Puff snapped at Nik before he threw his good shoulder at the wall, tumbling the upper rocks outward. When the light gleamed through the top of the mound, he pressed his front talons into the pile and the boulders rolled outward. Men on the outside shouted to stop, but Puff hoisted himself onto the mound and squeezed through the opening near the ceiling.
Outside, men continued to shout over the grating sounds of the boulders scratching beneath Puff’s talons. The dragon’s immense form closed out the sunlight for a few moments before he pushed his way through. His tail was the last to disappear, leaving a gaping hole at the top of the entrance.
The men continued to shout outside. Two words carried through the commotion.
Another dragon.
They’d been found. Sweat instantly dampened Nik’s brow. His heart pounded in time with his erratic gasps as he clawed to the top of the boulders and slid through the hole. He squinted in the early morning heat, shielding his eyes as the three men they’d left outside circled Puff, yelling and pointing back to the cave.
Puff opened his jaws and bellowed at them. The men fell silent, until Puff’s howl was answered from somewhere far above.
“That’s what we’ve been trying to tell you,” one man said to Puff. “Another dragon has been circling all morning. That’s why we haven’t given the all-clear.”
Nik slid, tumbling down the boulders. He cried out, and Puff shoved his shimmering tail beneath his Kotahi, cushioning Nik’s fall.
“Are you sure it was a dragon?” Nik slid to the sandy ground, catching his breath.
“Look.” One of the men pointed to the sky.
Miles above, a small winged creature glided through the air.
Nik shielded his eyes. “That’s a bird.”
“It’s not. You have no idea how high that is. We saw him circle lower. Believe me, it’s a dragon.”
The creature above swerved. It looked like it rolled through the air, playing in a way he’d never seen a bird fly before— as if it were enjoying the flight, rather than simply stalking prey.
Even so, that made him no less a hunter.
Nik placed his hand on Puff’s neck. “Boss, we need to get you inside. That dragon—”
“Already saw us.” Pops stood by the small human entrance to the cave, his right hand shielding his eyes as he looked toward the sky, where the huge winged creature swooped toward them.
14
Anna pushed past the men removing the remainder of the rocks from the human-sized entrance to the cave. Pops stood outside, partially blocking the door, staring into the sky.
No matter. With everyone distracted by Puff’s sudden exit, this might be her only chance to get away. She squeezed through the small space, but cried out when the ground quaked and a loud thump echoed through the clearing.
A colossal blackish-green dragon held its wings high above their heads. The men in the clearing stepped back before crowding around Puff.
Were they insane? Did they actually think they could do something to stop that monster from hurting their dragon?
The green behemoth lowered its neck and bellowed a furious roar at Puff. The smaller dragon elevated his one good wing in a similar pose and growled in return.
“Boss, wait!” Nik held up his hands, but Puff shoved him to the side as the larger dragon howled again.
Puff tapped the dirt, and the two dragons continued their growling and posturing, spinning around each other and somehow managing not to stomp on any of the people doing their best to keep the two creatures apart.
The cacophony stopped as the green dragon raised its head, looked over puff’s extended wing, and locked gazes with Anna.
Her breath seized. She pushed herself against the cold stone behind her.
Somewhere deep within, a small voice screamed to run, but the most movement she could muster was scraping her fingernails against the rock wall.
This was it. She was going to die, and she couldn’t even find the strength to fight for her life as the green strode toward her.
Puff stepped back, giving way to the other dragon. Had he given up on her, ceded the fight to the first challenger?
Three of the Maori moved between her and the green dragon as the huge beast seemed to shrink, becoming smaller as it stalked Anna. The men gasped, backing away.
The new dragon continued its advance, folding its wings back until they disappeared. Gaze still locked to hers, the behemoth rose on its hind legs as its front talons drew into hands, and its green hide lightened to a creamy gray tone. The creature’s dark mane shrank into a long, thin train covering a rounded, human-shaped head.
Anna hazarded a breath, shaking, as a naked man stopped next to Pops. The older Maori gulped, but didn’t seem surprised as the dragon-turned-man’s gaze flicked from Pops, back to Anna.
The dragon-man held out his hand. “I’ve been searching for you. Are you all right?”
The voice— so calm, so demanding, so familiar.
Anna tried to clear her thoughts, remembering this face, these eyes, cemented to her sister as they both stood in a bar in what seemed like centuries ago.
She trembled. “C-Connor?”
He held out his arms in a mock curtsey. His guy-stuff dangled unabashedly between his legs. “At your service, my queen.”
Her head spun. She steadied herself against the mountain. “W-what?”
His smile did nothing to ward off the bile pushing up into her throat.
Dragons really could shift. They could be monster or man at will. Everything these insane people had been preaching was true, and now there were two of them.
God, was this whole contest-thing really true? Were Connor and Puff going to fight over her, now?
She stumbled, but Puff caught her with one shimmering-scaled arm. Connor glared at him, arms folded and legs held wide, guy-stuff still dangling.
Pops bowed his head slightly. “Great lord, maybe some human clothing would be in good order? We are unaccustomed to meeting shifted dragons.”
Connor seemed to ignore him, reaching out and spreading Puff’s injured wing. A light whistle left his lips. “That must have hurt.”
Puff snapped at him, while Nik placed a hand on Puff’s shoulder. “He said hitting the ground hurt worse.”
Connor’s eyes widened. “Kotahi?” He looked back to Puff. “You actually bit a human?”
Puff shrugged.
Connor snickered before his attention drew back to Anna. He spun her away from him. “Gale’s claws pierced your flesh. I saw it happen.”
Anna trembled as he stroked his palms across her back.
He turned to Puff. “You have been busy. Too bad you can’t heal yourself.”
Anna rubbed her shoulders. Yesterday’s pain ghosted across her skin.
“Can you heal him?” Nik asked.
“Me?” Connor cocked his head.
“Yeah. Can’t you heal him like he healed Anna?”
“I’m a green. We’re not much for healing. Our skills lie more within the pleasure centers.”
Nik looked at Puff. His eyes widened as they stared at each other, before he turned back to Connor. “You’re a lust dragon? Please tell me that doesn’t mean what I think it means.”
Anna shrank into a shallow mountain crevice as Connor turned toward her again. Her heart raced in time with her staggered breaths, then settled as their eyes met.
Puff didn’t protest as the naked man reached for her. Anna’s gaze drew back to the package dangling between his legs. The air around them seemed to suck away, closing the two of them in a hazy void.
Connor lifted her chin, forcing her eyes away from his, umm… stuff. “That’s not for you, little one.” Puff’s growl bit through the haze in Anna’s mind as Connor looked back at Pops. “I suppose I will take those pants before my new king bites down on my jugular.”
Anna blinked and the fog cleared, bringing her back to the side of the mountain, the people, and the man she’d last seen fully clothed outside the bar.
Anna gulped. Lust dragon. Holy Toledo.
Puff grumbled something.
“He says he wouldn’t have hurt you,” Nik said.
Connor laughed, slipping on a pair of loose khakis that sat about four inches above his ankles. “I heard him, I’m not deaf.”
“My sister,” Anna said. “Sybil. The dragon— the other dragon…”
“Dropped her.” Connor scowled. “Then I dropped you. Forgive me for that, but I knew Joesephutus wouldn’t let you fall.”
Joesephutus? Her gaze shot to Puff. The silvery-white dragon tilted his head to the right, his eyes large and searching. A light breeze blew through his shiny platinum blond mane. Each hair caught the light, sparkling, just like the ghostly white hair of a boy she’d met in a bar.
Holy shit. Everything they said was true.
Puff grumbled again. But that wasn’t just Puff. He wasn’t only a dragon. At least, he hadn’t been when they’d first met.
Connor turned to him. “Stop complaining. When I dropped her, you’d already broken free from that gray. You had more than enough time to catch her. I, on the other hand, was the only thing between the lovely Sybil and the rocks below.”
It was Connor. Connor had snatched Anna from the gray dragon’s claws. He and Puff— or Joe, had both saved her.
Anna tried to tame her thumping heart. “So, Sybil is okay? You caught her?” God, she was praying that her sister had been caught by a dragon. She was talking to a guy that was a monster only a few minutes ago. This was the insanest of dreams, and she was ready to wake up.
The power of Connor’s gaze pressed against her as if he’d stroked her entire body with practiced hands. “She’s more than fine. She’s absolutely delicious.”
Anna gulped. “D-delicious?”
Nik placed his hand on her shoulder. “Not delicious like that. Greens are, umm…”
Lust dragons. Yeah, she’d heard. “What did you do to her?”
He held his hands to the sides. “I took nothing she didn’t offer freely, I assure you. Your sister shows her appreciation in the most agreeable ways.”
She screwed a dragon.
Anna’s face must have betrayed her thoughts, because Connor said: “She remembers falling, and I miraculously caught her. My wings and talons somehow slipped her mind.”
Anna recoiled and glanced at Puff. Could they do that, make you forget?
“Puff wants you to know that he hasn’t done that to you,” Nik said.
“Joe,” Anna whispered. “His name is Joe.” Anna shuddered, but only for a second as she accepted myth as fact. She looked back to the dragon. “Those other guys in the bar, were they dragons too?”
He nodded. Such a human reaction. Why hadn’t she believed them earlier?
“Grays. The worst of our kind,” Connor said. “The one that took you, Galeptopnor, was our former king.”
Nik shifted his weight. “Puff says this Gale guy is still king.”
Connor’s gaze settled on Anna. “Not once we get you to the mountain.”
Sweat dampened Anna’s brow as she pressed against the rocks, again.
Connor held his hands away from his sides. “I’m only here to help, you have no need to fear me.”
Despite the fact that he was really a ten-ton reptile in disguise.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wanted to shut all of this out, to pretend nothing had happened. That was the safe thing to do— to hide until all of this went away. But they weren’t going away. These dragons needed a girl, and for some reason they chose her.
When she opened her eyes, Connor was holding Puff’s wing to the light. Dark, swirling, identical tattoos scrolled along the edges of Connor’s shoulder blades. “Someone sewed you up. These stitches look practiced.”
“I’m a veterinarian.” Despite standing nearly six foot tall, Tyler seemed dwarfed next to Connor as he stooped to look at the man’s handiwork.
“Do you know how long this will take to heal?” Connor turned to the vet. “More than likely, we’ll have to fight our way back to the mountain.”
Tyler shook his head. “It’s going to be a long time before he can fly. As for fighting, he’s as strong as ever. As long as no one touches his wing, he’ll be fine.”
Connor puffed out a laugh. “Grays have never been known to play fair. Especially Gale.” He reached up and stroked the dragon’s snout. “If you can shift, I can carry you.”
The dragon lowered his head.
“He said he’s tried. It hurts too much.”
Connor taped a finger against his chin. His thoughts seemed miles away. “Then you make the journey on foot. I can protect you from the sky.”
Nik glanced at Puff, then back to Connor. “He says Gale will gut you.”
“Probably. But maybe I can slow him down.”
Puff stomped his claw on the ground.
“He won’t let you sacrifice yourself.”
Tyler stood. “How can we increase the speed of his healing?” He pointed at Anna. “What the Great One did to her wounds was amazing. Can you bring back another crystal dragon?”
Connor cocked a brow. “The crystals have been under forced submission since last night.” He looked at Puff. “When Gale couldn’t find you, he flew back to Dragonmount and made sure your kin couldn’t help you.”
Puff ruffled his wings. Not only was he small, but now he was cut off from his people. He was alone, except for Connor.
Anna shivered. She had seen the gray dragons. Connor was huge to her, but he was no match for a gray. What chance did they really have?
Nik ran his fingers through Joe’s mane. “Isn’t there anyone else who can help?”
Connor straightened. “The golds.”
Puff raised his head.
“Golds?” Nik asked. “Puff said the golds would never help the crystal dragons.”
The left side of Connor’s lip turned up in a grin. “Two days ago, I would have agreed with you. But much has happened since the Seventeen Year began.” He backed away and held up his hands. “Everyone back into the mountain. The grays cannot see in sunlight, but that doesn’t mean they will not send others to look for you.”
“What are you going to do?” Nik asked.
“I’m going to get help.” Connor shimmied down his pants and kicked them off his ankles. He stood in all his naked glory, glancing at the shocked faces around him, before holding up his arms.
The air around him flickered. The Maori backed away as his arms and legs grew and covered with a thick blackish-green hide. The tattoos on his shoulder blades leapt off his skin and solidified as translucent jade wings unfolded from his back and fluttered in the light breeze. He arched his neck as his bones elongated and his mouth stretched into a full-toothed snout.
The dragon grew until it towered over them. Anna had grown to accept this over the last hour, but her heart still throttled and her world spun. She clutched the mountain to keep from falling as the colossus roared once and bounded into the sky.
The Maori held still, most shading their eyes as the enormous beast… no, not a beast… as Connor rose into the clouds, quickly escalating to a height where no one would question that he was anything more than a bird.
Incredible. Anna didn’t think she would ever tire of seeing such a thing, no matter how terrified she was.
15
“I guess we should head back into the cave, then.” Nik moved toward the opening, but stopped when Puff didn’t follow. “You heard the big guy. We need to get you safe.”
*I need to hunt. I’m hungry.* He glanced at Anna. *I need you to watch her while I’m gone.*
“How are you supposed to hunt with a bad wing?”
Pops and Tyler approached and placed a bundled lump at Puff’s feet.
“Our friends on the outside considered that.” Pops opened
the rags, revealing a very-dead young tahr. A stretch of its shaggy coat lay matted with blood, and one of its stubby, pre-pubescent horns dug into the soil, forcing the animal’s gaping muzzle upward. Nik cringed, glad he hadn’t eaten yet.
Puff’s eyes widened and an itch tingled across their bond. Nik’s stomach grumbled at the thought of the fresh kill sliding down his throat. He twitched, shaking the dragon’s thoughts away as Puff glanced at Anna. The girl’s brow furrowed. Her lips twisted in disgust.
*I can’t let her see me eat. She’s already terrified.*
“I kinda agree with you on that one.” Nik fell to one knee, re-wrapped the bundle, and slipped his arms beneath. He grunted as he stood. “This thing is heavier than it looks.”
Glancing over both shoulders, he found a large boulder and some trees that would afford Puff some privacy. He set the burden down and unwrapped it before returning.
He motioned to the rock. “Breakfast is served.”
Puff glanced at Anna. He seemed pensive, but no thoughts skittered across their link before he headed toward the boulder. *Thank you.*
Anna held her stomach, her lips still twisted into a frown.
“I think we can probably find something a little more cooked, if you’re hungry,” Nik said.
She gulped. “I might never eat again.”
Anna eyed Puff’s twitching tail sticking out from behind the boulder before scanning the rest of the camp. Her eyes kept skirting toward the path they’d followed up the mountain. Not that he could blame her. She hadn’t asked for this, but she was a part of it now, just as much as he was.
“No one brought any cars or anything like that up here, if that’s what you are looking for.”
She closed her eyes and blew out a breath. “Of course there wouldn’t be.” She glanced back at the boulder. “You seem like the most reasonable person here. Can you try to talk some senses into them? I need to get home.”
Home. The whole idea seemed a little transient these past few days. Before the dragon fell from the sky, everything had been crystal clear. Nik’s path had been set. Not that he was doing great on that path, but he’d have found a job eventually. Things would have turned around for him. He would have had a real life.
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