“I got your papa over here in a mess of debt. Would be sad if he needed to start earning his twenty dollars.” Something knotted up in my stomach, and my dragon purred in the back of my mind, licking its teeth. “Now, you gonna let me in?”
I took a step back, shook my head once, and stormed off, fists in my pockets, fighting off claws. I was more powerful than any of them. I was strong and gifted with fire. I was dragon, and he had no say in my life. And my parents were dead to me a very long time ago. The councils could handle it.
I made my way down the hall, away from it all when the omega, Bartlet, jogged after, grabbing me by my arm and pinning me in place for a few seconds, dragging me back to a doorway with something sharp pointed at my neck. And I knew that whatever it was, it had little chance of piercing scales. My scales, at least. But still, old memories and bitterness held me in place, frozen like a fawn as the harsh, fearful breath reminded me of my own not too long ago.
Bartlet waited several minutes, whispering threats as he stayed on the line and walked me to a back door, opening it with a quiet glance about. And there he was, Goober. The rank scent made bile rise in the back of my throat. And mired in all the stank on him was my papa’s, telling me he’d taken his twenty dollars early, and rage blossomed in me.
“Think you done got yourself a fancy new home and them dragons protecting you. You ain’t nothing but a dummy throwback, and that’s all you’ll be. Stink like dragon, rollinground them with their whelps like some babysitter.” Goober could smell the egg on me and had no idea.
“Now, let’s say you let me into that fuckhead’s hoard and I’ll be real generous like. Every dollar I get out of there, I’ll forgive a dime of your daddy’s debt and won’t be no need to collect.” Goober gave me a wide, yellow-toothed smile, and my dragon snarled, pacing in my mind as I bid my emotions away.
“Think you can stand there all stonefaced? Bulled up like you’re gonna cry and think you’re better than us, now?” Goober gave my arm a shove, and I braced myself, standing my ground as he forced his way around me. “Now be a good lil slut and take us to the hoard.”
Sickening peace overcame me as I strode away from him, hanging my head down to keep my eyes from betraying me, or my fangs from sprouting. Sometimes scales even climbed my arms. Goober muttered as I led them away. “Don’t even smell like no cat no more. Proof you wasn’t one to begin with. You just take on the jizz stink of whatever’s fucking you.”
My dragon had so many things to say as I clenched my fists and breathed slowly. But I’d been prepared for the moment, told what to do. The council frowned upon killing shifters, but if they invaded my nest. If they were breaking into my hoard, threatening my mate or young… Well, it couldn’t be helped.
I glanced toward Bartlet and gave him a withering stare, and he avoided my gaze, afflicted with guilt just like anyone should have been—doing what their alpha demanded.
I made stilted steps, walking toward my nest, clutching fabric inside my hoodie until I neared our hall. I opened a door and gestured for them to enter, glancing about for any onlookers. From their perspective? I was watching out for other dragons to stop them. From my perspective? Other dragons that would stopme.
I shut the door behind us and gestured toward the hoard door, where within my nest lay.
“Stinks like dragons fucking in here.” Goober took a deep breath and laughed. “Might take a little taste and leave my mark on you before I leave.”
Goober never had before. He had nasty tastes, but he didn’t mess with people half his age. Not for his own pleasure, anyway. Not me. He liked his affairs to make noise, and I wasn’t good at that. Not back then, at any rate. I had trouble controlling my voice since I’d discovered it and could get quite loud.
I pressed my finger on a panel on the door and the lock beeped in response, allowing me to enter it as the omega at my back prodded me with what I assumed was a pair of scissors, if the shadow I caught a glimpse of was accurate.
“What’s with your hands?” Goober reached out, grabbing my wrist as he pulled it toward him. I willed my nails to rescind, but still, they curled viciously. “Kitty got some claws after all.”
I sneered as he reached up to pat my cheek and stared into the room full of opulence that Marcus had promised to share with me. I couldn’t view it as ours, not yet. So, when Goober passed the threshold, shoving me aside, I turned to shove Bartlet back with a sneer. “Stop.”
Practicing my words had paid off, because Goober froze and turned to face me, face twisted in confusion. “Did you just say something?”
I nodded.
“Found your voice, looks like, too.” He huffed and stared me up and down before perusing the coins, fawning over the gathered stones and trinkets.
I stripped my shirt in a flash, and Bartlet whimpered, rushing forward with his scissors to jab into my side—fruitlessly. It barely scratched my skin as the blades clattered to the floor. Agrowl curled in my throat as I shifted, pants tearing. I towered above Goober as he took in every bit of what had happened.
“D-dragon. You’re a burner. I—I didn’t. Bartlet, why didn’t you tell me he’s a—” Goober held his hands up, suddenly very aware of what he’d done.
You have threatened my life. You’ve trespassed onto my hoard.I stepped forward, delighting as Goober scrambled back, slipping on coins before falling to his ass.
“Y-you invited me in!” He glanced around. “And we have a deal. Paying back for… Your papa, remember?”
I opened the door. You shoved me to come inside. You struck my face.All technically true, as I sneered.
“Listen! We can—we can talk this out. We can make this right… I can give you f-fifty cents on the dollar!” Goober scooted back.
Let him earn it back. His debt is not my duty. You made sure I had no love for my parents.
“Well, call it evens, then? Dollar to dollar?” He gave a half laugh, and I raised my claws. I had every desire to chomp down on his corpse and consume him, but a needling voice in the back of my head reminded me that the alpha had poisoned his body, and I would not nourish my child with the chemicals he consumed.
I pressed one paw onto his chest and curled my claws, talons piercing his flesh one at a time. With my other, I reached forward, a single talon extended as the needlelike tip pressed right under his jaw, a single bead of blood welling and sliding away.
He swallowed; a sharp whimper caught in his throat. I sank it deeper, avoiding the pulse of blood hammering in his throat. “Whisper! Stop. I was your alpha! You gotta listen to me!”
