Fire in Her Eyes

by Ruby Dixon

  I groan. It’s impossible to ignore the heat her thoughts are filled with. “I wouldn’t want to ruin your dress now that you’ve found it,” I tell her, moving closer. My cock’s an aching bar of heat already; it takes no time for this woman to turn me on and make me crazy with lust. I grab her by the hips and haul her up against me, then carry her to the nearest countertop.

  Her eyes light up with pleasure and she clings to me.

  “But it doesn’t mean we can’t have fun.” And I push her skirts up, exposing her bare pussy, as I think about going down on her.

  Teva gives a throaty little gasp, her thoughts full of heat. I like this idea. She puts her feet on my shoulders, her expression enticing. You will mate my cunt with your tongue instead?

  Is that a problem? I like the taste of you. And maybe I just rushed things last time. Maybe I should have taken more time to get her off before I shoved my dick into her. She obviously needs more, and so I want to give it to her. I press my mouth to the inside of her thigh, gazing up at her from the ripples of white silk that flow over her hips. I’d keep my mouth here all day if you’d let me. Just make you come over and over again.

  Her thoughts flood with heat, and she arches on the counter even as I press my mouth to her sweet pussy and find her soaked with arousal.

  Do humans mate in their special dresses? she asks.

  I chuckle. I bet a lot of them do. I bet—

  Something slams outside.

  Teva stiffens, even as I reach for the gun at my belt. I put a hand up and indicate she should stay behind, creeping forward to the windows of the shop. We didn’t notice anyone around when we left our supplies outside, but we’ve also been in here for a while. If someone was in the area and saw a flatbed full of boxes, they’d come and investigate, looking for something to scavenge…

  And I’ve left it out in the open like an idiot.

  Teva moves to my side, a snarl on her face and her eyes whirling darker. Interlopers!

  It’s probably nothing, I tell her quickly.

  Someone is here. Her teeth are bared in a hiss and her eyes are wild and large. I cannot smell them—I can smell nothing inside this store but dust and dresses. I will go out—

  No. I pull her against me, wrapping my arm around her waist. Just look out the window, Teva. You can see them.

  Sure enough, two men are by the flatbed, tearing open one of the carefully packed boxes. They rip through the contents, filling their hands with my hard-scavenged toothbrushes, toiletries, tampons, and baby clothes. People in the fort can use all of that. It’ll make life so much easier for everyone with a few of the luxuries from the Before and—

  Teva snarls, ripping free from my grasp. They steal from you, Gabe! Hot smoke pours from her mouth. Her thoughts roil, wild and chaotic, and something deep growls inside her. Her hands clench and murder is in her mind. She is picturing rending them limb from limb, their blood spraying all over the parking lot.

  Jesus. This girl goes from zero to eleven in no time flat.

  I have to defuse the situation. I’ll handle it, Teva. No need to hurt anyone.

  I study the men quickly. They’re both thin and ragged, their clothing torn and dirty. There’s an older man with a salt and pepper beard and a young, clean-shaven man. If I go out and wave my gun around, they’ll get the hint. They probably just think someone abandoned that stuff. We can scare them off.

  No. Teva’s mental voice is flat. I will destroy them. Her thoughts are fire itself, scorching heat rocketing through my mind.

  Before I can stop her, she heads out of the shop to confront the men. Smoke pours after her, erupting from her nose and mouth.

  “Teva,” I growl, half-irritated and half-terrified. If they’re armed, she might get hurt.

  I am drakoni, and I will protect my mate.

  The moment she bursts through the broken door of the shop, the men look up. One raises his hands in a quick surrender, confusion on his face. “We didn’t mean any harm—”

  The other filthy man crouches behind the older one, and after a heartbreaking moment, I realize it’s not a man and a boy, but a man and his daughter. The girl’s dressed in boys’ clothing, her hair hidden under a baseball cap. She can’t be more than twelve or thirteen. And she’s got a box of tampons in her hands, her eyes wide and terrified.

  “Teva,” I call again.

  My dragon’s beyond listening. She glares at the two for a moment, and then the wedding dress bursts into pieces, silk flying as she shifts to her dragon form. Her wings uncurl and she lets out an ear-splitting shriek. In front of her, the two scavengers by our supplies drop to their knees, terrified.

  She’s going to kill them. Jesus.

  Yes, I am. Her thoughts seethe with the dark joy of it. They will not take from you!

  Fuck, this cannot be happening. I don’t want to watch Teva rip people limb from limb in front of me, and that’s definitely her goal. It’s all over her thoughts. I have to stop this.

  “Teva,” I call again, and when she rears her head back, her anger blisters my mind. She’s furious—not just at them, but at me for trying to stop her.

  Move aside, human.

  So you can kill them? No. I thought I could trust you, Teva. I move forward, pushing in front of the man and his daughter. But if you do this, then you’re no better than all the crazy-ass dragons that murdered everyone.

  On the ground, the girl chokes back a sob.

  That’s who I am, Gabe. Teva’s eyes are whirling with black chaos. I’m crazy. Remember? There’s such venom in her tone. She hates that I think she’s crazy. Resents it.

  Do it. Kill.

  The command is so soft I almost miss it. Is that…another voice? Talking to Teva?

  Kill, she agrees, her thoughts a furious hiss. I want to kill.

  No, you don’t. I keep my mind firm. I need to overpower that new voice. The one that’s telling her to do bad things, whispering for her to do harm. I need for my advice to be the only one she hears. “Teva,” I call again. “Teva, read my mind. You know this isn’t what I want.”

  She lets out another fierce shriek of rage, her entire body shuddering with the need to release her fire and burn everything to the ground. Madness swirls behind her thoughts.

  “Teva,” I say again, letting her know in my tone of voice that I’m displeased. “Teva, calm down and listen to me.”

  The dragon whips her tail back and forth, shattering the glass of a nearby car. She lowers her head again and for a moment, I think she’s going to pour her flame onto the two strangers and me as well. Her eyes meet mine and they’re more black than gold. She opens her mouth, and I stare down at her pink tongue and massive fangs, at the flames flickering at the back of her throat.

  She’s going to kill me.

  Never! Teva snaps her jaw shut, tosses her head, and hisses her anger at me. You think I would harm you? My mate?

  I don’t know. Would you? She’s not attacking, and that’s something. I reach out to her mentally, but her mind is a kaleidoscope of confusion. There’s nothing to touch onto, only anger and hate. So I move forward slowly and put one hand on her muzzle. Her scales are hot to the touch, as if she’s holding her fire in by sheer will alone. I can hear someone behind me suck in a terrified breath, but I have to trust Teva’s still in there somewhere, and she won’t hurt me.

  “Teva,” I say again, voice firm. “Look at me.”

  Low, soft mutterings ramble through her chaotic mind, and not all of them are hers. Is she talking to someone else that’s throwing her into confusion? I want to ask, but I need her to focus.

  The dragon starts to pull away again, so I grab her by the nostril and lean in, meeting her gaze. Her eyes flick with gold and then go black again, but I saw that color. I want it to return. I won’t let her retreat.

  Teva, I say again. Nothing’s changed. These are just more humans. You’re not going to kill every human we run across. You know I won’t like that.

  I…know. The thought is almost petul

ant. Irritated. But she likes my firm hand on her nose.

  I keep it there, holding her tight. I don’t want you killing anyone. That would make me very unhappy. I have to be able to trust you. Can I trust you?

  More mutterings, whisperings, but her eyes slowly burn gold again.

  Yes, she says after a long moment. I hear you, Gabe. I trust you.

  Then trust me that these people are not a threat. I let go of the tight hold on her nostril and brush my hand over her scales instead. Trust me that I won’t lead you astray. Besides, you’re a dragon, my lovely destroyer. They pose no risk to you.

  It is not myself I seek to protect, she tells me darkly, but her thoughts are less chaotic, less wild by the moment.

  “Please change,” I tell her softly. “I’m sure these humans didn’t realize they were stealing from us.”

  “We didn’t know,” the girl sobs. I don’t turn around, but I can hear them dumping the goods back into the boxes. “We didn’t realize.”

  “It’s okay,” I say, turning my head. “But my mate is very protective. She would prefer you leave.”

  “Of course,” the man says. “Come on, Morgan.”

  Morgan. A man—or a woman’s name. It’s obvious they’re hiding her identity for her sake. Skinny Morgan and her equally skinny father aren’t predators like most nomads, which means its impressive they’ve managed to last this long without a fort. I feel a bit of sympathy for them. “If you’re just trying to scrape by,” I offer, not taking my eyes off of Teva as I stroke her nose, “there’s a good fort south of here. Decent people. Go up the highway about two miles or so and then take the marked exit. Follow the signs. You can get there in about a day, maybe two if you walk slow. It’s safe there.”

  “We’ll leave,” the man says.

  Teva shifts forms, and then she rises from the ground, tossing her thick hair behind her as she struts toward me. There’s a mulish look on her pretty face, as if she’s unwilling to concede that she overreacted.

  “It’s ok,” I reassure her.

  They are interlopers in our territory. They should know better.

  Maybe they should, I agree, pulling her against me as the two nomads hurry away. They don’t even look back at us, far too frightened. But we’re all in this together. Is a mistake worth killing someone over?

  Yes, she says firmly.

  No.

  Teva sighs. No, then. She slides her arms around my waist and then glances down at something on the ground. It’s a long piece of fabric from her destroyed dress. Her thoughts grow sad and she scoops it up, rubbing her cheek against it. And now my pretty coverings are gone.

  I take her hands in mine. “The good thing about human stores is that they usually carry several of the same dress. I bet we can find another. We’ll grab one, and I’ll hold onto it while we fly back to camp. Sound good?”

  Her smile brightens and it’s like the sun coming out from behind the clouds.

  But I worry things are going from bad to worse.

  15

  GABE

  There’s one more dress just like the one Teva destroyed, so we scoop it up and repack our boxes, then head back. I try to keep my thoughts peaceful, but I’m disturbed at how quickly Teva lost control. It was like a switch flipped in her brain.

  I don’t know if Teva can ever be around people if that’s her reaction. She can’t murder people for making bad decisions. And if she can’t be around people, then it means I’m in exile too.

  Normally I wouldn’t care that much about exile. I’ve been exiled before. But I’ve got Charlie, Major and Lester to take care of. I’ve got the survivors from Fort Justice to think about. They’re all depending on me and what I can bring in. The fort’s been low on food for the last few months, and more people keep showing up. Amy would never turn them away, but I know she and Rast have been spread thin, especially with Gwen and Vaan gone to Fort Dallas, and Liam and Andi setting up their territory a short distance away while Liam gets sorted with his drakoni side. He’s been faking being human for so long that he lost control when he took his battle form again, and Andi’s just now been able to bring him back.

  It’s just like Teva. The more she shifts to her dragon form, the less controlled she becomes. Whatever bond we created in the beginning is splintering quickly.

  I’d ask Liam if he has advice, but I don’t know if he does. Maybe Rast can help, if we dare to go back to the fort together.

  But…I have to go back. And Charlie and the others need to stay there. They need the stability and ease of life that a fort provides. Charlie hasn’t been doing well health-wise, and moving around the fort’s a lot easier on Lester in his wheelchair.

  Why would we not go back? Teva asks. You wish to return, yes?

  I do…but you can’t attack them, Teva. They’re family and friends.

  If you say not to attack, I will not attack. Her thoughts are easy and full of reassurance.

  I’m not convinced, though. Teva’s not a bad person. She’s not like anyone I’ve met before, though, and she’s unpredictable. And the fort is full of children and elderly…

  You speak as if I would attack them without thinking. Her thoughts are full of pain. You do not trust me.

  It’s difficult, Teva. I just… I couldn’t even talk to you. I can’t risk so many people’s lives.

  I would not have hurt you.

  And them? Promise me you wouldn’t have hurt them?

  She’s silent, and my mood’s as black as hers feels.

  We’re both quiet for the rest of the ride back to my camp. Once there, Teva sets me down as gently as possible, and I ache with how careful and precise her thoughts are. She cares about me. I know she does. She’s not a wild animal. She’s a person. It’s like she’s trying to prove to me that she does have control. That she’s not on the verge of breaking down.

  But then I think of the terrified faces and how hot her muzzle was, how close she was to killing them. And I ache with the realization that it’s not smart for us to go back to the fort. Not right now. Not together.

  I can’t leave her, either. She’ll be completely lost without me and I’m not ready to give up on her. Not after a day.

  Fuck, has it only been a day? Immediately, I’m full of guilt. She’s barely had time to catch her breath and I’ve been all over her like a dog in heat. If Liam needs time away from the fort to settle his head, Teva probably does too.

  I’m sorry if I’ve been impatient, I tell her as she uncurls her claws from around me.

  She sets the flatbed down next to me and then shifts forms. Her hair is tangled and wild as ever, but the look on her face is full of hurt and sorrow. I want you to trust me, Gabe. I want to be someone you can trust to be around your elders. Her eyes are full of gold as she gazes up at me. I want to be at your side always.

  I cup her cheek. “I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. I promise this. I made a vow to you when I trapped you that I was going to help you, and I mean it. It might take a little longer is all.”

  I hold the dress out to her.

  She takes it with delicate hands, her thoughts full of misery. I do not like to think that I am a problem to you, a burden.

  “If you could help how you feel, Teva, I don’t think most of this world would have been destroyed. Dragons didn’t want to do this any more than humans wanted them to do it.” I pull her close to me, wrapping my arms around her. “You’re not a problem, okay? We’ll figure this out.”

  I wish I could talk to the other dragons. See how they keep control.

  A kernel of an idea forms. We could go talk to Liam and Andi. See how you handle being around them.

  Would they mind?

  I don’t care if they do, I admit with a grin. They’ll understand the situation. And they live away from the fort, so it’s the best of both worlds.

  I like this idea.

  I think it’s the solution we need, I agree. But…I also think we should walk there.

  Walk? She gazes up at me. Why?