“Well, that is rude. I don’t even like chili,” Creed said with a huff.
“How the fuck are you in my head?” Atika asked.
Creed flashed in front of him. “My father is Satan. I can do all kinds of things. But mostly, because you’re broadcasting and, in this place, I’m having a hard time controlling my other half.” Horns began to grow from his head.
Lula pushed between them. “Are you going to be okay to fight, Creed? Let me rephrase that. Are you going to be able to fight on our side, or will your demon switch to the other side?”
Jenna appeared with a small female; her worried frown turned to happiness the moment she saw Creed.
“I’m here. I’m here. Are you ready to fight the baddies, my sexy demon?”
“Reina, I told you to stay home and...fuck it. I need you.” Creed swept her into his arms, smoke shrouding them from everyone else.
“Whew, that was close. I didn’t realize he might need an anchor right away. He didn’t last time.” Jenna blew out a breath.
“Last time his anchor was a mission for one of his people. Not that he doesn’t care for me, but it’s not the same.” Lula shrugged.
Atika stared at the spot he had seen the crazy demon male, who was nothing like the male they’d seen back at the bar. He didn’t want anyone worming their way into his mind, especially the son of Satan. So, with care he shored up his mental walls. The only ones he would allow access to his thoughts were his brother and Lula.
“Creed is a good male,” Lula reassured him.
“Is his father really Satan?”
Lula nodded, but before she could say anymore, Creed returned with a growl. “They’re coming. A dozen dragons with a black one in the lead. Belle, move to the back. We don’t need you being a target from the get-go.”
Belle shook her head. “No, I want to talk to him first and foremost. I’ll stay in this form. The Nikai I knew from before, hopefully will shift as well. At least he used to not slay a female without speaking first.”
“We will stand with Belle, as she’s our family. Lula, what’s your position?” Abyle asked.
“I’ll stand with my mother and mates.”
Creed and the other males all growled.
“We came to protect you, Lula and Belle. If they slaughter you on sight, what was the reason for coming here?” Kellen, the alpha of the Iron Wolves asked.
The question was a good one, but his mate and her mother wanted to be out front and not hiding. Through his bond with Lula, he felt the impact of her mother’s determination. “Warriors, Belle has hidden for too long. She wishes to face this head-on and wants to know, should she fall, you’ll have her back?” Atika asked.
“Silly bear, of course we’ll have her back. Here they come,” Creed said from next to him.
Atika took in Creed, or tried as he let his gaze go up, and up, and holy fucking shit, the man was huge.
Creed winked down at him. “It’s alright. I know I’m intimidating. I wore pants this time. You know, so you fellas don’t get envious again. I hate the whining. Makes my demon ears bleed.”
This time, when he smiled, both rows of his teeth were sharp points that had Atika nodding in agreement. Yeah, he wanted to be besties with Creed. Bffs for life, for sure.
Creed patted his shoulder with a finger, nearly knocking him on his face. “I think we’ll get along really good, bestie.”
He’d have said something witty, but the world in front of him shifted as several dragons the size of buildings flew through, pulling up short as they saw them.
Belle whistled through her fingers, an ear-splitting sound. “Halt, Nikai.”
A huge gust of wind from their wings threatened to blow them over as the dragons flew above them. Whoever was magical must have created a shield around them, because just as suddenly as the wind started, it disappeared.
“What’s the meaning of this, Belle? Who are all these mongrels?” Nikai asked, shifting to a man in a blink.
Creed growled, taking a step toward the black-clad male. “Watch who you call names, dragon.”
Nikai glared at Creed. “Who are you, red man?”
“Oh, I’m your worst enemy. I’m also supposed to tell you hi from Nazim. Of course, I told that little fucker I wouldn’t give you the message, so I’m not telling you shit.”
Nikai went still, his face losing color as he began to shift into a smaller version of his dragon, making him almost the same size as Creed. He lifted clawed hands, wrapping them around Creed’s throat. “Where’s my brother?”
Creed smiled, his own clawed hands going around the dragon’s throat. “You think to threaten me, boy?”
“Ah sheot, he’s made Creed mad.”
“Hush, Xan, we don’t need to draw attention to us shifters without our demon,” Kellen muttered.
“You want to play with me, dark dragon? I promise you won’t like it any more than your pussy-ass bitch of a brother did. Here, why don’t I show you what I mean.”
“Creed, no,” Jenna yelled.
Before they could stop him, Creed and Nikai disappeared, leaving them with his hoard of dragon warriors.
“Now, before you decide to get stupid, let me say Nikai won’t be happy if you hurt any of us, especially his young.” Jenna pointed out.
A roar of anger and flames flew over their heads as the dragons attacked.
“Well, shit, I guess we battle,” Kellen growled.
The wolves shifted, their sizes three times, four times that of their wolves on Earth. Lula stared in awe, like she hadn’t expected that.
Atika and Abyle nodded once at one another, then at Lula.
“Stay next to us, Lula Love.” Abyle nodded at his brother, then they lifted their arms, roaring to the sky above them.
“What the fuck is that?”
Jenna looked over to see what her mate Damien was talking about, words clearly failing her, but they didn’t have time to reassure the little Fey. They’d tried to explain to Jenna and Belle, but now the time for talking was over. Two dragons from the Dragon Realm were barreling straight toward Lula. She shifted, her shock wearing off at seeing him and his brother merge into one. Their fur made of iron, their size on Earth was four times larger than normal, but here, they were as big as a dragon. With one swipe of their claws they knocked the bastard coming for them down, his scales no match for them.
“Try not to kill if you can avoid it,” Belle yelled, shifting as a dragon came for her.
They fought the dragons, batting them back with their huge paws, protecting the wolves from the deadly fire. A huge boom shook the very ground they stood on, making them stumble and separate into two beings. Time moved differently in this Realm as they fought, the sound of the wolves' howls, dragons' roars, and the bears' snarls, filled the air as they battled relentlessly. Always staying close to Belle and Lula.
“Enough,” Nikai yelled, staring at the dragons lying on the ground bleeding. “What’s happened here?”
“They attacked us, My King.”
“That’s a lie, Nikai,” Belle in dragon form swooped onto the ground, a wound on her side was bleeding heavily.
“Who did this?” Nikai asked, moving up to Belle’s heaving side.