Red Captive (The Dragon Tributes Book 6), page 1
RED CAPTIVE
THE DRAGON TRIBUTES: BOOK 6
CHARLENE HARTNADY
Copyright © October 2024 by Charlene Hartnady
Cover Art by Melody Simmons
Copy Edited by Brigitte Billings
Proofread by Ash P Reads Editing Services
Beta reader - Shelley Charlton
Produced in South Africa
charlene.hartnady@gmail.com
Red Captive is a work of fiction and characters, events and dialogue found within are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, either living or deceased, is purely coincidental.
Created with Vellum
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Excerpt of Lord of the Fire
About the Author
Also by Charlene Hartnady
1
Jen
I’m stone-cold sober, which is unfortunate but necessary since I have a big day tomorrow. Huge!
It could be the day I die.
I’m no longer buzzing from the wine I consumed earlier. I was enjoying the fun banter and the warmth running through my veins. It helped me relax. Helped me forget. I’ve done that too much lately, allowed myself to relax, to enjoy the moment. I’ve allowed myself to forget, and it’s wrong. I need to face my responsibilities. I need to get home. Cold, hard reality is setting in.
I could die tomorrow. What then? I’m not worried about myself.
The same thought keeps running through my head, and it won’t stop. I have this terrible feeling that something bad is going to happen to me, and I can’t shake it. There’s a chance that I won’t make it through the mind-bond attempt. So far, several people have died. We have to face dragons. Blood-thirsty, fire-breathing, untamable dragons. From what I’ve heard, they’re killers. Every last one of them. They’re wild and unpredictable, liable to lash out for no reason. And by lash out, I mean kill. Incinerate. Flatten. Murder.
I shiver as I open the door to the bungalow, even though it isn’t cold outside. Hunter walks out ahead of me, turning as soon as she’s through the entryway. She’s the last to leave our little reunion that could very well be my farewell. My last dinner. Arghhhh! I need to stop.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” Hunter says, sounding happy. She looks happy, and I’m glad for her.
Then her words register. “Why?” I snicker; it’s coming from a place of nervous energy rather than out of humor. “I hate to tell you this, my friend, but you’ve already mind-bonded a dragon. You won’t be joining us tomorrow. Not only did you mind-bond, you’re a… What did you call it?” I frown.
“A Seren.” Hunter smiles.
“Yes, that. You have the ability to bond with multiple dragons at once.”
“Trust me, it isn’t as fun as it sounds.” She levels me with a stare. “I’ll see you at breakfast before you leave for your attempt.”
I shake my head. “There’s no way I’ll be able to eat a thing.” I feel slightly ill from all the sushi I consumed. I haven’t eaten that much…in a very long time. It might be my last supper… No! I need to stop that kind of thinking. I’ve always been a positive, glass-half-full kind of person, and I’m not stopping now.
I will get home.
I will live.
“You’re coming to breakfast, and you’re eating something, even if it’s just fruit. We have a great selection of fruit on the island, the likes of which you’ve never seen before. Besides, you need to keep your strength up; you’re going to need it.”
My eyes widen. “For in case I need to run or to fight.”
“Never run!” Hunter narrows her eyes on me. “Never show aggression to a dragon, either. You know the rules.”
I suck in a deep breath. “I do.” I nod. “There will be no need for running. I will stand my ground.”
“Exactly. You need your strength because mind-bonding can take it out of a person. Especially the first few times you do it.” She grins at me.
I sigh. “I don’t want to mind-bond, Hunter. I love being here on the island. I love the adventure. I love how I’ve met new people and made new friends, but I have to go home. I can’t stay.”
Hunter’s gaze softens. “Your mom needs you.”
“And my little brother. I can’t just abandon them.” My eyes prick with tears. “I just can’t.”
“I know.” Hunter puts her arms around me. “It’s shitty how you have so much responsibility at such a young age.”
“It is what it is,” I tell her. “I’ve had so much fun. I’ve loved being here more than I thought I would. I loved meeting you and becoming your friend…but…I have to leave.”
Her eyes start to glitter in the moonlight. “That’s so freaking sweet.” Her shoulders slump. “I really hope you get to go home, but I will miss you if you do.” She makes a sad face for a few beats.
Or if I die.
I shake my head, trying to dislodge the thought. I can’t die. I’m needed back home.
We hug for a few seconds before pulling apart.
“Let’s not speak of goodbyes just yet because we’ll see you at breakfast,” Hunter says, giving me a look that tells me she’s coming to fetch me if I don’t listen.
I nod a few times. “Yes, I’ll be there.” I watch as she walks away, turning to wave like a crazy person.
I wave back, my mouth pulling up at the corners, even though I don’t have too much to smile about.
I go back inside and get ready for bed. Ten minutes later, I’m crawling under the covers. There is no way I’m sleeping tonight. I’m too wound up.
I consider turning on the television but decide against it. Instead, I choose to read my latest romance novel. Thankfully, I downloaded a boatload of books onto my Kindle before leaving the Mainland. I turn out my sidelight, fully expecting to finish the last couple of chapters of my book and even start the next one, but I don’t.
Against all odds, I fall asleep within minutes. Worrying about imminent death must be tiring.
I’m woken up when a hand is clamped over my mouth. I’m confused, disorientated, and panicking. I kick my legs, dislodging the sheets, and throw out an arm. The glass of water I placed next to my bed earlier smashes on the floor. Whoever is there grabs my wrist, keeping a hand tightly over my mouth.
I try to scream and continue to kick wildly. My eyes are wide, but I can’t see much of anything.
“Get her under control,” someone whispers so softly I can barely hear them.
The person holding me down grunts.
I’m on Draig Island. I’m supposed to attempt a mind-bond in the morning. What the hell is going on? Is it a prank? It doesn’t feel like a prank. It has to be one. This can’t be real. Maybe it’s an initiation. Training. Something! Surely!
Another set of hands grabs my wrists and ties them together. A third person does the same to my legs. There are at least four of them…I think.
“Not a word or I will knock you out,” someone says into my ear. Then he sniffs at my neck. He makes a noise I don’t like. It sounds like he enjoyed the smell of me, which is weird and seriously ick. What a creep!
I struggle against my bonds, but it doesn’t help. The hand moves away from my mouth. I try to scream, but a wad of fabric is stuffed into my mouth before I can make so much as a peep.
What is going on?
What is this?
I think I’m being kidnapped. I throw my head forward and bash it against his head. It hurts when my forehead connects with his. Even though it is pitch black, I see stars for a few seconds.
“Don’t!” he growls under his breath. “You’ll only hurt yourself.”
Unfortunately, he’s right. My head throbs a little. Then I am being thrown over his shoulder like a sack of dirt. My bound arms dangle down his back, and I moan into my gag when I discover that he is naked.
Why?
What the hell!
What is going on? I yell into my gag, making as much noise as I can. It isn’t much. Not nearly enough, at any rate. I’m on the edge of all the bungalows. Away from most of them. One of the ladies told me I was lucky to be on the edge of camp because I wouldn’t have to hear Skylar and Fang’s noisy sexcapades.
Lucky? Huh! Being far away from everyone else is hardly lucky. Not at this moment. Not when I’m being abducted. Then I’m being carted away to god knows where by god knows who. Why would they even want me?
It feels like we’re moving fast. The men are alm
I fight and squirm. I try to get my hands free, but I can’t. Whatever they have tied me with is too tight. It’s digging into me, rubbing my skin raw.
I eventually give up. It isn’t helping. Even if, by some miracle, I managed to get my hands free, what then? I wouldn’t be able to get away. There are too many of them. They’d recapture me immediately.
I decide to save my strength. I might need it.
Might! I will need it. I’ve been abducted by a bunch of men. I hate to think what their intentions are. I shudder at the ones my mind settles on. None of them are good.
No!
No!
Crap!
I dangle over his shoulder, my head feeling like it might explode after a while. We walk for ages. It has to be miles and miles over what feels like some rough terrain.
They don’t stop. Not even once. They don’t check on me either. My bladder starts to protest, but I work hard at ignoring it. Thankfully, I decided on sleeping shorts and a T-shirt, or my ass would be hanging out. I’m grateful for the small wins.
We pass through sections where the canopy isn’t as dense. I catch glimpses of the men who have me. It isn’t enough to tell much of anything. Based on their silhouettes, they’re big. I don’t think they’re human. Humans aren’t this big, and they couldn’t keep up this grueling pace.
I’m shocked when we eventually stop.
I hear what sounds like something being opened. A door, maybe. I want them to put me down and untie me, but at the same time, I’m also worried about what will happen when they do.
“Let’s get off this island,” one whispers. He sounds like he’s up ahead. “It’ll be dawn in an hour,” he continues. “We’ve made good time.”
“An hour is a long time,” the one carrying me rumbles. He reaches up and clasps a hand over my ass. “I say we play with the female. We can each take a turn. No one ever has to know.” He squeezes my left butt cheek hard enough to hurt.
I groan and wriggle, trying to get away from him, even though it’s an impossible endeavor.
Please, no!
Please!
“No one touches her,” the same one in front says in a no-nonsense voice.
“Why? She’s right here. A female. She smells good. I want her.”
“I agree with Rocky,” another one says in a whiny voice. Rocky must be the guy carrying me. “We can make it quick. We won’t hurt her.”
“You heard my brother…it’s a no,” the guy closest to us says in a deep voice.
“Why?” the one carrying me says. “We will still hand her in. She’ll be fine.”
“We were told not to harm so much as a hair on her body,” the one in front says.
“Listen to Igor. We’re all getting paid handsomely for this female. We need to follow orders, or we’ll end up banished to the jungle,” the one behind us says; it’s Igor’s brother.
“They will never know. The female won’t say anything, or I’ll cut her tongue out.” He squeezes my ass again, harder this time. I think I might have a hand-shaped bruise on my butt. I yell into my gag, but it’s muffled.
Then I squirm, trying to get away from his groping hand.
“See, she wants it,” the moron right at the back says. “I’m hard. Rocky is right…she smells good.”
“Shut up!” the guy in front – Igor – snaps. “No one touches the female. She is worth a lot of money. She is untouched, a virgin. It needs to stay that way. I don’t want to hear anything more on the subject. Now, let’s go!”
A virgin? What nonsense is this? I’m not a virgin. I think they might have kidnapped the wrong woman. What will happen to me when they find that out? Will I be tossed out? Given to these guys as a plaything?
I hope not. I whimper into my gag, trying hard not to cry.
2
Jen
The sun is kissing the horizon when we make it out of the tunnel.
The men are all huge, naked, and covered with tattoos. The markings are elaborate, with red in them.
Red!
They’re Reds, and I think that this is Mistveil Island. It has to be. There are four of them. Two with dark hair. The one carrying me is blond, and the other guy is a ginger. He keeps leering at me.
Rocky puts me down. I stagger, almost falling on my face. He grabs my arm, holding me up while the dizziness subsides. I pull my arm free when I find him staring at my breasts. I’m not wearing a bra, so I cover myself with my arms. Thankfully, they were tied in front of my body and not behind my back.
Rocky grunts with irritation. “What about her ass?”
“What about it?” one of the brothers snarls, sounding irritated. “I hope you’re not suggesting what I think you are.”
I break out in a cold sweat. I widen my eyes and shake my head, moaning into my gag.
“Are you fucking hard of hearing?” the other brother yells. “Stop, already. I told you that no one touches her. Not so much as a single hair.” His face goes bright red.
“You have a female, Igor,” Rocky grumbles. “You get pussy every night. Some of us are not so lucky.”
“After this job, we’ll have a huge payday,” the other brother says. “Plus, we’ll stay on the general’s good side. That bodes well for our future. Things are looking bright for the four of us. That means females. We’ll be desirable to them. There’ll be plenty of pussy. You’ll see. There’ll be no need to force anyone.”
“Fine,” Rocky grumbles.
When I look over at the ginger, he is leering at me with longing in his eyes. What’s wrong with them? It’s like they’ve never seen a woman before. It’s all kinds of creepy.
“Let’s get her to the castle. The general is waiting,” Igor tells his brother, who nods. “The two of you can go back home. We’ll take it from here.”
“Why?” Rocky snarls. “Rusty and I were just as much a part of this. We should be there for the handover.”
“Titan and I will be sure to let the general know that the two of you were involved in the extraction,” Igor says.
Rusty and Rocky give each other a hard look. I don’t think they like it. Rusty finally nods. “Okay, but we each take a quarter cut.” He points between him and Rocky.
“Of course,” Igor says.
“Goes without saying,” Titan adds.
I heave a sigh of relief. I’m safe for now. All bets could be off when they find out I’m not the person they think I am.
The sun is rising fast. I take in our surroundings for the first time, watching as Rusty and Rocky leave. The tunnel entrance is enclosed by a high fence. There is a gate up ahead, but it looks to be padlocked. I turn back, and there is a sign outside the tunnel that reads:
No Entry!
By order of the King.
It’s written in red.
“Let’s get going,” Igor tells his brother. Titan nods.
Then, they are shifting into their dragon forms. I scream into my gag. Dragons are killers.
I’m dead. I’m done for.
There is a cracking noise as their limbs start to elongate, their bones cracking and reforming underneath their skin. The transformation is both mesmerizing and terrifying to witness.
I want to scream into my gag. Every instinct tells me to run, but that would be stupid. Firstly, I wouldn’t get very far, and secondly, putting my back to these apex predators would be stupid indeed. It goes against every rule I’ve been taught.
As they grow taller and their scales shimmer in the early morning light, I struggle against my restraints, knowing that my fate is sealed if I don’t find a way to escape and soon. The only problem is that I don’t see a way out.
Within no time, two huge dragons stand before me. It takes every last bit of energy to keep from wetting myself. I’m terrified, and I need to pee, which doesn’t help at all.
I stand there shaking, feeling like a mouse in the direct sights of a hawk. I feel like prey, and I don’t like it one bit.
Igor takes off. He screeches, making every hair on my body rise up. Titan does the same, but instead of flying away, he grips me in his sharp talons and picks me up, lifting me off the ground.
Now I scream… Well, I scream as much as my gag will allow. I half expect him to snap me in two or to bite into me, but it doesn’t happen. My scream comes out sounding muffled. The dragons fly up and up and up. Higher and higher, taking me with them. Thank goodness I made it through Sky’s Edge. The obstacle course helped me with my fear of heights. I think I might have passed out by now otherwise.
