The officers looked shocked at first glance, standing there like statues before they picked up their weapons, aiming them at us. A few bullets flew dangerously close to my head, but we still rode on, trying to get close enough for our revolvers to be of any use. “Now!” Zander called out. In a flash, we all started firing, aiming at the officers.
I made quick work of a few, shooting their weapons right out of their hands. The sounds of gunfire echoed through the canyon until it was deafening. My heart hammered in my chest as Zander effortlessly guided his force closer to the front line. A rush of exhilaration washed over me, and I got up, balancing on the saddle.
Zander’s eyes grew wide as he saw my brass move. Like this, I was nothing more than a moving target. “Come and get me, boys!” I called out, cupping my hands around my mouth, haphazardly holding my gun in one of my fingers.
A volley of shots came my way and I grinned as they all missed their mark. I felt invincible. “You’re going to have to try harder than that!” I was about to take aim when I felt Zander standing next to me.
We were both standing on his horse’s back as it rode on its own accord, well-trained enough to know where to go and what to avoid. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close, his hot breath against my neck. He took hold of my hand, helping me aim and together, we shot at the nearest officer. He collapsed to the ground, holding his busted hand. It would heal with time, but for now, he was out of commission and that was exactly what we wanted.
I laughed as we continued to hit our mark every time. Zander pulled me closer and I felt butterflies form in my stomach. Through pluck, luck, and lots of courage, we managed to shoot our way through most of them. That is until they brought out the big guns. At one point, they had managed to call for backup and now, a large cannon was being rolled into the mouth of the valley. Zander quickly pulled me down onto the saddle. He whistled as loud as he could, signaling his men to retreat. There was no way we could go against that thing and hope to see another day.
As the men started to load the cannon, we shot off as fast as we could in the other direction. I breathed hard, holding on to the steed’s mane while Zander’s arms held me tight, making sure I didn’t fall off even as he pushed his horse to the limit, spittle flying between his teeth.
A cacophony of sound was heard behind us. I looked back, seeing a convoy coming our way. “They’re gaining on us!” I said.
“Split up!” Zander shouted. Obediently, every one of his men went off in a different direction, forcing the contingent to split up as well.
It was just me and Zander now. I kept looking back, seeing the vehicle getting closer and closer. “Give me your gun!”
He didn’t respond for a moment so I had no choice but to reach down into his pants and pull it out myself. I turned around in the saddle, straddling him. I had to sit on his lap in order to see over his shoulder. The officers made eye contact with me, their guns aimed right at us. I tried to focus my breathing, my fingers shaking. I knew Zander only had one bullet left. I had to make it count.
I closed one of my eyes, taking aim. I used his shoulder to steady myself, my body pressed against his. Our heartbeats hammered together. I unlocked the safety and held my breath, bracing myself. I pulled the trigger.
A soft bang emerged from his gun as the last bullet left the chamber, heading straight for the vehicles’ wheel. It spun out of control, crashing into a nearby ditch. Smoke billowed from the wreckage and I laughed in success.
“Nice shooting,” Zander said, his hand on my ass, giving it a firm squeeze. I giggled and sat back down, kissing his lips as we continued to ride.
“You owe me for saving our skins.” I teased him, my arms still around his neck.
He chuckled and kissed me again, letting the passion he felt for me come to the surface. I melted into it, eventually resting my head on his chest as he held me close. His horse was getting tired, but we pushed on, determined to put as much distance as we could between us and the people that had tried to capture us.
We rode long into the night, running for freedom, knowing if we were captured, we would both be put on the chopping block. Finally, we stopped at a small lake. We looked at each other and smiles spread across our faces. We had made it! Together.
Chapter 10
We dismounted and started to set up camp. Once the fire was going, we couldn’t stop ourselves. We were so overjoyed we had managed to escape with our lives that we had to celebrate. Zander grabbed me by the hips, pulling me closer. I looked up into his eyes, mesmerized. His lips found mine, his handsome body shadowed by the fire, giving him a mystical look that just aroused me further. I felt my thighs quiver in desire and my hormones rush out of control.
He seemed to feel the same because he picked me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. I rested my hands on his chiseled body, moaning softly as he kissed my neck, allowing his slightly pointed tongue to run along my flesh. I tilted my head back, giving myself to him. His mouth moved to the hollow of my neck, gently sucking on it.
His hands started to move to my backside, giving it a squeeze. I wiggled in his embrace, pressing myself closer against him. Fueled by a lust I had never felt before, I took hold of his face, pinning it between my hands and kissing him harder than ever. My tongue made its way into his mouth and my breathing became ragged, but I didn’t care. I never wanted to pull away. I never wanted him to stop holding me. Zander smiled into the kiss, his fingers running through my thick hair.
Suddenly, he stopped and pulled away. “You’re so beautiful.” He whispered, his eyes running over my full figure. “Your every curve… your every inch… is perfect.” He murmured, his head now nuzzled against my bust, his fingers interlacing with my own. He laid like this for a moment, taking in the sound of my heartbeat.
I squeezed his hand, enjoying the moment, knowing I never wanted to be with anyone else. I leaned down and kissed the top of his head ever so softly. This seemed to rouse him and he looked at me, his eyes filled with joy. He pulled my shirt open, leaving behind a trail of kisses down my body. He took his time undressing me as if I were made of porcelain and he could break me at any moment.
I melted in his tenderness, feeling his soft touch and gentle kisses. Eventually, his hands wrapped around my thighs, spreading them apart. Between his legs, his cock was already free, standing at attention. I reached out and grabbed hold, caressing him. A moan of pleasure escaped his lips, causing me to do it a little while longer until he was rock hard in my hand.
Suddenly, he pulled my hands away, pushing down on my shoulders until I laid down on the soft dirt. Our eyes came together and the whole world seemed to stop. I could feel him probing at my entrance and I held my breath, bucking my hips ever so gently in his direction. His fingertips dug into my flesh before he gave a well-aimed thrust.
I cried out, feeling like every inch of me was being filled to the brim. I arched my back and he pushed himself into me even further, hitting my womb. I clawed at the dirt in pleasure, my every nerve ending feeling alive with energy. “Zander…”
He just kissed my lips, keeping me quiet as he continued to make sweet, tender love to me, our bodies rocking together in perfect sync. Our hips moved in a slow, erotic dance, building up the tension until it was too much for us to handle. My whole body exploded with euphoria and I collapsed into Zander’s arms. He held me tightly and kept thrusting into me, but moments later, I felt him lose control.
We fell back into the dirt, holding each other, the fire keeping us warm. “Promise me you’ll always stay with me, Aliza.” He whispered, running his fingers through my hair. He picked up my cowboy hat that had fallen off in the beginning of our intimacy and put it back on my head, pinning a strand of my hair behind my ear.
“I promise,” I said naturally. “But you have to promise that we’ll defend each other until the very end. I put my neck on the line for you today and I expect you to do the same in the future.” He laughed.
“Like I wouldn’t already do th
at.” He teased, kissing my nose and tightening his arms around me. “You know I’d do anything to protect you.” He paused. “I love you.”
My eyes grew wide for a moment as I stared at him. Had he really said he loved me? My heart fluttered in response before my whole face lit up. “I love you too,” I replied happily. We kissed, letting our love speak not through our words, but by our actions. Our lips locked together perfectly, like two puzzle pieces that had been searching for each other for a very long time. As we continued our kiss, I felt like I had given up a little piece of my soul to him, but in return, life now seemed complete.
Zander ran his fingers up and down my spine, holding me close as he looked up at the nighttime sky. “I can’t believe out of all the planets, star systems, and galaxies in the universe, I was lucky enough to find the girl of my dreams.” He whispered, playing with the tips of my hair.
I chuckled at his comment. “I can’t believe I was commissioned to kill you and now here I am, picturing the rest of our lives together.” It was true. I knew that we were now inseparable. People would know us far and wide. They would whisper rumors about us like wildfire. But none of it mattered because through it all, I knew we would always have love on our side.
Beast Unchained
~ Bonus Story ~
A Dragon Shifter Romance
Laney Parker is a stray; she has been trundled from foster home to foster home all of her life. She is escaping from an abusive relationship with a violent head of a gang when she meets Kyle Danner—in his dragon form.
Kyle is trapped in the basement of a property owned by Laney’s ex. After she frees him, he follows her, rescuing her from a violent group of men.
They hide out together, finding passion and romance in the week following. Kyle earns money by fighting in an underground club…where Laney finds that he is playing right into her dangerous ex’s hands. Kyle’s kind is sought after for their magical properties.
When Kyle is offered the fight of a lifetime with a large payout, Laney finds herself playing her ex-boyfriend to save her new one.
* * *
Nineteen year-old Laney Parker walked around the tiny, nondescript house. It was painted a cream color, which was peeling, as though from neglect. Brown, twisted shrubs grew despite the barren, grassless soil of the unkempt yard. Laney knew that inside, it was all cool, expensive modern finishes and furniture. But, in this part of town, the safe house had to blend in with its surroundings.
Laney looked inside of the rusting mailbox by the front door—waterlogged envelopes and circulars from the past few days had been stuffed haphazardly inside. No one had been here for several days. She let out a sigh of relief.
She knew that it was a risk to be walking around alone in such a bad part of town, but it was a risk that she would have to take. Her face was covered in bruises, and she had a split lip. Her arm sported the marks from where her ex-boyfriend had grabbed her with one of his large, beefy hands, and she had a fractured rib from when he’d thrown a five-pound weight at her.
Her ex, Lance Carter, was eleven years her senior. He had a long rap sheet, including prior arrests for black market deals, possession of certain illegal substances, money laundering, and most frequently, domestic violence. He had many safe houses across the city, where he could go to ground whenever the next warrant for him was drawn up.
Laney had been released from the hospital a few hours earlier. Her rib throbbed, and she could taste the metallic tang of blood from her busted lip. She had been used to mistreatment—she had been in the foster system up until a year and a half ago. All she had in the world was ten dollars and no options. She had to get out of the city before Lance was able to hunt her down. So, she was robbing Lance’s least favorite safe house and going to pawn a few items to get a one-way ticket out.
Finding a rock in the brown, spiny shrubs, she walked around to the back of the house, hurling the rock at a window out back. The glass shattered, and she covered her hands with her shirt sleeves, grabbing onto the window ledge and pulling herself up. Her abdomen dragged across the sill, making her gasp in pain.
She awkwardly climbed inside, dragging a duffel bag behind her. Looking around in the darkness, she waited for her eyes to adjust. She was afraid of turning any of the lights on—she knew that the security system would be sending an alert to the company, thus Lance would be receiving a call soon, so she needed to get moving.
Unzipping the duffel, she began placing items into the bag—a few crystal champagne flutes, a small oil painting, a cut glass vase. She heard a sudden noise—movement in the basement. She walked over to the basement door, opening it. The dank, musty air wafted up toward her. It was hot, as though the basement was heated, and it smelled musky, as though a large animal were down there. She heard a scratching of large claws and snuffling sound; the intake of breath. Something was down there. She frowned, walking down the moist, wooden stairs.
Looking around the unfinished wooden banister, she gasped in surprise. Taking up most of the tiny basement, there was an enormous lizard. It was golden, and it glowed with its own inner light. It was looking at her mournfully with two iridescent blue eyes that seemed almost human. It exhaled, releasing a wind of hot, steaming air. Lance was trapping this animal—just like he had trapped Laney.
Laney looked around. There were empty food and water bowls on the ground beside the beast, which was standing in the dust and filth of the dirt-floor basement. Thinking back to the full mailbox, Laney realized that the creature must have been here, alone in the dark, for several days, potentially without food.
She crept across the dirt floor toward the beast, which loomed over her. She held out a hand, and it lowered its majestic, reptilian face. It smelled her hand, rubbing its scaly face on her tiny palm, giving it a gentle, weak lick. Laney then felt safe enough to release it, fiddling with the buckle on the metal woven collar.
Finally, the collar dropped to the floor. There was a mark along the scales of the creature’s neck, as though from an acid burn. Horrified, Laney covered her mouth with a hand. The creature rose on its hind legs, causing Laney to step back. It angled its large, triangular head so that it looked down at her before it took off up the stairs.
Laney ran after the creature, but it was fast, and gone by the time she reached the upper floor. There was no sign of destruction or damage from its large body as it moved through the house. Aside from the basement where it had been held, the creature had left without a trace, as though it had never been there to begin with.
~*~
Without knowing why, Laney went back downstairs to retrieve the collar. Inspecting it, she found that there were strange symbols woven in to the strange metallic interlace. She did not recognize them. It was strange and beautiful in its deadly appearance. She placed the collar inside of the duffle bag with her other stolen items, and then quickly left the house; she had lingered for far too long as it was.
The pawn shop’s fluorescent lights hummed annoyingly above her as the door shut with a bang, and the ringing of the bell that was over the door. The shelves were packed with items of varying value. The accumulation of unwanted, desperate junk was depressing; it made Laney glad that she had next to nothing.
A rough-looking man with a goatee and a leather motorcycle jacket stood at the counter. Rubbing his hands together, he looked Laney over, an eye brow cocked. He did not smile, and his face was grim, as though he had seen everything and found it wanting.
“Buy, sell, or pawn?” he asked her wearily.
“Sell,” she replied in what she hoped sounded like a confident voice, and placing her duffle on the counter. She removed all of the items but the collar from her bag. The pawn broker sighed heavily, glancing over each piece tiredly.
“I can give you fifty for the lot,” he replied.
“Some of these things are worth way more than fifty,” Laney protested.
“These things are a dime a dozen,” he said. “It’s going to take me time to move them, and I have to m
ake a profit.” Laney choked back the question, how much profit? She nodded her agreement. Beggars can’t be choosers, and Laney was desperate. She sighed and took the collar out of her bag.
“Do you, by any chance, know how much this would be worth?” The man’s eyes widened greedily, and her heart raced, hoping she’d struck something big.
“Where did you get that?” his voice came out almost as a whisper.
“Oh, my grandmother died, and I found it in a box of her old things in the attic.” She tried to keep a straight poker face and her voice modulated and calm, as the man picked up the collar, inspecting it.
“The only time I’ve seen something like this was when a man came in trying to sell one to me.”
“Did he say what it was for?” she asked. He laughed.
“He said it was for capturing and holding dragons. Can you believe that? Dragons.” The man laughed again as he looked at the collar. “That guy was nuts. But I’ve never seen anything like it until today.”
“How much would you pay for it?” Laney tried to keep the excitement from her voice. This had to be worth something—at least enough to get away and start over…maybe even to keep her going for a few months. The man shook his head and she felt her heart sink.
“Well, there’s little to no chance of me being able to sell it,” he said. “Near impossible to find a buyer—I wouldn’t even know where to look for one. So, honestly, it’s worth about its value in metal.” He placed it on a small set of scales on the counter, looking at the digital readout.
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