Fire in His Blood

by Ruby Dixon

  Like today.

  When I woke up this morning, he’d immediately changed to his human form and then spent the next several minutes checking over my scratches and bruises, as if nothing else was more important than making sure I was okay. And that…was kind of sweet. It’s been a long time since I’ve had anyone fuss over me. With Sasha and Amy, I have to be the strong one, the one that shrugs everything off. I have to take care of them, so I can’t stop and whine about cuts or bruises, or if I’m tired. With Kael…it’s different. I don’t have to be big and strong, because I’m not. At least, not compared to him. And all he wants to do is take care of me.

  That sort of attitude is growing on me.

  Of course, not everything about his little inspection was nice. He examined the scratches on my breasts with the same avid intensity that he did the scratches on my arms and legs. It’d made me a little wiggly with discomfort, but he wasn’t aroused over it.

  Which is ironic, because I am. More and more, his inspections, his attention, and his laser focus on me gets under my skin. Not unpleasantly, but…I’m just waiting to see where it leads. I feel like I’m crazy for viewing his attentions as a weird form of foreplay, but there it is. I shouldn’t, though; Kael just wants to ensure I’m all right. Sometimes I think this strange attraction I have is all in my head…but there’s no denying his erection.

  So I let Kael fuss over me and didn’t say a thing. After he was reassured that I was whole and in one piece, he stroked my skin and repeated my name with a pleased tone that said a million things and nothing.

  Hence the communication lessons. We need to figure out a way to talk.

  The only problem is that Kael doesn’t seem all that interested in learning English. He takes my efforts to teach him with amused patience, as if the entire thing is completely unnecessary. It’s clear he’s far more interested in touching me than learning to speak. Even now, he lets his claws drag through my wavy hair. He’s fascinated by it.

  I make an exasperated noise and turn to him. “Are you even paying attention?”

  “Clau-dah,” he murmurs again, and sniffs my hair.

  His eyes haven’t gone black a single time today, and so I feel comfortable throwing a little teasing back in his direction. “Oh yeah? How would you like it if I run my fingers through your hair, huh?” I turn to face him and reach for his tumbled bronze locks, then hesitate, just in case. When he doesn’t show any reaction except eagerness, I touch his hair. The texture is surprising—it’s a good deal stiffer than mine despite the loose tumble of it, and the strands feel twice as thick. I can’t get over how fascinating it is. Compared to his hair, mine probably does feel like floss. Maybe I spend too much time petting his hair, because he closes his eyes and rumbles low in his chest, a sign that he enjoys my touch very much.

  And I’m…not hating touching him. His hair is interesting, and I wouldn’t mind playing with it a bit more. I also wouldn’t mind learning by touch just what other differences he has. Does his skin feel different? What about those retractable spikes at his elbows? But I don’t dare, because playing with him is like, well, playing with fire, even though I hate the irony of that particular thought.

  I shouldn’t encourage him. Shouldn’t let him think that I’m seeking his attentions. His near-constant hard-on has made it pretty obvious what he’d like from me, and I don’t know that I can return the same. So I drop my hands, and hate that I regret it a little. Funny how weirdly good it makes me feel that someone’s happy just to be with me. Kael looks at me like I’m the best thing since sliced bread. I shouldn’t care what a dragon—a killer, a demon of fire and ash—thinks of me.

  But when he opens his eyes and his mouth cocks up in that half-smile that mimics my own?

  My silly, foolish heart skips a beat.

  “Clau-dah,” he murmurs again, pulling me close.

  And because I’m weak, I let him drag me against him, my breasts pressing against his chest. My breath catches in my throat as I look up at him. He’s huge, at least a foot taller than me, and with massive shoulders. He could hurt me so easily. The erection stabbing into my belly reminds me that he can overpower me at any time and take what he wants.

  Instead, he stands here, flirting with me in his weird dragon way. Teasing.

  Kael runs his fingers through my hair again and leans in toward me. I close my eyes, wondering if he’s going to kiss me, and if he does, what it’ll feel like. Do dragons even know how to kiss? If he doesn’t, will he let me show him how? I imagine his reaction to me putting my lips on his.

  But he only leans in and inhales, sniffing my hair as if it’s the best thing he’s ever smelled. “Clau-dah,” he murmurs again, voice low and sinfully husky.

  That stupid thrum of desire skitters through me again. I’m turned on by a dragon, and it’s a little worrying. He’s not entirely human even in this form—his height and bulk are definitely not normal, and the strong lines of his face and the dappled striations of his skin won’t let him escape notice. The spiky horns? Yeah, not normal. But to me, they’re starting to become normal. Like I look at him and I don’t see anything strange anymore.

  It’s just Kael.

  I pull away from him and leave the bathroom behind, heading back out to the main area of the building’s top floor. I rub my arms as I go and don’t look behind me. I don’t have to, because I know Kael’s going to be just a few steps behind me. I feel like if I stay in that small bathroom, we’re not going to be thinking about water for much longer. For some reason, whenever we get into a small room, he moves that much closer to me. And when he does, I have a hard time concentrating on anything but his nearness.

  So, a change of scenery.

  I walk out onto the main floor and into a pool of sunlight. I step into it and tilt my face up, closing my eyes and absorbing the warmth of the sun. The roof’s gone on this end of the building, but the walls are mostly intact, and instead of making me feel like a trapped rat, it almost feels like I’m in a really big sunroom. I kind of like it. This building’s full of clutter and tossed, weather-destroyed paper, but it’s not concrete rubble and scrap metal like the last one. I even like the vines and greenery that have started to crawl into every inch of the available surface. It’s almost pretty, as much as anything in burned-out Old Dallas can be.

  And I’m still thinking about what it’d be like to kiss Kael. Damn it.

  “Clau-dah,” Kael calls again, his voice teasing. I feel a shiver through my body at the playful sound of his voice, and turn toward him. He’s two steps behind me, like I thought, and the moment I turn, he pulls me back against him, grinning like he’s caught me in the world’s slowest chase. I lick my lips, the tips of my breasts tight against his chest, and I resist the urge to rub up against him. Doing that is a Very Bad Idea. I tell myself it has to be Stockholm syndrome. Has to be. When his eyes go black, he still scares the crap out of me.

  But at the same time…I’m fascinated by the fact that I’m the center of his universe. Maybe I’m starved for attention or hungry for affection in a world that’s so brutal and unforgiving that even a monster’s devotion seems like a fascinating thing. I know it’s not healthy. I’m…just not sure that I care.

  So much of life in the After is comprised of taking things one day at a time, one meal at a time. There are no long-term plans. There’s no hope for the future. There’s just surviving until tomorrow.

  Is it so wrong that I want to grab at a little playful affection while I can? I consider Kael, his big body pressed up against mine as he nuzzles at my throat. His scent is in my nose, his scorching skin rubbing against mine. It wouldn’t take much to encourage him. A little bit of an obvious rub against the thick cock pressed against my belly and I’d find myself up against the wall…

  And this time he might not take no for an answer.

  I should hate that thought. I should be revolted by it. Instead, the thought makes my body flush with desire all over again. The mental image of Kael pushing me against the wall a
nd pumping his enormous erection inside of me makes my pulse quicken and my body ache deep inside.

  His body stiffens against me, and I realize he’s picking up my scent in the air.

  “Clau-dah,” he growls low in his throat. I know that growl. He thinks I’m being a tease. Strange how my mispronounced name suddenly holds so many meanings.

  But I don’t want to be a tease. Not really. I’m curious about him, too, and I keep thinking about what would happen if we kissed. If I let him touch me. Somehow, I don’t think he’d hurt me. Not if he stayed in control. And he’s been in control all day. Greatly daring, I run a hand down the front of his chest. His body is so hard against mine, not a bit of give to his muscles. He’s huge. Mammoth, really. He’s tall, but more than that, he’s burly and thick, but not an ounce of it is fat. I glance up and notice that his eyes have swirled back to black again, though gold flashes through them. He’s fighting it.

  I don’t want to push him too hard. Maybe he needs more time. I probably do, too. So I give his chest a gentle little pat. “No. Not yet. I’m not sure I’m ready.”

  Liar, says my body. I almost expect Kael to echo it aloud. But he only buries his face against my neck and inhales my scent once more.

  After a moment’s hesitation, I slowly wrap my arms around him, running my hands down his back. His eyes stay gold, and I smile at him. This is nice. We can do this. Just hold each other. If this is the only communication we have for now, I’ll take it.

  His arms go around me, and he’s warm and delicious. It’s like being wrapped in a blanket, and I sigh with pleasure at how good it feels just to have him pressed against me. It shouldn’t feel this good, should it? I’m so distracted by the feel of him that it barely registers when a shadow passes overhead. Kael stiffens, and his eyes immediately go black.

  I panic and fling myself out of his arms, stepping away.

  A dragon trumpets a challenge, loud and angry. I stare at Kael in surprise, but it takes me a moment to realize that it’s not him. In the next moment, claws wrap around my waist and I’m snatched into the air.

  There’s another dragon.

  “Kael!” I scream, flinging my arms out for him. For safety. He’s the devil I know.

  Kael won’t hurt me.

  But this new dragon? I don’t know a thing about him. I don’t know if his eyes will go gold and he’s friendly, or if they’re black with anger. I don’t know if he wants a human snack or something far more dire.

  The building disappears below, and I watch in shock as Kael’s receding form moves forward. His muscles bunch and he flings himself into the sky, changing to dragon form almost instantly and following us.

  His bellow of fury is deafening, and even from here, I can see his eyes are completely, utterly black.

  13

  CLAUDIA

  My hands frantically pull at the claws that hold me tight. The strange dragon had snatched me from Kael’s grasp and is now flying away with me. His claws tear at my naked skin, and he gives another roar of fury, one full of rage and anger. One I haven’t heard from Kael in days. Fear chokes my throat, and I shove my whipping hair out of my face, trying to get a good look at my captor.

  It’s another gold dragon. Not quite as big as Kael, but far more battle-scarred. From here, I can see a mass of scars and half-healed lacerations climbing the scales of its throat and jaw. The claws that hold me close are covered in older white markings that show that my new captor likes to pick fights.

  Why me? Why did he grab me? I think of Kael and his laughing gold eyes. Then I think of his near-constant erection and swallow hard. Things might be very, very bad with this new dragon. Kael is patient and sweet to me, but I don’t know this stranger at all. More than that, I don’t want to get to know him, either.

  The dragon twists and spirals higher, and I clutch at his claws, muffling the scream that tears from my throat. The wind is wild this high, and the new dragon spreads his wings, rising on an updraft. He’s flying out of the city, away from the building I’ve called home for the last few days…and away from Fort Dallas.

  Not good. Not good at all. I can’t be taken away. I have to get back to Amy.

  I look behind me frantically. Kael is close, darting back and forth behind the other dragon. He hangs a bit below him and doesn’t attack. I worry it’s because he’s afraid that the other dragon’s going to drop me. Either way, I’m in double trouble, because Kael’s eyes are a dark, unrelenting black. As I stare down at him, he roars his anger furiously. Once. Twice.

  Each roar only makes the new dragon’s claws tighten around me. I push at them, panicking. What can I do? I don’t want him to drop me, but I also don’t want to be pinned between a dragon fight in midair. I won’t survive that. I’m helpless between these giants, a pawn for them to fight over.

  The new dragon twists in midair, head turning in an exaggerated fashion to check on Kael, who dogs behind him. The eye I can see is black with dragon fury. As I worry, he tosses me casually between his claws, and a shriek of fright escapes me.

  Kael bellows his anger at that move, too.

  The dragon’s other foot squeezes me close, and this time I cling to its claws, panting in fear. I don’t care that the act of ‘catching’ me caused my fragile jumpsuit to shred itself. That felt far too much like being dropped. I don’t want to be dropped. The ground is far, far too distant for comfort. So I hold tight, and from this side, I realize this scarred bastard only has one eye—the other is gone, nothing left but a mass of scar tissue.

  Kael bugles again, and I glance down at him to see that he’s gaining on my captor, his movements in the air agitated. His wings flick and pump, eyes furiously whirling like twin black galaxies. I hold my breath, watching him approach. Funny how I’m rooting for a dragon at this point. It’s just that…it’s Kael. I think if I can survive whatever fight these two have, I know I can make his eyes go gold again. I can deal with Kael.

  The scarred dragon swoops low, gliding down toward the ruined streets at the outskirts of the city. We skim along the roads, dodging between buildings, and at one point we scrape so close to the ground that I haul my legs up, terrified I’m going to be nothing but a smear on the pavement. My stomach is roiling and sick at all the twisting and turning.

  Then he gives a small hopping hover, and the new dragon lands, perching atop an old city bus. With one foreleg, he clutches me against his scarred chest, clearly not about to set me down. I hear the enormous thud of Kael landing on the nearby ground a moment later.

  The gold holding me roars an angry challenge.

  Kael bugles a furious cry, his tail lashing side to side, scattering broken cars. He drops to all fours and begins to stalk forward, smoke pluming from his nostrils.

  The new dragon bellows a rush of flame in warning, and I bite back a scream, because it’s not safe to get either dragon’s attention.

  I am so much toast right about now.

  KAEL

  My mate.

  Fury throbs hot in my mind, mixing with the all-too-familiar madness.

  Clau-dah is my female. Mine. I’d had her in my arms, her soft body smelling of arousal, her flesh pressed against mine. I’d been so close to claiming her as my own, only to have her snatched away by a rival. The big male drakoni that took her probably claims this territory as his own, but I had no choice. The humans had put her in danger with their stinging weapons, and her terror had bit at my mind until I feared I would lose myself to madness again. So I’d taken her away from my own territory to keep her safe. I know I am strong enough to challenge any other male. I have battled many times before and won.

  But I’ve never had a mate, and never one as vulnerable as Clau-dah is. I’ve never had to worry about her safety or think about how another drakoni might conspire to steal her from me. This new drakoni had likely scented her on the wind and followed the trail to see what the delicious smell was. He’d probably scented her desire—and the lack of my claim in her blood—and known that I had not anchored our b
ond. He knew my female was vulnerable and ripe for the picking.

  And so he took her.

  I roar in outrage, my cry of fury so loud it makes the nearby structures shake. Birds flock to the skies, fleeing. I do not care. This rival has sought to take Clau-dah away from me. She is fragile, vulnerable. If he is not careful with her, he could harm her. The fear of that is greater than any anger I have. I cannot stop seeing him grabbing her in his claws and hauling her away, her small body tossed about as a leaf on the wind. Clau-dah is small and not as sturdy as a drakoni female. He must be careful with her. She is more precious than life itself.

  I stalk forward, eyeing the big, scarred male closely. I cannot attack him outright, because my precious mate is clasped to his breast. I will not risk her safety for anything. I must wait, then. If the male wishes to challenge me, he will have to set Clau-dah down. Then we will fight, and I will make him regret touching my female.

  I will not allow him to live. Not after touching Clau-dah. Not after putting her at risk. He will die violently and with great pain.

  So I wait, seething. My mind is a furious jumble of rage. I welcome the darknesshungerkillanger thoughts. Not even the pleasure of my Clau-dah penetrates my volatile mind. I am lost to the murk of madness once more, and I am glad for it.

  I will take my mate back, I warn him, reaching out with my mind and sending a stabbing bolt of thought to him. I will take my mate back and you will suffer.

  She is not yours, the other dragon responds. You have not claimed her. There is no fire in her blood. I will take her for my own!

  Mine, I snarl. My Clau-dah. My mate. Not yours. Incensed, I drop to the ground across from the male. I might have known his name once. The drakoni were once a close-knit people. Now, it does not matter. He is an interloper. A mate-stealer. He is going to die for touching my Clau-dah. For frightening her. Even now, I can smell her fear, sharp and thick in the warm air. Her lovely scent is sullied by the pungent stink of my rival—young, heavily scarred from fights, and about to die.