Robin and Her Merry Men

by Willow Brooke

  “Because we are obviously more intelligent,” Brakton said.

  “Oh I know, because we're vicious scary beasts who they are trying to control in order to take over the world, and make cool little minions in our name. Making us omnipotent,” Xavier said.

  Drakk rolled his eyes. “Guys, think. Seriously, I don’t care why they are taking interest now, but they are. That was our rule when we started this, we would not be used. So, when are we leaving? I think we should find caves by the ocean. Lazing our days away with a view. I am a little sick of all the interaction they insist on anyway. I have my cave still in the mountains, I could go there, but the cold seems a bit much these days.”

  “Hell yeah,” Dag laughed and rubbed his hands. “I have always wanted to see the babes on the beaches do the topless thing. I have seen pictures.” His eyebrows wagged suggestively, showing his ornery playboy nature.

  They talked around the room and he shook his head as he listened to them argue about where they were going. Not one of them worried about how the hell they were going to get out of there. Because basically, there was never a question of whether they could hold them there. The fact of the matter was—they couldn’t. Drakk was one of the oldest dragons on earth, and because of that, he had matured into his powers. His gold scales revealed in their kind that he was one of the elite and the wisest dragon.

  Drakk kinda hated the title; it seemed like a lot of work if you asked him. Taking these men under his wings had been more than enough. At the time, Drakk had been alone, and now he had a family. If someone tried to hurt them, there would be hell to pay.

  He looked around, disgusted at the unacceptable conditions the humans had given. The room was old and tattered, with plumbing overhead and industrial pipes and beams lining along the walls. The miniscule humans looked at them as an inferior species, when in fact they were an inferior race. With little information given, and the plans to keep it that way, their new dilemma was to find an escape route without drawing attention. Whatever the government was up to, they could not get their hands on the power of the dragons.

  “You all are losing sight of the problem at hand. We need to come up with a way to get out of here before you go making vacation plans. Most of the security here we can override without them having a clue. The motion alarms are our only real obstacle. Without using magic, even if we go invisible, we can't avoid setting them off.”

  “Why do you insist we refrain from using magic? It is ours. They could never stand a chance against us even if they tried. One dragon could wipe out the whole country if desired,” Peyon exclaimed annoyed.

  “Do you not realize the scientific technology they have created? Things have changed tremendously in the past three centuries. Without us knowing exactly how advanced they are, it is a risk we can't take,” Drakk shot back.

  “Drakk is right. It is best to avoid any confrontation with them for now. We know they have discovered the celestial cave, and are close to figuring out how to enter past the wards. If they do, they will know our one and only weakness. That is a major problem.” Brakton shifted his weight, still uncomfortable and hating being in human form. The others didn't seem to mind being reduced to a puny little helpless shell, but he did. He was a dragon for shit’s sake. Magic in human form or not, it didn't compare to that of his dragon. Brakton hadn't been himself since being made to stay in this hideous form.

  “Bullshit! Why are we cowering to these imbeciles? We are dragons! I do not bow to anyone! We can walk out of here in a casual stroll and they can't do anything. By the time they figure out how to get into the sacred cave, we will have figured out how to remove the amulet. This is a waste of time!” Peyon stomped around the room. He had always been the hothead of the group, and was known for wiping out entire villages for the sins of one man without a second thought.

  “Stand down, Peyon! Until we figure out what their plans are, we will all tread lightly,” Gandore growled dominantly. Gandore was the peacemaker of the group who had always defused the hot tempers all of them shared.

  “It may be possible to use one of the old cloaking spells undetected, but magic in large amounts is off limits for now,” Drakk suggested.

  “Spells? We have reduced ourselves to such lengths as to resort back to the simple amateur spells! This is a disgrace! Next you will tell us we have to stay in this God forsaken form!” Brakton roared.

  “Exactly. We will stay in their form to blend in,” Drakk said with a smirk.

  “You have lost your mind, and your balls, Drakk! And, how long will that be? A few days? Weeks? Years? How about we just stay like this forever. We can all join a bowling league and reduce ourselves to worthless, wastes of oxygen and space like they are!” Brakton complained.

  Before Drakk or any of the others could respond, General Wallace Washburn stepped through the door.

  Excerpt from Mission: Compromised Submissive

  Breaking Protocol Book Three

  By Willow Brooke

  Two months had passed since that night at the party, and things had only gone downhill since. Each time Vice was forced to interact with Dom, it had grown harder and harder, making her dread the deployment coming in just two days. The whole farm had been buzzing with blooming love and it made her want to barf.

  This morning she had tried to avoid everyone like the plague, but it seemed the forces of Grey Skull were stacking against her. Now, here she was, stuck loading the damn truck in the blazing hot sun with none other than their fearless asshole leader himself.

  “Vice, get your head out of your ass and get this shit tied up!” Dom snapped.

  Vice fumed. She had been tying the damn tent poles and ammo boxes for the past three damn hours with him barking orders and had had just about enough. Standing up straight, she grasped the small of her back that was aching so bad she could scream and glared at him with daggers shooting from her eyes.

  “I don’t know what the hell has crawled up in your ass and camped out but you best get it out before I knock it out.” Her fists doubled at her sides and her eyes narrowed, daring him to say something.

  The corners of Dom’s lips tilted up into a cocky smirk. Slowly, he walked toward her, stalking like a prowling lion in that moment before it took down its prey. Her heart pounded against her chest, speeding with each step he took closer. Vice felt her stomach flip-flop, dropping into her toes as he came up, stopping only mere inches from her face. He had intentionally invaded her personal space, using the uncomfortable closeness to knock her bearings—and it worked. She could feel his breath casting against her face, seeping in her pores like a searing branding iron. His eyes roamed over her features, looking for her to falter. She tried to remain cold as stone and keep her feelings hidden but knew he could see straight through her act. When he grinned, her gut twisted. How the hell did one man turn her body into a walking pile of mash potatoes? She watched as his lips parted, seeming to be in slow motion. “I assure you, nothing is in my ass, but if you keep getting lippy I will stick a plug in yours and spank it until it’s a pretty pink.”

  Vice’s jaw hit the ground. When she finally found her tongue, she was boiling. “Your threats don’t work on me, Dom. You should know that by now…and you made it perfectly clear where you stood the night after the party. So, unless you want to loose a vital body part, I suggest you back the fuck off.” Her lip curled over her teeth, giving in to the pent up hurt and anger she had been holding since that mouthwatering, panty-twisting kiss.

  Dom took a step back, mimicking the same reaction he had when he stormed off that night and backtracked. “You’re right. You are my soldier. Nothing else. Take five and finish up here.” He spun on his heel and disappeared for the rest of the day.

  Excerpt from Releasing the Spirit

  By Willow Brooke

  Zarah had awoke at the continual sound of cabinets being slammed and dishes rattled. Tonight, the unworldly things that took up residency in her home took it a step further. They had graduated rapidly from the ordinary
books flying off the shelves to lights coming on and doors locking by themselves to dirty place settings and half eaten food lying on the table. Tonight, she had been attacked. While in the shower, something had locked her in the glass stall and turned off the cold water, scolding her skin. Due to all of the what if scenarios she had went over and over in her mind from the numerous horror movies she watched, she had instinctively used her elbow to shatter the glass and escape before any seriously injuries occurred. With blood running down her arm, she ran. Things started to fly at her violently, and somehow what she had concluded was a poltergeist was able to make physical contact with her despite the beliefs that they couldn’t. Scratches raked down her cheek, dripping blood and burning enough to make her totally aware of it despite the fear fest she faced.

  She’d grown used to the apparitions that shared the nineteenth century hotel with her, and had learned to coincide with them harmoniously up until now. For the most part the premonitions she saw and heard were friendly, or just wanted attention and to be noticed. The grand ballroom that once was filled with couples dancing on the old wooden floor was now occupied with the same crowd and music—only in a more translucent form than before. She had stepped into the room on many occasions and been knocked smack dab in the middle of a formal ball, going unnoticed as couples walked around and through her carrying on. The strange thing was, she hadn’t been startled in the least. Her entire life she had experienced contact of all sorts with things of the unknown. From early on, Zarah had been different, but chalked it up to having more intuition than others.

  Now, clad in nothing more than a black bath towel, she stood out at the end of the driveway shivering, waiting for Jessa. Between the smorgasbord of paranormal magic fairytale stuff the huge group all contained, surely they could figure out how to rid the only place she could afford to live of the dead people, right?

  The longer she stood there, the more frightened she became. It was in the middle of the night, and here she stood like some overzealous hooker already cleaned, naked, and ready to go.

  Ok, I have to stop. I live in a great neighborhood. The small little town is safe. Nothing happens here, ever. Maybe it does...and we don’t hear about it? Or the whole town is involved in some way like the Hills Have Eyes type deal? Shit! I don’t want to die being dipped in hot wax and left to suffer for weeks or months before my body shuts down. I have to get out of here now!

  Zarah did a little shiver shake, shimmying from her toes to her nose, and back again. Okay, so maybe her addiction to horror movies might have a tad bit to do with tonight. The ghosts are real, that's a fact…but maybe the evil ones came for help or to hurt because I can speak to them and they understand...vice versa…

  Her neighborhood was a newly developing site, with only a few houses scattered down one road and another in construction. The company that had recently bought the area had demolished most of the old original stores and businesses that had once stood, leaving only a few remaining to add charm to the housing area the builders were set to build. The old hotel happened to sit at the end of the street surrounded by woods on two sides, and more than one rubble lot surrounding it. What once was an old church house, was now a pile of wood and stone that was set to be a three bedroom, two-story house.

  Damn spooky if anyone asked her.