“No.” Gazelle shook her head. “You need to stay with your partner.”
Thank god!
He stepped in closer to Cordia, who looked at him like he was a piece of shit under her shoe. “This is stupid,” she remarked.
“I agree, but we have to do it anyway.” He spoke under his breath.
“I don’t feel like working together with you,” she whispered. “Or team-building. Or any of this. How is this even going to help us solve our fertility problems?” She mirrored his thinking.
“However,” Gazelle went on, speaking a little louder and looking pointedly at them. “I am going to divide you into two teams. You guys are on one team.” She pointed to some of the group. It included the vampire, Helga, and that shifter female who kept looking at him like he was a piece of meat. “The rest of you are Team Two.” He sighed in relief when he realized the wolf shifter and the vampire were on the other team.
“That’s not fair,” Lexi remarked.
“Why not, Lexi?” Gazelle asked.
“They get him.” She pointed at him. “A male. He’s stronger. They’ll win.”
“They also have a Feral,” Lexi added.
“You have a Feral too,” Surora remarked, looking down at herself. “Last time I checked I wasn’t chopped liver.”
“I agree with Lexi. They have a male on their side. Males are stronger than females. It is a proven fact. We want the male too. We insist on getting him. Maybe we can share.” She winked at Cordia who ignored them flat. The vampire looked at him like she wanted to eat him rather than to have him on her team.
“You heard Gazelle.” Cordia stepped forward. She wore another tank top ‒ this one was dusty pink ‒ and cut off jean shorts that showcased her thighs to perfection. “The teams have already been allocated. Deal with it!”
“We don’t feel it’s fair.” The shifter stepped forward and folded her arms.
“We can beat you easily even if—” Cordia started.
“Of course you can,” the vampire snorted, cutting her off, “you have him.” She pointed at Stone with one of her long, painted nails.
“I wasn’t finished,” Cordia spat. “We can beat you with both his hands tied behind his back.” She pointed a thumb at Stone.
“We don’t need to go to such extreme measures,” Gazelle began, looking shocked. “This is supposed to be fun.”
“Yeah, surely we…” he also chimed in. Not loving the idea of having his hands tied behind his back.
“That’s a fantastic idea, Feral.” The vampire grinned, showing off gleaming fangs.
Cordia made a screeching noise, her eyes narrowed on Helga. “I told you my name. Best you use it!”
“Cordia…okay? Fine! You don’t need to be quite so sensitive. I like your idea. The male must have his hands tied behind his back.” She smiled at him, her eyes glinting deviously.
“Are you okay with that, Stone?” Gazelle asked, looking concerned.
He glanced at Cordia, who nodded once.
“I guess so.” He shrugged, still not loving the idea but then again, it was only a stupid game.
“I don’t like it.” Gazelle shrugged. “No violence is permitted, so I’m not sure, with that in mind, why we need to tie Stone up.”
“Stone heads up our lair defense,” Topaz chimed in. “He is the most senior team leader and responsible for combat and defense training of all of the males in our lair. I think he should be handicapped. It would be the fair thing to do.” She grinned at him.
“Thanks for that.” Stone couldn’t help but smile. The she-dragon was on the other team. She was giving him shit.
Topaz shrugged, smiling broadly. “My pleasure.” She winked at Stone, tossing out a laugh.
“See,” the vampire looked him up and down for the tenth time that morning, her eyes seemed to brighten and her fangs seemed even longer than before, “further proof that he needs to be tied.”
“Okay, okay. The male will be tied,” Gazelle conceded. “Each team will receive a flag. You need to guard your flag while attempting to retrieve the flag of your opposition.” She pulled in a breath before continuing. “The game is about stealth and tactics, not about strength. If you are caught trying to steal the flag or are found to be in the possession of the flag while still on enemy territory you can be sent to a cage. The opposition must tag you though.” She made quote signs with her hands when she said cage. “Not a real cage. It’s a designated area highlighted on the maps you’ll get shortly. Each territory has its own cage area. If tagged, the offender must then sit inside the cage for a full fifteen minutes. Then they must return back to their own territory before attempting to steal the flag again.” She licked her lips. “Keep in mind that if you are too hung up on defense, you will never capture the opposition’s flag. Alternately, if you are too eager, you might lose your own flag. It’s very much a balancing act. Working as a team is essential.”
“Okay then.” The vampire clapped her hands together. “I have silver-infused handcuffs.” Helga grinned at Stone. “I think they’ll work better than rope. This is going to be fun.” She rubbed her hands together.
What the fuck?
“Don’t worry.” The vamp must have caught his horrified look. “They are lightly infused, so they won’t make you sick. You will not be able to get free however.” She winked at him.
“I honestly don’t think that’s necessary.” Gazelle shook her head. “Being tied up and in hand-cuffs are not the same.”
“How do we know he plays fair?” the wolf, Lexi asked, eyebrows raised.
“I’ll give my word,” Stone said, starting to feel irritated, “that’s how.”
“Actually,” Topaz piped up, “I agree. Stone should be cuffed.” She choked out a laugh.
“Whose side are you on?” Stone asked, frowning.
“Theirs,” Topaz chuckled. “This is a competition after all.”
“Rope, silver hand-cuffs,” Cordia remarked. “It makes no difference. We will beat you regardless.” The female looked just as irritated as he did. In fact, her hands were fisted. Her jaw tight and those gorgeous eyes were blazing. Cordia was ready to whip some ass.
“Remember,” Gazelle said, sensing frayed nerves. “No violence! No shifting allowed either. The first team to get the opposition’s flag back onto your own territory wins!” She handed out some printouts. “Both territories are clearly marked. Flag locations are marked but only for your own. You have fifteen minutes to strategize and then it’s game on. When the opposition flag is slotted in place, a buzzer will sound, that way we’ll know who wins in the end, even if it’s a race to the finish. Good luck! You may begin strategizing now.” She glanced at her watch.
“Let’s get to our flag.” Stone glanced at the other team. He could practically see ears flapping. His own senses were on high alert. Trying to pick any little tidbit that could help them. “We’ll talk when we get there,” he added when one of the elves tried to say something. “Safer that way.” Not all of the species had superior hearing. They may not realize how easy it would be for opposite team members to pick up on strategies.
“Aren’t you forgetting something, dragon?” Helga rattled a pair of cuffs between two fingers. They glinted in the sunlight.
“Give them to me.” Cordia held out her hand.
The vampire made a sound of disagreement, her eyes on him. “No way! I will secure them myself.” She smirked as she walked over to him. “Turn around, hands together.”
Stone glanced over at Cordia who was already walking in the direction of their territory, to where the flag would be. He winced as Helga closed the cuffs. They clicked as they sealed around his wrists, not giving him much room for movement.
“We can’t have you escaping, now can we?” Helga purred. “I’m coming for you,” she whispered.
“Don’t you mean the flag?” he asked, looking back over his shoulder as he began to walk.
She winked. “Of course. I look forward to our little game.”
“By our, you mean the teams.”
“Absolutely.” She winked.
Stone jogged to catch up. The others in his team held back slightly, looking back over their shoulders waiting for him. Cordia kept on forging ahead. Stone picked up the pace to meet up with them. The cuffs already irritated him, but he’d deal. It took them five minutes walking at a brisk pace to get far enough away from the other team.
“Hold up!” Stone yelled at Cordia’s retreating back. “We only have ten minutes left before the game starts,” he said as he glanced at his watch, having to pull his hands around to see his wrist. Damn cuffs! They gathered around him. “Let’s decide on a strategy,” Stone said.
Cordia turned. Her jaw was tight, her eyes focused. She looked both pissed and determined. “We need to win!” she stated, putting her hands on her hips.
“I agree,” Stone said.
“Sounds good,” the bear shifter acknowledged. They all formed a huddle.
“I’ll defend our flag,” Cordia stated. She narrowed her eyes, which shone in the morning light, giving them a gorgeous honeyed glow.
“You couldn’t use force or aggression though,” the elf remarked. She must have picked up on Cordia’s agitated state. It was hard to miss. “You would have to tap the person out, thus sending them to the cage.”
“I know.” Cordia nodded, looking resolute.
“No hard ‘taps’,” the panther shifter snorted.
“I know…okay.” Cordia clenched her jaw. “Let’s get on with it.”
“We need to be clever about this,” Stone said. “We need to play to our strengths and be aware of our weaknesses.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” the same petit elf said, pulling hair behind her pointy ears. She smiled shyly as they turned back her way.
“Maybe each of us should highlight what we are good at,” Stone said, glancing at her name badge. “We can start with you, Delfinia.”
The elf nodded deeply. “Elves do not have greatly superior senses like the other species, and the females do not have much in the way of strength. I am great with a bow and arrow…not that it will help us with this challenge.” She giggled, her cheeks turning pink.
“Thank you.” Stone nodded. “What about you?” he asked the panther shifter.
“My senses are fantastic,” Willow announced. “I’m strong, fast and silent.”
Another teammate introduced herself. “I’m a vampire. My name is Penelope.” She pointed at her badge. “I have fantastic senses. I’m strong and fast.”
“Bonnie,” a tall, dark-haired female stepped forward. “I’m a bear shifter. I’m not as fast as some of you will be, but my senses are great and I’m really strong.” She flexed her biceps.
Finally, Cordia stepped forward. “I have excellent vision. I am also strong. Not that it will help much in this instance. I’m also fast. I think I should guard our flag. I will be good at defending.” She cracked the knuckles on her right hand.
“Thank you all,” Stone said. “I have excellent senses. I am strong and fast.” He looked from one female to the next. “I am unfortunately handicapped.” He turned, showing off his cuffs. “My suggestion is that you use me as a decoy. I will pretend to be out looking for the flag. I’ll be captured, hence occupying one or two of the other team, making for an opening to capture their flag. I will work hard at holding the opposition’s attention for as long as possible.”
“That’s a great idea.” The panther shifter’s dark eyes seemed to lighten. “If Cordia and one of the others ‒ Delfinia maybe ‒ guards our flag, then Penelope and I will head for their flag.” The panther shifter pointed at the vampire female. “Bonnie can patrol our territory, sending any trespassers to the cage.” Willow pointed at the bear shifter who nodded.
“I agree, however, I think that Cordia…” His eyes locked with hers. “You should go with Willow to retrieve the flag. I think that a bear shifter will do better guarding.”
“I don’t have great hearing.” Cordia shook her head. “I could be captured.”
“You have the best vision,” Stone replied. “Willow can be your ears.”
“I have great vision too,” the panther shifter announced, looking mildly put out.
“I know, but not like a Feral…I assure you. Nothing beats a Feral in that regard. Also, Feral are fantastic where stealth is concerned. I doubt any of the species comes close. The two of you,” he nodded in the direction of the elf and bear, “will need to watch for the Feral on the other team. She’ll be in and out and you won’t even know it.”
“He is right.” Cordia nodded. “Surora is greatly proficient as a warrior.”
“Yeah, but I’ll scent her from—” the bear began, a deep frown marring her forehead.
Stone shook his head. “Feral have no scent. Well, mostly no scent.” He winked at Cordia who narrowed her eyes. The only time she’d had any kind of scent was when she was turned on. Then she’d been fucking delectable.
It looked like she knew exactly what he was thinking because she frowned and looked away.
Stone needed to get his head out of his ass at once. As much as he enjoyed thinking of their time together, he needed to concentrate. They all did. Stone glanced at his watch. “We have a minute to finalize this. I’ll be a decoy. The elf and the vampire will watch the flag. The Feral and the panther will take the opposition flag, while the bear is on general lookout. If we catch them in our territory, we have to touch them to send them to the cage for fifteen minutes.”
“Don’t worry, I’m fast,” the vampire announced, narrowing her eyes. “They won’t get anywhere near our flag.”
“I’m fast too.” The elf held her head high. “I forgot about that.” She giggled, looking shy all over again.
“That’s perfect.” Stone nodded. “Is everyone in agreement?” He specifically looked Cordia’s way. He believed she could win this thing for them.
The Feral finally nodded, keeping her face impassive.
“You three head out then,” he spoke to the defenders, who nodded and jogged away. Stone looked down at the map in his hands, holding it out to Cordia and Penelope. “Their flag could be anywhere. I’m going to guess that it’s either here,” he pointed to a section of the valley, “or here. Simply because these areas would be easier to defend. What do you think?”
“Agreed.” Penelope nodded.
He went on when Cordia didn’t comment. “I’ll head out this way.” He pointed it out on the map. “I’ll clunk around and then fall or something. Not hard to do when your hands are behind your back.” He half-smiled.
The vampire laughed.
“That should give the two of you the opening you need.” He smiled at Cordia who nodded. “You listen out, Penelope. Let’s do this.”
“We got this.” The vamp nodded, looking resolute.
“We will finish them!” Cordia announced. With that, she turned and began running in the direction of the flag. Moving in a fast but steady pace. Her footfalls silent. The vampire gave him a questioning look and then raced after her. For a moment, Stone worried that he had perhaps made the wrong decision to send the Feral out there. Maybe he should have reminded her of the no violence rule again. It was too late to make changes now.
Chapter 8
Cordia hated this. The pressure was all-consuming. Stone had made it her responsibility to secure the flag. It was a responsibility she was taking seriously.
They had to win this.
They had to!
It almost felt like it was her against the two of them. Helga and Lexi. Cordia ground her teeth. Stone’s fan club. It shouldn’t matter to her, but it did. She wanted to beat them. Break them. Destroy them. She fisted her hands as she ran. Also, she had a competitive streak a mile long. It was how it was.
“Wait up,” the vampire whispered. “I’m supposed to be your ears. We will need to slow down soon.”
The vampire spoke too much. The female made altogether too much noise.
Cordia put up h
er hand and slowed. Penelope fell in next to her. Cordia put her finger to her lips gesturing for silence. Noise could travel far in this type of environment.
The female gestured for her to slow down, she lifted her eyes, seeming to listen to something.
Cordia knew that they were making good time, a few more minutes and they would be in the vicinity of the first potential flag location. She searched all around them, not spotting anything out of the ordinary. Cordia pointed at her ears. Had the other female heard something out of the ordinary?
The vampire nodded her head…she lifted her eyes for a few seconds, then she smiled.
Cordia frowned.
“Stone is being noisy,” Penelope mouthed to Cordia. “I could hear him falling all the way here.” She laughed noiselessly.
Cordia nodded, hoping that his plan worked. She sucked in a breath as she noticed movement in the distance. She gestured to the vampire, then pointed at her eyes and over at the far ridge. Penelope nodded and they both hid behind an outcrop of bushes and trees. Cordia narrowed her eyes, spotting Lexi and Helga. They were headed in Stone’s direction. Moving fast. Why did it have to be them? They were going to head him off. This was the chance she and Penelope had been hoping for. Two of the other team were now occupied.
Cordia should be happy. Stone would be a definite distraction. Particularly to those two females. They could get the flag now. At least, they’d have more of a chance. Penelope’s eyes tracked the two of them as they headed off in the male’s direction. She gave Cordia the thumbs up.
Cordia nodded. They waited until the females were far enough away and then continued, moving as fast as the terrain would allow. Every now and then, a rock tumbled or a twig cracked. Maybe Stone had been right. Penelope wasn’t quiet at all. The Feral were far more superior at stealth while on the move.
All of a sudden, Penelope came to a halt…she seemed to be listening to something.
“What?” Cordia mouthed.
“Stone.” She lifted her eyes. “They have him.” Then she smiled broadly. What was there to smile about? They needed to move.
Feral Dragon (Earth Dragons Book 5) Page 5
