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CHAPTERNINE
Amira drifted slowly out of the clouds to the ground below, landing as silently as possible in a cluster of trees, with Karma, Draco, and Evalena dropping down behind her. They’d followed the dragon for over two hours before he finally stopped at what looked like an old warehouse. Toward the end, she didn’t think he was going to make it. Blood dripped from his throat, the wounds too ragged and deadly to heal on their own. His head hung down low, his body seeming to drag in the sky, and he’d slowed down significantly from the pace he started out at. He was weak, sluggish, and she highly doubted he was going to last much longer.
Her gaze roamed over the warehouse, her heart hammering inside her chest as she wondered if Rylan was inside. She couldn’t scent anyone except for those around her and the dragon who was fading rapidly as he stumbled over to a door on the side of the building. He groaned as he collapsed on the ground, his huge body shuddering uncontrollably as he initiated his shift. Soon he was lying naked on the grass, blood slipping down his neck to land on the ground below him.
Let’s have some fun, her dragoness purred, what passed for an evil grin appearing in Amira’s mind, showing off her large, lethal teeth.
A rumble of pleasure came from her throat, and Amira glanced beyond the man who was clearly dying. Just for a second. We need to get to Rylan.
Suddenly, a perfect vision of Karma in her dragoness form appeared in quadruple, coming from the building and moving closer and closer until he could almost touch them.
“What the hell?” the man rasped, trying to push himself away from the illusion, but it just kept following him as he slowly moved over the grass. “Get away from me!”
Amira raised her head, her eyes on the clouds above, where another dragon appeared. It was Draco, his scales bright blue in color, with a light green, iridescent shimmer over the top of them. He dove toward the ground at breakneck speed, pulling up right before slamming into the bastard who was now screaming hoarsely, clutching at his mangled throat. He raised his hands as if to ward off the dragons who were now surrounding him, waves of terror pouring off of him.
“Do me! Do me!” Evalena squealed in excitement, and Amira glanced over to see the dragoness shifted and standing beside her in human form, grinning widely.
Well, don’t keep the little dragoness waiting, her animal teased. Let’s do this, and then get to our mate.
Shaking her head, Amira concentrated on the air around the asshole dragon, where suddenly three Evalena’s popped up, dancing over the top of him. She was a beautiful, light gray color with a bright blue overlay, and was currently threatening to tear the man’s stomach open with her claws as she hovered over him.
Deciding she was done with the fun after a moment, Amira sent the illusions spinning as one around the dragon as she began to shift. It took her less than a minute to change, and then she was stalking through the trees that surround the warehouse, ignoring the sticks and rocks that dug into the soles of her feet, along with the fact that she was naked for all to see.
She stopped beside the male who had stolen her man and hurt her cub, glaring down at him as she growled, “Where is he?”
“Don’t know who you are talking about,” he gasped as blood seeped from his neck. His eyes were wide, and he was fighting for breath, something he wouldn’t have to do much longer. Soon, there would be no breath to fight for.
Her eyes narrowed on where he held tightly to his throat, Amira said, “It’s impressive you are still alive. Let me fix that for you.”
“Fuck you,” he snarled, glaring at her as he bared his fangs.
Amira heard the door open behind her, and swung around in one swift movement, easily grabbing the gun the guard held pointed at her, and turning it on him before pulling the trigger. As he fell, she slid a knife from a pocket on the side of his pants and then was back by the bastard she really wanted to see die. The blade bit into his neck, severing most of it, and she got the rest on the second swipe across.
“Damn,” she heard Draco mutter as he appeared with Evalena and Karma.
“Only way to make sure he isn’t coming back,” Amira stated dispassionately, wiping the knife on the pants of the guard she’d taken out first. Grabbing his gun, she rose and headed for the door.
“We need to wait for Zev and the others.”
“You wait, I’m going in.”
“Dammit, Amira, my mate will be pissed if we go in without him. We wait.”
Have to get in there. Now!
“Sorry, Karma, but that’s not going to happen.”
Something was pushing her to get inside that building. She couldn’t stand by right now. Was physically unable to stand there and wait.
“Amira! We have no clothes. No weapons.”
Go!
“Not true. I have a gun and a knife.” Amira glanced back at the woman, “And I am a weapon, clothes or not.”
Not waiting for a response, Amira yanked open the door and brought the gun up, quickly scanning the area. She walked into a large, open room with a concrete floor, void of people. Stopping, she listened carefully as she inhaled deeply.
I smell blood.
Me too, Amira whispered as she made her way across the room and then started down a long hall. There were several doors on each side of the hall, all with small windows she could peek through, before she opened each door quickly to clear the rooms.
Hurry, Amira!
I’m trying!
She could only move so fast without shoes, and as much as she didn’t want to admit it, she was slightly self-conscious running around barefoot without any clothes on. She was a shifter and should be comfortable with nudity in front of others, but she was always alone. Always. No one saw her naked. She didn’t like it.
There’s a lab coat, you freaking pansy, her dragon growled. Put it on and lets move!
Fuck off, Amira spat as she grabbed the white coat from a hook by the door of one of the rooms and slipped it on, quickly buttoning the three buttons in the front, before racing to the next room. The scent of blood increased the closer she got to the end of the hall, and suddenly she was standing outside the last door, looking in through the small window to see cages lining the back wall. They looked like cells with thick bars on the front, sides, and top, but were shorter, so there was no way one would be able to stand in them if in human form.
Opening the door, she raked her eyes around the room, before quickly crossing over to the cages. One held a black leopard, one a small fox, and the last one… a gorgeous golden colored lion with black throughout its mane and tail. Blood was matted on his fur, and his breathing was coming in shallow spurts. The scent of his pain engulfed her, and she had to stop herself from crying out in rage.
Mate. He’s hurting so much.
She’d known it had to be Rylan, but having her dragoness confirm that he was their mate almost brought her to her knees in agony. Walking over in front of him, she knelt down, blinking rapidly to fight back tears.
“Rylan?” When he didn’t lift his head, or even open his eyes, she whispered, “Rylan, can you hear me? Please, look at me.”
His eyes slowly opened, and his blurry gaze seemed to instantly lock on the white lab coat she was wearing. A low growl emerged, his top lip raising to show his impressive fangs.
“Rylan, please. Look at me. It’s me. Amira.”
The deep, rumbling growl lessened slightly, but didn’t leave as he raised his head, cocking it to the side as he studied her.
“I need to get you out of here, mate.” Amira glanced over at the other shifters, taking in the way the fox was cowering away from her, whereas the leopard was baring his teeth in challenge, as if she were the enemy. She didn’t blame him. She was wearing what he probably saw on all the people who had harmed him since he was brought there. “Don’t worry, you are both safe now, and we won’t leave you here. I promise.”
“You aren’t going anywhere.”
Amira stiffened, her gaze meeting Rylan’s before she slowly stood and turned to face the two men who had somehow made it into the room without her knowing. Where the hell had they come from? She’d thought she swept the entire building, but she must have missed something somewhere. She held her hands out to the side, one grasping the knife, the other the gun. She could hear the vicious growls of her mate, but she kept her focus on the threat in front of her.
“No?” she said, arching an eyebrow. “You think you can keep me here?”
“You won’t be walking out of here alive,” one of them said confidently as he let his eyes roam over her, taking in her lack of clothes under the lab coat she wore. “Of course, maybe we could strike a deal.”
Yeah, and maybe we could just gut them both now and get our mate the hell out of here.
I do like your option better.
“Where the hell are her shoes?” the youngest male asked in confusion. “Shit, do you have anything on under that thing?”
A slow grin tilted up the corners of Amira’s mouth, and she gave a casual shrug. “It’s hard to carry clothes when you’re flying somewhere.”
“Fly?” The man’s eyes bugged out of his head. “As in the air? With wings? You’re one of them?”
“Yes, sweetheart, I am. And today is your lucky day.”
“Oh yeah?” the other man drawled, his eyes darkening as they raked over her again. “And why’s that?”
“Because, after coming in here and seeing blood all over my fucking mate, I really want to shift and let my dragoness tear you apart, limb by limb. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to play. I’m more worried about him right now, so your deaths will be quick.”
