Chapter 2
Dragon Me Around
Knossos had to admit Ram had shown him things that convinced him that hiding his head in the sand wouldn’t be smart. What kind of life would they ever have if all their mates died and the world was under undying tyranny? While he could contact those dragons like his mother who had remained awake, those sleeping might be hard to find.
At the time, everyone had been in a panic as human knights searched for dragons giving them no choice but to kill or be killed. Dragons didn’t like to kill especially for no real purpose. Thousands of years ago, they’d fought at the human’s side, but the reasons had been clear. These days people were just crazy. Even the other supes seemed a bit weird. What kind of witch refuses to teach their own children to protect themselves? That’s damn crazy.
His mate was crazy too. She’d summoned him and then she took off leaving him to manage on his own with strangers. Maybe she’s been hit by too many spells and couldn’t think clearly anymore. Her cousin and even Ram had looked at him shocked when he asked. Didn’t he have the right to know if his supposed mate was defective? It looked like things had changed a lot in several hundred years.
He sat at the breakfast table after he had filled his own plate at what was called a buffet. It wasn’t that different from tables at a feast except the food and the table were separate and the food was kept heated until it was taken away. Knossos would admit the food was good and flavorful. Back in the old days, food was often spoiled and a dragon had to burn it so it was safe to eat. Humans couldn’t stand burned food so they ate it like it was and got sick.
Ram had finished eating and was now looking at him. “Yes?”
“I was just wondering if you’ll be nicer to your mate today.”
“Why? Is she bringing me something?”
Ram sputtered. “Why? Is she expected to?”
“No, but you said to be nice.”
“If you aren’t nice to her, she may forget about you.”
“Once we have sex, she’ll never forget about me.” Knossos said with a wink.
Ram was taking a drink and choked. “Are you kidding me?”
“No, dragons are famous and fabulous lovers. Maidens fought over us to have their virginity removed. They sang songs of our bed legends. It was amazing.” He sat back remembering the females lined up to woo him. That was before everything changed.
“I don’t think things will be like that now.”
Knossos sighed heavily. “I’m afraid you may be right. There’s no proper appreciation for my kind anymore.”
Ram whispered, “Poor Sophie.”
“What was that?” Knossos asked. He’d heard him, but he dared him to repeat it.
“Nothing. Just thinking out loud.”
“Hey, Babe.” Annie greeted. “Oh, hi to you too, Knossos.”
“Annie, don’t you think I’ll be an amazing mate?” Knossos asked.
“I’m sure I can’t say.”
“I understand. You wish you’d gotten me instead.”
Annie coughed. “I’m pleased with my mate.” She looked at Ram helplessly.
Knossos was sure he was mistaken about her reaction to him. Females had always flocked to him. Dragons were legendary. His mate taking off yesterday the way she had was unheard of and he didn’t know what to think of her behavior. It was his hope modern women weren’t like that. He didn’t even know if he would see her today.
“Where is my mate, anyway?” Knossos asked.
“She has a job. I think she might be here for lunch.” Annie explained.
“Maybe we could look at the maps so you see where the enemies are?” Ram suggested.
“Perhaps.” He said noncommittedly. This battle didn’t feel real to him and it wouldn’t until he faced some of the enemy so he could capture and question them. Knossos was a hands on type of male. Maybe that was his problem with his mate, they needed to get closer.
“Follow me and we’ll see what’s going on. We’ll see if we can find a place to take you to see some of the enemies. They are constantly trying to take over communities of supernaturals.”
“Why do they do this?”
“They have a small group of followers and they are trying to build an army. They use coercion and fear.”
“I want to see these people. You’ve explained somethings, but I need more.” Knossos demanded as he often did.
“We have some law enforcers we work with. They are called Dae and Nite.”
Knossos laughed until tears came to his eyes. “Thanks for the laugh. I’ve not had one so good in centuries. You look serious. What do you mean?”
“Sergeants Dae and Nite have been working with us on this problem. I will admit I laughed too, but those are their last names. “D-A-E, Dae and N-I-T-E, Nite. I’m sure someone with a sense of humor stuck them together. Vincent Rulah is Hubolla’s right hand man. He’s the top of our most wanted list. They are on their way here with information so we can all go hunt him. We need to take him alive, so Annie will lead the way.”
“You already planned a mission?” Knossos said with obvious irritation.
“Yes, several days ago. We weren’t sure if you would want to come along. I’m glad you’re willing to.” Ram admitted.
“Next time, let me know earlier.” Knossos demanded.
At least he would begin to see things that would help him make his decision. One problem though was he really would have a hard time finding much less waking the other dragons. There were even a handful like his mother who had refused to go to sleep. She had always been a strong willed woman. He had no idea where she had ended up.
The Sergeants arrived. Dae was a big bruiser females would go crazy over while Nite was a beautiful female. They truly were opposites at least physically. “Let me introduce you to Knossos. He may be joining the family. He’s Sophie’s fated mate.”
While Knossos appreciated that Ram hadn’t outed him as a dragon, he hadn’t wanted his relationship to Sophie revealed either. He supposed Ram had to explain his presence somehow, but his relationship with Sophie was difficult at best.
“Pleased to meet you both.” Knossos said. His mother had taught him good manners. He used them sometimes.
“Pleased to meet you too.” Nite said with a perfect smile while Dae just nodded. Knossos could relate to the strong silent type.
“Is everyone ready to go?” Ram asked.
“What about Sophie?” Knossos thought he should ask.
“She’s tied up at work. If we follow up tomorrow, she’ll be available.” Annie offered.
Outside, two vehicles waited. There was a platinum colored oversized SUV he was sure belonged to the Sergeants and a slightly smaller blue SUV he had no idea who owned. “Let’s divide up by boys and girls. Annie and I will lead the way.” Nite decided. She and Annie hopped in then waited for them to fight over shotgun. Knossos won by threatening to burn up Ram.
He didn’t know what Ram was, but maybe he was a merman if fire scared him? Of course he’d given in gracefully and not like he was scared at all. Knossos didn’t like sitting in the back seat, it felt too closed in.
Dae drove, not talking at all until Ram asked some questions about the target. Then Dae spoke enthusiastically explaining everything. “We got a tip from Big Mike. Remember him? He was the guy near Miami who gave us the inside information last time Nite gave him some money, so I figure he’s looking for some more. He says Vin, Hubolla’s right hand man, has got a cat house started with paranormals and humans. The guy’s also letting them get bred so he can get kids to turn into an army. Some sick shit going down.”
Knossos had to agree it sounded bad. “How reliable is this guy?”
“He was right on target last time, but we’ll have to take it as it comes. It’s possible he was turned to the dark side.” Dae chuckled. Yeah, seemed like the big guy had a sense of humor. He called Dae big, but he thought he was a bit taller if not as wide.
“Why is this male important to us?” Knossos asked.
“He’s the one organizing Hubolla’s plan to take over our world. Right now he’s finding ways to raise money and working on building an army. It’s sad that he’s got a foothold here already and we’re playing catch up.” Dae admitted. “The leaders of the main paranormal groups just aren’t on the ball like they should be.”
“You work with humans a lot, don’t you? I hear it in your speech patterns.” Knossos observed.
“True, I do. We try to fit in because most humans have no idea what is going on right before their eyes. Humans in groups are panic stricken and crazy. Get the right human off by themselves, they can be intelligent and understanding. There are some who know about us and keep the secret.” Dae explained.
“Okay, say I buy into all of this. Won’t Hubolla’s activities inform humans in general? He’s not hiding a thing. Maybe he wants them to know.” Knossos suggested.
“I don’t think he does. He’s leaving it up to us to cover up for him. If the humans become hysterical, they’ll wipe him out. He’s the one exposed to them, not us.” Ram offered.
“We’re getting close.” Dae warned. The girls were slowing down as they searched for the place Big Mike had set for the meeting.
Knossos wished he knew more about this modern world, but he was constantly stunned by the things he saw. Humans had made great progress in some areas, but old prejudices seemed to die hard. If humans were more accepting of each other, maybe they would be accepting of other kinds. He’d feel better about fighting beside them if that was true. If everything went all to hell, at least humans tasted alright.
“We’re here.” Dae informed as he pulled into a driveway.
Knossos saw the females exit their SUV as he opened his door. The females should be more careful. This kind of work was dangerous. Those females needed protecting. It was almost as if thinking it, made something bad happen. A group of evil looking males came out of the bar across the street. They started making catcalls and obscene gestures.
When the females ignored them, the males moved closer. “Shouldn’t we help them?” Knossos asked.
“Wait and watch.” Ram counseled. Was he crazy? That was his mate being threatened.
One of the males moved ahead of the rest about to touch Annie. The guy froze seeming unable to move. Another guy approached Nite who promptly threw him over her shoulder to the sidewalk. The other guys backed off.
“Problem solved.” Dae observed. “They get mad when protective men interfere.”
“Can Sophie do that?” Knossos wondered.
“Not yet. Her magical training was sadly lacking.” Ram admitted.
“I see. How did Annie get the better training?” Knossos asked.
“I originally thought she received better training, but she admitted later that she had supplemented it. She sought a high level witch out to give her extra training.” Ram admitted.
“Why didn’t Sophie do so as well?” Knossos asked.
“Sophie is a bit younger and not as outgoing. Annie is the only one of her generation I know of who did so.” Ram explained.
Knossos didn’t know what he thought of his mate being a follower. She’d done as she’d been told until recently. Did that mean she was lacking in courage or intelligence? Maybe she was just lazy or didn’t care. How could someone like that make a good mate for a leader, a king, among the dragons who were the fiercest race among all paranormals?
Sophie was beautiful, but that wasn’t enough. He would take the time to watch her and decide what she was truly like. Just because she was his fated mate didn’t mean he had no choice. If he went back to sleep for a few centuries, when he woke he might find a more suitable mate. A king needed an outstanding mate, so he would wait and watch.
They followed the females in to the restaurant. A hostess seated them at a large table in a private room. The man they were waiting for joined them. “Hi, Mike.” Nite said as she nodded at him. More greetings were exchanged and she introduced Knossos. He and Mike exchanged nods.
It was good to get the pleasantries out of the way. “You have news for us?” Ram asked.
“This is my brother’s restaurant. He’s risking a lot letting us use it. How about ordering lunch. Surely all of you are hungry?”
He called a waitress over who took a large order. Once she left, it was time to talk. “You messed up Vin’s plans, but he’s back on track. He’s set up a gambling hall that has prostitutes available nearby. Females of all types have gone missing. He’s hired a bunch of young thugs to work for him. Things are as bad as before if not worse. My sister has gone missing. She has a mate and little children. She’s a good girl who doesn’t deserve this.”
“No one deserves this. If you know where the ladies are being kept, we’ll raid it and make sure everyone there gets home.” Nite offered.
“Thank you. What if she’s not there?” Mike asked.
“You give us her information and a picture. We will look for her.” Nite offered.
Mike pulled out a folder and handed it to her. “Just in case.”
About that time a waitress came with their meals. Everyone including Mike had ordered steak and the food smelled wonderful. Annie bit into her food and moaned softly. “This is great, Mike. Give my compliments to the cook.”
“I will do that.” Mike replied. He ate fast and Knossos sensed he wanted to get out of there. Knossos ate fast too especially since he was hungry and had a dragon sized appetite.
Mike and he finished at the same time. Hm, what was Mike? He might never know since the guy left as soon as he was done. His fellow travelers ate at different rates with Dae and Ram finishing next, and Nite was done a bit before Annie. Ram got the bill and handed it with a platinum colored card to the waitress who smiled sweetly as she hurried away.
“What now?” Knossos asked.
“We raid the bordello.” Annie said and Nite nodded.
“Are we strong enough?” Dae asked.
“Yes, more than strong enough.” Nite replied.
Looked like the ladies were making the decisions. Knossos agreed with them. Why wait around for these guys to gain strength? A decisive hit on the gambling hall as a whole was the right thing to do.
“Okay, I guess in for a penny in for a pound.” Ram said. Whatever that meant.
The waitress came getting him to sign something and giving back his card and a receipt. Now they would be able to go. Ram and Dae helped the ladies out of their chairs and fell in behind them. He followed up the rear looking around to see how much things had changed over the time he’d been asleep. It was amazing. Luckily, he was a fast learner.
They got outside then loaded up in their cars. The females led the way again. They parked a short way from a guarded door. Two average looking males, probably human, stood in front of an ordinary door. The attempt to make everything look normal failed since the door was guarded. That implied something illegal, dangerous, or valuable was inside. Maybe all three.
Ram got out and mussed up his clothes. He walked up the street unsure on his feet swaying looking all the world like a drunk. When he walked up to the guys at the door, they laughed at him. Once he got between them, he slammed their heads together. Ouch! That had to hurt. He and Dae got out followed by the females.
Once they got to the door, they helped drag the guys in and Dae restrained them. “What now?” Knossos asked.
“Let’s start checking the rooms.” Annie suggested so they did. The first room held a couple in the act.
“You’re done here. Be glad we’re willing to let you walk. Come to a place like this again, and you’ll go to jail.” Annie said.
“Are you okay, Sweetie?” Annie said and the woman broke down in tears. “Hey, it’s okay. Let’s get you dressed and you can go home.”
“Thank you.” The woman said between tears. Once she was dressed, Annie gave her a handful of cash.
“Catch a cab and go home. Don’t ever look back.” Annie encouraged.
They went through a few more doors freeing the women before they ran into trouble. “What do you think you’re doing?” A big guy asked.
“What’s it look like you idiot?” Knossos asked.
The guy moved to punch him, but Knossos gave him a quick uppercut to his chin. The guy fell to the floor unconscious. This mission was fun. Knossos was a typical dragon in many ways. They enjoyed a bit of violence. If Sophie was shy, violence might tune her off. He reached down to snap the restraints on the guy that Dae had given him.
Working through these rooms wasn’t much fun since most of the females cried. It was awkward and he never knew what to do with himself as Annie dealt with them. Night and Dae worked the other side while Ram had disappeared. That made him wonder what he was up to. This place was huge, he feared they would never get done.
Ram appeared with more people. “They’ll be helping get these women cleared out. There’s a bus outside that will take them wherever they want to go.”
“That should speed things up.” Knossos said. Everyone looked at him. “What? These ladies need to get home hopefully before we have complications. They don’t need to be drawn into any of that.”
“You’re right Knossos.” Ram agreed.
Why did everyone suspect him of selfish reasoning? Of course he wanted out of here too, but he bet they all did. It was good they had gotten the help even though they’d started just after noon. He felt emotionally drained, but they were almost done. It seemed Ram had taken out the office personnel and grabbed all the money they had on hand. It would be divided among the females they were able to find later. He’d also grabbed a list of clients.
“What help are the clients?” Knossos questioned.
“Once I’m done with them, they’ll never come to one of these places again.” Ram assured. “Is everyone done?” There were a chorus of yeses. “Let’s get out of here. A cleaning crew is coming in to remove everything.”
“Why are we cleaning up after them?” Knossos wondered.
“They own the contents of the house. It will cost them to replace it. Everything we take from them will slow them down.” Ram explained.
Okay, so he could see the logic in that. It was right to free these poor women too. The problem was they were trying to catch up from way behind. Ram and Dae were in the SUV with him so he decided to find out what was going on.
“How did they get established with no one knowing?” Knossos asked.
“We are looking for those who hid this from us. Some were lazy, some took bribes, and some are complete traitors. They will all be ferreted out and removed. Some of the worst offenders will be punished.” Dae explained.
“Don’t they know what’s coming?” Knossos asked.
“Some don’t, others want a position high up in Hubolla’s structure.” Dae admitted.
“Are they stupid?” Knossos asked.
“Greedy with tunnel vision. They only see what they can gain now. The future isn’t their concern.” Ram offered.
“Humans or others?” Knossos wondered.
“Surprisingly some of both.” Ram admitted.
They continued to talk as they headed back to Ram’s place. Knossos thought he understood the fight and what had happened so far better than he had before. It still would be a problem to find other dragons. His kind stuck to themselves, moist having their own cave filled with their personal hoards. There were a few dragons like his mother that knew where a large number of their kind resided, but they wouldn’t be easy to locate either.
According to Ram, they weren’t having luck finding most other kinds and the few they had, refused to get involved. They thought the danger would pass over their kind. That was much like what he’d hoped for. Now he saw the evil that faced them. They would defend their world together or lose one at a time. They reached Ram’s place where Knossos had a room.
Soon he would need to find a place of his own to buy. He had a company run by a troll in his absence. Trolls made excellent accountants and they kept up well with the rules and laws of the human and paranormal world. He had a calling stone he could use to get in touch with Rabble, the troll. Even if he was no longer around, the company would assign another troll so he wasn’t worried. Six hundred years was nothing for a supernatural.
They pulled into the parking lot stopping near the front of the building. “What kind of business do you have?” Knossos asked.
“We have investments mostly. The company owns a lot of property.” Ram admitted.
“Once I check into my affairs, I may need to buy a house.”
“We have a real estate section in our company. Our secretary will be happy to help you when you’re ready.”
“I’ll let her know then.” Knossos promised. “Is Sophie here?” Damn! Why had he even asked? Why was that female continually on his mind? The fates hadn’t picked right. Yet his mind turned to her anytime he wasn’t busy.
“She’ll be here for supper, I think.” Ram admitted.
“I don’t believe I’ve met Sophie. Isn’t she Annie’s cousin?” Dae asked. Knossos felt possessive. Why did Dae want to know? Did he think she’d interest him? Why did he even care?
“Yes, she’s one of Annie’s favorite cousins. She’s not as strong magically, but she’s a sweetheart.”
“Annie’s told us some stories. She’s a lot of fun.” Dae said.
“What kind of stories?” Knossos asked.
“She likes to save abandoned animals and sometimes she gets herself into trouble doing it.” Dae explained with a smile.
“How can that cause trouble?”
“She got caught in a bog saving a trapped dog. It was midnight before she realized a floating spell would save her. Her dad was mad when she got home and he grounded her for two weeks. She was very young then.” Ram explained.
“I liked that story too, but the time she saved the baby horse was my favorite. When she pulled him out of the water, he was so excited, he knocked her in and she didn’t know how to swim. The horse ran away, but he came back with his mother who went in and got Sophie out. Animals can be so intelligent.” Dae commented.
“Does she still save animals?” Knossos asked.
“Yes, but she learned to swim and she’s more careful.” Ram offered. Knossos had found the first good quality Sophie had. She was a protector. It made him swell with pride.
“You’ve not known your mate long?” Dae asked.
“Just a couple of days.” Knossos admitted.
“Take your time to get to know her. You’ll value every new thing you learn about her.” Ram advised.
Annie and Nite came in to join them. “Don’t let us interrupt your conversation.” Nite suggested.
“We weren’t talking about anything important.” Dae observed. “We were just killing time until you ladies joined us.”
“It’s been a hard day, but I feel like we accomplished a lot.” Annie observed.
“It’s a start.” Knossos declared.
“Some of the information I found in the office, might give us more leads. They also had a list of employees we’ll want to roust.” Ram explained. “Is Sophie coming?”
“She should be here anytime, because while I might get off early at times her job takes her all day. She works out of the shop most of the time.” Annie admitted.
“You don’t work out of the shop at all though.” Ram observed.
“I don’t because I have wealthy clients who expect us to come to them. It gives me flexibility that she just doesn’t have.” Annie explained. “My job is easier than Sophie’s. She deals with difficult people.”
“Why doesn’t she just say no?” Knossos asked.
“You’ll understand when you meet my father.” Annie observed.
“I have a reason to meet her father, but no reason to meet yours.” Knossos said.
“Her father will let mine discuss the mating with you. If you refuse, she will be mated to someone else.” Annie admitted.
“Are witches so primitive as to order their people to mate for political ends?” Knossos asked.