His fingers twitched, fisting against the hospital sheets.
Who was she?
Didn’t matter. She would be gone by now.
Pain rolled over him, thick and unrelenting, keeping him trapped in this fragile form.
The chain at his throat—his magical leash—was all that kept his dragon locked down. Draquonir healed fast. But not in human hospitals.
Not when using their own magic was forbidden.
If the humans found out what he was—if they ran his blood, ordered tests?—
His heart slammed against his ribs. Panic. How long had he been unconscious? What had the humans done to him already?
I cannot stay here.
His limbs felt like lead. His muscles refused to obey.
He forced his fingers to twitch. The effort was excruciating.
Move. Now.
He gritted his teeth, tried again. Pain flared. A warning. A threat. He reached for his dragonfire, for the dragon within that made him powerful. Immortal. Unyielding.
Dragon lifted his head. Snarled a warning. Gave him nothing.You tried to kill us.
Damn it.He was trapped in his own body. Weak. Vulnerable. Rage curled through his gut.You are too powerful. No one would be able to stop us.Vector was not technically the most powerful dragon alive in the current era, but he knew the strength of his will, the power of his intellect, the iron control he exerted over his dragon—and had—for hundreds of years, all to save his brother, save the Draquonir line. To serve. That purpose had kept him alive. Now it was gone.
Dragon considered, sharing Vector’s mind, reading his thoughts.True. I would kill them all. I am born of you, Vector.
Exactly the problem.
Footsteps. Fast. Purposeful.
Not human.
His senses reeled, sluggish from blood loss, from the magic dampening his body.
Voices. Too deep. Too controlled. The truth clicked into place.
Draquonir.
Not his brother, Ryker. Not Vector’s clan. Then who?
His pulse pounded. The door swung open. Four imposing male figures stepped inside the small hospital room, their movements fast and deliberate.
King Erik. Talon. Kael. Lorien. Cold, familiar faces. Dragons.
And oneother.Erik had brought a fucking vampire to erase the humans’ memories. Clean up his fucking mess.
Talon cursed under his breath. “He’s worse than we thought.”
Kael moved first, quick hands assessing the damage, eyes sharp.
“IVs need to come out,” he muttered. “He’s burning up.”
Vector tried to sit up. The room spun. “You shouldn’t be here,” he growled, voice rough, barely audible.
