“You don't know what you have done, do you? You almost killed him, Kieron! Lachlan could have died just now. If I hadn't given him my dragon blood to trigger his healing process, his body wouldn't have been able to return to human shape on its own. He would be stuck, unable to finish or reverse the shift, and he would bleed to death. Do you realize how much pain he was in...”
“Yes! Yes, I know!” Kieron yelled, raking his hands through his hair. “I know, I know what I was doing...”
“I don't think you do.” Breene's voice was very low, very dangerous.
“I...I was killing him! I know!” Kieron shouted. “I...”
Breene folded his arms and waited.
Kieron balled his fists, wanting to hit something. But there was only Breene in front of him. And he would never hit his big brother. God, he wanted to punch himself but that wouldn't be satisfying to anyone. He wished Breene would punch him hard across the jaw. Knock him to the ground and kick him senseless. He deserved it.
Kieron swallowed and took a ragged breath. “I want Lachlan to be whole again,” he whispered at last.
“We all do,” Breene said evenly.
“He has to shift,” Kieron said. “He can't let his dragon die. I won't let him die!”
Breene's eyes flashed silver for an instant. “You won't let him die?” he scoffed. “A minute later and he would be dead! When I saw Lachlan bleeding from every orifice and twisting in agony on the lawn, I...” Breene dragged in a shuddering breath to compose himself. “Do you realize the terrible danger and torment you just put him through? How fucking stupid and thoughtless are you! I should bloody kill you,” Breene snarled as his claws sliced out.
Kieron didn't flinch, didn't back away. He deserved this. Breene's wrath was justified. He had almost ripped his younger brother to pieces by trying to force his shift. And he had nearly ripped this beautiful family apart. Breene, Simone and Lester had opened their home and hearts to him and Lachlan. They had taken two wild, broken, damaged young dragons in and given them love, comfort and security.
And how had he repaid them? By almost killing Lachlan and breaking their hearts.
Breene didn't turn around at the sound of Simone's approaching footsteps. A muscle worked in his jaw as he sensed his mate’s conflicted emotions.
Simone came up to them and stood beside her mate. “He's sleeping in his room,” she said quietly.
Breene nodded.
“Can I see him?” Kieron asked even though he knew what the answer would be.
“No.”
Simone put her hand on Breene's arm. “But...”
“Keep him away from Lachlan,” Breene said firmly.
Simone grimaced. “Breene, don't you think...”
Kieron bowed his head. “It's okay, Simone. Breene is right. I shouldn't be near Lachlan. I...I won't go near him.”
Breene took his mate's hand and turned away. “Get out of my sight,” he snarled over his shoulder.
Kieron looked down. He couldn't bear to meet his sister-in-law's sad, sympathetic gaze.
Without looking back, he took off at a run and leaped into the air. His dragon ripped from his skin and an emerald dragon soared away from the castle and flew towards the dark moonless sky.
CHAPTER FIVE
Gena Martin closed the book gently and turned it over in her hand. The pages were yellowed with age, and the cover was torn. It was a romance novel that she'd found hidden in the corner of the closet, under some old clothes.
“Oh Aunt Anna,” Gena whispered. Her late aunt never talked much and distanced herself from all her relatives. But perhaps Aunt Anna secretly longed for romance and companionship, and was just too proud to admit how lonely she really was.
Gena reached for her cup of tea. The tea had turned cold but she drank it anyway. It was Earl Gray, her late aunt's favorite tea.
She looked around the small, quiet house and her vision blurred with unexpected tears. It had come as a shock when she found out that her aunt had willed the house to her. She hadn't been close to her Aunt Anna. No one was. Aunt Anna was somewhat of a recluse, and a prickly, sharp-tongued recluse at that. She had managed to offend almost every member of her family, so much so that no one wanted to have anything to do with her anymore.
It seemed to suit Aunt Anna just fine. The woman decided it was better to stay away from everyone. She retreated to a small town and lived a quiet life all by herself. She never returned calls or kept in touch with anybody.
She was a loner, a hermit, an outsider. Even after she was diagnosed with cancer, Aunt Anna refused to let anyone near her. The doctors estimated that she had only six months left at most.
Gena wasn't that close to her aunts and uncles. In fact, she suspected that they never really saw her as part of the family. She was adopted, and while her adopted parents had loved her with all their hearts, they were gone almost ten years now. They had brought her up to be a fine, independent young woman. Gena was now in her early thirties, in good health and she had a good job. And yet, there were times when a sense of loneliness and melancholy crept up on her. With her parents gone, she was alone now, with no real family.
Even though Aunt Anna was aloof and cantankerous, Gena remembered that she had been kind to her as a child. Aunt Anna was the only one who didn’t see Gena as an outsider.
Gena worked in a big accounting firm and she knew how to survive in the corporate jungle. She was tough and demanding at work, but she had a soft, compassionate heart. She understood how hard it was to be alone, and she just couldn't bear the thought of Aunt Anna spending her final days alone. No one deserved to die alone.
The rest of the family wouldn't reach out to Aunt Anna, so it was up to her. She would go to Aunt Anna and keep the old lady company. Gena decided to pretend that she needed a place to stay so that Aunt Anna would think that she was doing Gena a favor and not the other way round. A proud, prickly woman like Aunt Anna wouldn't tolerate any charity or pity.
So Gena quit her high-paying accounting job in the city, packed her bags and drove to the small town of Thunder Creek where Aunt Anna lived. She had expected Aunt Anna to slam the door in her face, but instead, the old woman simply left the door open and shuffled back into the house without a word. She wouldn't invite Gena in, or show any joy at seeing her. But it was her way of saying: The door's open. Come in or go away. It's up to you.
Gena went in.
It had saddened her to see how frail and weak Aunt Anna had grown. The woman spent most of her days in bed, and the house was showing signs of neglect. Gena immediately set to work cleaning up the whole place to make it more comfortable for her aunt. She had been paid well in her old job, and she had quite a bit in savings, so she used her own money to replace some of the old furniture and buy better, more comfortable cushions and pillows for her aunt. Aunt Anna hardly uttered a word to her throughout her stay, but one day, Gena came home from grocery shopping to find a large tin stuffed full of dollar bills on the table. Aunt Anna never uttered a word, but she was fully aware that Gena was using her own money to pay for their food, daily necessities and to make repairs to the house.
It was Aunt Anna's way of paying her back. But Gena didn't touch the money. She tiptoed into Aunt Anna's room and placed the tin on the bedside table beside the vase of fresh flowers.
“You're family, Aunt Anna,” she'd whispered. “There's no need to pay me back.”
Aunt Anna had died exactly one month ago. Gena thought that she would pack up and head back to the city after her aunt's death, but three days after the funeral, she received a call from her aunt’s lawyer. Aunt Anna had bequeathed the house to her. So now she could either sell the house or stay on in Thunder Creek.
Thunder Creek was a pretty little town. She had found part-time work as an accountant in Thunder Creek and she enjoyed the slower pace of life. It was a change from her hectic, stressful life in the city.
She had gotten to know the cashier at the grocery store that she frequented pretty well. Alex was a
very helpful, warm-hearted young man, and he had recommended her accounting services to quite a few customers.
She had grown fond of the cheerful, gregarious young man. He was like the younger brother she never had. And now that Aunt Anna was gone...
Gena put down her cup and dried her eyes. Aunt Anna had passed away in her sleep. Gena had done all she could for her. Her aunt was at peace now.
Aunt Anna wasn’t affectionate and demonstrative, but Gena missed her. She had lived with the quiet, elderly woman for just a few months, but she had grown to love her.
Gena sighed and looked slowly around the small house. This was Aunt Anna's house, and now it was hers.
But...was it her home?
“Should I stay or should I go?” she asked the empty house.
The door's open. Come in or go away. It's up to you.
Gena chuckled softly. “I thought you'd say that, Aunt Anna,” she whispered.
Blowing out a breath, Gena grabbed her cup and was halfway to the kitchen when she heard a shout.
She almost dropped her cup when someone started pounding on her front door in earnest.
“Gena! It's me! Gena, please, open up! Hurry! Please, please help me!”
CHAPTER SIX
Gena ran to the door and fumbled with the locks. She wrenched it open and cried, “Alex! What...”
The young man stumbled through the door and slammed it shut. “Lock it! Now! Lock the door, Gena! Quickly!” he was almost screaming.
Gena locked and bolted the door in a hurry. “Oh, Alex! God, what happened to you?”
She went to him and led him to the couch. He was shaking and crying, and his clothes were dirty and torn.
“Oh Gena, I...I…they...those wolves, they...Joe is gone!” Alex sobbed, slumping into her arms.
“J-Joe?” she stammered in confusion.
He nodded as tears streamed down his face. “They killed him. They murdered Joe!”
“Who?” Gena said, tensing. “Who murdered Joe? And who is Joe? Talk to me, Alex.”
Alex dropped his face into his hands to muffle his sobs. Finally, he raised his wet face and Gena read the anguish and terror in his red, tear-filled eyes.
“Joe...is my boyfriend,” Alex said in a broken whisper. The tears started again. “Was.”
Gena sucked in a breath. She remembered she’d once asked Alex if he had someone special. The young man had nodded shyly. But he wouldn't tell her who it was.
“Joe's dead. They killed him, Gena,” Alex sobbed.
“Who killed him?”
“His pack.” Alex hiccuped and dragged his arm across his eyes. “Joe was the Beta of the Lightning wolves.”
Gena gasped. “The Lightning wolves...”
The shifters generally left the humans alone in Thunder Creek and Gena was careful to stay out of their way. There were slightly more humans than shifters in Thunder Creek, but everyone minded their own business. Maybe that was why Aunt Anna chose to live here. There were no nosy neighbors and no one pried into your private affairs. No one interfered, but Gena had the sense that no one cared either. Or maybe they were too afraid to care. Sticking your finger in the wrong pie could be deadly in a town seething with warring shifter packs.
The Lightning pack was a small but deadly pack of wolves in Thunder Creek. There were a few wolf packs in town, and the Lightning pack wasn't the largest or the most powerful. But they had a reputation. They weren't to be trifled with.
Gena wasn't a naive young woman. She had lived in the big city and met all kinds of people, human and shifters alike. She’d worked her way up the corporate ladder and she knew that there were people and powers you shouldn't cross if you wanted to survive.
How did Alex cross the Lightning wolves?
“Why did the Lightning wolves kill their Beta?” she asked quietly.
“Because of me,” Alex said wretchedly.
“You? Why…?”
“They found out. Their Alpha found out...about us.” Alex squeezed his eyes shut in pain.
Gena opened her mouth but no words came.
When Alex opened his eyes again, his eyes were dry and dead. He stared straight ahead and spoke in an oddly calm voice, “Their Alpha, Robson, ordered his execution. Joe had shamed them, defiled and debased them, and he deserved death.”
“My God!” Gena cried. “How could they...”
“They killed him,” Alex went on numbly. “They chased him into the woods and tore him from limb to limb.”
Gena covered her mouth in horror. “You saw them...” She stared at his torn, smeared clothes and shook her head slowly. “You saw them kill Joe.”
Alex nodded. “Yes. One of the she-wolves warned me. She told me that their Alpha had found out about us, and she told me to leave town. But I couldn't leave Joe. I heard the howl of the Lightning wolves and I saw the whole pack running into the woods. I followed them. I hid behind a tree and I saw...everything.”
Gena stiffened when she heard a sound outside. She looked down and saw that Alex was wearing only one shoe. “You lost your shoe,” she rasped, her mouth suddenly dry.
“Yes, I ran...”
“They chased you. Your shoe...your scent...” She jumped to her feet and yanked Alex up. “The wolves would have found your shoe in the woods and they will follow your scent here. You have to hide...somewhere...”
She started to push Alex towards the kitchen, before turning around abruptly and rushing him past the bathroom to her bedroom. She didn't know where to hide him, maybe under the bed or inside the closet. Maybe she could douse him with her perfumes to mask his scent…
She almost yelped when she heard a sharp knock on her front door.
Alex let out a hysterical, demented laugh. “Ah, they've come for the dirty human toy boy.”
“Shhh!” She shushed him furiously.
There was another knock, louder this time.
“Knock, knock. Who's there?” Alex whispered and giggled. She spun round to clamp her hand over his mouth. His eyes were showing too much white and he looked crazed with fear and shock.
“Keep quiet, please,” she begged.
He laughed again, and it was the most awful sound she had ever heard. There was so much pain, horror and bitterness in that broken, wounded sound.
Gena gulped. She knew she should move, but all she could do was stand and stare at the door, and wait for the next knock.
She didn't even dare breathe as she stood frozen to the spot. Her front door looked very ominous and too flimsy all of a sudden.
It was all that stood between her and a pack of murderous wolves.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Gena shook herself and sprang into action. She shoved Alex into her bedroom and hissed, “Stay here. Don't come out. Just...hide yourself, okay? Keep calm.” The last piece of advice was for herself.
Gena turned to face the front door. The knocking was becoming more insistent and impatient.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door a crack and peeped out. A tall man with salt-and-pepper hair stood outside. He was flanked by two burly men with scars and tattoos running down their arms.
“Yes,” Gena said in a steady voice. “How may I help you?”
The man smiled. “Good evening, Miss Martin.”
Gena managed to keep her face expressionless. But the man wasn't fooled. He laughed and took a big whiff. “Yes, I know who you are. The Lightning wolves keep track of who comes and goes in Thunder Creek. We have to know if the newcomers will pose any threat to our pack. But while we were watching the outsiders, some dirty deeds have been happening right under our noses.”
His eyes glowed yellow, and Gena glimpsed the wolf beneath the man. But she refused to be intimidated.
Two young men jogged up and saluted. “Alpha, we have surrounded the house,” they reported.
Gena swallowed. Great, her house was surrounded by a pack of brutal, savage wolves. She tilted up her chin and stared at the pack Alpha. So this was Robson, the man who had ordered Joe�
��s execution. Well, since he had addressed her by name, she would extend the same courtesy to him.
“Mr Robson,” she said sweetly. “To what do I owe the honor of your visit?”
Robson kept the smile on his face. “We just want the boy. Just hand the boy over, and we'll leave. We have no quarrel with you, Miss Martin.”
Gena narrowed her eyes. “What boy?”
Robson dangled a shoe in front of her. “This boy.”
Alex wasn't a boy. He was twenty-three, a full-grown man. But Robson was trying to belittle him, make him sound small, weak and insignificant.
Well, she could play the same game.
“What would a powerful Alpha like you want with a tiny, defenseless human boy, Mr Robson?” she asked calmly.
“You wouldn't want to know,” Robson said, his smile fading.
“Oh yes I would.” She folded her arms.
“We have some unfinished business with him,” Robson answered, his fangs elongating. “It’s better if you stay out of it.” It was an unspoken threat.
“Hmmm.” Gena tapped a finger to her chin, stalling for time as her mind worked frantically.
If Robson was trying to threaten and intimidate her, that meant that she was the one in control, in power right now. The one without the power usually resorted to threats. She had seen that happen at many cut-throat, hostile corporate meetings.
The wolves could clearly scent that Alex was in her house, so lying was out of the question. Blatantly lying through her teeth would only make her look stupid and weak.
Gena suddenly remembered what her aunt's lawyer had told her.
“The house now belongs to you. Wholly and completely. The wolves cannot touch your property. If your aunt hadn’t bequeathed it to you, it would have become pack territory upon her death. The packs would fight for it. But it is now yours. The wolves have no claim, no right to any part of it.”
Gena straightened up and said, “Well, you can't have him.”
Robson growled menacingly and took a step towards her. But she stood her ground.
The Dragon's Match: Paranormal Shifter Romance (Hearts on Fire Book 3) Page 2
