After wesignedthisdeal tomergeour companies,wewouldexpandour businesstotheWestCoast,goingtrulynational, thatnumberwouldskyrockettopreviouslyunknownlevels.BoththebeastandIwouldsleepwelltonight.
Aswouldthemeninfrontofme.Theyallstoodtogainjustasmuch,bothintheirpersonalaccountsandinthefutureasour joint company grew International expansion wasn’t far behind, and when it happened, we would all be rich beyond our wildestdreams.
Well, almost wildestdreams.
“Ithinkwe’re all goingto benefitfromthe agreement,” Isaid as one ofmyassistants came inwithsheets ofpapers for everyonetosign.Thecontractshadbeengoneoverdozensoftimesbylawyersonbothsidesuntileveryonewashappywithit. Theirsideandmine.
Ichuckledatthechair oftheboardofmynewlyacquiredcompany Or what would be mynew companyonce the papers weresigned.Itriednottogrowimpatientattheslowgoing.Thehumansinsistedonchattingandtakingtheirsweettime. Just give it to me already!
“So,whatareournextsteps?”
Iglancedupatthespeaker,JarredMcLean,theCEO
Former CEO as soon as the signing is done. Not that he knows it. The idiot has been holding the entire company back. First move I make
Onthe screenwere photos and videos of scenes onthe East Coast. Inthem, buildings burned. People fled. Inone shot, severaltanksbeganfiring
Moments later, huge blasts of lightning ripped down fromthe heavens, striking the armored behemoths. One exploded, flippingtheotheronitsside.Thescreenwentblack.
Thatcouldmeananything.WiththedragonscurrentlytearinguptheEastCoast,therewasanew disaster everyday.New York, Boston, Philly, they were all gone Part of the “Occupied Territories” as they’d come to be known unofficially The beastswerecurrentlypressingdownonBaltimore,andifitfell,Washingtonwouldbenext.
I stopped outside Secretary Sandra Levison’s office, knocking firmly as I prepared myself for the worst. If we had to evacuate,thatwouldmeanthingsweretrulylost “Come!”
Sandramadeasoundandduginherbag Findingwhatevershewaslookingfor,sheshoveditintomyhand “Fireher She wassupposedtogiveyouthis.Idiot.”
Igrabbed the paper, slippingto the side as two officers inmilitaryuniforms went joggingpast “onthe double,” as they calledit AlthoughIwas usedtoreadinganddodgingthecrowds ofpeople,itwas still unusual toseeofficers movingwith suchalacrityinside.
Whateverwasgoingon,itinvolvedthemilitary.
“Wherearewegoing?”Iasked,unabletopauselongenoughtoreadthepaper Therewasfarmoretrafficthannormal,and wehadtododge,dip,duck,anddiveourwaythroughthecrowdinamostundignifiedmannerfortheSecretaryofState as herassistant,Iwasundernosuchrestraint.
All thewarningbellswentoff,awildcacophonyofalarmsinmyhead.Thatwas not good. “Areweevacuating?”Ihissed,fearingBaltimorewasgone.Ifthemilitarylinehadbeenbreached,thedragonswereless thananhouraway Wewouldhavetomove fast
Mycomposed exterior shattered as Iyelped intotal shock. Itwas backina second as Ischooled myface into neutrality beforethereprimandingglarefrommybosscouldreachme
“CorrectmeifI’mwrong,”Isaid,beginningtoanalyzethesituation.“Buttheyare were winning,weretheynot?Whyon Earthwouldtheywanttostop now?Alltheywouldhavetodois ”
Withoutwaitingtobedismissed,thedragon-manwalkedtoanexit.Atawavefromthepresident,theveryunhappysecret service agent opened the door I couldn’t begin to imagine how antsy they must be, letting a dragon get that close to the president.
Theinstantthesoundproofdoorclickedshut,allhellbrokelooseintheroomaseveryoneshoutedtheiropinion.Icringedas theloudestofthemallcamefrommyex-husband “TheGeneral,”asI’dcalledhimsarcasticallyasourmarriagedeteriorated, was very vocalabouthisfeelingsonthematter.
“We’relosing,youidiot!”Ishouted,steppingforward.“Wecan’trejecttheseterms,youox-brainedfool.Millionsofour peoplehavedied Millionsmorearetrappedandprobablydying,andmillionsmore will die
Butnotyousinceyousithereall comfortable inyour office, sendingyoungmenand womento do your dirtywork!Takingthese terms will save millions of people,whichissomethingyoursoldierscan’tdo,notwiththedragonsbeingbasicallyinvulnerabletoyourweapons!”
“Fine,” he said, takinga moment to recover, his attentionstill onme. “Ifyoubelieve insurrenderingso badly, thenyou shouldbethefirsttovolunteertogofuckadragon Apologies,to mate withadragon,”headdedataglarefromthepresident Mybloodrancold.Iwastrapped.TherewasnowayIcouldsayno.NotafterI’dcalledhimacowardfornotfightingon thefrontlines.
“Youare ofbreedingage,”headdedwithasneer “Enough, General Greene,” the presidentwarned Buthis eyes turned to me, followed byeveryother head inthe room Waitingforananswer.
Thesunglintedoffmyyellowdragoneyes,turningthemaglitteringgold,muchlikemytargetbelow Atoothygrinspread across mysnout. Yes, there was gold here. More gold thanIneeded, infact. Ifthe rumors were true, there were over five thousand tons ofit,burieddeepwithinthisbuilding.
Amere fractionofwhichwould clear mydebts to Kalannand letme workonrebuildingmyempire Iwould take itand headtotheWestCoast.Iwouldstartanewandregainthepowerthathadbeentakenfrommebythewar.
AbrilliantblastoforangeflameeruptedfrommymouthasIbathedthestone,metal,andglassindragonfirerepeatedlyuntil the stone ranlike water After lettingthe worstofthe heatdissipate, Iwentto townwithmyclaws, rippingoutthe barrier, tearingitfreewithcasualeaseandtossingitasideasIburrowedmywayin.
The lobbywas large enoughfor me tostandupin.Whichwas convenient.Marble tile underfootbroke as Ibegantodig. Rebarandconcreteshatteredundermyrazor-sharpclaws,andIscoopedouttonaftertonofdebris
TherewasadropasIfellintoalowerlevel.ButIdidn’tstop.Ikeptdigging.Thickmetalplatingblockedmypathtothe nextlevel, butdragonfire and claws renthuge gaps initas well, and Iproceeded to the nextlevel. And the next. Pastthe subwayandintothebowelsoftheearth,asIsoughtoutthetreasuretrovebelow
“Was ita lie?” Ihissed,returningtothe mainchamber,notbelievingwhatIwas seeing “No,itcouldn’t Notone ofthis magnitude.Thegold was here.Ithadtohavebeen.Themiserablehumansmust’vetakenitwiththemwhentheyfled.”
Thatmadesense.Itwas justlikethemtocaremoreabouttheir wealththanthewell-beingofthemillions ofcitizens they hadleftbehindinthemega-citiesoftheEastCoast Cowards Everysingleoneofthoseinpower
However, myhatred for themdidn’tsolve mycurrentproblembecause Iwas still intremendous debtto Kalannand his partners.They’dhoundedmerelentlessly,butmyworkonthefrontlinesofthewarhadmostlykeptmeoutoftheirreach.
Now,though
Angryattheuniverse,Iletmydragonwingssproutfrommyback Crouching,Ileapedhighintotheair,mywingsflexing downwardandpropellingmeuplikeabulletthroughtheholeI’ddug.Ipoppedoutontothegroundfloor,landingcasuallyon the shattered tile, myboots crunchingthe logo ofthe Federal Reserve BankofNew York For a moment, Ialmostblasted it clearawaywithfireinagrandgestureofpetulantanger.
“Don’t run,” the new attacker chuckled, driving a fist into my kidney from behind as I lay face first on the concrete sidewalk.Theblowwasvicious,sendingpainspikingthroughmybrain.“Wehavesomuchtotalkabout.”
“Okay” He stood still, a twisted grin on his bearded face, blue eyes locked on me, while hair he’d dyed a dark gray flutteredslowlyinthemiddaybreeze.“Comeon,then.I’mrighthere.”
“You’ve been avoiding Kalann’s calls, Cade,” he snarled, his long black hair tied back in a single braid The disgust drippingfromhiswordswasmirroredbythesneeronhissquarejaw.Greeneyesstareddownatmewithcontempt.
“There was anotherparttoit,”Lincolnsaidwithfalsesincerity “Therewas?”Reed’sactingwasnobetter “Yes.Therewas.We‘resupposedtomakesureheunderstoodthemessage.Thoroughly.”
Reed’sfacebrightened.“Oh.Right.Sillyme.HowcouldIforget?”Hiseyesfocusedonmeagain.“IguessIwaswrong.I did wantthismisunderstanding”
Isaggedontotheflooroftheemptygoldvault “Unlessyou’reheretooffermeashit-tonofmoney,Idon’twantyouroffer I haveenoughgoingonasitis.Idon’twanttooweanythingtoher.I’vedonejustfinewithoutinmylife.” Viceklookedmeover.“Icanseethat.”
“Is it really any different fromthe way you speak about business?” Vicek challenged He held up a hand to forestall a response.“Itdoesn’tmatter.”
“Ifyousayso.Now,whatisit?”
“We’re looking for people to help fulfill the terms of the ceasefire,” Vicek said bluntly. “Eight human women will be comingtotheDragonIslesinamatterofdays.Thesovereignneedseightdragonstovolunteertobetheirmates.”
I laughed again, ignoringthe pain that time. “How typicallyarrogant of her. Stipulating terms she doesn’t actually have anyonetofulfill.Thinkingsheknowsbestfor our peopleandthenrealizingshehasnovolunteers.Instead,shehastocoerce peoplelikemetodoherdirtyworkforher”
The words burned inmymind as the rockwall shivered upward, revealinga giantcavern. Eighthumanwomen, none of whomknew oneanotheruntil fiveminutesago.Now,weslowlywalkedintothemassiveundergroundchamber,tryingnotto peeourpants
While Ididn’tthinkthe dragons would bringus all thatwayjustto kill us, there was no wayto tell withthe capricious beings.Intheirterritory,wewerecompletelyattheirmercy.Ihadtorememberthat.Thenormal“laws”Iwasusedtowould beofnoprotectionthere Onlythedragoncustomsmattered Whatevertheywere.
Torchlightglittered,pullingmebacktothemomentandthegiantcavern,whichhadaceilinglosttothedarknesssomewhere high above Fear washed over us as we moved to the center of the cavern by unspoken agreement There, a single torch embeddedintotherockitselfwaitedforus.
Before anyone could respond, the cavern wall across from us began to shiver. Then it slid smoothly into the ground, revealinginkydarknessbeyond Andinthatdarkness,somethingmoved Talononrock. Breathfromgiantlungs. Twinyellow eyes, high above us. Dragoneyes. Together, we retreated fromthe centercircleasthebeastmovedintothechamberwithus.Ilickedmylipsasfeartriedtooverwhelmme.
Then, suddenly, the dragonwas a man It happened fast Aquickglance away, a longblink, and it was over The other womengaspedinsurprise,andIremindedmyselftoactequallyastonished.Mosthumanshadnoideadragonscoulddosucha thing.Ididn’twanttobesingledout,soIwentalongwithit.
“You,”thedragonsaid,pointingatoneofthewomen
And so it went, dragonbydragon, theycame inand picked a woman, like some sort of dark, perverse episode of The Bachelor Itwas wrong How could theypossiblyknow who to pick? Bylooks alone? Theyhad demanded eightwomenas mates.Surely,thatwasn’thowtheychosetheirpartners.Wasit?
Then again, every dragon-man who came through the door was incredibly jacked. Either it was natural the muscle required to carry around the dragon frame, only packed into human size or else they spent a lot of time in the gym So, perhapstheywerethatselfishandvainwhenitcametoselectingmates.
There was no wayIwould runscreaming. Ifthe dragonintended to burnme to a crisp medium-rare before he ate me, I wouldfaceithead-on WithwhateverdignityIhadleft Iwouldbestronger Tougherthanthat
Good luck,oneofthemmouthedatme.Igaveherahalf-smile,andthenfollowedthedragonfromtheroom.Behindme,the floorrumbledupward,cuttingmeofffromtheonlyothermembersofmyspecies Wherethefirstfivewomenwere,Ihadno idea.Gone.
NowordswereexchangedasIfollowedalonginthenearperfectdarkness,stumblingovertheunevenfloor,strugglingto keepupwiththemuch, much biggerstridesofthedragon Icouldn’t,however,andfellfartherandfartherbehind
“Youknow,” Isuggested none-too-politely, “ifyou’d like me to do something, youmighttrythis newfangled thingcalled words.Likeanadult.Idon’tknowifdragonsaretelepathicorsomething,butwehumansaren’t,andIhavenoideawhatyou wantmetodo.So,tryspeaking.”
Gold eyelids narrowed to slits, and once more, the scentofbrimstone overwhelmed mynose Swallowingwas abruptly moredifficultthankstothegiantlumpstuckinmythroat.
Nervously, I approached the extended wing, touching the supple yet rigid membranous appendage. Closing my eyes, I offeredupaprayertoanyonelistening,andthenIclimbedon Thewingheldmyweightwithoutanysignofbowingorflexing, soIcontinuedtoclimb.
Warmsunlightbeamed downonthe DragonIsles, as I’d learned theywere called, warmingthe goldenscales enoughto keep me comfortable as we soared highabove the lushgreenland. Inthe distance, the signs ofcivilizationapproached, but mostofwhatweflewoverwasuntouchedwildernessbythelooksofit
Hereandthere,atrail or pathofsortswounditswayaround,butvastfieldsofgreenweremixedwithforestsandrivers andlakes Amountainjuttedupnearthecenter,withalargebuildingperchedononesideofit,visibleevenfromadistance A castleofsomesorts.Itwashardtotellforcertain.
“Where are we going?” Icalled as we approached whatcould onlybe a dragontown or perhaps city. Stone buildings spreadoutbeforeus,streetsandalleyszigzagging,whileseveralmainthoroughfaresprovidedasortofstructuretothechaos Flagswavedinthestiffbreeze,allmannerofcolorandpatternvisible,thoughtheymeantnothingatalltome.
“Foodforus.Clothingforyou,”hesaid,ahintofhumorinhisvoiceasheturnedhislongdragonneckaroundtolookme over Iglanceddownatmybusinesssuit.Ididn’thavemuchinthewayofoptions,norhadIknownwhattoexpect.ButnowthatI wasintheisles,Icouldn’targueitwasapoorchoice.
“I’mtryingtofigureyouout,”Ireplied And maybe trying to check you out some more If I’m honest Wow “What’sthatsupposedtomean?”heaskedabitgruffly.
“Well,”Isaid,tickingoffmyfingersasIspoke.“You’vebeenquiterudetomefromthestart.Barelytalking,nottellingme anything, expectingme to know things I have no reasonto have known, etcetera But thenthe first thingyoudo is take me clothesshopping?”
“Allright,”hesaidslowly,crossinghisarmsoverthathugebarrel-likechest “Please,dotell Explaintomewhattypeof manIam.Whathasyourthirtysecondsofjudgmentshownyou,hmm?Becauseifit’sanythinglikeyourinitialjudgmentofmy people,thenthisoughttobe good ”
Myeyesshotopenathiscausticsarcasm.“Whatthehelldoes that mean?”
“Whenwe firstarrived here and landed,” he said. “Have youforgottenalready? So typical. Verywell, Ishall elaborate. Yousaid,andIquote,‘Idon’tknowwhatIexpected,butitwasn’tthis’Doyouremembernow?”
“Wipe thatlookoffyour face,” he said withmore thana little growl. “Youknow as well as Ido youexpected us to be savages,livinginthewild.Tooprimitivetobecapableofanythingyoumightcall civilization.Don’tbother totrytodenyit either”
AlthoughIwantedtodojustthat,protesthisaccusation,thetruthwashehadmedeadtorights.That was whatI’dexpected ofhimandhispeople,andhe’dcalledmeoutonitrightaway “Okay,”Isaidcalmly.“You’reright.Idid thinkyouandyourpeopleweremorebeastthanman.” Hesnorted.“Ilivedamongyouforyears.Withyourelite.Trustme,ifthere’sabadbatchoutthere,it’samongyour people. Notmine”
Istaredasatall,lithewomanwalkedby,hersoft,supplegarmentswishinginthewind.Itwasquitethegetup,withlayers fallingdownbothherfrontandback Theywerelinkedtogetherwithtwobands,oneacrossherbreasts,theotheraroundher waist. Inoted theywere actuallysewninto the garmentonone side while simplylooped around her bodyonthe other. The vibrantpinkfabricclungtoherskinlikeitwaswetyetflowedlightlyintheair.
Cade shrugged, but he didn’t deny it. How could he? The flags there fluttered limply, less wind making it through the narrowerpathwaysbetweenbuildings Thestonearchitecturewasn’t dirty,precisely,butitcertainlydidn’thavethatpristine naturelikethestonesinthemarketwherewe’dlanded.
Here and there, little chunks ofstone were missing. Windows were covered withplainer cloth, and the doors lacked the ornate,intricatecarvingsthathadbeenahallmarkofeverystoreandhouseinthecenteroftown Garbagedidn’tpileupinthe corners because dragons seemed utterlyagainstthe conceptoflittering, butiftheyweren’t, thatwas certainlythe sectionof towntowitnessit
“No,” he said, stopping suddenly at a door that had once been red but now was more faded into a rust-like mixture of colors. “As a society, we work to ensure nobody stays on the streets if they have nowhere else to go. That doesn’t mean everythingishighclasseither,butwedon’tletourpeopleliveinpoverty,unlikeyou”
“I see,” I said as he pulled the door open, revealinganunlit entryway. The pale beige stone was anythingbut inviting, remindingme far too muchofplaces Ishouldn’tbe visiting, accordingto humansociety. “Sorry, Ididn’trealize Itouched a nervethere.”
“Huh?”
“About poor people,” I said. “I didn’t know youdragons were so highand mightyabout it comparatively. Suchperfect citizensofaperfectnation”
“Don’tlookatmelikethat,”Isaid.“Atleast‘wehumans’don’tpretendlikewedon’trunthespectrumfromgoodtobad. We acknowledge it Youignore it, standingaround, pattingyourselves onthe backfor not lettingpeople live onthe street Whichisinfinitelyeasier,givenyoursmallerpopulationsize,ofcourse,butwewon’tacknowledgethat.”
“We ”
“No, I’m not done,” I said, shaking my head, venting frustrations while also seeking a confirmation of something the governmenthadneverbeenabletonaildown.“I’malsosureyoutreatforeigners exceptionally well.Imean,itisn’tlikeyou tojust,oh,Idon’tknow,upand‘disappear’intruders,right?Peoplewhoaccidentallystrayintoyourterritory”
Cadespun,blockingmypath,hisshoulderswideandintenselyintimidating.Eyesthatwerenaturallycopperglowedwitha radiantfireinthedark,givinghimadecidedlynon-humanlook.Ibackedupastep,abruptlyawareofhowaloneandisolatedI was
To mysurprise, Cade throughhis head backand laughed. “Right. Because itwas my people who kidnapped someone of another race My people who conducted experiments onthemlike theywere a fucking lab rat, pokingand proddingathim, eventhoughhecouldspeaktothem.Absolutelydeplorable.Yourpeopleshouldbeashamedofyourselves.Especiallyyou,in thegovernment,who knew itwashappening.Youknewthetruth, Samantha,andyoudidnothing.Youstayedsilent.So,getoff yourdamnhighhorse,andstopactinglikeyouknoweverythingbecauseyou’resodamnsuperior Becauseyouaren’t” “Youfirst,”Ishotbackhotlyasheopenedadoorandstormedinside.
Before Icouldeventurn,Cade was abruptly there, slidingbetweenme and the door, one armoutstretched to preventme fromgoingtoit Iinhaledsharplyinsurpriseatthespeedofhismovement
Amoment later, mybrainpicked up onthe fact he’d put himself betweenme and whoever was there. It was aninstant change inhis demeanor. Fromarguingto protector withouta beatinbetween. Ilooked up atthe backofhis head, mybrain tryingtoprocesswhatthatallmeantandhowIfeltaboutthat.
ItwasallIcoulddotothinkoveritsbellowinginsistencethatI had tokeepSamanthasafefromwhateverwasontheother sideofthedoor Meanwhile,mylogicalbrainknewwhowasatthedoor Therewasnodangertoeitherofus Notphysically atleast.
Butthebeastwasnotlistening.Itroaredandtwitched,readytodestroyanythingthatevenremotelythreatenedSamantha.A human Anarroganthuman,atthat,whowasjudgingmypeoplewitheverybreath
Toaddtotheconfusion,Iwasstillburningontheinsidefromhavingherastridemyneck,herlegsspreadoneithersideof me Touchingme Ridingme Images ofmanyother things had played throughmymind duringthe flight, and myblood was alreadyheated.
“Cade, open the door now, or I’ll do it myself!You can’t avoid me ” “Andshehasakey,”Samanthasaid.“Ajiltedloveryoudidn’tthinktomention?” “Notatall,”Isaid,teethbared. “No?”
Growlingangrily,Istompedpastherintothebedroomandbeganshovingmyfewbelongingsintoabag.Therewasn’tmuch, unfortunately,soitonlyboughtme a few moments Nottomention,I’dtrappedmyself Samantha now stoodinthe doorway, blockingmywayout.
I blinked rapidly, pulling myself together, trying to get my breathing under control as my cock swelled under my pants, threateningtorevealmybuildingdesiretotakethishumanwomanandshovemyshaftdeepbetweenherlegsuntilhermoans ranginmyearsnonstop.
There was something different in her tone On her face Was she thinking the same? I pondered dropping my back and pushingherbackagainstthewall.Advancingonher,makingmyintentionsclearascrystal,sosheknewIwantednothingmore thantof
“Notquite,”Isaid “Ihaveafewcoinsleft Enoughforustoeatforadayortwo” She swallowed, her tinypinktongue flickingoutto wether lips. Theyglistened witha hintofsaliva, and Ifoughtdown
“Yes It’scalledtheocean,”Idrawledbackinmybestmockingtone “Andincaseyouhaven’tnoticed,thatover there is whatappearstobeastorm.Whichisgettingcloser.”
Ipointed offto the leftflank port? Did dragons use nautical terms, too? Whatdid planes call it? Iwasn’tsure where darkblackstormcloudshadbeenbuildingforsometimeandwerenowrushinginourdirection
Cade was silent I knew he’d heard me because his hearingwas beyond excellent, evenwiththe wind rushingpast and pullingmyvoicewithit.So,eitherhewasn’tgoingtorespondatall,keepingmeinmystery,or “Afamilyestate,”hesaidwithoutlookingbackatme.
Cadebegantodescend.Redirectingmyattentionbelow,Iwaited,eagertogetaglimpseofthisfamilyestate.Icouldonly imagineit.Acountryhouse,Iassumed,giventhesparselypopulatednatureofthatparticularisleasfarasIcouldsee.Perhaps withlawns ofgreenripplingover gentle hills, withfountains and childrenrunningaround, chased bynannies Did dragons havenannies?Andwhatabouthisfamily.WhowasIgoingtomeet?Hisparents?Auntsanduncles?Grandparents,perhaps?A distantbutkindrelative?
Ihadso many questions. Theyalldiedasthehouseitselfcameintoview.
Now I see why he didn’t want to talk about it.
Thehousemighthavebeenabeautifulcountrymanoronceuponatime Butnowitwasboardedshut,withvinesandother overgrowthworkingtoswallowitup.Landthathadveryobviouslybeenclearedoncewasnowbeingrapidlyencroachedon by all sorts of wild bushes, shrubs, trees and more. Fallen trunks of trees were left to lie where they were. Dirt was
