“That’s because you know we’re backed by every supernatural being in town. If you go bear on us over this, you’ll be lucky to survive the morning.” The way Esther spoke…I believed her, even though I didn’t exactly know the rules of the shifter world.
As Esther inched closer to him, fist clenched, prepared to dive back in to give him some more mom justice, Holly appeared. She had changed her hair to red now and was definitely wearing lipstick that clashed with her new hairdo, but before I could say anything quippy or witty, Holly shifted into a fox. So, I shifted, too. I went full-on wolf as Tabi shifted beside me. Esther, too.
It took about three seconds for us to have them cornered. Esther, whose talent for speaking through the minds of others spoke to Holly and Cameron directly. Amazingly, I could also hear the telepathic words. “No vampire is ever going to be your friend.” But she spoke slowly, and even I could sense that she was compelling their good behavior. I listened. Maybe this was something I could have her try on Tilly. But first, we needed to fix this.
Esther continued. “And you arefinishedterrorizing these woods and causing trouble. Tonight is a dream, but you will no longer attempt to come after Tilly or Bethany or anyone in my pack. Are we clear?”
Her bear friend nodded, but Holly shook herself over and over again until she righted herself. “That’s not going to be enough this time, bitch.” Her angry words hissed through my mind.
And then, I sensed it. Smelled it. Knew it. Animals were closing in around us. Big predators. More than I could count.
This wasn’t going to end well.
I thought of the ladies next to me, about everything they’d done for me. They’d been my friends in a world where I’d definitely needed them. They’d helped me save my daughter, taught me about this new supernatural life, and even made me feel special. Could I really let them die in these woods with me? Even though the odds were against us, could I be the special person they thought I was?
My body expanded, grew, changed. It was such a familiar feeling now, but still strange. A thought seemed to be circling in my head. Knowing I was special didn’t make me cocky. It didn’t make me arrogant. Maybe I was never going to be that woman who wore all the right things and said all the right things, but perhaps that was because I was unique.
Had I always had this inside of me?
Throwing back my head, I roared, and the sound shook the air, the earth, every tree around me. Birds rose up, racing toward the clouds as if to escape me. But that didn’t stop me. I roared again and again and again, before smoke drifted from my nostrils, and fire burned my throat.
Opening my mouth, flames leaped forward, brightening the evening sky. Magical, as they danced in front of my vision. In that moment, I felt strange and powerful, like a real dragon of old.
Tilting my head down, I looked at the small clearing; at my friends—the bear, the fox, and the scattering of predators around them. I could just barely make out a few wolves, a mountain lion, even hawks that circled above them.
“You might be able to kill us.” Holly’s words slid into my thoughts. “But not without hurting your friends. Come to me. Give yourself to me. And no one needs to be hurt.”
I shook my head, staggering a bit, realizing belatedly that she was using her alpha powers on me. That I’dwantedto listen to her. Almost like the feeling of being really tired and almost falling asleep. I wanted to give into it. It would’ve been easier to fall asleep than to stay awake.
But that alpha crap didn’t work on an angry mama dragon.
“Go,” Esther’s voice came softly through my mind. “You might be big, but there’s only one of you. She’s right, if you try to attack them, we’ll be hurt in the process. Just leave. We’ll handle this.”
And survive?
That was it. The small something to her voice. She wasn’t planning on getting out of here alive. She’d accepted that she was sacrificing herself for my daughter and me.
If I were in human form, tears would’ve been stinging my eyes. No, this wasn’t how this would end. I would not walk away from here and let these two amazing women die. We were pack mates, and for the first time, that almost felt like the word family.
Pack. Family. They were my pack and my family now.
But how could I save them?
My big claws, my fiery breath, could I be sure to handle any of them well enough not to accidentally hurt the two ladies? I didn’t know. Maybe I could shift into a big bear?
It was strange, the desperation I felt, the desire to save these people. But every thought that came to my mind brought new risks. It felt like our chance to survive this, all of us, was slipping away.
And then, an incredible smell washed over me. Something familiar, like warm caramel and marshmallows. I breathed it in over and over before my head swung to behind me and I saw it. A big, dark dragon flying toward me, smoke rolling from its nostrils.
You shouldn’t be in your dragon form this close to the city.There was uncertainty in his voice. Awe, too, maybe.
My friends are in danger below. The predators are attacking. I don’t know how to save them.It shocked me that the thoughts I wanted to tell this big dragon came out like words whispered between friends.
A growl rolled through my mind as he came closer, and then he set down in the woods, shaking the earth beneath him. Far enough from my friends that they were safe but squaring off with me.Leave them. They aren’t your blood. They aren’t dragons.
What the heck?They’re my pack.Anger laces my words.These predators tried to hurt me. I won’t let my friends die just for standing beside me.
They tried to hurt a dragon?There was unconcealed fury in his voice.
