Vykor Read online

  “No! This is insane. You’re insane. I’m not going anywhere with you.” She hated the way her voice quavered and cracked. Why couldn’t she be stronger than this?

  “Leave her.” Vykor’s voice was louder now. “I’ll go, but only if you leave her here where it’s safe. You only need one hostage. Take me.”

  “I don’t have time to fuck around.” John took two steps and grabbed her by the wrist, yanking her toward him. She screamed and stumbled into him, accidentally kicking him as she tried to regain her balance.

  “Bitch!” John snarled, and there was a flash of metal, followed by a blinding flash of light and a terrible sound that deafened her. Something slammed into her like an invisible fist, and she crumpled to the ground. Agony tore through her but she didn’t even have the breath to scream as a terrible darkness rose up and swallowed her whole. No! I don’t want to die. I want to stay with Vykor.

  The bastard shot Lily.

  Vykor bellowed, giving voice to his fury and grief. He charged at John, but as he ran another presence roared to life inside him, taking over his mind and changing his body into something else. Something new. A dragon.

  “Protect!”

  The beast was dominant, too full of rage and pain for him to control, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was Lily. He wrapped her in a protective bubble of magic, lifting her onto his back even before the transformation was complete. He shielded her with his wings, protecting her from the shredding metal of the container as he tore through it, and from the bullets that bounced off his skin as the men with John opened fire.

  Fire. His dragon roared in agreement. They stepped out of the shattered remains of the steel shell that had been their prison, then turned and sent a blast of white-hot fire at the wreckage. Within seconds, the area was nothing but molten metal and ash, including the men who had hurt his sadina.

  “We protect,” the dragon rumbled inside his mind.

  “You were too slow. We failed,” Vykor snarled. “Where were you?”

  “Trapped. Your walls. Your prison.”

  He didn’t understand. What walls?

  Hanna’s voice, shrill with worry, cut through the air. “Hey, dragon! What the hell did you do to my friend?”

  The human female stood beside Jet. They both looked tiny to him now. He could swat them away with a single swipe of his tail.

  “No,” he told the dragon. “We don’t hurt our friends.”

  He raised his head, the beast snorting in irritation at Hanna’s question – and possibly Vykor’s attempt to restrain him. He spread his wings so they could see Lily draped across his back.

  “Vykor, welcome to the skies,” Karos’ voice sounded inside his mind, startling him.

  “Brother!” his dragon responded to Karos before he could.

  “It is safe to leave. Are you all unhurt?” Karos asked.

  “Lily is hurt.”

  If it was safe to leave, then it was time to get Lily out of here.

  “Protect,” his dragon agreed, and once again the creature took control, turning his head to face the wall of the warehouse. A blast of cold flowed from his jaws, coating everything it touched with a thick layer of frost. The crystalline sound of ice cracking filled the air, and he spun, slamming his tail against the wall. It gave way beneath the force of the blow, and he took a moment to marvel at his own strength. This was why his people feared the destructive power of an uncontrolled dragon.

  He moved through the hole he’d made, careful to keep Lily sheltered from the shattered edges of the gap and the waves of cold that poured off the rubble. Once outside the scents of death grew stronger. He hadn’t taken an active part in the war that had almost destroyed the Romaki civilization, but he’d been close enough to some of the battles to remember the smell. Now his senses were enhanced, the odours hit him even harder. Fire, gun smoke, blood, and death filled his senses, a sickening miasma he’d never forget.

  Two dragons hurtled toward them, the smaller one wobbling slightly as it approached. It struck the ground hard, lost its balance, and went crashing into a nearby warehouse with an impact that shook the ground beneath his feet.

  “My mate is unused to flying,” Karos explained through their link, a trace of amusement and pride in his words.

  “Mate?” It would seem the Gods were up to more than their usual mayhem.

  “We have much to discuss.” There was a pause before Karos added. “Have you seen your dragon form, yet?”

  “No.” He swung his head around to look at himself, and nearly stumbled over his own feet in shock. He was neither red, nor blue. By Solun’s frosty beard, he was purple!

  Time flew by in a frantic blur for a time. He’d shifted forms and the power of the dragon had receded. The creature still paced in the back of his mind - a barely restrained force fuelled by need and worry for their mate.

  He hadn’t thought to dress after the shift, but Karos had taken care of it, wrapping him and Lily in blankets as Vykor carried her to safety.

  Pyrosian medics worked on Lily, speaking in a shorthand he didn’t understand. He recognized the tone beneath the words, though. They were worried.

  He held fast to her hand, refusing to be parted from her. He should have done more to protect her. Gods, he should have claimed her last night and hoped that even without the manifestation of his dragon, the claiming would have been enough to make her Romaki.

  Guilt tore through him, along with growing anger. The Gods had finally gifted him with a dragon’s spirit. Why now? And why hadn’t it come in time to protect the female they’d chosen for him? Was he still being punished?

  He gripped her hand tighter. He couldn’t lose her. If the Pyrosians couldn’t save her, he’d do it himself, even if he didn’t have her permission.

  Cupcake leaned against his legs and whined softly, as if she understood Vykor’s thoughts. The big dog had appeared just as Vykor had shifted forms and hadn’t left his side since.

  “She’s going to be okay, girl. I’ll make sure of it.” He reached down to rub one of Cupcake’s ears.

  “That animal really shouldn’t be here,” someone commented sourly.

  Vykor glowered at the male. “She’s not going anywhere, and neither am I. Lily is my mate. Do you understand?”

  The male’s gold eyes widened in sudden understanding. “I see. Just…try to stay out of our way, please. But don’t let go. She needs to know you’re here.”

  He nodded. “Can you heal her?”

  The medic started to nod, then stopped. “I honestly don’t know. Her injuries are very serious.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, then added, “Your species has tremendous healing powers. Given her condition, I’m assuming you haven’t claimed her, yet?”

  “No. But if you can’t save her, I will.” Even if she never forgave him for it.

  Consent was an integral part of Romaki matings. The Gods might be the ones to make the matches, but it was important that everyone was in agreement before things progressed. If he claimed Lily, he’d be doing more than changing her marital status without permission. He’d be changing her identity. She wouldn’t be human any longer. She’d be Romaki, subject to the laws and pressures of a species she’d never known, and one he didn’t want any part of.

  Chapter Seven

  It felt like an eternity passed as he stood by her, but it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes. The medical staff worked frantically, but in the end, they backed away from the table and looked at him, their expressions grim. “If we were back at the embassy we could have done more, but we’re not, and she’s too weak to survive the journey. If you think you can save her, do it now.”

  “Ours. Protect. Claim!” his dragon sounded almost frantic.

  “Yes.” He bent over her still, broken form, cradling her head in one arm. Her too-pale face was spattered with blood, and he took a moment to kiss her brow. “Forgive me, sadina. But I cannot live without you.”

  Then he shifted her in his arms, her head falling to one si
de, her throat exposed. He summoned his dragon and they claimed her together, his fangs tingling as they sank into her flesh. Magic – his magic – flowed into her, a dizzying sensation that cumulated in one unforgettable moment when their souls bonded, tying them together for the rest of their lives.

  He stayed where he was, holding her to him as he watched her face for signs of life. “Come back to me, Lily. Your brother can’t hurt you anymore. I saw to that. It’s time to wake up. You’re stronger than he ever was, and I’ve made you stronger, still. Wake up, my razdi. I need you.”

  She stirred, and the machines monitoring her life signs started showing green lights instead of red. One by one the alarms stopped. He didn’t look away from her face. He didn’t need to see the wound close over to know what was happening, he could feel it. She was healing.

  All around them beings sighed with relief tinged with wonder. The Pyrosians had magic of their own, but it was nothing like the power wielded by the Romaki.

  Her eyes fluttered open slowly, and then she smiled. It was a tiny twist of her lips, but to him, it was the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen.

  “Hi,” her voice wasn’t more than a rusty croak.

  “Hello, razdi. Welcome back.”

  Beside them, Cupcake gave a happy bark, standing on her hind legs, paws on the stretcher so she could see Lily.

  “We’re safe?”

  “We are. All three of us.”

  “And I’m not dead. That’s a definite plus.” She lifted her head and stared down at her now uninjured body. “But I was shot, right? I didn’t imagine that asshole shooting me, or the universe of ouch that came with it?”

  “He shot you. I killed him. He won’t hurt you ever again.” He didn’t try to keep the smugness out of his words. Killing John had been a highlight in his day.

  “I remember bits of it.” She frowned. “I got shot. Passed out. But then later, I was up in the air. On a… dragon?” Her violet eyes rounded in surprise. “You manifested your dragon!”

  “Too slowly to protect you. I’m sorry about that.” He’d failed her twice. If he’d protected her the first time, he wouldn’t have been forced to convert her without consent.

  “But he’s no threat now. He’s really dead?”

  “Very.” The seconds after his transformation weren’t very clear, but he had a vague recollection of stomping John into paste. The male was dead even before he’d melted their prison to slag.

  “So, the bastard shot me. But I’m not shot now?” She looked around at the medical equipment and the Pyrosians, who were all stepping back to give them as much privacy as they could. “How?”

  He told her the truth, hoping that somehow, she’d forgive him. “When the medics couldn’t save you, I did. I’m not proud of what I did. It’s not the way it should be done. I bound our souls together without permission. I stole a precious moment that should have been shared, but I had to do it. I couldn’t live without you, sadina.”

  She stared up at him, her eyes wide with understanding. “You claimed me so I could heal.”

  “I did. Can you forgive me? I will make it up to you however you wish. Anything you desire. You deserved better.”

  She laughed, sweet, silvery peals of delight that swept away his doubts and worries like a soft spring rain cleared away the last snows of winter. “Forgive you for what? For saving my life? For making me into a dragon? I am a dragon, right? If you’re one, then I must be. I told you the Gods didn’t abandon you. Ha! Take that, nasty priests!”

  She pumped a fist in the air, then froze, her gaze locked on her bare arm. “I uh… don’t appear to be wearing much clothing.”

  “Neither of us are.” He hadn’t even noticed, but he was still wearing nothing but the blanket Karos had conjured for him.

  “Can you fix that?” She waved one hand in the air. “You know, bitty-bobbity-poof?”

  Frost and Flame, he adored her. Barely recovered from injuries that could have ended her life, and she was already joking and laughing.

  He gestured at her gore-streaked body “Would you like to clean up, first?”

  “Ew! Yes. I’m a mess.”

  “I think you are amazing.”

  She snorted and scrubbed a hand over her stomach. “Yeah, an amazing mess. This is not the way I imagined you’d be seeing me naked for the first time.”

  Heat streaked through him, and the fires of the rux roared back to life in a heartbeat.

  “No? What did you imagine?”

  “Less blood, for one thing. And no audience.”

  Audience. Right. He fought through the lust fogging his brain. Now was not the time to lose control. He’d have her alone soon, but this wasn’t the time or place. He’d take her to the mountains, love her, and then they could both learn all they could about their new natures.

  “We can help you get cleaned up.” A Pyrosian female offered. He noted that all of the males had left the immediate area. Wise of them. Now that the danger had passed, he wouldn’t tolerate another male near Lily.

  “Ours,” his dragon stated.

  “We’re going to have to work on your vocabulary. Maybe try more than one word at a time?”

  The beast replied with a sense of pure disdain. “Later. Now we claim.”

  “Soon,” he retorted.

  This time the reply was accompanied by a trace of amusement. “Also one word.”

  Wonderful. After years of waiting, he’d finally manifested a dragon – and he was already giving him attitude.

  Lily knew she should be more concerned about things. Her friends, her near-death experience, her new status as a married – or mated – woman, the fact she’d changed freaking species while she was unconscious. Not to mention that while she’d sort of wrapped her head around the fact she was mated to Vykor, now she had to deal with the fact he was a freaking dragon! Any or all of those items really deserved her attention, but she couldn’t focus on any of it. Not for long.

  Vykor commanded all of her attention, and she was enjoying herself too much to fight it. He’d stayed by her side as she cleaned herself up with some help from a Pyrosian woman with the most beautiful golden eyes. Once she felt close to normal, he’d created clothing for them both. It was sumptuously soft, almost like velvet. The pants were loose-fitting but comfortable, and the shirt was almost bohemian in style, long and flowing. She loved it, especially the colour – violet.

  “To match your eyes,” he’d told her as he’d lifted her into his arms. His outfit was similar to hers, but he’d chosen midnight blue for himself. They both wore slip-on type boots with warm fur lining. He hadn’t conjured underwear for her, and the luxurious fabric caressed her bare skin with every step she took.

  She could see the changes in him already. He was more confident, his smile broader, his movements bolder. He was harder, too. Like a blade that had been forged in the hottest of flames. He was still her Vykor, though. Thoughtful, tender, and attentive. At least, she hoped he was.

  “You ready to see the others?” he asked while they were still alone. “If it’s too much, I can take you away right now and we’ll talk to them later.”

  “I want to see them. I need to. I won’t believe they’re alright until I see it for myself. Plus, I need to make sure they know I wasn’t part of this.” That was the part she dreaded the most. What if they thought she’d betrayed their trust? John was one of the most convincing liars she’d ever known. Plus, they were both mated now. What if their mates didn’t believe she was innocent? Karos and Jet didn’t know her, and they had every reason to suspect she was in on it.

  “They’re your friends. You should have seen how worried they were about you while you were unconscious. Believe me, they know you had no part in what happened. We all know better than that.” He looked down. “Right girl?”

  Cupcake wagged enthusiastically. The dog was as smitten with Vykor as she was.

  “Then let’s do this.”

  He carried her around the corner, and she spotted her frien
ds. Both of them started running toward her, beaming and calling her name.

  Relief hit her and she waved like mad. “I’m okay, it was merely a flesh wound!” Monty Python’s Holy Grail was one of Hanna’s favourite movies and she knew they’d get the joke.

  They crowded around her, both of them talking and hugging her at once, which wasn’t easy given Vykor still held her.

  “What happened?” Megan’s query was the first clear question she heard. “Who hurt you?”

  The question triggered a surge of emotion far stronger than she’d been expecting, blasting through the fog of lust and contentment that had shielded her until now. Shame, sadness, and anger flowed out of her along with a torrent of tears. “It was John. He did this. I’m so sorry, Hanna. I didn’t know. I swear, I didn’t know anything about this. I didn’t even know he was part of this stupid group until he walked into my cell.”

  Hanna took her hand and squeezed it tight. “I know. John used you.”

  “I didn’t tell him a thing!” Lily’s voice rose. “I told my mom about your necklace because I thought it was a cool gizmo. I never told her I had one, too. I didn’t want her to worry about why I might need such a thing. I never thought she’d tell anyone. This is all my fault. I’m so sorry.”

  Megan took her other hand and gripped it just as tightly as Hanna was. “You weren’t the one who gassed us, or who told your asshole brother we were coming. Kyle did that. But you did find a way to get your tracker outside the walls so we could find you. How’d you do that, anyway?”

  “Cupcake. She’s my brother’s dog. I managed to slip my tracker onto her collar. I hoped that when they took her for a walk, you’d get the signal.” She beamed. “It worked, didn’t it?”

  “It did. Good thinking.” Megan grinned back at her, and she knew that everything would be alright. Things might have changed for all of them, but Megan and Hanna were still her friends.