Fire In His Spirit: A Post-Apocalyptic Dragon Shifter Romance

by Dixon, Ruby

  She focuses on the mental image I send her. Deer. A buck, specifically. Look out for the…horns, she tells me with a sigh moments after I crunch into them.

  They taste good.

  I can feel her wrinkle her nose. If you say so.

  She is adorable, my mate. My thoughts easing, I settle in to my food. Across from me, atop another building, Rast licks his claws and then heads into the air again, his mind skating past my own thoughts in a comfortable greeting, an acknowledgement of each other. It is that simple mind-touch of one another that I have missed out on so badly. Every mind I tried to touch before, to connect with, only fueled my own madness.

  I understand, Rast tells me even as he flies farther away, looking for more deer. Something here in this world has splintered our people. We were too dependent on communication by mind and it has ruined us. His thoughts shift. There are more of the brown creatures here if you are still hungry.

  I am. I finish my meal and then extend my wings, leaping off the building and taking flight. This is oddly comfortable and reminds me of hunting with old friends and battle companions. Other faces and minds flash through my memories, as quickly gone as they arrived. I think Rast is right. Our minds do not work the same here, and because we are splintered instead of connected, we have all gone mad from it.

  Have you met the blank one? Rast asks as I circle closer, riding an air current over to his side.

  Idly, I touch at Gwen's mind to check on her, and find her deep in conversation with Rast's mate still. They discuss…babies? And forts. Rast's mate's sister is with young, and it fills Gwen with joy and wonder. I bask in her feelings, then focus in on prey, content that my mate is safe and happy. The faint scent trails of more deer touch my nose, and I find a nearby building and perch atop a ledge, waiting for Rast to flush out the prey. The blank one?

  The one that took a human name and dresses in human coverings.

  Ah. I have seen him.

  There is nothing there when I try to speak to him, Rast sends. He feels entirely human— but he looks as we do. I do not trust it.

  The others tolerate him. As long as he does not touch my mate, I do not care if he stays or goes. I felt no malice in him, only envy when he looked at me.

  He did what he had to do to survive, remember? Gwen tells me, chiming into my thoughts. I am pleased she is listening in. Well, you're pretty loud, she sends back. I'm still not good at filtering things. It makes conversation difficult, but Amy says I'll get better with time. Her thoughts are amused and full of affection. As for Liam, I think he's got designs on Andrea. Her mind flashes with the yellow-haired human female. So you don't have to worry about him.

  Worry about him? Over what?

  Poaching your mate? she guesses.

  Never. You are covered in my scent. Your blood sings with my fires. No male would dare touch another male's mate. Your scent is mine. You belong to me.

  We can belong to each other, she tells me primly. I told Amy about your problem, by the way.

  My problem? Rast descends upon the trees, and I watch as the deer scatter in different directions. There are four of them, scrambling to get away on spindly legs as they dart through the underbrush. One fat one heads off away from the others, and Rast sends me an indication that it is mine, so I rise from my perch and swoop down after it.

  With the Salorian and the mind control. Fort Dallas.

  Mmm. I do not like to think about it. It makes the storms gather at the back of my mind.

  She is worried. She says she visited her sister and Fort Dallas is full of dragons. They don't leave, they just wait there. She says it's not right. Something is wrong there.

  There is a Salorian there, I tell her as I tear the head off of my newest kill. Fresh, hot blood pours down my throat, and I seek out the horns once more. I like their crunch. That is what is wrong there.

  Yes, but what is he doing? And why does he want a truce? Amy thinks we should visit her sister and the others with, uh, tamed dragons, and discuss. Meeting of minds and all that. Her thoughts grow distressed and then speed up. By the way, when I say “tamed” I don't mean tamed like a kitten, I just mean—

  —Not insane.

  Yeah. She sounds depressed.

  Do not be sad. I was insane until I met you. The only reason I have been able to function without my mind lost in the storm is because of your scent and now your mind in mine. You have saved me.

  No one's saving anyone. We're a team.

  We are. What do you want to do, then?

  She hesitates. I don't think it could hurt to visit Amy and her sister. Meet the others, discuss things. You can talk drakoni to drakoni, maybe learn something you've forgotten? And I can talk dragon-rider to dragon-rider.

  Dragon…rider?

  Her thoughts are full of amusement once more. Yeah, that's another thing. I'm gonna need a saddle because you're about to be ridden hard, and not in a sexy way.

  We can do it a sexy way, too, I tell her agreeably, and like it when I can feel her blush.

  39

  One Week Later

  GWEN

  For a sweet, delicate thing, Amy must have an ass of absolute steel. How she manages to stay in her saddle for hours and not waddle when she gets down is a mystery to me. Me, I'm not handling it nearly as well as she is. By the time we get close to the ruins of the old Metroplex, my butt feels chafed three ways to Sunday and I'm grimacing each time Vaan shifts his weight.

  I will soothe it for you later, my dragon sends. Much rubbing and licking, I promise.

  Dude, you can't tell a girl you're going to lick her ass. I can feel the heat creeping up my face despite my wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.

  Why not? Pleasant for you, pleasant for me.

  You're impossible.

  I might be, but I am yours, he agrees with a teasing tone that promises that I'm going to get an ass-licking tonight no matter how much it makes me blush, and he's going to make sure I enjoy every moment of it.

  Being with Vaan for the last week has been a bit of an adjustment, but a fun one. Now that we can speak readily, I'm learning that he's got a playful sense of humor, especially when it comes to teasing me. He's smart, and stoic, and ten times more protective than I ever thought.

  I'm ten times more in love than I ever thought, too. There's just something about being with him that feels like all the pieces in my world fell into place. That my happy ever after is just within reach. That everything is going to be all right.

  Even my ass.

  I will make sure it is.

  I chuckle and lean forward to caress the scales on his neck, my other hand tight on the reins. Amy helped me rig a saddle and I'm strapped in like I'm riding a rollercoaster, but it still feels unsafe. Riding dragon-back's definitely going to take some getting used to.

  I would never let you fall.

  Let's not test that theory either way, I tell him cheerfully, holding the reins a little tighter. They're not to steer him—as if I could steer someone so big. With our mental communication, guide-reins just aren't necessary for travel. They're so my hands have something to hold onto, which is good, because I'm so nervous that I need something to fiddle with.

  Why are you nervous? Vaan seems genuinely puzzled as he wheels about in the sky. Up ahead, Rast's big golden body soars through the clouds, then angles steadily downward. The butterflies in my stomach turn into eagles, because I think that means we're approaching our destination. We've been surrounded by the wreckage of building after building, highway after highway, but now there's a cluster of skyscrapers, which indicate we've reached the downtown area of Old Dallas. Somewhere in there is Amy's sister Claudia and the skyscraper she lives in with her dragon.

  This feels a bit like going to a family reunion, where everyone in the family already knows each other except me.

  Do their opinions matter?

  They shouldn't, I admit. But they do.

  You are mated to me. That alone proves that you are special. And if they do not think so, I sha
ll rend them limb from limb.

  I gasp, shocked.

  It was a jest. Amusement floods his thoughts. You truly think I would?

  Hello, you're a bloodthirsty dragon! Why wouldn't I?

  Drakoni. And I would not. They are the mates of others of my kind. I care nothing for them one way or another. Rending takes too much effort. I would simply ignore them.

  I snort, because having an inside track to Vaan's mind has shown me one thing this week—I might as well be the only woman who exists, when it comes to him. Another could walk past him dressed in the sexiest lingerie, shaking her hips, and he would only focus on me. As for Amy, he has zero perception of her save as Rast's mate. Literally, when he thinks of her, Rast is always tied in, as if they're no longer two people in his mind but just one entity. It's interesting and it makes me realize just how deeply ingrained the mating bond is in his people. There are no drakoni divorces, no drakoni breakups, no drakoni cheating. That stuff just does not exist to him. He can't comprehend it.

  For all of their savagery, there's a lot to love about the drakoni, too. It's clear that they're a simpler people, without all the technology and civilization that humans have…and all the problems that come with civilization, too. From what I can tell of Vaan's fractured memories, they lived in small, isolated family groups in the deserts and prized independence and hunting prowess very highly. Loyalty is ingrained in who they are, and so is determination. Too bad all humans aren't like that.

  Rast says we approach, Vaan tells me. I promise not to rend anyone without your permission.

  His thoughts are half amused, half wary, as if he's not sure that I realize he was joking earlier. I send him a wave of affection and love through my thoughts. Which makes me think of his promise of the butt massage (and licking). Hopefully we have a private room tonight, because if there's one thing mating drakoni are not, it's quiet or shy.

  I do not care if it is private or not. I will still claim your cunt and make you cry my name. Let them hear me pleasure my mate so greatly that she screams. Pride is in his thoughts. They can listen to me lick up every—

  Okay, okay! Now I'm really freaking blushing.

  The dragon's deep chest rumbles with amusement, and I can feel it under my thighs where I sit astride his shoulders. At least I'm distracted, though. I'm still working on hiding my blushing thoughts from my dragon-man as we descend, and then before I realize where we are, Vaan's alighting on a broken ledge and bounds into the room.

  The half-trashed skyscraper has skeletal metal framework sticking up between the concrete flooring, but all the broken glass has been cleared away, and there are potted plants growing on ledges and bright yellow curtains fluttering in the breeze. Off in the open air, there's a cute patio set, and a sofa is hidden under an overhanging wall that keeps it protected from weather. As I look around, I notice a pregnant woman with bright red hair gets to her feet and puts a hand under her belly as she waddles forward. Up above her, a big golden dragon—maybe the biggest I've seen—watches us with whirling eyes.

  That is Kael, Vaan tells me. He sends us greetings and asks you to sit with his mate…and to make sure she gets off her feet. He says she is bad at listening.

  I grin at that and start to unbuckle straps. I can do that. I'm not going to be able to stand much myself.

  Because your ass needs licking. I will not forget.

  You are the worst, I tell him, biting back my laughter.

  Another dragon settles in on the ledge between Vaan and Kael, and Rast gives a full body yawn before he lowers his shoulders and Amy slides to the ground next to him. Somehow we got ahead of Rast and Amy, but that's all right. Seems like we're all here now. And, as if he's done this a million times, Rast reaches over and plucks her off the concrete by her backpack and settles her on the floor below. Amy limps forward, throwing her arms wide as she approaches her sister. "Claudia!"

  "Hello again," the redhead calls, laughing, and embraces her sister.

  I dismount clumsily and rub my butt, peering over the ledge. The dragons all landed in the flat area—which is a floor above Claudia's living quarters. I look over at Vaan and he reaches out, wrapping his claws around me, and gently places me on the floor below.

  Thank you, I tell him, and then smile a nervous greeting at the sisters. "Hi, I'm Gwen."

  Claudia gives me a warm smile and extends her arms so she can hug me, too. "From Fort Shreveport! Welcome to our weird little family. Amy's told me so much about you."

  "That's terrifying," I tell her with a little smile to take the truth out of my words and make them teasing.

  "No judgment here," Claudia says, patting my back. "We all do what we must to survive. It's good to meet you, though. Sasha and Emma will be along shortly. Can I interest you in some coffee?"

  I put a hand over my heart. "You have coffee?"

  "Yes, and I can't drink it," she tells me, patting her stomach. "No clue on how a half-drakoni baby will react to caffeine, so I avoid it. But if I make some for you guys, I can at least enjoy the smell."

  "Then yes, I would love some." It doesn't matter that it's going to be another blisteringly hot day—you don't turn down coffee. "Your house is cute."

  She smiles absently as she waddles over to her campfire stove. "Thank you! Scavenging is a hell of a lot easier with a dragon." Up above, Kael rumbles, and Claudia waves a hand in the air, dismissing his irritation. "I'll sit down in a minute. Hold your horses."

  I move swiftly to her side and take the percolating coffee pot from her hands. "Why don't you sit and tell me what to do and I can handle it?"

  "Not you, too," she grumbles, but she moves to sit next to Amy at the table. One hand rubs over her belly. "You'd think no one has ever had a half-drakoni baby before."

  "Have they?" Amy prompts.

  "Hell if I know." Claudia sighs and rubs her belly again.

  "How far along are you?" I ask as I scoop ground coffee into the coffee pot.

  "That is a really great question, and one I wish I had the answer to," Claudia says, lifting one foot and placing it on a chair. "Problem is, I don't know a drakoni's gestation time, and it's not something Kael has an answer to. But I will say that my belly's gotten huge in the last week or so. Either I'm having twins or I'm close."

  I set the coffee atop the woodstove and turn just in time to see Amy grow pale. "Twins?"

  Claudia shakes her head. "I don't think it's twins. I think I'm just fat with one baby." Up above her, Kael rumbles again and Claudia smiles. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

  Once upon a time, hearing only half the conversation would have bothered me, but that was before I got my own connection with Vaan. I get it now, and I don't ask questions. It's hard to keep track of if you're speaking aloud or silent when you're answering your dragon, so I don't pry. I just smile and sit back down next to Amy. "Have you thought of names?"

  "Not yet. Right now we're just hoping for healthy." She crosses her fingers.

  Another is coming, Vaan tells me. A split second later, Amy and Claudia exchange looks. "Sasha," Claudia says. "And Dakh. They just passed over Zohr and Emma, too."

  "Passed over?" I ask.

  "You'll see," Amy says, and then everyone's distracted with the landing and arrival of another dragon.

  * * *

  The next hour is pretty much chaos. At least, that's what it feels like to me. Five dragons hang out on the rocky concrete perch that used to be the top floor of Claudia's building, and the women sit around Claudia's coffee table and chat. It's clear that they all know each other and I'm the outsider, so I get quiet and just listen as they chatter.

  Sasha's a beautiful woman with lovely eyes and unique coloring that makes me wonder if she's mixed like me. She's also pregnant, but not nearly as big as Claudia. Emma is a gorgeous Latina who’s friendly and chatty, though it's clear she's not happy about this meeting. Their arrival is somewhat of a surprise to me because instead of flying in like the others, Zohr arrives from below, having used his claws to climb up the side
of the building. His wings are heavily scarred and torn, though Emma reassures everyone that they're getting better every day. It's obvious she's very protective of her dragon, though it doesn't explain why she's practically bristling at this meeting.

  At first I think it's my presence, but when we talk, she's as sweet and friendly as the others. It's soft, sweet Amy that brings up the elephant in the room as we sit down with cups of heavenly coffee while Claudia, Emma and Sasha drink water. "So, uh, Emma, I hope you don't mind me saying this, but you seem agitated."

  "Amiga, of course I'm agitated. That mind spider's prowling around again, and Zohr's vulnerable to him. I don't want him coming after my man. Zohr's suffered enough at his hands.” She crosses her arms over her chest, her full mouth drawn into a frown.

  I wonder at the suffering she mentions.

  Wings, Vaan says. The others say it’s because of the Salorian that his wings are shredded. He was held captive until she freed him.

  I shudder, because Zohr's wings look scarred and thick compared to the delicate, graceful beauty of Vaan’s sails. Wings are so damn important to a dragon.

  Emma's sharp gaze notices my reaction. "They said you had a brush with him, too?"

  "Yeah," I admit, and tell them about how Vaan's eyes went gray and he turned toward the west. How he spoke “Fort Dallas” aloud. The second time the Salorian came after him and the whole “truce” thing. Emma looks half sick and half angry. The others just look worried. "It sounds like this can happen again at any time, which makes me worry over Vaan. If this Salorian guy can reach all the way to Louisiana, how far do we have to be to get out of his range? Tennessee? Canada?"

  "And how do we know there's not more Salorians lurking around?" Sasha adds quietly, casting a worried look at Claudia.

  "We don't," Claudia admits, rubbing a hand over her big belly. "It's a problem."

  "That pendejo's trying to pull my man in and I don't like it." Emma crosses her arms over her chest. "This is a problem that's gone on for too long. Even when we're far away, Zohr says he can feel him brushing against his thoughts. I have to watch him while he sleeps to make sure he doesn't get attacked in dreams again."