Kate shook her head in silence.
“King Rykor ordered his son, the Crown Prince Rohan, to gather as many civilians as he could. We were herded into thirteen ships, and three soldiers were assigned to each ship to pilot and protect the ship. As we took off, I saw the battle raging on below us. Then I heard the horrible explosions. One by one, I saw the other twelve ships being shot down behind us.”
“As Rohan and his two guards returned fire and tried to pilot our ship to safety, I kept staring at what was left of our homeland. Our soldiers were still fighting valiantly, but they were outnumbered. They never surrendered. They fought to the last man.”
Jae exhaled a long breath and said softly, “Ours was the only ship to escape from Korra. We crash landed on Earth and King Rohan incinerated the remains of our ship after getting all the survivors out. We were on an alien planet and we had to adjust to the strange, new atmosphere. It was terribly frightening, but we managed to survive. We learned the language and culture of humans and tried our best to blend in.”
Kate stared at her elderly, kindly neighbor and said, “I would never have guessed that you're a dragon.”
Jae chuckled. “Oh, I don't think I can even remember how to shift. It was difficult shifting in Earth's atmosphere, and it was just easier to let our dragons go dormant.”
“But Zul...”
“Zul and his brothers are warriors,” Jae said. “When I say brothers, I mean they are brothers-in-arms. The three of them have fought together, bled together and protected each other with their lives. As the last of our dragon warriors, they kept a disciplined hold on their dragons so they could fight and protect our people if our enemies ever found us. I think they knew that the Slayors weren't going to let us go so easily.”
Kate thought for a while. “How long have you been on Earth, Jae?”
“Hmmm. Slightly more than seventy years. I was a boy when I left Korra on that ship.”
Kate blinked. “But Zul looks like he's in his twenties!”
“Yup.” Jae laughed. “Their dragons slow down their aging. Geez, if I had known that, I would have trained my lazy dragon to remain active.”
Jae blew out a breath as he pulled his car to a stop. Kate's eyes rounded when she saw the sprawling, imposing mansion behind the tall, black gates.
“Is this…?” she stuttered.
“Yes. This is the home of King Rohan, Captain Edriq and Captain Zul.”
She blinked. “I thought dragons live in caves or castles,” she mumbled.
“Bet you didn't know that Draek Holdings, that large investment company, is owned by a dragon,” Jae said with a wink. “King Rohan is the chairman of Draek Holdings, and Edriq and Zul are the Managing Directors of the FabFit fitness chain and the Blazing Beans coffee chain respectively. Dracans don't announce what we are, but we are pretty active in human society. We work hard and we make significant contributions to your economy and society.”
Kate was still digesting the information as Jae got out of the car and stood in front of a security camera at the gate. In just one night, her world had grown so much bigger, stranger and more dangerous. She had been thrown into a world of dragons, and without her knowing, one handsome, protective dragon with a wicked grin had already found his way into her heart.
She thought of Zul and remembered the light and laughter in his intelligent amber eyes. She remembered his words of comfort and encouragement, and how he had held her and loved her.
Kate touched her cheek and blinked in surprise when she saw that her fingertips were moist with her tears. She hadn't even realized that she was crying.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Kate took a deep breath and stared nervously at the large, majestic mansion as Jae drove slowly up the long driveway. Jae had jumped out of the car and spoken rapidly into the intercom at the side of the gate. Almost immediately, the tall automatic gates had opened for them.
As the gates closed soundlessly behind them, Kate saw someone throw the double doors of the mansion wide open.
Two tall, fierce-looking males stepped out. They were wearing black leather jackets and combat boots, and Kate glimpsed their gun holsters under their jackets.
One of the men stepped forward and opened the car door for her. “Hi, I'm Rohan Draek and this is Edriq Haeken. We're Zul's brothers.”
Kate stared at the handsome dark-haired man and gulped. This tall, imposing man was the king of the Dracans, a powerful weredragon. Yet he had come out of the house to welcome her personally and even opened the car door for her. Kate heard herself stammer a greeting that ended with “Your Royal Highness”.
“Oh no,” Rohan said at once. “This is Earth, not Draca. I'm just an ordinary businessman here on Earth.”
But even before Rohan had finished speaking, Jae had put his fist over his heart and dropped to one knee. “Your Majesty...”
Rohan shook his head and helped the old Dracan up. “I'm not a king...”
“You are my king, King Rohan,” Jae said fervently.
Edriq stepped forward and shook Kate's hand. After greeting her politely, Edriq turned and began to speak to Jae in a low voice.
“They're speaking in Dracan,” Rohan explained as he led her into the house.
“It's a beautiful language,” Kate answered. “I wish I could understand it.”
“It's not that hard to learn,” a small voice piped up. A young girl who looked to be around five or six was standing at the foot of the stairs in her pajamas. “Who are you?” the girl asked, watching Kate intently. “Where's Uncle Zul?”
Rohan walked up to the little girl and said, “Tessa, why aren't you in bed?”
“I couldn't sleep. I was thirsty. I came out of my room and I heard Mom and Aunt Nora talking. What's happening, Daddy?” Tessa asked, her eyes widening in alarm.
“Everything's okay, sweetheart. I'll tuck you back into bed, okay?”
Tessa shook her head. “Something bad has happened to Uncle Zul! That's what Mom told Aunt Nora. Where is Uncle Zul? Why isn't he home?”
Rohan picked his daughter up. “Uncle Zul is coming home soon,” he promised.
“Is Uncle Zul hurt? Did the Slayors hurt him?” Tessa's lower lip trembled.
Edriq stepped forward and stroked the little girl's hair. “Don't worry, Tessa. Zul will be home in time for your big match. You have the final thumb war coming up, remember? Zul is a sore loser. He'll be really pissed if you won by default.”
Kate's eyes swept across the vast living room and she noticed colorful posters pasted crookedly all over the walls. Most of the posters depicted two thumbs facing off against each other. The smaller thumb wore a crown and there were the words “Princess” and “Champion” scrawled above the crown.
Tessa sniffed. “I called him in his office this afternoon, but he said he had to work tonight. Uncle Zul wouldn't lie to me.”
“Actually, I suspect he is hiding himself away so he can train up for the championship. I think he's doing thumb push-ups and pull-ups in one of my gyms right now,” Edriq said with a convincing eye roll.
“Really?” Tessa said hopefully.
“Yeah,” Edriq answered as brightly as he could.
Tessa turned to Kate suddenly and asked, “Are you Uncle Zul's friend?”
“Um, y-yes. Yes I am,” Kate replied. “My name is Kate.”
“So you'll be rooting for Uncle Zul, right?”
“Yes,” Kate said firmly even though she wasn't entirely sure what the girl was asking.
Tessa broke into a smile. “Good! Everyone in the family is on Team Tessa. No one cheers for Uncle Zul during our thumb wars. I feel bad for him. But that doesn't mean I'll let him win!”
“I'll cheer for him,” Kate promised.
Tessa grinned. “The final round will be held...” The girl tapped her chin thoughtfully.
“When Uncle Zul is ready,” she said at last. “If he needs more time to train, then it's only fair that we wait for
him.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
There were footsteps on the stairs and Kate turned to see two women hurrying down the stairs. When Jae saw the red-haired woman, he dropped to one knee and bowed his head. “Queen Amelia, please pardon your humble servant...”
Amelia rushed to help the man up. “Please, I'm just Amelia. I'm...”
“My queen,” Jae said reverently.
She smiled gently. There was no arguing with the elderly Dracan.
Amelia came up to Kate and introduced herself. “Hi, I'm Amelia, Rohan's mate.” She gestured towards the pretty brunette beside her. “And this is Edriq's mate, Nora.”
The two women gave Kate a quick hug. Nora put her arm around Kate's waist and walked with her to the kitchen while Amelia took Tessa from Rohan's arms and whispered, “I'll put her back to bed. I'll join you all later.”
Tessa looked over her shoulder anxiously as she took Amelia's hand and trudged up the stairs. Rohan watched his wife and daughter disappear up the stairs and blew out a breath. “Tessa only listens to Amelia. Amelia's a wonderful stepmom. She's amazing,” Rohan said casually but Kate saw the pride and love in his smile.
As Kate entered the kitchen, Rohan pulled out a chair for her at the dining table. Nora sat beside her and squeezed her hand reassuringly. Jae sat on the other side of her, wringing his hands and mumbling.
Their housekeeper brought a large pot of coffee over and Edriq helped her pour the coffee. “I'll do it, Mrs Vomae,” he said. The poor woman's hands were shaking and Kate saw her dab her eyes discreetly with her apron.
As Mrs Vomae hovered worriedly in the background, Rohan sat down opposite Jae and Kate. “You said over the intercom that the Slayors took Zul,” Rohan began, looking at Jae.
“Yes, they did. They came for me, but Zul fought them off.” Jae glanced at Kate. “Kate is my neighbor. She came to help us. She saw everything. There were four of them. Zul killed two. He shielded me and...he got bitten.”
“That's what Amelia told me,” Nora spoke up. “Once Amelia heard you over the intercom, she ran to tell me the news. I'm afraid Tessa may have overheard us.” She grimaced and added for Kate's benefit, “I'm a paramedic, so Amelia thought I may know where to get the antidote. I don't.”
Rohan looked up as Amelia entered the kitchen quietly. They nodded wordlessly at each other as Amelia took a seat beside her husband.
“He won't die, will he?” Kate asked desperately.
“I don't think the Slayor injected a lethal dose of venom into him,” Rohan said. “If they wanted to kill him, they would have done it right then. They intend to keep him alive, for now.”
“What will they do to him?” Kate whispered.
“Zul is strong, mentally and physically,” Rohan said. “He's a very experienced and skilled warrior. He won't let them break him. We'll find him.” He pushed away from the table and stood up.
“How?” Kate demanded. “We don't know where they went. They could be anywhere!”
“In dragon form, my brothers and I can communicate using our minds. We can hear each other's thoughts and we can signal our location when we need backup. Edriq and I will fly out and try to pick up any signal from Zul.”
Kate swallowed painfully. Zul was an intelligent man. And he was fiercely loyal to his king and his people. He would never allow himself to be used as bait.
“What if...he's not sending out any signals?” Kate flung her hand out in a wild gesture and almost knocked over her coffee cup. “Can he block you from hearing his thoughts?”
There was a long silence.
Finally, Edriq said tightly, “He can.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Zul choked and coughed as a foul-tasting liquid trickled down his throat. He tried to spit the bitter liquid out but a rough hand clamped over his nose and mouth and forced him to swallow.
His fist connected with someone's nose and he heard the satisfying crack. He swung blindly again, but he wasn't so lucky this time. As he pummeled the air, a boot caught him in the ribs and there was a blow to the back of his head.
Zul tried to get up but a heavy boot smashed down on his face. He was kicked viciously in the side and his fingers were mercilessly stomped on. Cruel laughter rang out and he made out a few crude comments in Syndorian.
Fucking Slayors!
Breathing heavily, Zul opened his eyes and jerked against his chains. He was in a huge, dark cave and although his hands were free, his ankles were shackled. The chains from his shackles were bolted to the rock wall behind him.
Through his torn jeans, Zul could see the puncture marks on his right calf. The skin around the wound was an ugly purplish-black but the rot hadn't spread up his leg to the rest of his body.
Zul tasted the vile liquid on his tongue and grimaced. The Slayors had given him the antidote to the venom.
They were keeping him alive—for now.
“Lieutenant Yoflam, he's awake,” a Slayor reported.
Zul squinted as Lieutenant Yoflam strode up to him. When Zul saw his face, he bared his teeth and snarled. Lieutenant Yoflam was the Slayor who had grabbed Kate by the throat and threw her against the wall.
The Slayor lieutenant regarded Zul with a condescending smile and patted his cheek. “We've temporarily contained the venom in your body. You should be able to shift to your dragon form now.” He laughed and added, “You are welcome, my pet dragon.”
Zul ignored him. He wasn't going to trade insults with a snake.
Lieutenant Yoflam flicked his forked tongue out and tasted the air around Zul. “I can taste her on you, you know.” Yoflam ran his tongue over his thin lips. “Your female tastes delicious. I think I would very much like to taste more of your little human.”
“Fuck you!” Zul lunged at him but the chains prevented him from reaching the bastard.
The corner of Yoflam's mouth lifted. “I believe your female would love to fuck me. I'm really good with my tongue.” He slid his long tongue out of his mouth and parted the forked ends.
Zul roared and strained against his chains. He wanted to tear that disgusting tongue out of his venomous mouth and rip the piece of shit to shreds!
Yoflam grinned nastily at him. “You should be worried. I'm really good with human females. I know what human women like. They're so easy, so defenseless and weak. Mmm, maybe I should drag your little human here. I'll let you watch as I make her scream.”
Zul bellowed in fury. He stained against his chains and charged at Yoflam. Through the red haze clouding his mind and vision, he could see his fingers curling into talons, his nails lengthening swiftly into razor sharp claws.
His dragon was reacting to his wrath and pain, and was emerging to protect the human. Zul could feel his body contorting, growing, changing shape as his dragon ripped from his skin.
The Slayors began to back away.
Zul reared up and aimed his flame at the Slayors. Some Slayors shifted to serpent form and shot venom towards his eyes. Zul burned all those snakes to ashes.
Zul saw the flash of blades and turned to hurl a bolt of fire at a group of Slayors. He incinerated all their throwing knives in mid-air and spat a stream of fire at the scattering Slayors.
Zul spread his wings and jerked hard against his chains but he couldn't break free. He turned and breathed fire over the chains but his fire wasn't strong enough. The chains held fast.
The Slayors knew what they were doing. They knew he would shift into dragon form and they had made sure that the chains were strong enough to restrain him.
Shit! Shit, shit and shit! He was such a fuckwit! He had underestimated them.
They had fed him the antidote so that he could unleash his dragon. And Yoflam knew just how to provoke him. The mere mention of Kate has sent his dragon into a frenzy.
The Slayors were smarter than he had given them credit for. They were cruel, cunning and they had no qualms using and destroying innocent lives to accomplish their mission. Some humans ha
d been tricked into working for the Slayors, and after they had outlived their usefulness, the Slayors simply got rid of them.
They spoke with a forked tongue, literally.
Zul reeled back when he realized just how grossly he had underestimated his enemies.
They hadn't let him die because they wanted to use him. As bait.
He had let his guard down and lost control of his emotions. He had let them mess with his mind and his dragon!
What have I done?
Zul knew the answer too well. He had messed up, big time.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Just as he was trying his damnedest to force his dragon back down, Zul heard Edriq's voice in his head. His dragon mind had connected with Edriq's.
Zul! Where are you? Edriq was yelling in his head.
I'm having a party. You're not invited. Zul snapped angrily.
We're coming, Zul. Just hang on, you hear?
Don't come for me. It's a trap! Zul bellowed.
Zul!
Stay away, Edriq! And keep Rohan away! It's a fucking trap! Whatever you do, don't come for me!
Zul snapped his thoughts off and wrenched his dragon forcefully down. The shift was sudden and violent, and Zul dropped to the ground, convulsing and retching. The violent shift, together with the venom still in his bloodstream, sent chills through his body.
Zul swore at himself. He was a bloody fool! What had he done?
He should never have regained consciousness.
The Slayors had given him the antidote to make sure that he would stay awake and alert.
And he had allowed himself to be riled up by that snake, Yoflam. Yoflam had slyly and successfully provoked his dragon out of him.
His brothers could hear his thoughts in dragon form. And they could use their dragon senses to locate him if his dragon was active. He should never have woken up. Now that his dragon had awakened, his brothers could pinpoint his location.
To Love A Dragon: Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (Weredragon Warriors Book 3) Page 5
