His Scorching Desire

by Kyl, Celia

  Joshua sighed heavily. “I’ll take that as a no. Shame, but I can’t say I’m surprised. Oh, and just so you know because…why the hell not at this point? Harlow’s file on you was detailed. Very detailed. It included the location of your lair, which must chap your ass.”

  So that’s how they found them. Grizz assumed Harlow had a file on all of his agents, but he never would have guessed his boss had known about his lair. Then again, it didn’t surprise him in the least. Harlow was fastidious that way.

  “Once you escaped after your sentencing, we knew you’d eventually make your way to Harlow’s house,” Joshua continued. “It was only a matter of time, so we kept an eye out. When we got word you’d finally shown up, we sent a team to collect you, but then those damn Wildridge dragons just had to swoop in like dark horse heroes. Naturally, the fewer people involved the better, so we backed off and waited, knowing you had only one option. This island.”

  “Wow, you sound awfully proud of yourself, considering all you had to do was read a file,” Grizz said dismissively.

  Joshua’s eyes narrowed and then he smirked at them, ignoring Grizz’s jibe. “Don’t worry about our program, though. It won’t suffer from your lack of enthusiasm. We’ll have six subjects soon enough.”

  Elektra tensed next to him. “The fuck are you talking about?”

  “Oh, nothing much,” he said, smiling broadly. “The first thing you learn in this line of work is to follow the evidence. Isn’t that right? Well, now the evidence proves without a doubt that Ms. Mico here murdered Harlow Shelton, Director of the SBI.”

  Elektra sucked in a breath and Grizz could barely contain his dragon’s rage.

  “Of course, that will be the tie that links Wildridge to you, Grizz. The evidence will show that Charlie Volant and his gang of rogue dragons helped you both escape justice. Tsk tsk tsk.”

  “You son of a bitch!”

  Elektra grew taller and more reptilian in the blink of an eye. She rushed for Joshua, but before she could manage three steps against the raging current, yet another SBI dragon blasted flames at her. Grizz pulled her back just in time, though she cried out in pain as blisters formed on her arm.

  “Back off!” Joshua shrieked at the dragon. “They’re mine!”

  He turned his attention on them again once the dragon had flown back up to join the others. “I’m afraid if you’re unwilling to join us, our time together has come to an end.”

  Joshua’s frame stretched and twisted, scales popping out all over his flesh as his round pupils turned to slits. Grizz didn’t need to be a mind reader to know that the moment he’d fully transformed, they’d be fricasseed right there in the middle of a river.

  Grizz turned to his mate and looked deep into her eyes. They had maybe two seconds to make a decision, but they didn’t need it. With a single nod, they tightened their grip on each other’s hand, turned to face the waterfall, and jumped.

  Chapter Nine

  The world exploded with sound and sensation the moment they hit the churning water, and Grizz lost his hold on Elektra’s hand almost immediately. Water shot up his nose like a firehouse, which hurt like hell but was better than getting battered against the boulders that dotted the riverbed as he struggled to figure out which way was up. When he finally breached the surface and gasped for air, Elektra was nowhere to be found.

  And he didn’t have a chance to search. The river carried him away from the waterfall and his old coworkers so swiftly he could barely keep his head above water. An eardrum-shattering screech echoed from the top of the cliff. Joshua sounded pissed.

  Grizz glanced back to see the traitorous dragon peering straight down at the foaming water at the base of the falls, far from where Grizz actually was. Far enough for him to sweep around a bend in the river before Joshua spotted him anyway. But where was his mate? Panic welled up in his chest as he fought the current to search for Elektra, not daring to shout her name.

  The rush of water slowed along the outer edge of the bend, giving him a much-needed break from the rapids. Long enough to catch a glimpse of her head bobbing just ahead of him. He nearly sucked in a lungful of river water instead of air, but he managed not to cough too loudly. Elektra’s head whipped around and he was graced with the loveliest smile he could ever remember seeing.

  They fought the current until her cool fingers wrapped around his wrist. He wanted to pull her to him, to kiss her fiercely, to never let her go, but they only had a minute at most before the skies would be filled with dragons searching for them. They needed to get out of sight. Thankfully, the banks of the river were lush and overgrown with trees. They just had to reach shore before…

  A shadow passed over them. The vast underside of a dragon hurtled past overhead, but the beast didn’t see them. Hearts pounding, they gave each other a single look, nodded, and kicked hard for dry land.

  Crawling through the mud of the riverbank, they dragged their bodies along until they reached the cover of the trees. Only once they were fully covered by the canopy did they collapse on the ground, their fingers touching as they struggled to catch their breath.

  Another massive dragon soared overhead. This one so close it shook the tops of the trees as it let out a roar meant to scare prey out of hiding. Grizz gritted his teeth and pulled Elektra to him. They were being hunted like rabbits.

  “Are you hurt?” Grizz asked, his eyes and hands skimming every inch of her looking for injuries.

  She shook her head, water dripping from her braid. “I’m okay, just hit my arm at some point.”

  “Show me,” he demanded.

  “Um, it’s not as bad as that,” she said, tipping her head toward a trickle of blood running down Grizz’s leg from a deep gash.

  He shrugged it off. “I’ve had worse.”

  “Me too.”

  They stared into each other’s eyes for a thousand years before launching into a fierce embrace. Grizz never wanted to let her go. They needed to savor every minute they could because they both knew damn well it might be their last.

  Elektra pulled away first as another dragon screamed past their hiding spot. It wouldn’t be long before the entire area was overrun. They had to move fast.

  “So what now?” she asked, as if he had a clue.

  “Well, we’re on an island, so we can only run so far in our human forms. And it’s not like we can outrun a team of SBI dragons anyway. Elektra, I’m almost certain they’re not in on Joshua’s scheme. They think they’re chasing actual criminals.”

  She grimaced and nodded. “That’s the hit I got too, and I don’t know any of them.”

  “Really?” Grizz blinked, surprised at her perceptiveness.

  “Dude,” she said, giving him sardonic look, “I’m the military specialist at Wildridge Security. You think I can’t smell a rat when I see one?”

  Right. She was probably just as well-trained as he was—maybe even better, being private sector and all. God, what an amazing mate!

  “So our situation hasn’t changed. Six against two is hardly a fair fight and we’re certain to be killed quickly,” he said, immediately adding, “despite your superior abilities.”

  That earned him a smile that almost killed him. He had to figure out a plan. His mate’s life depended on it. Luckily, he’d spent years exploring every nook and cranny of the island. One such cranny might save their asses. At least until they could come up with another plan of action.

  “There’s a sea cave at the mouth of this river. It’s small—tiny, really—but it’s deep. Enough room for two humans, but most definitely not enough room for a dragon.”

  “Is there plenty of cover the whole way? Because the second one of your guys catches sight of us, we’re toast. Literally.”

  “Been a while since I last saw it, but there should be cover most of the way,” he said, thinking hard and fast. “I scoped it out as an emergency backup lair, but I never bothered to stock it. If we can make it there without being spotted, we could hunker down and wait for them to assu
me we drowned in the river. I think it’s our only chance to get out of this alive.”

  “And if they set up camp in your lair and burn through your MREs?”

  “Hey, I’m open to better suggestions.” He’d barely finished speaking when a pair of dragons whooshed past overhead.

  Across the river, a column of fire blasted the tree line, setting the canopy ablaze. When he finished belching hell over the island, Joshua’s immense dark body glided just within their view and then disappeared, trailing a swirl of smoke.

  Elektra turned wide eyes to Grizz. “Um, I think I’m good with your plan. Can we go now, please?”

  He grabbed her hand and they sprinted into the woods, darting down barely visible fox paths as they fought their way through the dense underbrush following the river. More flames spewed all around them as the dragons scoured the island for them, blasting everything in their path with their special version of napalm.

  They skidded to a breathless stop just before the tree line ended, opening onto a small cove. The cave lay directly across from them, but reaching it meant exposing themselves along a stretch of rocky beach. Another dragon soared low over the water, her keen emerald eyes scanning the shore, the river, the cove. Her name was Eleanor Sharp, an agent Grizz had worked with before. She was very talented and experienced.

  Damn, the SBI sent their best after him. It was almost flattering.

  She disappeared beyond the point, but Grizz knew she’d be back. Her assignment would be to watch the mouth of the river for them—or their bodies—and even the fastest human sprinters in the world wouldn’t be able to cross the distance between the trees and the cave before she circled back again. The sound, smell, and heat of the blazing forest behind them meant there was only one way out.

  Grizz turned to Elektra. They didn’t need to speak the words for them both to understand they’d never make it. The fire blocked any chance of retreat and Eleanor would pick them off like a couple of ducks at a carnival booth. Their only shot at survival now was to shift and engage. But not before they said goodbye.

  Pulling her into his body, he held her precious face in his hands, drinking her in as if she was his first taste of water in a week. In her eyes he saw nothing but love and determination. Not a lick of fear. If anything, she seemed excited. Damn, what a woman!

  Snaking her arms around his neck, she pulled him to her, kissing him with the heat of a thousand suns. This time he broke away first, burying his face in her neck and breathing in her scent. She clutched at him, her chest hitching briefly. When he pulled back, moisture glistened in her eyes and tears flowed from his.

  “I love you,” he said softly.

  “Not as much as I love you.”

  The flap of leathery wings drew their attention. Eleanor was back. Elektra flashed him a grim smile and then sprinted toward the beach. As he ran after her, he watched her body grow and transform into the most gorgeous bright green dragon he’d ever seen. If they weren’t about to dive into battle, he would have stood and watched in awe. Instead, he shifted too.

  Eleanor wasn’t facing them when they emerged from the woods. The cracking of tree branches drew her attention too late, and before she knew what had happened, Elektra’s massive spiny tail connected with Eleanor’s head, sending the agent spiraling onto the rocky shore. Grizz paused long enough to ensure she wasn’t mortally injured before taking flight to join his mate.

  Even if they were destined to die this day, they’d fight like hell to avoid it.

  Within seconds, two more dragons caught sight of them and changed direction to intercept. They seemed to be alone, which gave Grizz hope. One down, five to go. These two would go down before they could so much as snort smoke at him and his mate.

  From the corner of his eye, he noticed Elektra falter mid-flight. Following her gaze, he saw what she’d already spotted. Six more dragons flying from the mainland in perfect formation. She whipped her heavy head to meet his gaze, and in a heartbeat he knew.

  Wildridge was joining the hunt.

  Now they were truly fucked.

  * * *

  How was it still light enough to see the looming and terrifying shapes of her coworkers bearing down on them? It seemed as if days had passed since Elektra and Grizz had watched as the sun melted below the horizon, but enough light remained in the sky to identify each one as they thought of nothing but either taking her and her mate into custody or…

  She couldn’t stomach the thought of the other option, but she didn’t blame them. It wasn’t their fault. It was their job to track her down. Their mission. They didn’t know all the nitty-gritty details that had transformed her mission from a run-of-the-mill fugitive case into something much, much bigger. As far as her coworkers were concerned, she’d betrayed them all and run off with an escaped murderer. Her heart broke at the thought of what they must think of her now.

  That was a strange new feeling, too. She wasn’t used to feeling even remotely self-conscious about what others thought of her. Generally, she did her best not to care. But this time was different. This time they had all the reason in the world not to trust her anymore, and that nearly killed her.

  After all the support they’d given her over the years, the least she could do was…nothing. Elektra could never bring herself to attack her own teammates. Even just throwing dragonsbane in their faces was an act that weighed heavily on her conscience. She refused to engage with the battle. It hardly mattered anyway. It was all going to come to an inevitable end very soon. Twelve angry dragons versus the two of them? It wasn’t even close to a fair fight. There was no way they could battle all twelve and survive.

  Elektra glanced across the darkening expanse of sky between her and Grizz, and they locked beastly eyes. She communicated to him in their telepathic link that there was no point in continuing this way. It was a strange sensation, communicating with their minds like that. It took some getting used to, but with practice… Sadness consumed her that they’d never find out how practice might help.

  Grizz resisted her at first. He didn’t want to give up. He was ready to fight to the death, and Elektra admired that, but it was misplaced bravado. Their best option was to get out of the sky and shift down to their human forms again so they could hold each other until the end came. Though Grizz was reluctant, once Elektra started to descend toward the ground, he rushed to join her. If they went down, they’d go down together.

  As their feet touched the sandy rocks of a nearby beach, they shifted. The scales fell away. Their wings shrank into nothing. They stood locked in each other’s arms, utterly naked and vulnerable to the predators circling them overhead in the sky. The Wildridge team circled overhead now as well, no doubt picking just the right moment to attack.

  Grizz grabbed her face and turned it to him, capturing her gaze. “Don’t watch, my love. Let them come, but let my face be the last one you see.”

  Elektra wanted to cry, scream, and pitch a fit over the unfairness of it all. But if she’d learned one thing, it was that life wasn’t fair. It simply was. Instead of wailing about it, she decided to cherish the final moments she would share with Grizz. Staring deeply into his eyes, she waited for death to claim them.

  And waited.

  And waited.

  The screech of an enraged dragon reached them and it was all she could do to keep her eyes trained on Grizz’s. She wanted to squeeze them shut so she wouldn’t see the flames enveloping them, but she wouldn’t waste a second with him. But the flames never came.

  Another scream, this one filled with pain, finally drew her gaze upward. The last flickers of fire blinked out along the backside of an SBI dragon as it flew fast and furious away from the Wildridge dragons, who maintained a circle directly overhead. Every time an SBI dragon tried to break through their ranks to reach Elektra and Grizz, the Wildridge team swiftly cut them off.

  “They’re fighting,” Grizz stared up at the sky in wonder. “They’re fighting for us.”

  “Oh my god, you’re right,” Elek
tra gasped. “They’re…protecting us!”

  With wide eyes and pounding hearts, they watched dumbstruck as a battle ensued. Every time an SBI agent tried to attack, the Wildridge team rebuffed them. They were well-coordinated and extremely stubborn, as usual. But why?

  She had no time to figure it out. Blasts of angry fire lit up the gloom, the air thrumming with residual heat as the battle inched ever downward. For a while, it looked as though the Wildridge crew were going to be successful in their mission to defend Grizz and Elektra. The SBI guys were losing momentum, starting to tire. No doubt their hearts weren’t fully engaged in killing one of their own, even if he had been convicted of terrible crimes. Maybe doubt lingered there.

  But as her teammates fought off an onslaught, a lone black dragon skimmed along the dark waters from the opposite direction. Joshua Slocum. Fire lit his eyes and glowed inside his maw. Grizz pulled Elektra tight against his chest and tried to hide her face, but she refused to back down. She would die just as defiantly as she’d lived.

  Glaring up at Joshua as he beat his wings so he could hover over them with a grisly grin, Elektra watched as he sucked in a deep belly-full of air, preparing to unleash an ungodly wall of fire on the two vulnerable humans. But then something strange and beautiful blasted through the sky. A column of blue flame enveloped Joshua entirely, freezing him in place before he could deal the blow. Frozen like an icy blue statue, Joshua’s dragon fell to the beach with a bone-rattled thump, wobbled for a moment, and then fell onto his side, his jaws open wide.

  The Wildridge team rallied around this game-changing development, fighting against the SBI dragons with renewed vigor and intensity. It was a climactic battle to watch from the ground, as Grizz and Elektra held tightly to one another and waited for the dust to settle.

  Despite the SBI team’s solid skills, the battle was all but over. With their leader neutralized and their hearts not really in the fight in the first place, they retreated, one by one, until they disappeared into the darkness, bound for LA. Only once they were fully out of sight did one dragon break free from the Wildridge pack.