We move silently, our fingers on the triggers of our guns. Xon whistles a warning and we turn to point our guns at the opening of a large cave.
Something, someone, is moving out of the cave.
The figure emerges, and I jerk.
It's Cassie.
Rhekk puts his hand on my arm. “It's not her,” he says.
I nod. He is right. But I want it to be her. I need to see her, to know that she is unhurt. The link to her mind is growing weaker, and the fear is gnawing away at me.
I have never felt real fear before, because I never had anything to lose. But now, I am terrified. I. Can't. Lose. Cassie.
I glance at Rhekk and realize that none of us has ever experienced the anguish that he has gone through. He lost his mate, the woman he loved more than life itself.
We support him in every way we can, and we are there for him and the twins. But none of us has ever walked in his shoes. And I pray that we never have to.
Rhekk squeezes my shoulder and says, “You told us yourself. The eyes will betray them.”
The men glance at me, their guns trained on the approaching figure. She looks so much like Cassie.
I give the signal for my men to stay where they are and step forward.
“Cassie,” I say softly.
She smiles and keeps walking towards me. I look into her hazel eyes, with both hope and dread. She blinks once and I see the telltale red glow appear in her eyes.
I roll away just as a laser blade slashes through the air. I shoot and Cassie falls to the ground. Her shape changes to a large, fanged male. The red dragon soldier draws his gun and fires. The rock behind me shatters and melts. I curse and fire right into his chest. The soldier roars in agony as the beam from my gun liquifies his insides.
More Cassies emerge from the surrounding caves. My men shout in confusion, afraid to fire.
“Which one?”
“Are they all red dragons?”
“Don't shoot, don't shoot yet!”
They don't want to shoot my mate. But if they don't return fire, they will be killed.
“Shoot!” I roar.
A few of the men gape at me. “Vorik...”
“Kill them all!” I order. “Open fire now!”
They obey my order and shoot. I keep shooting with both guns, taking down as many of the enemy soldiers as I can.
They are not Cassie. I can feel my mind connect with Cassie's again and I make my way towards a small cave hidden behind a cluster of boulders. My men cover me as I run straight for the cave.
Behind me, I see the red dragons shift out of Cassie's shape and into their dragon forms. They spew fire at my soldiers, who unleash their dragons just as swiftly to fight back.
Lightning bolts slam into the ground, opening up the parched earth. The noxious clouds swirl as the dragons summon lightning as weapons. The red dragons have absorbed our powers to summon storms, but the power does not belong to them. It is a power they have stolen. They can summon storms, but they cannot control the storms.
But for the storm dragons, the storm is a part of us. We know and feel every element of the storm and we can aim lightning at our enemies with deadly precision.
I turn back to see red dragons falling from the sky, electricity crackling through their bodies. They are dead before they hit the ground.
Some of my men are fighting the red dragons in human form. Their laser beams slice cleanly through talons and leathery wings. The sounds of battle echo behind me as I scramble deeper into the cave.
I crawl through a maze of tunnels, letting Cassie's mind guide me. I am so near, so near and yet…
Time is running out. With every heartbeat, I feel her moving further and further away from me.
Finally I emerge from a narrow tunnel and stumble out into a wide, barren expanse of sand and rock.
A small space shuttle is there, and I see a red dragon dragging Cassie towards the shuttle. I see his rank on his shoulder. Each red dragon team is headed by a Captain.
The present alpha of the red dragons was a Captain, and their next alpha will be chosen from among the present crop of Captains. Knowing that the coveted alpha position is within their grasp makes the Captains more savage, ruthless and relentless in their quests. They will stop at nothing to complete their mission.
I fire at the shuttle, but my laser beams simply bounce off the reflective surface.
Cassie looks dazed and there is blood flowing down her temple. She struggles weakly and croaks out a plea to me.
The red dragon throws Cassie over his shoulder and makes a run for the shuttle. He is moving very fast, and a fast moving target is almost impossible to hit. With Cassie draped over his back, I don't have a clear shot.
“Cassie!” I roar. I can't let him take her.
My voice rouses her, and she lifts her head to stare at me. A steely glint enters her eye as she rears up suddenly.
Cassie wraps her arms around the Captain's neck, making it look like she is embracing him. She smiles sweetly at him when he stares at her in surprise.
Then she bites down hard on his neck.
The red dragon staggers back in shock, and I see my chance. I yell for Cassie to move. She throws herself to the ground and rolls away. Before the red dragon can shoot at either of us, I aim for his head and fire.
The laser hits him right between his eyes and sears through his skull. He convulses and drops to the ground, his liquified brain leaking from his ears.
“Cassie!” I rush to her side and help her up. She protests vehemently when I try to carry her and insists on standing on her own feet.
“The rest?” she asks, looking around.
“The guys are fighting the red dragons...”
“Then let's go help them!” Cassie snarls, limping forward. “Gimme that laser blade!”
“Be careful with that...”
“I know how to use a blade,” she smirks. “I used a pocket knife to ward off monsters. I am very handy with a blade, trust me.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Cassie
I sit at the beach and watch Pol and Kaynna play in the water. I'll have to report for kitchen duty later, but now I have some free time to relax and play with the kids.
Looking at the calm, clear waters, I allow myself to remember everything that has happened. To me, to Vorik, to all of us.
I no longer try to suppress any bad memories. No matter how bad they are, they are just memories. They're all in my past, not my present. I survived my past, and that's something to be proud of.
It's something to tell the kids.
Vorik and his soldiers took out Captain Morc's entire team. By the time Vorik reached me and rescued me from that evil Captain, his men have killed more than half of Captain Morc's team.
I joined in the battle with a vengeance. Vorik fought by my side while I wielded his laser blade like a boss. Some of the men actually grinned at me while others gave me a wide berth.
A victory cry rose as I raised the blade and lopped off the head of the last red dragon. We didn't look back as we helped one another stagger to our ships. We just wanted to go home.
The storm dragons took out a team of red dragons, but there are many more teams. Each red dragon alpha has his own way of organizing and controlling his army, and the reigning alpha prefers dividing his red dragons into small, dispensable teams.
So far, we haven't sighted any red dragons near Svaata. Maybe their alpha has more pressing matters to see to. Such as attacking and devouring new species to absorb their powers. I imagine that avenging the deaths of one expendable Captain and his team is way low on the to-do list of those power-hungry red dragons.
That blood-thirsty and ambitious Captain Morc wanted to wipe out the storm dragons before presenting me to his alpha as a surprise gift. I was meant to be a surprise, so none of the red dragons in his team reported the discovery of an alien female capable of bearing dragon young to their alpha.
So I guess I am safe, for now.
Kaynna comes running up to me and presses her little hand to my belly. “Is it a girl? Please, let it be a girl!” she begs.
“I don't know if it's a boy or a girl,” I answer, laughing. “I'm only a couple of weeks along so...”
“It's a boy!” Pol declares. “Vorik said so.”
Kaynna makes a face at her brother. “He did not!”
“I said it's most likely a boy,” Vorik says, walking towards us. I turn and smile at my mate. I could have known that he was coming down the beach if I used the mind link, but I prefer not to root around in his head too much. I trust him, and I have opened up all my thoughts and memories to him, but talking is still better. Vorik understands that. In fact, he wants me to talk to him about everything. Tell him in my own words what I remember and feel about everything that's happened to me.
So we have been talking, every night after making love. The experience of sharing my heart, my dreams and fears is even more intimate than sharing my body.
“Female storm dragons are really, really rare,” Vorik explains, sitting down beside me on the sand.
“Does that mean that...I'm rare?” Kaynna asks gleefully.
“Yes. And so very precious,” Vorik answers, chucking her under the chin.
Pol rolls his eyes. “What a princess.”
The twins run off when Rhekk calls out to them. Rhekk waves to us as he walks his kids back towards the large cave.
“You don't have to do kitchen duty, you know,” Vorik says, frowning. “You're pregnant.”
“That's why I have to do kitchen duty. It's the only job I can do, now that I'm pregnant. You guys don't allow me to hunt, or fish, or even pick berries,” I huff. “You won't let me clean either. So the only thing left for me to do is cook.”
He hugs me and chuckles. “The guys are just concerned.”
“They're over protective. I feel as though I have nineteen big brothers hovering around all the time.”
“Is that...bad?” Vorik asks carefully.
“No.” I laugh. “Actually, it's great. I don't have any siblings, so it's really nice to have so many brothers.”
Vorik puts his arm around me and we watch the waves for a while.
“I've been thinking...” I begin slowly, lifting my head from Vorik's shoulder.
“Yes?” he asks earnestly.
I grin, knowing that he can read my thoughts any time. But he just chooses not to, making me talk to him instead.
“I think I can play matchmaker for the guys,” I say.
“Huh?”
“Once the baby is born, I'm want to go back to Earth.”
Vorik inhales sharply.
“Don't worry, I'm not leaving.” I punch his arm and he exhales. “I want to go to Earth to find mates for the guys. It's obvious that human women can make perfect mates for storm dragons. And...” I pat my tummy. “We can bear your children.”
Vorik rubs his chin, looking both thoughtful and doubtful. “And what exactly...”
“A deal. I'm going to offer the women a deal. They will know exactly what they are signing up for!” I gush.
“I see...” he lies. After a long pause, he asks, “And how will you do that?”
“Just watch. I'll make this work. I survived so many things, and I now know that you have to make your own life. You have to be unafraid to live the life you want, even if it's on a planet far, far away. I'm sure there are women on Earth who think the same way.”
Vorik kisses my still flat tummy and declares, “Your Ma is a very wise and amazing woman.”
He pulls me close and gives me a deep, lingering kiss. I hear someone clear his throat behind us and I turn around to see Kazran and Brogaan smirking at us. They salute and wink at Vorik as they approach.
They toss jokes and insults at each other and at Vorik, and I join in the ribbing. But behind their laughter and cheerful banter, I see the quiet hope and yearning in their eyes.
They long to find their own true mates. All the men do.
“Come on, help me up,” I stretch out my hands to Kazran and Brogaan. “I've got to report for kitchen duty. I've got some cooking to do!” Vorik holds my waist protectively while Kazran and Brogaan pretend to strain and stagger back with my weight.
As we troop back to the cave, I don't tell them that I've got something else cooking too.
A plan—for my storm dragon brothers.
* * * * *
End
Thank you for reading! If you've enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review. :) xxx
Want more dragons?
TO DATE A DRAGON (Weredragon Warriors, Book 1):
As the last dragon king of Draca, Rohan Draek vows to keep his people safe. For nearly seven decades, the Dracans have been living on Earth, hiding from their enemies.
But when the savage killings begin, Rohan knows that the hunted must become the hunter. Rohan is aided by his two fearless, loyal guards. The three of them are the last of the weredragon warriors, and they are all that stand between their people and the Slayors…
Amelia Hawkins is a kindergarten teacher with a dark past and deadly secrets. When the handsome, sexy, single father of one of her students transforms into a dragon and saves her, Amelia believes that she has just lost what is left of her sanity. But as Rohan tells her about his past and his people, she realizes that the demons that haunt her are not just in her mind.
Amelia is powerless to resist the consuming passion and hunger that Rohan ignites in her, but their connection puts her in terrible danger.
With his enemies closing in, Rohan will have to fight for his family, his people, and...his mate.
WEREDRAGON WARRIORS, Books 1 – 3 Available Now!
TO DATE A DRAGON (Book 1)
TO WED A DRAGON (Book 2)
TO LOVE A DRAGON (Book 3)
Other titles by Natalie Kristen:
WOLVES HOLLOW
Alpha Next Door (Book 1)
Beta's Baby (Book 2)
BRIDES fur BEARS
Bad Bear (Book 1)
Brave Bear (Book 2)
Brash Bear (Book 3)
Big Bear (Book 4)
Mail-Order Bear (Book 5)
Dating Agency Bear (Book 6)
Guardian Bear (Book 7)
GRAY BEARS series
Marrying The Bear (Book 1)
Loving The Bear (Book 2)
Mating The Bear(Book3)
Tempting The Bear (Book 4)
Taming The Lion (Book 5)
Embracing The Lion (Book 6)
GRIMM BEARS (Fairytale Shifters)
Red and the Bear (Book 1)
Snow and the Bear (Book 2)
Gretel and the Bear (Book 3)
BEAR HEAT series
Bear's Bride (Book 1)
Bear's Kiss (Book 2)
Bear's Claim (Book 3)
Bear's Baby (Book 4)
Bear's Heart (Book 5)
Bear's Match (Book 6)
DRAGON HEAT
Taken by the Billionaire Dragon (Book 1)
Desired by the Billionaire Dragon (Book 2)
BEAR BRIDES
A Bride For The Bear
A Date For The Bear
A Wife For The Bear
A Mate For The Bear
Billionaire Bear Shifters Romance
Taken By The Bear
Owned By The Bear
Saved By The Bear
MISTY VALLEY SHIFTERS
Growl For Me
Fight For Me
Purrfect For Me
MATE series
Alpha Mate
Bear Mate
Vampire Mate
Wolf Mate
Wild Mate
Dark Mate
Blood Mate
BEAR COVE (A Small Town Love Story)
Bear My Heart
NORTH WOLVES
To Kill A Wolf
About the Author
Natalie Kristen is a writer who enjoys mixing the sweet with the spicy, the light with the dark, the possibiliti
es with the unimaginable. She enjoys exploring paranormal and dystopian worlds, deep desires and inspiring romances. She is hopelessly addicted to coffee, chocolate, reading and writing. She loves to hear from readers so please feel free to follow her on Twitter and Facebook, or visit her blog for the latest news and updates.
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Vorik: A Scifi Storm Dragon Romance Page 10
