by Lacy LeRoch
“Where is my, O bear?” Alison chuckles, wiggling out of his hold when he cuddles her close.
“Oh, I see how it is.” McKinley laughs. He leans down and kisses the top of her head and laughs. “Come on Philli, let’s get the girls into medical so we can check on everyone.”
Alison pouts takes Madison’s arm and starts walking toward the council chambers.
“What’s that all about?” I ask McKinley and point to the girls who are whispering and giggling.
He lowers his voice and discreetly leans over, “She and Owen got close, and fast.”
“Ohhh.” I turn toward the girls and watch them walk up the path. He elbows me bringing my focus back to him. “Sorry dude, but isn’t that what you want?”
“It’s complicated,” he huffs.
From the look on his face, I can tell that the subject isn’t open for discussion. It must be hard to have a double mating. We are dominating men by nature, sharing doesn’t come naturally to us. We walk the rest of the way to medical in silence.
“I don’t want you to walk on that foot, you need to keep it rested.” Madison leans on the side of the bed toward Romie and huffs. “Here I was thinking Dragons were smart. Pft… you weren’t smart now, were you?”
Romie grumbles in discomfort and looks over at me. His eyes narrowed and mouth pouted.
“Don’t even think about it, Romie,” I warn telepathically.
“Yes, Miss Madison,” he slurs seductively, dazzling her with his bright smile.
Romie is a good-looking Dragon that all the females chase. In all the time I’ve known him, he has never been without a warm body pressed up against his. If Romie and I didn’t have the history that we do, I’d be running across this room and ripping this throat out. And in all honesty, the only thing that saves him from that fate is the small wink he throws my way as he licks his lips and stares at Madison. Call me a jealous man, but I don’t like the way Madison smiles back at him sweetly. Dragon tries to push up under my skin, and I break out in a sweat from the heat radiating from his anger.
Madison has been moving from bed to bed all morning. Adding her healing touch to Dragons and Watchers. At first, she didn’t understand how she could heal with just a touch, but once I explained to her that it was her gift, she accepted it with open arms. I keep waiting for her to freak out and completely shut down. But she surprises me by taking this all in her stride, with a simple wave of her hand and her, “Wow, this is cool,” comments when she learns something new.
Romie was just brought in with a twisted ankle. And the minute that Madison heard he was my second-in-command and best friend, she dropped everything to attend to his needs. Well, that was until she heard how he did it. Then she couldn’t stop laughing at his stupidity.
“Your sexy smile and sweet behavior don’t work on me. You see that beast of a dragon over there…” she points to me looming in the doorway and she lowers her voice and whispers, “…I belong to him.”
My chest swirls with pride. “Yes, she does,” I growl softly to myself.
Romie’s head pops up, and he smiles at me. “Chill boss, I know she’s yours. She will be a great leader,” he tells me telepathically. He turns his attention back to Madison and tells her aloud, “He’s an old fool. You might need to find yourself a younger one.”
Madison pushes down on Romie’s ankle and blasts him with a slight energy blast. He hisses in a breath and curses. She glances over her shoulder and smiles. “Oh, I do so love this power.” Madison blows me a kiss and turns back to Romie. “I love my mate very much, old or not. Now, enough about my amazing man, let’s talk about why it’s not a good idea for you to try and climb the shower block to perv on the showering ladies, shall we?”
I bite down on my tongue and turn my gaze out the door, stifling the laughter. Madison went from all sweet and innocent to a lethal machine. She stands in front of Romie with her hands on her hips, glaring daggers at him. Romie, like myself, is one of the larger Dragons on the Island. He is solid, wide, and tall. His ego and strength match that of his size, so seeing him wither under Madison’s glare, cracks me up.
“It… it won’t happen again. Madison—”
“Call me, Maddie.”
I spin around and stare at her dumbfounded. “What? You were going to cut off my Dragon bits for calling you that.”
She shrugs her shoulders and smiles slyly. “What can I say? It’s growing on me, Sir.” She actually bows her head and I melt. Fuck me, she’s amazing.
“You honor me, my sweet girl,” I tell her walking over and pulling her into my arms.
Sophie walks in the room smiling. “Good afternoon, my Prince.”
Her smile drops when I spin around with Madison in my arms. I choose to ignore her attitude and turn back to Romie, rolling my eyes.
“What can I do for you, Sophie?”
“I heard that Romie was hurt, I was just coming to check on him,” she says coming into the room and standing on the other side of Romie’s bed. “Let me look at—”
“That won’t be necessary, Sophie, I’ve already attended to him.” Madison winks at Romie and steps toward him, leaning down she kisses his forehead.
I have to remind myself that it’s just a healing kiss and nothing more. Alison cut herself making a snack this morning. Madison went into overprotective mode, wrapping her hand up and running her to me. When I unwrapped the bandage, I noticed that it was going to need surgery, so I asked Maddie to keep her calm while I warmed my body up to send the healing waves of energy into Alison’s body. Madison leaned down and kissed her forehead, and I sat in amazement and watched the wound heal right before my eyes. It seems my beautiful girl, has the healing kiss.
“Fine,” Sophie huffs. She pushes her breasts out and leans toward Romie, making sure he can see down her top. “Maybe, I can help in other ways.”
“What the fuck is going on?” Romie asks me telepathically.
“I have no frigging idea. Sophie has a bug in her butt,” I tell him back.
“Well, I’m sure I can find some toilets or something that need cleaning if you’re bored, Sophie,” Madison chimes in sweetly.
“Why you little…” Sophie leaps forward and grabs Madison around the throat.
Chapter Fifteen
“Get your hands off me,” I hiss. I may be small, but I won’t let this woman have the best of me. Using my hands, I whip them in-between her arms and twist them outward. Her grip on my throat drops and I glare at her. My vision starts to haze over and my skin starts to burn up. I begin to feel that movement in my mind again.
“Don’t either of you fucking move,” I growl in a voice not my own.
I hear Philli calling to me, but I throw my arm out to the side toward both him and Romie. I keep my hand out to them and smile at Sophie. “Game on, bitch.”
Romie laughs nervously behind me. Philli growls and tries to take control of the situation. I spin my head around to his and snarl, “You move, you get none.”
“Holy shit man, she got you there.” Romie laughs.
I spin back around to face Sophie and take a step toward her. “You underestimate me.”
“Oh, do I now? What makes you think you’re good enough for, my Philli?” She tilts her chin up in deference and glowers. “He was mine before you showed yourself.”
My palms feel hot to the touch, the movement within my mind grows stronger by the second. Dragon tries to push his way into my mind, but I block his entry. Philli curses from behind me.
“Read her mind, Madison,” a soft, sweet voice blows in my mind startling me.
I glance around the room to see if there’s another female Dragon in here with us. But there isn’t, and I doubt very much that the boys’ Dragons would sound that soft and sweet.
“Come on, I know you can hear me. Please read her mind.” The sing-song voice pushes in again.
Maybe talking with her will be the same as talking with Dragon. I keep my focus on Sophie and think the words in my head. “How? I
can’t do that.”
“We have dragon blood in our veins, we are strong.”
“We?” God this is so confusing. Sophie takes my moment of distraction in her stride and lunges toward me. My back hits the ground with a hard thud, knocking the wind from my lungs.
“His mate or not... I. Will. Kill. You,” she snarls in my ear.
Sophie’s fist flies forward and hits me in the cheek. Philli and Romie run over to me and without warning my hand comes flying up.
“Barrier now is what I need. Barrier now is what I ask.” My mouth moves and I hear the words, but it’s not me. It’s the sweet voice that was in my head. It’s like someone has taken over my body.
“Violetta, you may call me Violetta,” she all but sings, in my mind.
I feel my body temperature rising, and everything in the room turns red. Sophie shrieks on top of me and jumps back. I spring to my feet and crouch on the table, glaring at her.
“Maddie, let me come forward all the way. Stop blocking me,” Violetta says.
“Just do it,” I growl. “It’s payback,” I scream into the room.
Philli and Romie start pounding frantically on the invisible barrier. Volcanic heat floods my body, sweat streams down my face. I feel my skin rip and tear as a set of wings fly out of my back.
“You’re safe in my keeping, Madison. Sit and watch,” Violetta purrs.
I have no control over my body as Violetta takes over. She spins her head over to where Philli is pounding frantically on the barrier wanting to get in. He stops pounding and tilts his head.
“Sir, I am Violetta. Trust me,” she tells him aloud.
When her gaze comes back around to Sophie, I get a quick glance in the mirror. Holy shit, I’m not even human at this point. I am half bird on fire and half human. Violetta tilts her head and glowers at Sophie.
“As you can see not so sweet Dragon bitch. I’m strong, very strong. Now, let us finish this.”
Violetta crouches our body down low to the ground. My hand springs up sending a ball of fire toward Sophie’s face.
“Read her mind, Maddie, I cannot do both at the same time,” she purrs in my mind.
I focus on Sophie’s head and push hard. Her Dragon pushes back but isn’t strong enough to stop the intrusion. Sophie groans in pain when Violetta pushes her hard against the wall twisting her arm behind her back, and snapping the bone.
“Stop watching the fight, and get to work,” Violetta grits.
My arm flies up and hits Sophie in the side of the head. She roars and pushes forward, knocking us to the ground with a sickening bang. Her arm tangles to her side, she ignores the pain and stomps her foot down into my rib cage.
“That wasn’t nice, bitchy Dragon,” Violetta growls blasting Sophie with a sonic heat blast.
I want to jump for joy, as I push my way into Sophie’s head and start looking at her memories. What the fuck is Lucas doing in here? How would she even know him? The vision of my accident flashes in her head. I watch in sickening pain as I see her pass Lucas the knife.
“We end this now,” I growl.
I have no idea what I’m doing as I push to gain control of my body. She will pay for what she did to me. For what she took… I will end her life. I push with everything I have, as I feel Violetta comforting me and moving aside slightly.
“You need to be in this form, but I will give you control,” she tells me softly.
I don’t want to hear her soft words of comfort, I want revenge. I feel the heat rise in my blood, as I leap from the ground and pin Sophie underneath me.
“You will pay for what you did,” I growl.
My nails elongate to sharp points, my teeth drop from my gums. The constant pounding that was echoing behind me stops. I hear nothing… I see nothing... but Sophie’s pale face and wide eyes as I take hold of her jaw in my hands. With Violetta lending me her strength we work together, and with one almighty twist we snap her neck.
“I think we found our traitor,” I growl.
Chapter Sixteen
My hands hurt from pounding on the barrier that Madison’s Phoenix put up with a spell. A spell… Mon Dieu, I still can’t believe what I just witnessed. One of my most loyal Dragon’s attacked my mate, right in front of me. My mate shifted into a Phoenix and killed her. Dragon is sulking and sullen at not being able to help her. I’m annoyed at myself for not seeing the warning signs with Sophie.
My throat is hoarse as I call out to Madison, “Baby, please lower the barrier. Please.”
She’s curled up into a ball in the corner of the room, her whole body shakes with the after effect of the shift. Her feathery orange wings rest around her body cocooning her. I need to get to my mate, but every spell I’ve tried won’t lower the barrier spell. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s stronger than myself. That both thrills and scares me.
“Maddie, baby, get Violetta to lower the barrier. I need to hold you.”
I bang on the barrier as if to remind her that I’m trapped. She slowly raises her head and nods, as if waking from a dream. The barrier falls with a whoosh, and I move as fast as my feet can move to scoop her up into my arms.
“Baby, are you all right?” I ask kissing her head, neck, and nose.
“We have a problem, Philli…” her voice wobbles as she goes on, “…we have a huge problem. I don’t understand what half of it means, but I think we need to talk with the leaders.”
“It can wait, baby,” I tell her softly lifting her up in my arms.
She wiggles in my hold and slaps her hand on my chest. When I put her down onto her feet, she puts her hands on her hips, spins to face Romie in the doorway and tells him, “I need you to gather whoever it is you do. I need to talk with the head people in…” she looks over to the clock on the wall, “…about thirty minutes. I need to see Lucy, I know how to help her.” She points down to Sophie. “And, well, fuck… someone needs to eat her, bury her, or whatever you do. But I want her gone, like now.”
I’m just about to tell her off for swearing when she glances up at me then tilts her head to Romie. “Sorry Sir, you weren’t listening to me.”
“I love you, Maddie, never doubt that,” I tell her, kissing her temple.
“You’re our leader as well, Maddie, I will take care of it all,” Romie calls from the doorway and makes his leave.
“Take me to see Lucy, I know what’s happened.” Her voice is soft and timid, she’s almost unsure of herself.
“Maddie, what did you see?”
She presses her finger to my lips silencing me. “I have a dark past, Philli. Will you promise to stay at my side when you find out?” Her lips tremble and tears start to form in her eyes.
“I will always love you. You know that. Whatever this is, we can take it head on.”
“You might not say that when you learn what it is. I’m still trying to get used to it.”
I reach out and run my hand down the side of her face. “Tell me, ma petite. Please, my mind is going insane with all these ideas.”
She starts crying as she clutches my shirt and pulls herself close. I wrap my arms around her, letting her take her time in telling me.
“I-I have a daughter. I thought she was killed when she was taken from me. But he… he kept her.”
“Who, kept her?” I growl.
Madison sighs and glances up at the clock on the wall, she pulls away and shakes her head softly. “I don’t have time to explain it now, but I will need to talk about it with the others. Please don’t be mad, but I’m not ready to tell everyone about it over and over. And the spell that’s cast on Lucy is a time one. Please, we need to help her first.”
I reach out and take her in my arms, I need her to know I don’t hate her. “I love you, Madison, we will bring our daughter home. I promise you that.”
“Ours? You’re not leaving me?” She sobs uncontrollably and throws herself back into my arms.
“Yes, ours. That is our daughter. And no, sweet girl, I will never leave you. Now let’s go h
elp Lucy.”
I take Madison’s hand in mine and walk down the corridor. We walk in silence both of us lost in our own thoughts. Madison still hasn’t retracted her wings, but oddly I find it rather sexy. Madison reaches out and knocks on the door to Lucy’s medical room.
“Come in,” Rafe calls out exhausted.
We enter the room quietly. Madison walks over to the bed and places her hands on Lucy’s stomach softly.
“Hello, Rafe,” Madison calls over her shoulder.
“Hey, Maddie,” he grumbles. His long black hair falls lank and dirty down his back. He has bags under his eyes from lack of sleep and doesn’t smell all that great either. Rafe notices Madison’s wings and raises his eyebrow in question.
“Long story, Brother,” I tell him softly and take the seat beside him.
“I didn’t think they actually got wings,” he whispers.
“I didn’t think they did either. But hot damn… she has some pretty scorching ones.”
Madison turns around to face Rafe. “When was the last time someone came in to check on her?”
He scratches at the stubble on his jaw and shrugs. “Umm… Sophie was coming in every couple of hours, but no matter what she tried, Lucy wouldn’t wake up.”
“That’s because that Dragon whore was putting a spell on her,” Madison growls. Her anger spikes lighting her wings on fire.
Rafe and I stare at her wings transfixed. “They… they do that as well?” he mutters.
“Yeah, dude.” I nod.
“What do you mean, Sophie was doing this? Where is she? I will have her head,” he growls jumping from the seat and charging for the door.
I jump up and reach for his arm stopping him. “Sophie was taken care of,” I tell him softly and tilt my head toward Madison.
“What the fuck’s going on?” Rafe growls, walking over to the side of the bed and taking Lucy’s hand.
“Please trust me. I can help her. Violetta told me it will wake her up, she will still need to rest, though. And her body will burn from it, but it will help.”
