Long minutes, or maybe hours later, the last of their enemies’ heartbeat stopped beneath him. Xian gave a hard, vicious shake of his head, snapping the spine from the demon’s neck. He dropped the dead body and eased away. His face burned from the blood oozing down from his lips, scorching his chin and neck. His sides heaved and were singed, as well, from the other beings assault. He took a wobbly step, falling forward onto his stomach, smacking his face on the stone ground. If he had the energy, he might’ve yelled.
“Motherfucker, what the fuck was that?” Jagger rushed to Xian’s side.
He snarled. The beast not ready to be touched even by one of his crew. Or hell, maybe he was still trying to protect them.
“You stop that this instant, Xian Carmichael. Let me have a look at you.” Liv’s tone was harsher than normal.
It was too hard for him to think or speak outside their pack link, so he thought what he wanted to say, hoping the others could hear and understand him. ‘If you make it home, please—tell my mom I love her and my dad I wasn’t a little shit, much.’
“Screw that, brother. We ain’t lying the first time we see the parents. Now hold your shit together and shut up,” Cannon growled.
Xian wanted to laugh, but that hurt too badly.
A glowing warmth filled him. He closed his eyes, unable to fight the intrusion. He would know Liv’s healing powers anywhere, but he was pretty sure it was too late for him this time.
His mind went back to the last time he’d seen his parents and how he’d promised to take care of the others. Fuck, he’d done a shit job of that, hadn’t he?
EGYPT BIT HER LIP TO keep from crying. The big male who swept into the cave where she and her friends had been didn’t appear to be the kind who cared whether he scared anyone or if he hurt them. In fact, he didn’t look as though he had a heart at all. She thought back to the moments before she’d been taken, and the worry she’d had of never seeing her mother again. That worry was nothing compared to what she felt now. A sob escaped from her closed mouth followed by another.
She had looked forward to learning to drive one day when her mother Asia and she returned to Earth. Heck, she had hoped to one day find a boyfriend, or mate as the women, who were so wonderful to both her and her mom, called their other halves. Now she was sure her life was going to be nothing but...wishing for death.
“Hush, female. Your leaking wetness offends my senses,” the male barked.
His tone was harsh, making her cry more.
The male blurred, and then he was in front of Egypt, gripping her chin in between two of his fingers. “Enough, child. Why are you crying? I saved you and will take you to your family. Although, I’m not sure you are who you—smell of.”
“What?” she asked, licking her lips before she could continue. “My family? You’re taking me back to Fey? Can you take my friends too?” Egypt couldn’t hide the kernel of hope that lit up inside her.
“Fey? Child, you are not Fey.” He leaned forward and sniffed her before releasing her with a growl. “Shift,” he ordered.
Egypt shook her head and wiped at her cheeks with both hands. “I can’t. I’ve never been able to.” Only she had, one time with Liv in the cave, she’d shifted to a small dragon. However, as soon as the danger had passed, her dragon disappeared.
He strode back to where she stood. “How is this possible? You are dragon. All dragons shift within the first five years, especially Royal Dragons.”
“I don’t know. I’m broken,” she whispered, hating the admission.
“I’m Lord Mkikoa, and I know broken. And you, little dragon, are not broken. Whoever you were with has done some kind of blocking on you. I can smell”—he inhaled before stepping back—" I don’t know what’s different about you, but I will figure it out. No matter what or who has tried to hide your trueself from you, we can fix you. The beings you were with...they shall pay for what they did,” he promised.
The pure fury sparking in his black as pitch eyes had her running up to where he stood. If he meant her friends, she needed him to listen to her. “No, do not say that. Please take me back to them. They are my family and friends. You don’t understand, Lord. We were taken from Fey to that cave by something. I don’t know who you think I am, but I promise you I’m not. I’m Egypt, a normal girl with a mother who is missing her at this very minute. My friends back in that cave are shifters from Earth, whose parents are probably going crazy as well. Please, you have to take me back to them.” She didn’t care that she was sobbing while she grabbed the front of his jacket. What shocked her, though, was to find he didn’t try to stop her from touching him. What was even more surprising was the way his form shimmered, becoming something altogether different.
Egypt took a step back, falling onto her bottom. The male who’d taken her had been as tall as he’d been wide. While he’d been scary with his implacable demeanor, he hadn’t seemed undefeatable. However, this version was something straight out of a magazine that women would drool over. He had to be seven feet tall, if she had to guess, with white-blond hair shaved on both sides. Yet it was his eyes that were truly astonishing. They were almost completely white save for a slight hint of blue in the very center. And he had muscles upon muscles. She’d had no clue the almost ugly being who’d snatched her from the cave was actually a male who was gorgeous in a god like way, yet he was scary as all get out.
“You’re of the royal dragon line for sure, child. Only one who holds the power within can unlock my identity.” He looked up at the ceiling of the dark cave and nodded. “Since you’ve asked me not to kill the others, I won’t. However, I can’t return you to the Royals until we find your dragon. Come, let’s go.” Lord Mkikoa turned on his heel and snapped his fingers.
She wanted to yell and tell him she wasn’t a dog who followed it’s master when he snapped, but Egypt wasn’t stupid. He’d agreed to not kill her friends, and he wasn’t taking her to some family she had no idea about. If she could figure out where she was, and if he could help her find her inner dragon, then she could save herself and find her friends. Goddess, why couldn’t she have found her dragon before the disastrous snatching from Fey?
“Don’t fret, child. I will find your dragon for you, then you will be reunited with your kin. Come, we need to leave before I have to kill in front of you. Not that I’m opposed to killing, but you’re a female and a child at that. Call me sentimental, but I prefer to not do such barbaric things unless needed.”
“My name is Egypt.” She didn’t know why she felt the urge to tell him something about herself but hearing him call her child made her bristle. If he was going to kill her, she wanted him to know she had a name.
“Hmm, strange name for a dragon.”
At his words, she wished she hadn’t told him her name. Jerkface.
Egypt noticed a little tilt of the big male’s lips, but she wasn’t fooled that he was making a joke, unless he was laughing at her. No, she needed to find her dragon so she could get home to her mom and save her friends. Bright blue eyes staring at her with a look of possession made her heart ache. The young wolf who had the heart of an alpha had made her laugh more in the short time she’d known him than she had in what felt like forever. Xian and the other Iron Wolves had to survive, or it wouldn’t matter if she found her dragon again, because a part of her would die too.