"What the hell do you want?" Eva yelled, completely freaked out. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly as she struggled to catch her breath. And where her body had been hot, now a chill swept over her. Someone had targeted her, but for what reason, she couldn't fathom.
These men were here to kidnap her, and she had a sneaky suspicion they were from the Darksong clan. The Darksong were a group of dominant wolves that did the dirtiest work. They were at the top of the shifter pyramid with the power they wielded through money.
They could hire any shifter to do their dirty work which lately, mainly involved kidnapping female wolves. Rumor had it some of their shifters were starting to turn into animals, losing the human side of themselves. They shifted without warning and ran around wreaking havoc.
This was a problem because the shifter community was hidden from the human population. The last time shifters tried to expose themselves and integrate, things had gone wrong. Shifters may be powerful creatures, but enough bullets would get them down all the same. They were outnumbered, so hiding was best for everyone.
The Stonelight had always been a peaceful ally of the Darksong clan. Eva found it hard to believe they'd try to kidnap one of the Stonelight. But here were two wolves, asking for her. And every minute they spent had her more and more convinced that they were Darksong.
"Enough with the questions," the second wolf said taking a step toward her. "We're Darksong, and we're here for a female wolf. You sure as hell look, smell and act like a bitch, so you fit the bill. Now, you can come quietly, or I'll be more than happy to pay you back for that little stunt you pulled back there."
"Please come with us," the first wolf asked, his voice pleading. He was larger than the second wolf, but he seemed afraid of him. Eva knew that it was those closest to a person that knew their real character. If the first wolf feared the second, then she needed to worry about him too.
With that in mind, Eva shut her eyes and initiated the fastest, most painful shift of her life. The sound of bone cracking and muscle moving around filled the air, and seconds later, she opened her eyes and stood on all fours.
Eva's nostrils were assaulted by a thousand different smells both good and bad, but the one scent that stood out was that of Pula. It was strong, which meant that one of the two wolves before her was carrying it.
Eva had scented the plant once in high school when one of her classmates had brought it in trying to show how dangerous he was. Since then, Eva had learned how dangerous the plant could be when exposed to a wolf shifter. Excruciating pain and a loss of consciousness were the intended outcome of its use, but death often accompanied them.
Eva growled low and bared her canines. She wasn't a fighter by any means, but she understood that putting on a good front did go a long way in protecting one's self.
The two wolves weren't intimidated though. The second wolf shifted and answered her low growl with an even lower one that seemed to boom along the street.
Eva was glad the street was empty. Any human nearby would have been scared to their wit's end by all the shifting going on. But, at the same time, the empty street meant she'd get no help from anyone. All the shops were closed, and people had gone home to their families. She was the only idiot that had stayed back, all to make her mother happy.
I'm so sick of this life, she thought.
The first wolf shifted, his brown coat eye-catching under the street light. The second wolf's white coat looked misplaced combined with his dark green eyes. All the while, Eva kept taking a step back. She needed to put herself in the best position for survival.
While she wasn't a fighter, all Stonelight children took basic training to protect themselves and their territory. The classes did nothing for Eva, but she did remember a conversation one of the boys in her group had with friends, showing off how he'd beaten a wolf from another clan in an after-school fight.
Eva hated to rely on hearsay from a teenage boy, but at that moment, she had no other choice. It was either fight or get kidnapped. Being mated to a Darksong wasn't an option. Not only would she be a slave, but she would be mated to a man. As a lesbian, that was unacceptable.
Once Eva retreated a reasonable distance away, she charged. The second wolf responded to her challenge and ran toward her at full speed. When he was a few feet away, he pounced.
Eva mentally cheered. He was acting according to his animal instincts. Eva immediately skidded onto her back, a move that hurt like hell and swiped a paw upward. The white wolf howled as he collapsed behind her.
Eva quickly scrambled to all fours and stared down the brown wolf. She could sense that he didn't want to hurt her, but the white wolf's howl of pain seemed to spur him on. The brown wolf charged at her and pinned her to the ground, slicing through her side with his paw.
Eva howled, and the brown wolf got off her. She moved slowly to the side, feeling dizzy as a fountain of blood poured from her side. The brown wolf rushed to the white wolf's side and helped him up.
Eva mentally smiled. The white wolf looked as bad as she felt. If this is how she was to die or get kidnapped, at least she'd know she'd done her best, with the single fight move she knew.
The two wolves stalked toward her. They'd learned the fault of attacking alone, and Eva's heart thudded against her chest as her vision grew hazy. Her inferior wolf heritage was finally catching up to her.
Most shifters could heal themselves with the magic in their blood to varying extents. Eva didn't have much magic, to begin with, only enough to shift, and so she bled out, while her body did nothing to seal her wound.
The white wolf bared his fangs, seemingly healed enough to charge once more, but before he could take another step, a strong wind moved over them and a stream of fire rained down on the two wolves who howled as they were burned alive.
Eva, shifted back to human form, her magic finally giving out. She lay on the ground naked and placed a shaky hand over her side. Blood gushed out of her, and no matter how hard she pressed at her wound, it wouldn't stop flowing.
Lying on her side, she saw a sight she'd never forget. A silver dragon landed with a loud thud on the street she'd worked at her whole life. Its wings were spread to help with the landing, and their sheer size filled the road itself, from end to end.
I guess I finally know how enormous dragons are, she thought wryly, before she passed out.
3
Rowan knelt on the ground and took a series of deep breaths. She was always like this after she shifted back to her human form. Something about forcing her lithe female body to take on a size as large as that of a dragon's caused severe pain during shifts.
After a minute or so, she rose, and immediately realized she was naked. All shifters shed clothes while they shifted. Rowan was pretty comfortable with nudity, but it was the chill that bothered her. She quickly tiptoed around the burned forms of the two wolves that had ganged up on the lone wolf.
Rowan felt terrible for a second. It had been a while since she'd killed. The first time a group of shifters from another clan trespassed on Dragonclaw territory, she'd been involved in a fight, which ended in her first kill. That night she'd lain awake feeling guilty, then she remembered that no group would willingly walk into another's territory unless they had terrible intentions.
This duo of wolves definitely had evil intentions. After the high of leaving the Dragonclaws and watching her friends leave their respective clans, Rowan had taken to the skies, needing to let all the built up energy out.
It was a picturesque evening as the sun set and the moon took over, and she'd decided to venture out over the city, to appreciate the captivating lights of Falhurst's nightlife as people left work on a Friday and started their weekends with a bang.
Flying over what she knew to be Stonelight territory, Rowan, with her enhanced dragon vision, had seen two men attack a young woman. She circled over the scene a few times waiting to see if this was clan business or something else. Once she saw the young woman shift, she understood everything.
Once it all came together in Rowan's mind, she descended on the scene, angling her wings to slow down. Breathing fire, when coming in at such a speed was dangerous, but it was all Rowan could do. Landing, then turning around was too risky. Her large form made ground combat a nightmare.
Shifting to human form would only make matters worse. So, she took a chance and just loosed a small stream of fire, making sure she pulled up before she crashed into a building.
Rowan rushed toward the young woman laying on the ground, once she saw the pool of blood forming around her.
"I hope I'm not to late," she whispered.
Something about the young woman's face looked oddly familiar, but Rowan forced herself to look at the gushing wound in her side. While she wasn't a lightweight, Rowan hated the sight of blood.
Fighting down the urge to gag, she shut her eyes and focused on the well of magic within her. Every shifter had one, but each was filled to different levels. As a dragon, hers was overflowing, and it was time to channel it and use it for good.
Rowan coaxed her magic from her well and channeled it into her hand. Then, she leaned over and let her hands hover over the wound. She watched as a silvery light left her hands and made its way into the injury.
Pretty soon, the blood flow slowed, and the wound closed. Rowan loved that she had so much magic and wanted nothing more than to use it for good. She thought of the Dragonclaw clan, and her face soured. Some of them had as much magic as she did, but all they used it for was healing themselves after a fight, or intimidating less powerful shifters.
Rowan's thoughts broke her concentration, and before she knew it, a punch landed solidly on her cheek. She scrambled back and lifted a hand to her cheek, before locking eyes with the young woman before her.
"Stay away from me," the young woman whispered, her voice hoarse.
It appeared that while her wound had shut, she was still weak and drained. Rowan's heart immediately softened. The young woman was protecting herself.
"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help you."
The young woman's hand darted to her wound, and her adorable hazel eyes widened in wonder. "Did you—"
Rowan hummed softly and nodded. It hadn't taken much magic, but the wolf looked like it was the most remarkable thing she'd ever seen.
The young woman sniffed. "Dragon. Were you the one that smoked those guys?"
Rowan beamed, enjoying her turn of phrase. "I am."
"Why did you help me?"
Rowan was taken aback. Had she overstepped and acted out of turn? Surely, someone facing death would want assistance, no matter the source.
Rowan cleared her throat. "I saw the fight, and thought I should help."
"Aah," the young woman said, pushing herself up into a sitting position, wincing as she did so. "A knight in shining armor. No. Wait. A knight with shiny, silvery scales."
Rowan's eyes crinkled at the corners. She barely knew this woman, but she liked her. No one had showered Rowan's dragon form with compliments. Not even her ex-girlfriends.
Rowan knew she was attractive, and that her toned body and height helped to enhance her beauty. But hearing someone compliment more than her human exterior, without any ulterior motives, made the butterflies in her stomach flutter.
"Thank you," Rowan said, ducking her head. "What's your name?"
"Eva. And you are?"
"Rowan." Something about the name Eva seemed familiar. Rowan bit her lip as she wracked her brain. Where had she heard it before?
Rowan knew Eva's face was familiar. But where had she seen her? At a club, perhaps? It had been years since Rowan did that kind of thing, but when she was into it, she did meet a lot of women.
"Eva Martinelli," Rowan shouted, snapping her fingers. "We went to elementary school together. I'm Rowan Fanan."
A grin broke out on Eva's face. "I knew you looked familiar. Sparkling gray eyes like yours are rare."
"Again with the compliments," Rowan said, shaking her head, smiling. "You looked familiar to me too, although your hair has darkened. You're still incredibly beautiful though."
Eva's eyes dropped, and Rowan realized how that sounded. Just because she was gay and super attracted to Eva and her gorgeous curves, didn't mean she had to say precisely what she was thinking. She mentally slapped her forehead.
And we're both naked on the street outside, for god sakes, she thought.
"Sorry. That may have been too forward. I call em like I see em."
Eva nodded then got up, covering her chest with an arm, and her crotch with her other hand, seeming to remember her nudity. "My family owns a clothing store. We keep a spare key under the mat. I'm going in to get some clothes. You can join me if you like."
Gone was the openness and warmth in Eva's voice and face. She seemed embarrassed, and it was all Rowan’s doing. It appeared she had a knack for hitting on straight girls. First her ex, Amber, and now her childhood friend.
Rowan rose but didn't immediately follow. After a few minutes, she walked into the store and saw Eva exiting a dressing room in jeans and a t-shirt. She looked at the clothes around her and grabbed the same that were the right size.
"I'll, uh, pay for this stuff later," she said, before running to the dressing room. The last thing she wanted to do was make Eva feel uncomfortable.
"No need," Eva called, her voice a lot warmer. "You saved me. It's the least I could do."
Rowan quickly pulled the jeans on, hating the fact that she was commando, but wanting to rush back out to Eva. It seemed that all had been forgotten, and all she wanted to do was get to know Eva better.
The young girl she remembered was quiet and shy. Some of that had faded. Eva seemed a lot more comfortable with herself. Heck, she'd been paying Rowan compliment after compliment.
In a friendly way, Rowan reminded herself. She's not gay, unfortunately.
"I'm glad I stopped by," Rowan said, walking out of the dressing room. "I couldn't leave a friend stranded." Rowan was sure to emphasize the word friend. She wanted to wipe out any fear Eva might have toward her.
"What were you doing out at this time anyway?" Eva cocked her head.
Rowan inhaled. "I made a considerable change in my life, today. I needed to get some of that energy out."
"Well, I'm glad something good happened to someone today. It's been a lousy day all around, and it started with poor sales. I don't know how much longer I can do all this."
Rowan took a step forward and placed a hand on Eva's shoulder. She seemed so exhausted. Emotionally, and physically.
Rowan didn't remember much about her childhood friend's family life, except that she was an only child. If she lived the typical shifter life, then that meant that she had a lot of responsibilities helping with the family business.
"I'm sure things will pick up," Rowan said.
Eva scoffed. "We barely get any traffic, and Mom insists on pricing everything so damn high! Shifters tear their clothes all the time. How can we ever turn things around?"
"Maybe you can sell a complementary product. Shoes, maybe?"
"I already tried that. Mom won't have it. She's always popping in and out, yet she wants to have a full say over everything."
Eva pinched the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes. "Sorry. You don't need to be hearing all this."
"It's okay," Rowan reassured. "It's always good to talk things out."
"I can't belive I'm complaining about the shop when two wolves, who I'm pretty sure are Darksong tried to kidnap me. What is wrong with me?"
Rowan hated the self-hating tone in Eva's voice. Eva was a great person, from what she could remember, and the vibrant personality she'd witnessed minutes ago proved it. She would not stand to hear her friend
put herself down like this.
"Listen," Rowan said, using the commanding voice she used on missions. "It sounds like you've had a rough day, and perhaps a rough few months."
"More like a year," Eva mumbled, staring at the floor.
"Be that as it may, you are a wonderful person. I'm pretty good at reading people, so I know it for a fact." Rowan placed a finger under Eva's chin and raised it. "Don't let your circumstances get you down, or redefine you. I did that for a long time, and I was miserable. You can change your life for the better once you're ready, but talking about yourself and your life like this will only push that day further away."
Eva took a deep breath and placed her hand on her hips. "You're right. There's no point in whining about things."
"I wouldn't say you were whining."
Eva raised an elegant eyebrow, and Rowan grinned. "Fine. Maybe just a little, but in the cutest way."
Eva's cheeks colored, and Rowan mentally slapped her forehead again. What was it with her today? Usually, she controlled herself a lot better. Here she was, touching Eva at every opportunity and flirting. This was exactly how she acted whenever she was interested in someone.
"Anyway, so what do you want to do now? Go to your clan leader?"
Eva shook her head. "No. I want to go home. I'll get my parents to take me to see our clan leader tomorrow. To be honest, he scares me."
"Trust me; I get that."
That was always the way among shifters. The alpha had to be formidable enough that anyone that wanted to challenge him or her would think twice.
As the Whiteheart leader, Rowan wanted a different leadership style. After her friends voted her in, she was determined to make their clan a safe, warm place for all.
"I’d better get a head start. It's a long walk. You probably have things to do, so I guess I'll say good night."
Rowan's eyes flew open, and she spoke before she processed her thoughts. "I want to come with you."
"Home?" Eva asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah. There's no telling who else might be after you. I'm sure the Darksong will come looking for those two wolves. Besides, you're tired, and your wound is still healing. You shouldn't be walking in case it opens up."
Outlaw Dragon Page 2
