Page 39 of Red Fire
Safe? Hah!
I don’t think so. Alarm bells go off. I roll my eyes. Safe, my ass.
“No!” Creed says. “She will do nothing of the sort.”
“Since when are you in charge?” he snarls.
“I don’t want you or anyone else. I want to be left alone. I want to go home!” I shout. “Go away! You’re scaring me.” I push myself against Creed’s back.
“That isn’t going to happen, little one. You are too precious to us, like gold and jewels. I am strong. I will protect you and provide for your every need. You will be happy. You will warm my bed, and in return, I will give you great pleasure and many whelps to fill your belly. You will—”
You will.
You will.
You will.
What a wonderful life I’d have with this asshole.
The big black dragon growls menacingly, big globs of saliva drip from its maw. Smoke wafts all around us. There are cracking noises and within half a second flat, the creature has shifted.
He is a beast, both in his dragon and his human forms. My eyes pop out of my skull, just looking at him.
“You can’t claim her. She is mine!” the newcomer says in a voice that is too deep to be human; he beats his chest with both fists, reminding me of a caveman. The guy has blond hair and a big, golden beard. He’s huge, just as big as Creed, maybe biggerin stature. His eyes are a bright blue. They’re cold. I don’t like him one bit.
“I was here first, Tank. You can fuck off. I already laid claim,” the shaggy black-haired guy says.
One of the other dragons shifts his weight. The other snarls, sounding upset.
Tank roars, sounding like a lion. He shifts back into his dragon form. So does the blue one. They go at each other in a fury of claws, scales, and fire. The ground shakes beneath their weight as they clash, sending shockwaves rippling through the jungle. Creed stands protectively in front of me, his eyes fixed on the battling dragons.
Tank and the blue dragon are locked in one hell of a struggle, each one unleashing their full power in an attempt to overpower the other. Claws rake against scales, teeth gnash, and fire erupts from their gaping maws in bursts of searing heat.
“Listen carefully,” Creed says to me, keeping his eyes on the fighting beasts. “If I am forced to shift, you need to move away to a safe distance. Stay near enough for me to keep my eye on you, but not so close that you are in danger. Try not to run. You will trigger the hunting instinct. If you are caught… Just don’t do it. Rather, stand your ground.”
“Like we were taught to do with grizzlies?” My voice is shrill.
“Yes, just like that. They won’t hurt you on purpose. They want you alive.”
On purpose.
Crap. This is bad.
I nod too many times. “O-okay. I c-can do that. How are we going to g-get out of this?” I’m freaking out.
“I don’t know.”
No! No!
I had hoped for something. Even a crazy plan is better than no plan. I need to come up with one, and fast. I’m still getting nothing from my panicked brain.
The black dragon tears the wing off the blue one and then leaps onto him, ripping into flesh and bone. It isn’t long before the blue one lies still in a puddle of blood.
The ebony beast shifts. He is covered in blood. It drips from his mouth and beard. His hands are dripping, too. There are splashes all over his chest and legs. It’s a gruesome scene.
“Who else dares challenge me? The female is mine,” his voice booms.
One of the dragons roars, but when Tank turns and glares at him, he cowers.