Dragon Rage

by Kelly Armenta

  “You called, Mistress?” Kit asked, and somehow plucked Alan up and set him down about three feet from me. Alan looked shocked but managed to restrain himself from reacting, likely because of Kit’s comment.

  Kit looked handsome in a long black wool coat that reached mid-thigh. He was wearing black slacks and a blood red button up shirt with several of the top buttons undone. He looked so good it distracted me for a moment and I had to concentrate to remember what we were discussing. Had I actually called Kit? I remembered thinking his name; was that enough to call him to me?

  “Yes,” he replied while his eyes bore into Alan and I watched the smaller man shake his head as if something was wrong. “Imagine my surprise to find you here with this one.”

  Apparently the fact that I found him hot wasn’t going to calm his temper, since he seemed to be ignoring my thoughts. “Ah… you mustn’t hurt him. He’s just being himself. He can’t help it.”

  Alan spared me a glance and frowned. I don’t know if he knew what to think about my attempts to spare his life. “Who are you?” he demanded, glancing between Kit and me. Kit was nearly as tall as Owen, which meant Alan had to look up to see his face.

  “I believe I told you to find your own, this one is taken,” Kit leaned forward slightly and growled. His posture was extremely aggressive and matched perfectly the wicked rage on his oh so beautiful face.

  “Lexi, do we have a problem? Why is Kit here?” my Father asked. He’d moved up to us and had inserted himself between Mom and the men.

  “This is Kit.... your Dragon?”Alan demanded.

  I took a deep breath. “Yes, and no Dad I don’t think so. Alan was just returning to his seat. Thank you for the dance,” I told him, my eyes urging him to go while he still could. He hesitated for a moment then gave Kit a glance that narrowed my Demon’s eyes and tightened the skin across his cheeks.

  “Walk away cat before your curiosity forces me to disobey my Mistress and skin you. Your spotted pelt would look good on my floor, and I would enjoy wiping my boots on it daily,” Kit informed him softly while his pupils disappeared, replaced by miniature reddish orange flames flickering in his eyes. I’d never seen him do that before and it surprised even me. Alan’s own eyes widened and his nostrils flared as he stared back at my Demon.

  I watched Kit for a few seconds, his eyes mesmerizing me before I finally gave myself a mental shake and told them. “Boys, the press is on its way. I’d hate to give them something to print tomorrow. Can’t we all just play nice?”

  “You know I live to serve you, Mistress, and that I am only too happy to play with you anytime, anywhere. He, however, is off limits,” Kit informed me bluntly. “I like jazz,” he then remarked, rudely turning his back on Alan and reaching for me. I went into his arms with a sigh and an apologetic look at Alan. That got me a growl and a quick turn by Kit, so that I could no longer see the other man. When next I glanced toward our table, Alan was gone and so were the others. I was sorry I hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye to Bodark.

  “Is everyone alright? You didn’t leave them unprotected did you?” I asked, my voice sounding worried at the thought.

  Kit scoffed and held me tighter. “You look wonderful in black silk,” he replied and slid his hand over my waist and down to my hip.

  “Thank you.”

  “I am very annoyed with you.”

  “I know.”

  He sighed and rubbed his cheek against my temple. “I thought that you were supposed to be at home. Why are you here and not there where we left you?”

  “I took my parents to dinner. I didn’t plan on finding Alan and the others at the same restaurant as us! You all went out to have a fun without me and I was bored and… I’m a little irritated at you all too,” I told him my voice a tad defensive.

  “Dinner is one thing. But I cannot leave you alone for five minutes, and you are with that mongrel!”

  “Well if you had shown up five minutes later I would have been dancing with Jared” I told him, then thought to myself, because I’d already danced with Bodark and Blake. It wasn’t as if I met Alan here just so I could dance only with him!

  “Who are Jared and Blake?” he demanded.

  “Jared is Leo to the Werelions. You might recognize him as the man you claimed wasn’t good enough for me that first night in the club? Just before I met Jace and Gareth,” I told him, then thought… Peewee? He made a pleased noise in his throat at the nickname I’d dubbed Jared with. And I mentally added, I’ll tell you about Blake when there aren’t so many ears present, and felt him nod.

  We silently danced our way through several songs. I was simply enjoying the way he moved with me when I felt my Father’s gentle touch brush my mind and glanced around to find him standing with Mom at the edge of the dance floor. His eyes were focused on the arch leading into the bar from the elevators. When I turned to follow his gaze I was blinded by the flash of a several cameras. “Time to go,” I told Kit. “I need to pay the bar tab first.”

  He glanced down at me and smiled while more flashes went off. “Shall we send the guards home alone?” he whispered then chuckled when I agreed. “Then let’s go pay the tab and I’ll ensure we leave no trail to follow for the press. You do realize we are going to make headlines tomorrow?”

  “It’s what I was hoping for,” I told him with a mischievous smile.

  “Hmmm, do you think I’ll look good in print?”

  I hugged his arm and smiled up at him while cameras flashed furiously from the vicinity of the doorway. My guards had moved over near the bouncer and were helping to block the press from getting at us. Meanwhile the press was starting to shout questions, which we all ignored. “I think you’ll look fabulous,” I assured him.

  I paid the tab while Kit stood blocking me from view. I’d motioned for my parents to join us, then turned to look at Dean and nudged a thought in his direction. He jumped and turned toward me, his eyes wide as if he wasn’t certain what had just happened. Beside me Kit grinned, seeming pleased with me. I crooked my finger at Dean and he hurried over. “Kit’s taking us home the fast way,” I whispered in his ear. “Can you make sure you lose the press so they don’t follow you in the car?”

  “Sure,” he agreed. “Was that you in my head?” he asked, then looked at me strangely when I nodded. “Convenient,” he whispered, his eyes looking thoughtful.

  “Thank you,” I told him, then glanced at Kit and felt my world tilt, while colors swirled around me like a kaleidoscope and I squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them I was standing in the middle of our front room where Jace and Gareth were staring back at me with Cursed, Amras, and Owen all frowning as they caught site of what I was wearing. Kit must have deposited my parents directly to their room since it was just me he had in tow.

  “Look who I found dancing in the arms of your little friend Alan,” Kit told the group. He then left me standing there like a lamb at the altar as he crossed the room and seated himself in a chair while I glanced at him in shock.

  Chapter 12

  The room went dead silent but in my head I heard static as if they were all yelling at me though no one’s lips moved.

  “Interesting, I could have sworn we told her to stay here.”

  “I seem to recall leaving her dressed in frumpy clothing and mismatched slippers,” Jace added, his green eyes narrowed as they swept me from head to toe. They all looked tense… frustrated and suspicious. I actually took a step back and straightened my shoulders.

  “Thanks, Kit,” I hissed and sent a glare in his direction. He gave me a twisted smile and shrugged.

  “It’s true,” he replied.

  “It’s also true that I was out having dinner with my parents, which you conveniently neglected to mention.”

  Kit shrugged when Amras and Owen turned to look at him. “The only thing on the menu when I found you was you,” he informed me as he leaned back in the cushions, crossing his arms over his wide chest. He must have changed sometime during our travels because he was n
ow wearing black leather and his current pose strained the ties down his front, leaving a large expanse of black and silver tipped chest hair exposed. I knew he was mad at me but I didn’t realize he was going to be petty about it.

  “Petty?” he growled, sitting straight up in his chair. He looked like he was going to start throwing off sparks, he was suddenly so mad. I think his hair actually crackled. “I warned you, you should have listened.”

  I tossed my hand in the air and threw my purse onto the nearest chair, then kicked off my heels, sending them flying several feet away. They were pinching my toes and after all the dancing I’d done, it felt good to bury them in the carpeting. “I did listen, damn you. But you shouldn’t have left me here alone while you all went out to play He-man!” I snapped, while my gaze raked them all. “And I didn’t plan for any of this to happen, it just did, and I’m not sorry I went. I didn’t invite Alan into my room earlier and it wasn’t even Alan I agreed to meet at the club when they approached us at dinner. I certainly didn’t put these damn things on my wrist! Or tell him he could have my gold to mount on his freaking tie tack!” I ended by yelling at them all. My breath was coming in short pants, I was so emotionally overwrought.

  Kit pushed up from the chair and just flowed to me. I glared at him and stuck out my wrist for his inspection. His eyes narrowed and he hissed softly as he ran a finger over the key and jaguar. The others moved closer so they could see my wrist as Kit snapped his fingers and the dragons all disappeared into a tennis bracelet, with a little gold key and spotted jaguar hanging off of it. “I’m going to kill him,” he breathed and glanced up at me.

  “Get it off me!” I shouted at him and he shook his head. “Damn!” I muttered, then ran my hand over my eyes. “Could you just… put it back then?” I finally asked, lowering my voice to a more normal level. “And you can’t kill him… it would cause Jace and Gareth problems.” I sighed and closed my eyes, tilting my face toward the floor. “Honestly, at the moment I couldn’t care less. Just make sure you get my gold back first.” Kit snapped his fingers again and I knew without looking that my little dragons hung once again from my gold chain, along with that damned key and jaguar.

  No one spoke for several minutes until I finally sighed and lifted my face to Gareth, who had a stony look on his face and a shadow in his eyes. “Did you have any luck tonight?” I asked.

  “I don’t believe we’re yet ready for a change of topic,” he told me coldly. “I think we’d all like to know what you thought you were doing out dancing with someone we all clearly don’t trust and have no desire to include in our little family.”

  “Fine!” I snapped, then kicked at the bottom of my dress as I moved to a chair, tossed my wrap on it, then flopped down and lifted my feet onto the coffee table. I looked around the room and gave them each a dirty look. Mostly because they were making me feel guilty for something I had not done and really had no desire to do.

  Jace sighed and moved to the couch. It seemed to be the catalyst for the rest of them as they all took a moment to seat themselves. Probably guessing correctly that I wasn’t going to talk until they all did so. I had no wish to crane my neck while they heaped disapproval upon me from above. At least seated I wouldn’t get a crick in my neck from staring up at them.

  “First of all, I didn’t pick the restaurant, Nick did. I simply asked him to make reservations somewhere nice,” I started, and Gareth and Jace nodded as if they already knew that. Not surprising, since it was probably the first thing they had done once they realized I wasn’t there. “I’d tell you to confirm it with Nick, but obviously you already have. Second, if you were listening earlier today you know I did not make any arrangements to meet anyone this evening. I didn’t even know I’d be going out until you all abandoned me.”

  “Who’s Blake?” Kit asked abruptly and Jace and Gareth turned to him, their eyes widening, then narrowing, as they swung back to me.

  “Chrisanti,” I replied and looked straight back at Gareth. “He was having dinner with Alan and the others.”

  “What others?” Jace growled softly and my eyes moved to him.

  “Bodark and Jared Detry.”

  “What was that Cajun le lacky de maître doing with the leaders of our three most prominent Were packs?” Gareth demanded.

  “Apparently the Master’s lackey is planning a coup,” I informed them, then took a moment to savor their surprise before adding, “He wants your support.” My eyes lowered as I remembered Blake’s request for a good faith token and how Bodark had commented that things had come a long way from a scarf tied around someone’s arm.

  “Are there any men of power in this town that haven’t offered to sleep with you?” Jace asked tightly.

  I shrugged. “I haven’t met them all yet. But Eldel and Dten didn’t seem impressed. I’m not sure about Jared; I got sidetracked before we had the chance to dance, but he did manage to get through an introduction without wetting his pants this time. Of course Kit wasn’t there to help him. I think I made Bodark feel old and it seemed to put him off, so I am not sure he is still interested.” Gareth grunted and ran his hand over his face.

  “Old?” Jace demanded with a lifted eyebrow.

  “When he asked me my age I informed him I was twenty five. It seemed to surprise him. That was after I introduced my parents to them. Both parents,” I told them, not wanting to be mistaken.

  Amras jerked in his chair and stared at me as if he couldn’t believe what I had just said. “No,” he breathed.

  “Lexi,” Gareth growled. “You know that wasn’t wise. Now on top of Valentine, we’re going to have to worry about you disappearing and ending up in some lab being experimented on!”

  “Oh yeah… well about that,” I replied, leaning my head back against the couch. “It seems that was all a major misunderstanding that my Mother let me believe so I wouldn’t ask questions about my Father. Apparently she couldn’t bare the stigma of having a kid out of wedlock while engaged to someone else. Imagine that? So I guess… I didn’t really need to move in for protection. I’ll have to have a conversation with Mi about that soon. I mean, a joke’s a joke, but letting your kid think men in little white coats might come for her in the middle of the night to slice her into little pieces so they might study her DNA? All that just to keep her from mentioning who her parents are, well it’s a bit much! And to think I spent all those years hiding behind Plain Jane! Mom’s just lucky she’s very pregnant at the moment!”

  I rolled my head on the couch and glanced over at Amras and Cursed. Neither looked happy. Amras looked like he’d swallowed a horned toad the wrong way down; Cursed just looked like he was having a hard time following the conversation. But then he might not know what men in little white coats actually referred to, so that might explain it.

  “Scientists, like those who created the mushroom bombs,” Cursed replied. “I know what little white coats are. I find it hard to grasp that you would be allowed to believe such a thing. And I wonder… if I had swallowed my pride and come to you sooner, would it have made a difference?” he replied tightly. That he would blame himself was not something I had considered, and I searched his dark gaze seeing the uncertainty there.

  “What’s done is done, Cursed. You cannot change the past. And Amras, if it makes you feel better, she held him off for nearly a quarter of a century,” I advised them all. “According to Dad, I’m a result of a one time indiscretion. If it wasn’t so tragic it might actually be funny! Certainly it is poetic justice! Especially since she’s now pregnant with my sisters! You’ve got to appreciate the irony.”

  “Ah… that is good news. That we don’t need to worry about you disappearing into an underground lab. But it doesn’t release you from our agreement,” Jace was quick to warn.

  “I hadn’t for a moment considered it. I just thought you all should know that I am not in any danger from some horde of mad scientists.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t go that far” Owen muttered, then frowned when I glanced at him. “Y
ou are the first viable female offspring of a Dragon and Elf… ever. And neither species has successfully reproduced in a very long time.”

  “Well gee thanks Owen, and here I was starting to feel good about myself,” I muttered and clasped my hands in my lap.

  “Scientists may not be a problem at the moment, but Valentine will be if he’s truly after Dragons! Lexi, you just waved a red flag in front of him. You’ve put yourself in danger,” Gareth growled, and he’s been growling a lot lately.

  I am in danger anyway. If he wants you, I’m going to be the one he comes after. With me he can manipulate you both,” I shrugged. “Besides, it was my choice,” I replied softly glancing at Amras, and then away when his eyes filled with guilt. “I’m sorry I just couldn’t allow it.”

  “Can someone explain just what this Cajun is and who is he planning to overthrow?” Cursed asked quietly, his voice breaking the hush the room had fallen into.

  Gareth seemed to shake himself, then answered. “He’s a Vampire of Cajun decent from the old bayou. We think he originally emigrated there from Canada before France ceded Louisiana to Spain, back in the seventeen hundreds. His name is Blake Chrisanti, and he is Valentine’s lieutenant, his first in command. He’s old enough and strong enough to be a Master himself.”

  “He wants a decision by next week. He said that the Council will be here in ten days,” I told them softly as I glanced up at Gareth and watched his face lose some of its coloring.