Fire in His Blood

by Ruby Dixon

  It will kill me! Don’t come here!

  Overhead, a dragon roars so loudly that the entire building shakes. Lights flicker, and a cloud of dust falls from the ceiling.

  “He doesn’t like that you’re threatening me,” I whisper, trying to pull away from the gun.

  The captain’s mouth presses into a thin line as he looks me in the eye. “You tell him if he wants his mate alive and unharmed, he needs to back off of the city. He’s putting everyone at risk.”

  I’m running out of time, and I still need to save my sister. “Just give me Amy and I’ll call him off,” I bluff, even as another roar shakes the building.

  “It doesn’t sound like that’s going to work,” the captain says and shakes his head slowly, pressing the gun harder against my temple. “I’m sorry, but the safety of the entire fort depends on this. You need to make him leave. Right now.”

  I realize I’m not going to have a rescuer in this moment. Or, rather, I do, but he’s a vicious dragon and I’m not entirely sure he’s a good guy. Either I get shot by the guards and never see Amy again, or I get kidnapped by a dragon and never see Amy again. I’m screwed either way.

  He…he says he’ll kill me if you don’t back off, Kael. My thoughts seem to tremble nearly as much as my body does. Please don’t hurt anyone.

  Kael’s return thoughts are so dark and furious that I wince as they blast into my mind. You are my mate! He is holding you from me. If he hurts you, I will tear him limb from limb and let the crows devour his bones!

  Well, that’s…creative. I swallow hard and look the captain in the eye. “He’s not happy that you’re scaring me.”

  “I’m not happy that he’s flying over the city,” the captain says in a tight voice.

  Yes, but if he leaves, I’m not sure what’ll happen to me. I try to mentally play out what will happen if Kael leaves me behind, and I realize with a sick sensation that I’m trapped. Every dragon attack, the mayor and the captain are going to trot me out and try to use me as a hostage. I’m not getting free of this, ever again.

  My only path lies with Kael, he of the hot kisses and terrifying bites. I try to compose myself. Be calm, Claudia. If this is my path, find a way forward. So I decide to make things sound pretty grim. If they want to threaten me, I’ll threaten right back. “He’s not leaving me here. He says if you hurt me, it’s going to be ugly.”

  “I don’t plan on hurting you,” the captain says. “You and I, we’re going to bargain. If he leaves the city alone, I’ll give you to him. Tell him that.”

  “He says you need to give me my sister.”

  “You think she’s safe with him?” As if to punctuate this, Kael roars again, and the captain tilts his head as if to say, see?

  I hate that he’s right. I hate that I don’t know that answer. “I don’t think she’s safe with you, either.”

  “He’s not attacking, sir,” one of the men calls over the radio. “He’s settled on the roof of the building and is waiting for something. Your orders?”

  The captain glances at the radio at his waist, then at me.

  “My sister,” I warn him. “Now.”

  The captain exchanges a look with the mayor. Then he hits a button on the radio. “We’re going to be giving the prisoner to the dragon. Stand by.”

  “Not without my sister—”

  “We’re not waiting for your sister to be brought to the barracks. Get that dragon out of here now. The life of one does not outweigh the needs of many.”

  “If you send me off with him, there’s nothing that’s stopping me from telling him to come back and burn this place to the ground. He listens to me. If I tell him I want you dead, he’ll kill you.”

  “Which is why I need to keep your sister as leverage. You go with him and he gets what he wants. Your sister stays with us as incentive for him to leave us alone.” The look on his face is almost one of regret. Almost.

  That bastard. Everyone gets what they want but me and Amy? “You think I won’t come back to get her? With an army of dragons?”

  The captain’s look of regret turns to one of anger. “You’d murder every last person here?”

  I say nothing. I wouldn’t destroy Fort Dallas, no, but I won’t take back the threat, either.

  “All the more reason for us to keep your sister.”

  I hesitate, then open my mind to Kael again. They’re going to give me to you if you promise to leave the city alone.

  I will not harm them if they have not harmed you. I just want my mate. Are you well?

  I’m fine, I tell him. For now. But I feel as if my heart is breaking. Oh, Amy. “He just wants me. As long as I’m safe, he’ll leave.”

  The captain nods. “I’m very sorry, Miss Jones. I know you don’t like this, but we’re left with very little choice here. My advice for you is to see what you can do to tame that dragon and get him to leave this area entirely.”

  Fat chance of that happening. I’m not leaving, not with Amy and Sasha here. And Kael’s not going anywhere without me, I suspect. “Let me tell him that we’re coming up.”

  20

  CLAUDIA

  A triad of soldiers walks me to the roof, guns trained on my back as if they expect me to suddenly turn into a dragon myself. As if I’m super dangerous. It’s ridiculous, but they’re scared. I get that. Hell, I’m scared and I know Kael better than all of them. I can feel his thoughts weighing on my mind, pressing in as if trying to decipher what is going on from my silence. He’s worried. I know that much. And his calm is ebbing with every minute that this takes.

  I need to make sure he’s good. The last thing I want is for him to fry everyone the moment we show up on the roof, because then I don’t know what they’re going to do with Amy. They’re bringing me up the stairs, I tell him. Don’t hurt anyone. They’re going to release me.

  Have you been harmed? Alarm tinges his thoughts, followed by a quick flash of rage. Shall I destroy them?

  No, I say, and force myself to remain calm. No destroying. They’re just going to release me to you.

  I sense unhappiness in your thoughts. Why does that make you sad? You are my mate. I will care for you.

  I say nothing. I’m frustrated at the world. Amy’s still captive. Kael’s still keeping me captive. I don’t get any control over the situation, and it’s frustrating as hell. Worst of all, I’m not even sure my thoughts are safe. What if Kael picks up that I’m upset and gets angry and kills me, too? Even as I say it to myself, I know that’s not the case. Sure, he might rip the throat out of other rival dragons and threaten to torch all of Fort Dallas to get me back, but he wants me safe and sound.

  But it doesn’t mean I can’t be pissy about it.

  We take the emergency stairs to the roof, and at the top of the stairs we pause at the heavy metal door that leads to the rooftop. Once this is opened, there’s no turning back. I glance at the soldiers at my side, noting hard fear on each face. I feel bad for them. This isn’t how they want things to go, either. They’re terrified that they’re walking up here to be roasted. And they should be terrified. That’s all we’ve ever known, ever since the rip in the stars opened up. I don’t blame them for being worried.

  One of the soldiers nudges me with the end of his gun. “Go on. Go up to see your boyfriend.”

  …Doesn’t mean they’re not dicks, though.

  I give him a scathing look and put a hand on the door handle. I’m worried about going back to Kael. What if he’s angry that I left? What if he bites me more? What if that was just the beginning? There are a million what-ifs, and I have no answers for any of them. I suck in a deep breath, steeling my courage, and then open the door.

  Before I even have it opened a crack, a massive eye is staring down through it, scanning for me. The eye swirls gold and black, and as it catches sight of me, the dragon head moves, and I see a flash of enormous teeth. My mate. If they have hurt you… Even from this side of the door, I can hear the rumbling snarl.

  The men heft their guns, tra
ining them on his eye.

  “No, it’s okay!” I put my hands up, stopping them. “I’m coming, Kael. Back off.”

  Are you hurt? He growls louder.

  “I’m fine. No one’s hurt. No one’s being threatened.” I take on a soothing, happy tone of voice that’s the opposite of how I feel at the moment. “But if you don’t back away from the door, I can’t get out.”

  His big head disappears, and the building shakes as he steps a few paces away. The guns lower a few inches. “Jesus,” says a man behind me. “I think I just pissed myself. Fucking scary motherfucker.”

  “Get out of here,” another soldier tells me, and nudges me in the back with his rifle. “Get him away from the city.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m going.” With a backward glare at the soldiers, I head out onto the roof.

  Kael is there waiting in his dragon form. For once, I’m glad that he’s not in his human form because he’s more vulnerable like that. They wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him if he was human. As a dragon, though, he’s scary as hell. His massive bulk seems to swallow up the majority of the roof, his tail lashing madly back and forth, clearly agitated. He starts the low growl in his throat again when I approach. You stink of them.

  Yeah, well, you don’t smell so hot yourself, buddy. It’s a lie, because the warm, spicy scent of him is oddly comforting. But I’m tired and unhappy and worried about Amy. And now a dragon just told me I stink. I…kind of want to curl up somewhere and cry. Can we just go?

  Kael gets to his feet, lashing his tail one last time, and then moves to my side. His big body dwarfs mine. I wait patiently as the big snout moves up and down my body, checking me for injuries. Not wounded? They did not hurt you?

  They did not.

  It’s weird, because I can feel the pleasure spiral through his mind at that realization, and the relief. And I feel a little guilty for being so frustrated. Just a little, of course. He runs his nose over me again, pausing over my clothing. What are these things you have on you?

  They’re clothes. You’ve seen me wear them before.

  Not like this.

  No, not like this. These are better.

  Why?

  I force myself to be patient. They cover me so I’m decent.

  I do not understand this ‘decent.’ He tugs at one sleeve of my shirt, as if trying to drag it off of me. I don’t like this.

  People don’t walk around naked, I tell him, tugging the shirt out of his mouth before his enormous teeth destroy it. You don’t get a say in the matter.

  Very well. He continues to run his nose over me, half nuzzle, half concern. You smell tired. Unhappy.

  He can smell those things? He’s not wrong—I am tired. I am unhappy. I just want to curl up somewhere and cry. More than anything, I want to curl up with him and have him pet and comfort me until I don’t feel so isolated and alone…but I’m scared of more bites. I’m scared he’s going to want sex. And I hate that I can’t trust the one person I want to hold me at the moment. It’s been a really long day, and not a good one.

  It has been the best of days, because I claimed my Claudia as my mate. The nosing definitely turns more nuzzly.

  I glance uneasily at the door a short distance behind me, where the guards are still waiting. The muzzle of at least one rifle protrudes from the door, and I don’t know if it’s pointing at me or Kael. I remember that they shot at me before. Well, not these soldiers, but others who thought it would be a good idea to ‘save’ me from the dragon by killing me.

  I don’t trust any of these soldiers not to shoot me again.

  And for some reason, that makes me feel sadder and lonelier than ever before. I have no place I can call home anymore, and no one I can trust, except Sasha and Amy…and I have to leave them. If we’re going, let’s go, I tell him, fighting back tears. I want to get out of here.

  You say that, but that is not what your words mean. We shall stay, he tells me, as if the matter’s decided.

  I can’t, I tell him flatly. Pompous dragon.

  My Claudia is sad. Why?

  They don’t want you here because you are dragon and not human. And they don’t want me here, either.

  It makes you sad.

  It does. This is my home. Or it was, once.

  Your home is with me.

  But you’re not human, I automatically think and then wish I hadn’t. I don’t want to anger him.

  But Kael isn’t angry, only thoughtful. Hoo-man. Is that the two-legged form instead of the battle form? I will change forms if that will please you.

  I press a hand to his big, scaled chest, shaking my head. No, don’t change! Not here. I don’t like the look of those rifles. Nor do I trust the commander not to take the easy route and simply kill Kael the moment he changes to his human form. Let’s just go, please.

  I will do as my mate asks. He nuzzles me again, the big mouth full of fangs lightly brushing over my hair. Then claws wrap around my torso and legs, and Kael spreads his wings.

  We launch into the air a moment later, and Kael begins to spiral high into the skies, beating his wings furiously to gain altitude. I keep my gaze below, watching the small lights of Fort Dallas fade away, and tears flood my eyes. It feels like I’ve screwed over my sister. Somewhere in the warren of the barracks, my innocent, trusting sister is being held captive just because a dragon took a liking to me. It’s not fair. I’ll come back for you, Amy, I silently tell her. I promise.

  21

  CLAUDIA

  The flight back into the Scavenge Lands feels bitterly cold against my feverish skin. The high winds tear at my hair and clothing, and I’m filled with defeat. There’s no safe place for me to go, no way for me to take care of my sister. I don’t know what to do. By the time the dragon begins to circle downward toward one of the broken skyscrapers that make up the ruins of Old Dallas, I feel completely lost and alone.

  As we land, I realize Kael’s taken me back to the exact same broken office building as before. It has working sinks but not much else, and instead of filling me with relief that there’s running water, I eye the trashed cubicles and concrete flooring with a tired eye. It’s convenient, but it’s not comfortable. It’s not home. I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever have a home again.

  The moment Kael sets me down and loosens his claws to free me, I sink to my knees. I’m overwhelmed by everything, and I can’t help the tears of self-pity that begin to flow.

  You are upset, Kael announces inside my mind, his thoughts blasting through like a cannon. Tell me what bothers you.

  Tell him what bothers me? Where do I even start? But I don’t want to talk about it. “Nothing,” I say, sniffing. He wouldn’t understand anyhow. “I just want a blanket and a warm bed.” Neither of which I’m going to get here. I look around the barren office space, miserable. I hate it here.

  But you liked this place, he replies, clearly confused and snooping in on my thoughts. You were pleased with the water.

  “That’s the only good thing here.” I wrap my arms around my torso, hating that even though I’m clothed, I’m still freezing. A thin, worn T-shirt and jeans aren’t going to be enough to keep me warm through the night. I should be grateful that I have clothes, at least, but the wind has picked up and it feels cooler than the last few days. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I don’t find something warmer.

  I don’t know what I’m going to do this winter.

  Or for the rest of my life.

  Normally I’m pretty good at focusing on what I can control. But right now? I feel like I’ve lost my sister and my best friend…and the only safety I have. Amy and Sasha are going to be lost without me. Sasha’s going to have to sleep with her fist-happy friend, and Amy… I don’t know what my sweet, fragile sister is going to do. I wipe away more tears. I can’t seem to stop crying. This isn’t me, but I feel so…helpless and out of control.

  I can warm you, Claudia. I will hold you all night. There’s a husky note in his mental voice.

  Oh brother. The las
t thing I want right now are dragon snuggles, since a dragon’s why I’ve been totally abandoned by humankind in the first place. I turn around to give him a piece of my mind and see that he’s in his human form, striding toward me with black and gold swirling in his eyes. He’s also very obviously ‘excited’ by my presence. I know what that means. I shake my head. “Oh no. Not right now.”

  The black swirling in his eyes immediately flicks away, returning to the calm gold. No? You do not wish me to warm you? You enjoyed my mouth on you before. I heard your cries of pleasure and tasted your juices. I would do so again if you would let me, Claudia. You were pleased when I tasted you. The look on his face becomes coaxing. Shall I show you?

  Did I think it was cold in here before? Now I’m all hot and flushed, thinking about our last meeting. I did like his tongue on me. Far too much. And I liked the way it felt when he had laid me down on the tile and oh so gently pushed inside me with that huge cock of his. That had felt incredible. It was all the stuff that came after that ruined everything. “I just want to sleep, thank you very much.”

  He tilts his head, studying me. I understand this. I will hold you while you sleep so you are safe. Before I can protest, he immediately flashes back to dragon form. In the next moment, I’m drawn against the big golden body and tucked against his foreleg. One wing extends and moves to cover me, shielding me from the high winds. Sleep, Claudia. I will keep you safe.

  “I’m not safe here with you, either,” I protest. But warmth is surrounding me, and I do feel safe nestled against him. The long, endless day has worn me down to shreds, and I know this isn’t a fight I can win—or one I even want to. Cradled against a dragon’s warm foreleg is much more comfortable than the hard concrete floor. I close my eyes and relax.

  As I drift off to sleep, Kael noses my hair. Sleep, Claudia. All will be well.

  He doesn’t mispronounce my name anymore. Huh.

  When I wake up, I’m deliciously warm. I roll over in bed, curling up against the pillows.