The green dragon’s eyes sparked in recognition as he eyed Ciara, apparently realizing she was the mayor’s daughter, and dive-bombed Tegan, intending to snatch her from his grip. But Garrison and another dragon intercepted him, engaging the other dragon in combat and shielding Ciara and Tegan from harm. The other dragon was also intercepted, and the two were quickly taken down, their wings slashed to ribbons, causing them to plummet quickly to the ground.
Tegan cursed as he noticed several other shifters were launching themselves into the air to meet them, and more were coming – he needed to get Ciara to the ground before he collided. Cover me! He mentally shouted to his father, and then began descending as quickly as he could. Normally he would have tucked his wings in and dive-bombed, but with Ciara in his grasp he couldn’t risk it.
He was approaching the ground when Prophet came around from one of the wagons and into view. Tegan’s heart stopped for a second as Prophet whistled to the other shifters and pointed toward him. Immediately three of them turned around and swooped down at him all at once, clearly intending to get to him before he could land.
Shit, he thought, and then tightened his grip on Ciara as much as he dared. Hang on, he told her. This is about to get rough!
He tucked his wings in and dove for the ground, hurtling through the sky as fast as he dared – it was a huge risk he was taking but he knew that if the dragons got too close he would never be able to protect Ciara while in the sky. Before he managed to make it, one of the enemy dragons slammed into him, knocking him off his trajectory. He dropped like a stone, and rolled in the air so that he came crashing down on the rocky ground on his back, shielding Ciara from the worst of the shock.
“Tegan!” Ciara screamed, scrambling out of his grasp. Her face was stark white, her eyes wide with terror as she ran up his huge chest so she could lean in and touch his face. “Are you alright?”
Run! He shouted at her, swatting her off his chest as the dragon who’d attacked him landed beside them. He heard Ciara cry out as she was knocked into the dirt, but he didn’t have time to look – the other dragon, a dark blue beast with lemon-yellow eyes, flexed his shoulders, and then opened his maw to let out a huge blast of flame. Tegan threw himself in front of it, shielding Ciara from the worst of it, and then roared as another dragon pounced on his back, digging his sharp claws into Tegan’s tough, armored hide.
Just as he was sure he was about to be overwhelmed, a golden dragon ripped one of the enemy dragons off him and sent him flying into the dirt behind him. Garrison! Tegan exclaimed as he recognized his half-brother.
Go get your woman, Garrison ordered as he and several other shifters engaged the dragons who had tried to kill Tegan. Two other shifters landed on the ground, one of them standing guard behind Ciara, the other next to Tegan. These two will go with you. You all need to get the humans before the Firewalkers start slaughtering them.
Tegan stiffened at the sound of human cries, which he was just now noticing for the first time. Turning around, he saw male shifters in human form wrestling humans back into the wagons – evidently some of the humans had decided to try and take advantage of the commotion by trying to escape.
Apparently he wasn’t the only one who noticed, because Ciara pulled her sword from his sheath and rushed them. “You leave him alone!” she shouted at the Firewalker, who had a gangly human teenager in a chokehold. She kicked him in the stomach, loosening his hold, then wrested the human away from him and shoved him behind her.
Terror gripped Tegan in an icy fist as he watched Ciara charge straight into battle. Knowing he would be of little use in dragon form, he shifted back into human and rushed over to her just as the man charged her. But to his surprise, she side-stepped the shifter, kicked him in the back of the knee, and then plunged the sword into his back.
“Gods,” Tegan gasped, skidding to a stop. He watched, open mouthed as the shifter collapsed into the dirt, dead as a doornail. “I thought you said you didn’t know how to use that?”
Ciara shrugged a little. “I told you that Ayla taught me a few moves.”
“Not bad for a human female.” Prophet’s voice came from behind them, and Tegan spun around to see him standing next to one of the other wagons, his arms crossed. The expression on his handsome face was impassive, but his dark eyes, which smoldered with suppressed rage, bellied it. “But I’m afraid that will be the last time you ever plunge a sword into anyone.”
Tegan bared his teeth at Prophet, angling his body so that he provided a barrier between Prophet and Ciara. “Your business is with me, not her,” he hissed.
“On the contrary, it’s really not, as I was planning on selling her into slavery, not you,” Prophet drawled. “Unfortunately you insisted on sticking your nose where it didn’t belong, and now I have to deal with you.” He glanced up at the aerial battle taking place. “Where on earth did you get all these reinforcements from, though? I wasn’t aware that Grey had any allies amongst the Blackfire clan.”
“Just shut up and fight, already!” Tegan shouted, refusing to be drawn into Prophet’s stalling tactics. He snatched a knife from his boot and threw it at Prophet, then used the distraction to shift. But Prophet was fast, faster than him, and he dodged the knife mid-shift, his body rippling into the form of a large bronze dragon with the same evil yellow eyes. They both took to the sky, flapping their wings as hard as they could to get the aerial advantage. Tegan’s heart pumped hard as his wings strained – his wingspan was huge, over two times that of Prophet’s, and that gave him a significant boost. The other dragon disappeared into the sky above, shielding himself from Tegan’s eyes by hiding in the glare of the sun.
Dammit, Tegan thought frantically, trying to figure out what to do. Any second now, Prophet was going to dive-bomb him, and there was no use trying to spot him because staring up into the sun was only going to blind Tegan.
I need to try and put as much distance between myself and where I think Prophet is going to strike, he thought, and then an idea came to him. Instead of simply trying to gain height, as dragons normally did, he started doing loops and swirls, using his lighter body mass and agility to turn him into a moving target that would be significantly harder to hit than if he was simply trying to catch up to Prophet. He did circles, and loops, never repeating the same motion twice and circling around a certain area so as not to be pinpointed into a single spot.
He heard the whoosh of air before he felt it, and following his instincts he leaned left just as Prophet swooped down. The other dragon missed him by inches, and Tegan tucked his wings in and followed after him, catching up before the other dragon could rectify his mistake. Prophet shrieked as Tegan sank his claws into his shoulders, squirming and letting out blasts of fire, but Tegan held on tightly, refusing to give in as they spiraled to the ground.
The earth shook as they crashed into the ground, the force of the blow forming a kind of crater beneath. Dust billowed out all around them, stinging Tegan’s eyes, but he put all his weight on Prophet and didn’t budge.
Thankfully, neither did the other dragon. Several moments passed, the dust settling around their ears, but Prophet did not stir. Tegan opened his eyes to see that the other dragon’s eyes were closed, his pulse indicating that Prophet was out cold. Craning his neck towards the sky, he noticed that the aerial battle above was over as well, and that the Firewalker dragons were all being rounded up by the Blackfires, who were battle-weary and wounded, but triumphant.
“Tegan!” Ciara shouted, her footsteps slapping against the hard ground. Tegan turned to see her sprinting toward him, her hair no longer confined in its plait but flying around like a wild halo around her face. “Tegan, are you alright?”
I’m fine, he tried to tell her, then groaned as he extracted his claws from Prophet’s scaly hide. He climbed out of the crater stiffly, then changed back into human form, the process taking a little longer than usual due to being so weak. Ciara threw herself into his arms almost before he was done, squeezing him tight.
/> “Oh, I’m so glad you’re alright,” she mumbled into his chest. “When I saw you both tumbling from the sky like that, I swear my heart stopped.” She lifted her head and caught his mouth in a fierce kiss that set his blood afire and made his head spin. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”
“I won’t,” he said with a grin, squeezing her tight.
“Good. Now come with me,” she exclaimed, taking his hand and dragging him away. “I found my father, and it’s about time you met him properly!”
“Now?” Tegan groaned, his body aching.
“Yes, now,” Ciara replied. “It’s because of you that he’s safe. Besides, I want him to meet the only man who has ever made me truly happy.” Her cheeks turned crimson red, and her lips curved into a smile.
Tegan chuckled, his eyes sparkling. “Is that so?” he asked, teasingly.
“Yes, that’s so,” Ciara replied, laughing.
“Then that makes me your hero, and shouldn’t the hero get a kiss from his lady first?” A sexy smile played over his sinful lips.
“Oh, but of course,” she murmured. She moved closer, and Tegan’s hands rested on her hips, as he captured her lips possessively, as though he would never stop kissing her. The taste of her tongue was intoxicating, and he clung to her for a long time, lost in the flames of passion and love between them.
Chapter Twelve
“… and that’s when Tegan, this fine young shifter, swooped out of the sky with his dragon army, and saved us,” Arthur, Ciara’s father, concluded. He was standing in front of the council, along with Tegan, Ciara and Grey, dressed in the same stained, ragged clothing he’d been in when they’d rescued him, but still looking every inch the mayor with his proud, regal bearing, and keen green eyes that regarded the council steadily, and without fear, despite the harrowing ordeal he’d just been through. “Without them I can assure you that we would have all been sold off to the highest bidder in Solara, with none of you the wiser. I am eternally in his debt.”
Arthur turned toward Tegan and bowed his head deeply. Ciara, who was standing at Tegan’s right, looped an arm around his waist and squeezed him, sending warmth and pride radiating through him that even Prophet’s glare couldn’t be touched. The traitor was standing at the other side of the room next to Drake, and two of the Firewalker shifters they’d managed to capture and bring back with them, all in chains and each restrained by their own individual guard.
“I am just happy that you’re safe,” Tegan told Arthur, but he held Prophet’s gaze, then Drake’s as he spoke. The former clan Alpha looked as though he’d like to spit fire at Tegan, but he was restrained – likely by the gag in his mouth.
“Thank you for your testimony,” Serina said gravely. She turned to Tegan and Ciara. “Do you two have anything to add?” she asked them.
Tegan shook his head, as did Ciara. “We’ve said all we need to say,” Ciara told the council. “And I trust you will use the information to come to a sound and fair judgment.”
“As we will,” the council woman assured her. She turned her head toward the guards. “Please bring the prisoners forward.”
Drake, Prophet, and the two Firewalker males were dragged forth. “Based on the testimony received and the overwhelming amount of evidence,” she said. “I hereby sentence you all to life imprisonment for your crimes. This matter is now adjourned.”
Drake started shouting through his gag and twisted hard, clearly intending to launch himself at the council, but the guard quickly restrained him. Prophet, interestingly enough, simply sagged and hung his head in defeat. The Firewalker shifters said nothing as they were dragged away, simply shooting everyone hateful glares. Tegan supposed he should feel sorry for them since there was no way they were going to be able to say goodbye to their loved ones, but he really didn’t; if he’d been but an hour later arriving at that village on the day of the attack, they would have taken Ciara too, and the thought of that alone made him hunger for their blood.
“Tegan Maxwell,” Serina called when he started to head for the exit, “Please come forth.”
Tegan paused, his pulse rising as a sliver of anxiety worked its way into his chest. “Yes?” he asked, inclining his head and wondering just what the hell was going to happen next.
“Are you still planning on remaining with us?”
“I beg your pardon?” Tegan lifted his head, confusion furrowing his brow. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you recently connected with your birth father, who is standing outside with his clan mates, awaiting word of the trial,” Serina said. “I’m wondering if you are planning on heading back with him to his clan, or if you intend on remaining with us.”
Tegan hesitated. He hadn’t really considered the idea of going back to his father’s clan, but now that he thought about it, part of him wished he could simply fly off into the sunset with his father and start over as a family again. But as he glanced over to Grey and Ciara, who stood off to the side waiting for him, he knew in his heart, where he truly belonged.
“No,” he said softly. “My intention is to remain here with the Redwater clan, my home…with my family.”
“We are very happy to hear that,” Serina said, a warm smile spreading across her handsome features. “And rather relieved, as we would like to beg a favor of you?”
“Anything.” Tegan bowed his head, relieved that he hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Would you be willing to take over as clan Alpha?”
“What?” Tegan’s head snapped up again. “Clan Alpha?”
Serina’s tone was almost apologetic. “We know this is very sudden, but we do need someone to pick up the reins in Drake’s absence, and you have proven your leadership skills. We are convinced you would make an excellent Alpha.” She gestured to the other council members, who all nodded in agreement.”
Tegan was flabbergasted. “You should be asking Grey,” he said, pointing toward his old friend, a man he called uncle. “He is far more qualified – ”
“I certainly am,” Grey interrupted with a smile, his voice gentle but firm. “But I am too old.” He stepped forward to lay a hand on Tegan’s shoulder. “I may be strong in mind, but my body is too frail at this stage in my life to be able to defend the clan should the need arise. You, however, have what it takes both mentally and physically.”
Tegan narrowed his eyes as he looked back and forth between Grey and Serina. “You two have already discussed this.”
Serina didn’t even blink. “As I said before, we all agree you would be an excellent choice.”
Tegan sucked in a breath. “I – I’ll have to think about it,” he finally said. “I can’t make such an important decision such as that on the spur of the moment.”
“We understand,” Serina said smoothly, inclining her head. “Take a few days to think it over. After that you must let us know so we can find another candidate, if necessary. Until then, you are dismissed.”
“Thank you.” Tegan bowed, and then exited the cabin with Grey and Ciara.
As expected, Dageus was waiting outside with his shifters. They had been fed, rested, their armor patched up, and looked ready to hit the skies again. “I surmise from the murderous glares those fellows sent me that you’ve already won,” Dageus said, stepping forward and opening his arms wide for a hug. “So I won’t press you for all the details just yet, as we need to get going. But you will have to fill me in on everything when you come to visit next.”
“I will.” A lump formed in Tegan’s throat as he embraced his father, feeling the warm, loving embrace of his biological parent for the first time in living memory. “Thank you so much for everything.”
“Thank you.” Dageus’s eyes were shining a little as he stepped back. “For having the courage to come to me for help. I am sorry that you had to endure such hardship in your life, but I promise you, I will always be here for you.” He squeezed Tegan’s shoulder, his gaze turning into a serious one. “Don’t hesitate to call on us again if you need us. And bri
ng your pretty maiden, too.” He winked at Ciara, who grinned and blushed, then embraced her as well.
“Come visit soon,” Garrison said, stepping up for a hug of his own. “We have much to catch up on as brothers.”
“I will…I promise.”
They stood by as the Blackfire dragons shifted and took flight, watching them soar off into the sky until they were pink dots in the pale dawn light. Tegan was completely exhausted, having been up throughout the night getting all the villagers home safe and sound, then returning to Redwater to deal with Drake, and the council. But all of it was overshadowed now by the joy and triumph he felt, and by the love that surrounded him as Grey stood on his left, his hand on Tegan’s shoulder, and Ciara to his right, with her arm around his waist.
“Well this has been quite an adventure,” Grey finally said when they were alone. He turned to Tegan, a tired smile on his face. “But I’m afraid it’s a little too much excitement for an old man. I’m going to go and rest for a little while and leave the two of you alone. Try not to get into too much trouble, would you?”
“We’ll try not to,” Tegan replied, and he and Ciara laughed. As Grey headed back down the hill to his cottage, Tegan drew Ciara into his arms. “What do you think he meant by trouble, exactly?”
“I’m not sure,” Ciara replied, a mischievous glint in her eyes, as she looped her arms around his neck. “But it probably has something to do with the fact that I can’t keep my hands off you.”
“You read my mind, woman.” He scooped her up into his arms, and caught her mouth in a long kiss, then headed around the back of the council’s cabin for the woods. “How do you feel about getting into lots,” he kissed Ciara on the neck, his lips drawing a gentle line down to her shoulder and she shuddered, “and lots of trouble tonight…”
Shades Of Dragon (A BBW Dragon-Shifter Paranormal Romance) Page 10
