by S. E. Smith
“I don’t like half of them, but if it makes her happy, I live with it. By the way, you are not making any coats out of my mate’s pets,” Mandra replied with a hard tap to the back of Vox’s head.
“Why does everyone keep bringing that up?” Vox complained as the carts moved in a wide circle around what looked like a miniature mountain face complete with snow. Strange, black flying creatures sat at different points, making cawing noises and snapping their beaks at them. “I thought the jackets were alive! I was just trying to protect Riley. How was I supposed to know the hideous thing was a piece of clothing?”
“I don’t know about you, but my dragon is sending out a warning,” Trelon muttered in concern as they climbed higher.
“Mine too,” Creon called out, wrapping his hands around the bar in front of him. “I don’t sense any danger, just a feeling of anticipation.”
“As long as there aren’t any more of those beasts back there at the top, I’m good,” Vox commented.
“This is actually enjoyable,” Kelan added as he sat back. “My dragon isn’t worried at all.”
*.*.*
Trelon wasn’t feeling as confident as his brother. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something was bothering his dragon. He reached inside and saw that his dragon was burrowing down as if to weather one of the violent storms that sometimes formed on their world.
“Wow! Did you see that?” Kelan muttered as he gazed at the ceiling as the cart came to a stop at the very top of the miniature mountain. “Trelon, I think your mate was messing with the environmental system again.”
Trelon’s eyes swept across the sky above them. Large bolts of lightning and swirling clouds darkened the area above their heads. A fierce stream of wind blew on them as they sat near the ceiling of the cavern. He lowered his eyes to gaze out over the cavern. They were in a far corner of it. From the angle they were stopped at, it gave them a view of the entire underground area.
“This is incredible,” he murmured out loud. “The planning that went into this, not to mention the engineering, is unbelievable.”
“I see the forest with those hairy beasts moving through it,” Vox said in unease.
“Look over there!” Zoran groaned, pointing to another section where the faint sound of laughter could be heard about the rising storm and the loud cawing of the birds. “Abby is going to kill me.”
“How did they get out?” Trelon muttered as he saw Amber and Jade’s distinctive dragons running through a section and disappearing inside a building. “There is something on top of the building!”
“Trelon,” Zoran said in a low voice.
“I saw something moving down there,” Trelon growled. “Something that I’ve never seen before.”
“There have been a lot of things I’ve never seen before,” Ha’ven commented as he winced as another bolt of lightning flashed close by and the carts they were in shook. “Am I the only one who thinks being up high is not a good idea?”
“I don’t think that is going to be a problem,” Zoran muttered grimly as his hands tightened around the bar in front of him. “I suggest everyone hold on.”
Trelon finally looked down to where Zoran was staring as the carts began to move again. Now he understood the apprehension his dragon was feeling. As the lightening flashed again, he could clearly see that the tracks appeared to end right in front of them. A loud curse escaped him as he suddenly felt the cart start to fall. Ha’ven, Kelan, and Creon’s voices rose with his as they sped downward in a free fall that left his stomach back at the top of the mountain.
Laughter exploded from him as the carts suddenly twisted and turned. They passed through a tunnel with flashing lights and strange, ghostly faces, before they were back out into the cavern and a large splash of warm water covered them as they found themselves suddenly floating in the river.
“I want to do that again,” Zoran yelled as he wiped the water from his face and twisted in his seat. “That was almost as good as being in my dragon form and flying.”
“Did you see the cave?” Mandra chuckled. “I jumped when the lights came on.”
“I loved the twist and turns,” another, unfamiliar voice said next to Creon.
Trelon twisted around to see who it was. Creon was cursing, low at first, then louder, as he finally pushed the bar holding him up and he half jumped, half fell out of the back of the cart into the water. It wasn’t long before he was the only one still sitting in the cart. Some type of braking system must have engaged when the bar lifted because the carts stopped moving.
His mouth opened and closed as the ghostly golden figure of a beautiful woman rose up and floated toward him. He cleared his throat and his eyes flashed to where the others were climbing up onto the bank. His eyes shifted back and he twisted until he was standing in the front of the cart.
“Who… what are you?” He asked warily as it hovered in front of him.
“Boo!” Arosa said, switching forms.
Trelon jerked to the side as the floating form dissolved and in its place was a massive beast with six heads and glowing red eyes. He called to his dragon as he swung over the side of the cart and into the water. When he emerged, he was in his dragon form prepared to fight.
His head snapped around at the sound of giggles. The gold figure of the woman was once again sitting in the cart, this time where he and Zoran had been. She waved her hand and all the bars moved back into place.
“Trick or Treat, Trelon Reykill,” she whispered before she and the carts disappeared as if they had never been there.
“Trelon,” Zoran called from the bank, drawing his attention.
Trelon turned back to glance at Zoran who stood waiting for him. He moved through the shallow river to the bank. Digging his claws into the rocky surface, he pulled himself out. Once he was on dry land, he turned to look once more at where the woman and the carts had been before he shifted.
“What was that?” Zoran demanded. “And where did the carts go?”
Trelon ran his hand through his wet hair and glared at his older brother. He was getting tired of everyone asking him what was going on! Just because his mate created this didn’t mean he understood any of it. That was why he had placed the damn tracking device on her in the first place, so he could find out!
“Where are the others?” He asked instead.
“They are trying to round up the younglings before the women discover they are missing. I wonder if Abby will believe me if I tell her I was following Zohar if she catches me,” Zoran replied with a grin before he shook his head. “Probably not, she knows me too well.”
“Let’s go find the kids. I think I’ve had enough of this Halloween,” Trelon muttered as he glanced back at where the empty tracks stood in the glow of the now, storm-free, ceiling.
Chapter 8
Arilla ran with Phoenix, Spring and Symba. She loved the lighthearted moments with the different species she encountered, especially their young. The other symbiots and Dragonlings had separated as they ran to play in different parts of the wonderful world that had been created.
She climbed up the steps onto the wiggling bridge that lead to a house of some type. Both Dragonlings climbed with confidence showing they knew exactly where they were going. Giggles filled the air as she stepped through the door. Mirrors of all shapes and sizes lined the room.
Arilla paused as she saw her own reflection in one. Phoenix and Spring came to stand next to her. She was tall and skinny while Phoenix was short and wide. Spring had a tiny head and a huge body. Arilla scooted over until she was standing next to Phoenix. Her shape changed as she did.
“This reminds me of the feathered birds from your mother’s world,” Arilla chuckled as she flapped her wings and bobbed her head. “I believe they are called chickens.”
Phoenix shifted until she was in her two-legged form. “Chicken!” She repeated, flapping her arms up and down. “Chicken!”
Arilla giggled as Spring moved to another mirror that made her look like she was
upside down. The small dragon fell over and rolled onto her back as she tried to see herself. This was fun and there was no way that Aikaterina could get upset about her and Arosa being here. Shifting to her natural form of flowing gold, she held her hand out to Spring, who was now in her two-legged form as well.
“Show me more,” Arilla chuckled in delight.
*.*.*
Creon paused as he wiped a combination of damp cobwebs and sweat from his face. He glanced behind him. He had toasted a few of the golden creatures with the glowing eyes before he realized that they were mechanical. He grimaced at the faint smell of burnt electrical wiring that clung to the air.
He’d lost sight of Kelan and Vox in the dark forest. They had separated when they thought they heard Bálint and Roam’s squeals coming from the right. Creon was heading toward where he had last seen Phoenix and Spring.
The only reason he wasn’t panicking was because he knew that Harvey was with them. He had jogged over the uneven ground, trying to keep his direction while avoiding the trees when he rounded one and ran into one of the thick webs.
The more he tried to escape the more tangled he had become. He had finally shifted into his dragon form, hoping to slice through it with his claws. What he had not expected were for the dozen small eight-legged creatures to come pouring out at him. He had reacted instinctively, and before he knew it, had set the whole damn thing on fire.
Pausing, he wiped his hand down along his side when he saw Harvey lying contently outside the funny looking house that was at least three stories high and half as wide.
“I thought you were with them,” he growled as he stepped past the slumbering symbiot.
Harvey sent a strange image of what looked like a golden Phoenix to him before lowering its head back to the ground. Creon shook his head and stepped up onto the wiggling bridge. Holding onto the mesh of woven chain, he crossed over it and into the house.
*.*.*
Carmen shook her head as she watched Creon let out a long, stream of fire. Luckily, dragon fire burned hot, precise, and so intense, that it quickly extinguished itself once he quit blowing it. She followed him at a safe distance, waiting for the perfect opportunity to sneak up on him.
She bit her lip when she heard him admonish Harvey for not following the twins inside the Fun House. The girls loved going into it. This entrance led to the bottom floor Hall of Mirrors. There were six ways in and out of the building, although three of those were hidden for the most part.
Carmen moved to one of the side entrances that was a double door for moving things in and out. She slipped in the side. There were lots of corners and spaces to hide in.
This time, I’ll be the one to follow and catch him sneaking around, she thought with a grin as she narrowed in on where the girls were giggling.
*.*.*
Vox froze as he turned in a circle. Sweat broke out on his brow again as he listened. The hair on the back of his cat’s neck was standing straight up. This was the place where those damn beasts had been.
His eyes darted back and forth as he tried to see where Kelan had gone. A light, cool fog floated along the floor of the forest…
“Cavern,” he muttered. “It isn’t a real forest. It is just a created one.”
He hissed and jumped when a firm hand gripped his shoulder. Turning, he gripped the forearm connected to the hand on his shoulder. He almost threw the body attached to arm before he realized it was just Kelan. A low snarl escaped him.
“I’m with you,” Kelan reminded him, looking at where Vox was still gripping his arm. “Can you pull the claws in? They are a little painful.”
“Sorry,” Vox muttered as he released Kelan. “Just... don’t sneak up on me. My cat is about ready to go crazy. It knows those beasts are in here.”
“Wolves,” Kelan replied in an absent-minded voice. “It took me a little while to remember what they are called. Paul showed me some when I was on his world. They are like Harvey, only wild and meaner.”
“I don’t give a damn what they are called,” Vox muttered as he scanned the darkness and fog. A slight giggle and movement to his left had him and Kelan turning at the same time. “Roam, come here, son.”
A low hiss echoed before the tip of a tiny tail flickered above the fog before it disappeared again. The sound of scurrying feet and more giggles sounded, this time to their right.
“Bálint, come to daddy,” Kelan called out.
“Daddy,” a happy voice echoed. “Play tag wiff momma.”
Kelan released a relieved sigh as he walked toward the sound. He stopped with a frown when the spot where Bálint had been turned out to be empty. He twirled as the faint sound of giggles moved beneath him.
“I think they are going under us,” Kelan told Vox as the big Sarafin cat-shifter backed up to where he was standing. Kelan knelt on one knee and tapped the ground. A giggle escaped under where he had tapped. “Vox…”
“They are coming,” Vox growled. “You find the kids and protect them. I will take care of this.”
“Vox, I don’t…,” Kelan started to argue as he stood up, but Vox had already shifted and was padding away from him on silent feet. “I don’t think this is what we think it is,” he finished with a shake of his head.
Kelan’s eyes scanned the area. The dark shadow near the base of a nearby tree kept pulling at him. Striding over to it, he knelt again and shifted enough so that he could see better in the darkness. A black cloth covered a hole at the bottom of the tree.
Pulling it back, a grin spread across his face as he saw the rope lighting running the length of a tunnel. That was how the kids kept moving around so damn fast! Sitting down, he pushed his legs through the opening. A choked gasp escaped him when he found himself sliding further down along a long, wide tube. He laughed as he twisted and turned.
No wonder the kids were having so much fun, he thought as he spun around so he was sliding on his belly. It is a maze of tunnels built just for them.
Kelan’s laughter echoed as he landed in a pit of large, round, colorful balls. He lay on his back, staring up at the sky through the center of one of the hollow trees. Little lights danced like the fireflies he had seen back on Earth.
This was Trisha’s doing, he thought as he saw the reflected image of a full moon.
A slender hand touched his, and he turned his head to stare into his mate’s beautiful eyes. A smile danced around her lips as he stared up at her in surprise, then in desire. She knew he was trying to figure out why she was dressed so funny.
"It would appear I've found me a Lost Boy," she murmured as she sank down beside him.
"Bálint?" Kelan asked in a husky voice.
"Playing with Roam in the Bubble Room, Bio is watching them. Riley has gone to get Vox," she whispered as he drew her down over the top of him.
"I hope she takes her time," Kelan murmured as he captured her lips.
*.*.*
Riley adjusted the sheet so she could see better, smoothing it down so that the eye holes were even. She had to hand it to Emma. For someone who was so shy and reserved, she really knew how to make a ghost costume that was sexy as hell.
Riley glanced down at the thigh high pink faux fur and Rhinestone high heeled boots. The sheet only went as far as her upper thighs and sparkled like it was covered in a million diamonds. Even the eye holes were framed with tiny jewels.
"Damn, but I look good!" She whispered with a grin.
The fact that all she had on under the sheet was a pair of matching pink lace panties and bra didn't hurt her self-esteem either. She definitely had never had a ghost costume like this before! Pearl would have had a heart attack if she’d tried to leave their small apartment in this get up.
She carefully opened the door in the tree and stepped out. Shutting it firmly behind her, she rounded the tree just in time to hear a loud snarl and see a flash of fur several yards ahead of her. Biting her lip to keep from giggling, she strode through the makeshift forest amazed at how real-life it looked.
/> The theme parks would be eating their hearts out for something like this, she thought as she peeked around another tree.
Vox was turning in a tight circle sniffing the air. A low rumble escaped him, sending a shiver of desire through Riley. She rolled her eyes behind the sheet. The warm heat that pooled wasn’t coming from her cat, it was one hundred percent her reacting to Vox’s sexy growl.
Riley decided that if she wanted to get back to bed before daylight, she’d better push her wayward pheromones back under control. Raising her arms up, she stepped out from behind the tree and started making ghost sounds. What she didn’t realize was that at the same time as she stepped out from behind the tree, the program running the ghostly wolf pack restarted.
Three of the huge creatures suddenly appeared in front of her. The light from the hologram caught on the Rhinestones, causing them to flash with twinkling brilliance.
Riley knew she was in trouble the moment Vox turned. If she thought his hair was standing up before, it was nothing compared to what it was doing now. It looked like he had just come out of a commercial dryer filled with static electricity.
Dropping her arms to her side, she stood looking at him for a fraction of a second before deciding retreat was probably a good idea. She turned at the same time as he emitted an ear-shattering roar of rage. Reaching for the tree as she tripped over one of the roots, she fell onto the soft ground material with her ass up in the air.
A low cry escaped her when she felt Vox’s hot breath against her ass. Covering her head, she waited to feel his sharp teeth and claws rip into her flesh. Instead, warm hands ran up over the curve of her buttocks.
“Riley,” Vox choked out.
Rolling onto her back, she peeked up at him through the sheet. A soft moan escaped her when his hands followed her roll and ended up at the top of her thighs. Licking her lips, she looked into his stunned eyes.
“Hi, Tiger,” she whispered in a husky voice.
*.*.*
Vox froze every few steps, waiting and listening for the beasts to appear again. He had caught a brief glimpse of them, but they had disappeared when he got close. It was driving him crazy that he couldn’t smell them. He didn’t know what wolves were supposed to smell like, but he was sure they had some kind of scent.
