy the wind ripping through her hair. Panting, muscles burning, heart soaring, she led the way down the mountain, recklessly taking fast turns. The high speed of the wind tearing past ripped tears from her eyes, but the grin on her face wasn’t daunted and only grew wider.
“Here I thought you were gonna give me a challenge!” Myra called over her shoulder, teasing Jasper, who rode a safe distance behind her.
“Watch out!” he called, fear flashing over his face. Jerking back around, Myra noticed a grey blur flash before her tires too late. Wobbling hard from the force of her turn, she fell to the ground, carried a few feet from her momentum. Crying out, she finally collapsed on the ground, her head inches away from a large rock. The sound of a bike crashing to the ground sounded behind her, and Jasper was immediately at her side, his hands quickly running over her body, taking stock. “Are you okay? Anything broken? How are you breathing?”