CLAUDIA

A triad of soldiers walks me to the roof, guns trained on my back as if they expect me to suddenly turn into a dragon myself. As if I’m super dangerous. It’s ridiculous, but they’re scared. I get that. Hell, I’m scared and I know Kael better than all of them. I can feel his thoughts weighing on my mind, pressing in as if trying to decipher what is going on from my silence. He’s worried. I know that much. And his calm is ebbing with every minute that this takes.

I need to make sure he’s good. The last thing I want is for him to fry everyone the moment we show up on the roof, because then I don’t know what they’re going to do with Amy. They’re bringing me up the stairs, I tell him. Don’t hurt anyone. They’re going to release me.

Have you been harmed? Alarm tinges his thoughts, followed by a quick flash of rage. Shall I destroy them?

No, I say, and force myself to remain calm. No destroying. They’re just going to release me to you.

I sense unhappiness in your thoughts. Why does that make you sad? You are my mate. I will care for you.

I say nothing. I’m frustrated at the world. Amy’s still captive. Kael’s still keeping me captive. I don’t get any control over the situation, and it’s frustrating as hell. Worst of all, I’m not even sure my thoughts are safe. What if Kael picks up that I’m upset and gets angry and kills me, too? Even as I say it to myself, I know that’s not the case. Sure, he might rip the throat out of other rival dragons and threaten to torch all of Fort Dallas to get me back, but he wants me safe and sound.

But it doesn’t mean I can’t be pissy about it.

We take the emergency stairs to the roof, and at the top of the stairs we pause at the heavy metal door that leads to the rooftop. Once this is opened, there’s no turning back. I glance at the soldiers at my side, noting hard fear on each face. I feel bad for them. This isn’t how they want things to go, either. They’re terrified that they’re walking up here to be roasted. And they should be terrified. That’s all we’ve ever known, ever since the rip in the stars opened up. I don’t blame them for being worried.

One of the soldiers nudges me with the end of his gun. “Go on. Go up to see your boyfriend.”

…Doesn’t mean they’re not dicks, though.

I give him a scathing look and put a hand on the door handle. I’m worried about going back to Kael. What if he’s angry that I left? What if he bites me more? What if that was just the beginning? There are a million what-ifs, and I have no answers for any of them. I suck in a deep breath, steeling my courage, and then open the door.

Before I even have it opened a crack, a massive eye is staring down through it, scanning for me. The eye swirls gold and black, and as it catches sight of me, the dragon head moves, and I see a flash of enormous teeth. My mate. If they have hurt you… Even from this side of the door, I can hear the rumbling snarl.

The men heft their guns, training them on his eye.

“No, it’s okay!” I put my hands up, stopping them. “I’m coming, Kael. Back off.”

Are you hurt? He growls louder.

“I’m fine. No one’s hurt. No one’s being threatened.” I take on a soothing, happy tone of voice that’s the opposite of how I feel at the moment. “But if you don’t back away from the door, I can’t get out.”

His big head disappears, and the building shakes as he steps a few paces away. The guns lower a few inches. “Jesus,” says a man behind me. “I think I just pissed myself. Fucking scary motherfucker.”

“Get out of here,” another soldier tells me, and nudges me in the back with his rifle. “Get him away from the city.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m going.” With a backward glare at the soldiers, I head out onto the roof.

Kael is there waiting in his dragon form. For once, I’m glad that he’s not in his human form because he’s more vulnerable like that. They wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him if he was human. As a dragon, though, he’s scary as hell. His massive bulk seems to swallow up the majority of the roof, his tail lashing madly back and forth, clearly agitated. He starts the low growl in his throat again when I approach. You stink of them.

Yeah, well, you don’t smell so hot yourself, buddy. It’s a lie, because the warm, spicy scent of him is oddly comforting. But I’m tired and unhappy and worried about Amy. And now a dragon just told me I stink. I…kind of want to curl up somewhere and cry. Can we just go?

Kael gets to his feet, lashing his tail one last time, and then moves to my side. His big body dwarfs mine. I wait patiently as the big snout moves up and down my body, checking me for injuries. Not wounded? They did not hurt you?

They did not.

It’s weird, because I can feel the pleasure spiral through his mind at that realization, and the relief. And I feel a little guilty for being so frustrated. Just a little, of course. He runs his nose over me again, pausing over my clothing. What are these things you have on you?

They’re clothes. You’ve seen me wear them before.

Not like this.

No, not like this. These are better.

Why?

I force myself to be patient. They cover me so I’m decent.

I do not understand this ‘decent.’ He tugs at one sleeve of my shirt, as if trying to drag it off of me. I don’t like this.

People don’t walk around naked, I tell him, tugging the shirt out of his mouth before his enormous teeth destroy it. You don’t get a say in the matter.

Very well. He continues to run his nose over me, half nuzzle, half concern. You smell tired. Unhappy.

He can smell those things? He’s not wrong—I am tired. I am unhappy. I just want to curl up somewhere and cry. More than anything, I want to curl up with him and have him pet and comfort me until I don’t feel so isolated and alone…but I’m scared of more bites. I’m scared he’s going to want sex. And I hate that I can’t trust the one person I want to hold me at the moment. It’s been a really long day, and not a good one.

It has been the best of days, because I claimed my Claudia as my mate. The nosing definitely turns more nuzzly.

I glance uneasily at the door a short distance behind me, where the guards are still waiting. The muzzle of at least one rifle protrudes from the door, and I don’t know if it’s pointing at me or Kael. I remember that they shot at me before. Well, not these soldiers, but others who thought it would be a good idea to ‘save’ me from the dragon by killing me.

I don’t trust any of these soldiers not to shoot me again.

And for some reason, that makes me feel sadder and lonelier than ever before. I have no place I can call home anymore, and no one I can trust, except Sasha and Amy…and I have to leave them. If we’re going, let’s go, I tell him, fighting back tears. I want to get out of here.

You say that, but that is not what your words mean. We shall stay, he tells me, as if the matter’s decided.

I can’t, I tell him flatly. Pompous dragon.

My Claudia is sad. Why?

They don’t want you here because you are dragon and not human. And they don’t want me here, either.

It makes you sad.

It does. This is my home. Or it was, once.

Your home is with me.

But you’re not human, I automatically think and then wish I hadn’t. I don’t want to anger him.

But Kael isn’t angry, only thoughtful. Hoo-man. Is that the two-legged form instead of the battle form? I will change forms if that will please you.

I press a hand to his big, scaled chest, shaking my head. No, don’t change! Not here. I don’t like the look of those rifles. Nor do I trust the commander not to take the easy route and simply kill Kael the moment he changes to his human form. Let’s just go, please.

I will do as my mate asks. He nuzzles me again, the big mouth full of fangs lightly brushing over my hair. Then claws wrap around my torso and legs, and Kael spreads his wings.

We launch into the air a moment later, and Kael begins to spiral high into the skies, beating his wings furiously to gain altitude. I keep my gaze below, watching the small lights of Fort Dallas fade away, and tears flood my eyes. It feels like I’ve screwed over my sister. Somewhere in the warren of the barracks, my innocent, trusting sister is being held captive just because a dragon took a liking to me. It’s not fair. I’ll come back for you, Amy, I silently tell her. I promise.