Dragon Shift: Star Light Series, page 6
“No wonder you called me. You’ve got Gage lazing about on the ground.” A man chuckled before kicking Gage across the room.
CHAPTER 8
The man that had busted his way in, all while kicking Gage across my living room. He looked like he meant business, with his short military cut red hair that shined like copper. His perfect mouth was sneered, showing teeth at the guys. He was wearing faded denim jeans and black steel-toed boots with scuffs on top. He was wearing a simple tight black shirt, so his muscles and six-pack were on display. His arms were down by his sides, and he clenched his fists.
"Ian, what's up asshole?" Gage grunted as he pushed himself up off the floor. Vance was by his side, glowering back at the other man.
"It was a mistake to call you. We don't need you for this mission. So, we need you to leave." he grumbled out at the man named Ian.
He only laughed, shaking his head, "Oh, is that what you think? You're not going to leave me out of this. I have every right to go with you." Ian growled as fire erupted from his right fist and flaring up his arm. I gasped at the sight as I had seen nothing like it before, and my conclusion came quick to deciding that he must be a dragon as well.
"You're too hot-headed. Wait until we make sure we know what we’re up agai--" Gage was cutoff.
"Fucking shut it, tin can!" Ian raised his arm up toward the guys.
I was staring wide-eyed and terrified at the man with the flames.
What the fuck do I do?
Frantically looking around my apartment, I didn’t know what the hell I was going to do against a mythical creature? Obviously, he had to be another dragon, like the other two guys. They also seemed less inclined to fight the other man as well. There was a vibrating thrumming sound against my foot, and as I looked down, I saw the scale. Which seemed to glow now and thrumming louder the longer the boys had their shouting match with one another. An idea came to mind, one that could hopefully temporarily knock that guy out. He was too infuriated to be listening to Vance or Gage. So, I devised my plan that I would sneak up on him from behind and touch him with the scale. If it could weaken him by forcing a change, it was my only option to subdue him so my whole place wouldn’t catch on fire.
Sneaking into my kitchen as he seemed oblivious to my existence, I took this opportunity to catch him off guard. With the scale clasped firmly in hand, I shimmied to the wall to glance around the corner, hoping he wouldn't see me.
"Come at me, you fucking pussies!" Ian shouted.
Nope, he's preoccupied.
Quietly, I tiptoed up behind him. With as loud as my heart was pounding right now, it would not surprise me to see him turn around. As I inched closer, he suddenly took a step back, barely missing my foot in the process and knocking me into the wall. Looking around the man, I noticed Gage who was spitting slurs back at him. Vance was trying to calm down the situation before it escalated further. But suddenly his tawny eyes locked with mine and they widened as he noticed where I was.
He then stuttered out, "L-look Ian, let's sit down and we can talk about this. You're right. We need you on our team and we'd be nothing without you."
Ian froze. "What did you just say?"
"What?" Gage flipped his head around at Vance incredulously.
Clearing his throat, he nodded his head again. “I mean it Gage; we shouldn’t leave our brother out of the fight. He deserves to be there with us.” He made a motion towards the couch. Taken aback, Ian watched them both quietly before shrugging his shoulders.
“I knew you’d come to my terms, eventually.” The flames dissipated as he strode over to the couch and as he did, I moved to lunge behind the wall before he caught sight of me.
Right as Ian sat down, "Ah, why don't you have your little mouse come out from hiding. She almost had me back there." leaning back in the chair as he glanced in my direction.
Blood immediately drained from my face, and I was sure I looked like a ghost when I heard him.
We all sat in awkward silence as Gage and Vance sat on either side of me. Neither one refused to sit next to the empty spot beside Ian.
"Are all dragons this aggressive, or is it just you all?" I sighed heavily as I leaned back with my arms crossed.
"Mostly just the males that can be that way..." Vance glanced at me briefly.
"It gets worse when we’re around a mate." Ian waggled his eyebrows at me. His entire demeanor had completely changed. At that moment, he reminded me of a spoiled child that just got their way. I was still highly wary of this new guy that could wield fire and seemed to be one who would come with guns blazing and ask questions later. Rolling my eyes, I ignored him, and he pouted as a smile tugged his lips.
It was feeling like an ongoing event, with all of us sitting on the couches. Vance began discussing our next move, and that we would all meet up at the facility for our duties per usual. He would have Gage watching the cameras on standby with his radio nearby. He could shut the videos down so that Ian could sneak in with us undetected. "Now, if Alyssa doesn't mind that we all just take up a couch here for the night."
All eyes were on me now as they waited for my permission. Letting out a heavy sigh as I stretched with one arm, then wincing from the sore arm as I did so. "That'll be fine. There are some extra blankets and pillows in the hallway closet. Help yourselves." I motioned down the corridor. I left them to arrange their own bedding and began heading down the hallway. There were a few murmurs between them, and Gage slid behind me to make his way around me. My body tensed as his large frame brushed up against me. I was highly aware of the warmth of his body as he pushed past me.
“Sorry.” He cleared his throat, keeping his eyes off me.
My core tingled in response to his closeness. “It’s fine.” Quickly I followed as I moved around him in the hallway to head to my bedroom. Closing the door softly, my heart clamoring to tear out of my chest. So much had happened in a matter of two days, and now I found out that dragons existed. But as presumably hot men that were now about to sleep in my living room.
I have got to be dreaming… and why am I just allowing them to stay?
“I must be going crazy.” I scoffed. Peaches had already taken a spot on the edge of my bed as I crept under the covers so as not to wake her. Evening couldn’t come fast enough, and I was going to get my sister back.
CHAPTER 9
The room was cold, with concrete flooring that was freezing against my bare legs. Wearing only a sheer tattered dress, and my legs covered in bruises with a shackle on each ankle. As I glanced around the room, I realized that this was a cell. A single metal pail sat in the corner of the small jail. My only view through the bars was another cell with someone standing with his arms hanging by chains. Silver glinted in the dim light, with his long dark hair covering his face so I couldn't make out his features. "Where am I?" I spoke only loud enough for him to hear. I didn’t know where I was, and I didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention. When I called out to the man, I didn't know if he was awake or not, as he barely moved from his position.
"Shhhh." came his quick response as his body tensed. His head moved as he seemed to glance back and forth from his cell. "You just woke up from the last treatment. Don't let them hear you or they'll take you away again," he whispered.
"Why? I don't understand what’s happening." I struggled to stand on weak limbs, slipping and causing the chains to rattle.
"Quietly, Liora. Please, for stars sake." the man in the cell pleaded, as his hands were balled into fists. He stiffened suddenly and his eyes filled with worry as they widened now. "Dammit, they're coming." he growled tugging on the chains furiously.
"Who is...." I did not understand why he called me that, and I froze in place as I tried to listen as well. I could hear the heavy footfalls of something large heading in our direction.
"Did they scramble your head this time?" he grunted against the chains again as he pulled harder. His torso was bare, and his muscles drew taut as he strained.
A clanking thud sounded against the bars of the other cells as someone, or something, walked nearer. My heart pounded in my ears. "What do we do?" I scurried back against the wall, and I slid down to the floor as I drew my knees up.
Before the man could respond, a gruesome creature stepped forward into the dim light. It looked like a lizard man with large wide span wings on his back. There was another one behind him, but this one carried a large brass ring of keys in his clawed hand and was much smaller than the bigger one.
"Raziel will be pleased to see she's already awake." He chuckled, lifting the keys up as he sifted through them. “She’s never woken up so early so soon.” The lizard man nodded his head approvingly.
Frantically edging even closer to the wall as the lizard man opened the door to my cell. The man across from me started shouting at him, telling him not to lay a claw on me or he'd rip him apart himself when he was free. This only brought forth a chortle from him, as he didn't take his threat seriously. But who could blame him...he was locked up behind bars and not him.
As the lizard man opened my cell, I heard a voice call out. “Raziel can wait.” A man snarled with blonde locks. Suddenly lightning crackled and flashed in the hallway as the new arrival lunged at the lizard men. He wrapped his hand around the throat of the smaller one, lifting him up off the floor before crashing him against another cell. The impact bent the bars in, and the lizard man began choking up blood.
“Where is he?!” he snarled as he bared his fangs at him. The lizard man whimpered under the assault, “I won’t repeat myself!” the man’s fingers shifted into claws as they tightened around his throat more. With his free hand, he ripped the keys from the monster’s hand, and I heard a loud crack before the lizard man fell lifeless to the floor. The other lizard man’s eyes widened in terror as he turned tail to run back down the hallway.
Panic filled me as I watched the scene. Glancing around the empty cell, I didn’t know what I was going to do if that man came after me next.
"You damn bastard, Jayce. Why are you here?!" the man in the cell across from me suddenly growled at the other one. The blonde man I assumed was known as Jayce snarled at the man in the cell before barreling after the lizard man that escaped. Lightning flashed and crackled, and a cry and thump was heard.
As the man reappeared and approached the cell across from me, “I’m saving your ass, old man.” He hissed as he tried each key until one clicked. Throwing the door open, he slipped inside and began flipping through keys to unlock the bound man.
After he unshackled him, the man fell to his knees with a grunt. He was then smirking, “I’m not much older than you, punk.” On weak legs, he stood. “Jayce, I can’t shift. This collar around my neck will explode the moment I try to tear it off without disarming it first.” He grumbled as he tapped it. The man stumbled out of his cell with the blonde man directly behind him. They both soon reached my cell as he peered in at me. “Liora doesn’t recognize me. They did something to her memory. We have to get her out of here.”
"My memory..." my brows knitted together in frustration. I sure as hell didn’t know what was going on right now. Looking up at the men, my heart stopped in my chest when I realized the long-haired man was Gage. When the fuck did we get into cells? And why in the hell was he calling me Liora?
“I’ll get her out, I’m still whole compared to you.” Jayce replied sadly as he moved further into the cell toward me. He wiped his hands on his pants before reaching a handout to me as he smiled softly, “Come with me, you’re safe now.”
Hesitantly, I reached for his outstretched hand. Unsure of why I was here and what was going on as they came to rescue me. As I slowly reached my hand out to him, the world began spinning. Throwing me down into an infinite spiral of darkness. I heard my name being shouted as I fell, however; it wasn’t my name but had a familiar feeling to it as they called.
Suddenly, there was a tiny glimmer before me as the spiraling stopped. It was freezing as goosebumps flared all over my bare arms. The light grew closer, glowing brighter as I neared it.
It was the scale.
My eyes narrowed curiously as I heard and felt the thrumming coming from it. The shiny scale they said belonged to a healer dragon. Without realizing it, I had already picked up it. Holding it in the palm of my hand. The thrumming so loud it vibrated through my skin, spreading up my arm to my aching shoulder where my arm had been dislocated. There was a warm sensation, and the pain slowly ebbed away.
The light dimmed as my eyelids became heavy, my body suddenly grown weary as I fell to the floor.
CHAPTER 10
A loud crashing noise startled me awake from my new position on the floor. I was tangled up in my bed covers with an angry feline on top of my chest. Laying on my back, I heard a soft tapping at my door. Struggling to shake the blankets off me and getting an irritable hiss from Peaches as she jumped back to the bed. A small shiny object unraveled from the covers to fall to the floor. As I finally maneuvered out of my trap, staring at me right in my face was the damned dragon scale.
I don't remember taking it to bed with me. Why would I do that, anyway?
I recalled the dream and how it took the pain away from my injured shoulder. Fear and confusion struck me as I lifted my arm to test it out. Stopping halfway, I laughed. This was ridiculous. There was no way that thing could have healed me, and even in my dreams, no less. Lifting my arm completely up, my eyes widened in surprise. How in the hell...there was no way that could have happened to me?
Before I could do any more testing, the tapping at the door sounded again. Yanking my blanket off the floor, I threw it to my bed as I also picked up the scale that sat idly in my hand. No thrumming or vibrating came from it this time. So, I took it and tossed it in the drawer of my bedside table. Not caring about appearances, I opened the door just a crack. Vance stood outside my door, his hands in pockets as a trail of smoke emitted from his mouth. The potent scent of smoky cedar filled my nostrils. It wasn't unpleasant but still so odd to see him doing it without a cigarette or e-cig in hand.
"You know smoking's bad, right?" I mused.
Vance seemed to startle as his tawny brown eyes furrowed questioningly before his mouth formed into a toothy smile.
"Bad habit." he chuckled softly. Wearing a tight-fitting gray tank top that strained over his broad shoulders, and over a pair of gray sweats, my eyes roamed lower, and I thanked God for whoever came up with them. His eyes were half-lidded when I glanced back up to his face. Finally realizing that I was just practically eyeing the man from head to toe and not as discreetly as I had hoped.
"So... can I help you, Vance?" I blushed.
"I heard something fall. Are you alright?"
"Oh, that. Yea, I just fell out of the bed." I laughed halfheartedly. He leaned in toward the door, with his shoulder against the door frame.
He glanced inside curiously, "Is there someone else in here with you?"
"W-what? No?"
Vance moved forward as I stepped back, to give him more space to move into the room. His nostrils flared as a furl of smoke emitted from his mouth again, his eyes scanning the room as he searched.
"Um...really. There's no one in here, Vance." I reached out to pat his arm to reassure him. I hissed as I flinched back after my hand touched his skin. There was an electrical shock which caused him to snap his attention back to me. I nearly gasped out loud when I saw that his normal tawny eyes were nearly black pools, and I could barely make out his pupils that were now catlike. Suddenly, he moved forward, gently grabbing my arms. Pulling me close to his chest as he leaned down toward the crevice of my neck. He brushed my hair out of the way as he held me closer. Shuddering from the warmth of his breath as he inhaled my scent. His grip tightened on me as I could feel him moving up, his breath tickling against my skin as he inched closer toward my mouth.
“Kiss me.” He purred as he hovered above me, waiting for my invitation. I slowly pulled away, but he pulled me in tight, not letting me escape.
“Kiss me.” Vance repeated as he growled out this time, with hunger in his eyes as his grip squeezed intently. As I gave in to his demand, I smashed my mouth against his without a second thought. He returned the kiss forcefully, pressing his whole body into mine as he led me over to the bed. We both fell over onto the mattress as Vance held himself above me, with his mouth blazing hot against mine. I nipped gently at his lips before he lashed his tongue out to slide inside my mouth to dance with mine. When Vance suddenly caught my tongue with his teeth, and I moaned into his mouth. He slid his hand up my thigh to the waistband of my pants as he yanked them over my bottom. I pulled at his shirt as I tried pulling it over his head. But I couldn’t get it off fast enough, and he growled before pulling away to rip it off.
“I guess you didn’t need that.” I grinned before I let out a yelp as he pounced over me. Vance wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into his lap as he moved us to lean against the headboard of my bed. I was soon straddling him as I trailed my hands over his bare chest and down his stomach.
I gasped at the coldness of his hand as he slipped under my shirt and cupped my breast. His eyes never left mine as he lifted the shirt to expose my hard nipple as he licked his tongue out over it. My hands trailed further to the top of his sweatpants, and he grabbed my wrist gently as he lifted my hand up toward his mouth.
