FIRE IN HIS BLOOD

FIREBLOOD: BOOK 1

RUBY DIXON

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Ice Planet Barbarians

Ruby Dixon Reading List

WANT MORE?

Fire In His Blood

Years ago, the skies ripped open and the world was destroyed in fire and ash. Dragons - once creatures of legend - are the enemy. Vicious and unpredictable, they rule the skies of the ruined cities, forcing humanity to huddle behind barricades for safety.

Claudia's a survivor. She scrapes by as best as she can in a hard, dangerous world. When she runs afoul of the law, she's left as bait in dragon territory. She only has one chance to survive - to somehow 'tame' a dragon and get it to obey her.

Except the dragon that finds her is as wild and brutal as any other...and he's not interested in obeying.

What he is interested in is a mate.

Copyright © 2017 by Ruby Dixon

Photo by: Sara Eirew Photographer

Cover Design by: Kati Wilde

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Created with Vellum

1

2023, Fort Dallas

Seven Years After The Rift

CLAUDIA

As far as jail cells go, this one’s pretty decent. I mean, I’ve been in my fair share over the last few years, and most of them are converted storage closets or small, reinforced rooms. This one has a small cot in the corner, a bucket for personal use, and the door’s a barbed wire frame that allows me to look out on the rest of the makeshift jail. Considering that the last time I spent a few days in one of these places I was left in the dark entirely, this feels posh.

Which means I am probably completely and totally screwed.

I’m not a negative person. Not normally. I’m more of a ‘let’s make lemonade and sell it’ person. Doesn’t do any good to cry over lemons. Then again, I’d kill to have a lemon right about now. I don’t think I’ve seen a bit of fruit since the Rift. I imagine fruit trees were one of the first things to go. Anyhow, it isn’t in me to cry and weep over my fate. That interferes with getting shit done, and there’s always entirely too much shit to get done. If there’s a setback—and let’s face it, there always is—I regroup and attack it with a new game plan. I have people depending on me, and there’s no time to mope.

But I can’t help but feel a little worried when the two guards in the jail keep glancing over at my cell and whispering to each other. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but I’m pretty sure it’s nothing good. I give them my best hard stare and try to look fierce. Girls that are weak and soft—like Amy and Sasha—get taken advantage of. I’m not letting anyone do that to me.

Amy. My sister. God, she’s going to be so worried. I’ve been stuck here for almost two weeks now. While my little sister is used to me flitting in and out thanks to my scavenging runs, two weeks is too long. She’s going to be frantic. I hope she doesn’t go after me.

I really, really hope she doesn’t pay someone to go after me. We don’t have any money, and girls our age only have one other option in Fort Dallas. I’ve told Amy she doesn’t have to do that, but I worry she won’t listen. That panic will take over and she’ll do something she regrets.

Stay put, I mentally command my sister. Stay calm. I’ll be home soon.

Or…not, I think as I eye my jail cell once more.

The guards are watching me again. Shit. I’ve been here a while now, and with nothing to do but people-watch as others come and go, I’ve learned which expression means ‘time to change the poop bucket‘ and which expression means trouble.

The look I’m getting right now? Major trouble.

I just smile innocently. No big deal. This is me, absolutely not freaking out.

If they came over to harass me and comment about my tits, that’s one thing. I know what to expect from that. All this whispering and staring? I worry that something bad is happening. I can’t quite shake that feeling. Given that this is the longest I’ve ever been held in a cell, I’m afraid I won’t make it back home again.

That feeling only gets stronger when they both take a look over at the yellowed dry-erase board on the wall and then glance at the door to the jail.

I’m not wrong. Something’s happening today.

In a way, I guess it’s a good thing. No more of this endless waiting-in-limbo crap. No more biting my ragged nails down to the quick, worrying. No more testing the concrete seams of my cell, trying to determine if there’s loose rock somewhere and I can dig an escape tunnel. No more watching shift after shift of the guards leaving, only to be replaced with a new shift.

I should be happy. And yet…

I bite my lip, thinking of my sister. Amy is at home, waiting for me to bring food and supplies and money after my scavenging trip. She’s still there and still hungry and helpless. I hate that. I hate that I’ve been stuck in this jail cell for two weeks. Our friend Sasha will take care of her, but…Sasha has her own worries. And Amy needs help. She’s only two years younger than my twenty-five, but she’s soft where I’m all hard edges. Amy can’t scavenge. She can’t hold a knife or throw a punch if someone tries to overpower her and steal what’s hers. I’m the one who watches her. And yeah, Amy’s been babied, first by our parents when they were alive, and by me and Sasha in the After. Amy’s leg broke during the Rift and it never set properly, so she walks with a bad limp. It never bothered me before because I was there to take care of her.

But now? I’m beating myself up, imagining Amy at home, starving. Amy limping to the nearest scavenger shop with whatever she can exchange for food. Amy selling herself, spreading her legs for one of the soldiers to make a little meal money like Sasha does…but Amy wouldn’t do that. Amy would starve first.

One of the guards—the one with the gut—glances at the door again and saunters over to my jail cell. He peers down through the barbed wire gate at me. “How we doin’ today?”

“Same as yesterday.” What, does he think I have a full schedule or something? I’m in a freaking jail cell on bogus charges. Well…a little bogus.

Teeny, tiny bit bogus.

At least, not entirely legit.

“Long night,” he comments, then rubs tired eyes.

“Oh, not me. I slept like a baby.” I give him my most winning smile. I’m going to try charm, I think. Weasel a few answers out of him. He’ll either run with the ball and start fingering his nightstick in a gross sort of way, or he’ll get suspicious. This is one time I’m hoping my guard’s a creep.

He just frowns at me. “You slept through the dragon attack?”

All right, now he just thinks I’m a dummy. No one sleeps through a dragon attack, especially not one that’s out of pattern. I was up last night, too, huddled in a corner, hugging my knees to my chest and praying for it to end, which is how I spend every dragon attack.

The dragons usually attack like clockwork—the big golden ones attack every three days, just before noon. The smaller red ones attack daily for a week and then nothing for another three. No one ever attacks at night.

Except last night. And I don’t know what that means. And I can’t think about it because then I’ll worry about Amy, and it does no good to worry about Amy while I’m stuck in here.

“Sleep through the dragon attack? Me?” I shake my head and try to keep smiling. “I meant otherwise.”

He just looks at me like I’m crazy. Maybe I am. Flirting with a guard for information is a slippery slope.

“So,” I ask. “What’s on the agenda for today?”

The guard’s eyes narrow at me. Guess I’m being too obvious. Before he can say something, the door opens and another uniformed guard sticks his head in. He nods at my two captors, and the second man gets to his feet. The guard at my door reaches for something in his belt. For a moment I worry it’s a nightstick, but when I hear the jangle of keys, I relax. I’m getting out.

One way or another. I mean, I might be getting punished, too, but at least it’s a chance.

The door creaks open and he flicks his fingers at me. “Come out, Miss Jones.”

I stand, my legs wobbly and achy, and step forward. I hug my old, worn T-shirt to my body and try to look helpless even as I scan the room. How hard will it be to make a run for it? I consider the empty ‘jailhouse’ and the other guard staring at me with avid interest by the desk. I could be faster than both of them, in theory, if they’re all that’s around. But if there’s one thing I know about Fort Dallas? There are always more soldiers. I discard the idea of escape; I fought when they threw me down here, but two weeks and several meals lighter, I’m too stiff and weak to do much fighting. I don’t even protest when the guard holds up handcuffs. What good will it do?

I stick my wrists out and keep my ‘I’m so helpful’ smile on my face, though it feels like I’m dying inside.

He leads me out of the jailhouse and into a long, dark corridor lit by only a few dusty windows. A new guard arrives, nods at the one walking at my side, and then they flank me and steer me down a crumbling concrete corridor and into an endless maze of broken concrete and ripped up flooring. An old, dull sign across the long hall that reads ‘Food Court’ reminds me that this part of Fort Dallas was once a shopping mall. The concrete-covered bazaar where the scavengers hold their swap-tents? An old parking garage. Memories of shopping and hanging out with friends after school float through my mind, but that was another life ago. That Claudia Jones is dead. She died in the Rift, and the skinny, gritty survivor I am today is the only one that remains. That Claudia knew about malls and schools and who was the lead singer of her favorite boy band. Survivor Claudia doesn’t remember much about the world before the fire and the Rift. Everything’s changed too much between now and then. To me, this building is just more of Fort Dallas. Crumbling. Broken down. Barren. Sorry. Charred.

Smoke lingers in the scent of the air and wisps through the sunlight, again making me think of dragons. The stink of it makes me weary and anxious all at once. The entire world’s nothing but fire and ash lately, and I’m just so sick of it all. I’m not an optimist like Amy. I don’t think things will get better at some point.

I think we just have to make do with what we’ve got. Maybe that’s why I’m the scavenger and Amy’s safe at home.

You’d better be safe, I mentally chide her. I’m going to kick your ass if you’re dead. The thought rips through me with such horror—Amy dead—that I stop in my tracks and bend over to puke.

“You sick?” The less-nice guard asks as I hork bile up on the concrete. “Or pregnant?”

I shoot him the bird when I’m done and wipe my mouth, shuddering. I’m neither. I’m just one of the many people in Fort Dallas who’s slowly starving to death. The jail isn’t exactly keen on three square. Yesterday, I got oatmeal, which was exciting until I found a giant dead bug in it. I ate it anyhow, bug and all. Oatmeal hasn’t been around since the Rift and it was probably expired anyhow. And bugs? Bugs are just protein.

‘Course, it might have been why I threw up.

One of the guards nudges me with his leg. “If you’re done stalling, shake a leg, all right? Mayor’s waiting on you.”

Oh yippee. The mayor? It’s definitely judgment day, and if I get the mayor to look over my trial, I’m screwed. I swallow hard and wipe my mouth on my dirty T-shirt. “I’m good.” The acrid scent of lingering smoke hangs in the air, even more ominous than before, and I think about the dragon attack from last night. Lots of bad things floating in the air lately.

The guards lead me through the remains of the shopping mall and into another shop. I don’t know what this shop was pre-Rift; the interior is clean and neat, and there’s a worn Persian rug on the floor and a fleet of plastic chairs lining the walls. A waiting room. My guards don’t lead me to one of the chairs, though. Instead, they take me through to a second chamber.

As they do, bright light floods my vision. I flinch instinctively and put my hands over my face, trying to shield it. Panic floods through me. Surely we’re not out in the open…are we? The open areas aren’t safe—protection comes from buildings with thick roofs and solid brick walls. Concrete. Underground places. Anywhere protected from flame and claw and ash.

But when my eyes adjust, I realize we’re just in a big room with a lot of windows, faded curtains drawn back to let the light and the view in. Not that there’s much of a view—ash and more rubble, oh, and a little more ash. I eye the curtains appreciatively, though. That much fabric? That’s enough blankets to buy a month’s worth of food in a swap-tent. Using all that nice, heavy fabric as a curtain seems kinda stupid. The rest of the room is bright sunlight and tile floors that are swept sparkling clean. I’m guessing this place was pretty before the Rift. Not a safe room, mind you, but pretty.

“Surprised you have the curtains open,” I murmur to my guards as they lead me forward. “What with the dragon last night and all.”

“That was last night,” the tall, leathery-faced one says, even as his hand pinches my arm a little tighter. “Should have almost a week of quiet now.”

“Mmm. So it was a red? How could anyone tell in the dark?”

He scowls down at me. “It’s close to time for a red. Must be one of them.”

I don’t like his easy confidence, but I don’t know that he’s wrong. The dragons came last night and rained fiery chaos down on the city, and we huddled in our concrete shelters and waited for the hours to pass. It is closer to time for a red, but it was still out of pattern. They shouldn’t be coming for a few days yet…and they never come at night, ever. Something about all of this is wrong.

But since the dragons did come last night, they shouldn’t come again for a few days. In theory, the sunlight should be safe today.

Nothing’s safe anymore, though. Not really. So we work with what we have.

A short, fat man with neatly combed gray hair sits at a desk in the center of the room. He looks up at the sight of me, a little frown on his face. His desk has a clutter of objects on it—a small globe (as if geography means anything anymore), a picture frame, and lots of papers. Behind him stand two other guards. I’ve seen the fat man walking around Fort Dallas before—the mayor. The mayor blinks at me, then opens a small plastic rectangle in front of him. I hear the clack of keys, and then he looks up.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

The man has a laptop. If that’s not the height of hypocrisy, I don’t know what is. Laptops are pretty much like unicorns and hot showers after the Rift—nonexistent. There’s no electricity to charge them, and the batteries have to be recharged via hand-crank generator. Some people still cling to the old technology, which means that when you find some, it goes gangbusters in the swap-tents. We’re talking enough food to live like kings just for one functioning laptop.

It’s my dream to find one. Just one. Then I can get a real home for Amy, Sasha and me. Enough foodstuffs to not have to worry about where our next meal will come from. New clothes. A functioning laptop is like winning the lottery. I’ve found a few batteries in the Scavenge Lands before, but never one that would hold a charge. Batteries are almost as hot—if not hotter—than the laptops themselves. Any existing electronics, like guns, were confiscated by the New Militia in the shocked wake of the Rift, and people let them. Because they’re banned and so rare, electronics are now the hottest things on the black market.

I should know; I was trying to sell a laptop battery to Tucker the Trader when I got busted.

“Claudia James, you know your crimes?” The mayor straightens a pair of ugly, thick glasses perching on his nose. He looks tired. There’s soot on his clothing and a smear of it on his forehead. Not unusual; everyone’s cleaning soot off of everything for days after a bad dragon attack…just in time for the dragons to come again. I’m probably grimy with a layer of it myself.

Do I know my crimes? Of course I do. I just don’t think they’re crimes. The question is, should I feign innocence or be forthright? I study the mayor’s face, and he looks tired and annoyed. Innocence won’t work, then. All right, I’ll go with ballsy. “My crimes? I can take a wild stab at it if you want.”

The mayor peers at his laptop, then frowns at me again. He closes it gently and picks up a yellowed dry-erase board. Man, I don’t even warrant real paper? That sucks. “Claudia Jones,” the mayor reads aloud. “Held by the New Militia for trespassing, theft, black-marketeering, and attempting to evade the law. How do you plead?”

He’s forgotten petty larceny, but I’ll keep my mouth shut about that one for now. I give him a faint smile even though my heart’s pounding in my chest. “Sounds about right, but I don’t feel like it’s fair to put someone in jail for stealing something from a place where no one lives anymore.”

“You know the rules. Fort Dallas does not want people going beyond the barriers. It’s not safe.”

Yeah, I know it’s not safe. It fills me with terror every time I go, and I jump at every shadow. But it has to be done, and it’s either that or starve…or sell myself. So scavenging I go. “We needed to eat. I didn’t have any money. So I took a chance.”

The mayor sets the whiteboard down and rubs his tired eyes under his glasses. “You do realize, Claudia Jones, that Fort Dallas doesn’t treat crimes the same as we did Before.”

The ‘Before’ doesn’t need explaining. I know what he means: before the dragons, before the Rift, before the endless fire and ash. Back in the good ol’ days when life was normal and our biggest worry was who was going to win the latest singing competition on TV.

That was before the sky opened up, the hole ripped in the heavens, hell came to Earth and everything changed. That was before millions—no, billions had died and the survivors had to scramble to protect themselves from the furious beasts that now reign supreme from the skies above.

Yeah, I know all about Before. I nod.

“Then you know the penalty you are facing for your crimes is exile?”

I suck in a breath. My heart thunders in my breast and the world grows faint around me.

Exile. He might as well just say ‘death.’ It’s the same thing.

If I’m exiled, I’ll be tossed outside the metal barrier that makes Fort Dallas’s protective wall—the barrier made entirely from old automobiles—and I’ll be forced out on my own to survive. No friends. No safe places to go. I’d be out in the open, unprotected against nomad bands, predators…and dragons. I’ll never see my sister or Sasha again.

I can’t be exiled. What will happen to Amy? A vision of my sister whoring for the soldiers flashes through my mind, and I squeeze my eyes shut, wincing. Not Amy. She’s still got innocence about her, and that deserves to be spared. She needs to be protected, and Sasha won’t be able to do it on her own. “Please…I have people depending on me, sir.”

“We all do,” the mayor says sourly. “Which is why the rules must be enforced. If you cannot obey them, you have no place here in Fort Dallas with the law-abiding civilians of this town.”

Law-abiding? Is he crazy? Fort Dallas is filled with scavengers of all kinds, whores, murderers, thieves—the only thing that makes us ‘civilized‘ is that we’re protected behind a wall and controlled by the murderers with the guns—the New Militia. Everyone cheats, lies and steals to put food on the table.

The only difference between me and everyone else? I was dumb enough to get caught. “It was just a laptop battery—”

“You broke the law.”

I clasp my hands together, trying to look penitent. “Please. I’m trying to feed my sister—”

The look on his face grows harder. “That is no excuse, Miss Jones. The New Militia will feed you; you know this. All you have to do is ask.”

Yeah, in exchange for a quick fuck, the NM will be plenty happy to give me a tin of moldy beans. Even a starving girl’s got standards. “Please. You can’t send me outside the wall.”

“Why not? You went there anyhow.”

“That was just to grab something to sell! Now you’re telling me I can’t come back!” Real panic sets in, and I’m gasping for air. There’s not enough air in the damn room. I can’t stop shaking. “The dragons. I can’t be out in the open with the dragons—”

“I’m not unsympathetic, Miss Jones, but we must uphold the rules.” He says he’s not unsympathetic, but the look on his face is anything but.

“You’re using a battery on your laptop right now,” I protest. “How can you condemn me for searching for more? Where do you think that one came from?”

As soon as the words leave my lips, I know they’re a mistake. His I’m-weary-but-benevolent look disappears, replaced by a deep frown at his realization that I’d dare to call him out. Like this is surprising. Everyone uses stolen goods, whether for nostalgia or other selfish needs, but no one mentions that they get them from scavengers like me. No one wants to sell out their source…

Except for my buddy Tucker, who sold me out to save his own ass when his shop got raided. I hope I never see him again, because he’s seriously going to regret ratting me out. Now’s not the time to think about Tucker, though. I have to think about Amy. And I have to think about myself.

So I clasp my hands tightly under my chin and make my eyes as big and tear-filled as I can. I don’t even have to fake the tears. I’m freaking out. My hands won’t stop shaking. “Please, please, Mayor Lewis. Don’t exile me. I’ll die out there. My sister will die in here with no one to take care of her. Please help me. I’m not a bad person.”

And I sniff to add woebegone drama to my tears. I need this. I need to stay.

Amy needs me.

Mayor Lewis gives me a hard stare and slowly shakes his head. “The rules are rules. We cannot bend them for anyone in Fort Dallas or we’ll sink back into anarchy again. I’m sure that you remember how bad it was in the riots when the dragons first arrived.”

I remember. I still have nightmares.

At my silence, he hooks his thumbs in his belt, and I notice his pants are nice and clean and pressed, unlike my own ratty jeans that are so filthy they could stand on their own and are held together with a rope belt. He gazes down at me. “The law is what keeps things running smoothly here. If the New Militia has no power, we have no hope as a people.”

I manage to keep my face bland as he drones on, reciting a history I know all too well. Blah blah seven years since the dragons came and the skies ripped open. Year One was the year of death, of flame and ash and char, when most everyone who couldn’t hide fast enough died. Then came years of scrounging, making do, building shelters that the dragons wouldn’t break through or tear apart with their claws. Years of hiding. Years of endless fire and starvation and huddling in the darkness as the dragons roar overhead. Like I don’t know this. I’ve lived every day of it.

His version is different than mine, though. In his version, the New Militia is the phoenix that rises from the ashes to be the savior of the survivors. In my eyes, they’re a bunch of bullies with guns who are only interested in one currency: pussy.

But I’m guessing he’s never been told to spread ’em for a loaf of hard bread or a bite of stew.

“Rules are what make Fort Dallas the success it is,” Mayor Lewis drones on. “It’s what has allowed us to remain civilized long after the world has gone to hell. And I’m sorry, Miss Jones, but we cannot make an exception for you.”

Panic claws through me again. My throat feels like a desert. I lick my lips, determined not to give up. “I want to stay. Please. I’m begging. Fort Dallas is my home. I don’t have anywhere else to go. My sister needs me—”

One of the militia guards steps forward. “Word with you, Mayor.”

Yes! Hope flickers in my head, and I stare at the guard. Wait, it’s not just a guard. He’s wearing stripes on his shoulder, which means he’s a sergeant or something. Either way, he’s higher up than the jailhouse turkeys. I turn on my knees and aim my clasped hands toward him.

He looks over at me and his gaze skims down my body.

Ew.

Oookay. Things just officially got worse. I swallow hard. Think of Amy. Lots of women make a living servicing guards. Sometimes it’s for petty crimes, sometimes it’s for a bit of food. Sometimes it’s for protection. It’s a way of life now. I can do it if it means taking care of my sister. I can.

I…hope.

Mayor Lewis looks up at the guard and rubs the weary crinkles around his eyes again. “What is it, Captain?”

The captain glances away from me and back at the mayor. “She’s young. Fit. A good age, and strong. We can use her.” He glances over at me quickly, and his voice lowers. “You know. Bait…for the experiment.”

Bait?

Wait.

Bait?

My clasped palms get all sweaty. My heart picks up a new and anxious pulse. “Um?”

“Bait?” The mayor frowns at that, giving the captain a revolted look. “You need more girls for that? You already had five.”

Five bait girls? Past tense bait girls? What is this?

The captain grimaces, an expression that drives a sliver of terror into my soul. “They’re gone, Mayor. Just…gone. Don’t ask. This is different, though.” He moves toward the mayor and leans in, whispering.

I can’t hear what they’re saying. I watch them, frantically trying to read lips, but the only thing pulsing through my mind is five bait girls. They’re gone.

And he wants me to be number six. Maybe I should take my chances on exile.

After a moment, the guard looks up, and both he and the mayor re-focus on me.

That’s not good.

The captain bends his head again, and the two men whisper for a while longer, but the mayor seems implacable. He really, really wants to exile me, it seems. He shakes his head again, then picks up his whiteboard. “Her crimes are serious, Captain. Exile it is. She must be made an example of to the Fort, and your experiment has proven that it does not work. I’m sorry, but my decision is made.”

“We need her,” the captain insists.

My gaze flicks back and forth between them. I don’t know what to hope for—exile or bait? Exile or bait? “Um, do I get a say in things?”

They ignore me.

“This is a massive list of crimes,” the mayor says, stabbing his finger at the yellowed board. “And it’s not the first time she’s been sent to jail! We must make an example of her! Scavenging is running rampant!”

“And we will make an example of her,” the captain soothes. “One way or another, we succeed. If it takes her, great. If not, well…” He shrugs.

“If what takes me?” I call out.

“We need to do something,” the captain says in a hushed voice. “We—”

A large shadow passes over the sunny windows. The lanterns hanging on the walls make a metallic jiggling noise, and the ceiling shudders. A roar cuts through the air a mere moment before the dragon alarm blares to life.

My entire body grows cold.

“Fuck!” the captain shouts. He grabs the mayor and they scramble away from the windows as an enormous golden flash of scale and wing swoops entirely too close. The entire building shakes, and the dragon roars again.

I fling myself flat on the ground, terrified. I jerk at my handcuffs, but where would I go? How is this happening? The dragons just attacked last night. We should be safe…shouldn’t we?

The room bursts into action. Guards are everywhere, grabbing materials and cases as the dark shape soars overhead again, blotting out the light coming from the windows.

A guard remembers me and pulls me to my feet, then pushes me along with the others as we head into one of the dugout rooms below for safer shelter. We crowd into the tiny room, and someone closes the door.

No one speaks as we huddle together. The room is suffocatingly hot, the air still and musky with sweat. It’s dark, and I feel a bead of sweat roll off of my nose and drip onto my arm as we wait for the all-clear alarm. Someone shuffles in the darkness, and I feel a sticky arm press against my own. I don’t complain. When a dragon’s overhead breathing fire, you’re grateful for shelter, any shelter.

Another ear-splitting roar sounds over the alarm, and the room shakes with the force of the sound. The smell of hot char and ash fills the air, along with smoke.

“Is it the big one again?” the captain asks in a low voice.

“The gold one,” the guard next to me agrees. “I saw his wings before he dove.”

Me too. It was a brilliant, terrifying gold.

The captain grunts. “Not a red, then. The reds are vicious.”

Like this one’s any better?

In the distance, something crashes, and the crunching groan of metal catches my attention. The entire room seems to flinch. The walls shiver.

“Landed,” someone says. “We might be here a while.”

“Are we safe?” asks another.

“Safe as anyone.”

That’s not helpful. I swallow hard. On and on, the siren blares. The dragon roars again.

This isn’t in the pattern. It isn’t. Something’s wrong.

The mayor sighs heavily, and I realize a moment later it’s his sweaty arm touching mine. He’s standing right next to me. “I don’t understand it. I thought they followed patterns.”

“They do,” the captain says in a hushed voice.

The mayor speaks again. “That’s the second attack within twenty-four hours.”

“It is. The other attack was reds. This is a new dragon that’s settled into the area. Another gold. He doesn’t follow the same pattern as the others,” the captain agrees, his voice carefully blank of emotion. “If this keeps up, we won’t have much of a fort left.”

The mayor sighs again, and I can practically hear the wheels turning in his head. Five bait girls. Past tense. “And this experiment of yours… it worked in Fort Orleans? With a gold?”

“Yes, sir. We think the gold is the key.”

A gold is the key to what? Every answer I come up with is more terrifying than the last.

A pause. “You can have her, Captain.”

“Have me for what?” I blurt out.

No one answers me except the dragon’s wild roar.

2

CLAUDIA

Once the skies are silent and the smell of fire is no longer so thick on the air, the crowd slowly disperses. The dragon’s gone. For now.

The guards grab my arms and take me down a hall in the opposite direction of the mayor’s office.

"Where are you taking me?" I suspect they won’t answer, but I have to ask.

The two exchange a look, but no one speaks up.

I remain silent, intent. If they try to take me outside of the barrier, I’m going to make a break for it, handcuffs or not. The militia escort me out of the mall and down a metal-covered tunnel that loops around the edge of the barrier. A small concrete building with a reinforced roof serves as an outpost, and the gun-toting guards nod at each other as they drag me inside.

The interior is much nicer than any place I’ve been in a long time. Off to one side I can see a room full of orderly cots with clean, neat blankets. Soldiers play cards on a table in a kitchen area, and as the guard drags me back, I hear laughter and even a female voice coming from the barracks.

They pull me into a new room, one that looks like it belongs to someone in charge. One of the soldiers escorting me is about my age, but extremely unpleasant and smirky. Of course he’s the one that sticks around. He smirks at me again before he moves forward and opens a trunk, rummaging for something. He finds a small package and tosses it to me. “Here. Change.”

It smacks against my chest, and I feebly try to catch it with my cuffed hands. “What is this?”

“A dress. You can’t wear that.”

I frown and look down at my clothes. I’m wearing worn jeans and a ratty T-shirt that I’ve scavenged from someone in exchange for a few expired cans of food. One of the sleeves is burned and crispy around the edges, and the knees in my jeans are both torn, but for Fort Dallas, I’m wearing perfectly acceptable clothing. At least I have clothing. Some people are resorting to home-spun stuff now that clothing from Before is getting harder and harder to find. All my private bits are covered, and these clothes have plenty of good years in them. “Why would I wear a dress? What’s wrong with my clothing?”

“You need to clean yourself up,” he explains. He nods at his buddy, and the one holding my arm turns and drags me out of the room. I stumble after him, about to protest until I see the metal bathtub sitting on the concrete floor.

Oh. A bath.

The tub is completely filled with fresh water; they must have used one of the nearby wells to get so much, because the plumbing no longer works anywhere. Next to the tub I see a cake of soap and a thick brown towel. This…this is luxury. Add this on to the dress and I’m more than a little worried. “You guys gonna make me go whoring?”

The soldier snorts and gives me another shove forward, then produces a key. “Hold your arms out.”

I do, and he unlocks the cuffs and then moves to the door. I rub my wrists and consider running, but I’ll never get far in a barracks full of soldiers, and I like not being riddled with bullets. “What’s the dress and the bath for, then, if not whoring?” Not that I want to whore, mind you. It’s just…the most logical conclusion.

He ignores my question and gives me a pointed look. "Use the soap. A lot of it. Make sure you wash off your smell."

“Wash off my…smell?” I smell—everyone does now that deodorant is a thing of the past—but I’m not rank. He smells, too. Everyone does. I tilt my head, curious. “I don’t understand.”

"Yours is not to question. Yours is to do."

“And…you’re not going to pass me around?” Because I’ve heard stories of pretty girls disappearing into barracks and never returning. And while I wouldn’t call myself pretty, I’m here and being told to bathe, so I’m freaking out a little.

The fear must be showing on my face, because the guard shakes his head at me and gestures at the tub again.

“We’re not going to hurt you. Just clean up and get dressed and we’ll explain.”

He shuts the door, locks it, and then I’m alone with the tub. I stall for a little bit, uncertain, rubbing my wrists as I stare longingly at the water. I’d love a bath, but I can’t get over the feeling that there’s some sort of trick that I’m not aware of. Like the moment I undress, a dozen guys will storm in the room or something. Why are they insisting I bathe? It doesn’t make sense.

But…the water smells so clean and fresh, and the soap has a hint of herbs to it. I pick it up and sniff it. Lavender. Oh wow. It’s an old store soap. And I’ve been stuck in a sweaty, musty jail cell for two weeks. I stink of ash and sweat and god knows what else.

Fuck it. I pull my clothes off, toss them aside, and slide into the tub. If I’m gonna be raped, I might as well be squeaky clean.

I sink in the water up to my neck and groan. It’s utter bliss. It doesn’t matter that it’s lukewarm. It’s a bath. My last one was Before. Ever since, it’s been a scramble to get enough food and water, much less bathing. Most days I settle for a quick wipe-down with a wet cloth, and a lot of people don’t even do that. But all this water? This is luxury. Amy would freak out if she knew…

Amy. I fight the urge to cry. Please be all right, Amy. I’m going to get out of this and then I’m going to come back to you.

The tub loses a bit of its charm once I think about my sister. I soak for a minute longer, and then use the soap to methodically scrub at my limbs and hair. I wash several times, until my arms no longer streak with dirt when the water runs down them, and my hair feels tangly and squeaky with cleanliness.

By the time I finish, I can hear the guards outside the door talking in low voices, as if they don’t want me to hear. I wrap the towel around my body and tiptoe forward to listen at the door, but I can’t make out what they’re saying. Crap. I want to know about the five other girls. The bait thing.

I want to know what’s going on.

I fold my filthy clothes as delicately as I can, because I want to take them with me when I go home. I refuse to allow ‘if’ to creep into that statement. I will be going home. I examine the ‘dress’ I’ve been given and have to turn it over twice before I figure out which way it goes. It’s an odd piece of clothing, little more than a square of fabric with arm holes and a neck cut into it. Why on earth would they want me to wear it?

This entire set-up reeks of weirdness.

With nothing else to do, I sit on the edge of the tub and wait, staring at the door.

With my hands free of cuffs, I could escape. Maybe. Providing I can get past the dozens of guards that seem to be swarming the barracks…where would I go? Fort Dallas is small, and someone would be all too willing to sell me out again for a bit of reward money. I can’t go back home with a price on my head.

But what’s my other option? Leave the city? Let them exile me like they want? I’ll die for sure. The Scavenge Lands are empty for a reason—no one can survive there any longer without protection. Sometimes protection comes in the form of a group, sometimes a building. I’ve been told there are maps that can show you a safe route between forts…for the right price. Without it? You’re on your own, and the dragons are especially bad in the north, or so the rumors say. I’ve never gone farther than Fort Dallas. No one does. You find a place that’s safe, and you stay. Plus, I’ve always had Amy to worry about, and now my friend Sasha. Poor Sasha. Trouble seems to follow her even more than me.

I’m stuck, like it or not. I can’t abandon them. I hate that I’m being screwed over for something everyone does. Do they think no one scavenges but me? Bullshit. Everyone does, because there’s never enough food to go around, and the only job that a woman with no connections can get is on her back. I won’t do that, so I scavenge. It’s so ridiculous to be arrested for it that it almost feels like a set-up.

After a moment, there’s a polite knock at the door. I stand, my clothes tucked under my arm.

The guard pops his head in, and he glances around the room, then at me. “You done?”

I bite back a sarcastic retort. “Done.”

He nods and enters the room. “Hands back out, please.”

The cuffs again? Damn it. I set my clothing down on the sink and then obediently hold my arms out. “What’s going to happen to my clothes?”

“You can come pick them up later.”

That…was not the answer I expected. “Really?”

“Yup. Captain’s orders. After tonight, you can go.”

That sounds too good to be true. I gaze up at him, but he won’t look me in the eye, and that gives me a weird feeling. “What happens tonight?”

He says nothing. Not good. Whatever it is that’s going down with me and bait girls? It’s bad. That’s why they won’t talk to me. I lick my dry lips and nod toward my folded clothes, even though I’m getting the sinking suspicion that I’ll never see them again.

The guard takes my things and tucks them under his arm, and the moment we go into the next room, he dumps them on a table…next to five neat little piles of clothes and shoes, still waiting for their owners.

The knot in my throat feels huge.

He looks over at me and sees my gaze is fixed on the table. A look like shame crosses his face, and then he grabs my arm again. “Come on. Captain’s waiting.”

The guard leads me along through the warren of the Fort Dallas Militia barracks. The captain’s talking to one of his men near the door, both of them kitted out in old riot gear, including helmets and vests. They look at me as I arrive, and the captain nods slowly.

He’s staring at me a little too hard. It’s uncomfortable, so I try to make light of the moment by pretending to curtsy in my stupid shift dress. See? I’m not all bad. Sure, I may be a no-good thief, but I’ve got a sense of humor.

“Red hair,” is all the captain says. “That’s…interesting.”

Self-conscious, I run a hand through my messy snarls of hair. I guess I keep it pretty dirty. Not exactly like there’s a spa in Fort Dallas that I can lounge at all day and give myself makeovers. “Why does my hair color matter?” They did say I wasn’t going to be whoring for the soldiers. I hope that hasn’t changed.

Then I think of those five sets of clothing and shudder inwardly. Maybe I should hope it has changed.

“You’re right. It doesn’t matter.” The captain’s tone is curt. He nods at the man behind me. “Gear up and let’s go. We’re leaving.”

“Do I get gear?” I ask.

“No. But I do ask that you put your hood up.”

Lovely. “I’m sure it’ll be plenty of protection,” I say sarcastically, staring pointedly at his helmet. Fuck being nice to these jerks. “So where are we going?”

He gives me a thin smile. “To a place you’re very familiar with.”

Uh oh.

3

CLAUDIA

I’m not surprised when our small party—me and six armed militiamen, including the captain—head through the metal scrap barrier that surrounds Fort Dallas. I’m a little surprised they’re all toting automatic weapons, because those aren’t much good against dragons, and it’s kind of overkill for scavengers. But I guess they feel better with some sort of gun.

Everyone’s silent as we leave the city. Of course they are; it’s a death sentence. They’re watching me head to an invisible gallows in the heat of the day instead of sneaking away under the cover of night for a scavenge run. The heavy metal barrier creaks and groans as we pass through the gate, but after that, it’s just silence. Nothing but wind and quiet as we head out onto the littered landscape of the scavenge lands.

No one’s supposed to be out here. There are protected greenhouses in Fort Dallas, and a small herd of animals kept in the parking garages. We’re supposed to be self-sufficient, but everyone knows that’s a joke. Sometimes there’s a good herd of game animals passing through, or a few wild cows that wander too close, and people sneak out. There are hidden passages in the wall, car doors that aren’t welded shut and allow a person to snake through to the other side. Sometimes it’s not just game we’re after, since anything and everything sells on the black market.

I know this area. I know every crack in the pavement, the grass growing up through old sidewalks and the trees sprouting in storm drains. I’m one of the scavengers who sneaks through, because between me and Sasha and Amy, it’s hard to scrape together enough to eat. You have to scavenge. There’s no way around it. Not just for old canned goods that expired years ago, but for wild plants that look edible, for fruit that hasn’t been eaten to the pit by birds.

For shit to sell on the black market.

Maybe they’re taking me through the Scavenge Lands as a test? Maybe they’re going to see how familiar I am with the area and then loop back around to the city and to safety. If it is a test, I’m not interested in failing it. I feign a mildly interested look and follow the guards closely as we pick our way through the litter and leaf-covered streets of Old Dallas. Animal life teems on the once-populated streets. Cattle move through in herds, small feral cats dart in and out of old buildings, and there’s constant birdsong coming from the ruins. All the animals are a good sign—it means there are no dragons nearby. When the dragons roll through, the animals are scarce, the birds are non-existent, and the skies utterly silent. Today it’s noisy, and the sun is shining high in the sky. I could almost enjoy a day like this.

Except…no one’s talking. No one’s looking twice at the game or even showing interest in the junk we pass by. A scavenger would check everything, hunt even the smallest squirrel. These soldiers aren’t interested in any of that, which means I am in some serious deep doodoo. “So,” I say casually. “Where are we going?”

No one answers. I’m not surprised. Whatever is going on, I’m clearly going to be left in the dark.

“Oh really? There?” I say sarcastically, pretending I have an answer. “Why, that’s my favorite place. You guys are so thoughtful.”

The captain of the guard glances back at me, a pensive look on his face. He seems conflicted despite the fact that he’s the one that volunteered me. “Everything will be made clear shortly, prisoner.”

“Yippee,” I mutter. I glance around the half-fallen buildings around me, wondering why we’re heading farther into the heart of old downtown. Rumor has it that dragons are known to roost in the tallest of buildings. And where are the tallest buildings? Why, old downtown.

Even a desperate scavenger such as myself isn’t dumb enough to head there.

I grow more and more wary as we head deeper into downtown. The soldiers hug their weapons a bit closer and they watch the shadows. The ease of the day has given way to a silent tension that’s making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The only thing that’s saving me from totally losing my shit is the cheery birdsong that tells me we’re still dragon-free. Eventually, we come to a tall skyscraper with most of the windows broken out. It looks sad and decaying, and as we turn and head toward it, I see a jumble of broken wire and metal on the ground. A red Pegasus sign sticks out of the rubble. “Follow us,” the captain says to me, gesturing for the guards to go inside the building.

Unease sweeps through me. “What’s in here?”

No one answers, of course.

We enter the building, the broken floor littered with rubble and rock. There’s shattered glass everywhere and dead leaves scattered in every corner. The breeze whistles through the broken windows.

“Up the stairs.”

Why? What’s up the stairs other than more broken stuff? Do they plan on flinging me off the top of the building? If so…why? Try as I might, I can’t figure out why they’ve brought me here, but I know it’s not good. I can guess that much. But I don’t have much of a choice, so when they nudge me forward, I go with them. A guard props open the double doors with a rock and gestures that I should head up the debris-covered stairs. I do, but the uneasy feeling in my gut grows.

We climb. Up endless flights of stairs, we climb in silence. The guards tromp alongside me, and the only sound is that of the birds outside and the flick of leaves on the floor when a breeze cuts through a hole in the wall. The wind whips the dress about my ankles, and once again it strikes me as a weird choice of clothing for a prisoner.

We get to one of the top floors, and one of the guards pulls open a metal door. Everyone steps through, including me. All of the windows have been busted out of this floor, and birds fly overhead. It feels a bit like we’re out in the open, with nothing but twisted metal and broken frames to separate us from the sky. The place smells like dust and outdoors and a hint of char. There’s warped, faded furniture scattered about, and a few metal beams stick up from the floor at weird angles.

The captain looks back at his men. “This is a good enough spot, I think.”

“Good enough for what?” I ask.

They ignore me again, and the uneasy feeling grows. This place sure is…open. And very high up. Are they going to throw me off the edge and make it look like an accident? If so, why the stupid dress? Why the bath?

One of the men grabs me by my handcuffs, jerking my linked hands forward. He drags me across the room, leaving me no choice but to follow.

“Over here,” the captain points out, and gestures at one of the strange, sticking-up poles. “Use this one.”

Use this one for what? Before I can ask, the guard nods at another, and then I’m lifted off my feet. My arms are dragged over the end of the pole, and then I slide down it and am set back on my feet again.

“Wait, what?” I jerk at my hands, but I’m stuck to the pole. I’m too short to be able to lift my hands and bring the cuffs back over again. “What are you doing?”

A manacle is locked around my foot.

“No!” I scream, terror locking my throat. I tug at the cuffs, but they hold fast. I’m stuck here. The wind whips around my face, fright making my entire body shake. “Please!”

I know what they’re going to do now… They’re going to abandon me up here. Leave me.

I’m…dragon bait. I don’t know why, I don’t know how, but the only things that come this high up are big, scaly, and full of fire.

The soldiers move away from me, and I continue to jerk my arms, sobbing. One of the soldiers shifts on his feet, looking over at the others. He seems miserable. “Captain,” he begins, clearly torn.

“No,” says the captain. His face is a grim mask. “It has to be done. Just remember that she’s an outlaw.”

“Even an outlaw doesn’t deserve this, Captain.”

“We don’t have a choice. Either it’ll work and save us, or we’re all doomed.”

I kneel by the chain around my ankle. I can’t quite grab it, not with my hands in the cuffs, but they’re not budging, so I need to try something. “What will work?” I ask, desperate. “What is it we’re doing?”

No one answers me, again. But this time, two of the guards open their packs and draw out long banners of bright red cloth.

My mouth goes dry.

Red.

Oh, fuck me.

Red is the color of bait. No one uses it for anything. Even the crushed, melded cars that make up the walls of Fort Dallas don’t have a single red auto in their midst. Dragons are drawn to red like a charging bull, and that means red things are dangerous things.

I watch the red cloth unfurl with a sick churning in my stomach. That fear gets even worse when the soldiers tie the lengths of fabric high and let them flap in the breeze like two loud and hideous flags.

“Please don’t do that,” I whisper. They’re calling a dragon over to me. I know they are. I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but it’s not because I stole a few things. “Please. I have a sister.”

The captain hesitates and then approaches me. I hold my breath as he pulls out the keys to the cuffs and unlocks my hands. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs.

Then he grabs my dress by the shoulders and rips it from my body.

I shriek loudly, grabbing at the fabric that pools at my feet. “Hey!”

The captain nods at me and puts the key away. My ankle’s still locked. I’m still trapped.

“Hey!” I scream again, clutching the torn fabric to my breasts. The men turn and begin to file out the door. “Wait!” I yell. “Don’t leave me!”

“I’m sorry, Miss Jones. It’s no longer safe here.” The captain gives me a sad look, then squints at the red banners. “You know as well as I do that those are going to draw every dragon in the area.”

“But why?” I squat, no longer caring about modesty, and claw at the cuff on my leg. “Why are you leaving me for the dragon?”

“Because we’re out of options, and because as a criminal, your life is forfeit anyhow.”

“Please don’t leave me,” I call out again as the captain turns to leave. “I’m going to die if you leave me up here!”

He turns one last time, pausing at the top of the stairs. The look on his face is haunted. “There is a rumor out of Fort Orleans, Miss Jones, that a dragon found a human woman and she…” He swallows. “Well, she tamed it. And rumor has it the tame dragon fought to defend Fort Orleans.”

“What?” My breath leaves my body. “T-tamed a dragon?”

“Yes. We’ve sent a runner to Fort Orleans to find out more, but we have not heard back. We might never hear back. You know as well as I do that runners almost never make it…but we’re trying anyhow. It’s worth the risk.” His smile is thin. “You’re as good as dead anyhow. At least this way, you can help those that survive in Fort Dallas. You said you have a sister? Tell yourself you’re doing this for her.”

“My sister wouldn’t leave me up here!” I try to snag a finger under the cuff on my ankle, but it’s impossibly tight. “She knows as well as I do that this plan is crazy! You’re a monster for leaving me here!”

The captain’s face grows cold, and I can tell I’ve lost him. “You’re bait,” he says in a somber voice. “If a dragon approaches, try to tame it. There’s a large gold in this area. The king dragon. It’s strong enough to burn the entire city to ash, and it’s not leaving. That’s why we need you to tame the thing.”

“I can’t tame a dragon—it’s not a puppy! This is insane—”

“Insane or not, the attacks are growing again. They’re killing people now more than ever, and Fort Dallas is not equipped to deal with another year of merciless attacks. We’re doomed if we do not find a way to stop them. You’re our only hope.”

Me? “But you want me to tame a dragon! How the hell am I supposed to do that?”

“Figure it out.” His face is grave as he stares at me for a long moment, then he turns away. He takes a few steps into the stairwell, following his soldiers. A moment later, his voice floats back to me. “If you can’t, then we are all as doomed as you are.”

4

CLAUDIA

I thought it couldn’t get much worse than being abandoned in the midst of the dragon-infested Scavenge Lands. I should really, really stop daring the universe sometimes. Because you know what’s ten times worse? Being chained to a pole and abandoned in the dragon-infested Scavenge Lands.

For the hundredth time in the last few hours, I rotate my ankle, trying to squeeze my foot out of the cuff. It’s no use, though. I can’t get the metal past the bones in my heel, and the constant pushing and scraping to try to force it otherwise has made the skin on my foot blister up and swell.

Blisters are not my biggest problem, though. If I don’t figure out a way to get myself free, I’m dead.

The red banners of cloth flap in the breeze less than a hundred feet away, taunting me. So close and yet so far. Not that it matters how close they are—I’m not going anywhere. I’m chained here like a dog, waiting to be eaten. Desperation and panic make a knot form in my throat, and I choke it down. Now isn’t the time to freak out.

I need to think.

I have to get free. Somehow.

And these idiots want me to tame a dragon for them. Somehow.

It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard of. It’s about as plausible as someone telling me I need to drag the moon out of the sky and park it in the street. I mean, at least the moon doesn’t want to eat me. I’m pretty sure dragons eat people regularly. To them we’re just small moving bags of meat, like a cow or a sheep. They’re not our friends. They’re not pets. No one’s getting ‘tamed.’

And I know for sure that I’m not the expert here. I’ve never even been close to a dragon, hence why I’m alive instead of being a human piece of toast. The last dragon I saw was coasting high over the city, at least a thousand feet into the air. Even that high, it had been enormous, deadly, and utterly terrifying to behold. If he’d been any closer to the ground, I bet the shadow of his wingspan would have blotted out the sun. I shiver just thinking about it.

And wouldn’t you know it, that’s when a shadow falls overhead.

My skin prickles with alarm, and I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Oh god. Please be a bird. Please be a bird. Or a cloud. A big, dark, rogue cloud. I squeeze my eyes shut, and wait. Nothing happens, so I carefully open an eye again and scan the sky. There’s a gleam of gold that’s entirely too close, and I slide down to the bottom of the pole, hugging it close as if it’ll protect me.

As I do, the shadow crosses overhead again. I watch, mouth dry, as it travels from one end of the room to the other.

A cloud, I chant to myself. A cloud. A cloud. A cloud.

It glides past again a moment later, bigger and closer…and moving far faster than any cloud should. I can’t catch my breath. Panic has set in, and I’m hyperventilating with fear. Please. Please. I grab the chains as quietly as I can, careful not to rustle the links, and give them a fierce tug. Maybe they’ll break. Please. I need a shot of luck. The chains don’t give, though, so I yank on them again—

A roar fills the skies. Trumpeting. Angry. Defiant. It’s so loud that the building shivers, and glass rains down from broken windows. On the far side of the room, an old office chair falls over. Everything trembles, including me.

It’s not a cloud. It’s a dragon. A fucking dragon.

I bite back the whimper of panic rising in my throat and let go of the chain to clamp my hands over my mouth. It’s either that or I’m going to scream and give away my location. I’m halfway hidden in the ruins of this room, and maybe the broken cubicle walls that are scattered all over the place will disguise the fact that there’s a small, vulnerable human crouching here. The walls and windows are broken memories of what they used to be, but I’m tiny, and this skyscraper is so very large. Maybe it won’t see me if I don’t make a sound.

A moment passes.

Two.

Three.

The wind is picking up, and I slide a hand over my loose hair, trying to keep it from blowing in the wind. No movement. Nothing that will cause a dragon to look in this direction—

The trumpeting returns, this time louder and far, far angrier. The flash of gold returns in the sky, not the peaceful pale gold of sunrise, but a deep, smoky amber. That strikes me as a far more dangerous shade of gold.

Suddenly, one of the red flags rips away from its moorings and flutters in the air, caught in the breeze.

My entire body freezes. I can’t move.

Oh God. Oh God. I press my fingers to the edges of my lips, pinching them together to keep from making a noise. Don’t scream, Claudia. Don’t scream. Dontscreamdontscreamdontscreamdontscream. The golden shape in the sky circles the building, and I can hear the distant flap of wings.

I close my eyes again. If I keep them open, I’m going to see the dragon circling closer, chasing after those red flags. I don’t want to look at it when it eats me. I just want to go fast. Please, please let me die fast and without too much pain. I think of my sister. Amy, I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you. I hold my breath, and as I do, the ridiculousness of the situation loops through my head, over and over again. They wanted me to tame this thing. It’s the size of an airplane, and they want me to tame it. Tame it. What the fucking fuck? Are they insane? I’m small, even by human standards, and underfed. What am I supposed to do? Ask it nicely to stop burning cities to ash? Hit its nose with a rolled-up newspaper when it misbehaves? Hysterical laughter bubbles in my throat.

To think that fencing a few old batteries earned me this. Hell, if I’d have known I was going to end up as dragon bait, I’d have stolen something really damn good.

The wind changes, and all of the laughter in my throat dies. There’s a new scent in the air, the faint smell of char that’s far too familiar, mixed with…something else. Something sweet, almost spicy, and definitely not human. The scent grows stronger, and I realize with horror where it’s coming from. A shadow falls over the broken, open room, and I squeeze my eyes shut.

This is how I die.

A bone-jarring thump shakes the world.

I open my eyes and scream.

The dragon has arrived.

It crouches on the ledge of the building, framed between broken walls. It’s a terrifying glory to behold—a mass of amber wing, vivid scale, and a massive, gaping mouth. The creature is enormous, easily the size of one of the broken city buses that scatter the streets below. The gargantuan wings beat twice, then fold in as it sinks to the floor on catlike haunches. A tail slithers back and forth, batting at rocks and bricks in agitation. A thin scar cuts across the long snout, and the dinner-plate-sized eyes are a beautiful, vibrant ringed gold with a black pupil. They’re eerily human. The head of the dragon is triangular and bigger than a car, and the horned frill behind the head trails down to the mouth filled with sharp teeth as long as my hand, and nostrils that flare to catch my scent.

He can smell me, somehow. I know this even as the big head swivels and scans the room.

Oh fuck. Fuck. I’m going to die, and it’s not going to be quick or painless, after all.

There’s a living, fire-breathing, man-eating dragon less than fifty feet from me, and I’m chained to a pole like a bad, bad dog. The urge to shriek with fear rises in my throat, and I clamp harder on my mouth, the inside of it filling with warm, bitter saliva.

The creature’s nostrils flare again, and the long, sinuous tail behind it flicks, knocking down the remainder of a broken window. Crouched on all four legs, wings folded in, the creature lifts its head and takes a step forward, toward my hiding space.

I try to bolt.

Instinct and adrenaline crash through me, and I fling myself out of my crouch and race for the stairs. There’s no coherent thought left in my head, just fear.

It takes about two seconds for the cuff to bite into my leg, and another half second more before the momentum jerks me to the ground and I smack against the concrete with a loud, jarring thud. The breath is knocked out of me, and I flop onto my back, stunned.

There’s a subtle sound on the wind, like an exhale.

It’s seen me. My body locks with fear, my mind wild. I need to get up. Find a weapon. Protect myself. Instead, I lie frozen on the floor, waiting. Waiting for the damn dragon to toast me alive, waiting for it to snap me in half with its frighteningly powerful jaws. I’ve seen so many people killed by dragons in the last ten years that I know this thing won’t hesitate to rip me limb from limb like the predator it is.

I wait for the end. For the enormous, serrated teeth to clamp down on my flesh and rend me to pieces. This is it. I close my eyes.

And wait.

And wait.

I hear it lumber forward. The building shakes with each prowling step, and I remain utterly still. I can feel it close in on me. Thump. Thump.

Thump.

Oh shit.

The scent of char and spice grows stronger. I feel the air shift, indicating something big is standing next to—or over—me.

This is it, then. I clench my fists and remain still, praying it’ll be swift.

Hot breath wafts over me. My skin prickles, and I stop breathing, stop thinking, everything. The dragon is right over me. I can feel his muzzle move over my head, his breath tickling my hair.

And stupidly, I’ve forgotten my clothing. My dress that the captain tore off of me is several feet away. I dropped it when I tried to run, and now the dragon’s going to see me naked. Which is dumb, of course. The dragon’s going to eat me the same, naked or clothed.

The muzzle moves down over my face and neck, and I turn my head aside. My hands are so tightly clenched I can feel blood seeping under my fingernails, but I don’t dare move. I should attack him, force him to get this over with, but now that the end is here, I’m terrified. I can’t do a thing.

The dragon’s breath blows over my naked belly, and then I feel it nose me lower.

Between my thighs.

Something in me snaps. My eyes flick open. I slap at the enormous golden head, trying to push it away from my crotch. “No!”

It shouldn’t work. The thing’s the size of a car. But the head lifts up and the massive gold eyes meet mine. My skin prickles again, and as I watch, the dragon’s pupils dilate. As they do, they change from deepest, darkest black to…gold. More gold, a deeper, more burnished hue than the golden irises.

Oh shit. I’ve fucked up bad now. I put my hands over my eyes and curl up into a ball, tucking my legs up against me. I wait for the snap of the jaws. I can hear my raspy breaths—the only sound in the room. I’m hyperventilating. Not that it matters. I’ll be dead in moments.

…

…Any moment now.

It’s quiet. Too quiet. Nothing’s happening. Still not dead. Shit. I…I’m going to have to open my eyes and look. I part my fingers and peek out from between them.

I don’t see the dragon.

What I do see startles me.

There’s a beautiful man standing near me, with his back to me. His hair is tawny and wild around his shoulders, his skin a lovely golden bronze. He’s as naked as I am, and I can’t help but notice he’s got a very tight, firm, equally tanned ass. He’s got one hand stretched out in front of him and is wiggling his fingers like he’s never seen them before.

I make a strangled noise of surprise. I’m not sure what I was expecting to see, but this isn’t it.

He turns to look over at me. His expression is rapt with wonder, his lips parted. He studies his spread hands again and then gazes down at me once more. There’s something odd about his appearance, and I realize that his eyes are ringed gold with an even deeper gold pupil…just like the dragon’s.

The dragon…is human?

5

CLAUDIA

Clearly I hit my head when I went down. Either that or the dragon incinerated me so damn quickly I haven’t yet realized I’m dead, and this is my brain making some sort of sexy afterlife for me. Maybe that’s it, because this guy is the stuff of dreams. Dirty, dirty dreams.

He’s almost too beautiful to be real. His face is as chiseled as a museum statue, cheekbones high and jaw strong. He has no beard or facial hair to disguise the clean lines of his mouth and the straight plane of his nose. Overall, his features are big, almost overwhelming his face but leaving me with an impression of intense masculinity. The hair on his head falls in thick gold waves below his shoulders. A small white scar bisects one golden cheek, and his skin is mottled with shadow in an unusual pattern, like scales.

He leans over me once more, and the scent of smoke and spices returns, and with it, the horrifying dragon-fear. At the same time that it sinks in that he’s a dragon, I realize again that he’s super naked. His muscled, bare shoulders flex, and I notice they’re covered with more small scars, and his skin has an almost iridescent glow to it. When our eyes meet, I see hunger there.

Super naked.

And I’m super naked.

We’re super naked together. And I’m trapped.

Yeah, this isn’t good.

I gasp and scoot back across the concrete floor, the chain snapping around my ankle once more. Pain shoots up my leg. Damn it. I bite back a whimper of pain and try to scuttle to the side. Anything to get away.

My mind is racing. How is it possible that the dragon is now human?

The man-dragon straightens, and I get a full-frontal view of…well, everything. Did I say he was built like a museum statue? I don’t remember them having such big, uh, equipment. In every other way, though, he’s just like them. His body is a smooth mass of golden muscle and planes. His shoulders are wide, his hips tapered, and like the statues, he doesn’t have an ounce of body hair or fat. He’s perfect. On parts of his body, the pattern on his skin that I’d mistaken for scales is actually a rippling shadow. Other parts of him – like his lower arms and back - seem to be more heavily scaled. When he bends an elbow, I see spikes flare out from his skin.

And I can’t stop staring lower, because he’s also sporting a very large erection. When he bends back over me, his dick nearly stabs my side. He’s hairless there, too. The scale pattern is thicker here, almost upraised along the shaft of his cock, and the head of it seems to be a thick, rigid mushroom shape that’s frilled with scales on the edges.

Okay, I’ve never seen that on a statue.

He reaches for me, nostrils flaring, and drags his hand over my neck and down my front, heading for my boobs. There’s no mistaking the look on his face—he doesn’t want to be buddies. He wants to fuck.

I flinch and bat his hand away before he can touch me any lower. "No!"

The man-dragon snarls at me, his lip curling to reveal fangs. He reaches for me again, as if my preference to not be raped is some kind of nuisance.

"No!" I slap his hand away again and then cringe when his incredulous, furious gaze meets mine. It’s almost like he’s silently saying ‘how dare you?’

But I’m going to be eaten, and I’m pretty sure I don’t want to be raped first. Pretty damn sure.

He growls low in his throat again and tries to touch me once more. Before he even makes it to my skin, he looks up at me, waiting to see how I’ll react.

“No.” For a third time, I push his hand aside. It’s like he’s testing me to see what I’ll do. “Don’t kill me,” I whisper. “Okay?”

He draws back his hand. The strange dragon-man studies me with those intense, double-golden eyes, the possessive, hungry look there giving way to a dawning comprehension. “No,” he says, echoing the thought, as if he’s surprised by it. As I watch, he studies his hand, spreading and flexing his fingers as if they are utterly foreign to him. I can’t help but notice that they’re tipped with rather vicious-looking bronze claws. He flexes his hand once more, then reaches for me again. "No?"

There’s a wealth of pain and longing in that one syllable, so much that emotion catches in my throat. It’s like he’s found the one thing he’s ever wanted and it’s being ripped from him. Disturbed, I shake my head, my heart pounding so loud I can barely think. “No.”

He studies me for a moment longer, face a mixture of frustration and need, and then curls his clawed hand shut.

I can’t help but flinch backward.

KAEL

She is frightened.

Of me.

The concept is inconceivable. That I should find my mate—so bright, so beautiful, so perfect—and she should be afraid of me. Her brightness sings in my soul, pushing back the dark madness that even now eats at my edges. The sight of her keeps it at bay, though. The sight of her makes my senses return.

And she is refusing me. She is afraid.

Pain flares through me, hard and real. I want her with every fiber of my being. I need her. She has called me from the darkness, bound me to her with her sweet scent and gentle voice. I want to lower my body over hers and mate with her. Touch her and feel the softness of her skin against mine. Give her pleasure in any way I can. Feed her, take care of her.

Claim her.

It has been a long time since I have seen a female in this form. I think. The madness makes it hard to remember, and my thoughts are full of blood and fire and not much else. She is not of dragon-kind. All of our females that came through the tear have succumbed to the madness like I have. It does not matter to me that my mate is not dragon-kind, though. She is mine. That is all that counts. My body grows fiery with a new kind of need—that of mating. Of claiming.

She is female. Lovely. Fertile. Mine.

Terrified, too, and that presents a problem. Even now, she edges away from me. Her eyes are wide with terror, her form trembling. I study her, and the longer I gaze in her direction, the more frightened she becomes. Experimentally, I reach for her, and she huddles backward, desperate to escape my touch.

The madness flares again, like fire bursting in my mind.

Darknesshungerkillangerfrustrationragedarkdarkdarkragehungerfrenzyragedarkness

I suck in a deep breath, because so quickly, I am already back on the edge. One step forward and I can slip back into madness. But as I breathe in, I take in her scent. It is clean, and sweet, and feminine…and mixed with the bitter taint of terror.

I hate that smell on her. I want to smell her desire. Her happiness.

Does she not realize that I would never hurt my mate? Not even in the darkest hours of my madness?

But even as she crawls away from me, the hunger threatens to return. If I do not claim her, another might take her from me. If she is not mine…the madness will return. Only a mate can banish the darkness from my head.

I must do something.

I cannot help myself. I reach for her again, needing to touch that velvety skin, so very different from my own. She is so smooth, so soft. She flinches and turns away, and her lovely warm scent grows thick with fear. Madness churns inside me again, this time crossed with self-loathing. I cannot—will not—touch her while she fears me so. I close my eyes, willing the gnawing madness away. Only for a little while.

Pull her close. Taste her. Bury yourself inside her. Fill her with your seed. Claim her as your mate. Do it. Take her. Fill her veins with your fire.

No. Not yet.

First I must find a way to calm the fear that is choking her.

I get to my feet and step away from her. Walking in my old form feels different, but good. It has been a long time since I have experienced my two-legged form, and it feels like stretching unused muscles. I must walk away from her, though. If I stay close, I will not be able to resist touching her…and then she will fear me forever. Just the thought of sinking myself into her…

Darknesshungerkillangerfrustrationrage

No.

I think of her softness. Her scent. I close my eyes and picture her pale, round face, her eyes bright green. I like their brightness. I will think of them when the madness creeps in. I take a deep, calming breath. How can I make her happy?

Ah, yes.

I will feed her. That will bind her to me. She will see that I can provide for her, that I am strong and fierce. That I can protect her from any others that would try to claim her. Under my wing, she will no longer be afraid, and she will sweetly succumb to my advances. She will bare her soft body for my claiming, and her green eyes will be bright with passion when I push into her—

Darknesshunger—

No.

My mate comes first. With the thought of her in mind, I glance back. She’s sitting up now, curled protectively around herself. Her face is hidden under her bright, enticing red hair. I focus on that bright splash of color, feeling need race through my body—

But then I notice her shivering. Still frightened. I growl low in my throat at the sight. My mate should not be afraid.

I will fix this. I will show her she never needs to fear me.

I walk slowly to the edge of the crumbling tower and leap off. Instinct surges, and my form shifts instantly back to dragon wing and dragon scale. The moment I do, the wildness and the rage consume my mind. Darknesshungerkillangerfrustrationragedarkdarkdarkragehungerfrenzyragedarknessviolencekilldestroy

A small sliver of light remains in my mind—green eyes—and I cling to it through the fever of my thoughts. I flex my wings and dive deep, in search of something with which to feed my mate.

6

CLAUDIA

The dragon is…gone? I stare at the open expanse of sky in a mixture of disbelief and wonder.

No way.

I get to my feet slowly, my knees wobbly. It doesn’t seem real. It’s almost like if I close my eyes, I’m going to feel his big nose sniffing my hair, moving over me. I shudder, hugging my shoulders. I expected to be dead by now. The moment the soldiers hung the red banners, I knew I was a goner. I’ve been through countless dragon attacks over the years. I’ve seen the destruction they can wreak. I’ve seen people carried away in the mouth or claws of a dragon, and they never come back. Probably eaten.

So why didn’t this one eat me?

Or better yet…how the heck did it turn human? I can’t stop thinking about that. I’m twenty-four years old. The dragons destroyed everything seven years ago. Between now and then, with my hardscrabble life, I thought I’d seen everything there was to see. Every depraved sort of action, every death imaginable, every dragon attack. But I didn’t know they could become human.

More than that. He’d looked at me with intelligence in his gaze. He spoke to me.

Who—or what—was he?

I’m glad he’s gone, but I’m full of questions. Is he a shapechanger? Is this one not really a dragon and that’s why he’s not in pattern with the others? Or are they all shapechangers?

Oh god. Can all of them speak? Are they all intelligent? It’s never even crossed my mind that they might be smart underneath all that viciousness. I’ve thought of them more like…sharks or snakes or some other nasty predator. I’ve never considered there might be a person underneath it all. That makes the destruction and rampage all the worse.

And yet…the man-dragon I met didn’t kill me. He hadn’t even hurt me. He’d touched me, and when I told him no, he pulled away.

He was almost kind.

Almost.

Is this how the girl from Fort Orleans tamed a dragon? She met him as a human? I think about the man-dragon and his really, really naked body with his really, really big equipment and the really, really possessive look in his eyes. I’m pretty sure he didn’t want to play checkers with me. Did…did the Fort Orleans girl ‘tame’ the dragon with sex?

Was that what they expect me to do?

Are they fricking crazy?

I can do a lot of things to save my hide, but I’m not sure I can do that.

I take a few steps forward, scanning the skies for a flash of golden wing. Nothing. He’s gone, then. He might be gone for good. I’ve possibly missed my window of opportunity to ‘tame’ him with my vagina. Yeah, not like I was planning on doing that. Besides, Fort Dallas and its citizens sure were quick to throw me to the dragon. I don’t plan on helping them ever again.

All I care about is Amy and Sasha. I need to get free from here, retrieve them, and then figure out what to do next. Maybe we can hightail it down to Fort Orleans. Maybe we can hide out in a safe place and wait for a brave nomad or two to swing through the area again and hitch a ride with him. As long as I have a plan of action, I’m good.

And none of my plans involve sitting around here waiting for another dragon to come by.

I move to the pole that I’m chained to and tug on the cuff binding me there. Still solid. Damn. That sucks. I was hoping I’d missed something in my panic. Guess not. I stare at the cuff on the pole and then look around for something to use as a saw. I find a long, thin piece of metal as wide as my finger and grab it. It won’t work as a lockpick or a saw, but I jimmy it in between my ankle and my cuff and push against the two, hoping to somehow stretch the metal. It’s a long shot, but it’s what I’ve got. My ankle’s bleeding and the cuff gets slippery, but I keep going. There’s no option to stop. I have to get out of here.

I have to get back to Amy.

As I work, I can’t stop thinking about the dragon. The guy. Whatever. I had no idea they were human…or could pose as human. I try to think—have I seen anyone in Fort Dallas with golden hair, golden skin, and golden eyes? I don’t think so. But if the dragons have a human side, maybe we can communicate with them and ask them not to attack the city.

Then again, why do I want to save the city? Those assholes left me for dead. A friend sold me out. The guards didn’t help me. The mayor thought I was a piece of shit criminal. No one’s on my side. I rub my ankle, smearing blood everywhere. To be fair, the captain hadn’t been happy to leave me up here.

To be fair, it was also his idea. He’d still offered me up like a sacrificial lamb. So screw him.

A sharp stab of pain moves up my leg, and I pull the piece of metal free, gazing at my handiwork. I think I’m doing the opposite of helping, because now my ankle is swelling. Well, crap. I toss the metal aside and sigh, staring out at the wasteland of what used to be an office building. There won’t be any knives or saws here. If I’m lucky, I’ll find a stapler. And then what? Threaten to staple the dragon to death if he comes back? Frustrated, I thump down onto my butt and stare out at the trashed ruins. The dragon’s gone, but I’m still screwed. I can’t get free, and no one’s left me a canteen of water or a bite to eat.

They didn’t expect me to survive.

I think about Amy and Sasha. They’d have been waiting for me to bring home a score, because we were broke and there were no food supplies left. We had no one to turn to to help out, either. In Fort Dallas, there are only a few ways to feed a family if you don’t have a male protector that can work in the militia. You can scavenge, which is against the law, or you can whore, which is, ironically, not against the law. Sasha has a ‘friend’ in the militia who she trades favors with, even though she hates him. It keeps her from having to trade favors with a lot of friends, though, so she puts up with it. I’ve spared Amy from the worst. With her bad leg, she can’t scavenge. She barely leaves the broken-down school bus hull we call our ‘house.’ She’ll wait for me to come back…and then what? Go to the soldiers herself? See if Sasha knows of another friend that needs favors?

The thought leaves a sick taste in my mouth. My little sister with her bad leg, forced to approach one of the dickish militia… I grab the piece of metal again and jam it back into my cuff with renewed vigor, ignoring the discomfort.

I have to get out of here.

The thick, heavy beat of wings breaks into my frantic thoughts, and I freeze. My hair whips around my head as I look up, scanning the sky nervously. Is this my ‘friend’ with the gold eyes, or is this a new dragon? A red dragon, drawn by the remaining banner?

A flash of gold wing at the fringe of my vision makes my breath come a little easier. Okay. Probably the same guy again, which means he’s friendly…unless he’s decided he’s hungry. I watch in vague dread as he circles lower in the sky, then descends. The building shakes as he perches on the edge, wings flapping hard before he draws them against his body. The damn dragon’s as big as a city bus—two, maybe. Is it the same one as before? I scan it, looking for hints, and am relieved when I see the faint scar running along his cheek.

The dragon scans the top of the ruined building, and then the eyes lock on me. Dark pupils fix on my face, and as I watch, they flick from black to the deep amber gold. I shiver, my throat dry, and give my bloody cuff another yank.

He opens his mouth, gaze locked on me.

I flinch backward. Here it comes.

Something thumps to the ground. The dragon whiffs out a breath, as if irritated.

Er, okay. I cautiously open one eye.

There’s a dead creature in front of the dragon. It’s a goat, the neck snapped at an awkward angle. A chill creeps up my spine. Poor goat. Is this what’s going to happen to me? Is this a warning? I move behind the skinny pole, as if it’ll hide me.

The dragon just stares at me with those gold-on-gold eyes. Then he noses the dead goat toward me, pushing it with his long snout. He nudges it, then lifts his head and watches me. Waiting.

Is it…trying to feed me?

Surely not.

I blink at the dragon. Then down at the goat. Then back at the dragon.

He makes another noise deep in his throat, as if trying to get my attention. Then, he picks the goat up gently in his sharp teeth and drops it a few feet closer to me.

It’s a present.

Yippee.

A hysterical laugh bubbles up in my throat. What am I supposed to do with that? I twist my ankle in the cuff again, desperate. I just want to get away.

The dragon cocks his head at my movements, and takes another graceful step forward. The entire wreck of the building shivers in response to his weight as he settles down on his haunches. Then he nudges the goat towards me again.

He wants me to take it. “No, thanks,” I say, breathless. “I really should be going and all.” And I jerk on the cuff on my ankle again.

The car-sized head tilts. He bares his teeth, and my entire body breaks out into goosebumps of alarm. He seems so inhuman that I’m not entirely sure his human form was real. Maybe I imagined it. Maybe I’m having a psychotic break of some kind. Staring into the eyes of the monster, I have no idea how I ever thought this thing was anything but pure dragon—one hundred percent killer.

He lowers his head to me, and I can’t help but quail backward, raising my hands to shield myself. One enormous golden eye gazes at me, unblinking.

I jerk at my cuff again. Can’t help it. Need to get away.

That gets the dragon’s attention. It nudges past me, the enormous head shoving me aside as it studies the chain, sniffing it. I retreat as far as I can, until the chain is taut and the cuff is tight against my bloodied skin.

The enormous, fanged maw opens. I smother a cry as it takes the chain into its mouth, teeth brushing against my leg and dangerously close to breaking the skin.

Metal crunches. The chain goes slack.

The dragon sits back on its haunches, spitting out the length of chain.

I stumble backward, falling onto my ass in my haste to get away. I don’t get up, though. I just stay down and stare. Why did he free me?

The dragon leans in and whuffs my hair, as if testing my scent. I force myself to remain still for the inspection, even though the head is so big he could swallow me in a bite. I could lose a fist in one of the enormous nostrils that sniff me.

Then the dragon’s tongue snakes out, and he licks me from belly to collarbone.

Well, that’s friendly…I think.

His pupils go black.

Uh oh. Maybe not so friendly. He licks me again, this time a little slower and more deliberate.

I don’t dare move. Inwardly, I shudder at the sensation…and the wetness. The tongue felt raspy, like a cat’s, and I’m reminded of the enormous, mushroom-headed erection he was sporting earlier. Suddenly the lick he just gave me is less innocent, as is the sniffing nose that ruffles my hair even now.

Tame the dragon, they said. Do it for Fort Dallas. Tame the dragon—this thing the size of a small plane, this thing with fangs and claws that breathes fire and kills people by the hundreds.

Clearly they’re insane.

I stifle a whimper when he licks my shoulder again, and then the enormous snout moves lower. He tries to push it between my sprawled legs to scent my sex, and I can’t help it. I’m terrified, but I’m not going to have that. I push at the nose with my hand, shaking my head. “N-no,” I tell him, and add a mental, please don’t eat me.

The big head lifts sharply, as if recalling something, and as I watch, the eyes flick from the black pupils back to gold. With another guttural whuff of his breath, the dragon turns his head and glances back at the goat. He looks to me, and then turns, heading toward the goat. I just know he’s going to try and offer it to me again.

But his back is to me.

And I’m free now.

I glance at the nearest stairwell, the one I came up with the soldiers. It’s about fifty feet away, just a quick sprint.

I’ve only got one chance. I look over at the dragon, and he’s gently picking up the dead goat in his teeth again.

Time to take that chance. I scramble to my feet and race for the stairs.

I fling the battered door open and launch myself down the stairs in a rush. Panting, frantic, I ignore the fact that I’m naked and shoeless—all that matters is getting away from the dragon. Now that I’m free, I can escape. I thud down the stairs at high speed, relieved that he’s so large. His enormous bulk is way too big to fit in the narrow stairwell, and if he keeps to the top of the building looking for me, I can hide in the rubble on the street until it’s safe to—

An ear-splitting roar of rage interrupts my wild thoughts. My steps falter, and I stumble down the next few stairs, thudding a couple of feet to a debris-strewn landing. The stairs turn and twist down another story, and I pick myself up and keep going. I didn’t count how many floors there were on the way up, and now I wish I had. It doesn’t matter, though. He can’t get to me. I know I can get away. Back to Amy, I tell myself. Back to Fort Dallas. Back to safety.

The building shakes, and the dragon gives another enraged roar. Plaster rains down on my head, and a chunk of ceiling drops onto the stairs next to me. I bite back a yelp and keep going. Each step takes me farther away from the dragon and one step closer to my sister.

As I turn to go down the next floor, everything is silent. I pause to catch my breath, the only sound the rasping coming from my throat. I glance up at the ceiling, but no more plaster is raining down. The dragon’s silent. Did he fly away? Give up on—

Something slams into the side of the building.

The entire thing shakes, and I nearly lose my balance, careening into the wall. My scream dies in my throat. I can’t make a sound. I can’t. I know if I do, he’ll find me. I cling to the railing and begin to descend again. Another crash into the wall, and bricks crumble inward. The wall sags, and the stairs give an ugly, frightening shudder under my feet. I whimper as the world rocks to one side.

Part of the wall falls away, and I gape at the expanse of open sky that’s suddenly revealed, not five feet from where I’m standing. Far, far below, I can see the broken, overgrown streets of Old Dallas and the other decimated buildings nearby, sticking up like jagged thorns.

Gold flashes past. I hear the beating of wings. I lean forward, trying to get a glimpse of where the dragon is. My heart’s pounding so wildly in my breast that I’m sure he can hear it.

A shadow falls over the hole, and in the next moment, an enormous black-on-gold eye scans the stairwell.

I stumble backward, gasping. As I do, the eye focuses on me, and another ear-splitting roar shakes the building. My footing slips on the garbage-strewn stairs, and I half-slide, half-tumble to the next flight, bouncing down to the landing in a rain of drywall and brick fragments. Pain slams through my body, and I struggle to get back to my feet. My ankle hurts like a beast, my ribs will have new bruises by morning, and I’m covered in dust and dried leaves, but I’m away from the dragon. For now. I need to find a safe spot to hide. Somewhere. Anywhere.

I limp down the next flight of stairs, and there’s a door there. My hands are shaking as I tug on the handle, but it won’t budge. Somewhere nearby, the dragon trumpets another furious roar, and the building shakes again. I abandon the door and continue down. I thought the stairs were safe before because the dragon was too big, but now I feel like a mouse trapped in a maze. I’m trembling with fear as I continue downward. No choice but to keep going.

I turn the corner on the next flight of stairs, hoping for another door. My heart sinks at the sight before me.

The fragile stairwell has crumbled away, leaving nothing but a gaping hole for at least two flights of stairs. There’s nothing but empty air and another glimpse of concrete stairs far, far below. Wind rips through the gaping hole, ripping at my hair and pulling away whatever breath I have left.

I can’t keep going. I’m trapped. I glance back up the way I came. I’ll have to go back, take a chance on the door—

The dragon strikes the building again.

Beneath my feet, the floor groans and shifts. The stairs crumble, and then there’s nothing to stand on any longer.

“No!” My scream echoes loudly in the stairwell.

As if in response, the dragon bellows again.

I struggle to grasp on to something as I slide helplessly toward the gaping hole so close by. My body scrapes against a long piece of rebar that sticks out from the now-broken concrete. I manage to grab it, and the momentum in my body as I slam to a stop means that it almost rips from my grip again. Somehow, though, I hold on, and it saves me from flying over the edge of the building and into the sky.

My naked ass hangs in midair. There’s no purchase for my legs, and my sweaty hands are gripping the only thing that’s keeping me from becoming a splatter on the pavement below.

Oh god. Oh god. Oh god.

I flail my legs, searching for something—anything—to step on. My hands are slippery on the bar, and I won’t be able to hold on for long. A sob rips out of my throat as the building groans and everything seems to shift a little more. “No! Help!”

There’s no help, though. My grip slips, and then I’m flying through the air—

Large scaly claws wrap around my torso half a breath later. I slam into the hard scales of his hand. Paw. Claw. Whatever. It wraps tight around me, and I’m no longer in danger of becoming a pavement pancake.

Now I’m just in an entirely new kind of danger.

I gasp for breath—I’m not sure I’ll have a decent lungful of breath ever again—and tug at the claws wrapped tight around my waist. My legs dangle free, one of my arms trapped against my body. With my free hand, I hammer at his scaly claws as he soars through the air. A squeak of alarm escapes me as the dragon lifts his claws toward his head.

Way to go, Claudia. You pissed him off and now he’ll chew you into pieces.

But all he does is sniff my hair again with that enormous snout. He whuffs his breath against the side of my neck, as if making sure I’m all right, and then flaps his wings harder, gaining air and heading back toward the top of the building.

Right back where we started, except now I’m even more injured, filthy, and being cuddled by a dragon. I could just cry.

The dragon flies right back to the open area at the top of the building where he found me. He lands, cradling me close to his scaly, enormous chest. He folds his wings in carefully against his body, just like a bird, and then sets me down gently on the ground in front of him.

Then he crouches low, waiting. His tail flicks. His gold-on-gold gaze is focused entirely on me.

I don’t dare move. Wide-eyed, I stare up at him, waiting. I’m half-expecting him to wiggle his butt like a cat ready to pounce. The stairwell isn’t too far away, but it won’t do me any good to run away, at least not in that direction. I’d only get stuck. I try to think of other options and come up blank except for one—flinging myself off the side of the building. I glance over at the wide-open skies just past the dragon and suppress a shiver.

Effective, but not quite the result I want. I want to live.

The dragon growls low in his throat, startling me. My gaze goes back to him, and as I watch, he arches his back and transforms. The speed of it is breathtaking. Before I can blink my eyes, he’s human again. At least, mostly human. He’s still got that little frill of horns at his temples and the mottled scale pattern on his golden skin. He gets up from his crouch, beautiful, perfect body uncurling, all six feet and change of him. And he moves to stand right in front of me, gold-on-gold eyes blinking.

He puts a hand out to me. “No.”

7

CLAUDIA

No?

No what?

I stare at him in surprise. “What do you mean, no?”

“No,” he says again slowly. He says it with an unusual inflection, as if he’s tasting it and finding it foreign. “No.”

Then he looks at me, waiting.

He’s parroting me. I said no, and he remembered it. Actually, I’ve said ‘no’ to him quite a bit. It shouldn’t be surprising that he picked it up. He probably doesn’t know what it means. On a hunch, I sidestep toward the stairwell again.

“No,” he repeats, and there’s a warning note in there.

All right, maybe he does know what he’s saying. I put a bright ‘who me?’ smile on my face. This is just another captor. Instead of the fat mayor, I get a dragon. All right. I’ll just have to deal with this. “All righty then, we’ll play the ‘no’ game.”

He tilts his head, trying to decipher what I’m saying, and then takes a step forward.

“No,” I say, putting a hand up to stop him.

He stops where he’s at and crouches low, the avid, hungry look in his eyes locked on me.

Erm. He’s really, really naked. I shift my hand a little lower, letting it block his anatomy from my sight. When he sits like that, well, it’s easy to see he’s excited. More than a little excited. Does the man have a constant hard-on around me? Jeez. “So, hey, do you speak English?”

His brows go down, and he concentrates. “Sohay…du…ewww…spek…Ayne-glehs.” His mouth moves over the words slowly, with great exaggeration. I notice again that he’s got a pair of big fangs, like a vampire. Or you know, like his dragon form.

Well, isn’t that comforting. “I’m guessing that’s a no.”

“No,” he repeats.

“Right. No. Thumbs up.” I make the gesture. “We’ve got that part down. So I guess if you don’t speak English, I can’t ask you if you’re going to kill me and eat me before or after you rape me.”

“Rrrrape,” he thrums, testing the word.

Aw, crap. Did he have to pick up on that word? “No rape,” I tell him. “No. Rape bad.”

His eyes narrow, and I realize with an anxious stab that he doesn’t understand me at all. He’s guessed ‘no’ at this point, but ‘rape’ could be ‘pickle’ for all he knows. And the more words I spit at him, the more agitated he’s getting. He gets to his feet again, moving a bit closer in a slow, steady motion, watchful gaze on me. I know if I try to bolt again, he’ll catch me.

I’m stuck here.

Okay. If that’s what I’ve been dealt, then I’ll handle it. He’s not eating me, so that’s a plus. And he freed me from the chains, which is another plus. Maybe he doesn’t want to hurt me, after all. I glance over at the dead goat. It’s not a reassuring sight. And when I drop my hand, I see his giant erection again, reminding me that just because the dragon hasn’t eaten me doesn’t mean that he’s safe.

All right then. Time to make a friend.

I think about how I’m going to approach this. I don’t want to startle him, that’s for sure. And I don’t want him to think I’m too interested. I sneak a peek over at his naked body, just in case I’m imagining things. Maybe it’s a nervous boner. Except no, his erection hasn’t gone down in the slightest. The thick, heavy crown of his cock is beaded with pre-cum.

Definitely not a nervous boner.

He makes a low rumble in his throat, wild and animalistic. Startled, I meet his gaze and realize he’s caught me checking out his junk. And he likes it. The look in his eyes has gone predatory, and they’ve flicked back to black again, which worries me. It worries me even more when he begins to prowl slowly toward me.

Think fast, Claudia, or you’re going to end up flat on your back for that dragon-man. Mind racing, I tap my breastbone quickly. “I’m Claudia.”

He stops. Thank god. His brow furrows as he tries to process my words. He gets to his feet, stretching out and standing tall. He takes a step toward me and gestures at his mouth, as if indicating he wants me to speak again.

All right, communicating is more important than sex. That works. I tap my chest again and enunciate slowly. “Clawwww-deeee-uhhh.”

Gaze fixed on my lips, he repeats it. Or tries to. “Clawwwww-duh.”

“Claw-dee-uh.”

His mouth purses. “Clau-dah.”

Close enough. I smile and nod, gesturing at myself. “Claudia.” Then I gesture at him.

He’s not interested in talking about himself though. His black gaze moves over my naked limbs, and the low rumble starts in his throat again. “Clau-dah,” he says, and it’s practically a purr. I could swear his cock twitches as he says my name, too.

Yiiiikes.

I smile brightly at him again. “Claudia.” Then I point at him all over again and again a second time, hoping it gets the message across.

The dragon-man’s eyes flick back to the deep gold, which makes me sigh with relief. I think that means he’s happy. He puts a large, claw-tipped hand to his chest and taps it. “Kael.” The syllable is quick and hard, almost like a guttural version of ‘Kyle.’ I repeat it back to him.

Pleasure flashes over his face, and I could swear the man practically purrs in response. He creeps a bit closer. “Clau-dah Kael,” he says in a low, rich voice, and moves closer yet again.

I scoot backward and flinch when I run into a wall. Trapped like a rat. Damn it. He moves closer, and I close my eyes, hoping he’s just gonna give me a friendly dragon-hug of some kind.

I feel the warmth of his naked body press against my own. He’s scorching hot, this dragon. Not surprising given that he breathes fire, but feeling it against me is startling. “Clau-dah,” he murmurs in that low, rumbling voice, then leans in and sniffs my hair, practically nuzzling me.

I remain utterly still, not sure what to do.

His claws drag through my tangled hair, and as I open my eyes, I see that he’s got a fascinated look on his face. His eyes are gold, so I relax. His touch is gentle enough, and his eyes are calm. Maybe he doesn’t realize he’s scaring the piss out of me. That people don’t get in each other’s personal space like this. He’s a dragon. Maybe they do things differently.

Up close to him like this, he seems way more human. He looks like he’s about my age, his face unlined. The spicy scent of him is pleasant, and the form looming over mine looks human enough. His golden skin isn’t scaly, but more dappled. It’s curiously appealing, and I kind of want to touch him to see what it feels like, but I’m pretty sure he’d take that as an invitation to do more.

Kael drags a handful of my hair to his nose and inhales sharply, his nostrils flaring. “Clau-dah,” he growls, and rubs his face against my neck.

That…sounds like things just went a step too far. And when he lifts his head, I see his eyes have gone black again.

“You’re scaring me,” I whisper.

When I speak, his attention goes back to my mouth. His claws brush over my lips, fascinated. I’m relieved that his touch is gentle enough. Maybe I need to say more.

“Scary,” I say, not entirely sure how to convey this. I decide to shiver and huddle, exaggerating the movements. I cringe like a puppy and then point at him. “Kael scary.” And I shiver again for good measure. It’s not hard to do considering his eyes are black as he rubs my hair against his cheek.

But once I point at him, understanding dawns on his face. He blinks at me, and the black leaches out of his eyes, returning to gold. “Clau-dah…no?”

Oh, thank god. He understands. “No,” I agree, and put a hand on his chest to push him away.

“No?” He bites out the word.

Fear pools in my belly, but I need to make him understand. “No.” My voice is a little wobbly. “Scary.”

“Clau-dah no,” Kael echoes, his voice flat with anger. He slams away from me so fast that I have to stifle my squeal of fright. He storms away, raging across the room, and then stops, his back to me. As I watch, he clenches his clawed fists. His big shoulders heave, as if he’s trying to contain himself. The low snarl starts in his throat again, and he throws his head back, giving way to a full-blooded roar of fury so loud it shakes glass out of the windowpanes.

I collapse where I stand, drawing tight into a little ball of fear. I wrap my arms around my head protectively, and tears of fright leak down my cheeks. I’m so scared I can’t move.

I’ve made him mad.

He holds my fate in the palm of his barely human hand and I’ve made him mad.

Bad move, Claudia.

KAEL

Clau-dah.

She has a name. My mate has a name. I repeat it to myself, over and over again, and it helps keep the darkness at bay.

Clau-dah. Clau-dah.

I reach out to her mind, to connect with her as I do other drakoni. There is nothing there, only silence.

I close my eyes, fighting off the rage that burns through me. It is a helpless rage, a rage with no focus. I know it—like poison in my mind, it destroys all thought and leaves me nothing but a snarling beast. I cannot be that way around Clau-dah, because she is already scared of me. I must woo her, court her with caresses and gifts of good food. I cannot let the madness cloud my mind.

My reason for existing crouches nearby, trembling. For her, I must be strong.

So I say her name again, chanting it in my mind. Clau-dah. Clau-dah. If she cannot hear me, she will when I claim her as my mate.

I glance over at her. I can smell the fear coming off of her in sheets, overriding my own musky scent of arousal. I want to touch her again. Touch her silky soft hair, her pale skin. See her strange green eyes light up with pleasure. I want her to welcome my touch instead of flinching away.

Clau-dah is not like other dragon-mates. The females of my kind are aggressive. If they wish to be courted by a male, they flare red and attack him to determine if he’s worthy to mate. After many long, drawn-out battles, if the male conquers the female, he will win mating privileges. The mental bond will be formed, and they will make a strong hunting pair, no matter in two-legged form or four. Some drakoni prefer the two-legged form because it allows for clearer thinking.

At least, I think that is how it was. My memories are a jumble, no longer coherent in this strange new land where everything triggers madness. I cannot tell my dreams from reality. Not anymore.

I hate it here, hate everything about it. The strange, ugly metal buildings, the stench of the skies. The two-legged ones that swarm over everything and attack with pellets of fire. I hate all of it, and the urge to destroy and conquer writhes like a snake in my gut. Even now, just thinking about it makes me alert with the hunger to attack, to switch back to four-legged battle form and wreak havoc.

Except…my female is right here.

I turn to look at her again. Soft. Vulnerable. Fragile. Her hands swipe at her cheeks and the curious wetness there. Her hair is a glossy tangle around her head, the beautiful mating red that my kind loves so very much. Her big green eyes gaze at me with defiance, even as she inches backward.

It makes me smile. She is trying to be brave.

I do not blame her for her fear. It is the rage. It has consumed me just like it has consumed all of my people, ever since the heavens opened up and pulled us through to this strange, awful place. Knowing she is here feels like an anchor to sanity. With a mate, the rage will dissipate. When I mate her, our minds will link, and the shining star of her in the black void of my thoughts will keep me sane forever.

I hunger for that, almost as much as I hunger for her. I reach down to stroke my aching cock, thinking of Clau-dah under me. The sensation is incredible, and I growl low in my throat. I’ve been in battle form too long, and this is a pleasure only for the two-legged form. It has been far too long since I touched a female, and I ache to make Clau-dah mine, to feel her small hand upon me like this.

Clau-dah gives a small, muffled noise of alarm.

I immediately drop my hand from my cock. I want to tell her that she is safe. That I will never touch her while she is frightened of me. That she is my mate, and I wish nothing more than to care for her and protect her from this harsh, awful world I have been exiled to.

But I cannot speak to her, not yet. Her words are strange ones, and we have no mind-link yet. We will not until we mate. Until then, I must be patient and speak the few words of her language that I know. “Clau-dah, no,” I reassure her. “No.” I will not touch you until you hunger for me as much as I hunger for you.

She doesn’t understand what I am saying to her. Her expression is still full of defiance masking her fear. She was frightened of my gift of fresh meat, too. Clau-dah was so frightened she did not take her battle form. Perhaps the humans here do not have one. That could explain why they die so easily and frighten all the time. If I had no battle form, I would look at life very differently, as well.

But…perhaps that is why they are not crazed with madness and my people are.

It does not matter. I will win Clau-dah by feeding her. She will realize when I feed her that she is my mate, and then she will relax.

I stalk toward the dead animal and examine it. Less than a mouthful in my battle form, but plenty to eat for any two-legged creature. It looks tasty enough. I lean over and use my claws to slit the belly wide open and expose the tender organs.

Clau-dah makes a noise that does not sound like appreciation.

Perhaps she thinks I will not share the tenderest parts with her? She can have all of them. Sliding my hand into the viscera, I pull out the liver and hold it out to my mate, still wet with warm blood.

Her green eyes go wide and she makes a face, then shakes her head. “No!”

No? There is that word again. I frown. Does she not realize that a mate offers his woman the choicest bits of a kill? Does she not realize this is for eating? I take a bite out of the dripping organ, enjoying the salty gush of it into my mouth, and then hold it out to her again.

She gasps, pressing a hand to her lips.

Still no? Is she not hungry? Confused by her reaction, I take another bite of the delicious liver, watching her. Does she not want her gift because it is from me? Or does she not understand that it is a gift? Do the two-legs here in this ugly place not feed their mates? Care for them?

Or…is she refusing because she already has a mate?

I growl low at the thought, furious. Clau-dah is mine. I will battle for her. Whoever her mate is, he is not worthy of her. Just the thought of another male touching my chosen mate makes my wings flare, and I am thrust back into my battle form immediately.

No one can have her.

In the corner, Clau-dah squeaks with distress.

This makes me even more furious. No matter what I do, my mate is terrified. She will never approach my gift of food now. I am further away from winning her confidence than ever before. Black rage clouds my eyes, and my breath quickens with fury.

Darknesshungerkillangerfrustrationragedarkdarkdarkragehungerfrenzyragedarknessviolencekilldestroy

Clau-dah, I remind myself. I think of her green eyes. Her cloud of red hair.

Slowly, the burning anger fades from my mind. I must be calm. I must not give up. Not if I wish to claim my mate. Using my claws, I rip a haunch off of the kill and approach my mate. I drop it in front of her as an offering, and wait.

8

CLAUDIA

I eye the bloody goat leg that’s been plopped in front of me with revulsion. The dragon’s hovering nearby, his gaze intent on me. I don’t know what’s more startling – that he just flashed back into dragon form in the blink of an eye or that he’s offering me a carcass.

It’s clear he wants me to eat it. I figured as much the moment he tore a big, gushy bite out of the liver and then offered it to me, blood running down his chin.

But as hungry as I am, I’m not a fan of raw meat.

Meat’s a rarity most times now. In the After, it’s much wiser to keep a cow alive for milk, or chickens for eggs, instead of meat. Not that I get eggs or milk, either. There are a few farms on the edges of Fort Dallas, but the herds are small so they can be easily protected when the dragons rain down fire, and meat is at a premium…unless it’s rat or squirrel. I’ve eaten my fair share of those in the last few years.

Goat is something new. And really, it’s big and juicy and I can eat my fill. I haven’t eaten a real meal in days, and maybe that’s why I’m considering that big hunk of raw meat.

It’s good that he’s trying to feed me, I think. That means he doesn’t want to eat me. It’d take a long time to fatten me enough to make more than a mouthful for a dragon. My fear ebbs a little. Fuck me, yes. Eat me, no.

Even that, I’m wondering about.

It’s clear he’s attracted to me—thanks to the fact that he has no pants—but he stops every time I say no. That makes him better than, oh, most of the men in Fort Dallas. I slowly uncurl from my protective crouch and eye the dragon that hovers nearby, waiting. He watches me like a hawk, but his eyes are gold-on-gold. That’s a good sign.

He leans in and noses the animal leg toward me.

Definitely wants to feed me.

Why me, though? Why me out of all the humans that have been killed by dragons after all this time? What makes me special? What’s so different that he’s not immediately killing me but wants to feed me instead?

I’m hungry, too. Really hungry. Before my arrest, we’d been out of money and out of food. I’d sold what I could to buy food for Amy, but in the end, I’d only been able to buy a few stale protein bars from a trader in exchange for the last of the fuel for our small lantern. I’d given them to Amy and scavenged a few meals of my own by doing odd jobs for Fort Dallas’s only bar. I’d had offers from Blowjob Becky to join her group of whores, since that’s the only place a girl can get steady employment. I’d declined at the time, but after a few days of hunger, it was starting to look like an option.

Then, of course, I’d gotten arrested.

In all reality, jail wasn’t so bad. They fed me more often than I fed myself—once a day. If I hadn’t been so worried about Amy, I’d have probably enjoyed those bowls of oatmeal more. Thinking about them now makes me hungry.

I’m always hungry.

He nudges the goat leg in front of me again, and I decide we need to chat before I go ‘raw’ and try to eat this bloody thing. “Kael,” I say softly. “Can we talk?”

The dragon’s ears prick, and his enormous head zooms in so close that I gasp and fall backward, startled. He only waits, though, big golden pupils alert.

I point at the goat leg. “I’ll eat that, but not raw.”

He studies me, then studies the goat leg. Then he looks back to me, waiting.

All right, we’re getting nowhere fast. “I wish you’d change back,” I mutter to myself. For some reason, it feels easier to have a conversation with him when his eyeball’s not the size of a tire and staring right into my face. “This thing’s raw, and it’s got goat hide on it. I need it cooked.”

No response. The great eyes blink, waiting.

Okay. This isn’t working. I chew on my lip, thinking, then try another tactic. I glance over at the dragon to make sure he’s not going to spring on me and then reach for the goat leg and tug it toward me.

He doesn’t move. All he does is watch me, gaze intent.

All right, then. I examine the goat leg as I pull it toward me. There’s a tattered piece of skin—hide—hanging off where he ripped it from the goat’s body. I swallow hard. I’m not a total priss. I’ve seen—and eaten—kills from the Scavenge Lands. I’ve watched people dress them. I’ve caught squirrels and taken them in to sell to the stew-makers, because eating it myself means throwing away money. I’ve watched them skin the things and prep them for meals. I’ve just…never had to skin my own meat. Never had the opportunity.

I guess now is one great big opportunity. Or something. All right. I wipe my hands and glance around, looking for something to use as a knife. There are shards of broken glass not too far away, and I move to go grab one.

The dragon’s immediately there at my side, pushing in front of the doors to the stairwell. Black flares in his gaze.

“Calm down, big guy,” I tell him, and dare to pat his nose. “I’m just getting some carving materials, okay? I learned my lesson. I’m not going anywhere.”

At the sound of my soothing voice, the eyes flare gold again and he rubs against my hand, as if wanting me to touch him more. Yeah, we’re not that close yet. I give him another perfunctory pat, and then with slow, exaggerated motions, pick up a hand-sized piece of glass. I glance over at him to see if he’s going to react to the fact that I’ve picked up a weapon, but Kael seems calm. I consider the makeshift blade in my hand. It’s extremely sharp on one edge, and I’m standing very close to Kael, his head down. I could stab one of those tire-sized eyeballs and…

And then what? Run away after wounding him? Run where? The stairwell is completely busted. Like it or not, this dragon’s my only way off the building. I guess it’s a good thing he wants to be friends.

He nudges the leg toward me again and then noses me.

It’s like he truly just wants to take care of me. Okay, this is officially weird. They’d told me to tame the dragon, and I’d thought it was the craziest thing I’d ever heard of. Except now…I’m not so sure. Kael’s not acting like the other dragons. Do dragons like humans, one on one? Is that the key? If we get close enough to one of the big, murdering brutes and get one alone, we can become buddies?

Maybe this isn’t such a crackpot plan, after all. Maybe it’s not certain death. I’m a big fan of uncertain death versus certain.

Using the blade of glass, I skin the goat leg as best I can. It’s gross, bloody work, and I don’t have anything to wipe my hands on. I’m naked, and the dress they left me with? It’s around here somewhere, but I’m too dirty to put it on. I sure don’t want to get goat blood on it, so I just wipe my hands on the hide as I go and hope I’m not spreading too many germs.

Eventually, it’s mostly skinned and almost looks like regular meat. Almost. I straighten and admire my handiwork. Not too bad. Now if I can just convince him to cook it, it might not be a half-bad meal.

I glance up at Kael. “I don’t suppose you’re one of those fire-breathing dragons, are you? Or are those just the red ones?”

He watches me intently and then noses my hair.

I push his head away. “Not right now. I’m trying to concentrate.” I glance back at him. “I don’t suppose I could tell you to change back so we can chat?”

Nothing. Figures.

I pat the raw goat leg. “Cook this please.” When that gets me nowhere, I go for charades. I gesture at my nose, then pantomime flames (or, okay, a really great sneeze) shooting out onto the goat leg. Then I point at him. “You cook it with fire. Please.”

The great head tilts, and then he whuffs out a small gush of flame from his nostrils. It’s so close to my head that I yelp and scurry backward, patting at my hair.

All right. That was a little alarming, but we’re getting somewhere. I nod enthusiastically and gesture at the meat. “Yes! Cook!”

At my encouraging tone, he blows out a larger gush of flame, searing the leg. It crackles, and the fat sizzles on it, the smell of charring meat filling the air. The flames end as quickly as they erupted, and he looks expectantly over at me again, smoke trickling from his nostrils.

I move forward, putting a hand on his muzzle as a warning not to fry me, and check the meat. Still raw underneath the top layer. I move away again and gesture for him to ‘cook’ once more. He does, and after the second round, I check it again. Charred, but not bad at all. I dig my fingers into the meat and pull off a long strip, chewing thoughtfully. Juices rush into my mouth, and I close my eyes at the heavenly taste. This is the first real, fresh meat I’ve had in I don’t know how long. It doesn’t matter that it’s goat. It doesn’t matter that it’s been dragon-broiled.

It’s amazing.

I want to stuff my mouth full and eat until I get sick, because who knows when I’ll get another chance to have this much fresh food? I give Kael a beaming smile and reach out to stroke his nose. “Thank you. This is perfect.”

He noses my hair, and his tongue brushes against my neck. When I push him away, I see his eyes are black.

Eep. I know what that means. I grab the meat and step away, giving him a wary look. He blinks, and his eyes go back to gold. Good. He doesn’t follow me to my new seat, either. Also good. It’s like he knows that he needs to back off when he goes over the edge. That makes me relax a little. As long as I can recognize when he’s about to cut loose, I can stop it from happening.

So I eat. Dragon-roasted goat is the best thing I’ve had in forever, so I eat as much as I can and then push it away. The moment I do, he wolfs the remainder down. Bones crunch, and then he looks at the rest of the goat’s carcass and then back to me.

I wave a hand at it and shake my head. “No more for Claudia.”

He seems to grasp that and scarfs the remainder of the goat down in a single gulp.

Handy way to get rid of a mess, I suppose. I search for something to wipe my hands on, but there’s nothing clean. I’m thirsty, too, but I suppose that’s a problem that can be solved later. The sun is going down, and I’m starting to get cold. The wind’s rising, and it bites into my bare skin. I find the flimsy white bit of fabric that made up my dress and wrap it around my shoulders, curling up in a corner. With food in my belly, I’m suddenly exhausted. I’m crashing, I think. I’ve spent most of the day utterly terrified, and now I just feel drained.

Whatever Kael wants with me, he wants me alive. That much is obvious. I seem to be his prisoner, since I can’t get down off this building on my own. I lean back against a broken bit of wall and sigh. I’m better off where I am, for now. A yawn escapes me, and I muffle it with my hand.

The movement catches the dragon’s attention, and Kael’s big paw reaches out for me. I stiffen as it curls around me, but he only pulls me against his chest and settles down on the floor. He cradles me between his forelegs and lays his head down.

I still have the piece of glass that I’d used to butcher the goat. I can attack him. I can try to force an escape. The urge to fight hasn’t left me.

But he’s being gentle with me. His scaled chest is toasty like a furnace, and the terrible claws are oh-so-careful not to harm me. It’s like he knows that I’m fragile and is taking extra care to make sure that I’m safe. And it’s weird, but I feel a strange little thrill at how carefully, how closely, he holds me.

Man, I must really be starved for affection if I’m liking it that a dragon’s cuddling me.

Then again, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised—life in the After is hard and unpleasant. No one’s affectionate, because trusting someone can get you killed. Anyone that gives you attention likely has an angle. The last boyfriend I had stole all of the food I’d carefully hoarded, and after that, I never entertained another relationship. I have Amy and Sasha, but I admit that sometimes it’s lonely. Sometimes it’s hard being the one that’s in charge, the one that everyone looks to in order to make things right again.

Maybe that’s why I like the dragon’s embrace, no matter how ridiculous it seems. The control’s been taken away from me. All I have to do is sleep and let someone else handle things.

Even if it’s a dragon.

After a moment’s hesitation, I relax against him and close my eyes. At least he’s warm. My arm brushes against an enormous claw, and I remember just how big and scary he is. How one wrong move can tear me limb from limb. Maybe dragon cuddles aren’t such a good idea, after all. I’m a little tense as I settle into my ‘bed.’ I won’t fall asleep, of course. I’ll be too terrified. But at least I can be warm.

And yet the moment I close my eyes, I drift off.

KAEL

I scarcely dare to breathe as Clau-dah relaxes against me and her breath evens out into sleep. It takes every bit of my inner strength not to bury my nose in the soft cloud of her hair and drink in her scent. Having her here, clutched against me, feels like the greatest gift. With her hand on my scales, my mind feels crisp and bright, not blurred by madness. It has been so very long, and I have her to thank.

My Clau-dah. My mate.

She has yet to take battle-for. I think she does not have one at all, confirming my suspicions. That makes her all the more fragile, and it means I must be vigilant in my task to keep her safe. She cannot speak to me with her mind, either. I have reached out to her several times, even as we stood close together, and gotten nothing in return. If she were drakoni, my mind could touch hers and we could communicate with a thought.

But if she were drakoni, she would be as crazed as the rest of my people. Her thoughts would be eaten up with the anger and the darkness. I am glad she is other.

More than anything, I ache to claim her, to take her as my own. I want nothing more than to transform into my two-legged form and curl around her as a mate would. To hold her close and sink my cock into her warm, willing cunt. But I cannot. Not yet, not while she is yet frightened of me. I will not touch her until she welcomes it. Until then, I will take the small joys. The fact that she sleeps so peacefully against me is pleasing. I thought I would lose my sanity when she ran away, and in that moment, I nearly broke again. I nearly broke a second time when she dangled off the edge of the strange cliff, but I was able to bring her back safely. My claws tighten around her in remembered fear. So close to losing her just after I found her.

Clau-dah makes a soft noise in her sleep, protesting my grip.

I immediately relax my claws again. She shifts her weight and presses her cheek to my scales, tucking her small body against mine. A small, tired sigh escapes her, and I want to bite it out of the air and keep it. My heart feels full. Complete.

I will do anything to keep this. To keep her.

Anything.

9

CLAUDIA

I awaken to the faint sound of something stirring, and I’m surprised to see that the sun is bright and there are birds chirping in the distance. Did I sleep all night? Despite being naked, filthy, and cradled against a dragon? Guess so. Even now, my cheek is resting against the deliciously warm scales of his foreleg, and my arm and leg are thrown over him like he’s a great big pillow. I’m not even embarrassed. I slept far too well.

I straighten, pushing my messy hair out of my eyes, and glance up at the dragon’s face. Kael is alert, his head high and stiff, eyes flicking between gold and black. As I watch, a plume of steam rises from one nostril, and his long tail lashes somewhere far behind us, stirring debris. It must be the sound that woke me up.

But why is he so agitated?

I remain still, not wanting to startle him, and decide to wait for him to notice that I’m awake. He remains in a state of alert, though, and doesn’t seem to be paying any attention to me. All right. I know what to do in dangerous situations—extract myself from said dangerous situation. I sit up and start to creep away, only to have one clawed paw reach out and immediately grab me, dragging me close to his chest again. I make a small noise of protest and push at one of the gigantic black talons, but instead of letting me go, he makes a cage with them.

I’m not going anywhere.

My heart starts to pound. This wasn’t how he acted last night. “Um, Kael?” I put my hand on one scaly digit. “Remember me? Claudia? Your bestest human buddy?”

His eyes continue to whirl black, and his lips curl back, revealing the sword-like incisors. Well, crap. I don’t know what to do. How do you calm down a pissed-off dragon when you have no idea why he’s pissed? I continue to stroke his scales, trying to soothe him. “Talk to me, Kael.”

Because talking would require turning back to human form, and he feels a lot less scary in human form.

The big head leans down, and he nuzzles my hair, but the claws remain tight around me. I think he’s trying to reassure me, but I’m not going to relax while he’s got all that black whirling in his eyes.

The sound of human voices touches my ear. I stiffen, instantly alert. Hope hammers in my heart.

People! Militia, from the sounds of their voices, but I don’t care. Fort Dallas sent people after me, and that’s all that counts. They didn’t leave me. Someone’s come to save me. I haven’t been completely abandoned. Joy and relief rush through me, and I push at Kael’s claws, trying to squeeze my way free.

Kael doesn’t let me go. He growls low in his throat, and his eyes are almost entirely black.

I go still again. Shit. This isn’t good. This isn’t good at all.

I don’t know what to do. I want to be rescued…but I don’t want Kael to lose his shit and squeeze me into a pile of human goo.

“We just need to check on things,” a voice says, hollow and echoing from across the way. I can barely make it out, but it’s a man’s voice. “You saw what the dragon did to this place. Something happened here yesterday, and the mayor wants answers.”

My heart sinks at that. They’re not here to rescue me. They’re here to see what happened. Don’t I matter at all?

“No one could have survived that,” another voice grumbles. “We had to rappel up half the damn building just trying to get here. He fucking tore the stairwell out.”

“Yeah, but no corpse down on the streets. That’s a good sign.”

“Unless he ate her whole.”

Well, gee. They almost sound disappointed that I’m not roadkill. Like it’s inconvenient for them that I might still be alive and they have to check on me. I’m starting to side with the damn dragon.

“Check if he’s there. Look for signs of the dragon or the girl,” one of the soldiers says.

“Won’t be any signs of her left,” the other comments. “She ain’t more than two bites.”

Kael blows another puff of smoke from his nostrils, his growling increasing. His tail lashes back and forth wildly, the dust and leaves stirring so loud it sounds like a windstorm. He’s agitated as hell, and as he nuzzles my hair with another steamy breath, I realize he’s trying to comfort me. He’s trying to tell me he’s not mad at me.

But those other guys?

He’s going to straight up roast them.

My skin prickles. I know this as much as I know the nose on my face. He’s going to defend me from them. I’m his toy now, and if they try to take me back, he’s going to make them regret it. He’s going to kill them, and their deaths will be on my head. I don’t know what to do.

I eye the dragon, and then the stairwell across the room. The moment they come through that door, they’re dead meat. I have to stop them before they come up. And Kael won’t hurt me. I hope. So I take a risk and cup a hand to my mouth. “Don’t come up here,” I call out. “The dragon’s still here and he’s angry!”

Kael sucks in a breath, the intake so sharp my hair rustles. He lowers his head until his eye is even with my face, and it’s whirling deep, deep black. Oh shit. “Sorry,” I whisper, and give him a trembling pat on the nose. “Please don’t be mad.”

My warning seems to have the opposite desired effect, though. “Hello?” one of the men calls out. “Claudia Jones? Is that you?”

I open my mouth to call out again, but Kael’s eye is still staring me down, and the low growl is rumbling in his chest so loud I can feel it shaking my body. The words die in my throat.

“We’re coming for you,” another militia soldier calls out. “The mayor’s changed his mind.”

He has? I’m not exiled? I hold my breath, shocked and pleased. Then I see a shadow move in the stairwell. Oh no. “Don’t come up!”

Kael lifts his head, pointing it at the sky, and trumpets a call. It’s loud, blaring, and utterly furious. It’s a warning. Even I know that.

“Shit!” one of the men yells. I hear the sound of scrambling coming from the stairwell.

The dragon hefts to his feet, roaring again. I’m clutched fast in his talons, and they dig into my skin as he extends his wings. I bite back a yelp as we lift into the air, just as the men run onto the ruined floor that’s been my home for the last day. We go higher and higher into the air, Kael roaring fury. I cling to him, terrified he’ll drop me far below. We’re up so high, and I’ve got nothing to hold on to except for a slippery dragon. All I can hope is that he won’t drop me in one of his less lucid moments.

As we rise, the building below us gets smaller, and I see the men stop and raise their guns. What the hell are they doing? Guns are useless against dragon-scale. That was one reason why humanity hadn’t stood a chance against the draconic invasion.

Shots ring out, the quick rat-tat-tat-tat of automatic rifles.

I scream, ducking my head and trying to protect it with my hands. Something hot scorches a path on my arm - I’ve been hit.

Are they firing at me and not the dragon?

A terrible roar sounds through the air, so loud that I feel as if my ears might explode from the thunder of it. It rips out of Kael’s throat, so forceful that I can feel it in his claws, and then we’re turning suddenly in midair, diving back toward the men with guns.

Oh no. No no no no.

I squeeze my eyes closed as we dive, helpless. I can feel the wind shift as Kael swoops low. More bullets ring out.

There’s an awful scream and the crunch of bones, and then the air changes again. We’re rising. More gunfire whizzes past. I squeeze an eye open just in time to see Kael spit out half of one of the soldiers, the body tumbling through the air. He begins to whirl around again, ready to dive on the remaining soldiers.

My stomach clenches in horror. “Oh no,” I moan. “Please, no.”

The dragon abruptly changes directions.

One moment, we’re diving at the remaining soldiers. The next, Kael’s wings are beating hard and we’re soaring back up into the air. He gives another trumpeting warning and blasts fire at the building. Not enough to hit anyone, just a show of his wrath. I watch the building get smaller and smaller as we go up, and the soldiers turn into ants. The lone red banner flaps in the breeze, and I feel odd leaving it behind.

Kael stopped his attack. He heard me say no and he stopped.

I don’t know how to react. I’m relieved, of course, but do I praise him? Thanks for only chomping one soldier in half? Talk as if it’s nothing? Don’t mention it at all? I stroke his scaly skin, a jumble of emotions tearing me up inside. He’s just killed a man. Bit him in half. But he didn’t attack first, either. He had just tried to leave with me, and he only lost his shit when they shot at us.

Shot at me.

Bile churning in my throat, I gaze down at the landscape below. We’re high in the air, Kael circling over the ruins of Old Dallas. From up here, the crumble of buildings is peaceful and pretty, in a disorganized sort of way. They look like children’s blocks that have taken a tumble, not a scattered ruin of a city. Greenery snakes over the jagged edges of the streets, crawling over railings and filling in cracks, messing up the perfect lines of the old highways. From up here, it’s kind of neat…if you ignore the fact that I’m dangling—naked—from the claws of a killer dragon over a thousand feet into the air.

As it is, I just want to know where he’s taking me and how I’m going to get home again.

We fly for a while, until my empty, churning stomach starts to protest. I look up at Kael’s draconic face, trying to gauge his mood. His jagged teeth are still curled in a half snarl, as if ready to attack. His eyes are still fully black.

So we’re still not good…but my stomach is also not good. I think of the soldiers, and the way he’s treated me in comparison to them. He’s been nothing but caring to me, even when his eyes are black.

I pat his foreleg, deciding to take a chance. “I need down, Kael. Please.”

He glances down at me, dragon eyes whirling with emotion.

“Down, please. I know you don’t understand me, but I want down.” I point at the nearest building down below. It’s busted up and missing a lot of windows, but I don’t care. It’s a place to set down.

He begins to circle it, descending, and I feel a surge of relief. I glance up, and it seems like his eyes are leaching slowly to gold, and so I stroke his scales and murmur about how happy this makes me, keeping my voice soothing as we move closer to the building. It’s a mess, of course. Just about every building in Old Dallas is. The top floor has caved in, revealing a maze of walls and a suite of rooms and desks, all destroyed and overgrown with vines. Some sort of penthouse office? I don’t care. I just want down.

Kael picks a spot and descends, flattening out his wings to ease our landing, then tucks them against his body. There’s an enormous hole in the roof, and he moves down into it. We thump onto the office floor a moment later, my head bouncing against his chest scales. He extends his foreleg and ever so gently releases me.

I wobble for a few steps. Okay, more like stagger. But I’m on solid ground, and that’s something. I can breathe easier. I look over at Kael, and his eyes are still swirling too close to black, his triangular ears pricked alert, teeth exposed in his snarl. His tail lashes wildly.

Still furious.

I have to calm him before I can relax. I raise a hand and slowly move closer to him again. “You can relax now, big guy. No one’s here. I promise.”

His black gaze focuses on me, and his tail lashes a little less roughly than before. The big head lowers toward my extended hand, as if seeking my touch.

“I’ll touch you,” I say in a soothing voice. “But I need that black to leave your eyes. Can you do that?”

He butts his head against my hand, movements jerky.

I pull back, alarmed. “Calm, okay?”

The eyes focus on me again, and then, as I watch, they flick to the gold-on-gold. Just briefly, but I know it’s in there.

“Good,” I soothe. “That’s real good. You don’t want to hurt me, right? Claudia’s your friend. You’re just a little wigged out that the others came after us with guns.” Well, came after me with guns. “You thought they were going to hurt me and so you went into protection mode, which is great. But now we’re safe and you can relax, I promise.” I know he can’t understand what I’m saying, but the sound of my voice seems to be helping. His eyes are flicking between black and gold still, but now they’re more gold than black. “We’re okay. Claudia’s safe now. Kael’s safe.”

I keep speaking in low, soothing tones, making sure to repeat our names to try and anchor him. I have no idea if it’ll work, but his eyes are slowly going completely gold, and this time, when he pushes his snout against my hand, seeking my touch, his movements are calm.

The awful tension inside me relaxes. I stroke my hand over his scaly nose, continuing to murmur soft words of comfort. He doesn’t reach out to grab me with his claws again. That’s good. That’s progress. His tail has slowed its lashing, and when he leans in and nuzzles at my neck, I know he’s back to himself.

“There we go,” I tell him, pleased at both his response and the fact that I was able to help. I feel like I’m in control of the situation for a change, and it’s not the worst feeling in the world.

The dragon’s giant head noses me again, and then he sniffs deep. His enormous, serpentine tongue snakes out and licks my arm, and it hurts like the dickens. Right. I’ve been shot. Wincing, I pull away and study the wound. Just a graze, but it needs to be cleaned. And, you know, not licked by a dragon. No telling what that’ll do to an infection.

“We need water,” I tell him. Maybe there’s some in this building, if he’s feeling calm enough to let me explore.

He licks my arm again, this time careful to avoid my wound. I shiver at the simple affection, because I shouldn’t like it. I really shouldn’t. Then he whuffs at my hair again, and the growl in his throat turns to a low thrum. Yeah, I know where this is going. He’s going to get turned on, and then I’ll have to calm him down for entirely different reasons. I grab his nose with both hands and force him to look at me. “Can you change to human form?”

He gazes at me, eyes amber on gold, the thrumming in his throat continuing.

At least he’s happy. “I wish you spoke English,” I tell him, and then try to figure out which mimed gesture will make him realize that we need to chat. I put a hand to my mouth and gesture for talking, then make a two-legged man with my fingers and have it walk. “Two legs? Yes?”

Kael nuzzles at my hands, and the low rumbling in his throat grows more affectionate by the moment.

“Jeez. Okay, well, if you find me some water and let me get cleaned up, I swear I’ll let you kiss me as much as you want.”

He tilts his big head. Then his back arches and he flashes into human form once more. The golden-skinned man crouches on the ground and rises to his feet, all lithe movements and gorgeous body.

I narrow my eyes at him. “You sure you don’t speak English, big guy?”

His amber eyes watch me with warmth and not a little amorousness. “Clau-dah,” he murmurs in a husky voice, reaching out to touch me.

And I shiver at the promise in that.

“Water first,” I tell him. “I’ll be a lot more amenable when I’m clean.”

10

CLAUDIA

Trying to convince an overprotective dragon-man that you aren’t going to run away again is not the easiest task. Then again, nothing about communicating with Kael is easy. Every time I wander away a few feet, he hovers over me, as if he doesn’t trust me not to bolt again. I can’t blame the guy—because I did bolt—but it grows frustrating to have the big head looming over me constantly. He doesn’t understand that I’m stuck with him, like it or not.

I can’t stop thinking about the soldiers from Fort Dallas. They’d shot at me when Kael hadn’t let me go. Were they under instructions by the mayor to kill me if they couldn’t bring me back? Or were they acting on their own? I don’t know, and until I know that answer, It’s not safe for me to go home.

Right now, Kael’s the only option I’ve got, even if it means I don’t get much alone time. Or, you know, pants. I’d be happy with either.

I spend my time exploring this new building, or at least the floor we’re on. I’m pretty sure Kael won’t let me near a stairwell again. That’s all right, too. I sorta burned that privilege. This looks like an office building, and it also looks like it’s in relatively good shape, so the scavenger in me is hoping to find something useful, even if it’s not pants.

I’d really, really like to not be nude anymore. Or shoes. Shoes would be nice. I think mournfully of the long, torn dress that was left behind at the last building. It could have been a sarong. Oh well. I’ll work with what I’ve got, and right now, I’ve got a big empty building. So I pick through heaps of junk and pull open doors, looking around with interest. Kael’s not letting me go anywhere, either; every door I open, his big head is there blocking out the sunlight. It’s a little irritating, but I work with it, since he’s not leaving anytime soon.

And really, I don’t know that I want him to go anywhere anymore. If the humans have guns, I guess I’m throwing my lot in with the dragons. Or at least this dragon.

Eventually I find a bathroom. Success! It looks mostly whole—no gaps in the walls, no breaks in the floor. One of the stalls has been knocked down, and there’s a big hole in the ceiling, but that’s all right. I turn to Kael. “I need a few moments alone in here, okay?”

He noses my hair.

Yeah. Okay. We go through a series of pantomimes involving our very small vocabulary and lots of gestures. Eventually, I think he figures out that I need a few minutes to myself, and that I can’t go anywhere. When I carefully shut the bathroom door, he doesn’t bugle with anger or freak the fuck out on the other side. It’s quiet. Relieved, I check the bathroom out and take a few moments to use the facilities. Once I’m done, I head for the big mirror behind the sinks. It’s cracked and dirty, but I can still see my reflection…and I almost wish I hadn’t. Man, I look rough.

The face that stares back at me is human, but barely. I look disheveled and small, and for a moment I think I’m looking at Amy. It’s been so long since I’ve seen my reflection that I no longer recognize myself. I’m not the bright-eyed teenager I used to be. The woman that stares across from me is haunted-eyed and thin, a little scrappy, and a lot beat up.

It’s not Amy, though, and my heart hurts. My sister. I hope she’s okay.

The girl in the mirror’s eyes well up, and I swipe at my cheeks before the tears can fall. It just leaves another dirty mark on my skin. I’m covered in enormous bruises and a thin layer of dirt. I have scratches all over, too, and my hair is a tangled snarl of leaves and drywall dust. I touch one enormous scrape and wince. It’s a damn shame I don’t have water to wash with or drink. The toilets were dry, and I don’t even know that these sinks work. So much plumbing in Old Dallas has gone to crap without proper maintenance.

On impulse, I reach over and turn one of the rusty knobs on the row of sinks. The pipes in the walls groan and clank, and I hear Kael snort and shift his big dragon body on the other side, no doubt ready to rescue me. After a moment, water gurgles and spits forth from the faucet. It’s brown and cloudy at first, but then turns brilliantly clear, and I gasp with delight. Water. Flowing, delicious water. I’m so thirsty. I cup my hands under the flow to drink, then flinch at how nasty my hands are. I need to clean up first—

The door to the bathroom flies open. It slams into the opposite wall, the subway tiles crumbling under the force. A human-sized Kael stalks in, his eyes black, teeth bared.

“It’s okay,” I tell him, taking a step backward. “It’s just water. I promise. Nothing’s wrong.”

He looks at me, then at the spraying tap. His nose twitches, and it’s almost comical to see him realize that he’s panicking over nothing. He leans over the water, sniffs it again, and then straightens. “Clau-dah,” he rumbles in a deep voice.

“Right here,” I tell him, crossing my arms over my chest with amusement. “Not letting all that killer water get me.”

He reacts to my smile with one of his own and moves toward me with a possessive prowl that makes my skin prickle in ways that are not entirely driven by fear. The big, clawed hand brushes down my arm. “Clau-dah Kael.”

“Yeah, yeah. Clau-dah’s not going anywhere without Kael,” I say, shivering at the gentle touch. I step aside and gesture at the water. “Clau-dah just wants a drink and a quick bath, if that’s all right.” I take another step toward the water and mimic washing, and when he doesn’t stop me, I put my hands back under the tap.

Oh god, it feels amazing. The water is cool and crisp, and I scrub at my hands and arms to clean them off, and when the filth is gone, I cup my hands and drink mouthful after mouthful until I can’t drink anymore. There’s a rack of old paper towels nearby, the stack puffy and warped from exposure to the elements, but I grab a few anyhow and wet them down, then scrub at my filthy body.

In the mirror, I can see Kael watching me with interest. After a moment, he moves forward and cups a handful of water, then gently pours it down my arm.

“Yup,” I tell him, doing my best to ignore his movements. I shiver because it’s that weird mixture of fear and enjoyment again. I both love and hate that he wants to take care of me. I hate that I’m so lonely that even a dragon’s attentions are exciting. I need to stay focused, though. I have water here, and I want to finish my quick bath before I get interrupted. “I’m cleaning off, because I’m gross.”

He watches me, then touches my wet arm, brushing his fingertips over my skin. “Clau-dah.”

I freeze, pausing in my scrubbing. The tone of his voice makes my hackles rise in awareness. Goosebumps prickle all over me. There had been an utterly husky note in his voice just then. I glance over at him, but he simply reaches for the paper towels I hold in my hand and begins to gently wash my arm. His strokes over my skin are soft, loving, and he’s careful to avoid my wounds.

I let him, because what else can I do? Sure, he’s a little, er, randy, but he’s been kind to me, and protective. Pushing him away with an angry ‘no’ when he’s being gentle might test his patience and send his eyes to black again.

And okay, maybe I’m weird, but his touch is actually really nice. His fingers are warm, and his caresses skim over my arm in a way that doesn’t feel grabby, but appreciative. Exploratory. When it’s clear he’s not going to grab at anything I don’t want grabbed, I relax and let him continue. When he brushes the wet paper towels over my shoulders, I turn to give him better access to my back, lifting my filthy hair to help him out. “Thank you,” I murmur, watching him in the mirror.

He’s got a massive hard-on. I mean, of course he does. The man always seems to have a hard-on. But the look on his fierce face is intent, as if he’s determined to be the best shoulder-cleaner ever. It’s charmingly endearing.

Strangely enough, I’m not afraid of him anymore. Kael has been nothing but gentle and attentive, and despite his obvious arousal, he hasn’t tried to do anything about it. Even the bathing is innocent so far. For some reason, he views me as his, and he’s determined to take care of me. There are worse situations to be in.

His fingers slide down the curve of my back, and I shiver at the small touch, my skin prickling with awareness.

Did I say the bathing was innocent? Because it seems to have taken a bit of a turn…

Strangest of all, I find his touch…intriguing. Pleasant. My nipples are hard, and I shift in place, a little uncomfortable with my body’s response. Am I getting aroused at his touch? Dear lord, what is wrong with me? He’s a dragon and half mad. I’m pretty sure he’s killed more people than I have squirrels. He’s definitely the enemy. And yet…his touch makes me feel breathless and squirmy. Like I can’t wait to see if he’s going to move his hand lower, and what would happen if he did.

Maybe it’s just been a really long time since someone’s touched me with kindness and that’s why I’m getting all turned on. Or maybe it’s some sort of perverse dragon version of Stockholm syndrome.

Kael is oblivious to my worried thoughts. He dips the paper towels into the running water again and dabs at my opposite arm. As he does, he makes that low, thrumming sound in his throat…and then pauses. I look over, and he’s gazing down at the long, angry red line of my gunshot wound. It’s not much more than a deep scrape, but as I watch, his eyes flare to black again, and I know he’s getting upset.

“It’s okay, Kael. It doesn’t hurt, really.” I put a bright smile on my face. It does hurt, but him losing his shit could potentially ‘hurt’ a lot worse. “It’s barely anything.”

His eyes flick from black to gold, gaze settling on me.

“I’m fine. Truly.” When his eyes go dark again, I take a chance. I touch his chin and force him to look me in the eye. “I need you to be calm. I promise I’m fine.”

“Clau-dah.” His voice is ragged, upset.

“I know. Clau-dah’s fine, I swear.” My mind plays back the image of him biting the soldier in half, over and over again. Why does my small wound matter when he chomped someone else in two? Why am I so important? Is it because I’m a girl? Or is there something deeper here? I don’t know what to think.

Kael bends over to clean my wound, and his touch is utterly tender. He takes great care to make sure he doesn’t hurt me, and when he’s done, he leans in and gently brushes his mouth over the wound. Then he looks up at me, as if apologizing for it. His eyes have gone black again.

“See?” I tell him shakily. “No problem at all.”

He trails his fingers over my now-clean shoulder and presses his mouth to it again. This time, his eyes flick back to a deep, deep gold and remain focused on me.

I can’t help it. I gasp at the bolt of pleasure that rushes through me. Maybe it’s the intimacy of the moment, or maybe there’s something in the air, but I’m tingling at his touch. My pussy feels hot with need, and my breasts tighten in response. And I’m suddenly wet between my thighs and aching deep in my core.

As I watch, his nostrils flare.

Before I can react, Kael pushes me back against the sinks, the low growl in his throat wild.

I give a little whimper as my backside slams into the marble counter, and then he’s pushing between my thighs, the hard length of his cock rubbing up against my pussy.

And it feels…good. I’m not scared, I’m aroused.

Oh god, I’m really messed up in the head, aren’t I? Totally sick for enjoying the way it feels when he growls low in his throat and rubs his cock against my aching pussy. Crazy for leaning forward and scraping my nipples against his chest. Doing that feels amazing and sends hot little shocks through my body, and I can’t help but suck in a breath. He’s got my thighs spread wide, his hands clenching my hips, and it would take nothing for him to slam into me and fuck the daylights out of me with that massive dick.

His face looms close to mine, and he cups my jaw, forcing my gaze to his. His eyes are black with need. “Clau-dah,” he grits out, and rubs his enormous length along my slick folds. It’s a question, and he wants an answer.

He’s leaving it up to me. If I say his name, he’ll take that as assent, and he’ll fuck me right here, right now. And…then what? Discard me like the soldier? Snap me in half once his anger is sated and let the pieces fall to the ground?

I can’t reconcile his two halves. There’s the kind, tender half that’s almost human…and the crazed dragon with the black eyes. I don’t know which one I get if we have sex. I don’t know which one I get after sex. Do I lose all appeal for him once his itch has been scratched?

It might be in my best interests to never scratch that itch, no matter how much I might want to.

So I shake my head. “No.”

Kael makes an almost-human grunt and pushes away from me, leaving me weak-kneed against the sink. I should be relieved. I should. Instead I just feel…empty.

KAEL

It is progress. I must remind myself of that.

Darkness gnaws at my edges, but I force myself to ignore it. I think of Clau-dah and her green eyes and her cloud of soft red hair. It makes me want to lose myself in the mating urges. To return to the strange lair she hides inside, push her against the stone, and claim her as mine. Taste her. Claim her. Bite her and give her the fire for her blood that will mark her as mine.

I am a patient drakoni. Normally. But around Clau-dah, I lose control. She makes the emotions in me go wild. It is not surprising. Ever since I have been pulled to this infernal place, I have been nothing but wild emotions, most of them angry. With Clau-dah around, my senses are under a different kind of attack.

I need her. Crave her.

And she still fears me. Not as much, but it is still there.

Progress. She tells me no, but I can smell her arousal. I could see her eyes dilate when I touched her. Perhaps her word will not always be no.

I didn’t intend to pounce on her. I’d simply been exploring her, taking care of her. She was letting me touch her, and it was a moment I intended to cherish. Taking care of my mate is a joy, and I wanted nothing more than to continue doing so for hours. But as soon as I scented her aroused musk in the air, I’d lost control. Just the barest taste of her female scent in the air had been enough to drive sanity away and brings me back to the edge again. Only the knowledge that I would lose her forever if I forced her to mate kept me from pushing deep between her thighs.

Her arousal is curious to me, though. Females of my kind do not go into heat unless they have been conquered in battle. But Clau-dah? She responds to soft touches and affection.

I can be soft with her.

And I can be patient.

Until then, I must leave her alone. I retreat across the room and take the highest vantage point so I can watch both the sky and the lair my mate is hiding in. It will give me distance from her so I do not smell her arousal again and lose control. I need all of my control right now.

11

CLAUDIA

I don’t have the courage to leave the safety of the bathroom just yet.

I finish my makeshift bath, my hands trembling the entire time. Every time I rub one of the rough paper towels over my skin, I’m reminded of Kael’s fascination and intense concentration as he bathed me, and I can’t quite stop shivering. And the worst? I’m not shivering from fear. But arousal is no good—he lost his shit the moment I got wet, so he must be able to smell it. I can’t let this distract him. I scrub between my legs, confused by my own arousal and more than a little annoyed by it. This is not the time to get turned on. This is the time to be a stone-cold bitch. I just need to stick things out until it’s safe to return to Fort Dallas, and then I can make a break for it. The mayor changed his mind. Even if he didn’t and it’s a trap, I still need to go back and get Amy. Kael will just have to find a new girl to hover over.

A big dragon-man with hot amber-on-gold eyes and possessive caresses that make me want to abandon all sanity? Not part of the deal.

I’m a loon for getting turned on in the first place. He’s a killer. A dragon. The scourge that destroyed the Earth and caused most of humanity to be wiped out in a matter of years. It’s only through sheer luck and determination that Amy and I haven’t been counted among the billions that perished.

Dragons are the enemy.

It doesn’t matter that Fort Dallas wants me to ‘tame’ him. What am I going to do with him even if he is tamed? Tell him to go away? Fat chance. The way he hovers attentively around me, he’d never agree to that unless I went with him. Even now, I bet he’s lurking outside of the bathroom, just waiting for me to come out again.

Dragons are killers. I have to remember that. I repeat this to myself over and over again as I finish bathing, then wash my hair in the sink and try to work out the worst of the tangles. When I can’t stall any further, I peek out the bathroom door and give him a wary look.

Kael crouches atop a mound of rubble, looking just as majestic and fierce in human form as he does in dragon. He’s scanning the skies, and the moment I open the door, he glances over at me. His eyes are calm, gold on gold. That’s good, at least.

I manage a friendly smile as I shut the door behind me and head out again. He descends from his little mountain, moving toward me with authoritative strides. When he gets to my side, he gives me a possessive once-over, sniffing me, and then touches my wet hair, rubbing it between his fingers.

I rub my arms, a little shivery due to the fact that I’m naked and it’s windy. Yeah, those are the reasons. Sure. “Don’t suppose you happen to know where the nearest un-pillaged department store is, do you?” At his blank look, I sigh. “Guess not.”

THE REST of the day continues kind of like the last one. We circle around each other warily, trying to communicate and failing. Kael stalks me with every step, shadowing me wherever I go, watching me with hungry eyes. I take a nap when I’m tired of exploring—though it’s not much exploring when you’re afraid to do anything that might alarm the other party—and when I wake up, I’m starving. Through a few pantomimes, I ask Kael for food.

Hunger’s not the only reason I ask. If he leaves, I can slip away and return to Fort Dallas. I’ve decided that I need to check on Amy, regardless of if my life is in danger from the militia. My sister can’t fend for herself, not with her bad leg. She’s got no food to eat and we’ve got no money saved. I have to get back to her. Amy’s counting on me.

And that means risking a return to the city. So I have to make Kael leave, and I gesture that he should go hunting.

He does, but he takes me with him, carried in his claws. So much for that. And it seems he’s trying to anticipate my needs, because this time, when he runs down an animal, he doesn’t bother to snap its neck.

He just breathes fire on it and roasts it as it tries to run away.

The pained bellows of the dying cow are awful to hear. I sob as it dies, because I feel responsible. Kael’s trying to please me, and because he is, this critter gets a terrible death. I sob even harder when I eat a hunk of his flank, because I’m too hungry to waste food, even if it died badly. And I sniff unhappily as I wash my hands in the sink afterward. We’re going to have to have a talk about humane butchering of food.

Provided we can ever have a talk, that is. Our dialogue is mostly our names and ‘no.’ I’m not getting anywhere with him. It’s like he’s not interested in learning, and it’s frustrating.

That night, I sleep curled up against him again. He remains in dragon form after the hunt, protectively cradling me between his forelegs and against his breast. His enormous heart thunders against my ear, and it’s almost peaceful.

Except…I keep thinking about that cow. And my sister, who’s probably starving to death waiting for me.

Unless she goes to talk to Blowjob Becky about work… I shudder. Not Amy. Not happy, innocent Amy, who sees the good in everything and refuses to get cynical like her older sister.

I close my eyes and try to sleep, but I see the cow in my dreams. Running away, crying out in terror, and then blasted with flame. Sometimes in my dream, it’s my sister.

Sometimes it’s me.

12

Three Days Later

CLAUDIA

“Let’s try this again,” I say to Kael. “Water.” I run my fingers under the tap of the bathroom sink. “Waaaaa-terrrr.”

“Clau-dah,” Kael rumbles in that deep, overtly sexy voice. “Clau-dah Kael.” His hand slides around my waist, big and scorchingly warm against my skin.

I flick droplets of water on his face from my fingertips. “You suck. I know you understand me. You’re just being difficult, aren’t you?” But I find that my mouth is curling into a bit of a smile anyhow. “Difficult and flirty.”

It’s hard to stay mad at Kael when he’s showing a mischievous side. I’m in a surprisingly good mood this morning despite my vicious dreams. Maybe it’s because of Kael himself, I think, as I turn off the tap. It’s been a few days since Kael found me, but they’ve been surprisingly easy days. I’ve been fed, I’ve got water to wash with and to drink, and a warm place to sleep at night curled up against Kael. I’ve found an old janitor’s uniform in one of the closets, and even though it’s paper-thin and will probably rip to shreds with the wrong move, it’s clothing. The new building’s kind of nice, and it’s quiet.

The only thing I’m missing is Amy. Sasha, too, but I worry less about her being able to take care of herself. I’m haunted by thoughts of Amy starving, but I can’t get Kael to take me back to the city. He’ll do a lot of things for me, but I don’t think that’s on the table.

So I pass my time with Kael, and…he’s a surprisingly good companion. His eyes whirl black less and less, and he hasn’t had any crazy episodes. It’s like the longer he’s around me, the better he is. I’m good with that. He hasn’t tried to rape me, or touch me in the middle of the night when he thinks I’m sleeping. He’s attentive and flirty, sure, but one simple ‘no’ shuts things down. He’s comfortable to be around, and I never thought I’d say that about a dragon. We don’t speak a lot, but I still feel…pampered. Coveted. It’s weird, but I can’t deny it.

Like today.

When I woke up this morning, he’d immediately changed to his human form and then spent the next several minutes checking over my scratches and bruises, as if nothing else was more important than making sure I was okay. And that…was kind of sweet. It’s been a long time since I’ve had anyone fuss over me. With Sasha and Amy, I have to be the strong one, the one that shrugs everything off. I have to take care of them, so I can’t stop and whine about cuts or bruises, or if I’m tired. With Kael…it’s different. I don’t have to be big and strong, because I’m not. At least, not compared to him. And all he wants to do is take care of me.

That sort of attitude is growing on me.

Of course, not everything about his little inspection was nice. He examined the scratches on my breasts with the same avid intensity that he did the scratches on my arms and legs. It’d made me a little wiggly with discomfort, but he wasn’t aroused over it.

Which is ironic, because I am. More and more, his inspections, his attention, and his laser focus on me gets under my skin. Not unpleasantly, but…I’m just waiting to see where it leads. I feel like I’m crazy for viewing his attentions as a weird form of foreplay, but there it is. I shouldn’t, though; Kael just wants to ensure I’m all right. Sometimes I think this strange attraction I have is all in my head…but there’s no denying his erection.

So I let Kael fuss over me and didn’t say a thing. After he was reassured that I was whole and in one piece, he stroked my skin and repeated my name with a pleased tone that said a million things and nothing.

Hence the communication lessons. We need to figure out a way to talk.

The only problem is that Kael doesn’t seem all that interested in learning English. He takes my efforts to teach him with amused patience, as if the entire thing is completely unnecessary. It’s clear he’s far more interested in touching me than learning to speak. Even now, he lets his claws drag through my wavy hair. He’s fascinated by it.

I make an exasperated noise and turn to him. “Are you even paying attention?”

“Clau-dah,” he murmurs again, and sniffs my hair.

His eyes haven’t gone black a single time today, and so I feel comfortable throwing a little teasing back in his direction. “Oh yeah? How would you like it if I run my fingers through your hair, huh?” I turn to face him and reach for his tumbled bronze locks, then hesitate, just in case. When he doesn’t show any reaction except eagerness, I touch his hair. The texture is surprising—it’s a good deal stiffer than mine despite the loose tumble of it, and the strands feel twice as thick. I can’t get over how fascinating it is. Compared to his hair, mine probably does feel like floss. Maybe I spend too much time petting his hair, because he closes his eyes and rumbles low in his chest, a sign that he enjoys my touch very much.

And I’m…not hating touching him. His hair is interesting, and I wouldn’t mind playing with it a bit more. I also wouldn’t mind learning by touch just what other differences he has. Does his skin feel different? What about those retractable spikes at his elbows? But I don’t dare, because playing with him is like, well, playing with fire, even though I hate the irony of that particular thought.

I shouldn’t encourage him. Shouldn’t let him think that I’m seeking his attentions. His near-constant hard-on has made it pretty obvious what he’d like from me, and I don’t know that I can return the same. So I drop my hands, and hate that I regret it a little. Funny how weirdly good it makes me feel that someone’s happy just to be with me. Kael looks at me like I’m the best thing since sliced bread. I shouldn’t care what a dragon—a killer, a demon of fire and ash—thinks of me.

But when he opens his eyes and his mouth cocks up in that half-smile that mimics my own?

My silly, foolish heart skips a beat.

“Clau-dah,” he murmurs again, pulling me close.

And because I’m weak, I let him drag me against him, my breasts pressing against his chest. My breath catches in my throat as I look up at him. He’s huge, at least a foot taller than me, and with massive shoulders. He could hurt me so easily. The erection stabbing into my belly reminds me that he can overpower me at any time and take what he wants.

Instead, he stands here, flirting with me in his weird dragon way. Teasing.

Kael runs his fingers through my hair again and leans in toward me. I close my eyes, wondering if he’s going to kiss me, and if he does, what it’ll feel like. Do dragons even know how to kiss? If he doesn’t, will he let me show him how? I imagine his reaction to me putting my lips on his.

But he only leans in and inhales, sniffing my hair as if it’s the best thing he’s ever smelled. “Clau-dah,” he murmurs again, voice low and sinfully husky.

That stupid thrum of desire skitters through me again. I’m turned on by a dragon, and it’s a little worrying. He’s not entirely human even in this form—his height and bulk are definitely not normal, and the strong lines of his face and the dappled striations of his skin won’t let him escape notice. The spiky horns? Yeah, not normal. But to me, they’re starting to become normal. Like I look at him and I don’t see anything strange anymore.

It’s just Kael.

I pull away from him and leave the bathroom behind, heading back out to the main area of the building’s top floor. I rub my arms as I go and don’t look behind me. I don’t have to, because I know Kael’s going to be just a few steps behind me. I feel like if I stay in that small bathroom, we’re not going to be thinking about water for much longer. For some reason, whenever we get into a small room, he moves that much closer to me. And when he does, I have a hard time concentrating on anything but his nearness.

So, a change of scenery.

I walk out onto the main floor and into a pool of sunlight. I step into it and tilt my face up, closing my eyes and absorbing the warmth of the sun. The roof’s gone on this end of the building, but the walls are mostly intact, and instead of making me feel like a trapped rat, it almost feels like I’m in a really big sunroom. I kind of like it. This building’s full of clutter and tossed, weather-destroyed paper, but it’s not concrete rubble and scrap metal like the last one. I even like the vines and greenery that have started to crawl into every inch of the available surface. It’s almost pretty, as much as anything in burned-out Old Dallas can be.

And I’m still thinking about what it’d be like to kiss Kael. Damn it.

“Clau-dah,” Kael calls again, his voice teasing. I feel a shiver through my body at the playful sound of his voice, and turn toward him. He’s two steps behind me, like I thought, and the moment I turn, he pulls me back against him, grinning like he’s caught me in the world’s slowest chase. I lick my lips, the tips of my breasts tight against his chest, and I resist the urge to rub up against him. Doing that is a Very Bad Idea. I tell myself it has to be Stockholm syndrome. Has to be. When his eyes go black, he still scares the crap out of me.

But at the same time…I’m fascinated by the fact that I’m the center of his universe. Maybe I’m starved for attention or hungry for affection in a world that’s so brutal and unforgiving that even a monster’s devotion seems like a fascinating thing. I know it’s not healthy. I’m…just not sure that I care.

So much of life in the After is comprised of taking things one day at a time, one meal at a time. There are no long-term plans. There’s no hope for the future. There’s just surviving until tomorrow.

Is it so wrong that I want to grab at a little playful affection while I can? I consider Kael, his big body pressed up against mine as he nuzzles at my throat. His scent is in my nose, his scorching skin rubbing against mine. It wouldn’t take much to encourage him. A little bit of an obvious rub against the thick cock pressed against my belly and I’d find myself up against the wall…

And this time he might not take no for an answer.

I should hate that thought. I should be revolted by it. Instead, the thought makes my body flush with desire all over again. The mental image of Kael pushing me against the wall and pumping his enormous erection inside of me makes my pulse quicken and my body ache deep inside.

His body stiffens against me, and I realize he’s picking up my scent in the air.

“Clau-dah,” he growls low in his throat. I know that growl. He thinks I’m being a tease. Strange how my mispronounced name suddenly holds so many meanings.

But I don’t want to be a tease. Not really. I’m curious about him, too, and I keep thinking about what would happen if we kissed. If I let him touch me. Somehow, I don’t think he’d hurt me. Not if he stayed in control. And he’s been in control all day. Greatly daring, I run a hand down the front of his chest. His body is so hard against mine, not a bit of give to his muscles. He’s huge. Mammoth, really. He’s tall, but more than that, he’s burly and thick, but not an ounce of it is fat. I glance up and notice that his eyes have swirled back to black again, though gold flashes through them. He’s fighting it.

I don’t want to push him too hard. Maybe he needs more time. I probably do, too. So I give his chest a gentle little pat. “No. Not yet. I’m not sure I’m ready.”

Liar, says my body. I almost expect Kael to echo it aloud. But he only buries his face against my neck and inhales my scent once more.

After a moment’s hesitation, I slowly wrap my arms around him, running my hands down his back. His eyes stay gold, and I smile at him. This is nice. We can do this. Just hold each other. If this is the only communication we have for now, I’ll take it.

His arms go around me, and he’s warm and delicious. It’s like being wrapped in a blanket, and I sigh with pleasure at how good it feels just to have him pressed against me. It shouldn’t feel this good, should it? I’m so distracted by the feel of him that it barely registers when a shadow passes overhead. Kael stiffens, and his eyes immediately go black.

I panic and fling myself out of his arms, stepping away.

A dragon trumpets a challenge, loud and angry. I stare at Kael in surprise, but it takes me a moment to realize that it’s not him. In the next moment, claws wrap around my waist and I’m snatched into the air.

There’s another dragon.

“Kael!” I scream, flinging my arms out for him. For safety. He’s the devil I know.

Kael won’t hurt me.

But this new dragon? I don’t know a thing about him. I don’t know if his eyes will go gold and he’s friendly, or if they’re black with anger. I don’t know if he wants a human snack or something far more dire.

The building disappears below, and I watch in shock as Kael’s receding form moves forward. His muscles bunch and he flings himself into the sky, changing to dragon form almost instantly and following us.

His bellow of fury is deafening, and even from here, I can see his eyes are completely, utterly black.

13

CLAUDIA

My hands frantically pull at the claws that hold me tight. The strange dragon had snatched me from Kael’s grasp and is now flying away with me. His claws tear at my naked skin, and he gives another roar of fury, one full of rage and anger. One I haven’t heard from Kael in days. Fear chokes my throat, and I shove my whipping hair out of my face, trying to get a good look at my captor.

It’s another gold dragon. Not quite as big as Kael, but far more battle-scarred. From here, I can see a mass of scars and half-healed lacerations climbing the scales of its throat and jaw. The claws that hold me close are covered in older white markings that show that my new captor likes to pick fights.

Why me? Why did he grab me? I think of Kael and his laughing gold eyes. Then I think of his near-constant erection and swallow hard. Things might be very, very bad with this new dragon. Kael is patient and sweet to me, but I don’t know this stranger at all. More than that, I don’t want to get to know him, either.

The dragon twists and spirals higher, and I clutch at his claws, muffling the scream that tears from my throat. The wind is wild this high, and the new dragon spreads his wings, rising on an updraft. He’s flying out of the city, away from the building I’ve called home for the last few days…and away from Fort Dallas.

Not good. Not good at all. I can’t be taken away. I have to get back to Amy.

I look behind me frantically. Kael is close, darting back and forth behind the other dragon. He hangs a bit below him and doesn’t attack. I worry it’s because he’s afraid that the other dragon’s going to drop me. Either way, I’m in double trouble, because Kael’s eyes are a dark, unrelenting black. As I stare down at him, he roars his anger furiously. Once. Twice.

Each roar only makes the new dragon’s claws tighten around me. I push at them, panicking. What can I do? I don’t want him to drop me, but I also don’t want to be pinned between a dragon fight in midair. I won’t survive that. I’m helpless between these giants, a pawn for them to fight over.

The new dragon twists in midair, head turning in an exaggerated fashion to check on Kael, who dogs behind him. The eye I can see is black with dragon fury. As I worry, he tosses me casually between his claws, and a shriek of fright escapes me.

Kael bellows his anger at that move, too.

The dragon’s other foot squeezes me close, and this time I cling to its claws, panting in fear. I don’t care that the act of ‘catching’ me caused my fragile jumpsuit to shred itself. That felt far too much like being dropped. I don’t want to be dropped. The ground is far, far too distant for comfort. So I hold tight, and from this side, I realize this scarred bastard only has one eye—the other is gone, nothing left but a mass of scar tissue.

Kael bugles again, and I glance down at him to see that he’s gaining on my captor, his movements in the air agitated. His wings flick and pump, eyes furiously whirling like twin black galaxies. I hold my breath, watching him approach. Funny how I’m rooting for a dragon at this point. It’s just that…it’s Kael. I think if I can survive whatever fight these two have, I know I can make his eyes go gold again. I can deal with Kael.

The scarred dragon swoops low, gliding down toward the ruined streets at the outskirts of the city. We skim along the roads, dodging between buildings, and at one point we scrape so close to the ground that I haul my legs up, terrified I’m going to be nothing but a smear on the pavement. My stomach is roiling and sick at all the twisting and turning.

Then he gives a small hopping hover, and the new dragon lands, perching atop an old city bus. With one foreleg, he clutches me against his scarred chest, clearly not about to set me down. I hear the enormous thud of Kael landing on the nearby ground a moment later.

The gold holding me roars an angry challenge.

Kael bugles a furious cry, his tail lashing side to side, scattering broken cars. He drops to all fours and begins to stalk forward, smoke pluming from his nostrils.

The new dragon bellows a rush of flame in warning, and I bite back a scream, because it’s not safe to get either dragon’s attention.

I am so much toast right about now.

KAEL

My mate.

Fury throbs hot in my mind, mixing with the all-too-familiar madness.

Clau-dah is my female. Mine. I’d had her in my arms, her soft body smelling of arousal, her flesh pressed against mine. I’d been so close to claiming her as my own, only to have her snatched away by a rival. The big male drakoni that took her probably claims this territory as his own, but I had no choice. The humans had put her in danger with their stinging weapons, and her terror had bit at my mind until I feared I would lose myself to madness again. So I’d taken her away from my own territory to keep her safe. I know I am strong enough to challenge any other male. I have battled many times before and won.

But I’ve never had a mate, and never one as vulnerable as Clau-dah is. I’ve never had to worry about her safety or think about how another drakoni might conspire to steal her from me. This new drakoni had likely scented her on the wind and followed the trail to see what the delicious smell was. He’d probably scented her desire—and the lack of my claim in her blood—and known that I had not anchored our bond. He knew my female was vulnerable and ripe for the picking.

And so he took her.

I roar in outrage, my cry of fury so loud it makes the nearby structures shake. Birds flock to the skies, fleeing. I do not care. This rival has sought to take Clau-dah away from me. She is fragile, vulnerable. If he is not careful with her, he could harm her. The fear of that is greater than any anger I have. I cannot stop seeing him grabbing her in his claws and hauling her away, her small body tossed about as a leaf on the wind. Clau-dah is small and not as sturdy as a drakoni female. He must be careful with her. She is more precious than life itself.

I stalk forward, eyeing the big, scarred male closely. I cannot attack him outright, because my precious mate is clasped to his breast. I will not risk her safety for anything. I must wait, then. If the male wishes to challenge me, he will have to set Clau-dah down. Then we will fight, and I will make him regret touching my female.

I will not allow him to live. Not after touching Clau-dah. Not after putting her at risk. He will die violently and with great pain.

So I wait, seething. My mind is a furious jumble of rage. I welcome the darknesshungerkillanger thoughts. Not even the pleasure of my Clau-dah penetrates my volatile mind. I am lost to the murk of madness once more, and I am glad for it.

I will take my mate back, I warn him, reaching out with my mind and sending a stabbing bolt of thought to him. I will take my mate back and you will suffer.

She is not yours, the other dragon responds. You have not claimed her. There is no fire in her blood. I will take her for my own!

Mine, I snarl. My Clau-dah. My mate. Not yours. Incensed, I drop to the ground across from the male. I might have known his name once. The drakoni were once a close-knit people. Now, it does not matter. He is an interloper. A mate-stealer. He is going to die for touching my Clau-dah. For frightening her. Even now, I can smell her fear, sharp and thick in the warm air. Her lovely scent is sullied by the pungent stink of my rival—young, heavily scarred from fights, and about to die.

He will not win. Never. I bare my teeth in a feral snarl as he blows out a plume of flame in challenge. Too close to Clau-dah and her cloud of soft hair. Does he not realize how dangerous our fire is to her? Furious, I raise my head and bugle my acceptance of his challenge.

We shall settle this between us, the male declares. I will have the female as my mate.

You will have to destroy me first.

Then come!

I tense as my rival uncurls his claws and sets Clau-dah down. She collapses to her knees, her hair falling in front of her face. I growl low in my throat, waiting for her to get up. To get out of the way. To get to safety. After a long, tense moment, she gets to her feet, legs wobbly. Her face is stark with fear as she looks over at me, then takes a few steps backward, retreating.

The moment she’s out of range, I spring, slamming my weight into the body of the other male.

My opponent never stands a chance. Though the younger male is heavily scarred and has obviously survived many battles, it’s clear that I will win. He knows to snap with his powerful jaws, but he’s not nearly as fast as I am. When his teeth lock onto my forelimb, I counter with a heavy swipe of my tail to his head to set him off-guard, and then claw at his remaining eye.

It’s almost too easy.

The male bellows in pain and immediately backs off, hissing. He retreats a few steps, tail lashing in anger and pain, and spreads his wings as if to fly away. He is already done with the fight.

But I’m not about to let him go free. He threatened Clau-dah, and for that, he will pay with his life. I go after his wing, my claws shredding the thick fibers from bone. My opponent screams in pain, and his head thrashes wildly. He lashes out at me, but his blows are glancing.

I move in for the kill, my jaws latching on the soft underside of his neck. With one fierce, exuberant move, I rip out my opponent’s throat. Blood pours into my mouth, and with it comes the madness. Darknesshungerkillanger—

I hear a choked scream somewhere behind me.

I whip about, spraying blood, and the body of my fallen opponent flops to the ground at my feet. I turn to see Clau-dah staring up at me with big green eyes. She leans against a skeletal frame of metal, as if her legs will not support her. Her wide-eyed gaze goes to the still-twitching dragon sprawled on the ground before me.

“Oh my god. You eviscerated him.” Her hands fly to her mouth, muffling her words. “Oh shit.”

I do not understand her words, but her tone makes me frustrated. Why is she upset? Darknesshungerkillanger Did I not show her that I can protect her? That I can care for her? Darknesshungerkillanger That she is safe with me?

Have I not been patient?

Darknesshungerkillanger

I reach out to her with my mind again and find nothing there. There is no connection, nothing to latch on to, nothing to hold to and push away the darkness in my mind that creeps at the edges. It feels like an affront. I have tried so hard to be understanding, but with the blood of my opponent rushing down my throat and the battle-lust coursing through my veins, it is hard to focus on Clau-dah’s green eyes and the calm there.

Darknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillanger

I close my eyes, fighting for control. It takes a moment, but I manage to cling to sanity. I open my eyes, slowly, and then catch a new scent on the air—Clau-dah’s fear. Instinctively, I lower my head and approach her, wanting nothing more than to comfort her.

She steps backward, fear in her eyes.

Something inside me snaps. Fury boils over. Not at her. Never at her. But everything else eats at my calm. The dead male at my feet. The stink of this awful place. The lack of a connection to Clau-dah. Because I had to defend her, she fears me again. Why is she not proud of me for defeating the interloper? Can she not see how fierce I am? How utterly devoted to her happiness and protection I am?

darknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillangerdarknesshungerkillanger

I reach out to her again with my mind, desperate to connect, to anchor myself to her.

But there is nothing to hold. Her mind is closed to me.

All because I have not yet claimed her.

If I had—if I’d given her my fire—the other dragon would have never challenged me. Her scent would be mingled with mine, and unmated, rutting males would not touch her.

But she will never let me touch her. It has been days and I am yet no closer. Now she looks at me with shock and fear in her eyes.

The rage is too much, the need for my Clau-dah too much. It chews up my mind and leaves nothing behind. Must claim her. Must own. Make her safe. Make it so that no one else can claim her.

I’ve been patient long enough.

Mine.

14

CLAUDIA

That mad black is swirling in Kael’s eyes.

My breath lodges in my throat, and fright makes my legs lock. I stand in the middle of a street, and there are things to hide behind—tipped-over buses, abandoned cars, nearby gutted buildings—but I can’t run from him.

Not when he’s clearly struggling for control.

I know he won’t hurt me. He’s had plenty of opportunities to do so, and he hasn’t before. I know when his eyes swirl black, all it takes is a few murmured words and they’ll go gold again.

It doesn’t mean that I’m not scared shitless, though. I’ve just seen Kael rip the throat out of another dragon. A freaking dragon. Bullets bounce off their damn hides and humans can’t hurt them. But Kael? He’d simply took the neck of the damn thing in his jaws and tore it out. I can still feel the hot spray of blood as it catches the wind and spatters my face, still hear his dying gurgle.

I’d nearly lost control of my bladder at the sight, especially because it happened right in front of my face.

I’m still staring as Kael stalks toward me, blood dripping from his fangs, eyes black as night.

This is not the nuzzling, affectionate Kael of the last few days. This is something else entirely. Looking at him like this, I remember that it only takes one dragon to decimate a city. I squeeze my eyes shut as he storms toward me. He’s dangerous when in a rage, and this is definitely qualifying as a rage. Will he kill me? Slice me in half with one swipe and destroy me as easily as he did the other dragon? It had been one of his kind. I could have sworn that he’d communicated with it on some level, but he’d destroyed it as easily as breathing.

The safety I’ve felt with him over the last few days? It’s a lie. I thought maybe I could be his friend. That I was secure with him. It’s all wrong. Fort Dallas wanted me to control a dragon, but there’s no controlling something like Kael. He’s a force of nature. And like a tornado or a hurricane, he’s going to destroy everything in his path to get what he wants.

And…he wants me.

Kael looms over me, still in enormous, frightening dragon form, the heat from his body radiating off of him and washing over me. I close my eyes, instinctively flinching away as he leans in.

But…the massive head only nuzzles my cheek. His breath, still coppery and smelling of blood and char, rolls over me like a wave. All he does is sniff my hair, then runs his snout along my torn jumpsuit as if reassuring himself that I’m not harmed.

There’s some control in there, after all. Some of the awful tension leaves my body, and I release the breath that I’m holding. “It’s just me, Kael,” I say softly. “I’m here with you.”

He noses me again, and then his claws wrap around my waist. I’m dragged up against him as he launches himself into the sky, and all I can do is hold on for dear life and hope that his madness ebbs soon.

I LOSE track of how long we’re flying. The world seesaws back and forth as Kael rides the currents of wind, and I flop around, helpless, in his claws. My stomach roils with every dive, and it makes it difficult to concentrate on where we are going, because opening my eyes means I want to vomit. But eventually, the jagged, wild flying evens out, and I squeeze open my eyes to see that we’ve returned to the office building with the running water—the building I was snatched from just a short time ago.

It feels like a lifetime ago.

Kael lands, and I squirm in his grasp, trying to get free. He gently unhooks his claws and releases me, and the moment I stumble to the ground, the last of my jumpsuit falls apart.

Freaking figures. This day is just a shit cake. I strip off the remnants and kick them aside, heading toward the bathroom. I want to splash my face with water. I can still smell the blood of the other dragon on me, still smell the smoke in my nostrils. I need to get clean.

I need to get away and breathe for a few minutes.

“Clau-dah,” booms an all-too-familiar voice behind me. Someone’s turned human form again and probably wants to flirt.

But I’m still shaking with shock. I don’t turn around. I don’t want to flirt right now. I want to know that I’m safe. I want to curl up in a ball and hide in a small, cement-cased room where nothing can snatch me again.

“Clau-dah?” This time, Kael’s tone is questioning. I feel his steps as he marches up behind me and touches my shoulder, but the hand that brushes my bare skin is gentle. Just as quickly as he touches me, he pulls away again. “Clau-dah…Kael.”

I bite my lip, contemplating my options. How’s he going to act if I ignore him? Not well, I suspect. So I turn back to him, arms crossed, my body locked with tension. “What do you want?” The moment I see him, though, I gasp in shock. Blood flows from a corner of his mouth, and there’s a long gouge down one of his arms that’s dripping blood. All over, his chest is splattered with dried blood, and he looks like he just emerged from a slaughterhouse. “Oh my god! You’re hurt?”

“Clau-dah…Kael.” This time, when he says it, there’s no mistaking the possessiveness in his voice. He gestures at his arm, then makes a clawing motion, mimicking the other dragon pulling me from his grasp. “Clau-dah.” He bares his teeth, showing his long fangs. “Kael.”

Even though we only have two words in our shared vocabulary, I know exactly what he’s saying. The other dragon wounded him when he snatched me from his grip. And Kael had gone after me, because in his eyes, I’m his.

I don’t know how I feel about that. Part of me is irritated that I’m thought of like a possession. And another part of me is thankful as hell that he’d decided that I’m his and thus saved me from the other dragon. I’m a little horrified that I’m happy about that. I’m also a little flattered. Just a teeny, tiny bit, but I squash that feeling right away, aware of the guilt it causes. “Serves you right for kidnapping me,” I tell him, but the words feel rude the moment they come out of my mouth. He didn’t have to save me.

Maybe it’s my tone of voice, but his eyes narrow. He glances at his arm, then back at me. His eyes are still swirling with black, but the gold flashes more often, letting me know he’s close to returning to himself. As my eyes lock with his, he straightens and makes a low purring sound in his throat. I drop my gaze and…yup. Kael’s turned on again. His cock stirs and lengthens, hardening as I watch.

“Does that have to happen every time we talk?” I ask him, strangely breathless.

As I watch, he lifts his arm and licks the wound, but his gaze is still firmly focused on me.

That’s almost…sexy. God, I should not be fascinated by that. “No, Kael,” I tell him, using my firmest voice. Anything to distract me. Er, him. “I realize you’re just as much dragon as you are human, but that’s not how you clean a wound.”

“Kah-leeen,” he mimics, reaching out and brushing his fingertips down my arm. HIs eyes swirl darker, and he moves forward, and his skin brushes up against mine. “Wwwwound.”

As he moves closer, I realize just how big he is. Dappled skin and muscular chest fill my vision, and I put my hand on his wounded arm. I can’t help but notice that both of my hands can’t circle one bicep. Shiver. “Maybe more dragon than human,” I mutter to myself. “Come on. Let’s clean you off, at least. I realize you’re all turned on, but you’re also covered in blood, and I’m hoping not all of it is yours.”

“Bah-luhhd.” He cocks his head, watching my mouth, then tries to brush his thumb—his bloody thumb—over my lips.

I jerk away. “No!”

“No?” His brows draw together, and he gazes at the red smears on his skin.

“Yes, blood,” I repeat, exasperated. My fingers brush over his, and I touch the sticky blood drying on his clawed fingertips. It smears the dark red between the pads of my fingers, and I show him. “Blood. And it’s all over you. So come on.” I take his hand in mine, ignoring how big and familiar, yet alien, he is to me. His hand is large but masculine, the skin warm, but just a little too warm. The fingers strong, and five in number like a man’s hand, but tipped with claws instead of fingernails. He’s human, but not quite.

I’ll just ignore that ‘not quite’ for now. He certainly doesn’t seem to find me lacking, after all. He wants me just as I am—dirty, naked, and unable to speak a lick to each other.

Leading my dragon-man by the hand, I head back to the bathroom I’ve claimed as part of our new digs and peel off another stack of weathered paper towels. I run the water, then pry open one of the soap dispensers to dig out a chunk of dried soap. It’s the only thing I’ve got, so it’ll have to do. I rub it on a wet paper towel and glance over at Kael as I make a lather. “I realize you’re all frisky at the moment, but I’m not going to sit here and try to talk to you while you’re wounded and covered in blood.”

He watches me, curious, as I head toward him with the wet paper towels. His nostrils flare, and he grabs my hand as I reach for him, and he sniffs the soap on the towel, wrinkling his nose.

“It’s for washing.” When he continues to scowl at it, I change the tone of my voice, making it soft and soothing. “I’m going to clean you up. Get rid of the blood.” I wipe my fingers on the towel to demonstrate and then gesture at his face and arm, smiling. “Wouldn’t you like to get clean? Clean off all that blood?”

“Clean off…blood,” he repeats, gaze on my lips. It’s the best sentence he’s made yet, but I can’t shake the suspicion that it’s not because he’s learning. More like he’s trying to impress me.

I’ll take it. “Yup. I prefer clean skin.” Plus I can tell the wounds from the splatter. I decide to start with his arm first, since going for his face might make him wary. I take his hand in mine and use my other to carefully mop at the wound, glancing up occasionally to watch his reaction.

He has none.

I dab at the wound again. Still no reaction. If it hurts, it doesn’t hurt much. That’s good, at least. The gash is long but shallow, and already crusting over with blood. He bleeds like a human—I suppose I should be glad for that. And he’s not reacting negatively to my attentions. Instead, his eyes are flicking between gold and black, and he’s making low, pleased rumbles in his throat.

And for some reason, those sounds make me blush.

“Cool it, Romeo,” I murmur, giving his arm a final swipe before moving to his chest. “I want to get this done.” I’m relieved to see that all the blood washes right off his chest and he doesn’t have more than a few scrapes. It’s occurred to me that I’m completely dependent on him at the moment, and if I plan on getting back to Amy—or heck, just staying alive—he needs to stay whole and in one piece.

I should be thinking about Amy more, I realize guiltily. How I’m going to get back to Fort Dallas and my sister. Instead, I’ve been focused on Kael and today’s scary kidnapping. If I think about what might have happened…

But no, I’m not going to fall down that rabbit hole. I can’t get to Amy right now. The problem of the other dragon has been fixed, and so now I just need to focus on what I can handle. And right now, I can handle Kael. So I press wet napkins at the corner of his mouth, noticing how full his lips are despite the sharp teeth that threaten just behind them. If he kept his mouth closed to hide the fangs and shut his eyes, he’d look human enough, I think. His features are strong, but not too inhuman or unappealing. He’s pretty handsome, actually. At first I thought he was startling-looking, but now I find that I can’t stop looking at him. He also has the longest lashes of any human man I’ve ever seen. Long and thick, just like the thick waves of amber hair on his head, I imagine.

He’s big and scary and over the top, but I’m kind of used to it. And he’s not scary to me. If anything, he’s utterly focused on me. I think about his reaction when the other dragon snatched me. Kael had been incensed, but he’d stayed back in case the other dropped me. It was like he truly was more concerned with my safety than the fact that his favorite toy was taken from him.

I gently clean his cheek, glancing up at him as I work. “I don’t know what I’d have done if that other dragon carried me off and you didn’t come after me.” I don’t like to think about that, but it’s a very real thing. I almost died today. Or…almost ended up as someone else’s pet human. Kael wants me—he’s made that very clear—but he’s also patient, attentive, and kind in his dragon way. It’s like my happiness really matters to him.

Would another dragon have been like that? Somehow, I doubt it. I can picture the scarred golden male chomping my head off. But…maybe not. He’d snatched me away and tried to keep me instead of just taking a big bite out of me. That must mean he’d wanted something similar to what Kael wanted—as in, me, physically.

And that would not have been good.

For all our differences, I feel like I have a connection with Kael. We communicate—sort of—and there’s affection between us. Again, sort of. A weird attraction for sure. The other dragon was not nearly as patient as Kael. And then it’s strange to think of ‘dragons’ and ‘patient’ in the same sentence, which makes me ponder. I finish cleaning the blood off his face and then smile up at him. “Like it or not, if I had to be stuck with a dragon, I’m lucky to have you, Kael.”

His eyes darken at the sound of his name, and he pulls me against him. “Clau-dah.”

I blush to feel the stab of his erection pressing against my stomach, and it makes me acutely aware of just how naked I am with him. I seem to lose more clothes around this man. Dragon. Whatever. “You’re not good at taking no for an answer, are you?”

His head tilts, and black flares in his eyes. “No?”

Of course he’d pick that damn word out. I’m a little nervous at how black his eyes flared, though. He’s probably still feeling possessive from his recent battle, and telling him no right now probably isn’t such a hot idea. “Not what I meant.” I give him a little pat and move to turn the faucets on for more water.

He holds my arm, not letting me turn away from him. Instead, he growls low in his throat and tries to pull me back into his arms.

I turn to him with a frown, but he’s got black swirling in his eyes. Okay, apparently even walking a few steps away is triggering him. “I’m just getting more water to clean you.” When he doesn’t let go even after that, I give him an exasperated look. “Claudia is all Kael’s, okay? I don’t want anyone else.”

He releases me at that.

I move to the sinks and turn the tap on, letting the water rush out in a gush. Even after days of having running water, it still feels like a treat, and I’m terrified it’s going to dry up, so I never leave it running. But the moment I turn the water on, his arm snakes around my waist, and it causes my backside to plump up against the hard, erect length of him.

He nuzzles my hair from behind and I can feel his breath on my shoulder. “Clau-dah…Kael?”

Oh boy. Heat rushes through me at the same time that a tingle of alarm does. I watch him in the cracked mirror. His eyes are black slits of pleasure, and the large arm that wraps around my waist is tender. He brushes his mouth over my shoulder, and then I feel his hips shift, rubbing his cock against my backside in a blatant gesture.

I…might have communicated the wrong thing to him. My goal was to tell him that I was his and no one else’s so he’d calm down. He seems to think I’ve given him assent to, well, take me as his.

In all ways imaginable.

I make a small noise of protest in my throat as he presses against my backside again, stroking the length of him along the cleft of my ass. Okay, that is all kinds of wrong—

—And it feels amazing. God, I am a sick, sick woman because I want him to do it again.

15

CLAUDIA

“Clau-dah,” he murmurs in that impossibly deep voice, and he sounds so incredibly pleased to touch me that it sends shivers through my body. My nipples harden in response, and I can feel my pulse beat between my thighs. Who has ever said my name with that much sheer pleasure?

“Kael,” I begin, trying to get his attention, “I’m not sure—”

My words break off in a gasp when his gaze captures mine in the mirror. There’s a look of stark, sultry pleasure on his face. It’s the look of an extremely aroused male, covetous and sexual all at once. And he’s watching me in the mirror, like he’s noting my reactions to his touch. As I realize this, his big hand flexes on my stomach, and I suck in a breath when it slides up to cup one of my breasts. One thumb-claw grazes over my nipple in a gentle exploration.

And always, his gaze is locked on mine.

I can’t help the whimper that escapes my throat. It shouldn’t feel this good, should it?

He goes still against me. As I watch, his nostrils flare. “Clau-dah,” he growls, voice ragged. His other hand moves to cup my other breast, and as I watch in the mirror, he begins to play with both, stroking and teasing my nipples into hard points.

Of course I respond. The feel of the big, protective male pressing against my back and his hands caressing my breasts? The knowledge that this is wrong and slightly dirty because he’s the enemy and dangerous? It all makes me incredibly aroused. A little moan escapes my throat, and I close my eyes, leaning into his caress as he continues to tease my nipples ever so gently with those big, scary claws. I can feel myself growing slick between my thighs.

Kael inhales deeply again and then says my name once more. “Clau-dah.” He’s practically purring.

“Yeah, I know,” I murmur, both turned on and embarrassed at the fact that he’s smelling the wetness of my pussy on the air. It’s not like I can stop it, though. Not with how intensely he’s watching me in the mirror. Like my pleasure is the only thing that matters.

And that is an incredible turn-on.

Because I’m turned on, maybe my natural instincts to be wary around Kael are falling away. Because I want to touch him, too. I slide a hand backward, reaching for that thick, unusual mane of hair. He buries his face against my neck, inhales deeply, and his fingers drag over my nipples again. God, I am getting so wet from this.

“Clau-dah,” he murmurs again, and in the mirror I watch as his hand leaves my left breast and slips between my thighs. One big, thick finger parts my pussy lips and slides along my flesh, then dips into my core. I know I’m wet and ready—I can practically feel my juices sliding down my thighs. And I wonder what he’s going to think of that.

His eyes are black slits, but instead of being scary, it’s fiercely, incredibly sexy. The possessive look is stamped onto his face, and I watch as his big hand cups my pussy, and I can feel his claws playing against my folds. He’s incredibly careful, though, and when one thick fingertip presses against my core, I give my hips a little flex.

His snarl of pleasure makes me even hotter, and he presses his face against my hair. He purrs my name again and then pulls his hand away…and I could just cry at how empty I feel at the loss. But he only raises his hand in the air, turning it and admiring the glisten of my arousal on his skin.

Then he lifts his hand to his mouth and licks his claws, tasting me. I’m fascinated as his lip curls in a feral snarl. He pushes me forward against the sinks, his hips pressing against my own. One leg wedges between my own, and he pushes my thighs apart, his weight pinning me against the counter.

He’s going to take me, right here, right now.

Even though I’m turned on, I panic. “Wait! No!”

Kael stops, but he snarls again, looking furious. His fingers go to my pussy and he dips them in again, dragging them along my wetness as if to prove that I’m aroused. “Clau-dah. Kael.”

I moan at the touch, but I still find the strength to somehow shake my head. Very carefully, I push his hand away even as he tries to touch me. “You’re moving too fast. Slow down a second.”

He cocks his head, watching me, and the black swirls furiously in his eyes. Every muscle in his big body vibrates with barely restrained tension. I need to fix this, or he’s going to throw me down on the counter and fuck me whether I want it or not.

So it’s best if I really, really want it. And I do. God, I do. I just need a bit more preparation. I have to show him that. “Kael,” I murmur, my voice low and soothing. “I’m not rejecting you. I just need to show you how to make Claudia ready for you. Understand?”

But he doesn’t speak English, so of course he doesn’t understand.

I push his hand away and turn slowly. When he reaches for me again, I take his hand and place it on my cheek, leaning in against his palm. “Kael, I do want you. Claudia wants Kael. But let me show you what I like first, okay?”

Those not-quite-human eyes are mesmerized by my coaxing tone of voice, and I feel him shiver as I press a kiss to the palm of his hand.

Just like that, I’m in control of him again.

I lock my eyes to his and then hop backward onto the bathroom counter, evening out our heights just a bit. I pull Kael forward until he’s between my legs, and I put my hands on his chest, noting rock-hard muscles under that dappled amber skin. He’s strong and lethal, his power barely leashed. As I touch him, I can feel him jump with awareness, but he doesn’t move away.

All right, I’ll try kissing him, then. My hand goes behind his neck, and I pull him in, gently.

He stiffens, retreating. His eyes narrow. “Clau-dah,” he growls, grabbing at my hips and pulling me forward on the counter, his cock resting against my sex. He thrusts slightly, pressing the head of it against my pussy.

“I know,” I tell him, and drag my fingertips along the lines of his neck and collarbone as if he’s not trying to be all bossy. “That might be how dragons do things, but I’m a human, and we like to take a bit more time. So let me do things at my pace, hmm?” I brush my fingers over the seam of my mouth and then place them against his lips, indicating that I want to put mine there.

Kael’s eyes narrow, and he snaps his teeth at me.

I jerk back, startled. “No biting. I just want to kiss.” Though looking at his sharp teeth again, I’m starting to have my doubts. I purse my lips, thinking, and then take his big hand in mine. He lets me, his eyes going to gold with pleasure again. All right, progress. With my gaze locked to his, I take his thumb into my mouth and gently suck on it.

That gets his attention. He makes that low, sexy growl in his throat again, but he doesn’t pull away.

Now we’re getting somewhere. I gently lick at his thumb pad, stroking it over and over with my tongue, careful to avoid the claw tipping his finger. I lick and suck suggestively and then slowly drag his thumb back out of my mouth. Then I reach out and brush my thumb over his lips.

He parts them for me, taking my thumb into his mouth and caressing me the way I’d done to him. He makes that low, pleased growl in his throat again, too.

“That’s good,” I breathe, my arousal returning at the sheer look of intensity on his face. I pull away from his mouth and then gesture that I want to place my lips on his, and I try to pull him down toward me again. My body’s humming with want and excitement, and the thought of being able to kiss him is driving me wild.

This time, he lets me. His big body hunches over, and he braces his hands on the marble countertop of the sink, one on each side of me. His face is inches away from mine. All I need to do is close the gap.

I carefully place my hands on his cheeks, tilt my mouth, and move in against him.

Kael is stiff and unyielding as I put my mouth against his, so I focus on the seam of his mouth, brushing my tongue against it, determined to make him open up for me. After a moment’s hesitation, he parts his lips and I slide my tongue into the warmth of his mouth, trying not to think about those impossibly sharp teeth. He wouldn’t hurt me.

To my surprise, his tongue immediately tangles with my own and begins to rub in an erotic motion that makes my toes curl. I moan with pleasure, surprised at how good his mouth feels on mine. He seems to be enjoying the kiss as well, the low, purring growl returning to his throat. His hands grasp my hips and he pins me against him, his mouth plundering mine.

It’s clear that any initial reluctance Kael had is gone—he’s an enthusiastic kisser, and it’s clear that he’s going to dominate the play between our mouths. I’m left gasping for breath, startled at the intensity of the kiss.

He eventually pulls away from me just long enough for his lips to brush over mine in the gentlest of kisses. “Clau-dah,” he murmurs, and the syllables of my name shiver over my skin.

“Boy, you’re a fast learner,” I tell him, breathless. A moment later, he proves that even more by kissing my mouth again, and then beginning to kiss along my jaw and neck, nuzzling me with every motion. I eat it up, my hands moving over his warm, golden skin. He’s so big and strong. Big and strong everywhere, really, and my attention goes to the iron bar of his cock pressed against the vee of my legs once again.

“Clau-dah,” he murmurs, and his mouth moves lower, to the base of my throat.

“Mmm, keep going,” I tell him. I can’t get enough of his caresses. I’ll worry tomorrow about how wrong it is. For now, I’m just going to enjoy.

But then he drops to his knees in front of me, and to my shock, he buries his face between my thighs. He inhales sharply, and the low, pleased growl rumbles through his body. Big hands cup my hips, and he tilts me forward, then begins to tongue my pussy the way I’d kissed him.

Oh dear sweet Jesus.

I lose any semblance of sanity. Did I think I was ever in control? He’s always been the one in charge. I cry out when he drags that rough, cat-like tongue over my folds. Pleasure rockets through me, and I cling to his hair as he finds the button of my clit. He seems surprised by my fierce reaction to his exploratory flick of his tongue over it and grows more enthusiastic.

“Kael. Oh god. I…wait…that’s too much.” My senses explode with every drag of his tongue over my clit.

“Clau-dah,” he murmurs, and doesn’t let up in his licking, teasing and tormenting me with each flick of his tongue.

My hands fist in his thick waves, and my hips begin to jerk in response to each rough, hot tonguing he gives me. I can’t help it. He’s too damn good with his mouth, and I need this. So badly. Small whimpers escape my throat, and he redoubles his efforts, growing more enthusiastic with each movement of his tongue. It feels like my eyes are going to roll back in my head with the intensity of it all.

And I have no intention of stopping him whatsoever.

16

KAEL

Clau-dah’s taste is incredible. I can’t get enough.

It had surprised me when the scent of her arousal flooded in as we touched. Slight at first, but the more I touch her, the more her scent fills the air. She’s not like drakoni females, not at all. She does not want a fight to get her aroused. She wants to be touched, to be petted, to put her mouth on mine.

I like this.

I can do this for her. No wonder she has said ‘no’ to me so many times—I have never learned the appropriate signals. A drakoni female will turn bright red in her battle form to get a male’s attention and challenge him to a fight. From there, a male that defeats a female must decide if he will claim her as his mate or wait for a different female.

I have defeated many females but never fully claimed one. We have mated and I have pleased females, but I have never given one my seed.

I have never wanted a mate…until now.

Clau-dah will be mine.

She is not like drakoni females, though. She does not want to fight to show me her arousal. She wants to put her mouth on mine and have me caress her skin. She is showing me how to please her and make her wet and trembling with desire. It is not with a challenge, but a caress.

I love pleasing my female. Love the little sounds she makes, the way her body twitches and arches under my touch. She’s not fighting or saying ‘no.’ Instead, she clings to me, wanting more. So I give her more, burying my face against her hot cunt, where her scent of arousal is the thickest, and tasting her there.

Her taste is maddening. Even more maddening are the choked little gasps she gives as I lap at her flesh. She makes a few strange sounds that might be words as I flick my tongue over her clit, and her aroused scent nearly drowns my senses. It makes me growl deep with pleasure.

Her hips jerk in response to my tongue, and my cock is hard and aching with need. I resist the urge to stroke it, because I remember how she reacted last time. It would be so easy to take her slight weight down off the stone she sits upon, flip her over, and mount her. Claim her and make her mine. Even now, the madness plays at the edges of my mind, encouraging violence. Not against her—never against my mate—but the urge to change to battle form and take to the air to wreak destruction is great.

But then Clau-dah makes another soft sound, and I am drawn back to her. To her face, dazed with pleasure. To her scent, filling the air around me with its sweet perfume. Clau-dah is all that matters. If she will let me claim her, the madness will go. I will have my anchor. So I lick her again, caressing her cunt with my tongue like I did her mouth. I want her to enjoy this so she doesn’t pull back and say the ‘no’ word again. I work her sweet, slick folds, licking and tasting her over and over with my tongue. I stroke it over her gleaming cunt, from that little nub that makes her shiver, all the way down to her hot core, then back up again. When her hands tighten in my mane, I want to give her more. I bend a finger and press a knuckle into her core, careful to keep my claws from harming her. She’s so very fragile—not like a drakoni. I will be utterly cautious with my Clau-dah. Hurting her during the claiming would be devastating. I would never forgive myself.

When she moans her pleasure, I thrust my knuckle into her cunt again. She gives a little cry, and her muscles tighten around my finger, milking it. I growl with pleasure at her response, recognizing her pleasure peak as well as the wash of scent that accompanies it. She will be ready for me to mount her now.

I look up, and beautiful Clau-dah is flushed, her skin dewy with sweat. Her chest heaves, breathless, making her breasts jiggle. Her mouth is soft and full, lips slightly parted. I want to taste her mouth again in that moment, feel it against my own. She is so lush and lovely, my strange female. I cannot get enough of her. I stand to my full height and am pleased when she puts her arms up. I pull her against me, and her arms go around my neck. She is not pulling away. I bend low to claim her mouth in another pressing of lips, and my tongue slicks against hers, sharing her arousal scent. She moans loudly, and her legs lock around my hips, her cunt rubbing up against my cock.

And she gives another little flex of her hips, as if she wants me inside her. It is another signal from my Clau-dah.

I…think.

I pull my mouth reluctantly from hers. As I do, her hands roam over my skin, and she holds to me even more possessively. She should be pushing away, turning around so I can mount her. Does she not want this, then? “Clau-dah?”

Her small hand goes to my cock, and the breath hisses from my throat. “Kael,” she murmurs, and then says some other words I do not understand, but they sound encouraging.

I wish I understood her language. My need grows, and my teeth ache with the need to sink into her. My fangs elongate in my mouth, and I can feel them filling with the fire that will lock her to me. She will be honored once I do, I think. I am a strong male, capable of defeating all rivals. She will be proud to be my mate.

So why does she not turn and present me with her cunt?

Instead, she grasps my cock and strokes the length of it with her fingertips, and the sensation is so incredible that my mind nearly goes black once more. The soft murmur of her saying my name is the only thing that keeps me from going over the edge.

Her hand grips my shaft. Then she positions my cock at the entrance to her cunt and flexes her hips, then looks up at me, waiting.

Clau-dah wants me to mount her…face to face? Is this how her people do it? Strange. I have always taken a female from behind, but the thought of claiming her in any manner is enticing. I grip her hips and pull her down against my cock. She is…very small. Despite the slickness of her arousal, it will be difficult to fit my cock into her.

I press against her opening, pushing the head of my cock into her. She moans, her blunt little claws digging into my shoulders. She pants and whispers words I don’t understand.

I can guess, though—go slow, take my time.

She is tight, my female, and I do not wish to hurt her. So I push a little, then touch the little nubbin of in her folds because she likes it stroked so much. Her back arches, mouth working silently. Her eyes close with bliss, and she is so very beautiful. I withdraw a little, then press my cock deeper, stroking a bit, working into her. The angle of our bodies makes it difficult for me to take my time—she is slightly above me, her hips angled oddly thanks to where she sits. With a growl, I withdraw from her and drag Clau-dah into my arms, pulling her off her seat and onto the ground. Here, I can lie out with her. Here, I can push into her as slowly as I need to.

Her eyes widen in surprise as I lay her down and my weight covers her. She hooks one leg around my hip, welcoming me, and I breathe in the wash of her scent. Her arousal is overpowering and heady, and it makes the black need swirl at the edges of my vision once more.

Claim her.

Make her yours.

Take her as your anchor.

I push the head of my cock against her core again and sink a bit further inside. She is so tight, she fits me like a second skin, her cunt clamping down around me in the most exquisite sensation I have ever felt.

My mate.

I growl with fierce pleasure, stroking into her again. Her breath catches, her little claws digging into my shoulders as she clings to me. She moans words again, a stream of them.

I pause, trying to understand her efforts to communicate.

As soon as I stop, she gives my arm a slap, her face frantic. “No, no,” she cries and wiggles her hips. The next stream of words are encouraging-sounding, urgent.

I understand this. She does not want me to stop. I am pleasing her.

The knowledge of this drives me wild. The madness that’s been playing at the edges of my mind bursts through with that pleasure, and then I am wild. I bare my fangs and push deep, seating myself to the hilt inside her. She gives a little yelp of surprise, but then her body quakes underneath mine, her cunt tightening around me in little spasms that feel intensely good.

She moans and mumbles more words, throwing her head back. Her little claws dig deeper. My female is senseless with pleasure. I thrust again, unable to help myself. Must possess. Must claim. My Clau-dah. Mine. I know I’m no longer being gentle and slow as the madness creeps in, giving a rough edge to everything I do. I focus on her, on the green of her eyes and the softness of her skin, but my control is close to slipping. I know I’m pounding into her with strong, rapid thrusts. Her body is so welcoming, so tight. I want to pull back, to ease out of the madness that makes me lose control, but the walls of her cunt keep tightening, Clau-dah reaching her pleasure once more. She throws her head back, the cords on her neck standing out.

It calls to me, that smooth, unbroken skin. My fangs burn with fire. She squeezes around my cock so tightly that I can feel her intense pleasure. I cannot wait any longer.

With a snarl, I bend over her, pressing my mouth to her throat.

“Yes, yes,” she moans, clearly lost in sensation. Her hands tug at my hair, my skin, and she moves them all over. “Yes—”

I sink my fangs into her throat, releasing the fire burning in them at the same time that I come. Blackness explodes behind my eyes, and I roar my pleasure even as the release slams out of me, pumping into her body. My Clau-dah. Mine. I continue to surge into her, teeth sinking deeper as the fire jets out of my fangs with the force of my claiming. My cock aches, full of need despite the release of pleasure. My seed will not pour forth into my mate until I’ve claimed her as mine. I cannot do so without fear of burning her.

This will be my first time to fully claim a female, to take things beyond the flirtation of a battle. To spend inside my female instead of pulling from her cunt at the last moment and spilling my seed on her back in a savage dismissal of her affection.

I thought I would mate a female that gave me a challenge in battle, that would be as fiercely brutal as I am with claws and fang. Instead, it is to be my soft, sweet Clau-dah with her tender skin and fragile form.

The joy of claiming my mate is overwhelming.

Mine.

She’s gone still underneath me. The hands that tugged at me now flutter against my skin. Then a fist slams into my shoulder. “Ow!” She wiggles underneath me again, but it is not the pleasure-wiggle.

I pin her in place with my bigger body, holding her down as my venom pours forth into her blood. The taste of it is sweet against my mouth, and foreign. Her blood will change after she is locked to me, I realize, and the thought fills me with pride. She will have my taste, mixed with hers. My scent, all over her. Permanently.

Her hand slams into my shoulders, and she mutters more words, getting angrier. My name is in there, and I know she is hurting. The fire always stings with the first claiming.

But Clau-dah doesn’t seem to understand what I am doing. Her hands tug at my hair, determined to pull me off her throat. I ignore her fierce yanking, determined to let the fire spin into her blood and complete the claiming. She will enjoy the next one, when the heat of it is not so new to her fragile body. She will know to relax into my bite and that it will become pleasurable. I will tell her these things so she does not fight it next time. She is only hurting herself.

I am lost in the pleasure of claiming my mate. So much so that it takes me a moment to realize that she’s no longer fighting. She’s crying, and my heart tugs with pain. The venom will be gone soon, and my fangs will retract back into my mouth and then I will be able to pull free from her. From there, I will watch the changes take over her beloved body with pleasure. I can’t wait for her to realize the gift I am giving her, the link that will bond us eternally.

The last of the fire leaves my fangs, and my body gives one last quiver, my cock spurting the long-awaited release of my seed into her. She is finally mine. I can give her my seed and not burn her. I feel her hiss and tense underneath me, and I know it is from the heat of my semen flooding her womb. Does she realize we are mates now? Pleased, I relax atop her, exhausted from pouring my strength into the venom I have transferred to her. I had no idea it would take so much out of me, but then again, how could it not? I am sharing my drakoni essence with her, and she has no essence of her own to transfer back.

It does not matter. She is mine. I have claimed her.

Mine. Clau-dah is mine. All mine.

I hear her suck in a breath, and it pleases me. Can she hear that? Is the mind-link working already? I probe at her mind with my own, even as I lick the wound at her throat. Underneath me, her skin is heating up. The change is starting. There is no response from her mind, not yet, but it will come soon. I am pleased. Very pleased.

She snarls a harsh-sounding word, and her arm moves.

Something hard and heavy slams into the base of my skull. Blackness swims in front of my eyes, and I have the startling realization that my fragile, sweet Clau-dah has attacked me.

Then everything goes dark.

CLAUDIA

A whimper escapes my throat as I lie under the sprawled, heavy form of the dragon-man I just had sex with. Everything in my body aches, and I’m brimming with emotions, all of them mixed.

That had been the best sex I’d ever had—riiight up until the part where he attacked me.

Until then? I’d been shocked—and pleased—at how amazing sex with Kael was. His cock was enormous and seemed to hit me in all the right spots. Every thrust inside me had made me orgasm anew, and I’d come at least three or four times. He was gentle, even though he’s much bigger than me, and utterly focused on making me come. And come. And come. In all of the (admittedly small) experience I’d had with sex, I’d never come so long or so hard with anyone. I’d loved every damn exhausting second of it.

Right up until he’d bitten me.

Then everything had changed. I’d gone from constant orgasms to a shock of pain, and that stopped the fun and pleasure of sex as surely as if I’d run into a brick wall. I’d pounded on Kael’s shoulders, begging him to release me, all to no avail. He’d just kept biting me and growling, his big cock lodged deep inside me.

If that’s how dragons end sex, I no longer want any part of that. Even when he finally came inside me, I could feel his release. It was like his semen was brutally hot, as hot as the wound on my neck that he’d gone from biting to just licking. Even after he’d busted his nut, he didn’t get off me.

All of that delicious attraction I felt to Kael? Gone. I thought I understood him. That we were friends. That he’d never hurt me.

Control him? Hah! Fucking joke.

So I’d taken matters into my own hands. Searched the floor while he was distracted, licking the wound on my neck. There wasn’t much in reach to use as a weapon, but I’d found a chunk of concrete. I slammed it into the back of his skull, even as I could have sworn that he’d growled MINE.

He’d given me a dazed look of surprise that was almost comical, then collapsed on top of me.

And now his sprawled body is crushing mine.

I feel betrayed. Hurt. Angry.

I push at his big limbs, frustrated. A moment of panic sets in later. Did I…just kill him? Crap. I brush a finger under his nostrils, checking for air. He still breathes. I don’t want to kill him—he’d been gentle up until that moment, and I’d been loving it. But this is a good realization, I think. Humans and dragons? Too different. It’s clear Kael just sees me as a plaything, and I’ve been spinning make-believe stories in my head about what might happen if a human and a dragon got together. This is a wake-up call.

Time to go home, back to Fort Dallas.

If Kael just wants a sexual plaything, he’ll have to look elsewhere. I shudder again, remembering the feel of those hot fangs burying deep in my throat. Funny how movies always made vampire bites look sexy. Clearly no one writing those scripts has ever been bitten in the throat before, because that shit’s not fun at all. Even now, the wound feels hot and achy. So does my pussy, but…for entirely different reasons.

I have to leave before Kael returns to his senses. I need to get back to Fort Dallas and the safety of its car wall and the concrete barriers. There, I’ll be safe from the attentions of a too-amorous dragon that likes to bite when he orgasms. I shove at his body, suddenly furious. I’m not sure if I’m mad at him for being a dragon and therefore not as human as I’d like, or if I’m mad at the Fort Dallas militia who left me out here to die and told me to tame him. Or if I’m mad at myself for getting into this situation.

Probably all of the above. Doesn’t matter, though. I’m going to let that anger fuel me and get me out of here. With small, wiggling motions, I manage to shift his weight to one side, and from there, it’s simply a matter of rolling his big, heavy body over.

He flops onto his back, and I study him. Kael’s face is peaceful, his mouth slightly parted as if he’d thought about kissing me a half-second before I koshed him on the head. His cock is still semi-hard, and gleams, wet with the after-effects of our lovemaking.

No, it was sex, I mentally correct myself. All the ‘loving’ went out the door when he bit the crap out of me. I get to my feet and step over his big, sprawled body and glance at my reflection in the mirror. My neck is bright red and angry where he’s bitten me, the two deep punctures spaced a fair distance apart on my skin. I run a hand over the wound, wincing. It’s swollen and feels hot to the touch.

Did he poison me? Fucking great. I turn and glance down at his fallen body, torn between the urge to kick him in the jimmy for being such a jerk and the urge to pick him up and snuggle up against him. I must be really fucked in the head to even think about the latter, but the urge is still there.

I step over him and leave the bathroom. I lock the door behind me and then realize how stupid that is. He can just crash through a wall or fly out the hole in the ceiling. I can’t lock him anywhere he can’t get out, so I need to be fast and smart.

I head for the emergency exit stairs. If I run hard, I might be able to make it back to Fort Dallas by nightfall. I’ll have to knot my torn-up janitor’s jumper again so I’m not naked, but it’s do-able. Today’s not a dragon-attack day, so I should be safe.

Please, just let Kael stay asleep until I get home.

If I’m not inside the walls of Fort Dallas by the time he wakes up, I’m screwed, in more ways than just one. I think of the bite that came at the end of sex—and the hot wash of his semen inside me—and shudder. Not again. The thought spurs my weary, trembling legs as I race into the main room, snatch up the tattered remnants of my jumper, and then gallop down the nearest stairs. I can rest when I’m safely back in my own bed.

This will all be over soon.

17

CLAUDIA

I should have looked for better clothing, I tell myself as I pull open a bent car door and slip between two fused Oldsmobiles that make up a portion of the Fort Dallas barricade. The jumper I re-snagged stayed knotted for about a hot minute and then ended up falling to pieces more than before. At this point, I’m strolling into the streets of Fort Dallas buck naked, covered in scratches and filth, and smelling like dragon sex.

But at least I made it home. Beating Kael back to the city had been the most urgent priority, and if that means parading around naked and getting scratched up in the process? I’ll do it again in a heartbeat. There’s no one out in the Scavenge Lands but me, anyhow.

It’s been a long fucking day, but it’s nearly over. I hope.

I’d spotted a red dragon in the skies not ten minutes after I’d left Kael behind. I’d hidden, terrified that it was going to somehow see me. My mind was full of Kael’s fight with the other gold and how quickly he’d torn the throat out of his opponent. The last thing I need is to be claimed by another dragon while fleeing the current one. I’d huddled inside an old dumpster, not caring that it reeked of old filth and the stench was overpowering in the midday sun. Didn’t matter—it was safe. Well, safe-ish. I doubt I’ll ever feel completely safe again. But after an hour passed and there’d been no more dragon sightings, I’d abandoned my hiding spot and continued toward Fort Dallas, constantly looking over my shoulder for wings of gold.

But the skies remained clear.

And now night is falling, the skies dark purple with twilight, and I can see the small home fires burning inside Fort Dallas. It’s a relief, and I know out there that maybe Amy and Sasha are warming their hands at one of them. I press inside the barricade, wiggling my way through the familiar hidey-hole that I’ve escaped out of dozens of times on scavenge runs. Every good scavenger has their own secret way to get around the guards at the gate, and this one is mine. I make my way through the back seat of the car and land in a narrow-crawl space between a crumbling brick building and an old, trash-filled alley used for black market dealings, a bit off the main roads. No one is out, and that’s good. People tend to congregate near fires after dark or hide inside their homes. Works for me. No one will see me pull a Lady Godiva act through the city.

Which is good, because I’m tired, achy, and cold. The wound in my throat throbs with uncomfortable heat, and it makes me worry. Are dragon bites infected? To think that I’d kissed Kael.

To think that I’d wanted to kiss Kael. That I’d craved him. Hell, that I’d pursued sex, even after he was ready to back off. I must be crazy.

I keep to the shadows, making my way through the hodgepodge of streets that make up the shanty town of Fort Dallas. The small ‘house’ I share with Amy and our friend Sasha is located in the poorest part of town, which means it’s toward the center of the city, where people are the least protected from dragon attack. The outskirts—and the old parking garage that contains all the important buildings like the militia barracks and the jail—are where people are safest, but you need money or power (or both) to get a place like that. I have neither, so we live in the back half of an old school bus in an abandoned parking lot surrounded by others who have just as little money and protection.

Our small bus has four flat tires, a smashed front end, and almost all of the seats removed—those were some of the first things we sold away. It’s fine, though, since we don’t plan on driving it anywhere. The metal interior makes a reasonably cozy home, though it’s achingly hot in the summer and bitterly cold in the winter. But it keeps us safe and dry, and that’s all you can really ask for in times like these. I spot it in the darkness and the flicker of a small lamp-light inside, and a rush of relief fills me. I race toward home, shoving the folding door open and crawling inside. “Amy?”

But it’s only Sasha huddled over the dinner fire. Sasha, with her brown eyes and dark hair and too-lean face. Sasha, who was gorgeous and might have been working as an actress or a supermodel if that whole ‘dragon apocalypse’ thing hadn’t happened. She looks thin, and there’s a massive bruise covering one high cheekbone.

Her eyes go wide at the sight of me. “Claudia! Where the heck have you been?”

I flop down on my small mattress, wrapping my blankets around my body as makeshift clothing. “Where’s Amy?”

Sasha puts a lid over the small metal half-barrel we use for cookfires and then crawls over to my side. “You look awful. Are you okay? And why are you naked? Did they hurt you? Did the militia keep you?” She gasps. “Are they making you—”

Sasha’s a talker. Her stream of worried chatter makes me feel better, though. It’s normal, and so few things feel normal lately. “I’m all right, I promise.” I touch her arm. “Long story, and one I’ll share later. Where’s Amy?”

“Gone looking for you,” Sasha says, pulling out a beaten-up water bottle and passing it to me. “Are you…okay? Really? Did the guards assault you? Is that why you’ve got no clothes and you’re all scratched up?”

“Nope. Seriously, I’m fine. But Amy—”

Sasha’s eyes widen. “And can I just say this? You smell…really weird, girl. Like garbage and something else. Were you out scavenging and you got robbed? I mean, you smell like you were scavenging, but you’ve been gone for days and no one scavenges naked.”

I give Sasha a weary smile and take the water from her. I intend to only take a sip…and end up downing the entire thing. I’m completely dehydrated, and the feverish feeling is growing. The wound on my neck is bothering me. Actually, everything is bothering me at the moment, from the rough feeling of my blankets to the way my dirty hair falls against my skin. “I think I’m sick,” I tell Sasha.

“Sick? How?”

A dragon bit me during sex. “Dunno.”

“Is that why you smell?” Her brows furrow together.

I lift my wrist to my nose and sniff. I do smell strange. There’s an underlying stink of sweat and garbage from the dumpster, but there’s a stronger, much more unusual scent coming from my pores. It smells, oddly enough, like Kael—dragon skin, spices, and heat. I frown and sniff my other wrist, then my hair. It’s definitely coming from me. Maybe his scent rubbed off during sex…but wouldn’t it be gone by now? “I need a bath.”

I want to say I stink, but the truth is…I kind of like the smell. Just another reason why I’m sick in the head. Kael’s scent is appealing and comforting, and I wish I hated it now.

“You can bathe later. You have to tell me this story first, though.” She turns back to the fire and lifts the lid, and as she does, the scent of soup wafts through the air, making my mouth water. “I’m making stew if you’re hungry. There’s some squirrel meat and potatoes in it.”

“Stew?” I look at her in surprise. “How did you get the ingredients for a stew?”

Sasha averts her gaze, stirring the small pot nestled in the coals. “How do you think? We were hungry, and you didn’t come back. There was nothing to eat. I had to do something.”

Right. Sasha’s ‘friend’ in the militia who trades her a few coins or snacks in exchange for sex. Well, more than sex, I think, because she always returns with bruises or a haunted look on her face. I’ve warned her before, that ‘seeing’ this guy for food is a slippery slope. We know far too many girls who started out with one guy friend and ended up with twenty, or a hundred. They always end up at Blowjob Becky’s as one of the whores. Sasha swears she’s careful, but the bruises on her face and the despair in her eyes tell me something else entirely.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I should have been here.”

“It happens.” She shrugs. “It wasn’t so bad, and it bought me and Amy enough to eat for a few days. There are worse things. You hungry?”

Suddenly the bite on my neck doesn’t seem so awful. Kael was kind to me, in his own way. Sasha’s soldier friend doesn’t have a kind bone in his body. She sacrificed for this food, and I’m not going to turn it away and hurt her feelings. “I’ll eat. Thank you.”

Sasha ladles out a bit of stew into a chipped bowl and passes it to me. “Tell me what happened. You’ve been gone for weeks, and we’ve been worried sick. Amy said she went and visited Tucker, asking about you. He told her that the militia had you, so she went to go ask them what happened.”

My stomach flips uneasily. “When was this?”

“Two days ago.” Sasha gnaws on her lip, giving me a worried look. “I asked around, but I didn’t get anywhere.”

“It’s okay,” I say, even though it’s not. It’s normal for me and Sasha to disappear overnight at times, me on scavenge runs and Sasha with her friend. But Amy? Amy always waits here at home. Her leg’s bad, and she can’t walk far without it hurting. For her to be gone two days is…bad. I gulp down my food. I have to go find her. “She talked to Tucker, huh? That fucking bastard.”

Sasha looks confused, cradling her bowl. “What did he do?”

“He sold me out to the militia, that’s what.” I chew angrily, determined to eat quickly. I won’t think about the fact that the meat’s a little spoiled or that it’s spread so thin that you can barely taste it in the broth. I won’t think about the fact that I’ve had fresh meat with Kael every night. He betrayed me. I focus on Sasha instead. “I brought some stuff to Tucker to sell, and he had the militia waiting when I got there. Bastard sold me out to save his own skin.” At Sasha’s dismayed gasp, I go on. “The militia arrested me and locked me up for over a week, deciding what to do with me. Then they put me on trial in front of the mayor, and you can guess how that went.”

Her jaw tightens and she frowns. “That fat hypocrite?”

“Yup. Sitting there using a laptop, too. He had the nerve to look me in the eye and tell me that scavenging was bad and I shouldn’t do it, all the while using scavenged equipment. He’s a piece of shit. Anyhow.” I shiver and set down my empty bowl, dragging my blankets closer. “He decided I should be permanently exiled.”

Sasha sucks in a breath of alarm.

“It gets worse,” I tell her. “The militia had a different idea.”

Sasha reels. “Worse than exile? That’s death! Where can you go? Oh, Claudia! This is awful! The nearest fort to here is Fort Orleans, and that’s hundreds of miles away. You won’t make it.” Tears flood her eyes. “If the nomads don’t get you, the dragons will—”

“It’s okay, Sasha. Really. Just listen.” I put my hands up in an attempt to stem the tide of her worry. “The militia had heard that someone in Fort Orleans tamed a dragon, and they decided to use me as bait.” Her expressive eyes widen, and she opens her mouth, but I jump in before she can freak out again. “Before you ask, I’ll tell you. It seems that the dragons like human females. The militia cleaned me up and chained me to a post in one of the abandoned buildings, and then left me for a dragon.” I make a wry smile. “Wouldn’t you know, one showed up not too long after.”

Sasha’s jaw drops. “But…how…”

“I know. It was…weird.” I shiver at the memory of seeing Kael for the first time. “He didn’t hurt me. Actually, he’s kind of fascinated by me. I think the militia was right—the dragons do like human females. The one that found me was a big gold, and he sniffed me and tried to feed me.” I tug the blankets higher, wondering how much I should tell her. Might as well spit it all out. “Oh, and, uh, he turns into a man.”

“Turns into a man?” Sasha’s head tilts slightly, as if she’s having a hard time digesting this. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, they’re shapechangers. He landed in front of me and turned into a guy.” I gesture at the air, as if that’s somehow going to help explain things. “He’s almost seven feet tall, and his skin is this weird, dappled shade, but he’s got hair and eyebrows and everything. He really does look human except for the eyes, and he’s got claws. And fangs. And um, some spikes in his arms. And um, bigger than average equipment.”

Sasha stares at me. “You saw his equipment?”

“Well, he was naked.”

“And you were naked.” Her brows go up. “Did you—”

“That’s not important. I was just, you know, telling you about how they’re different from us but still similar.” I am blushing so hard right now.

“Was it barbed?”

I stare at her. “Was what barbed?”

“His dick. I read that in a book once,” Sasha tells me. “Before the dragons. There were these shapechanger guys and they had barbed penises. Some of them even had two penises.”

“God, no! It was just, uh, different. Thicker. And he’s hot to the touch.” I’m not going to tell her about the scorching release of his semen.

“So you touched his dick!”

“His skin,” I cry out. “His skin is hot to the touch.”

“But you did touch it, didn’t you?” she whispers. “You can tell me.”

“Um. Maybe.” When Sasha’s eyes go wide, I hastily add, “It wasn’t like that, though!”

It was exactly like that, but she doesn’t need to know the details.

Sasha clears her throat, blinking. “So you did try to tame him?”

“No! I don’t want to tame him! It was just…” I struggle to explain it. “So…he captured me, and he was really nice and kept trying to talk to me. But he also made it obvious that he wanted me.”

“Wanted you wanted you?”

I nod. “I guess they don’t see females much? He kept trying to touch me, but when I said no, he backed off. He wanted me to want him, too.”

Sasha’s nose wrinkles at the thought.

And I want to protest that she’s misunderstanding. That Kael can be really sweet and flirty, and at the time it felt kind of right to be with him. But then he bit me and everything changed again. It’s going to be damn hard to explain the dynamic with Kael. The constant possessiveness followed by intense tenderness. Sasha won’t understand. Heck, it’s hard for me to wrap my brain around things sometimes, and I was there. It’s hard to think of a dragon as tender and caring…and bitey. That there’s a duality to Kael, and one side is incredible and the other side is incredibly scary. “You had to be there. He protected me from another dragon.”

“Another dragon?”

“Yeah. It tried to snatch me from him.” I skip the part where dragons can apparently smell arousal and that’s how the other dragon found me. “Kael stole me back from the other dragon and he was all emotional. He wanted me, and I started cleaning him up, and one thing led to another…”

“Cleaning him up?”

“The blood. He ripped the throat out of the other dragon.”

Sasha’s eyes go wide again. “And you slept with him after this?”

“I wasn’t going to tell him no,” I tell her. But it feels unfair to paint that image. I could have told Kael no again. I could have pushed him away. The truth is, when he started touching me, I’d responded, and I’d wanted to have sex with him.

But Sasha won’t understand that. She doesn’t like sex, and she only does it with her officer friend to score food. She wouldn’t understand the sheer longing and need I felt for Kael to touch me, or how it felt when he put his mouth on my pussy and went to town.

“And…so you had sex with him and he let you go?” Sasha looks impressed. “Wow. They really are tamed by women.”

“Not exactly.” I rub at the hot bite on my neck. God, I feel hot all over now. Achy, really. “In the middle of sex, he bit down on me, and it hurt, so I knocked him on the head with a rock. I left him unconscious and ran away.”

Sasha puts a hand to her mouth, gasping. “He bit you? Let me see it.”

I pull down the blankets and push my hair aside, exposing my neck. “Is it bad? It was ugly earlier.”

Sasha leans in, clicking on one of our precious flashlights that are used only for emergencies, and shines it on my skin. The light flicks back and forth on my neck. “Where did he bite you?”

“Are you kidding?” I can feel the heat from the bite racing through my skin like poison. I touch my neck to show her. “Here.”

“I don’t see anything.” Sasha’s fingers run lightly over the skin, and they feel strangely cool. “You’re hot, but the skin’s not broken and nothing looks infected. You sure you didn’t panic and imagine it? I would think having sex with a dragon can get a little distracting. All those scales.”

“He’s not scaly,” I murmur, hand on my throat. How strange that the bite’s gone. “His skin is soft.”

“Uh huh.” Sasha clearly doesn’t believe me. “Look, I’m not going to judge you for having sex with him. You do what you have to do to survive. Trust me, I understand that.” She clicks the flashlight back off and sits down across from me. “Do you think he’s going to be mad?”

“I don’t know.” I’m trying not to think about it.

“Will he come after you?” She shivers at the thought, pulling her own blankets closer to her body.

“I don’t know that, either,” I say, but I suspect I’m lying, even to myself. Of course Kael’s going to come after me. “I’m safe in the city, though.”

Sasha looks skeptical but says nothing. “Did you finish eating? There’s more.”

I hand my empty bowl back to her and shake my head. “I’m good. I need to get dressed.” I turn to my small trunk of belongings and pull out a shirt and a pair of jeans.

“Where are you going?” Sasha asks.

“I have to find Amy. She’s not back yet, and I want her to know I’m okay.”

“You look exhausted, Claudia. Can’t it wait a few hours?”

There is nothing I want more than to crawl into bed and sleep for a few hours. This has been the longest day of my damn life, starting with a dragon kidnapping, then dragon sex, and then a sprint across half of Old Dallas to get back home to Amy. Even my flat, sorry mattress seems inviting. My body aches with exhaustion, and I feel hot and dizzy.

But I have to find Amy. She’s not safe. My little sister is far too trusting, and I don’t want her in the hands of the guards.

Sasha says nothing as I quickly dress and slip on a pair of heavy boots. My spares are just a bit too tight for my feet, but they’re a good pair of boots and so they’ll do. I tuck a spare knife into my belt and then give Sasha a confident smile. “I’ll be back soon with Amy. Don’t worry.”

“I can’t help but worry,” Sasha says in a small voice. “You two are all I have.”

I feel the same way. But Sasha can survive on her own. Sasha’s already safe. I don’t know where Amy is. “I have to go,” I tell her. “I’ll be back.”

“Okay.” Sasha doesn’t sound convinced.

I don’t blame her. I’ve got a bad habit of not coming back.

18

CLAUDIA

I look everywhere for Amy. I check with her friends. I check with the children’s home, where the orphans are raised, because Amy likes to volunteer her time. I check at Blowjob Becky’s, too, just in case, but Amy’s not among the girls working there. Thank god.

I even check around Tucker’s place, but no one’s seen her there, either. Not for days and days. I don’t know what to do until Tucker gives me a sly look. “Militia’s been looking for you. Mayor wants to see you and all.” He picks at his nails with a pocketknife. “Was kinda surprised they expected you to come back, but they said to me, ‘You never know.’ Thought they were full of shit, but here you are, smelling like a dumpster. You been scavenging?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I bluff bravely. “I’m just looking for Amy. That’s all you need to know.”

“Might be some people interested to hear that you’re back,” he comments.

“Save yourself the trip,” I tell him. “I’m heading to the militia barracks right now.” And I turn and walk out of his shitty little shop. If Amy heard that the militia was looking for me, just like Tucker says, she’d go straight to them and ask questions. That’s dangerous. Not only is the militia full of dicks too high on their own power, but they’re the ones who offered me up to the dragon in the first place.

What if they offer Amy to a dragon?

Rubbing my neck, I race through the dark alleyways, heading for the outskirts of Fort Dallas and the rows of barracks that house the militia. If my sister’s anywhere, she’ll be here, I suppose. I just have to find her. The militia barracks are tucked into an old department store. The glass doors have been reinforced with steel, and a flimsy chain-link fence topped with barbed wire has been erected all around the place, just in case anyone decides to storm the castle, so to speak. There’s a set of gates, though, and I head for those.

They have guards posted in front, of course. One holds a rifle and raises a hand when I approach. “No citizens allowed here.”

“I’m Claudia Jones,” I tell him. When his face remains blank, I add, “The chick they gave to the dragon?”

His eyes widen, and he looks me up and down in surprise, as if astonished that I’m whole and in one piece. “You’re the dragon girl?”

“That’s me. I’m looking for my sister.”

“Wait here.” He pulls out a walkie-talkie and turns away, murmuring something in it. I hear the loud clicking buzz and something mumbled in response. The soldier nods and moves to the gate, undoing the lock. He pushes it open and glances at me. “Someone’s coming to meet you.”

“Great.” I head in, arms crossed over my chest. Wariness replaces my exhaustion, my senses growing alert. Every time I’m around the militia, something bad happens. I don’t expect it to be any better now.

But Amy will want me to come for her, so I’m going to. My sister’s the most important person in the world to me. I won’t abandon her.

Eventually, a pair of soldiers show up, also armed with guns. “Follow us,” the first one tells me, and gestures with his gun, indicating I’m to follow them inside now.

I go with them. No one ever tells an armed militia man no, of course. And if Amy is in there, that’s where I need to be. They lead me into the large building that houses the barracks. It’s neat and clean in here, and surprisingly empty, probably because it’s night. Areas have been sectioned off to make different ‘buildings’ inside the bigger one, but overall, it still feels like too many eyes are watching me. Is Amy somewhere in here? In someone’s bed? Being kept captive? God, I hope she’s not anywhere near here. My sister’s fragile in both spirit and body. Her limp and weakened leg have made it so that she needs soft places to sit, and to rest her leg frequently. Sasha and I do our best to take care of her, but she’s still more fragile than most. She’s not strong and resilient enough to survive in the After, I worry, so I do my best to pick up the slack.

It’s fear for Amy that keeps me going forward, even when a couple guards come out of their quarters and gather nearby, smirking at me. They look me up and down, as if seeing me naked despite my clothing. I know what they’re thinking. They’re thinking the dragon let me go because I gave it sexual favors or something equally filthy.

I hate that they’re right, too. Well, halfway right—I don’t think Kael had any intention of ever letting me go. I shove my filthy hair back off my face and keep my chin high, ignoring their stares. All that matters is Amy.

The guards take me to a small room at the back of the large building and sit me down at what looks like an old school desk. I’m left alone, and a few moments later, two different men enter. One is the captain of the militia, and one is the mayor. Both look surprised to see me, as if they didn’t quite buy the reports that I was here on their doorstep.

“Long time no see,” I tell them dryly. “I’m here for my sister. Where is she?”

“Somewhere safe,” the captain tells me.

Somewhere safe? Bullshit. “Safe like you kept me safe? Or are you saving her for bait girl number seven?” The thought makes me furious, and my fists clench. “She hasn’t done anything wrong!”

The captain raises a hand at me, as if trying to calm me. “Sit down. We’d like to ask you some questions.”

“I don’t want to sit. I want my damn sister back. She’s a citizen, and you have no right to hold her!”

“If she wants to remain a resident of Fort Dallas,” the mayor interjects, a sour note in his voice. “She’ll obey our rules. Just like you will. I’d be more than happy to send both of you out into the Scavenge Lands and bar you from re-entering Fort Dallas for good. Is that what you want?”

It’s awful, but a teeny, tiny part of me does want that. I liked being with Kael. I liked spending time with him, right up until the sex part. I’m still frustrated and hurting over how that turned out, and it feels weirdly like I lost a friend. Even so, I could probably survive for a while in the Scavenge Lands. I know how to hide and how to look for food and drink.

But Amy? She’s not strong enough. And without my help to bring in trade goods, Sasha will have to sell herself just to eat.

I can’t do that to them.

So I grit my teeth and say nothing.

“Good. Now sit down. As I said, we want to ask you some questions.”

I sit, feeling helpless and angry.

“Tell us about the situation with the dragon,” the captain says, his eyes glittering. “We left you chained. Yet you’ve returned here unharmed. I want to know how that happened.”

Unharmed?

Are they for real?

I want to laugh. Since they left me for dead, I nearly fell off a building when a dragon snatched me out of a stairwell. I was kidnapped by another dragon, rescued, bitten, and now I’m back in Fort Dallas. I feel like a ping-pong ball that’s been bounced around. A battered, bruised, feverish, sore and heartsick ping-pong ball.

Unharmed, my ass.

Of course, saying that won’t get me anywhere. So I tell a little lie. “The dragon let me go.”

“Why did he let you go?”

I shrug, uneasy at the thought of telling them much about Kael. For all his intensity, he had tried to be kind to me in his own way. It’s not his fault that I can’t handle dragon sex. “He saw me hurting myself, so he broke the chains.”

“Did you tame the dragon?”

My mouth twitches. “There is no taming that dragon.”

“Yet you are here and whole and unharmed. How did that happen? How did you get away?”

He’s vulnerable when he’s fucking you isn’t an answer I feel like sharing. “Where is my sister?”

“We’re holding her,” the mayor says bluntly. “We figured if you returned to the city, you’d want to see her, and we wanted to see you. Clearly we have questions. You’re not getting her back until you answer them, either.”

My stomach drops. “My sister hasn’t done anything wrong.”

The mayor is implacable. “No, she hasn’t. But this is about more than your sister. We’re trying to save an entire city of people here, and any information you can give us is key. Tell us what happened.”

I glare at the men, hating that they’re going to make me give them information, and hating that I’ll do it, because I need to free Amy. I’m weak, I know, but I can’t let my sister suffer. “Where do you want me to start?”

“At the beginning, of course.”

Irritated, I begin. I tell them about Kael landing and his transformation into human form. That gets their attention, and they quiz me repeatedly. I’m not entirely sure they believe me, except when I mention his appearance as a human—eyes swirling to black, dappled skin, and finger-claws—they exchange looks.

Bastards. So they’d known all along he could turn human? And no one bothered to say a peep to me, the human sacrifice? I’m filled with even more helpless rage.

They ask me more pointed questions. Did he speak in human form? Could he converse in English? Did I try Spanish or French? What words did he know?

I mention that he understands the word ‘no’ but leave out his name—it’s not mine to give, after all. I also leave out a great deal of the sexual tension that crackled between us and had a rather bad ending. That all seems too…personal.

I tell them instead that he was simply fascinated with me and had tried to feed me and protect me.

The questions begin again. How often did the dragon change into his human form? Did he have any particular vulnerabilities in human form? Did I think bullets would pierce his hide while in human form? The questions make me hugely uncomfortable, so I lie to them. No vulnerabilities. No, bullets won’t hurt him in human form. “He’s still covered in scales,” I lie. “Skin’s hard as a rock.”

The captain frowns and writes that down. “I thought you said his skin was human-like except for a pattern?”

“It is,” I tell them, and put on my blankest smile. “A pattern and the scaliness, of course.”

They exchange a look that clearly questions my intelligence. Yeah, put that in your report, asshole.

I do mention the other dragon that Kael had attacked, though, and they make me go over in great detail how Kael attacked him. How he’d moved, how long it had taken for his teeth to tear out the throat of the other. How long had it taken for the other dragon to bleed out? Had the other dragon tried to communicate with her?

The questions make me uncomfortable, and I give them as little information as possible. This isn’t learning how to live alongside the dragons or stop the attacks. This is a ‘how do we defeat the enemy’ sort of questioning talk, and I don’t like it. Maybe a few weeks ago I’d have been all for it, but that was before I knew Kael.

I don’t like the thought of these assholes attacking him. I don’t like the thought of them waiting for him to get into his human form and then hurting him. Because when I think of him in his human form, I don’t think of the dragon-man that bit me. I think of the flirty, playful Kael that says my name in that adorably mangled way of his. “He’s not a monster,” I point out to them. “I think he’s just confused most of the time. All he wanted to do was protect me and take care of me. He didn’t hurt me.”

The captain writes down a few more notes, then flips through his papers. “Let’s go over it again. You mentioned that he ripped out the throat of the other dragon. Did he struggle to do so at all? Do you think his throat is a vulnerability in dragon form? Were you able to tell the amount of scales there versus the rest of his hide?”

I hate this. “Why do you care? It’s clear they can learn English. We can teach him to speak with us and get him to leave the city alone. I’m sure he would do it if we talked to him and the other dragons. We just need to communicate with them somehow.”

The captain stares at me for a moment. Then he looks down at his notes again. “Tell me about the scales on the throat again.”

No one’s listening to me. No one at all.

KAEL

My head aches.

My body is curiously tired, but the throb in my head is the worst of it. I tense, waiting to see if this is another form of the creeping madness that always waits at the fringes…but there is nothing. I feel…normal.

I open my eyes, gazing up. Through the broken ceiling, I can see the skies overhead. They are dark, twinkling with light from the stars. Far in the distance, I can see the greenish, smoky outline of the rip in the skies that my people originally came from. The sight of it doesn’t send me spiraling. Instead, it just makes me feel a little sad. It’s a place I can never get back to, and I suppose a little part of me will always miss it.

It takes a moment for me to realize that the skies are dark. They were not dark earlier, not when I claimed her.

My Clau-dah.

No, I realize. Claudia. That feels right. Dainty and elegant but strong, like my mate.

I reach for her, seeking her small, soft body. Memories of our recent mating flood my mind, and I growl low in my throat with pleasure. Claiming her was the greatest joy I have ever experienced, and I revel in the thoughts of her sweet form under mine, the scent of her filling my lungs, the taste of her on my tongue. Already I am hungry for her again. I reach out with the mind-link even as I reach for her body. I must have fallen asleep after giving her my venom. I’ve heard stories of it draining the strength of a drakoni because our very essence is shared. Claudia has no essence to share back with me, so perhaps that is why I have been unconscious for so long.

But my mind is crystal clear and bright, a sign that the bond is true.

My searching hands do not find Claudia nearby, though. I sit up, flaring my nostrils in the hopes of picking up her delicate scent. Did she walk away?

But the only scent of her is hours old and faint.

She is not here.

I sit up, all weariness forgotten. Claudia? I ask, testing the mental link between us that is established with a mating.

No response. I can feel the tether between us, but she is too far away to receive my thoughts.

Too far away?

Rage flashes through me, hot and fast. Had another male snatched my female while I slept? Unthinkable. A claimed mate is off-limits, even in the madness-crazed minds of the drakoni. No one would dare. Claudia is mine. I have claimed her. She is mine to protect. Mine to cherish.

Mine.

I roar my outrage, bellowing my fury to the skies. I flash into battle form and launch myself into the air, ignoring the crumble of the ceiling as I push my way through it and the way rocks fall to the ground far below. It does not matter if I destroy the entire building. All that matters is getting to my mate.

I climb higher into the skies, my wings beating furiously. There is no other dragon nearby, no sense of her scent, but instinct guides my mind. With the mating bond between us, I can lock on to her mental tether and find her. I close my eyes and let it guide me.

Claudia will come back to me, no matter how many I must attack to free her.

She is mine to protect.

19

CLAUDIA

My head hurts. I rub at my temples, squinting at the bright lights overhead. The hard plastic seat I sit on feels a little too rough against my sensitive skin, but complaining will get me nowhere. My captors—because I can’t call the mayor or the captain anything but that at this point—aren’t interested in me or my comfort. I didn’t think they’d let me just waltz out of here with Amy, but I also didn’t think I’d be grilled endlessly, either. They want to know more about dragons. How they eat. How they sleep. How they talk. No matter what I tell them, they have more questions. I’ve been here for hours on end. Maybe even all night.

And still, no one has brought me my sister.

I’m exhausted. I haven’t slept in forever, I’m tired, smelly, and feverish. My head is pounding something fierce, and these lights shining in my face are just making everything worse. “I want my sister,” I tell them for what feels like the millionth time. “I need to see her.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible until—”

Claudia!

The call is so strong that I jerk to my feet, startled. “Kael?” His voice is so clear it sounds as if he’s in the room with me.

“Miss Jones?” the captain says, giving me a puzzled look. It takes me a moment to realize I’m still standing in the tiny barracks room with the mayor and the captain.

Yet Kael’s voice was so clear… I rub my temples again. “Sorry. I think I’m just tired.”

“We’d really like to know more—”

Claudia! Possessive triumph coats his voice, rich and syrupy sweet, and I stare at the walls. I don’t see him…but I can hear him. How is this possible? “Wh-what?”

I am coming for you.

“Um. Do you guys hear that?” My voice is shaking. I think I’m losing my mind. I’m actually holding a conversation with Kael and imagining him coming for me. I’ve officially snapped.

They exchange a look. “Hear what?”

“Nothing. I think.”

Your thoughts are delicious, purrs Kael in my mind. Bright and pure. I am glad you are my mate, Claudia. You fill my soul with joy.

It’s weird, but it actually sounds like he’s coming closer. I press a hand to one ear, then the other, checking for listening devices or something. There’s nothing, though. His voice is coming from inside my head. I glance at the ceiling anyhow, as if it might somehow reveal a big golden dragon hovering over my shoulder. “How is it that I can hear you?”

“The dragon?” the captain asks, voice rising in alarm. “Where is he?”

You are mine, Kael says inside my head. We are linked now that we have mated and I have claimed you.

The fuck? Linked? I don’t want to be linked. No one asked me if I had an opinion on being linked.

You’re unhappy. I do not like that. Why are you displeased?

Uh, because you didn’t ask me? Shit, now I’m responding in my head.

I asked you. I said your name and you responded by putting your mouth on me and—

That’s not the same thing! That wasn’t asking for permission to open a channel in my head! I don’t know at this point if I’m saying the words in my mind or saying them aloud. Things are blurring together.

How was I to ask for permission if we could not speak? But now we can. Satisfaction rolls through his mind. Now you can share your thoughts with me all day and all night.

Yeah. Great. I don’t want to share anything at the moment, though. I’m still mad.

The mayor shouts something at me, and additional soldiers file into the room, guns in hand. I clutch my head, distracted between the sound of Kael’s insistent voice and whatever the mayor’s shouting at me. “Can you be quiet for a second? I can’t think!”

I am coming to the human hive to get you.

Oh shit. My eyes go wide. “You’re coming here?”

“He’s coming here?” the captain roars, panicked. “Sound the alarm. Ready the bunkers! Go go go!”

A klaxon goes up—the dragon siren.

“How is she talking to him?” the mayor asks. “Is she bugged somehow?”

“He’s in my head,” I tell them, pushing my hands against my scalp as if that will stop my brain from freaking out. The blare of the siren is mingling with Kael’s heavy thoughts, and it’s all pressing in on me. “I can’t think with all this noise—”

“What’s he saying?” the captain demands. He moves to stand inches away from my face, his eyes intent. “We need you to tell us exactly what he’s saying.”

The siren blares, long and loud, and I can hear the stomp of feet overhead as the militia readies. Kael’s going to walk right into an army, and I’m leading him to it. I don’t know what to do. I need to stop him before he gets too close, because I don’t want him to die.

I’ve never wanted that.

You are upset. Kael’s thoughts cut through the chaos in my mind like a knife, slicing away the outside world. I hear the siren. Shall I make it stop?

“You’re close enough to hear the siren?” I choke.

“He’s right overhead,” the captain roars. “Take action!”

Claudia. My Claudia. Do not worry. I am close.

“How close?”

Very close. I am coming for you.

“Why? You need to leave me here.”

I cannot. You are my mate.

“Mate?” I gasp out, horrified at the thought. Not only am I mind-linked to a crazy dragon, but he thinks I’m his mate? “I don’t want to be your mate.”

Something cold and hard presses to my temple. I freeze as the gun cocks, the sound loud in the deafening silence of the room. “If he thinks you’re his mate,” the captain tells me, “I’m going to need to use you as leverage. I’m sorry.”

He’s got a gun on me, I tell Kael. Back off. Please! I don’t want to die.

What is a gun?

There’s no time to explain. Can’t you please just go?

They took you away.

I don’t mention the fact that I ran off. Kael, just go, please. I need to find my sister, and I’m not going to get anywhere with you flying overhead. The gun bites into my temple, and I shiver. In my argument with Kael, I forgot that someone’s got a gun to my head.

Kael picks up on my fear, though. His thoughts grow wild, darker. I can feel them growing darker, and it’s terrifying. Why are you afraid? Why is my mate afraid?

It will kill me! Don’t come here!

Overhead, a dragon roars so loudly that the entire building shakes. Lights flicker, and a cloud of dust falls from the ceiling.

“He doesn’t like that you’re threatening me,” I whisper, trying to pull away from the gun.

The captain’s mouth presses into a thin line as he looks me in the eye. “You tell him if he wants his mate alive and unharmed, he needs to back off of the city. He’s putting everyone at risk.”

I’m running out of time, and I still need to save my sister. “Just give me Amy and I’ll call him off,” I bluff, even as another roar shakes the building.

“It doesn’t sound like that’s going to work,” the captain says and shakes his head slowly, pressing the gun harder against my temple. “I’m sorry, but the safety of the entire fort depends on this. You need to make him leave. Right now.”

I realize I’m not going to have a rescuer in this moment. Or, rather, I do, but he’s a vicious dragon and I’m not entirely sure he’s a good guy. Either I get shot by the guards and never see Amy again, or I get kidnapped by a dragon and never see Amy again. I’m screwed either way.

He…he says he’ll kill me if you don’t back off, Kael. My thoughts seem to tremble nearly as much as my body does. Please don’t hurt anyone.

Kael’s return thoughts are so dark and furious that I wince as they blast into my mind. You are my mate! He is holding you from me. If he hurts you, I will tear him limb from limb and let the crows devour his bones!

Well, that’s…creative. I swallow hard and look the captain in the eye. “He’s not happy that you’re scaring me.”

“I’m not happy that he’s flying over the city,” the captain says in a tight voice.

Yes, but if he leaves, I’m not sure what’ll happen to me. I try to mentally play out what will happen if Kael leaves me behind, and I realize with a sick sensation that I’m trapped. Every dragon attack, the mayor and the captain are going to trot me out and try to use me as a hostage. I’m not getting free of this, ever again.

My only path lies with Kael, he of the hot kisses and terrifying bites. I try to compose myself. Be calm, Claudia. If this is my path, find a way forward. So I decide to make things sound pretty grim. If they want to threaten me, I’ll threaten right back. “He’s not leaving me here. He says if you hurt me, it’s going to be ugly.”

“I don’t plan on hurting you,” the captain says. “You and I, we’re going to bargain. If he leaves the city alone, I’ll give you to him. Tell him that.”

“He says you need to give me my sister.”

“You think she’s safe with him?” As if to punctuate this, Kael roars again, and the captain tilts his head as if to say, see?

I hate that he’s right. I hate that I don’t know that answer. “I don’t think she’s safe with you, either.”

“He’s not attacking, sir,” one of the men calls over the radio. “He’s settled on the roof of the building and is waiting for something. Your orders?”

The captain glances at the radio at his waist, then at me.

“My sister,” I warn him. “Now.”

The captain exchanges a look with the mayor. Then he hits a button on the radio. “We’re going to be giving the prisoner to the dragon. Stand by.”

“Not without my sister—”

“We’re not waiting for your sister to be brought to the barracks. Get that dragon out of here now. The life of one does not outweigh the needs of many.”

“If you send me off with him, there’s nothing that’s stopping me from telling him to come back and burn this place to the ground. He listens to me. If I tell him I want you dead, he’ll kill you.”

“Which is why I need to keep your sister as leverage. You go with him and he gets what he wants. Your sister stays with us as incentive for him to leave us alone.” The look on his face is almost one of regret. Almost.

That bastard. Everyone gets what they want but me and Amy? “You think I won’t come back to get her? With an army of dragons?”

The captain’s look of regret turns to one of anger. “You’d murder every last person here?”

I say nothing. I wouldn’t destroy Fort Dallas, no, but I won’t take back the threat, either.

“All the more reason for us to keep your sister.”

I hesitate, then open my mind to Kael again. They’re going to give me to you if you promise to leave the city alone.

I will not harm them if they have not harmed you. I just want my mate. Are you well?

I’m fine, I tell him. For now. But I feel as if my heart is breaking. Oh, Amy. “He just wants me. As long as I’m safe, he’ll leave.”

The captain nods. “I’m very sorry, Miss Jones. I know you don’t like this, but we’re left with very little choice here. My advice for you is to see what you can do to tame that dragon and get him to leave this area entirely.”

Fat chance of that happening. I’m not leaving, not with Amy and Sasha here. And Kael’s not going anywhere without me, I suspect. “Let me tell him that we’re coming up.”

20

CLAUDIA

A triad of soldiers walks me to the roof, guns trained on my back as if they expect me to suddenly turn into a dragon myself. As if I’m super dangerous. It’s ridiculous, but they’re scared. I get that. Hell, I’m scared and I know Kael better than all of them. I can feel his thoughts weighing on my mind, pressing in as if trying to decipher what is going on from my silence. He’s worried. I know that much. And his calm is ebbing with every minute that this takes.

I need to make sure he’s good. The last thing I want is for him to fry everyone the moment we show up on the roof, because then I don’t know what they’re going to do with Amy. They’re bringing me up the stairs, I tell him. Don’t hurt anyone. They’re going to release me.

Have you been harmed? Alarm tinges his thoughts, followed by a quick flash of rage. Shall I destroy them?

No, I say, and force myself to remain calm. No destroying. They’re just going to release me to you.

I sense unhappiness in your thoughts. Why does that make you sad? You are my mate. I will care for you.

I say nothing. I’m frustrated at the world. Amy’s still captive. Kael’s still keeping me captive. I don’t get any control over the situation, and it’s frustrating as hell. Worst of all, I’m not even sure my thoughts are safe. What if Kael picks up that I’m upset and gets angry and kills me, too? Even as I say it to myself, I know that’s not the case. Sure, he might rip the throat out of other rival dragons and threaten to torch all of Fort Dallas to get me back, but he wants me safe and sound.

But it doesn’t mean I can’t be pissy about it.

We take the emergency stairs to the roof, and at the top of the stairs we pause at the heavy metal door that leads to the rooftop. Once this is opened, there’s no turning back. I glance at the soldiers at my side, noting hard fear on each face. I feel bad for them. This isn’t how they want things to go, either. They’re terrified that they’re walking up here to be roasted. And they should be terrified. That’s all we’ve ever known, ever since the rip in the stars opened up. I don’t blame them for being worried.

One of the soldiers nudges me with the end of his gun. “Go on. Go up to see your boyfriend.”

…Doesn’t mean they’re not dicks, though.

I give him a scathing look and put a hand on the door handle. I’m worried about going back to Kael. What if he’s angry that I left? What if he bites me more? What if that was just the beginning? There are a million what-ifs, and I have no answers for any of them. I suck in a deep breath, steeling my courage, and then open the door.

Before I even have it opened a crack, a massive eye is staring down through it, scanning for me. The eye swirls gold and black, and as it catches sight of me, the dragon head moves, and I see a flash of enormous teeth. My mate. If they have hurt you… Even from this side of the door, I can hear the rumbling snarl.

The men heft their guns, training them on his eye.

“No, it’s okay!” I put my hands up, stopping them. “I’m coming, Kael. Back off.”

Are you hurt? He growls louder.

“I’m fine. No one’s hurt. No one’s being threatened.” I take on a soothing, happy tone of voice that’s the opposite of how I feel at the moment. “But if you don’t back away from the door, I can’t get out.”

His big head disappears, and the building shakes as he steps a few paces away. The guns lower a few inches. “Jesus,” says a man behind me. “I think I just pissed myself. Fucking scary motherfucker.”

“Get out of here,” another soldier tells me, and nudges me in the back with his rifle. “Get him away from the city.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m going.” With a backward glare at the soldiers, I head out onto the roof.

Kael is there waiting in his dragon form. For once, I’m glad that he’s not in his human form because he’s more vulnerable like that. They wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him if he was human. As a dragon, though, he’s scary as hell. His massive bulk seems to swallow up the majority of the roof, his tail lashing madly back and forth, clearly agitated. He starts the low growl in his throat again when I approach. You stink of them.

Yeah, well, you don’t smell so hot yourself, buddy. It’s a lie, because the warm, spicy scent of him is oddly comforting. But I’m tired and unhappy and worried about Amy. And now a dragon just told me I stink. I…kind of want to curl up somewhere and cry. Can we just go?

Kael gets to his feet, lashing his tail one last time, and then moves to my side. His big body dwarfs mine. I wait patiently as the big snout moves up and down my body, checking me for injuries. Not wounded? They did not hurt you?

They did not.

It’s weird, because I can feel the pleasure spiral through his mind at that realization, and the relief. And I feel a little guilty for being so frustrated. Just a little, of course. He runs his nose over me again, pausing over my clothing. What are these things you have on you?

They’re clothes. You’ve seen me wear them before.

Not like this.

No, not like this. These are better.

Why?

I force myself to be patient. They cover me so I’m decent.

I do not understand this ‘decent.’ He tugs at one sleeve of my shirt, as if trying to drag it off of me. I don’t like this.

People don’t walk around naked, I tell him, tugging the shirt out of his mouth before his enormous teeth destroy it. You don’t get a say in the matter.

Very well. He continues to run his nose over me, half nuzzle, half concern. You smell tired. Unhappy.

He can smell those things? He’s not wrong—I am tired. I am unhappy. I just want to curl up somewhere and cry. More than anything, I want to curl up with him and have him pet and comfort me until I don’t feel so isolated and alone…but I’m scared of more bites. I’m scared he’s going to want sex. And I hate that I can’t trust the one person I want to hold me at the moment. It’s been a really long day, and not a good one.

It has been the best of days, because I claimed my Claudia as my mate. The nosing definitely turns more nuzzly.

I glance uneasily at the door a short distance behind me, where the guards are still waiting. The muzzle of at least one rifle protrudes from the door, and I don’t know if it’s pointing at me or Kael. I remember that they shot at me before. Well, not these soldiers, but others who thought it would be a good idea to ‘save’ me from the dragon by killing me.

I don’t trust any of these soldiers not to shoot me again.

And for some reason, that makes me feel sadder and lonelier than ever before. I have no place I can call home anymore, and no one I can trust, except Sasha and Amy…and I have to leave them. If we’re going, let’s go, I tell him, fighting back tears. I want to get out of here.

You say that, but that is not what your words mean. We shall stay, he tells me, as if the matter’s decided.

I can’t, I tell him flatly. Pompous dragon.

My Claudia is sad. Why?

They don’t want you here because you are dragon and not human. And they don’t want me here, either.

It makes you sad.

It does. This is my home. Or it was, once.

Your home is with me.

But you’re not human, I automatically think and then wish I hadn’t. I don’t want to anger him.

But Kael isn’t angry, only thoughtful. Hoo-man. Is that the two-legged form instead of the battle form? I will change forms if that will please you.

I press a hand to his big, scaled chest, shaking my head. No, don’t change! Not here. I don’t like the look of those rifles. Nor do I trust the commander not to take the easy route and simply kill Kael the moment he changes to his human form. Let’s just go, please.

I will do as my mate asks. He nuzzles me again, the big mouth full of fangs lightly brushing over my hair. Then claws wrap around my torso and legs, and Kael spreads his wings.

We launch into the air a moment later, and Kael begins to spiral high into the skies, beating his wings furiously to gain altitude. I keep my gaze below, watching the small lights of Fort Dallas fade away, and tears flood my eyes. It feels like I’ve screwed over my sister. Somewhere in the warren of the barracks, my innocent, trusting sister is being held captive just because a dragon took a liking to me. It’s not fair. I’ll come back for you, Amy, I silently tell her. I promise.

21

CLAUDIA

The flight back into the Scavenge Lands feels bitterly cold against my feverish skin. The high winds tear at my hair and clothing, and I’m filled with defeat. There’s no safe place for me to go, no way for me to take care of my sister. I don’t know what to do. By the time the dragon begins to circle downward toward one of the broken skyscrapers that make up the ruins of Old Dallas, I feel completely lost and alone.

As we land, I realize Kael’s taken me back to the exact same broken office building as before. It has working sinks but not much else, and instead of filling me with relief that there’s running water, I eye the trashed cubicles and concrete flooring with a tired eye. It’s convenient, but it’s not comfortable. It’s not home. I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever have a home again.

The moment Kael sets me down and loosens his claws to free me, I sink to my knees. I’m overwhelmed by everything, and I can’t help the tears of self-pity that begin to flow.

You are upset, Kael announces inside my mind, his thoughts blasting through like a cannon. Tell me what bothers you.

Tell him what bothers me? Where do I even start? But I don’t want to talk about it. “Nothing,” I say, sniffing. He wouldn’t understand anyhow. “I just want a blanket and a warm bed.” Neither of which I’m going to get here. I look around the barren office space, miserable. I hate it here.

But you liked this place, he replies, clearly confused and snooping in on my thoughts. You were pleased with the water.

“That’s the only good thing here.” I wrap my arms around my torso, hating that even though I’m clothed, I’m still freezing. A thin, worn T-shirt and jeans aren’t going to be enough to keep me warm through the night. I should be grateful that I have clothes, at least, but the wind has picked up and it feels cooler than the last few days. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I don’t find something warmer.

I don’t know what I’m going to do this winter.

Or for the rest of my life.

Normally I’m pretty good at focusing on what I can control. But right now? I feel like I’ve lost my sister and my best friend…and the only safety I have. Amy and Sasha are going to be lost without me. Sasha’s going to have to sleep with her fist-happy friend, and Amy… I don’t know what my sweet, fragile sister is going to do. I wipe away more tears. I can’t seem to stop crying. This isn’t me, but I feel so…helpless and out of control.

I can warm you, Claudia. I will hold you all night. There’s a husky note in his mental voice.

Oh brother. The last thing I want right now are dragon snuggles, since a dragon’s why I’ve been totally abandoned by humankind in the first place. I turn around to give him a piece of my mind and see that he’s in his human form, striding toward me with black and gold swirling in his eyes. He’s also very obviously ‘excited’ by my presence. I know what that means. I shake my head. “Oh no. Not right now.”

The black swirling in his eyes immediately flicks away, returning to the calm gold. No? You do not wish me to warm you? You enjoyed my mouth on you before. I heard your cries of pleasure and tasted your juices. I would do so again if you would let me, Claudia. You were pleased when I tasted you. The look on his face becomes coaxing. Shall I show you?

Did I think it was cold in here before? Now I’m all hot and flushed, thinking about our last meeting. I did like his tongue on me. Far too much. And I liked the way it felt when he had laid me down on the tile and oh so gently pushed inside me with that huge cock of his. That had felt incredible. It was all the stuff that came after that ruined everything. “I just want to sleep, thank you very much.”

He tilts his head, studying me. I understand this. I will hold you while you sleep so you are safe. Before I can protest, he immediately flashes back to dragon form. In the next moment, I’m drawn against the big golden body and tucked against his foreleg. One wing extends and moves to cover me, shielding me from the high winds. Sleep, Claudia. I will keep you safe.

“I’m not safe here with you, either,” I protest. But warmth is surrounding me, and I do feel safe nestled against him. The long, endless day has worn me down to shreds, and I know this isn’t a fight I can win—or one I even want to. Cradled against a dragon’s warm foreleg is much more comfortable than the hard concrete floor. I close my eyes and relax.

As I drift off to sleep, Kael noses my hair. Sleep, Claudia. All will be well.

He doesn’t mispronounce my name anymore. Huh.

WHEN I WAKE UP, I’m deliciously warm. I roll over in bed, curling up against the pillows.

A large nose touches my hair. Do you wish to eat, my mate? Do you have needs?

My eyes fly open. I sit up, realizing that I’m cradled against Kael’s gigantic, scaled forelimbs instead of pillows. He’s nuzzling my filthy hair as if it’s the greatest thing ever. And I’m weak and terrible, because I feel snuggled and loved.

Dang dragon. Being with him is so very confusing. I run a hand over my face, trying to shake away sleep. “W-what?”

Do you have needs, my mate?

Eeeek. “Can you not say that? Please?”

Can I not say what? I hate that he sounds adorably confused.

“That I’m your mate? And um, that stuff about needs.” I wave a hand in the air as if it’s no big deal, but the truth is, whenever he says that, I don’t think about food or water, I think about…dirty needs. Pretty sure that’s not what he means.

I think.

You are my mate. His thoughts are loud in my head, clear as a bell. I claimed you and gave you my fire. My venom. It has linked you to me. Our minds are as one. Now you can take my seed and I will not burn you.

I sit up in his arms, struggling to process what I’m hearing. “Venom? So you did poison me? You dick!”

Why are you offended? I have shared my life essence with you to bond us together. Now you are safe.

“Yeah, but you didn’t ask.”

You accepted me into your arms. Was that not permission? I can feel the earnestness in his thoughts.

And…crap. I’m starting to feel a mix of guilt and frustration. “Is casual sex not a thing with your people? Can’t we just have sex because we want to, not because we want to be forever mated or anything?” I’m still angry about what happened during sex, but I’m starting to resent him less for what he did. If that’s how his people think things go down, of course he’s not going to see a problem with it. “I thought we were having casual sex. Just for fun.”

But you are small and fragile. He noses my hair again and then sets me down gently on the ground as if I am the most precious of objects. Only a bonded mate can take her male’s seed.

“So you bonded me to you? With venom?” My hand goes to my throat, and my neck still feels hot. Actually, all of me feels rather flushed and feverish, though I’m starting to get used to it. “All so you could jizz inside me? Seriously?”

You are not as warm as drakoni. I did not want to burn you when we had pleasure and I gave you my seed.

“Newsflash, it wasn’t pleasure for me, not after that.” At the flash of alarm in his mind, I shake my head. “Forget it. I don’t want to argue that. I want to know more about this venom-bonding crap. Can we reverse it?”

You are my mate. Why would I change that? The large, wedge-shaped head moves toward me, his eyes swirling amber with just a hint of black.

I shake my head. “I can’t be your mate. I’m human. One of these things is not like the other. I’m not like you—I can’t shift to dragon form just as easily as thinking.”

Your kind is small and fragile, but you are fertile. I will be careful with you. This I promise. My cock fits between your legs sweetly, and you taste delicious. I could lick between your thighs for hours. You especially liked it when I touched the little nub there. Your cries were pleasing to me.

Oh god, dragon dirty talk should not be hot. Somehow, this is way, way sexier than when he was silent and just infusing our names with all kinds of innuendo. I shouldn’t want to hear it. I shouldn’t. “Hush.”

You do not wish me to talk about how much I like to please my mate? Shall I change to my two-legged form and show you?

“Eep! No! I don’t want to be shown anything right now! I’m a mess.” I want to smack myself for using that as an excuse. Being dirty isn’t the reason why I don’t want him to touch me. At least, it shouldn’t be. But every time I’m around him, I get all flustered and start thinking about things I shouldn’t. Like the fact that his tongue is raspy even in human form.

Stop it, Claudia. Slippery slope there.

Kael’s thoughts break through mine. What is this ‘mess’? I do not understand.

I pull a handful of filthy hair away from my head and shake it. “This. I’m gross. I smell, remember?”

You do smell like other humans, my mate. I do not appreciate the smell, either. But I tolerate it for now.

“Gee, thanks.”

You speak appreciation, but it is not in your thoughts. I can hear the wry teasing in his mind. I do not think you are entirely truthful.

“And I don’t know that I’m a fan of this mind stuff. How is it you can talk in my head?”

Our kind take to the air and the seas. Our world has rough, high winds that can be very extreme from place to place. We learned many years ago to speak through the mind and to link to our families. It is the best way of speaking directly. Our world is not like yours. It is not like this awful place that smells of humans and decay. I do not like it here. As he speaks, his thoughts take on a wild, desperate tinge, and I almost expect to see his eyes go black with high emotion.

Automatically, I put a hand out to calm him and stroke the scales on his foreleg. Immediately, his thoughts quiet and the worrisome fringe emotions float away again. “If you hate it here, why don’t you go back? I’m pretty sure humans would be okay with that.” Hell, as a whole, humanity would probably jump for joy.

I’m just not sure how I’d feel, and I hate that I even have to stop and question it. As a whole, dragons are the enemy. But Kael…Kael’s different, and the thought of him leaving and me never seeing him again fills me with both a sense of relief and a wild, unhappy yearning.

There is no going back. The heavens tore open and ripped us away from our home. Ever since, we exist in madness. There is nothing but destruction and death and the endless need to create both.

I’ve felt that touch of madness in his thoughts. “How come you’re handling the madness okay compared to the others?” I continue to stroke his scales to soothe him. “I mean, you’ve been vicious, but not to me.”

Never to you. He leans in, and his muzzle gently touches my hair. You are what keeps me anchored to sanity. Bonding to you prevents me from losing control. Without it, I would be… I can feel him pause. You do not want to know.

“I do,” I tell him softly. “I need to understand.” I feel like so much between us is misunderstandings and complications. If we’re to come to terms with each other, we need to figure out how the other works. “Can you show me?”

His eyes meet mine, and as they do, I feel him open up. My brain immediately fills with an intense jumble of images, all screaming to the forefront and impossible to take in. It’s like being blasted by a hundred TV channels at once, all at top volume, and I stagger. A brief second later, the image flood stops, and I sink against him in relief. My head is pounding just from that small ‘share.’ He touches my hand with his nose, as if trying to comfort me.

That is what being in your world is like for me. But with you as my anchor, I do not hear it anymore. Instead of a constant roar, it is a soft buzz in the background and easily ignored. You bring light and calm to my world. You are my world.

I’m overwhelmed, not only by what I’ve just learned, but by his sweet words. No wonder he has fits of violence. With all that garbage in his mind day in and day out, it’s a wonder he can even talk to me right now. I rub my brows, just thinking about all of that chaos. “So this is why you won’t give me up? Because I keep your head quiet?”

Because you are my mate. It will bring me great joy to care for you and protect you. I live for your happiness. A drakoni male is utterly devoted to his mate. I would show you just how devoted I can be to your needs. The low, thrumming purr starts in his throat again. And I would love to taste you again, my Claudia.

Oh sweet lord. I automatically clamp my thighs together in response. Just as quickly as desire and need hits me, so does the fear. My mind flashes with the memory of those big teeth sinking into my throat and the hot pain they brought with them. “I don’t think I want you to touch me. I think I want to go home.”

Your home is with me. He flicks his wings, agitated.

“No, my home is in Fort Dallas,” I tell him, stubbornly clinging to that. “I have a sister there, and friends. But I can’t go back, just because you’ve decided that you want me as your mate. You’ve ruined it for me. You’ve taken my life away, and my choices, all because you think I belong to you.”

You…do not wish to be with me? His tone is astonished, as if he doesn’t quite grasp how I could say no.

“I like you, Kael. I do. But I hate what you did. You didn’t even think to ask me. You just decided to choose what you wanted for me and bonded my mind to yours. And now because you’ve decided that you have to have me, my entire life is screwed over. Not just mine, but that of my sister and my friend.” Just thinking about Amy makes a hard lump form in my throat. “You can’t just up and choose if I’m your mate. I have to want it, too.”

You…do not want to be my mate? Rage flashes through his mind, and I’m reminded of the barrage of overwhelming images he’d sent me.

I know he’s not doing it on purpose. And he says he won’t hurt me, so I press further. “Why would I want to be your mate? I didn’t get to choose, Kael. You don’t seem to grasp that, but let me spell it out again. This is my life, not yours. Ever since I met you, I’ve been put in danger, threatened, and taken away from my loved ones. Why would I choose you?”

You would take another mate? Again, flashes of madness coat the thoughts.

“Not necessarily, but—”

The dragon gets to his feet, dumping me onto the ground from my comfy perch on his legs. You would choose another mate over me? Where is he? I will destroy him! The madness is so thick in his mind, even I can feel it leaking over.

“That’s not what I said—” I begin.

But my dragon launches himself into the skies, gushing smoke and fire in a fit of rage. I sigh, putting my hands on my hips and watching him go. Well, that went well. Try to be a little independent and a dragon loses his shit. Figures.

22

CLAUDIA

For the first time since being captured (both by humans and dragons), I’m left alone for a few hours. I suppose it means I’m safe, because Kael’s been all over me in the past at a hint of danger. And he kept saying that because I’m claimed and he’s given me his ‘venom’ that no one else will look at me as a potential mate. I’m no longer in danger from other dragons, and therefore I can be left alone. I should be pleased.

Instead, I’m lonely and feel more abandoned than ever.

I know I’m not acting rational. I know I drove Kael off deliberately. I didn’t want him here with me, but when he left, it didn’t make me happy, either. My life has been completely upended because of his presence, and I’m taking it out on him. I’m frantically worried about Amy, and I’m taking it out on him. I’m confused about how I feel about him…and I’m taking it out on him.

I know it’s terrible. I know I’m being frustrating. I just…I honestly don’t know what to do about anything. Normally I try to compose myself and move forward with what I’ve got to work with, but this time I’m just utterly stymied. Every move feels like the wrong one.

So I do nothing.

Not that I can do much. Leaving’s out of the question—Kael will freak, and I don’t want that. Also, it’s not like I can go back home. They’ll just arrest me, hand me over again, or use me as additional leverage if they decide to keep me. My freedom in Fort Dallas is gone. I have no home anymore.

I poke around the empty, decrepit office building, but there’s not much to do. I scavenged through it days ago when looking for clothing, and it’s just as full of useless things now as it was then. A stapler’s not all that handy in an apocalypse, and neither is a fax machine or twenty non-working phones. I give everything a cursory poke anyhow and then head back to the working bathroom and drink my fill from the sink using a chipped ‘World’s Greatest Boss’ mug. My stomach rumbles with hunger, and I think how ironic that is. Here I am bitching about how I can’t go home to Fort Dallas and I have to stay with a dragon. And yet that dragon has always fed me and taken care of me, and back in Fort Dallas I’ve had to scrape by for the barest living and went hungry more days than I can imagine. I need to re-examine my priorities.

But I can’t get over the fact that Amy’s being held by the soldiers. She’s screwed and it’s my fault. And Sasha… I try not to think about what Sasha will do. Sasha always finds a way to survive. I splash water on my hands, scrubbing at my face and arms as best I can. There are no more paper towels; I used the last of them on Kael.

And that makes me think of the way he’d kissed me and touched me. How it had felt to be cherished and adored for that brief window of time. I’d eaten it up. I hadn’t realized I was so starved for affection until he’d held me close, and I’d never wanted to leave that warm embrace. He genuinely wants the best for me. I keep telling myself it’s wrong…but why? Kael infuriates me with his possessiveness and overbearing attitude, but he’s kind and caring overall. It’s not his fault this world pushes him toward insanity.

I understand his need, too. The flashes he’d shown me of the madness were utterly frightening. No wonder dragons are attacking cities and destroying everything. Their heads are filled with so much horror they don’t know what they’re doing. I’ve seen how small things can make the bad thoughts rise in Kael’s head. If I’m the only one that makes things quiet for him…I understand why he wants to keep me.

It just sucks that I get no say in anything.

Amy. My poor sister. The militia’s never going to let her go. They’re going to dangle her under my nose as an insurance policy to try to get me to force Kael to do what they want. Amy must be terrified. I’ve tried to keep her sheltered from the worst Fort Dallas has to offer, and I can’t protect her any longer.

That’s not Kael’s fault, and I need to quit blaming him for that. I sigh and give myself a little dog-like shake to fling the water off my skin. I’m blaming him for a lot of things—my sister, my exile, the bite, my fear of him—and now that he’s been gone for a while, I realize that none of it is his fault. If he’d have known that I didn’t like the bite, didn’t expect it, and it scared me, I think that would hurt him almost as much as it hurt me.

It’s clear I need to talk to my dragon and figure this shit out. I peer out the hole in the bathroom ceiling hopefully, but there’s no sign of him. I try reaching out with my mind, too, but I don’t really know what I’m doing and I don’t feel anything respond. Weird, but I kind of miss his hovering, overbearing presence. I even miss his draconic flirting.

He’s only been gone a few hours, too, and I feel empty and alone. Maybe there’s something to this dragon-bond thing, after all. I felt empty and alone back in Fort Dallas, but I thought it was because of everything I’d gone through. Maybe there’s something more. I touch the hot place on my neck where he bit me, and I wonder if the bond works both ways.

If it doesn’t, maybe I have more feelings for my dragon than I’d like to admit.

SOME TIME LATER, a flash of gold in the distant skies catches my attention, and I suck in a nervous breath. Is that my dragon or another? It’s hard to tell from where I’m standing. I move to the ledge of the building, where the walls have crumbled away and the skies are wide open. A step in the wrong direction and I’ll tumble off the side. I usually avoid it, but now I approach without fear. I figure there are two scenarios—that’s a mystery gold dragon that will eat me if he can’t mate me and I’m dead anyhow, or it’s Kael and he won’t let me fall.

Weirdly enough, it’s comforting to think that Kael has my back no matter what. I push my wildly whipping hair out of my face and scan the clear blue skies. Nothing. Maybe it was my imagination.

Kael? I try. Where are you? It feels strange to be speaking from my mind, but I don’t know if speaking aloud will reach him…if it is him.

To my relief, the big gold dragon swoops in close to the building and begins to circle low the moment I send that out. It’s him. I know it just as surely as if he said hello back to me. I shield my eyes from the late-afternoon sunlight, watching him lazily descend through the air. He really is beautiful like this, I think. All gleaming scales and massive, sinewy muscle. He’s graceful, too, despite the bulk of his dragon form. As I watch, he cants his wings and begins to slowly descend onto the broken roof above me. Massive clawed hind legs perch on one of the walls, and he tucks his wings in like a bird, and then peers down at the floor.

I wave. It’s automatic, and I feel a little silly, but I wave.

His eyes flash to a pleased gold, and he immediately switches to human form, lithely jumping down into the office room where I wait. I half-wince as he lands, knees bent, but the long fall doesn’t seem to bother him. Dragon bones must be stronger than human bones, because a jump like that would have broken both my legs. He straightens, and again, I can’t get over how beautiful and graceful he is. It doesn’t matter the form—watching Kael move is pure pleasure.

“You’re back,” I say, and then feel lame and obvious. Of course he’s back. He always comes back for me.

He stalks toward me, crossing the room, and I step back, uncertain. Is he mad? His eyes flash between the black of strong emotion and gold, but there’s no anger radiating from his thoughts. I hesitate, wondering if I should run.

Kael’s big body moves in front of me, and he puts his hands at my waist, then drags me against him. One hand curls around my jaw, and he tilts my head up with gentle fingers, mindful of his claws. He studies my upturned face for a moment, and my heart flutters wildly. Then his mouth descends on mine in a light brush of lips.

I shiver at the utter tenderness of that embrace. Why have I been fighting against this so hard? Sometimes I’m so stupid. Pressed up against him like this, I feel protected and loved. Why can’t I be happy with that? “Does this mean you’re not mad at me anymore?” I whisper.

Never mad. Never.

Then his mouth is on mine again, and when I part my lips, his tongue sweeps into my mouth, claiming me in an even deeper kiss. God, you’d think the guy had been kissing all his life the way he takes to it. I love it. I love it when his tongue strokes against mine, and I love the growl of pleasure he makes as our lips lock. It makes my nipples harden in response, and a familiar ache sweeps through my body.

My Claudia. My mate. I hear the words clear as day in my mind, and a moment later, he sends me a brief flash of a mental image—me sprawled under him, arms raised over my head, Kael between my thighs, fucking me hard.

I break the kiss, pulling backward. Shock and arousal both wash through me, along with a little bit of fear. I don’t want to be bitten again. I…I don’t know what to do. I want him, but at the same time, I’m terrified of what happens when he comes. I can’t put him off forever, though. It’s going to strain our fragile relationship. Maybe…maybe I can train him that humans like to give pleasure in other ways, too.

So I slide my hand to his cock and wrap my fingers around it. “Can I touch you like this?”

He moves in and licks the seam of my mouth, a motion that sends tendrils of lust all through my body. I would give you pleasure.

“But I want to give you pleasure. Doing this for you would give me much enjoyment. You put your mouth on me…why can’t I do the same for you?” And I give him an encouraging squeeze.

His eyes go black momentarily. You would put your mouth on me there?

I lick my lips and watch as his gaze locks on my tongue. “I would. Is that okay?”

In response, he steps back and closes his eyes. Touch me as you like.

I’m a little perplexed at that response, because it seems kind of vague. Like I can touch him but he’s not going to care if I do? That’s not the reaction I want. But when I stroke my hand up and down his length and his head tilts back, lips parting, I watch his fist clench and realize that he’s enjoying this very much. I wonder why he doesn’t want to watch.

My eyes will turn black. I do not wish you to be scared.

He doesn’t sound like he’s losing control, though, so I’m not afraid. “Because of high emotion?” I let my fingers trace the head of his cock, the large mushroomed head of it, the ripple of delicate scales. There’s a ton of heat radiating off of him, and I’m fascinated how someone so big and strong and covered in scales can have such silky soft skin. But he does, and it’s pleasurable to touch him, though it looks far more pleasurable for him.

High emotion. Yes.

“You like my touch?” I can’t help but fish for compliments.

Nothing is more pleasing. I watch in fascination as he shudders when I lightly scrape my nails along the edge of his scales here.

“Nothing?” I tease.

Being deep inside your cunt is better.

Oh, dragon dirty talk again. It’s making me breathless, and I want to stay in control. So I just make a murmur of acknowledgment and decide to keep distracting him. I sink to my knees, settling down in front of him. I lean in and let my breath gently waft over his skin. “Will your seed burn me today if you spill?”

There’s a slightly breathless pause, as if he’s imagining all the places my mouth might go and where his seed might spill. No.

Pre-cum is beading on the head of his cock, so I decide to test that theory for myself. It’s all fun and games until Claudia gets burned, after all. So I gently dab a finger on the droplet of moisture. It feels extremely warm, but not so much that I worry it’ll burn me.

And then, because I’m curious, I lean in to taste him.

Warmth bursts on my tongue at the same time I hear his ragged intake of breath. I’m not prepared for the sweet spice of his flavor. I’ve been around the block a few times, and I don’t remember a blow job tasting anything like this. Kael’s spicy scent seems to be magnified a thousand times in the taste of him, and it’s delicious and addicting.

Unfair that he should taste so good. It would be so much easier to push him away whenever he wanted to touch me if he sucked at sex, had a tiny dick, and tasted bleachy and unpleasant.

I can’t help my little exclamation of delight, and I wrap my hand around his length again. I need to stop. Heck, I need to calm the fuck down. I want to be the one giving pleasure, because I don’t want to have sex with him again. Maybe I can make him so addicted to blowjobs that he’ll never have to bite his way through an orgasm again. If he tastes like this, I can live with that, and quite happily, too. I drag my tongue over the head of his cock, lapping up the beads of liquid there. And I clench my thighs tightly together, because I don’t want him to smell how aroused this is making me.

I need to remain firmly in charge. If I don’t, I’m going to be thrown down on this floor and fucked, just like before. And just like before, he’s going to scare and hurt me.

So I focus on making him come and come fast. Tell me what you like, I send to him, testing out our mental bond even as I let my lips explore his length.

Everything, comes the ragged reply. Everything you do to me, I like.

You taste really good, I tell him, and drag my tongue along a thick vein on his cock. I might have to do this more often. It’s the truth—I’m loving the spicy, almost peppery taste of his pre-cum. I’m loving the hot feel of his skin against mine. He’s so big my fingers can’t quite wrap around him all the way, and long enough that I know I’m never going to be able to take all of him in my mouth. His skin is dappled with the scaly pattern here, and ridged along the underside of the crown of his cock to the point that I wonder if they’re still scales, but just smaller and tighter together. I explore all of him with my tongue, even the heat of his sac. He’s completely hairless everywhere, but when I drag my tongue over the soft skin there, I feel a striated sort of resistance, like scales.

And I can feel it in my mind when he groans, shocked with pleasure. Claudia. Your mouth. You will make me spill.

That’s the idea, big guy, I send back, and kiss my way back to the head of his cock. I swirl my tongue over it and then pull him in, feeding his big length into the hot well of my mouth. I can feel his shocked reaction, and then he sends a visual to my mind of him pushing his cock into me, inch by slow inch, and the ecstasy on my face as he does.

A moan escapes me. That is so not fair. He holds himself so still that if it wasn’t for our mental link, I wouldn’t know if he was enjoying this at all. Time to play a little unfair myself.

So I continue to blow him, taking him as deep as I dare and tightening the suction as I stroke him back and forth over my tongue, trying to shuttle him like he’s fucking my mouth. I send visuals of my own, too. Of him putting his hands into my hair and twisting his fingers in the red curls of it. Of him guiding my head, pushing me to take more and more of him, deeper and deeper. Of him fucking my mouth with rocking motions of his hips, and me loving it so much that I slide a hand between my thighs and begin to touch myself—

I can hear his muffled gasp, can feel the moment that his control breaks. The low growl starts in his throat again, but I’m not afraid. He’s here in this moment with me. I can feel the connection between us, and when one big hand palms my head, I feel nothing but excitement. Yes. Yes. Feed me your cock. Fuck my mouth like you would my cunt. I’m so turned on by my own visuals that I’m squirming on the floor, unable to sit still.

I’m in the moment with him as he guides my head, fucking my mouth with big, sure strokes. I feel the prick of his claws against my scalp, but I’m unafraid. It just adds to the edge of excitement, and when his movements become jerky and spasmodic, his breath more rasping, I’m encouraging him to lose control. Spill, I demand. Let me taste you. I want to feel you come in my mouth. And I send to him filthy visuals that leave no doubt as to what I’m thinking.

He comes with a groan, and his body shakes. My mind fills with an explosion of pleasure, and I’m surprised by it, as well as the sudden burst of spicy come in my mouth. I struggle to drink all of him down, but there’s more volume than I anticipated, and by the time his eyes open a slit, I’m wiping dribbles off my chin, which only gives him more satisfaction. I sense it pulsing in my mind.

My mate, he practically purrs in my head.

I don’t say anything to that, just wipe at my lips. I’m exhausted and achy from the mental battering of our thoughts melding together, but it almost feels like I came, too. The achy wetness between my thighs tells me otherwise, but I can live with that.

Breathing hard, Kael pulls me to my feet. He tugs me against him, and his mouth claims mine again in a fierce kiss that tells me he’s not quite done, not just yet. And I’m full of need, but at the same time, that’s as far as I want to go for now. The blowjob was so he wouldn’t want sex, not an appetizer for the main course.

So I push away, putting a hand to his chest. “No. Wait.”

He pulls away. Of course he does. He always pulls away when I say no. He leans in and simply brushes his lips against mine. I like tasting you. Can I do that? When I nod, he kisses my mouth again. Do humans do this much? Press mouth to mouth?

I can feel myself blushing, for some reason, as if I worry my explanation will seem silly to him and he won’t want to do it anymore. I’d be sad if we stopped kissing, I think. He does it exceptionally well. “It’s a sign of affection between mates,” I tell him. That seems like the easiest explanation for it.

So when you pressed your mouth to me, you were accepting me as your mate? Satisfaction wafts through his thoughts.

Oh dear. “Not quite. People kiss just to try out their partner. It doesn’t always mean that you’ll take someone as a mate.”

He growls low in his throat, jaw hardening as he gazes down at me. Have you done this ‘kiss’ to many humans?

“Not many,” I admit. When he looks displeased still, I give his chest a little push. “Quit being so possessive.”

He steps back, giving me space, and considers me. A moment later, he pulls me close and nuzzles at my neck again, affectionate. I am sorry, Claudia. Your ways are strange to me, but I will learn them. Some are quite pleasurable.

Yeah, they are. Especially when they come from him. But I don’t know that I should commit to being his mate. “Kael…”

Claudia, he tells me softly, my name the barest whisper. I know you do not wish to be my mate and that I scare you. I can smell your fear.

I shiver, a little worried at how he’s going to react. “You smell everything.” I remember him smelling my arousal. Just thinking about that is embarrassing.

How can I not? His claws caress my cheek, curve along my chin. You are everything to me. I am attuned to your happiness. When you are sad, I feel it. When you are aroused, it arouses me even more. You are brave and strong despite your fragile kind. You please me. I will do whatever it takes to make you happy, but I will not let you leave my side. You are my mate, and you belong with me.

“And what if I wanted to leave you? What if that’s what would make me happy?”

I wait for him to freak out, but he only caresses my cheek again. I would convince you otherwise. I would put my mouth on your cunt and lick that small hot bead nestled there until you beg to stay in my arms.

Heat floods through me. Such a blatant statement, and it makes me wet. But if he keeps turning me on, I’m worried I won’t be able to push him away if he wants more than the blowjob I just gave him. So I make a daring call and decide to tell him the truth. “You hurt me when we had sex. I didn’t like it.”

Kael’s eyes flare to black, and he goes still against me. I hurt you?

“When you bit me.” My hand goes to my neck. “Still feels hot.”

He relaxes, and the claws caress my skin again. That is the giving of fire. We do not bestow it every time we have sex. It is like your kiss—you do it to claim your partner.

“Well, I didn’t like it. And I don’t like being claimed.”

I will make it so you like it, he vows. Tell me what I can do to please you. Shall I lay you down and press my mouth to your woman’s flesh? I can smell your need. You like the mental images I send to you.

Are there no secrets from a dragon? That’s gonna take some getting used to. “You want to please me, huh?”

More than anything. His swirling eyes are an intense gold, tinged with blackness at the edges. He’s aroused, but more than that, he’s attuned to what I want.

And I have to think. What do I want? I want Amy. I want Sasha to be safe. But if I can’t have that for now, I need to focus on what’s in front of me. What would make me more comfortable to be here? I never imagined in a million years that I’d be taking a dragon as my ‘mate,’ but I guess I never thought big or crazy enough. Okay, if I’m going to think big and crazy, I’m going to go all out. “I want a home.”

This makes him pause. I have claimed this territory. Is this not acceptable as a home?

I shake my head. “It’s not comfortable. I need human things to make this a good place to live. If I’m staying with you—for now—then I want someplace real to sleep. A bed. A bath. Something to eat. Coffee. Things like that. I can’t live like this.” I gesture at the wreck of the tower. If anything, it’s even worse since we arrived, because Kael likes to land on ledges, and they crumble inward, spilling rock and concrete. “This is not a place where my people sleep comfortably. I want that.”

You wish a nest? I can hear pride in his thoughts. To make a home with me? I would enjoy nothing more, my Claudia.

For some reason, his pleasure at my request makes me happy. If I can’t have Amy and Sasha, I can at least not live like a damn animal. “I do want a home. And a bath. And something to eat.”

And time to get used to the concept of being his mate.

Satisfaction flashes in his eyes. Tell me what you would like first, and I will make it happen.

23

CLAUDIA

So…we go shopping.

The good thing about Old Dallas is that it’s super spread out. The city itself is completely ruined. Fort Dallas—the only settlement left for miles and miles around—occupies a tiny slice of the landscape, and the rest is left to scavengers, nomads, and wild animals. Oh, and dragons, of course. Can’t forget them. But because it’s so unsafe to venture far from Fort Dallas, and you can’t get far on foot, everything close to the fort itself is completely picked over. The farther out you go, the more choices you have.

And with a dragon? I can go really damn far out.

I don’t have to worry about running into outlaw nomads who’ve been exiled from their forts. I don’t have to worry about running into wild animals. I don’t have to worry about dragon attacks. I’m protected. I don’t have to worry about how far I can walk, either—Kael can take me wherever. The thought’s a little exhilarating.

I give Kael a few mental images of the types of buildings I’m looking for, and he grabs me in his claws and flies, circling the city until we find the right place. We land at a furniture store that’s not completely ruined, and I bounce on beds and sit on couches, testing everything out. There’s dust, but the roof is whole (or was until Kael ripped it open for me) and so the contents inside are unblemished by time. I pick out the first piece I want, and Kael grabs it with one foreleg and me in the other, and we fly back to our office tower. I’ve decided we’ll stay in the crappy office building because the parts with a roof seem to be decent, plus I really like the running water. I’m just going to decorate.

I sit in my chaise while Kael flies back to the furniture store and grabs the bed and mattresses I picked out. It’s silly how happy the sight of them makes me, but when he gently sets down the big wooden bed and tosses the mattress down, I don’t even mind that it’s got holes in it because he had to carry it in his mouth. I have a bed. A real bed. And a mattress. I fling myself onto it and lie flat on my back.

I never thought beds would be a perk to living with a dragon, but it seems that they are.

Once I have a sofa, a chair, and a bed, I rearrange a few of the unbroken bits of office furniture and make a dining table, just because. Kael flings the rest of what I don’t want out of my new ‘apartment’, and it’s kind of fun to just fling shit over the side of the building and watch it disappear.

Next, we find one of the big-box stores that’s not too picked over, and I rummage around with a shopping cart, looking for cleaning supplies, linens, and dishes. Kael’s great at feeding me, but I’d like to not have to gnaw on dinner at every meal. If I’m gonna have a place, I want a legit apartment.

And no matter how much crap I ask for, Kael is happy to get it for me. It takes all day for me to be satisfied with the acquisitions we’ve made, but by the end of the day I have an ‘apartment’ full of stuff to make a home, and a task list that seems to be growing by the minute.

I’m happy, though. I’m happy with everything we’ve grabbed. Hell, I have more stuff now than I ever did back in Fort Dallas. And I shouldn’t be quite so pleased with material things, but…I am. Maybe it’s because I’ve gone without for so long, but the sight of wrapped packages of bedding and unchipped ceramic cups for morning coffee (and heck, morning coffee) make me so happy. I sigh over my things and can’t stop petting them.

My stomach chooses to growl as I pull a set of bedsheets out of some plastic wrapping.

Warm hands wrap around my waist, and Kael comes up to me from behind, newly changed into his human form. His fingers slide under my shirt, brushing over my stomach in a caress that makes my senses leap. My mate is hungry.

Hungry, I agree. And tired and dirty.

I really am starving…but I’m super filthy, too, and I’m trying to decide which one is more annoying. I look at the grime streaking my arms. Most of the stores we’d gone into today (and we’d gone into quite a few) had a heavy layer of dust over everything, and picking through debris to find stuff that wasn’t destroyed meant digging to find less-damaged items at the bottom of heaps. I’m pleased with what I got, but I’m also sweaty and exhausted. Kael, however, seems to be full of endless amounts of energy, always ready to do more at the snap of my fingers.

My ‘apartment’ is coming together, but there’s no tub here. It’s the only thing I’m missing. Maybe we can find a claw-footed one tomorrow, but for today, enough is enough. “I wish we knew of someplace that we could get a nice hot bath. Or a shower. I’d take either.” I’d even nabbed soap and shampoo in preparation for that. A sink bath will just have to do.

You wish to clean? I know of a place.

I turn in his arms, excited. “You do?”

I do. It will please you to go there?

“Very much.” I smile up at him. “I’m filthy and disgusting.”

You are lovely. Other dragons would be jealous to see my mate. His eyes whirl brilliantly, and he brushes his knuckles over my cheek.

Flattering words, but they also make me nervous. I don’t want to think of other dragons. If everything falls as it normally does, there’s supposed to be a red dragon attack over Fort Dallas later today. But we’re not close, and Kael’s big enough to defend me. “Is it safe?”

Always safe with me. I would let nothing harm you. One claw traces my lips, as if he’s fascinated by them.

I shiver, but it’s a good shiver. Even the big claws don’t scare me much anymore. I know he won’t use them against me. “Let me get my things, then.” I slide out of his arms and gather my new soaps and shampoos into a backpack, and then shrug it onto my shoulders. “Ready when you are.”

He leans in and kisses me fiercely one last time before transforming to his dragon form. We’re so domestic, I muse as I lift my arms so he can grasp me by the waist and haul me into his claws. Shopping, decorating, and now getting cleaned up before dinner. He launches his big draconic form off the side of the building, and then we’re in the air.

We’re going to have to talk about a better way of travel, I think, as I push my flying hair out of my face. Dangling in his grip grows more nerve-wracking each time we do it. I know he won’t drop me, but I don’t feel as secure with clothes on, because his grip is less secure with a layer of slippery clothing. It’s either ditch the clothes (which I’m not keen on), or find a better way to fly.

Whatever makes you happy, he tells me, his thoughts affectionate.

I pat his claw, feeling a little pleased at that, too. Maybe we can come up with a harness of some kind, I tell him, and I like the idea. I’m feeling good at the moment. Retail therapy has done a lot for my mood, and so has the thought of an upcoming bath. Actually, what helped the most was this morning’s sexy play…and the fact that he won’t have to bite me every time he wants to mate. Things are looking up.

I’m so lost in thought that when Kael turns and swoops, mid-air, I give a startled yelp and cling to his scales, desperate for traction.

I have you, he soothes. I would never let you fall.

That doesn’t mean I won’t let me fall, though! But I relax a little when his free hand comes around to cradle my legs. Below us, a massive lake spreads out, the water crystalline and lovely. Is…is this where we’re going? I ask him. I don’t know what I’d imagined, but a lake isn’t it. I giggle to myself, because what was I expecting? A carwash? A dragon-sized bathtub? A swimming pool? I’ve seen a swimming pool or two in the After. With no one to balance the chemicals, they’ve turned into murky, mosquito-infested swamps. But this water is crisp and pretty and ripples ever so nicely as we glide in lower. It’s a hot day, and a dip in the lake sounds amazing.

You wish to be dipped? He descends sharply, and my feet skim the water, Kael’s massive shadow blotting out the light of the setting sun.

I shriek, drawing my legs up as high as I can. “No dipping! No dipping!”

A rumble starts low in his chest, and I realize with wonder that he’s laughing. Suddenly, I’m laughing, too, because my dragon has a playful sense of humor, after all.

My dragon?

Where did that thought come from? I squash it instantly and feel a little guilty. Just because I’m content with Kael today doesn’t mean this is going to work out. I have to save Amy. “How about you take us down nice and easy on the shore?”

If you wish, Kael tells me, and there’s definitely amusement in his tone. It makes me feel warm to hear it. The longer I’m with him, the more his personality seems to surface. Is this how he was before the madness crept over him? Confident and amused, as well as fierce and possessive? I wonder what he must have been like back then. I know being here in my world has changed him.

What…what if he went back? Why does that fill me with a gnawing sort of dismay?

Do not worry. I would not go back now, Kael tells me. You are here. I will stay in this place with my mate.

I didn’t know I was thinking so ‘loudly.’ “But you hate it here,” I remind him as we circle back to the sandy shore and begin to descend. “You said it smells awful and it makes your mind crazy.”

My mind is no longer wild now that I have you. And my nostrils are filled with your sweet scent. My mate is here. I have all that I need.

That’s…sweet. I can’t help but feel flattered and pleased to hear it. But what if I’m not always here? What if something happens to me?

Kael’s claws tighten around me.

I squeak in alarm as his thoughts grow fierce, and flashes of madness seep through into my mind. Nothing will happen to my mate. You are mine, Claudia!

“Okay, okay. It was just a rhetorical question.” I stroke a hand over his scales to calm him. “Don’t squeeze me to death.”

His thoughts calm, but mine remain troubled. What will he do if something does happen to me? I’m going to retrieve Amy—it’s not an ‘if,’ it’s a ‘when’—and I worry as to how he’ll react when I do. I can’t stay with a dragon forever…can I? Do I even want to? I’m full of questions and conflicting feelings.

We land gently on the banks of the lake, and there’s a sandy ‘beach’ area that is overgrown and has a few small boats stuck in the reeds a short distance away. I don’t know what lake this is or even what part of Old Dallas we’re in, but it looks inviting enough. Kael sets me down gently and leans in to nuzzle me. I will not let harm come to you. Do not worry, my Claudia.

I pat his large nose. “I know, big guy.” But he can’t control everything, and I can’t, either. And I don’t know what the future will bring.

His claws uncurl from my waist, and then I’m free. A moment later, he flashes into human form, all gorgeous rippling hair and long golden limbs taut with muscle. He stretches, oblivious to his nakedness, and gives the shore a pleased look.

I blink at all the flesh that long stretch reveals to me and feel a little flushed at the sight. “We might want to talk about some pants for you,” I tell him primly. “I don’t know that you should be running around naked all the time.”

Pants?

I toss my backpack down on the weed-filled sand and slip off my boots. “Yes, pants. Like these.” I give my ragged jeans a pat. “They keep you, um, safe.”

He gives my clothing a scornful look. So I should cloak my limbs in material? What good does that serve?

“It protects your skin.”

My skin is hard. Nothing will hurt me. Kael strides to my side, cupping my cheek and nuzzling my neck again, as if he can’t get enough of my scent. You, however, are small and fragile. You should keep wearing these ‘pants’ if it will shield you from wounds, though I find the materials you choose flimsy.

“It’s not just for wounds,” I tell him, amused. “It protects your modesty.”

Modesty? I do not understand this term.

“Obviously,” I say in a dry voice. “Humans do not run around naked, though. It’s a little alarming to other humans.”

Then it is good I am not human, isn’t it? With that, he tugs at my shirt. I do wish to see my mate without these pants, though. I do not like them.

“That’s a shirt,” I correct him, then sigh. “Never mind.” I pull my shirt over my head, only to squeak in surprise when his big hands immediately clasp my bra.

More pants?

I squirm as his fingers tease my breasts, his claws dragging against the worn, lacy fabric of my old bra. “Not pants! That’s a bra. It stops my breasts from bouncing.”

But I like it when they bounce. He looks fascinated as he rubs the small mounds of my breasts with his big hands. That is very attractive in my mate.

I’m having a hard time thinking at the moment, especially with the way his fingertip claws keep grazing over my nipples. “It’s to stop my breasts from bouncing. Apparently men find that distracting on women.”

Ah. This I approve of, then. You are mine, Claudia. He peels a strap from my shoulder. Though I do not want you wearing these pants while we are together. I like to see my mate’s breasts quiver when I touch her. And I like to see these harden. His fingertips brush over one nipple through the fabric.

I suck in a breath and bat his hand away. “You’re in a flirty mood, aren’t you?” Flirting leads to sex, and I’m not sure I’m ready to jump toward sex again, despite his promise not to bite. But at his lascivious grin, I can’t help but smile back. “Your mate wants a bath and dinner before she flirts back, sorry.”

I will allow you to get clean, he agrees. Then I will put my mouth all over you like you did to me, and make you cry out again.

I’m blushing hard at his frank words, and I avoid making eye contact as I finish undressing. Despite his flirtiness and the sexual tension in the air between us, the call of the water is too strong to resist. Baths are rare luxuries in the After, and I plan on enjoying this one. I grab the soap and washcloth and a bottle of shampoo, and head to the water’s edge and dip a toe in. Cool but not cold. Yummy.

I head in to my waist and hear the sound of nearby splashing. I’m surprised to see Kael wading in next to me. “You going to bathe, too?”

I wish to be clean to please my mate. You enjoy cleanliness.

“I do,” I admit. I sink deeper into the water, juggling my bottles. “A lake’s not the epitome of cleanliness, but it’ll do until we figure out how to get a bathtub up into our tower.”

What is a bathtub?

I send him a mental image, complete with bubbles, of me sitting in the tub and washing my hair.

And you wish to have this? He studies me with intense golden eyes.

“Heck yes,” I tell him, then dunk myself in the lake, clutching my soaps. My dirty hair streams into my eyes and I juggle my soaps a moment longer before tossing the soap bars and the washcloth back onto the shore for now. I squeeze out a handful of shampoo and toss the bottle, too. The moment I begin to lather my hair, I can’t help but moan at how good it feels. Even in Fort Dallas, it’s a challenge to stay clean. There’s a public bathhouse, but they charge a fortune for a quick dip, and you have to re-use someone else’s water. And shampoo’s far too expensive for me.

Having this entire lake to myself? Having shampoo?

This is paradise.

I feel Kael’s pleasure before I even hear the rumble emitting from him. A moment later, his hands caress me under the water, sliding over my hips. I’m not even upset at his handsiness, because I like all the attention and affection. It’s probably wrong, but I’m not sure I want to be right.

What is it you are doing? he asks.

I continue to lather my hair. “Washing my hair with shampoo. It feels amazing to get clean again.”

This is another human thing? He caresses my slick breasts, thumbs teasing my erect nipples. I gasp and squirm at the touch, but…I don’t pull away. I don’t know if I want to. You are making the sounds that you made when I was between your legs. I like this. It brings me pleasure.

Does he have to keep bringing that up constantly? Or is he doing it deliberately to make me blush? “Yes, well, I’m enjoying getting clean. And if you’re going to rub your hands on me, why not soap them up?” That way I can be totally justified in allowing him to manhandle me. It’s totally for cleanliness, not because his big, strong hands feel good. Just cleanliness.

Show me how to do this soap.

I dunk my head to rinse it free of shampoo, then wipe the water from my eyes. “How about I show you how to clean up, okay, big guy?” I wade to shore and grab the bottle of shampoo, then head back out to his side and gesture at his thick shock of hair. “You’ll need to get that wet.”

He immediately flings himself into the water and resurfaces a moment later, hair dripping.

I can’t help it—I laugh. “You don’t do anything by halves, do you, Kael?”

He grins at me, showing a flash of sharp teeth. It feels good to relax with him for a change, to have a moment of relief amidst all the stress of the world. Right now, our world exists purely in the confines of an outdoor bath. I’m enjoying myself. I’m not thinking about tomorrow or what the future holds. I’m just having fun in the water with the guy I’m attracted to.

“Lean in,” I tell him, and when he does, I squirt a dollop of precious shampoo onto his thick hair. I re-cap the bottle and toss it aside, then begin to rub the shampoo into his hair, massaging his scalp. He rumbles with pleasure, his arms wrapping around me, hands moving to my ass. He pulls me up against his thick erection, hidden by the water. “No,” I say with a laugh. “Not right now, Kael. This is about getting clean.”

I wish to put my mouth on you and pleasure you, Claudia. It would bring me much pleasure. I hunger for your taste.

My laugh dies in a breathless gasp, and my mind fills with images of him, his big hands pushing my knees forward as he licks my pussy ravenously.

Oh, mercy.

“Bathing,” I remind him. “We’re bathing right now.” But the words come out breathless, and I can’t seem to stop touching him under the pretense of washing, even as he nuzzles at my wet neck, his hands flexing against my butt.

Can I not hold you while I bathe? I enjoy it.

“You can…” I breathe. He lifts his head, and I see that his eyes are swirling with the black of desire. He leans closer to me, and his mouth captures mine, even as he pulls me flush against him once more.

My Claudia. I sense your arousal. The scent of it hungers me. His tongue strokes against mine, a mimic of his cock, and I whimper. Let me taste you.

“You have shampoo in your hair,” I tell him softly. Even now it runs down his forehead into his eyes.

He releases me and dunks under the water again, shaking his head furiously. A moment later he pops up again and then clasps me close, water streaming down his big, golden body. Now I will taste you.

I tremble at the intensity in his thoughts. I run one hand down his shoulders, feeling his muscles and considering his big body. We stand in hip-high water, out in the open. Anyone could see us. More than that, I suspect that he wants more than just oral. He’s going to want sex, and this is a slippery slope.

I’m full of desire…and fear. “I don’t know.”

As if sensing my thoughts, Kael brushes his mouth over my cheek. “Claudia…” he murmurs aloud, startling me. Then, in my mind, he says, I wish only to bring you pleasure. There does not have to be pleasure for Kael in this joining. I simply want to taste my mate and enjoy her flavor. Let me do this.

I shudder, clinging to his wet skin as his hands settle at my waist again. I can’t decide…and yet, I’m not leaving. So maybe I’ve decided, after all. He waits a moment and then leans in to kiss me again. When he kisses me, I open my mouth to his, acquiescing to his dominance.

One big hand slides down my belly, gliding down my wet flesh. He finds my mound and cups me there and breaks the kiss. I gaze up at him, hardly daring to breathe. The look on his face traps my gaze, all delicious black swirls of intensity.

And he presses a finger in, stroking into the curls of my sex and between my pussy lips.

I moan, arching against him.

He continues to rub me, mindful of his claws, and I feel him dip into my core, where I’m aching with need.

You are hot and slick with mating juices, my Claudia. He rubs his finger up and down the folds of my pussy, wetting me with my own need. Feel how wet you are. That is not just water. That is my Claudia.

And he lifts his hand to his mouth and licks his fingers, his intense gaze still on my face.

I can feel the pleasure that rolls through his mind and whimper at the intensity of it. My Claudia, he tells me. Nothing tastes better than your sweetness. Let me lick you.

Here? Now?

Now, he agrees. He pulls me into his arms and heads for the shore of the lake. I will lay you down under me, spread your thighs, and feast upon your beauty.

My body trembles with the intensity of his thoughts, and his gaze pins me as he gently lays me down on the sandy shore. Then he looks down on me, full of admiration.

So beautiful, my Claudia. My mate is lovely.

He bends over and runs his mouth lightly down my stomach, caressing me. His big hands move to my thighs and pulls them wide, parting me for his attentions. His pleasure storms through my mind again, and I moan even before his hot breath fans over my pussy.

As I watch, he studies my folds and then leans in. His tongue snakes out and flicks over my flesh, giving me a quick taste. Then he rumbles with pleasure and sinks against me, his mouth burying between my thighs. I gasp in response, startled by the onslaught of sensations. Whatever I feel is being mixed with the thoughts he’s allowing to leak from his own mind, and it’s like my pleasure is being amplified by his. I can feel how erotic it is for him to taste me, how wild it makes him.

I writhe against his mouth as he begins to give my clit long, slow strokes with his rough tongue, lapping at it slow and steady. My moaning turns to panting, and he increases the movements of his tongue, faster and faster. When he begins to rumble low in his chest again, I can’t help but gasp because it makes things feel even better—the vibrations moving through his mouth seem to transfer directly to my clit. My hands go to his head, and despite myself, I’m clinging to his hair as he works my pussy with his mouth. I savor every long stroke of his tongue, every flick, every swirl, every rasp against that most sensitive of spots. He begins to increase the intensity and pressure of his licking, as if sensing that I need more.

Of course he senses it, I realize breathlessly. He’s connected to me in our minds. I send him what I want, frantic with need, and a moment later, he sucks on my clit.

I come with a rush, crying out his name. My muscles clench tight, and I give a small scream of pleasure even as he continues to lick and suck at my clit, dragging out my orgasm. The world explodes in a haze where only Kael’s mouth exists and I’m oblivious to everything else.

Slowly, I come down from my orgasm, panting. My body gradually feels as if it’s uncurling from the tension, and I lie on the sand, panting and trying to catch my breath. That had been wickedly intense. I glance down and see Kael is still between my thighs, gazing up at me with an expression I’ve come to think of as pure possessive male.

I enjoyed that, Kael tells me. Very much.

“What about you?” I tense a little in asking, but I need to know.

I receive my pleasure from the touch of your mind against mine. His claws idly stroke my inner thighs, possessive. The touch of your body against my own. I will give you my seed at another time, when you are less frightened of me. Until then, I am content to taste of your body. He leans in and gives me a wicked look, mouth hovering close to my pussy. Shall we do it again?

A weak laugh escapes me. “You’re going to kill me.”

He frowns, all playfulness disappearing. You are that fragile?

“Figure of speech. It wouldn’t really kill me. It’s just a saying.”

Your speech is…charming. He slowly licks the ticklish skin of my inner thigh. We do not use physical speech as often as your kind. It is not convenient.

I shiver at his touch, nerves jolting in response. “Am I…very different than your women?” I brush my fingers through his wet hair. I feel extremely touchy-feely at the moment. Who wouldn’t be after the kind of attention I’d just received?

The rumble of his amusement vibrates through my legs. In many ways.

“How?” I’m genuinely curious…and a little miffed. Is it bad that I’m different? “I’ve never seen one.”

You have. Have you not seen the red dragons in the skies?

I go still. “The reds? The reds are female?” I knew they were smaller, more plentiful…and extremely aggressive. Most of the dragon attacks that decimated the cities were done by hordes of red dragons. I never thought they were the females, though. The idea is staggering with its implications.

They are. Red is a mating color for the drakoni. They turn red when they wish to attack a male. Aggression is a sign of mating.

If that’s the case, there are a lot of dragons looking for a mate. “They always attack in patterns. They wait a few days… Do you know why?”

The madness is worst when the mating heat is upon you. This world makes them constantly aggressive.

“I don’t understand… Why not take one of them as a mate? They’re your kind. You didn’t have to steal me.”

The females are…changed by this world. They will not let a male close enough to fight for dominance. If they are not conquered, they cannot change to their two-legged form to mate. We do not mate in our battle-form, and females do not carry young in their battle-form.

“Battle-form?”

He shifts his weight suddenly, and the sun is blotted out as the massive dragon-form moves over me, dwarfing my body. This is my battle-form.

“Your dragon form,” I say, understanding now. I’m relieved when he shifts back, returning to his—mostly—human form. “Why such a difference in sizes between your two-legged form and your battle-form?”

He shrugs, the movement fluid and graceful. I knew once. I do not know it any longer. It has been lost to the madness. I have lost much of my mind to this world.

Such a terrible thing. And yet…I can’t help but ask. “Did you have family back on the other side of the Rift?”

I do not remember. He watches my face. This troubles you?

I flick a few grains of sand off my belly and try to pretend confidence. “And a mate? Did you have a mate?” It shouldn’t matter to me, but for some reason, it really, really does.

Never. You are the only mate for me. I do not remember much, but I remember this. My venom will only produce for one female. You are her for me.

I hate that I’m absurdly pleased. I hate that I’m also pleased that our minds are connected and I know he’s telling the truth. Still, I worry that he might not be better with a drakoni female. If he only gets one mate, it kind of sucks for him that he’s stuck with me. “I don’t understand why you picked me to be your mate. You should have found a drakoni female.”

I will take no one but you, Claudia. His grip tightens around my hips, and he leans his mouth against the vee of my pussy. Shall I convince you that you are the one for me once more?

I protest…but only a little. And after a moment’s persuasion, I don’t protest a bit.

24

CLAUDIA

Cooking’s definitely easier with a dragon around, I decide that evening.

I yawn as I turn the spitted chunk of cow haunch over my campfire area. I’m burning some old papers I found in the office, and Kael makes it easy to get a fire. It’s not a great fire because I don’t have real fuel, but it’s a fire. I toss another technical manual onto the fire itself, and the flames flicker low, so I gesture for Kael to fix it. He immediately changes to dragon form, tilts his head low, and blows flame on the fire, and then switches back to human form and puts his arms around my waist, pulling me into his lap. We’re getting better at cooking as a team, I think. Kael’s learning not to char my food while it’s still running away (bonus!), and I’m learning not to freak out at his hunting methods. Earlier today, he listened when I told him not to kill the cow messily, and he let me butcher my chunk before he ate his portion.

Progress. Small, but progress.

I curl up in his arms while my meat cooks, and he strokes my hair and runs his claws up and down my arm, making a contented rumble in his chest. This? This is not so bad. This is actually kind of delicious—I have a hot guy, lots of food, and an awesome new room. I don’t have to worry about where I’m sleeping, if there’s enough food to last the week, or if someone’s going to break in and try to jack our stuff. My biggest worry is whether or not I can ever get Kael to wear pants, and if I even want him to, because he’s warm and snuggly with all this hot, bare skin against me. I’m getting kind of used to his nakedness, just like I’m getting used to his possessive, savage nature.

I’m…happy. For the moment. I know this won’t last. I know none of this can last. There’s still Amy and Sasha to worry over, and the future. There’s biting and sex. There’s Fort Dallas and what to do if they never let me back. There are a million things niggling at me.

But for tonight, I’m just going to enjoy the scent of my roasting meat, snuggling in the lap of my guy, and later, I’m going to sleep on my awesome new bed.

When my stomach is full of roasted meat, I lean back against Kael’s big, broad chest and lick my fingers. “We’re going to have to hunt down a spice rack,” I tell him. “And maybe a garden somewhere.”

Whatever you wish. He rubs his nose along the shell of my ear.

“I knew you’d say that.”

Because you know I would do anything for you.

I smile, because it’s true. It’s weird to feel so oddly…happy after being exiled from Fort Dallas and the only life I know. I feel a little guilty that my stomach’s full, my surroundings are luxurious (compared to the old broken school bus I’ve lived in for the past five years), and I’ve had really great orgasms several times this afternoon.

It’s growing harder to find fault with being Kael’s mate.

Everything I’ve ever known has taught me that dragons are the enemy. They murder and destroy. Millions—no, billions have died to dragon attacks. But the one holding me in his arms right now is nipping at my ear playfully and takes care of me better than I could ever imagine. He’s sweet to be around, and I like his sense of humor. I keep mentally trying to prepare myself for what’s going to happen when life gets back to normal. When I return to my sister and he goes back to the skies.

Because this can’t work. Dragon and human can’t be happy together, just like a shark and a seal. One’s a predator and the other one’s a snack. Something will happen, and this house of cards will come tumbling down.

Every time I think about that, though, the ache in my breast grows a little bit sharper.

I can’t be falling in love with a dragon. I just can’t.

25

CLAUDIA

I stand in a dark cell, the same jail cell that I’d been held in for over a week, all for snatching a few things from the Scavenge Lands and getting caught. It’s a bullshit sentence, made all the more bullshit by the fact that I’m the only one in the jail. I sit, waiting, but no one comes to get me. My irritation grows, and I pace my cell. Somewhere in the distance, Amy is sobbing as if her heart would break. The sound makes me frantic, and I continue pacing, waiting to be let out.

But no one comes. No one ever comes. All the while, Amy’s tears escalate, until there’s nothing I can hear except my sister’s misery.

I storm to the metal door and bang on it. “Let me out!” I scream. “This is a mistake!”

“No mistake,” someone calls back to me.

“But my sister! She’s crying!” I pound on the door again.

“Don’t you worry about her anymore,” the guard calls from a distance. “She’s ours. You gave her up.”

“No! I want her!”

“Then you should have thought of that before you fucked the dragon.” The voice is hard, cruel. Familiar. The captain of the militia? I try to peer out the door of the jail cell, but the small window is foggy. I can’t see anything but a vague outline of a man.

“You can’t hold me here. My sister needs me!”

“She doesn’t need you. You’ve chosen who you want to be with, and it’s not humans.” The voice is full of scorn.

“He’s not like the others!”

“Isn’t he? Isn’t he exactly like the others?”

And I can’t deny it, because he is. Just because he’s my dragon doesn’t mean he’s not a murderer. “I didn’t have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice, traitor,” he tells me. “You could choose to help your people, and instead you’re running off with a dragon.”

“No,” I tell him, running my hands over the walls of my cell. “I don’t love the dragon,” I lie. “I’m with the humans. Let me see my sister.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m here!” I yell louder. “I’m here in the Fort with you, and I want to see my sister.”

“No, you’re not,” the man says, and his voice seems to change, turn deeper. It comes from all around me, and the walls of my jail cell smooth out. I fall backward, only to realize that the walls have turned golden. And warm. And they’re moving.

I’m no longer in the jail cell. I’m in the belly of the dragon. My dragon.

He’ll let me out, though. I pound on the wall with a flat hand. “Kael! Let me out!”

You said you didn’t love me, the dragon rumbles all around me. That you have no choice. You care nothing for me.

That’s not true, I tell him. I love you. But I love my sister, too. Please, please help me rescue her.

You have to choose.

“Choose?”

Choose me, or choose Amy. You cannot have us both.

Amy’s sobbing grows louder, even through the walls of the dragon’s stomach. I can’t choose. I don’t know how to get to my sister. I don’t know how to get out of the dragon’s stomach. “I can’t choose! Why are you making me?”

I am a murderer, like you said. I have killed thousands of people and flamed all of Old Dallas. I cannot live with people. You must choose them, or you must choose me.

“I don’t know if I can.”

Then you lose me.

“I don’t want that! Can’t I have you and my sister both?”

But Amy’s sobbing is moving farther and farther away.

Choose, Kael tells me.

The walls begin to close in, even as Amy’s sobbing recedes. I shake my head frantically, but they continue to close tighter and tighter around me.

Choose!

“I can’t choose! I can’t!”

Then I’m in Kael’s arms and we’re high above the city. Kael drops me, releasing me from his claws. I tumble through the air, falling, falling, falling…

Then you lose everything…

Falling…

I WAKE UP WITH A GASP, sitting bolt upright in the bed. My body is covered in sweat, and there’s no air in my lungs. I suck in deep breaths, trying to calm down. A heavy arm rests across my hips and tightens, drawing me back.

Kael, in his human form. He lies next to me in the bed, his eyes closed, attempting to pull me closer and return to sleep. I am here. Sleep. You are safe.

But the dream won’t stop cycling through my mind, flashing over and over again. I pull out of his grip and slide off the side of the enormous bed. Moonlight trickles in through holes in the ceiling of the wrecked building, adding a ghostly light. To think that I’d laughed about those holes earlier, calling them skylights. Now I see them and wonder what dragon clawed his way through on the roof. Was he trying to get to the people trapped inside?

Was it Kael that destroyed this building and murdered everyone inside?

I hug my arms to my chest. This is wrong. All wrong. To think that I’d been so content earlier because I’d gotten a bath, some cuddles, and some furniture. How fucking cheaply I sell myself and my loyalties. I haven’t even tried to rescue Amy—hell, I spent the better part of an hour earlier today trying to figure out how to get Kael to boil water for the precious bag of coffee beans that I found.

I’m trading my sister’s freedom for a few orgasms and coffee beans.

Amy’s trapped. She’s imprisoned and miserable. Poor Sasha’s all alone—a bad way for a woman to be in Fort Dallas. Neither of them is safe. I close my eyes, and in my mind, I can still hear Amy’s miserable sobbing.

God, what am I doing here? Setting up house with a dragon? Dragons are the enemy. They’re the ones that caused all the problems we’ve got. And I can’t go home, because Kael’s decided that he owns me.

For a moment, I resent everyone. Kael, for putting me in this position. Sasha, for not being strong enough to take care of herself. Amy, because if I didn’t have to worry over her, I could be happy out here with a dragon.

When do I get to do what I want to do?

A large, scorchingly hot body presses up against my own, startling me. Kael’s heat immediately moves over my skin. It’s not blindingly, uncomfortably hot like before, but oddly comforting. Comforting, I suppose, because he’d bitten me so he can claim me any time he wants. And that makes me go all sour inside.

He tries to pull me against him.

I push him away. “Don’t touch me.”

I can feel the surprise in his thoughts. Claudia? What is it?

My heart hurts, but I have to think of Amy. “I don’t want you to touch me anymore.”

You are my mate, he tells me, and the possessiveness returns to his thoughts, nearly black with intensity. I will touch you.

“I don’t want to be a dragon’s mate.” I try to push away from him, but his arms only tighten around me. “You never asked me what I wanted.”

You enjoy it when I put my mouth on you, Claudia. His eyes are dark and glittering black with emotion. You cried out for me to touch you earlier. You pushed my face between your thighs and demanded I lick you. Did I imagine that?

Okay, maybe I’d done that a few times in the second round. Or third. Whatever. I push at his chest. “You’re a dick to bring that up. Let me go.”

But he only sweeps me into his arms and moves back toward the bed, ignoring my struggles. You say you do not wish to be my mate? I will show you that you do.

Fear—and desire—shoot through me, dual emotions. My hand curls into a fist, and I hammer at his shoulder even as he carries me to the bed. “I want you to put me down!”

A moment later, I thump onto the bed, flat on my back. Kael looms over me, eyes gleaming in the darkness of the small room that we’ve made into a bedroom. Shall I prove to you how much you want my mouth on your flesh? My tongue sweeping over that little nub of flesh that you enjoy so much? Tasting all of you?

“No!” But a small part of me is screaming yes, is turned on by this show of strength. Deep inside, I love that I can’t push him around. That I’m never in charge. Sometimes I’m so tired of being in charge. Being with him is almost freeing—except that it fucks over Amy and Sasha.

Big hands jerk at my tightly clenched knees, spreading my legs wide and exposing my pussy to him. I both hate and love that I grow immediately wet when he gazes down on me. And when his nostrils flare and he gives me a knowing look, I feel ashamed I’m so obvious. I’m a big hypocrite. I know I am. But I can’t look away as he licks his lips and bends over my pussy, as if preparing to feast. I jerk against his hand as he spreads my folds with careful fingers and leans in. His scorching, raspy tongue sweeps over my clit, and he gives a low rumble of pleasure in his throat.

The taste of you tells me that you enjoy my touch, my mate. I will make your legs tremble with so much pleasure that you will not be able to push me away. You will beg me for more. And he licks me hard again.

Shudders ripple through me, shudders of pleasure mixed with intense guilt. A sob breaks in my throat, and I press a hand over my eyes as I begin to cry. I hate it, but he’s right. I love the feel of his mouth against me, the dangerous power in him…and knowing he can be so very gentle with me, his entire being focused on giving me pleasure.

And that just makes things worse, because I don’t know what to do. About anything. I’m fucked if I love him, and I’m broken if I don’t. I continue sobbing, inconsolable.

Kael strokes my cheek with the backs of his knuckles, ever so gently. You weep? he asks, and I can feel his confusion, anger, and helplessness. This is ‘no’?

This is no, I agree, not trusting my voice. I don’t care what my body says. My mind says no.

I…have made you cry. Remorse pulses through his mind, so thick that it permeates my own thoughts. My Claudia. Forgive me.

To my surprise, he pulls me from the bed and gathers me in his arms, holding me in a tight, oddly comforting hug. I don’t know how he knew that I needed a hug, but it helps. I burrow my face against his chest and let the tears flow.

26

CLAUDIA

The next morning, we don’t speak of things. Kael’s in a foul mood, though he had woken up early enough to catch breakfast for me and woke me with a roasted haunch of…something. I don’t ask what it is or how it died. I don’t want to know.

My own mood isn’t exactly stellar, either. I’m tired after our fight last night and sick with worry over poor Amy. I have to do something about my sister, soon. I can’t leave Amy there, and I can’t go back, either. I realize that now. It’s not that I’m dying to get back to a life of scrounging for the next bite to eat and sleeping in the back of a too-hot school bus, surrounded by a city full of unscrupulous, hardscrabble scavengers that try to take whatever you have, including your body. But…Fort Dallas is the devil I know. It’s familiar, it’s safe (mostly), and there are no surprises, except for the occasional out-of-pattern dragon attack.

And since I’ve ‘tamed’ Kael, I guess I’ve fixed some of that.

You’re welcome, Fort Dallas.

I worry about Sasha, too. She does what she has to in order to survive, and I hope she hasn’t put herself in danger. I don’t like to think of my friend willingly letting someone hurt her just for a few bites of food.

And Amy. Poor, fragile Amy. I picture my sister, her pale blonde hair, wide eyes, and bad leg that makes every step a slow limp. She won’t be able to survive without me. She’s too shy, too frightened of the world. It’s a scary, brutal place in the After, and Amy doesn’t have the personality to make it. She’s too trusting.

I simply have to do something. I think hard about this as I pick at my breakfast. I’m trying to eat it, since Kael was thoughtful enough to bring it, and meat should never be wasted, but I have no appetite. I’m sick with worry. A shadow flicks overhead, and I glance up, expecting to see gold wing.

Except…Kael is in the room with me.

A flick of red tail seen through one of the holes in the ceiling makes me tense. A red. A female. They’re completely lost to the madness. I stiffen in fear. It’s time for a dragon attack. I’ve lost all track of the patterns, and this one’s taken me by surprise. Very faintly, off in the distance, I hear the wail of the Fort Dallas sirens.

I push my food aside and get to my feet, staggering backward.

What is it, my mate?

“Red dragon,” I stammer, pointing at the sky.

She will not hurt you. She does not sense you as a rival, nor me as a potential mate. My venom has been given.

“O-okay.” I can’t stop trembling at the sight of it, though. The urge to hide is overwhelming.

I will make her leave. Do not fear, my Claudia. He immediately surges to dragon form and springs into the air. I hear his bellow of warning a second later, and the smaller red dragon’s high-pitched shriek of response. The smell of ash is carried in on the wind, and I realize the red’s been flaming the city somewhere. Something’s burning.

Worried, I retreat into the shadows of a nearby room with a protected ceiling and open the supply closet. I shut the door behind me and crouch in a corner, shaking. When dragons attack, the safest place is surrounded by concrete, but this will have to do. I can’t get over how scared I am. I shouldn’t be afraid of dragons anymore, should I? Not with Kael at my side? But the fear is real and vivid, and I’m shaking hard. And because I’m weak and needy, I reach out to Kael’s mind for comfort and reassurance. Kael? Is everything all right?

I am here, he sends, and his thoughts are warm and comforting. Do not fear.

Can you make her leave? I’m scared.

She is crazed, Kael tells me, his own thoughts a bit muddy. I am telling her to leave, but she is having a hard time comprehending. Her mind is nearly gone with madness. It is hard to connect with her.

The stream of his thoughts is interrupted, and I hear him give another low roar, this one more distant, followed by the female’s bellow of response.

Kael? I ask, worried. Are you okay? A tinge of madness creeps into my mind, and I worry that he’s losing control. I don’t like how quiet he is, or the scattered thoughts that are leaking through. It’s like her madness is infecting him. Focus on me, big guy. I’m here. Your Claudia.

My mate. I remember. Thank you. There is warmth and love in his thoughts, and they feel stronger than before.

I relax. I’m here for you, I tell him, though it feels a little silly to tell a big scary dragon that as I huddle in a closet.

She scents my mate on my skin, even though she cannot hear you in my thoughts. A pause then. She is leaving. She will leave my territory to me and seek out other males.

I breathe a sigh of relief, then feel guilty. The red is heading toward Fort Dallas, if the siren is any indication. I can’t chase her off from here to go there. Is she going to the city? Can you direct her away?

Her mind is not there, my mate. I cannot do anything except chase her away from my nest. She does not grasp anything other than I am a claimed male and she must search elsewhere for a mate. After a long moment, I feel a thump as the building rocks and Kael’s large form lands back on the roof. I open the closet door a peep and, daring, scuttle to the next door to peek at the skies. There’s a flash of golden wing, and then a moment later, Kael jumps down from the roof in his naked human glory.

He holds a hand out to me. Come. We have much to do.

I leave the safety of my hidey-hole and step forward, nervous. “Much to do?”

There are other males in the area. It will be safer for you if they imprint your scent. They will know you are claimed and off limits. It will be easier if I am at your side to communicate. Human skin does not hold the mating scent nearly as well. You lose the scent of my skin upon yours after a few days, and it is not safe.

That makes me nervous all over again. How do I get the, um, mating scent on me again? Not a bite, I hope.

His eyes swirl black. I must fill you with my seed.

My eyes narrow. Well, isn’t that just convenient. And if I say no?

He caresses my cheek in a possessive gesture. That is why we are going to go to them. My scent upon you is still faint, but it is there. Soon it will be gone unless you accept me again. This way, we ensure your safety.

I give him a skeptical look and cross my arms over my chest. Sounds like a scam to me. A way to get into my metaphorical panties. ‘Marking’ me and making me safe. Sounds like a dragon tall-tale to me.

It is not a lie. I do not wish for you to lose my scent. I do not want another male to think he can steal you.

A flash of memory creeps into my head, of Kael fighting the other golden dragon and calmly ripping its throat out. “Are you going to have to fight again?”

No. They will smell me on you and be curious, but they will not fight. The other did not smell my claim on you and thought to steal you from me before I could have the chance. Kael’s eyes flare with black emotion. I would not put you in danger, my Claudia.

“All right,” I tell him reluctantly. “Let’s get this over with.”

He leans down to brush his lips over mine, then just as quickly transforms into his dragon form. I’m startled at the impulsive caress and at the pleasurable response it incites despite my tormented thoughts. “What was that for?”

I simply wanted to do so.

If Kael’s hard to read in human form, he’s impossible in dragon form. I eye him a moment longer, then groan in dismay when his massive, clawed foot reaches for me.

He immediately pauses. Are you in pain?

“No.” I step into his outstretched claws, trusting him. “But I hate riding with you like this. It scares me. I don’t feel safe.”

I have no other way to carry you, my mate. And I would never drop you.

“I know. But too bad you don’t come with a saddle.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, an idea forms. “Actually…” I step out of his claws again and move along his side, running a hand lightly down the gleaming scales of his flank. The muscles of his back dip in at the shoulders, but there’s a relatively flat area that would work. “Can you spread your wings for me?”

He does so immediately with a great, leathery flap, extending his wings outward despite the confined interior of the building. As soon as he does, I run a hand along his scales again, feeling the muscles underneath, and gaze up at the spot between his wings. The place I could put a saddle is still fixed despite the unfurling of his great wings. If I set one there, it wouldn’t jostle off the moment he takes flight.

Your hand feels good, he tells me, his thoughts a low purr.

I give his hide a light smack. “Cool it. I’m trying to think.” I consider him for a moment longer and then run a caressing, persuasive hand over his scales. “Would you wear a harness if I made one?”

Would it please you? Then I would.

I smile sadly, wishing I wasn’t so torn. All he wants is to please me. How can I possibly stay mad at that? And yet, his pleasure in being constantly around me means that I’m permanently exiled from Fort Dallas.

And as long as I’m with him, Amy will suffer.

No matter what I choose—Kael or Amy, I end up losing. The thought’s a miserable one.

CLAUDIA

“YOU’RE SQUIRMING,” I tell Kael, and bat a hand at his massive golden shoulder. “Hold still.”

The dragon gives an annoyed grunt, but he does go still. I tighten the massive leather straps crisscrossing his scales, cinch them as hard as I can, and then test them one more time. “Too tight?”

Never.

“Okay, good.” I give the straps one last pat, then step back and admire my handiwork. “Not bad, I think.”

It’s taken most of a day to come up with a harness. I’d sketched out a few ideas on a scrap piece of paper and then gone back and forth, climbing on Kael’s back to determine just how everything should hang. From there, it was a matter of finding an old stable and a saddle that had held together fairly well. From there, we’d rejiggered several of the straps, added ropes and cordage, and the end result was a riding saddle perched squarely between Kael’s shoulders and harnessed in. I even put a saddle blanket underneath the saddle itself, in case it chafed his skin. Scales. Whatever. I have reins of a sort, too. Well, they’re mostly bike handlebars, since I wouldn’t put a bit on him and I want something to hold on to. The nice thing about our telepathic link is that I can guide him with a thought instead of tugging on reins like he’s a horse.

Then there’s nothing else to fuss with. I bite my fingernails then glance over at him. “We ready to do this?”

Of course.

His confidence isn’t helping, though, because he’s always confident. “If I fall off, you’ll catch me, right?” I tighten the bungee harness at my waist and make sure the carabiner is hooked to the ropes crisscrossing Kael’s large body.

I won’t let you fall.

“Sure, sure,” I mutter, and check my waist harness one more time, just in case. If I fall, I’ll still be strapped to him, more or less. It’s a totally jury-rigged set-up, but I figure we can perfect this over time.

And then I frown to myself, because why am I thinking long term? My goal is to get back to Fort Dallas and my sister Amy. But then Kael’s big foreleg wraps around me oh-so-gently, and he pulls me in to nuzzle me with his big snout. You can do this, my mate.

I stroke his nose, feeling a rush of affection for him. “Thank you for the vote of confidence.”

He gives me a hot whuff against my neck, which is the dragon-form equivalent of a kiss, I suppose. And it makes me smile wistfully. When had anyone (other than Amy or Sasha) been so totally focused and devoted to my happiness and care? Even with Amy and Sasha, it’s not the same. We look after each other because we’re family, and that’s what family does.

With Kael, it’s different. So many things are.

I’m torn once more, but now’s not the time to worry about it. I need to quit stalling and get things moving. So I let him pull me closer, and I use his leg to clamber onto his back, sliding into the saddle rather messily. I wiggle into place, gripping the handlebars, and then begin to tie down additional Velcro straps to my legs that I rigged for ‘just in case.’ Being on Kael’s back is broader and a bit wobblier than I expected, and it’s making me even more nervous than before. He’s not used to having a rider. What if he forgets I’m back here?

I won’t forget, he vows. And if you fall, I will catch you. No harm will come to you, my Claudia. I would die first.

Somehow, I know that is the truth. I reach out and stroke a hand along the scales of his neck, and I can feel the heat through them. “I know. I’m just a little worried, that’s all. I’m sure it’ll be fine with time.” I put my hands back on the handlebars and suck in a deep breath. “Okay, let’s give this a whirl.”

Before I can tell him to take things slow, Kael shoots into the air like a cannon. I let out a shriek of surprise as my butt lifts from the saddle, despite all the strapping-in I’ve done, and then thumps back into place a moment later. I cling to the handlebars, but they don’t feel like enough.

But then, Kael extends his wings out to glide, and we get caught on an updraft. Suddenly, we’re soaring high through the skies, and I’m on dragon-back instead of dangling from dragon-claw and…it’s breathtaking. I stare out in wonder at the spread of the city below, the ruins covered in creeping greenery. Birds flick past us, unafraid, as we fly. The sight of them makes me laugh in delight, and my ponytail streams wildly around my face and into my eyes. I shake my head to try to get it out of my eyes, but that doesn’t work so well. I need a braid, I think. Or a hat.

And then a bug flies into my eye, and I shriek again, clawing at my face. Adding goggles to that list, too.

I can feel Kael’s amusement as we soar, sailing leisurely through the skies. Are you all right?

I am, I tell him, once I’ve wiped my eyes a million times. The wind makes them wet with tears, but it doesn’t stop me from staring around in wonder. I feel so…powerful like this.

You like this much better, I can tell.

“I do,” I call out, but my words get eaten away by the wind. No wonder his people are telepaths. I try again. I do. I feel less like a victim and more like a participant. This is fun.

And you are strapped in solidly? Your seat is good?

I keep one hand on the handlebars and give the straps on my legs a few experimental tugs. I think I’m anchored well enough—

The breath chokes out of me when he does a flip in the air, and we go upside down for a brief, horrifying moment. OHMYGODKAEL!

We right a second later, and I can feel the rumble of amusement in him. I shake a fist helplessly at the air. You jerk. You jerk! You scared the crap out of me!

Why? I told you I would not let you fall. But now that you are as close to my skin as one of my scales, I no longer have to worry about your safety nearly as much.

Just about me losing bladder control, I tell him sourly, but I can’t stay mad. This is too much fun.

Shall we keep going?

For once, I’m not desperate to get out of the air and to land. Yes, let’s. I’d love to see more of the city.

Then on we go.

And we bank heavily to one side, turning, and head off into the horizon.

27

CLAUDIA

We fly for at least an hour or two, leisurely gliding over parts of the city I haven’t seen since the Rift opened and humanity went bust. There are suburbs (overgrown), length upon length of highway (overgrown), and lots and lots of charred areas where it’s clear that dragons have come through. I see one fairly intact tall building on the outskirts that I’d love to explore. It even has an old helipad for Kael to easily land on, and it might make a better ‘lair’ for us than the old office building we’ve currently claimed. Out farther in the city, there are a lot more promising scavenge buildings, too. I’ve seen herds of horses and cattle, wild dogs roaming the streets far below. They all scatter at the sight of a dragon hovering overhead.

We even saw a red dragon off in the distance. I’d panicked a little at the sight of it, because I feel vulnerable perched on the ridge of Kael’s shoulders. But the red flew away, completely uninterested in us.

She smells me with my mate, he tells me, so she is not interested.

Funny how simply being with Kael has turned into the ultimate safety net in this strange place our world has become. Once, I would have been terrified at everything I’m seeing, but now it’s just mildly interesting. Nothing can hurt me. Not now, not while I’m with Kael.

I reach out and caress his scales with one wind-chapped, cold hand. Gloves, I think idly. I need gloves next time. As much as I worked, I’m still not prepared for riding dragon-back. Clearly there’s more gear needed than I’d thought.

Still…I’m on freaking dragon-back! How awesome is that? We can fly so far. I’d never be stuck behind the walls at Fort Dallas again, forced to co-exist with a bunch of criminals and obey the militia simply because it’s not safe to be alone. With Kael at my side, I don’t have to worry about that. We can go anywhere. We could go to the western seaboard and see if old California is as destroyed as Texas. Who knows, maybe we could even fly to Hawaii. I used to love the beach. I wonder how long flying across the ocean would take and if there are any dragons on the islands.

Of course, I’d have to find a way to get Amy on dragon-back without scaring the shit out of her. And Sasha, too. I wouldn’t leave them behind—

Be calm, my mate, Kael tells me, interrupting my stream of thoughts. His head lifts, and he stares off into the distance.

Calm? I immediately peer around in the direction he’s looking, alert. Why? What’s wrong?

Nothing is wrong. But we will soon have a visitor. And he flashes a mental image to me that matches the skyline to my left.

I turn, scanning, and see a speck on the horizon. The speck grows steadily larger, and I suck in a breath as I watch it veer around one tall building lazily and then swoop back around again, heading in our direction once more. Sunlight glints off of golden scales.

Oh shit.

I stiffen in my seat, clutching my handlebars as if they’ll somehow protect me. That’s another dragon! Another male! I tell him, panicking.

Calm, Claudia. No one will hurt you. You are with me, and you are my mate. You are safe.

Is he coming after me?

He is…but once he smells that you are mine, he will lose that idea.

You sound so certain.

I am. You smell of my scent. My fire is in your blood. He will know you are claimed. His thoughts carry an unmistakable, languid caress. Hearing it makes me feel a little heated and achy, thinking about what’ll happen when we land and we’re alone again. Now’s not the time to think about that, though. There’s a dragon heading right for us.

There was not an ounce of nervousness in Kael’s thoughts, though, and that makes me relax a little. If my dragon isn’t worried, then I’m not.

My dragon. Strange how natural that seems now.

Kael’s wings tilt, the left one dipping low, and we make lazy circles in the sky, heading slowly downward to the ground. I crane my neck, hands tight on the harness as I peer over Kael’s great scaly shoulders to search the air for the other dragon. It circles nearby, and Kael trumpets a call that is quickly answered.

Neither one sounds pissy, which means this is pretty much different than any other dragon interaction I’ve ever seen. Kael turns his head, and I see that his eyes remain amber, not the black of high emotion. He’s not troubled at all, and I relax a little more.

The new dragon glides to the ground and tucks his wings in, settling on his haunches as he takes a few steps forward. He gazes around, head swiveling, and I see his eyes whirling with black and gold—though more black than gold. He’s still caught up by the madness, and that makes me skittish, but he’s not attacking.

Kael says he’s here to talk, so I have to trust him.

You do. I am right about this. I would never put you in danger.

I smooth a hand over his neck. Sure, sure, I grouse playfully. You were right and I was wrong.

We alight on the ground a fair distance away, amidst a scatter of old cars in the middle of a street. Kael tucks in his wings and then immediately peers over his shoulder at me. Unstrap your harnesses. You are my mate and you are safe with me, but that does not mean I will tempt him by shoving you under his nose.

I hurriedly unbuckle straps, a bit anxious at hearing that. I thought you said I was safe?

You are, he replies calmly. But he is still caught in the madness. You are safe, but it does not mean I will risk you.

Fair enough. I finish unbuckling the straps, and he bends a shoulder low to the ground so I can slide down. I do, and the moment my feet touch the ground, I nearly fall to my knees. I’m as wobbly as a fawn after that long flight. “I’m down,” I tell him. “I’ll wait here.”

He turns and blows a breath against my neck with his enormous snout. I will not be long.

He steps away, heading toward the other gold, and I notice that he’s remaining in dragon form—excuse me, battle-form. His tail lashes back and forth like a cat’s, the only outward sign of agitation.

I wring my hands, trying not to worry. Be safe, okay?

His mental reply is a soothing, wordless burst of emotion.

The other dragon trumpets as Kael approaches. He springs forward, and instead of heading for Kael, he heads for me. Just as quickly, Kael cuts him off, moving smoothly between us. True to his word, he won’t let the stranger close.

I can’t stop wringing my hands, watching as the other dragon gazes in my direction. His eyes flick constantly to black, and it’s like I’m watching him flip between madness and sanity, over and over again.

Be calm. He is an old friend, Kael tells me. I remember his name. Dakh.

An old friend. Lovely. Tell him I said hello.

I will not. Dakh struggles, Kael tells me. This place is bad for our people. He cannot maintain his grasp on what is happening. Sometimes he does not even remember his own name. There is so much sadness in Kael’s thoughts. I was like him once.

And you changed…because of me? Is there something we can do for him?

A possessive surge is my answer. I will not share you.

That wasn’t what I was offering! But maybe we can find him a mate? Then again, what am I saying? We’d have to find a human woman ready to take on a dragon and hope for the best. Just because I found a dragon that treats me right doesn’t mean another will. Or that she’ll ever be able to get past the whole ‘murdering monster’ thing.

Dakh covets you.

I slide a little closer to an abandoned van with the door hanging open and step behind it. Tell him I’m a one-dragon kind of girl.

He will not touch you. He can smell that you are claimed. He is asking me to tell the other males that I have a mate. He thinks it will give them hope. Pull them from the madness.

You think it can really pull them from the madness? The hope of a mate?

I do not know, but I am not going to try. You are mine. I do not flaunt you in front of others. Dakh is sane enough, but I do not know how others will react.

This is sane? I peer over at Dakh and watch his giant jaws snap wildly at the air, as if attacking invisible bullets. His eyes are totally black again, and his tail is lashing so hard that he’s raising a cloud of dust. If this is sane, I’d hate to see crazy.

Agreed. The others could be too far gone.

Like the reds that constantly attack Fort Dallas.

They are the reason for our madness.

They are? I knew all dragons were mad, but I didn’t know one was the cause of the other.

Yes. This world makes them go into heat constantly. We males smell the heat, and it makes us insane with lust. A female in heat in nearby territory will drive all males wild and feral with the need to mate and procreate. But here, in this world, no young are born. The reds remain in heat, and crazed. We golds remain crazed because of the reds.

And that’s why you’re not crazy like him any longer? Because you…aren’t attracted to the heat?

I am mated, Kael explains. There is no one for me but you now. I am the fire in your blood.

It’s silly to be flattered and pleased at his thoughts, but I am. I’m glad you’re sane. Even if it means I can never leave him. Every day that passes, I move a little further away from that idea anyhow. We’re connected, he and I. And I…I don’t hate it.

I might love it.

I might love him.

Oh god, I might be crazy, too. I can’t love a dragon.

Kael’s thoughts break through my worries. Dakh wishes to know where I found my mate. He wants one for himself, even if you are weak and do not have a battle-form. He says you have a pleasant smell and he likes your hair.

Thanks, I tell him wryly. But tell Dakh he can’t just snatch women out of the city. You can’t do that. You can’t force someone to be your mate.

Can he not take a female if he wishes? Are you not well taken care of, my Claudia? Are you not well pleasured?

I blush at the surge of images he sends with his thoughts. Well pleasured? The stream of visuals he’s sending me are all from last night in bed, and indeed, I was well pleasured. Repeatedly. Arrogant dragon. Of course I’m well taken care of, I say evasively. But I didn’t choose this. It wasn’t fair for me to be taken, and if someone else wants to be a dragon’s mate, it needs to be their choice.

The other dragon paces on his feet, shifting his weight. His tail lashes back and forth, agitated, and he constantly ruffles his wings, as if readying to fly off. I have this sneaky suspicion that the moment Kael told him where he found me, Dakh would be there, snatching girls. Jesus. I can’t let that happen.

I have explained to him that humans are different, but his mind is fractured. I am not sure he understands. But would it be such a terrible thing if he took a human female that he found? I can tell from Kael’s thoughts that he does not think so.

Yes, it would, I send back strongly. It would be a terrible thing if he stole someone.

Are you unhappy being my mate?

I don’t reply. What can I say? If I say I’m happy, I’ll lose any chance of going back to Fort Dallas. I’ll be abandoning Amy. But I can’t lie, either. It’s not that simple, Kael. I need to go back to the city.

Why? Are you not taken care of? What is waiting for you there? Possessiveness and jealousy tinge his thoughts.

My sister and my best friend, I tell him, and picture both of their faces in my mind. I know you won’t understand, but they need me. They can’t survive without me. I have to go back to the city, because I have to go back to them.

They will be safe with a dragon as a mate, Kael tells me. Shall I let Dakh know of your friends?

No! Don’t tell him a thing! My sister and Sasha don’t have to mate someone! They can come live with me. With you. In our apartment. It’s got plenty of room.

They cannot live with us. They would attract every male from sunrise to sunset, and each would fight over the privilege of having a mate. We cannot have that at our home.

I feel sick to my stomach. Amy can’t come? Sasha, either? I can’t leave them there, Kael. I can’t. Help me.

Then let me tell Dakh I know where he can find a mate. Do you understand how treasured they would be?

I think of Amy, imprisoned. I think of Sasha, selling herself to a brutal soldier for a few meals here and there. Perhaps a dragon mate would be an improvement.

Dakh would love and care for a mate, as would any male.

Oh god. I hate that I’m even considering this. I don’t know…I can’t decide for them, Kael. It still has to be their choice to take a mate.

Then perhaps we should find them and offer them the choice.

I have mixed feelings about that. I feel like I’m betraying my sister and my best friend…even though it would save them. If Dakh treated Amy or Sasha as well as Kael treats me, it would be hundreds of times better than our hardscrabble life back in Fort Dallas. They would be safe, just like Kael says. No dragon attack would ever threaten them again. No soldiers would, either.

And they’d both probably hate me forever for selling them out.

I don’t know what to do. I hesitate and glance over at the strange gold dragon. His eyes are less black than before, and as I look, they swirl to amber. Sanity. Happiness. The mere thought of a mate is enough to bring him out of the madness.

And as long as I save Amy and Sasha, I suppose it’s the right thing to do. They’ll be safer with an overprotective dragon than the gun-toting soldiers of Fort Dallas. But I still feel a little sick at the thought.

Over and over, I feel like I’m betraying my people. Ironic, since they betrayed me first.

28

CLAUDIA

We return to our tower later that night, and Dakh accompanies us. Kael gently sets me down and doesn’t transform to his two-legged form, but instead flies back up on one of the walls and sits next to Dakh, two brilliant and deadly golden bodies gleaming in the moonlight. I work on reinforcing my flight equipment while the two dragons talk, and try not to feel weird about being left out of the conversation.

At least, I think the dragons are talking. The place is silent, the two dragons perched high atop the broken walls, roosting like crows. Every once and a while, I’ll catch a flash of thought from Kael’s mind, and every so often, he reaches out mentally to me, as if trying to re-center himself. I send him affection back, and I get muted thoughts of pleasure before he drifts away again.

So yeah. Talking. I know something’s being said, but I’m not privy to it.

I’m a little uneasy that Dakh followed us home, because now he knows where Kael and I live. I suppose there’s nothing to be done about that. Dragons have an extremely keen sense of smell, and I bet he’d be able to pick my scent out of the air from miles away. I frown at that thought, looking up at the dragons from the swim goggles I’m adjusting on my face. Hey, Kael?

Yes, my mate? The thought is a purring snake that slithers through my mind, full of pleasure and possessiveness. It practically makes me blush, since I can practically guess what he’s thinking.

If you can smell me from a distance, how is it that other dragons have not figured out that there are a bunch of human women in the city and haven’t claimed them for their own?

The human hive stinks, he replies. His wings rustle, the leathery lengths catching in the breeze as he drops to the floor next to me. In the next moment, Kael drags me into his claws and begins to nuzzle my neck with his snout. They do not smell good like you do.

I squirm against him, trying to slide out of his grasp. If you’re going to get frisky, you need to change forms.

You are mine, and I like the smell of you. His snout trails across my shoulder blades, and I feel his tongue flick across the back of my neck in a sensation that makes me shiver. But I cannot frisk you now. I will not claim you until Dakh has gone. You are mine and mine alone.

I stop trying to slide out of his grip and let him snuggle me. I stroke a hand down his long nose instead, trying to get his mind back on track. So the human city smells? Bad?

Some bad. Some good. There are too many scents to pick out. They bleed into one another and make it impossible to find individuals. The smell of humans drives the females especially wild.

I nod, thinking of the frequent dragon attacks. They’re more often than not instigated by the red dragons. The golds are less frequent. So women are safe as long as they stay in the city.

You say they are safe, yet you wish to bring your sister here. If she is safe, why will she come to us? I am the enemy.

I let my hand play along the hard scales of Kael’s chin, stroking them as I think. I was in trouble in the city. They want me to come back so they can punish me, so they are holding my sister hostage. I worry that they’re going to get tired of holding her and do something worse. I think of the guards in the city, with their grabby hands and smug, superior ways. I think of Sasha’s ‘friend’ who likes to use his fists in exchange for a few bites to eat. A woman with no power in Fort Dallas was a woman in danger, and there are plenty who will take advantage. It’s for the best, I tell him. Trust me.

Now I just have to convince myself of that.

I will do whatever makes you happy, my Claudia.

I gaze up at Dakh, who still perches above us. He watches me like a hawk, his gaze covetous as he looks down on me, nestled in Kael’s claws. And him? Is he going to behave?

His thoughts are confused, but he has one focus—a mate. As long as we keep him focused on that, he will assist us.

That’s the thing, though. I don’t exactly trust Dakh not to snatch Amy as soon as we have her free from the militia. Maybe we should do the rescue alone.

Dakh will be the distraction we need, Kael tells me, and sends a flurry of mental images. Of Dakh flying at the edge of the city, while Kael goes to the police building, rips the roof off, and pulls my sister free.

Which is great and all, but I still don’t trust Dakh. Maybe it’s the way he keeps looking at me. He watches me as if he’d challenge Kael for me if Kael so much as breathes wrong.

He will not, Kael says, intercepting my thoughts. You are already claimed. Another dragon cannot take you for his own. My fire is already in your blood.

But why do we need him at all? The guns the soldiers have can’t hurt you, can they?

His claws tighten around me protectively. They cannot hurt me, but you are small and fragile and pink. Your sister, too. I do not want them spitting their fire weapons at you.

A smile curved my lips at his description. Small and fragile and pink? You’re sweet, I tell him.

No, I am greedy. He licks my neck, and one big claw the size of my forearm brushes against the tip of my breast.

I suck in a breath, nipples growing hard. Why is it that I responded to Kael’s touch so easily now? Is it because the orgasms are mind-blowing every time? We haven’t had penetrative sex again. He’s letting me decide when I want to go that far once more. Instead, he just gives me endless amounts of oral. Endless, toe-curling amounts of oral. Maybe that’s why I respond at the barest of touches from him.

Or maybe it’s because I’m feeling things for my big, possessive dragon. I tuck that thought away before he can intercept it, because I don’t want to talk about love or the future until Amy is safe. I can’t commit to anything as long as she’s in danger.

There’s a sudden flurry of wings overhead, and I jump, alarmed, as Dakh trumpets and takes to the night skies, arrowing into the darkness.

“What happened?” I ask, confused. “Did he get offended by something?”

The big claws toying with my breasts disappear, and I turn around just in time to see Kael transforming back to his human form. He straightens his beautiful body, all golden muscle. He gazes down at me, hungry with desire, and his cock is thick and engorged, jutting from his hips in a very obvious manner.

My mouth goes dry at the sight of him.

I sent him away, Kael tells me. He brushes the back of his hand across my cheek, tracing my jaw with his knuckles. I told him it was time for me to claim my mate and pleasure her.

I’m horrified and aroused all at once. “Please, please tell me you did not say that to him.”

Why? He understands. He wishes he had a mate half as lovely and soft as mine to wrap his body around. To share forms with. Kael’s arm goes around my waist, dragging me against him. His gaze captures mine, and he gives me a naughty look. Shall I pleasure you, my mate? Before I can respond, he adds, I will only take what you freely give.

Meaning just oral. And while that’s great—and okay, I absolutely love oral and his willingness to give it—I also feel a little sad that I’m too scared to ask for more.

Tomorrow we go to retrieve Amy and Sasha. Whatever happens tomorrow, our dynamic changes. After tomorrow, it’ll be me, him, Amy and Sasha here in this place. We’re losing our alone time, and the days of casually grabbing the other person for an impromptu make-out at any time, any place? Those days will be over. I’m a little sad about that and wonder if I shouldn’t take advantage of the situation. I’m asking Kael to trust me tomorrow—can’t I trust him?

And if something bad should happen tomorrow…this might be our last night together.

“I want to have sex,” I blurt out to him, my hand on his bare chest. “Real sex. Not just touching. I want everything…but I’m scared.”

Why scared? I am your mate. I want nothing more than to give you pleasure.

“Yes, but the bite—”

I do not need to do so again. My venom races through you even now. He watches me intently, his claws stroking down the column of my throat. Your scent has melded with mine, just like our minds have melded. We are connected. One claw drags down the front of my T-shirt, the fabric catching. You are my mate. My everything. But if you are still scared, I will only pleasure you with my mouth.

I swallow hard. “I don’t want to be scared. I want you, too.”

Then look into my mind. See my thoughts. You will know you have nothing to fear.

I tentatively reach out to connect my mind to his, and I’m immediately flooded by images. Images of us together, his mouth on my skin. Images of my hand skimming down his back. Of his mouth between my legs. Of him feeding the aching length of his cock into my soft pussy—

And I moan, putting my arms around his neck. “Yeah, okay, let’s do that.”

Which part? He sounds amused.

I have to pick? I want all of it. All of what he just showed me, because I’m terribly greedy.

Then you shall have all of it. He swings me into his arms and heads toward our large bed.

I wrap my arms around his neck, still a little hesitant. “We still need to prepare for tomorrow,” I tell him, even as he sets me down on the bed and then immediately climbs over me. “I need to make a second saddle for Amy, and…”

And I’m getting distracted as his weight settles over my body. God, I love the feel of him against me. My breath dies in my throat as he buries his face against my neck and begins to lick my collarbone with his hot, raspy tongue. We will prepare, he tells me, and his thoughts are husky with need. But for now, I need my mate.

“Oh boy, your mate needs you, too.” I arch against his teasing, glorious tongue. Why am I wearing so much damn clothing? It needs to go right now.

“My Claudia,” he says aloud, my name carefully pronounced and sounding like pure heat coming from him.

I whimper. “God, why is your spoken voice so sexy?”

He chuckles, chest rumbling. “Claudia,” he teases again, and his hand moves to undo the button on my jeans. I smell the wetness between your legs. You grow slick when I say your name.

I moan, head lolling back onto the blankets. Whatever he wants to do to me, I’m his. With a simple breathless whispering of my name, I’m ready to shuck my panties and throw caution to the wind.

My dragon has me. He has me, and he’ll keep me safe.

“Claudia,” he murmurs again, his mouth trailing downward. His claws rip at my T-shirt, shredding the fabric. I want to feel your skin against mine.

I yelp, pushing his claws away, because at heart, I’ll always be a practical scavenger. “Not my shirt! Do you know how hard it is to find good undamaged clothing—”

Then take it off, fast. He nips his fangs at my exposed skin and gives me a hot look that makes my knees liquid. I want to mount you and sink deep inside your sweet depths, my Claudia.

Oh, holy heck, I want that, too. I tug at the remnants of my clothing, moving as fast as I can. I’ll have to sew them together again tomorrow, but for now, they need to come off pronto. Kael’s seductive thoughts are making me ache deep inside. I fling my tattered shirt off, then my bra, and toss them off the bed. Then I flop onto my back and begin to shimmy out of my stupidly tight jeans. So much clothing. Right now I’m thinking I should become a nudist like him.

Even as I undress, he moves forward, rumbling low in his throat. His mouth goes to my breast, and he clasps it in his hand and begins to gently lick the erect tip.

“God, you don’t play fair,” I whine, shrugging my jeans off my ankles and then doing the same with my panties. All the while, he continues to nibble and suck on the tip of my breast, driving me wild. But then I’m finally naked, and I wrap my legs around his hips and drag his body back against mine. I tug at him, pulling him up so I can kiss him. Sensing my need, he presses his mouth to mine, taking me in a deep, sweet kiss. And I love it—he tastes like heat and spice and all of the things I’ve been craving more with each passing day.

His cock rubs against the slick heat of my pussy, and I moan into his mouth as he pushes it through my folds, wetting his length with my juices. Back and forth he rubs, until I’m mad with need and my hips rise to meet his. I’m not thinking about bites, or saddles, or anything other than the feel of him rubbing up against me. It’s both the best thing in the world and the most maddening, because I want him deep inside me. “Yes,” I murmur against his hot mouth. “Please. Kael. I’m not afraid anymore.” There’s nothing left in me for fear—I’m too full of hunger for him.

“Claudia,” he purrs again, his tongue snaking against mine.

I shudder with need so fierce I almost come with his next slick thrust along my folds. Please, I send to him. Quit torturing me and just take me.

Turn over, my mate. His thoughts are possessive, heavy with desire even as he lifts off of me, and his eyes are black with need. I will show you how a drakoni takes his woman.

This is so incredibly filthy.

I…love it.

I moan as I turn over on my stomach, obeying him. I lift my hips suggestively as I do, my hands twisting in the bedsheets as I await his touch.

It comes a moment later. His big hand smooths down my ass, brushing over my hips and thighs. So beautiful, my Claudia. My mate.

“Kael,” I moan. “Need you.”

He drags my hips up, until I’m on my knees, my cheek pressed to the mattress. Do you want your mate, Claudia? Do you want me deep inside you?

“Yes,” I beg. “Yes, please. Now.”

Here? His knuckles brush along my wet folds, and I cry out. They skim over my flesh, and I feel him graze my clit, circling one big knuckle around it over and over again. Is this what you want?

Oh god, is it ever. I’m making incoherent pleading noises as he circles my clit, driving me wild.

Show me, he says, and his hand goes still. Use your hand and guide me.

I’m panting as I reach between my legs and find his big hand there. I start to touch myself, to stroke my clit, but he pushes my hand aside.

Use me.

So filthy. So delicious. I moan as I guide him, using his knuckle to rub soft little circles around the sensitive bud of my clit. I can feel the heat of him pressing up against my body, and that combined with the sultry thoughts he’s sending in my direction, I’m about to come in what feels like record time. I rub harder and faster with his knuckle, my mouth open in a wordless cry. So close. So—

He stops. His hand pulls away. I muffle my scream of frustration in my throat, grabbing another fistful of the blankets. “Kael,” I pant. “You son of a bi—”

I nearly come off the bed in the next moment, because the head of his cock presses against my core. God, yes, this is better. So much better. I shift my hips, spreading my knees wider so I can take him. So he can claim me.

He does, in one swift, hard stroke.

Kael sinks deep, filling me with such intensity that my toes curl. I scream at the sensation, pleasure bursting through me like a flood. Already, my muscles are beginning to clench and tense with the onset of an orgasm; he feels that good inside me. I love the low growl he makes, the way his big body covers mine, everything. I’m pulsing with need and there’s no breath left inside me. Everything’s waiting, ready to explode.

He grips my hips, pulls back, and then pushes into me again. I make a thoroughly unladylike grunt, shocked at how good that forceful motion feels. Then he begins to pound into me with swift, possessive strokes. My mate, he growls in my head, overwhelming my thoughts with his. Do you like the way I take you, my mate? Do you like the way I make you mine?

Yes, I whimper, clinging to the blankets for dear life as he deliciously hammers into me. My toes curl with every stroke of his cock, the enormous girth of him dragging against all of me and making me feel incredible. I can feel my pussy clamping around him as my orgasm builds, and it just makes every thrust of his cock harder and more delicious. I shove a mouthful of my new sheets between my teeth and bite down as I struggle to hold off the tidal wave of desire for just a few moments longer. He feels so good, I want this to last forever.

It’s no use, though. In the next moment, I’m coming, little keening pants escaping my throat as my body locks and I clasp him deep, the orgasm shattering inside me. I vaguely hear Kael roar his own pleasure, feel him thrust harder into me, his movements becoming jerky as he reaches his peak. I tense, because I’m afraid he’s going to flip me on my back and bite me—

But then he’s coming, too. I feel the wash of him inside me, hot and wet. He continues to pump into me, slowly, and when there’s no move to bite, I relax and close my eyes, losing myself to bliss.

That was a brutal mating…and an utterly sublime one. My toes feel permanently curled, and I have a dopey smile on my face. Kael sighs heavily, and then I feel his weight slide off of me. A moment later, he drags me against him, cupping my smaller body against his bigger one. My mate, he says again, nuzzling my neck. You are mine for now and for ever, my Claudia.

I reach backward and touched his cheek tenderly, but I don’t respond. I need tomorrow to happen before I can promise my future to anyone.

Because if Amy isn’t safe, how can I ever be happy with Kael?

29

CLAUDIA

The next morning, the skies are crisp and clear, as if even the weather is smiling on our plan.

“We ready?” I ask for the dozenth time, tightening the straps on my legs once more. I’m nervous. Super nervous. Have been since I woke up. Well, okay, I was woken up with sex. That was awesome and distracting. But after that, I was nervous, and the knot of worry in my stomach isn’t going away.

Kael sends a wave of assent to my mind. We are ready. I am calling to Dakh.

“Okay,” I breathe, and then clasp my gloved hands, trying to stop their trembling. We can do this. We can. Amy and Sasha’s safety depends on it.

I can’t quite shake a sense of foreboding, though. Like this is all about to go tits up in the worst possible way and I’m just too stupid to see it yet. Theoretically, everything’s in place; there’s an extra saddle rigged behind me on Kael’s back, and additional straps so I can let someone ride in front of me. Dakh knows his role as distraction, and Kael has an image of the building that Amy is being kept in thanks to our mental connection. Provided that Amy’s still in that building, everything should go smoothly.

So why am I so worried? I’m teaming up with two dragons, two big, scaly, bus-sized badasses. It’s not like we don’t have the power. Humans can’t hurt dragons at all. This is a totally one-sided fight.

But still…there’s something inside me that worries.

All will be well, Kael tells me. Trust in me.

And there, I suppose, is the problem. I do trust him. How could I not? We’re as intimately connected as any two people—well, two beings—can be. Yet privately I worry that Kael will think of Amy and Sasha as threats, or rivals for my attention, and abandon them.

But maybe I’m just making mountains out of molehills. I swallow hard. Only one way to find out. Let’s do this, then.

Hold tight. Kael takes to the air with a trumpeting blast, and it’s echoed a moment later by Dakh, far in the distance. I adjust my swim goggles and peer at the skies. Oh, this is much better; it’s so much easier to see when the air isn’t sandblasting my eyeballs and my hands are warm in the gloves. I cling to my handlebars, heart beating a nervous staccato in my breast. This will all be over soon, and Amy and Sasha will be safe. That’s all I want. The rest doesn’t matter.

Kael’s powerful wings beat hard, and he lifts into the skies, darting between broken skyscrapers and flying even higher. Dakh whirls a short distance away, and when I peer in his direction, his eyes are flashing black. Uh oh. I swallow my alarm. Check out Dakh—his eyes are dark. Is he okay?

He struggles, but he will do this.

All right. I have to trust. I can’t do this on my own, and Kael won’t let me down. He’ll keep me safe, and he knows how much my sister and Sasha mean to me.

I just have to trust in his plan.

The flight toward Fort Dallas seems to take forever. I know it’s not that far from the tower we’ve claimed as ours, but each wingbeat seems to happen in slow motion, each breath inhaled, an eternity. I glance back at Dakh as he circles in the sky, never flying close, but just far enough that I know he’s still with us.

Slowly, the city comes into view, and I suck in a breath as Dakh speeds up and swoops low.

All is well, Kael tells me. Dakh knows the plan.

Yeah, but Dakh is crazy. But I have to trust. It’s not Dakh’s fault that the sight of the other dragon is drawing up bad memories, other days and other dragon attacks. He might not have had anything to do with those. I can’t blame every dragon for what happened in the past, not after knowing what I know now, and not after sleeping with Kael.

I still feel helpless, though. It’s weird, because on Kael’s back, I feel strong, yet surprisingly powerless. I need a weapon, I think. Maybe a spear or a gun. Heck, even a freaking slingshot would do. Just some sort of projectile weapon so I can go from passenger to participant in this raid. But I suppose it’s too late for something like that, since we’re already over the city. But in the future—

And then I stop myself. Raiding the city isn’t going to be a regular thing. Just because they’re assholes, it doesn’t mean that I have to be one. Nor do I plan on leaving my sister and Sasha behind.

In the distance, I hear the sirens go off, warning the residents of Fort Dallas that a dragon attack is imminent. I feel a twinge of guilt that I’m the one bringing the dragons, but I force myself to squelch the worried thoughts. If Amy was free, I wouldn’t have to do this. They’ve forced my hand.

Dakh dives toward the metal car barrier that surrounds the fort, and a great gout of fire spews forth from his mouth. I watch closely, because that looks like real flame and looks like enough to hit the ground and hurt someone. He’s not supposed to do more than frighten people. His flame shouldn’t hit the ground. It should be controlled.

But as I watch, Dakh roars and flames again, and the fire licks along the metal barrier. Somewhere on the other side, I see dark, oily smoke plumes go up, which means something’s caught on fire. “What the hell is he doing?” I ask Kael, worried. “We said no real attacks!”

I do not know. I will speak to him. Kael wheels about in the sky, heading for Dakh. I can sense my dragon’s displeasure even through his calm thoughts. He knows my wishes.

The other gold dragon dives at the city once more, flaming away. It looks entirely too real to be a diversion. Maybe it’s the worry-wart in me, but I don’t like it. I’m pretty sure my concerns are echoed by my dragon, because Kael trumpets an angry challenge and circles Dakh.

To my shock and horror, Dakh turns on us, flaming. His eyes are totally black, and this isn’t the face of a dragon that has his senses. He’s totally gone right now.

Kael roars in fury, rearing backward. His wings rise high, and suddenly I can’t see anything but leathery wing and scale as Kael forms a protective barrier around me. Dakh is lost. His mind is gone to the madness again. It is the smells of the human hive. It is too much for him.

Well, shit.

Panic rushes through me. I’ve brought a dragon to scare people and fake a few attacks…and now he’s really attacking. People are going to get hurt, and it’s my fault. I duck lower in my saddle, trying to keep out of sight. Can we pull him away somehow?

We circle wide around him, and as we do, I catch a glimpse of the other dragon. Dakh’s face is wild, any intelligence once there now completely gone. Dakh snarls and hisses in our direction as we get closer, then turns in a flap of leathery wing, diving at another building.

He is not listening to my call, Kael sends, utter frustration in his thoughts. I cannot attack him with you on me. I will not let my Claudia be hurt.

I tug on my handlebars uselessly, wishing I could do something other than perch on Kael’s back and be dead weight. Should you put me down somewhere and go after him?

No. Kael’s thoughts are vehement. I will not risk your safety. You are only protected when you are with me.

Then pull away. We can’t do this.

But Kael only heads in the opposite direction, farther into the city from where Dakh is attacking the outskirts. The siren continues to wail, loud even from high above the city, and far below, I can see people scurrying to safety.

We…aren’t leaving? Terror clutches at my chest. Am I losing my dragon, too? Kael?

I am here. I am sane. But I notice that his thoughts are tighter, more rigid than normal. He’s holding himself tightly in check, focusing on me.

I’m confused. Then where are we going?

We’re not leaving until you have your sister, my mate. I promised you we would get her.

Oh god. I hesitate, torn. Our plan is going all wrong. No one’s supposed to get hurt, but I can hear faint screams as Dakh flames away, roaring and attacking the north end of the city. No one would be prepared, because this dragon attack isn’t in cycle with the others. They’re helpless and vulnerable if they don’t get to a shelter quickly enough.

And yet…isn’t this exactly what I wanted? A distraction so I can rescue Amy? Why flinch back now? We might never have another chance. It’s ruthless…but what they’ve done to Amy—and to me—is ruthless, too. Might as well move forward. I swallow the knot in my throat and point at the southeast end of the compound. Go there first. I need to see if Sasha is home.

As you wish.

We fly on over huddles of buildings and reinforced roofs until the junkyard where we huddle down with the other shanties comes into view. I see the broken yellow bus, and as I do, I begin to unbuckle the straps holding me into the saddle. I need to get down and check for her. No one’s going to come out when there’s a dragon prowling about.

Be careful. Kael lands atop the bus, and I wince, imagining the terror going through poor Sasha’s mind. Then the dragon hops to the ground, tail lashing so hard it knocks over a nearby spit. I do not like this. I smell humans and their fire spitters around.

Shit. Guns. I’ll be cautious.

With the last strap undone, Kael kneels and I slide to the ground. I shove my goggles back so I can see better. “Sasha?” I call out, racing for the door of the bus. “Are you here? Sasha?” A shadow falls, and I look back at Kael. He fans his wings out, shadowing the school bus and protecting it from view.

Hurry, he tells me. I can smell the fire spitters. They come.

“I can’t leave without Sasha,” I protest, and push open the busted door to the bus, crawling inside. “Sasha? Are you here? Tell me!”

A muffled half-sob meets my ears.

Encouraged, I head farther into the bus, scrambling to the end compartment. Sure enough, Sasha is huddled deep in the recesses of the bus, hiding against the welded-shut door. A blanket is pulled over her head, and her big eyes are filled with tears.

“Sasha! Honey, it’s me. Claudia.” I move forward and kneel next to my terrified friend. “Don’t be scared. The dragon’s with me. He’s safe. I’ve come to take you away.”

“Take me away?” Sasha’s eyes widen, and as they do, I notice that one eye is swollen and dark around the edges underneath the ever-present layer of soot on her skin. Frowning, I touch my friend’s face…and gasp when the blanket falls away and I see Sasha’s arm in a sling.

“What happened?” I ask, shocked.

Sasha shrugs the blanket back over her arm, hiding it. “I needed money.”

And the soldier she sells herself to gets rougher with every visit. I press my lips together to bite back my response, angry. No, I’m more than angry. I’m bitterly furious. If I’d been here, this wouldn’t have happened. I could have kept Sasha fed with my scavenging. Amy, too. All of this is my fault. But I can’t focus on that now. One thing at a time. “Come on. We’re getting out of here. You, me, and Amy.”

“B-but…it’s not safe,” Sasha protests, even as I take her good hand and help her to her feet. She has to be pushed to even take a few steps forward, and her hesitation is clear. “We can’t leave the city—”

“That’s what I thought, once upon a time,” I tell her, projecting confidence. “But you’ll be safer with me and the dragon than here. I promise you that.” When Sasha continues to pull and struggle, I turn to her and put my hands on her shoulders. “Sasha. Do you trust me?”

They come, my mate, Kael sends. They come and they are spitting fire. Hurry.

30

CLAUDIA

The patter of rifle fire sounds in the distance, and Kael rustles his wings, drawing them tighter around the bus to protect me. “We’ve got to go,” I tell Sasha. “Please, come with me.”

My friend hesitates, then slowly nods, wide-eyed. She lets me lead her out of the bus.

The sound of the gunfire grows louder as we hold hands and race back toward Kael. I can feel Sasha’s hand trembling in mine, but she doesn’t pull away. That’s good, at least. “Come on,” I say as we reach Kael’s side. I pat his flank so he can crouch low and let us mount. “We need to get you strapped in.”

A gun fires, entirely too close, and Kael’s wings shoot upright, blocking my grasp on the hanging straps I use to climb atop him. “Kael,” I protest, even as Sasha whimpers and ducks her head. “Quit moving. I can’t—”

Forget the straps, Kael warns me. Just climb on. They are too close.

More bullets fly, and I hear the sound of them thudding into something. Something distinctly un-metallic. Are they hitting my dragon? I can’t breathe for a second. They’re not hurting you, are they? Kael—

No, but you are vulnerable, my Claudia. The possessive anger in his head blasts through my mind. I will not let you get hurt!

Okay, big guy. Calm down. I force myself to concentrate on the task at hand. We’ll just have to strap in when we’re safely in the skies. I grab at the dangling straps when he dips a shoulder low again and haul myself onto the saddle perched between his shoulder-blades. Then I lean over and offer an arm to Sasha. “Climb on, and fast. They’re shooting at us.”

The rain of gunfire is constant now, along with the shouts of the soldiers. Dragons never land in the city, and the fact that one has is making people freak the fuck out. Sasha hesitates for a moment, then offers me her good arm, and we manage to drag her onto the back of the dragon awkwardly. She sprawls behind me, her face white with pain as she clutches her injured arm to her chest.

“Good?” I ask, breathless. At her nod, I reach forward and pat Kael’s neck. We’re on!

Then we go! Kael launches himself into the air with a bellow.

“Hold on!” I shout to Sasha, one hand on the handlebars while I twist to look back at Sasha. She flings her good arm around my waist, but we bounce and slide as Kael takes to the air, our seats unsteady. Everything feels too loose, too unsafe.

“I’m going to fall,” Sasha cries as the saddle jostles again.

“You’re fine,” I call out, but I’m worried just as much as her. “We just need to get out of shooting range, strap in, and then we’re going for Amy.”

Sasha gives a moan of distress as Kael banks sharply, wings flapping as he gains altitude. I ignore the sick lurch of my stomach and hold on tightly, but I don’t feel secure in the slightest. Kael won’t let me fall. He won’t. I trust him. But Sasha weeps and clings to me, crying out with every dip. And every time she pulls on my clothing, I have to fight the urge to fling her hands off so I stay on balance. I know she’s scared, and I know she’s got a bad arm, so I don’t. But this isn’t going to work for long.

We’re sliding, I tell Kael. Please, get somewhere safe so we can strap in again.

“Where are we going?” Sasha cries out as Kael lifts higher and higher into the air. Her voice raises in a small scream of worry as she glances over the side. “We’re so high up!”

“We’re trying to get out of range of the guns,” I yell back, and cough when a bug flies into my mouth. I claw at my throat, grossed out. God, what I wouldn’t give for mental communication with Sasha at this moment! Her hands squeeze me tightly, and I fight back my frustration. “We’re fine. I promise. We’re going to go a bit higher and then head to the jail. Is Amy still there?”

“I guess?” Sasha says, fighting back tears. “They won’t let me see her, no matter who I try to bribe.”

All at once, I feel bad for being impatient with Sasha. We have no money, so I can only guess what Sasha was trying to bribe the guards with. That she’s putting herself at risk for Amy means everything to me. I pat her clinging hand, grateful. “I’m going to get you somewhere safe. I’m going to take care of you. We don’t need the city. Just trust me.”

Her eyes streaming with tears, she nods.

Kael wheels higher in the sky, then veers abruptly when a series of pops echo in the air. They spit fire too close, Kael warns. Head down.

“Duck,” I warn Sasha. “They’re shooting at us.”

“They’re shooting at us? Sasha is hysterical. “Why?”

“Because we’re with the enemy,” I tell her. “The other dragon’s attacking the city!”

“There’s another dragon?”

Hold on, Kael warns, even as his entire body tilts. They are spitting from both sides now. Stay close! Before I can ask how we’re supposed to do that, a growl erupts in his throat. Dakh approaches.

Something rat-tat-tats past my ear, and I fling myself against Kael’s neck. That one was close!

Behind me, Sasha shrieks in pain, and the arm around my waist loosens. I turn to demand that Sasha hold on, but as I watch, she slides slowly off the side, her eyes wide in horror.

Then my friend is free-falling through the air.

“Sasha!” I scream, sticking a hand out for my friend uselessly. “No! Kael! Save her!”

A massive shape swoops under us, and as I watch, Dakh’s golden dragon form arrows underneath Kael, neatly snatching the flailing Sasha out of the skies. With a triumphant bugle and the woman clutched tightly in his claws, Dakh turns about and begins to flap his wings hard, heading up and away from the city.

I bite back my cry of horror. He’s got Sasha! Kael, we have to save her!

No, he says, voice grim in my head. We will get your sister. Hold tight.

What? No! Kael, Dakh’s crazy, and he has my friend. She’s not safe!

She is safe with him. He wants a mate.

I gasp at the ugliness of it. Is that all we are to you? Just playthings you can grab and claim for yourselves?

We will argue about this later, Kael says. For now, she is safe with him, and you are still in danger. We must find your sister, and fast.

I grit my teeth at his determined tone, watching Dakh fly away. Part of me knows that he’s right, that Sasha won’t be hurt by the other dragon if he truly wants a mate, but it’s a small comfort. I saw the bruised look in Sasha’s eyes, left there by abuse. Now I’ve turned my broken, damaged friend over to a dragon that wants nothing more than to stake his claim as her mate. I just traded her from one overbearing male to another, and the thought feels like a raw wound.

I hear your thoughts, my mate. Do you wish me to turn and confront Dakh? Know that even if I took her back from him, I cannot guarantee her safety. Other males would scent her out and seek her. I cannot fight all of them. But for you, I will turn back now and chase him down.

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to fight the tears that’ll just pool in my stupid goggles. Go after Sasha and forget about Amy? Or save Amy and leave Sasha in Dakh’s insane clutches, knowing that my sister’s only safe until another dragon comes along to drag her away?

There are no good choices. I fight the sob choking my throat, because I can’t cry right now. I need to focus. “Let’s just go and get my sister from these fucking bastards.” At least a dragon will only want to covet Amy and take care of her. The humans want to hold a gun to her head to force me to do what they want. No fucking way am I going to continue to let that fly.

I’m sorry, Sasha. I’m sorry I’m choosing my sister over rescuing you. I hope you understand someday, I tell the disappearing speck of gold on the horizon.

We go, Kael tells me. Hold on.

I cling to the saddle as he dives low, my body instinctively knowing which way to turn and when to grip harder. Without Sasha clinging to me and screaming in my ear, I can move with him since our minds are connected…and then I feel another twinge of guilt. Would Sasha be with Dakh if I’d belted her in and not worried about my own? Could we have belted just her in?

We are close. Be ready.

The roof of the parking garage comes into view, and there’s no more time for doubt. Kael circles the building, swinging lower, and as he does, my heart feels as if it moves into my throat.

Two figures stand alone on the roof. One has a blindfold over her eyes, pale blonde hair streaming, her arms against her sides. She wears a familiar faded pink shirt and a long skirt. The other is the mayor, his fat paunchy belly hanging over his pants.

He holds a gun to Amy’s head, his own head tilted back to watch us as they circled.

He has my sister, I tell Kael furiously. That fucking cocksucker!

Shall I eat him?

I wish. No. He’ll shoot her the moment we come any closer. Let me down on the far end of the roof.

Not if it will put you in danger. His voice is a low growl echoing in my mind. He doesn’t land, either.

If you don’t take me down right now, I’m going to jump off your back, I warn him, frantic at the sight of Amy held captive. I can’t think with the sight of that gun pressed to her head. Do it now, Kael.

He gives a snarl of rage, this time audible. I will not!

“Fine!” I throw my leg over his side and slide down his back. I have to get Amy back, no matter the cost.

CLAUDIA. DO NOT—

He dips a shoulder low to catch me, but it’s too late. I tumble off his back, and then I’m free-falling through the air for a terrifying moment, and then I tumble to the concrete a short distance below, dazed.

Well. That was…dumb.

I lie flat on my back, mentally assessing my wounds. The breath has been knocked out of me, and everything fucking hurts. I’m scraped on hands and knees from my roll, but…I’m alive. And I’m on the ground.

A moment later, a heavy thump lands beside me, a shadow falling over my face. I look up to see Kael staring down at me, his eyes dark with terrible anger. He leans over and nudges me with his enormous head. Speak to me. Are you hurt?

Just my pride, I tell him, sitting up slowly and wincing as everything screams a protest. That was…less badass than I’d hoped. I look over at the mayor.

There’s a loud click as he cocks the gun, and he hasn’t moved away from Amy. “Call off your dragon.”

Amy whimpers, her body stiff with fear. The blindfold prevents me from making eye contact with my sister, but I know her. I can tell she’s utterly terrified. It’s that fear that drives me constantly. I’m the one who takes care of Amy, makes sure she’s safe. The fact that she’s been put in this position because of me makes me feel helpless and awful.

I get to my feet slowly, wincing at the stabs of pain that shoot through my body. My gaze remains on the mayor at all times. “Let my sister go. She’s done nothing wrong.”

“I don’t care if she has or she hasn’t. She’s the only leverage I have against you.” His fat face gleams with a thin sheen of nervous sweat. “Now, call off your dragons.” His eyes are crazed, his face flushed red, and I don’t like the way his hand trembles as he holds the gun to Amy’s temple.

I give him a weak smile. “What makes you think I can get the dragons to do anything?”

“You rode one in,” he snarls, spittle flying. “You made them attack the city, didn’t you?”

“That’s what you wanted, right?” I say, letting a sneer get into my voice to hide the fact that I’m so damn frightened for Amy. “You wanted me to fuck my way into controlling a dragon or two, right? Wasn’t that the grand plan? Why you threw me out there into the Scavenge Lands? Well, surprise surprise, I lived. And I made a friend.”

His fat face shakes with rage. “I wanted you to tame the dragon and make it stop attacking us! Not make you turn on your own kind!”

“No, you didn’t give a shit what happened to me,” I correct. “You figured I’d die, but it didn’t matter, because I was just a thief, right? And now you expect me to have loyalty to the city that threw me out? That turned my sister into a prisoner? Are you kidding me?” I can hear the rising hysteria in my voice. “Why should I be loyal?”

The mayor’s gaze slides to Kael, and I suspect my dragon’s getting agitated behind me, probably due to my own rising emotions. In response, the mayor pushes the gun harder against Amy’s temple.

Amy chokes back a cry.

I go completely still, unable to look away. Back down, I command Kael silently. Please.

“Leave, and I’ll let your sister go,” the mayor says.

“Bullshit. If I leave, you’re going to keep holding my sister hostage as leverage to try and force me not to use the dragons to attack the city. But newsflash, this is the only dragon I control.” I gesture at Kael, who’s looming behind me. “And even that control’s a little iffy, if you haven’t noticed.”

“I don’t care if you have to suck dragon dick, I just want you out of here.” The mayor shakes his head, sweat flying as he does. “And I can’t give you back the girl. Just turn around and leave right now and she won’t get hurt.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Then it seems like we’re at an impasse. I’m not leaving until I get my sister, and my dragon’s not leaving unless I do.”

Shall I eat him? Kael’s voice snakes through my mind, along with a mental image of him chomping the fat mayor in half.

No! Gross! You’re totally not kissing me with that mouth if you eat him.

“If you won’t leave, I’ll make you leave,” the mayor snarls. “I’ll make both of you leave.”

I clench my fists helplessly and take a step forward. “Don’t you fucking hurt my sister—”

He turns the gun. There’s a moment of confusion as I stare at the barrel of it for a hot moment. A loud pop. Something slams into my side and knocks me over.

My first thought is that Kael has gotten overzealous and accidentally pushed me down. But as I smack to the concrete, skidding backward, I hear Amy’s scream as if through a tunnel, and a loud roar in my mind and rumbling aloud.

NO!

CLAUDIA!

Sharp pain stabs through my side, and my chest feels heavy. Oh. Oh… My hands move in slow motion to my side, where it seems to be wet and full of lead. Painful, painful lead. The mayor shot me to force Kael to leave. That…was a stupid plan. As stupid as my leap off the dragon’s back. I want to laugh, the sheer ridiculousness of the situation bubbling up inside me, but everything hurts too much to even breathe. All I can do is lie there and hurt.

There’s more screaming. More popping bangs. I look over in a fog as the mayor fires his gun at Kael’s head, over and over. The dragon ignores it, massive jaws clamping down over the top half of the mayor’s body and ripping him apart in a bloody show of force.

Rage fills my dragon’s thoughts, a jumble of madness and chaos, and I’m reminded of how he’d been before we’d met, those glimpses into his mind. He’d been so happy to be free of the rage polluting his brain. It makes me sad that he’s letting himself sink into it again, and I want to help him.

I told you not to eat him. So not kissing you now, I tell him dreamily. Unless we find a dragon-sized vat of mouthwash.

Claudia. My mate. Kael’s mental voice is full of anguish. As I gaze up through the haze of my swimming vision, my big dragon wheels about, and his enormous head comes into view just over me. I feel the hot whuff of his breath against my neck. You will get up now, my Claudia. I command it.

Getting up is probably a good idea. I nod and try to sit up, but my limbs aren’t working. Oh, this might take a minute.

“Claudia?” Amy’s sobbing intrudes on my blurry thoughts, and I feel her cold fingers grip mine. Strange that my sister’s freezing in this weather. Or maybe it’s me that’s cold. It’s so hard to tell. “Oh my god, Claudia!”

“It’s okay,” I murmur to Amy, and then repeat it to Kael mentally. It’s going to be okay. You need to get Amy out of here before someone else comes up—

Get up, he demands again with a nudge of his nose. Climb on my back. We will go.

Just the thought of taking my next breath feels like an enormous task. I don’t have much longer, I think. I can see it in Amy’s face as she presses my hand to her cheek, weeping, the blindfold around her neck. At least she’s safe with Kael now, though. My poor dragon. He won’t understand.

My mate, Kael entreats, nosing me again. Rouse yourself. We must leave. You wish your sister to be safe. We must take her away from here, but I cannot if you do not get to your feet.

I hurt at the desperation and fear in his thoughts. My poor Kael. All he wanted to do was love me, and I made that so hard for him. I…don’t think I’m going anywhere, I tell him, a weak smile curving my mouth. I’m sorry. I love you, though. I want you to know that.

NO. Claudia. Get up. Now. Please.

To my surprise, the dragon shifts, and in the next moment, Kael is there in human form, his skin a golden amber in the sun. He kicks off the mess of straps and saddles and then steps forward, kneeling next to me. I hear Amy’s gasp of surprise and want to laugh, imagining my sister’s shock at seeing the naked, well-hung Kael at my side.

But I’m too tired for all of that.

“Hey,” I murmur softly, gazing dreamily up at Kael. How had I ever thought he was scary? I love his stern, not-quite-human face. “Promise me you’ll take care of Amy for me.”

“No,” he growls again, sounding feral. “Claudia, no.” He pulls me into his arms, his clawed hand stroking my brow feverishly. “Claudia, no. No.”

“I’m sorry, Kael.” I want to touch him, too, but I’m so sleepy. “Thank you for saving my sister. Now get her out of here.”

“No,” he grits out again. “No. NO.” His hands move over my body, pressing at my wound. Then he sends a bolt of thought, strong and clear, into my mind. You are my mate. You cannot die. Without you, I have nothing. Claudia, please.

Oh, I hate the anguish in his tone. How did I ever resent my dragon for being who he is? Domineering and savage, but with the best damn heart. It takes all my strength, but I reach up and stroke his jaw, then close my eyes. If these are my last moments, I’m going to enjoy them.

Hands press on my wound, sending a searing pain through my abdomen and stealing away my peace. “We need a doctor!” Amy shouts at Kael between her sobs. “Go get one. Do you understand? Doctor.”

“He’s not good with English,” I murmur. “Be nice…”

And then I pass out.

31

KAEL

Terror as I’ve never felt before grips me as I gaze down at Claudia’s pale, limp form in my arms. She bleeds, her side hit by the spitting fire from the fat man’s stick. At her side, her sister wails, pushing her hands against Claudia’s wound. She keeps repeating the same word over and over again.

Dawk-terr.

Dawk-terr, she weeps. Babbles a few more incomprehensible words, then that one again. Dawk-terr.

What does it mean? I try to push her hands away from my mate’s wound, and to my surprise, the weak, pale female slaps my hands away. She repeats her word, along with a string of other nonsense syllables, and I wish I’d taken the time to learn the human language like Claudia kept trying to teach me.

I repeat the word back to Amy. “Dawkh-terrrr?”

“Yes!” she screams, practically jumping up in excitement. “Yes!”

I know the word yes. “Dawkh-terrrr yyyyesss?”

“Yes! Doctor!” She points at Claudia and pressed on the wound again. “Doctor for Claudia!”

I don’t know what this dawk-terr is, but judging from her sister’s anxiousness and the way she keeps pointing at the wound, it might be something to help my mate. I cradle Claudia close, feeling her cool skin against mine. I would do anything for my mate. Anything.

So I stand, gathering her in my arms. Her weight is slight, her body limp, and it makes me feel cold inside to see her like this. I gaze down at her, heart aching, and then look to her frantic sister again. “Dawk-terr?”

Amy nods eagerly and points over the side of the building, practically running. She is trying to show me something. I carry my mate, carefully cradled against my chest, and follow the sister.

“Doctor,” Amy cries, pointing over the side. “Doctor!”

I gaze down below and notice that Amy keeps pointing at a small human burrow with a symbol written over the door. Whatever it is that Amy wants, it is in there, and she believes it will help Claudia.

I will get it, then.

Gently setting my mate back down on the roof, I touch my brow to hers and rub my mouth against hers, the way she’s showed me. Then I get back to my feet and change back to battle-form.

I gather Amy in one claw, and my Claudia ever-so-gently in the other, and take flight, swooping down into the city to find this dawk-terr.

CLAUDIA

My entire side feels like it’s been set on fire.

I groan, pushing through the haze of sleep and trying to surface. It’s difficult. Everything—and I mean everything—fucking hurts. I feel as if I’ve been trampled. By elephants. Carrying wrestlers. Overweight wrestlers. My head is muzzy, and there’s a horrible taste in my mouth in addition to the gnawing pain in my side. Overall, all of this is telling me that perhaps it’s not quite time to wake up just yet.

I demand you return, my Claudia. Kael’s imperious voice rings through my head. You are not allowed to hurt.

That makes me snort softly, even if I can’t open my eyes. “Says you, dragon,” I murmur. “I can hurt if I want to.” I mean, I don’t want to, but it’s not like Kael demanding it can stop it.

“Claudia?” A soft, unfamiliar voice catches my attention. “Are you awake?” A second later, something hot presses against my side, and I hiss, trying to squirm away.

Is the dawk-terr hurting you? Alarm colors Kael’s thoughts, and I hear a low, draconic growling from overhead.

Doctor? It makes sense that there’s one here, given the amount of pain that I’m in. I must be in the clinic back in Fort Dallas, though I don’t know how I’m going to afford treatment. I still have no money. Though my foggy brain still can’t figure out how Kael is here with me. His growling intensifies, and I send him soothing thoughts to calm him. I’m fine. Really. Just give me a minute.

Familiar, achingly hot hands grip me, and then I’m pulled against Kael’s massive chest a moment later. I feel his hand drag through my tangled hair, stroking it, and I don’t even mind. Tell me you are better, my mate, he demands.

Aww. So overbearing and pushy. That’s kind of sweet, really. Overbearing, but sweet. “I feel like shit, but thanks for asking.”

“Hmm?” The soft hands pressing on my side pause. Someone’s changing bandages. The doctor. The bandages lift and then are patted down again. That’s brave, given that I’m being held by a dragon-man at the moment. “You said you feel like shit?”

“I’m okay,” I say automatically, and bite back my protest when Kael gently sets me back down on something soft. A bed. Almost feels like my bed back in our apartment. I lift one hand—jeez, that’s tiring—and search for Kael. I want his touch. A moment later, his hand grips mine, all big fingers and claws, and I’m comforted. I tuck his hand against my cheek and snuggle lower in the bed. I’m so tired.

Rest, he commands, though there’s a gentle note in his thoughts. I will not leave your side.

I know, I shoot back, amused. You never abandon me, ever.

Never. You are my life. Without you, there is nothing.

So fierce. I smile at that and turn my head so I can press a half-assed kiss to his hand. I’ll do better next time, when I’m less pooped. I continue to snuggle his hand, because I don’t want him leaving while I sleep. I like the thought of him watching—okay, lording—over me while I rest. Is Amy okay?

She rests. Kael sends a mental image of my sister curled up in blankets on one of the sofas I’d had Kael drag to our apartment in the sky. She is well. Only you were hurt. His tone changes. And if you ever confront a human that is spitting fire again, I will skewer you with my own claws. Touches of grief and worry shade his mental tone. You are mine.

“Nag, nag,” I mutter.

“Did you say something?” the doctor asks.

“Just talking to my dragon,” I say with a yawn.

A clinical hand immediately presses to my forehead, and I have to suppress a giggle. The doctor probably thinks I’m hallucinating. Then again, maybe not, given that I’m holding Kael’s hand, and even in human form, he doesn’t look all that human. I’m guessing the doctor put two and two together. Are you safe here in the clinic? I ask him. I don’t want humans coming after you while you’re not in battle-form.

We are home.

We are? With a doctor?

I stole her.

I try to picture Kael leaving the human city with my bleeding body in tow, along with a terrified Amy and captive doctor.

It was not easy, he chides, amused. They screamed a lot and made a lot of noise. But I wanted to make you well.

You know you’ll have to return her, right?

She does not smell as bad as other humans. She will make an acceptable mate for someone.

I hold tighter to Kael’s hand. Someone else, right?

Claws touch my cheek tenderly. I will give my fire to no one but you, my Claudia.

I know that. I just like hearing it.

IT TAKES a week before I’m able to get out of bed and move around inside our apartment. In the meantime, I’m hovered over by three very different people.

Amy, who’s ecstatic to see me and even more ecstatic that I didn’t die.

Kael, who’s determined to hover over me and growl menacingly, just in case anyone might cause me distress.

And the medic, Melina, who hovers because I’m pretty sure she’s terrified that Kael will eat her if he thinks I’m not being cared for properly.

It would all be pretty amusing if it wasn’t so damn annoying and I didn’t hurt so much. The shot I took was a clean one, straight in and out, and the wound had been cauterized to prevent infection. Luckily, I hadn’t been awake for that part, just the painful aftermath of it healing. But it still means that I’m weak and not able to do much on my own.

“Quit touching me,” I tell Amy crabbily as she holds my arm, helping me back from the bathroom. “I’m fine.” I’m not, but I’m also a terrible patient, and all I’ve done is snap at Amy all day and then feel guilty about it.

“You’re not fine until that big dragon looks like he thinks you’re fine, and I’d rather piss you off than him.”

“Kael?” I snort. “He’s a big softy.”

“To you, maybe,” Amy says, helping me get back into bed despite my efforts to push her away. “You should have seen him freaking out when you got hurt.”

I roll my eyes, wincing as I slide under the covers. I’ve been regaled with whispered stories from both Melina and Amy about how a very naked Kael had been acting like a madman, tearing through the city with me bleeding in his arms, bellowing “DAWK-TERRR” in that rolling voice of his. Melina had passed out in fright, so he’d simply grabbed her and Amy both and flown back.

I can’t help but grin—just a teeny, tiny bit—at that mental image. My big dragon thought it wasn’t necessary to learn the human tongue because mind-speak was so much better, but maybe now he’ll see the wisdom in talking to others. I reach out mentally to caress him, but he’s too distant to talk to, and I feel a little twinge of loss. I keep my voice chipper, though, so Amy doesn’t know how needy I’m turning. “Speaking of, where is the big lug?”

“I…I think he went off hunting. He kept pantomiming something about eating.” Amy shudders delicately as she sits on the edge of my bed. “You should have seen what he did to a wild pig—”

I wave a hand, cutting her off. “Yeah, I’ve seen it. Trust me. After a while you start to get used to it.”

Amy gives me a horrified look. “You do?”

“He’s killing it before he cooks it, right?”

Her eyes go wide in horror.

“Then yes, it’s better than it was before,” I finish. When she makes a gagging face, I shrug. “Come on. It’s more food and better than what we had in the city. And fresh.”

“But…he’s a monster. He’s the enemy.” She looks over her shoulder as if expecting a dragon to appear and flambé her simply for airing her thoughts.

I say nothing. I’ve had this conversation with Amy a dozen times since regaining consciousness, and every time, she makes me feel guilty. I love my sister, but right now, she’s being kind of irritating and small-minded. Yes, he’s a dragon. Yes, he’s different than humans. Yes, he used to be crazy. But that doesn’t mean he’s bad. I curl my toes, thinking about Kael and how thoughtful and sweet he is. Amy just doesn’t get it…yet. She will eventually. “He’s a dragon, but that doesn’t make him a bad guy. He’s been really good to me.”

“But he’s claimed you, you said. Like you belong to him.”

Well, there is that. But is it bad that I like being claimed? Maybe I shouldn’t like it as much as I do.

“You know, Melina and I have been talking…” Amy twists her hands and averts her gaze. “The next time he leaves, we can get away, you know. We could try going back to Fort Dallas.”

I sit up in bed, wincing as it pulls on my wound. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Maybe things would be better with a new mayor? Or we could always go to a different fort.” She reaches out and grips my hand. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to suffer for my sake. I know none of this is fair and isn’t what you wanted.”

I stare at my sister, our fingers laced. Here’s my out. I don’t have to be a dragon’s mate. I don’t have to endure the shocked, horrified looks that my sister and Melina give me on a regular basis. I can just get up and leave the next time Kael goes hunting, and we can sneak away, maybe to Fort Orleans instead of Fort Dallas. Be an anonymous human again. No one in particular, nothing to do with dragons.

Kael would try to find me, of course. He’d cover the ends of the earth looking for me, but there’s always a chance to hide, especially amongst a city full of other dirty, smelly humans. The psychic bond would be tricky, but with distance, he wouldn’t be able to locate me, I think. I could escape, really escape this time, now that I have my sister.

I…just don’t want to. In fact, I find the idea appalling.

I love my dragon. My big, bossy, domineering, half-feral dragon. I don’t care that he’s the enemy. I don’t care if it means I’m exiled from humanity for the rest of my life.

He’s mine and I’m his.

A little surprised at the ferocity of my thoughts, I squeeze Amy’s hand. My sister doesn’t approve of Kael, and…I kind of don’t care what she thinks.

So he’s a bit overbearing. He’s got a good heart.

So he sorta transforms into a bus-sized dragon and tends to flame goats alive as a show of his affection. His heart is in the right place.

He’s also incredibly tender with me, loving, wickedly sharp with his humor, and endlessly fascinating. He protects me, and in turn, he gives me control and he listens to me. I’ve never felt so badass as I do when I’m on his back.

Kael is also really, really good at sex. It makes me hot and squirmy just thinking about how good.

But Amy’s gazing at me with intent, worried eyes, and I need to reassure her. “I don’t want to go anywhere,” I tell her, giving her hand a sympathetic little pat, because I know she won’t understand. Not in the slightest. “I love Kael, and he loves me. I have a better life with him than if I went back to the city.”

Amy gasps, her nails digging into my hand. “You can’t mean that.”

“I do. I mean all of it. In the city, I was just another mouth to feed, and probably a week away from whoring myself for something to eat.” Like Sasha, I think unpleasantly but don’t say it aloud. I still need to talk to Kael, find out how Sasha is. If she needs rescuing from Dakh. “But it’s not like that with Kael. Here, I’m fed, pampered, and adored. I’m his entire world, Amy…and he’s becoming mine.” I give my sister an apologetic smile. “I hope you understand.”

“He’s not human.”

Yeah, I noticed that part,” I say drily.

She blushes bright red. “I just…I just don’t understand.”

“I know. Maybe you will in time.”

She nods quietly and gives my hand another squeeze. “I just…you know. Wanted to make sure you were happy.”

“Of course,” I say, still smiling. I know my sister doesn’t get it. It’s okay. As long as I do, it doesn’t matter.

“I’m going to, um, check on the tea.” Amy gets up from her chair and limps over to the fireplace, and I feel a twinge of guilt. Amy would never be so selfish as to ask what about me, but I know the thought has to be going through her mind. This is the first decision I’ve ever made that didn’t put Amy before me.

It’s…odd.

I know things aren’t perfect for her. I know both she and Melina have to wear my dirty clothing to cover the smell of them, because Kael’s worried other dragons will pick up their scent on the air and come looking for mates. I know they have to be extra careful with everything they do, and wash several times a day with my prized shampoos. But they’re safe here. They just need to realize that.

I snuggle deeper into the blankets, wincing when my side twinges again. I think about Kael and how it’s been a few days since he’s held me while I sleep. I miss it. Well, among other things. I can feel myself blushing, and I press my thighs tighter together.

As if my thoughts have summoned him, the shadow of my dragon circles lazily overhead, even as I feel his thoughts brush against mine. I sit up straighter in bed, resisting the urge to fix my hair. I probably look like hell from a week of being an invalid. I don’t want him to look at me and see a weak, fragile human. I want him to see his mate, to be happy when he looks at me.

Because I’m going to tell him that I love him and I’m staying, and it feels like an important moment. But it also needs to be an intimate one. I glance over at Amy, who’s pouring two cups of tea over by the fire.

Kael settles high on the roof above, his shadow falling over the open cooking area that we still haven’t figured out how to cover yet. To my surprise, he drops his kill, and the dead deer thumps to the ground next to Amy, who drops the tea kettle and stumbles backward. I wait for him to switch to his human form, but instead, he swoops low, claws extended, and grabs Amy.

My sister shrieks in alarm.

32

CLAUDIA

Oh my god. Kael? What are you doing? I struggle to sit up in bed, alarmed as my dragon flies off with my sister.

I heard your thoughts. I saw your mental images. His mind is a naughty purr in my own. I am going to claim my mate, and I do not wish for onlookers to be nearby as I make you scream with pleasure.

Eek. I suppress a horrified—and pleased—giggle. A little warning next time? Amy’s probably frightened out of her wits. And where is Melina?

I am taking your sister to her. They are in a safe place. There is a building nearby that has a heavy stink to it that will disguise their scents. I will retrieve them when I have pleasured you.

Poor Amy. Poor Melina. But…I can’t be all that sorry. My mind is flashing full of lustful thoughts that filter in through our connection, of his clawed hand curling in my hair as he pulls my head back and drives into me from behind. Of my breasts bouncing with each thrust, and my wild screams as he makes me come.

Okay, yeah, it’s probably a good thing he’s making Amy and Melina leave. If it’s safe, we need to set them up with a home of their own, I suggest. So I have more time with my mate. I hear he misses me.

My cock misses his home between your legs, he tells me from far away, and it’s so strongly projected into my mind it’s like he’s here instead of flying away with Amy.

The visuals he sends make me giggle with embarrassment. His home?

It is where I belong, Kael sends, amused. Where he belongs, too. Do you disagree?

Not at all. But I don’t know how much I’m going to be able to participate with my side hurting. I’m still weak, too, but I feel like a wimp in admitting that. Maybe we should wait.

We are not waiting, my dragon says imperiously. And I shall do everything. It would give me great pleasure to put my head between your thighs and make you cry out.

What about you?

All you need to do is lie back and let me touch you. That will be my pleasure.

Well, how can I resist such a compelling argument? I’ve been bedridden for the last week and aching, so I haven’t felt all that sexy. But hearing his thoughts and his desire is making mine return in a rush. Hurry, I tell him. Or I’m going to start without you. I put my hands on my breasts and lazily tease the tips with slow circling motions, mentally projecting the image back to him.

A low, draconic groan ripples through my mind. Cruel, sweet mate.

Cruel, am I? I avoid my throbbing side and slide a hand down my belly, pushing into the waistband of my panties. He finds my undergarments ridiculous, viewing them as useless bits of clothing, but I like them. Any kind of clothing is a luxury not to be wasted, so I wear them. I let my fingers brush against the curls of my pussy and then slip a finger between my folds. Not wet enough yet. I think of Kael kneeling between my legs, my fingers teasing his hair as he pushes his face into my pussy and begins to ravenously lick me.

That does the trick. Thinking of that makes me wet in moments. I moan and flick a finger over my clit, my other hand on my breast, squeezing it. How much longer are you going to be?

Too long.

I chuckle at the tortured sound of his thoughts. Please don’t drop my sister in your haste.

You are the cruelest of mates, he teases.

Am I? I tease back. And here I thought I was just feeling so much better. I continue to stroke myself, biting my lip and wishing desperately that Kael was here to do it for me.

When the shadow of a dragon passes overhead, my entire body quivers with excitement. Finally. I keep touching myself, even as Kael lands in his usual spot and transforms to his human form, thumping to the ground. I keep touching, because I want him to see me stroking my pussy at the thought of him.

He stands slowly, stretching to his full height, and I gasp to see he’s already magnificently erect, his eyes dark with lust. “Claudia,” he murmurs, stalking toward me, and for the barest of moments, I feel like prey.

Sexy, sexy prey. It only makes me wetter. I slide my fingers over my clit even faster, breathing hard as he moves to the side of the bed and jerks the blankets off of me. He gazes down at my sprawled legs. I’m wearing nothing but a T-shirt and panties, and my T-shirt’s hiked up so I can play with my breasts, my hand in my panties. It’s not my most dignified moment. Don’t care.

His eyes blaze with need. Your wound?

Who cares? I tell him, still rubbing my clit fiercely.

His jaw clenches. I care. He moves onto the bed carefully, his large form dwarfing my own.

In the next moment, my mind fills with images of him grabbing my knees and pushing them apart, then dragging his mouth over my core. I moan at those vivid images, but he doesn’t do any of that. In fact, he’s not even touching me yet. It’s just mental foreplay, and it’s a unique kind of torture all its own. Kael leans in and examines my bandaged wound, ignoring my feverish masturbation and his own erection. Does this pain you? His gaze flicks to mine.

Not as much as this does, I tell him, dragging a slick finger through my folds. My movements make a wet sound, and I could swear he visibly tenses at the sound. Good. So he’s not immune to my display.

I must be gentle with you today, he tells me, leaning in and nuzzling at my neck. Though every scale on my hide demands that I throw you down and shove into you so I can fill you with my release.

His rough words are at odds with the gentleness of his touch, and I whimper. “You don’t have to be that gentle.”

Kael’s hot mouth moves down my throat, his claws dragging at the fabric of my bunched-up shirt. Remove this.

“Removing it,” I tell him quickly. The last thing I want is to lose another shirt. My arms tremble as I sit up, my body still weak, and I’m surprised when he tenderly supports my back and carefully helps me remove my shirt. That’s a first. Normally he just gets impatient and rips everything away. “Thank you.”

You are my mate. I will take care of you. His dark eyes gleam, and then he leans in and presses his mouth to mine in a kiss. And I like to see you in your skin. Kael’s tongue traces along my jaw, then grazes my neck.

“Better than out of it, I suppose,” I joke, stomach fluttering at the feel of his mouth.

He pulls away and stares down at me, frowning. I would never wish for that.

“It was a joke. You know, humor.”

Kael blinks at me slowly, and then his mouth curves into a wicked smile that makes my pulse flutter. Do you tease your mate, my Claudia? Shall I tease back?

Something in the heat of his eyes tells me he’s not talking about verbal teasing. I squirm a little under his intense gaze. I can’t imagine you teasing anyone.

Can’t you? He dips his chin, and his lips graze my nipple. It immediately puckers in response to his touch. Is this not teasing?

I moan, panting. I don’t know if it’s teasing if it feels so good.

Mmmm. He continues to play with my nipple, taking it between his teeth and gently nipping, then rolling the tip against his tongue. You are my mate. It is my job to ensure you feel good. Better than good. He lightly sucks on the tip of my breast, until I’m crying out with need. Your pleasure is my pleasure. Your pain my pain.

I arch under him, but that movement makes my side flare up again, and I wince, collapsing and putting a hand to my side. Somehow, I don’t believe we’re sharing this pain.

His mouth lifts from my skin, and his gaze catches mine. The look on his face is so intense, his eyes swirling a furious black, that I look away. He reaches up and grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him again.

You think I do not notice your pain? You think it does not destroy me inside when the humans attack you with their fire sticks? You think I did not feel my world end when you collapsed at my feet? Or that it began again when you opened your eyes?

“Oh, Kael.” I’m being a dick, aren’t I? “I’m sorry. I—” I hesitate, then brush my fingers over the high, pronounced dappled cheekbones that I’d first thought so strange. Now I adore them. “I love you.”

I know this.

I frown. Not exactly how I’d planned this moment going. “Well, that was arrogant.”

You have already told me this, Claudia. When you were attacked with the fire stick, you told me you loved me.

Did I? I don’t remember. “Yeah, well, you don’t have to sound like such a high and mighty jerk about it.” I’d pictured this moment so different. Me, dramatically declaring my love and him, getting all soft and happy with my confession, not giving me a smug, impatient look. “You’re so…arrogant!”

How can it be arrogant if it is truth? The smile he gives me is arch, even as he drags his tongue over my nipple, making me crazy with need. You tell me things I already know.

“You could at least pretend to be surprised,” I grumble, but it’s hard to be angry when the man you love is playing with your boob.

How can I be surprised? I know that you love me when I taste your response on my tongue. When I smell it in the air. When I feel your thoughts as you awaken and are eager to feel my flesh pressed to yours. His arms brace at my sides, and he kisses further along my belly, avoiding my bandages. He moves lower, and then slices away my panties with one flick of his claws. I can’t even be sorry about the underwear—I’m too fascinated by what he’s doing. He leans in and kisses my mound, and then glances up at me, smile wicked. Shall I taste how much you love me, my Claudia? The scent of your loving perfume is already filling my nostrils.

I giggle. “Loving…perfume? Never say that when Amy or Melina are around, please.”

The warmth of his humor echoes in my mind. Can I not love the taste of my mate on my tongue? He nuzzles lower, carefully parting the folds of my pussy with his claws.

“Yes, but…” My laughter turns into a moan as he swipes his tongue over me in one long, delicious stroke. All humor vanishes, and my hands go to his head, and I cling to his thick golden hair. “Oh god, Kael. I love you.”

I know, he tells me again, even as he begins to lick and suck at my clit. You have finally accepted that you are mine.

“Arrogant…beast…” I gasp between licks, but I love this. I love every swipe of his tongue, every stroke, every flick of pleasure he gives me. I love that he’s so possessive. I love all of it, and all of him. It doesn’t matter that he’s a dragon-man, or a drakoni, or the enemy.

He’s just…mine.

His hot tongue slides lower, pushing against my core. Now tell me you love me again, my mate.

“Oh god, I love you!” I cry out as his tongue thrusts obscenely. “I love you! I love you!” I repeat it with every thrust of his tongue deep inside me that seems to brush against every nerve ending in my body.

You are so wet. He growls low against my pussy. My mate is delicious.

“Please, Kael,” I beg shamelessly. “Take me.” I send mental images of his cock sliding deep into me, stretching me around him. “I need you inside me.”

With another growl, he drags his big body over mine, and I spread my legs eagerly as I feel the thick head of his cock press against my core. Then he thrusts deep inside me, sinking to the hilt in one smooth motion, the thick crown of his cock rubbing deep inside me in a way that drives me absolutely insane every damn time.

“Oh god! Oh god!” I cling to him, nails digging against his dappled skin as he rocks carefully into me. My side gives another flash of pain at my movements, but I don’t care.

Kael does, though. He grabs my hands with one of his and holds them high over my head. Be still while I claim you. You will hurt yourself.

Don’t care, I moan, not even bothering to speak aloud anymore. My thoughts are a jumbled whirl of pleasure as he slides out of me and then strokes deep again, cock dragging through the slick cream of my pussy. There’s something so erotic about him holding me pinned under him, big hand keeping mine captive. It makes me more aroused, and I didn’t think that was possible. Oh god, Kael.

You are mine, Claudia. All mine. Forever. There will be no fire in your blood but mine.

No fire, I agree, sobbing, wishing I could lift my hips to push against him. My side aches, but it’s nothing compared to the intense pleasure. I’m too far gone.

As if sensing my need, he slams into me harder, becoming rougher with his thrusts, and I scream my pleasure. My mate, he sends with every thrust. My everything. My Claudia.

And I am. I’m his everything, and gladly. All yours, I tell him. Forever.

When we come, we come together.

33

CLAUDIA

Hours later, when he’s claimed me a few more times and has finally moved to lie beside me on the bed, his limbs twined around mine possessively, I lie awake, thinking.

“My sister and Melina are safe, aren’t they?” I ask, lazily tracing one of the scales on his shoulder. “Even though it’s been a few hours?”

For today, yes. I patrolled before coming, and no one is near. I cannot feel any other dragons in the area. The humans are safe for now, though we will have to retrieve them soon.

My mate doesn’t sound thrilled at that. I think he likes having me to himself. But I won’t compromise their safety, and if that means we have a little less alone time, then so be it. I relax against him and enjoy the feel of his weight pressing against my good side. My sister’s free. I’ve got the man I love. There’s only a small hiccup in my happiness.

“Sasha,” I murmur sleepily.

Hmm? Kael’s thoughts are as pleasure-drugged as my own, I’m pleased to notice.

“My friend. The one that Dakh stole. Have you heard from him? Seen him around?” My fingers lazily trace down his back, noting that his shoulder blades don’t seem to be the same as mine. They have a different shape to them, broader and flatter. Maybe for his wings in his battle form? Fascinating. He’s endlessly, utterly fascinating. I could spend a lifetime with him and still learn new things about him.

In fact, I plan on it.

But Kael sits up in bed and glances down at me, eyes lazily whirling the amber of contentment. I have not seen Dakh. He will stay out of my territory now that he knows I am protecting a mate…and that he has his own to protect.

“But what about Sasha? We have to save her, if she’s still alive.”

She is still alive. Dakh would destroy the world to keep her safe. I know this feeling. His claws brush a sweaty strand of hair off my brow.

“But we can’t just leave her with him—”

He shakes his head, a trait I could swear he’s picked up from me. I will not approach another male on his territory while he protects his own mate. To do so would be death. He will fight me to protect her, just like I would fight him to protect you.

“Then what do we do?” I ask softly, worried.

My dragon leans in and nuzzles at my ear. We give thanks that Dakh has claimed a mate and there is one less crazed drakoni in the skies.

“And what about what Sasha wants? Doesn’t that matter?”

He begins to kiss my neck again, distracting me. You should know that when a drakoni male has his mind on his woman, he is not easily dissuaded.

True enough.

Still, I hope that somewhere out there, Sasha is safe and taken care of. My poor friend, I think. I hope you are treated well. I’m sorry for what’s happened.

SASHA

A moan of pain escapes me as I rouse from sleep. Every fiber of my being aches, and my broken arm is a hot, throbbing brand at my side. My ribs are almost as painful as my arm, and I suspect that Tate cracked them the last time I sold myself to him. The more I see him, the rougher he gets, the more boundaries he pushes.

He’ll kill me one day, but it’s not like I have many options.

Still, I haven’t seen Tate in days. There’s no reason why I should feel as freshly-stomped-on as I do. My mind is hazy, head throbbing, and I reach up with my good arm and feel a new knot on my forehead. I must have hit myself somehow.

That’ll look lovely with my black eye.

Not that it matters what I look like. Tate’s not interested in my face half as much as he is in marking up my skin. Of course, it’s going to be another injury I’ll have to explain to Claudia, who—

Claudia.

My mind fills with vague flashes of memory. Of hiding in the school bus from another dragon attack. The dragon landing. Claudia, wearing swim goggles and dragging me out of the safety of the bus while a dragon waits outside.

Falling off the dragon.

Oh god, I remember falling. Fear makes my mouth water, and I feel stunningly close to vomiting. I slow my breathing, ignoring the beads of cold sweat that pop onto my skin. Calm. Calm. You’re clearly safe. You didn’t fall, or you’d remember landing.

Weird. I really don’t remember landing, though. A new whimper escapes my throat. Am I dead? Is this death? Is death supposed to hurt this stinking much?

A low, rumbling sound, almost like a purr, fills the black space around me.

I freeze, not daring to open my eyes.

That…had sounded a bit like a purr, if a cat was the size of, oh, a jetliner. Fear makes my bones feel like jelly, and even though I want to be quiet, my breath begins to rasp in short, echoing gasps, loud even to my own ears.

Oh god. Oh god. I’d been falling. That was the last thing I remembered. Who’d caught me?

What caught me?

I squeeze an eye open, greatly daring.

Something stares back at me. Something with a scaly, horned face the size of a Volkswagen. Something with eyes that swirl in color from black to gold to black again. Something that purrs with fierce intensity and hovers inches away from my face.

A dragon.

I scream.

EPILOGUE

One Month Later

CLAUDIA

Give me a new challenge, Kael demands. One that will test my skills. You’re not trying hard enough.

I roll my eyes at his smug tone, but I’m having fun. I hold up my stopwatch, reset it, and then glance around. “All right. You want challenging? Let’s do challenging.” I eye the vista around us. We’re on the roof of the tallest building in Old Dallas, Kael perched atop the edge like a big, dangerous bird. I scan the ruins and then lay out the course. “Those three towers over there,” I tell him, pointing at the three farthest broken buildings. “Touch each one, and then fly upside down to number four over there.” I point at another building. “Then I need you to go under that overpass down there and pick up one of the cars and throw it into the Trinity River.”

He snorts, a puff of smoke pluming from his nostrils. Child’s play. How much time do I have?

Kael doesn’t know jack shit about time, but he knows he has to go fast, and he gauges how much time he has based on my reactions. So I pick something that seems do-able but not too easy. “Two minutes.”

Start the timer, then, my mate, and prepare to be impressed.

“Oh, I’ll be impressed,” I tease, and tighten my reinforced harness. If we’re going upside down, I need to be prepared. I hook one arm under my handlebar and then ready my stopwatch. “Ready to do this?”

And what do I win if I ‘blow your mind’ this time, my mate? There’s a sexy tease in his mind that makes my skin prickle with delight. I like that he’s picking up some of my euphemisms, too.

I pretend to consider my options, though we always play for the same thing. “Hmm. A kiss?”

Do I get to pick where? And he sends me a rather naughty visual.

“Yup.” I grin and pull my goggles down over my eyes. “Let’s do this. On my mark…” I click the stopwatch. “Go!”

Kael heaves himself into the air with such speed that it feels like my brains rock backward. I laugh with crazy delight as he pounds his wings through the air, racing for the nearest building on my obstacle course. One touched, and then the next in quick succession. I cling to the saddle handlebar as he hits building number two and bounds off of it so hard that the metal frame collapses behind us.

You’re making a mess, I call out gleefully.

Don’t distract me!

Off he goes to building three. Once he slams his legs into it and twists, we’re off to number four. Immediately we flip in mid-air, and I smother my scream, holding on tight. Flying upside down is terrifying—and also a huge rush. I’m strapped in well enough that I know I’m not going anywhere, but it still steals my breath every time. I jolt as we smack against building number four, and then Kael rights himself, diving low to go under the overpass. He glides along, grabs a car, and then we’re making a beeline for the distant Trinity River.

By the time he dumps it in, I’m laughing with the sheer pleasure of flying.

Time? he asks, but I can hear the pleased amusement in his thoughts. He loves my reactions to his crazy antics in the air.

I click the stopwatch and check it. “Minute fifty-eight,” I admit, impressed. “You’re faster every time we clock this.”

I enjoy the rewards, he tells me slyly, and tilts his wings, then begins to beat them, rising higher. After a ‘bet,’ we always head to our favorite spot—the sandy shore of our lake—for a quick bath and some fooling around. Now let me think of where I would like my kiss this time.

And I chuckle, because I know he doesn’t have to think about it. Kael always likes my mouth in one particular spot, because it always leads to more.

A short time later, we’re both naked on the shore, and sweaty from a round of lovemaking. I’m lying atop Kael, my legs sprawled over his hips, and my breasts and crossed arms resting on his chest. He’s become an enthusiastic advocate for woman-on-top, which apparently isn’t much of a thing with his people, since the females have to be defeated and dominated. The first time I pushed him onto his back, I thought he’d lose his mind. Now it’s one of our go-to positions.

Well, along with missionary, doggy, and every other position we can possibly think of. We just really, really like sex together.

“I suppose we should get up soon,” I tell him, tracing a finger over the scales on his shoulder. His claws are gliding up and down my back, lightly scratching at me.

He arches an eyebrow at my words, and I blush, because it’s clear from my thoughts that I’m not in a hurry to go back, no matter what I say aloud. I like our private time. Melina’s back in the city for the most part—though we run errands for her when she sends a message now and then—but Amy still lives in our apartment with us. She’s still wearing my dirty clothes and using my shampoo, and when we’re gone, she takes to her ‘panic’ room that we’ve set up a few floors down in the building’s old security room. In case of emergency, Amy can lock herself into a room with a steel door and reinforced walls. She has a flare gun she can pop off in case of danger, and several air horns to alert us if we’re nearby and somehow miss a big honking dragon horning in on Kael’s territory.

For the most part, things are quiet, though. Male dragons have been largely absent from our area because they sense a male with his mate and don’t wish to disturb our nest, Kael tells me. We see an occasional red or two, but Kael’s able to drive them away.

Ironically enough, since we’ve ‘settled’ in this territory, we’re protecting Fort Dallas. The dragon attacks have stopped since this is now Kael’s territory instead of a place to fight over. Dakh is somewhere on the outskirts of the city, I think, but we don’t go looking for him. I don’t like leaving Amy alone, even with the panic room set-up, because I remember all-too-well that Kael tore apart a building to get to me.

If I have to choose between Sasha and Amy, I choose Amy. I know that Sasha must be safe out there somewhere, and I feel guilty that she didn’t get to pick her fate. But it has to be better than what was waiting for her back in Fort Dallas. I tell myself that. Often.

Sometimes it helps the guilt, sometimes not.

At some point, when Amy’s safe, I do think I’d like to go searching for Sasha and Dakh. I want to know what happened to my friend—one way or another. And I want to travel to see what the rest of the country is like. Are there bigger, better cities than Fort Dallas? What about the dragon girl in Fort Orleans? There are so many places I want to visit since we can fly anywhere…but Amy’s safety comes first. I don’t know that she’d be safe on Kael’s back, or if other dragons would be attracted to her scent and attack us to get to her.

Heck, one of our first rules for Amy was to not masturbate. Ever. It was as embarrassing for her to hear as it was for me to tell her, but we can’t be too careful. Just like a shark can pick a droplet of blood out of the water from miles away, I suspect a mate-less dragon could follow the scent of a lone unmated female’s arousal from a long, long distance.

So we stay in our territory, and that means Amy’s always at home. I like having my sister there, but at the same time, I like alone time with my dragon, too. So we tend to fly off regularly and make out like bunnies in public places. On the back of a car, in an old bank lobby, on a roof. On the shore here. Wherever and whenever we can get a few moments alone.

We have sex a lot…and it’s had a few other unintended consequences. I study Kael’s handsome face, wondering if now is the right time to bring up what I want to talk about. I trace a teasing finger over his pectoral. “So. What were you like as a child?”

Kael thinks for a moment and then shrugs. I do not remember.

I bite back my frustration. One of the side-effects of Kael’s transport here was the madness. Unfortunately, the madness has sucked away a lot of his memories of his land, and all he recalls are occasional fragments. Memories are missing, leaving big gaps in his knowledge, and that means we don’t have a lot of information to go off of. “You don’t remember anything at all? What about when drakoni females get pregnant? How does that work?”

He gives me an amused look and rolls our twined bodies over on the sand until I’m under him. Shall I show you how a male drakoni claims his female? He shifts his hips, and his cock—still deep inside me from our mating minutes ago—strokes inside me.

I bat at his shoulder. I don’t want sex right now—okay, I’m a terrible liar, because I do. But I want to talk about this. “I need to know more about your kind, Kael. Do you know if females have babies in battle-form or what?”

He shrugs and gives his hips a delicious, grinding roll. I do not remember.

“Well, think,” I reply tartly.

He pauses, sensing my mood, and I feel him sorting through his muddle of memories. Edges of madness touch my mind, but a moment later, he pushes them away, his eyes swirling back to amber. I have a memory of my father.

It’s a start. “Oh?”

He rubs his cheek, and the white scar that is there. I remember disobeying him, and he gave me this. It was back in…the other place. His eyes go vague and unfocused for a moment. That is all I recall, other than I deserved it.

Great. “That’s not super helpful, baby. Do…do you think father dragons have high emotion?” I bite my lip, worried. Kael is calm around me, but what if that changes?

He snorts and leans in to nip at my neck. No more than any other time. I was not a drakoni youth that listened very well. He lifts his head and narrows his beautiful amber eyes at me. Why is this so important?

A stab of terror shoots through me. Now or never. I lick my dry lips and put my hands on his cheeks, cupping his face. “Because I’m pregnant.”

Kael hesitates. He blinks his gold eyes, and I watch as they flare to black, then swirl back to gold.

And he smiles. I can feel pride and joy bursting through his mind, and his hand slides to my stomach and he caresses it. My child?

Yours, I tell him, my throat too thick with tears to speak.

He grins, and it’s clear he’s happy. I am, too. I’m terrified, sure, but I’m happy. Things are going to be okay, I realize. This isn’t an end to our happiness but a beginning.

I mean, I need to know if I’m going to have an egg, or a dragon hatchling, or if it’ll come out human, but…we’re in this together.

We’ve got this.

And I smile back up at my beautiful, fiery dragon and feel a surge of happiness. “Pleased?”

The look he gives me is incredulous. The fire in my blood carries my child and you have to ask?

I grin and pull him down against me. “Come on, baby. You know by now that I always have to ask.”

His chest rumbles with laughter as he tangles his hands in my hair and pulls me closer. I do know this. Ah, my Claudia. My mate. My everything.

And as he nuzzles my throat once more, I’m full of love and hope for the future. I have no idea what it’s going to bring…but as long as I have Kael?

It’s going to be amazing.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Dear Everyone!

I hope you liked this!!!!! I’m using a billion exclamation points because I’m so excited this book is finally coming out. I wrote this many years ago but wasn’t satisfied with how it had turned out, so I’ve completely rewritten it, changed tenses, added scenes, and all of that good stuff that makes you want to beat your head against a door when you are in the middle of the book. Of course, once you’re done with the book, you’re pretty happy with how the darn thing turned out! <3

These books have a very different setting than my other series but I think you’ll agree that all the fun, juicy stuff that makes a book exciting (fated mates and their bond, etc) is all in there. This will be the first book in the FIREBLOOD series. Book two will be Sasha and Dakh (obviously!) and book three will be Amy, with a possible book four for Melina (depending on how sales go). I plan on doing one a quarter, and the books will be longer and more intense read than the average barbarian book. I hope you’ll find them worth the wait!

A lot of people have been asking if this means Ice Planet Barbarians is coming to an end. I still have several more books in me and as long as sales are strong, I’ll continue to write them. This is just a bit of a mental break for me to switch gears and do something new in-between IPB books. Please be assured that I haven’t forgotten our big blue guys! It’s just sometimes a writer needs a change of pace.

As always, thank you so much for reading and being such amazing fans. If you have questions for me or want to talk about the series, head on over to my Facebook page!

<3

Ruby

ICE PLANET BARBARIANS

Does a big brutal alpha male possessing his delicate human female make you as happy as it makes me? If you liked FIRE IN HIS BLOOD, I’d love for you to give it a try. As always, my books are free to read in KU!

YOU'D THINK BEING ABDUCTED BY ALIENS WOULD BE THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN TO ME. AND YOU'D BE WRONG. BECAUSE NOW, THE ALIENS ARE HAVING SHIP TROUBLE, AND THEY'VE LEFT THEIR CARGO OF HUMAN WOMEN - INCLUDING ME - ON AN ICE PLANET.

AND THE ONLY NATIVE INHABITANT I'VE MET? HE'S BIG, HORNED, BLUE, AND REALLY, REALLY HAS A THING FOR ME...

RUBY DIXON READING LIST

ICE PLANET BARBARIANS

Ice Planet Barbarians

Barbarian Alien

Barbarian Lover

Barbarian Mine

Ice Planet Holiday (novella)

Barbarian’s Prize

Barbarian’s Mate

Having the Barbarian’s Baby (short story)

Ice Ice Babies (short story)

Barbarian’s Touch

Calm(short story)

Barbarian’s Taming

Aftershocks (short story)

Barbarian’s Heart

Barbarian’s Hope

Barbarian’s Choice

BEDLAM BUTCHERS

Bedlam Butchers, Volumes 1-3: Off Limits, Packing Double, Double Trouble

Bedlam Butchers, Volumes 4-6: Double Down, Double or Nothing, Slow Ride

Double Dare You

BEAR BITES

Shift Out of Luck

Get Your Shift Together

Shift Just Got Real

Does A Bear Shift in the Woods

SHIFT: Five Complete Novellas

WANT MORE?

For more information about upcoming books in the Ice Planet Barbarians, Bear Bites, or any other books by Ruby Dixon, like me on Facebook or subscribe to my new release newsletter.

Thanks for reading!

<3 Ruby

Table of Contents

Epilogue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Author’s Note

Ice Planet Barbarians

Ruby Dixon Reading List

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