Hello all. I'm back from vacation so updates will become more regular again.
I know the other dragons are upset to have these dragons and hybrids that were created from their DNA and I am too, to an extent. However, unlike the others, I don’t seem to be able to have children, so without the Chief and Oliver, the water dragons would have gone extinct after I died. Now, my genetics will continue after I'm gone. Everett has done some tests on me, but he doesn’t know enough about dragons yet and really has only done tests on Tana and Zephyr while they were pregnant. Kenna is still a juvenile human so we’re not sure if there is anything in her bloodwork that can tell us something or if the differences in our blood are because her element is fire, because she’s a hybrid, or if he really did find the point where we can see a dragon’s ability to reproduce. So, for me, every one of these children, even the hybrids that carry the water dragon trait, is a precious treasure. Of course, I love and care about all of the dragons and hybrids that we’ve been able to find, but
While Kaylani goes to get Everett, I sit with Nova and try to help calm Naida. I can feel her fear and trepidation at allowing Everett to take her blood. “Naida, you said you have been in the laboratory for four years, but what about before that? You must have been pretty young, maybe you have parents looking for you?” I ask. “No, the tiger, Ishir, asked the same thing. My father is in prison for killing my mother. I ran away and then was caught by the people that put me into the laboratory.” “Tell me about that. How did they capture you? Did they snatch you off the streets, or did they lure you into a place where you felt you’d be taken care of before they began hurting you?” I ask her. She looks at me a moment and it looks like she’s remembering back to that time. “They lured me, I guess. I remember being hungry, so hungry, and they offered me food.” Her eyes go unfocused as she goes back to that time. “I think the food must have been drugged. I remember eating fast, I was so h
We’ve been hunting for the hybrids for over a month now, but Naida is the only one that we’ve found. We have, however, found some of the scientists who worked in the laboratory. I made sure they suffered for what they did to Ancalagon and the others. I talk to Zephyr every night, so I know that she’s hurting for Nova and Naida and that she’s also been awakened in the middle of the night by Ajax and Kano’s screams. So, I take my time hurting them, making them suffer as those they hurt, and now my mate, suffer as well. The first couple of scientists died too quickly. I forget how fragile humans can be. But now, I think I’ve found the perfect balance of giving pain but keeping them alive. Thankfully, Avani and I are on the same page. Since Merethyl is also at the ranch, she’s having similar issues to Zephyr, trying to help the young girls feel safe and working with the boys to accept our help. “I can’t believe none of the scientists know where Oliver is,” Avani says as we fly over the
I’m talking with Kaylani and Everett about getting Ajax and Kano to agree to trying the DNA bonding when Merethyl comes rushing in. “They’re coming home! They found another one, a male this time, but they’re coming home, and Avani says they’re going to stay because we’re so far along in our pregnancies. Well, you are at least,” she says looking at my bulging belly. Nova can no longer curl up on my lap because Cyrene has grown so much. However, Nova and even Naida enjoy touching my stomach and feeling my little kitten moving around inside me. “When?” I ask, beyond excited that my mate is coming home. I’ve missed him terribly and I hate being away from him. It makes my scales feel all twisted and I can’t sleep without Ishir now. “Late tonight, Avani says.” “What do you know about the one they are bringing in?” Everett asks. “Older male, primary DNA is elf and secondary is fire dragon. His name is Keagan,” she tells us. “Older than Ajax and Kano?” Kaylani asks. “Avani isn’t sure, b
As Avani flies Keagan and I home, I close my eyes and reach out for Zephyr’s mind. I’m careful, knowing she’ll be asleep when we get there, but I’m too excited about reconnecting with her to wait until we’re home. I’m surprised when we get close enough that I can finally touch her mind and I find her awake. I immediately wrap my mind around hers, as she wraps hers around mine. I never realized how lonely my life was until this last month without Zephyr. I push into her mind, making sure that she’s not having any depression or anxiety and that the voices are still quiet. They aren’t quiet, but they aren’t angry, they almost seem…content. ‘Why are you awake, my love?’ I ask her, going through her memories as she goes through mine. I want to know every little thing I’ve missed while I was away. ‘I was waiting up for you,’ she says, but I see the truth. ‘You haven’t been sleeping.’ ‘I missed you. I don’t sleep well without you.’ ‘I didn’t sleep well without you either,’ I tell her t
After everything settled back down last night, I tucked Nova into bed and then I finally had time with Ishir. He picked up right where we left off when we were interrupted and showed me for hours how much he missed me. Then, he had entered my mind, walking through the long hallway of the ghosts of those I killed. “It’s not as dark in here now,” he comments as he looks around. “I’ve been working to make it a better, a nicer place in my mind,” I tell him, looking around. Tana had described it as cleaning out a cluttered bedroom and making it feel fresh and homey. So, I’m going with that. Ishir pulled me to him in my mind, kissing the side of my head. “I’m so proud of you. You’re doing an amazing job.” I had fallen asleep with him holding me in our bed and in my mind. It was a deep, much needed sleep that I haven’t had since he left. So, it’s late in the morning when I finally get out of bed. Ishir’s side of the bed is cold, so I know he’s been up for awhile. When he feels my mind w
I love feeling Zephyr’s happiness. Ever since we’ve been mated and I became her rider, her mind has been in turmoil. To feel her utter happiness and to know that I have a hand in it, makes me feel like a king. Knowing that I’m making Nova almost as happy, is just the icing on the cake. Zephyr comes to me, wrapping her arms around me and Nova who is still riding on my back. “Don’t you think this is a perfect place to build a home, Nova?” she asks her, but she’s looking up at me, opening her mind and letting her love and adoration of me flow through our bond. I know I have Nova on my back, but I can’t help myself. I love this woman with every part of my being and feeling her love for me makes it impossible for me not to touch her. I lean in, hearing Nova say how perfect it is here as I kiss Zephyr deeply. “Ewwwww, are you two going to kiss all the time once we’re all living together?” Nova asks. “Every chance I get. Someday, you’ll have someone that you adore as much as I adore Zephy
The atmosphere that night is incredible, there’s a lot of laughter, the dragons are bugling in happiness and everyone is excited. I’m not sure I realized how much Nova expected to die when she shifted, but watching her with Amne, I realize that now she can relax and begin to really think about what it will mean to be a fire dragon. I knew Ajax and Kano had given up already and Naida and Keagan were too new to have let it sink in, but watching Nova’s excitement makes my heart soar. As we cook food and roast marshmallows, everyone is talking about happy things. Everett and Kaylani tell everyone about their plans to open a boarding school for all dragons, shifters, and hybrids to come and learn about themselves and each other. “It will be a place for those who don’t have homes, to live until they decide they are ready to leave,” Everett says, smiling at Kaylani. “So, Nova and I can live here?” Naida asks. “Oh, I have a home,” Nova says, coming to sit in Ishir’s lap. “You do?” Ajax a
Three months later I’m in the kitchen of my new home, my daughter in a swing out of the way but where I can still see her and my newborn son in a bassinet in the next room. Having two children four months apart has been a challenge, especially when you add on that our house was being built and the surprise that we have planned for today. It’s a big one and I’m so nervous that I feel sick. ‘Easy Zephyr. Everything will be fine, you’ll see,’ my mate coos at me through our mind link. I tap into his mind and realize that somehow my mate snuck in, and my daughter is now strapped against his chest while he’s outside setting up the fire pit for the dragons. We decided to cover up our surprise with an ‘open house’, inviting everyone so all of our friends could be here ot witness the event today. “I can’t believe you had another baby before I had mine,” Merethyl says coming in with Terra, their little girl, another dragon. “Tiger and dragon gestations are similar so I’m only pregnant 3 mo
One month later “Take a look at this, Ish,” Cedric says to me. He and I have been hunting the hybrids that we know are out here, but so far, they are adept at evading us. However, they leave their trail of devastation behind them. “They’re getting more violent,” I say to him. “Yes, I’m starting to be able to distinguish between the two groups. The first group of hybrids seems to kill to eat and they clean up everything but the blood. This group…” “They’re starting to enjoy the kill,” I finish for him. “And they’re upping their game. It’s as if they are practicing, almost like they are planning on attacking something larger, or stronger,” he says looking at me meaningfully. “If they come for our dragons, they will meet their match, and their end,” I say. “If they come anywhere near my children or my pack, I’ll destroy them. I was willing to help them before and maybe we can still help the other group, but this one? I’m not sure they want our help.” “This is the group that had a
When we couldn’t find Sunshine, we went back for Oliver, only to find that he’d been killed and eaten. “Hybrids,” Ishir had confirmed when we landed and saw the blood everywhere, more blood than when we’d left behind. Through our combined senses, I could smell them. “Should we go after them?” I ask him. I stay in my dragon form in case I need to quickly attack or defend, as Ishir is kneeling on the ground near the blood. “Zeph, this is violent. There's a lot of blood here. I mean, you and I are used to violence, we’re animals, but this is something else, this is vicious. I don’t want you near this,” he tells me, standing. “Ishir, I’m a dragon. I can handle vicious.” “You’re my dragon, Zephyr and you’re the mother of my kitten. You may be a strong and powerful dragon, but you have a soft heart. Let me protect you from this. I’ll get Cedric and we’ll go searching for them. You’ve suffered enough violence at Oliver’s hand. I’ll take it from here,” he says, stroking my snout as he ta
I lay here, strapped to the bed, like I have been for what seems like forever. It’s been a long time, two weeks, if my calculations are right, which is questionable since there are no windows in this room. But if I’m right, it’s been two weeks since my father was here. I’m not sure which is worse, the pain or the hunger. It only felt like a couple days after he left, that the man who gives me the injections left too and he hasn’t been back. I was okay for awhile because I had the IV fluids dripping into my body, but that dried up over a week ago. I’ve relieved myself multiple times and now everything in here smells terrible, the area between my legs feels raw and I'm worried it's getting infected, which it probably is. I hear the pitiful sound of the creature in the other room. He sounds so much like Ancalagon. I have no idea if it’s him or not, but I hope not. Once again, we’re trapped underground. “Cal, if you can hear me, I’m here. I know, I’m hungry too. I’m sure my father will
I hadn’t expected them to be back so soon. They’ve never returned so quickly after finding one of my laboratories. In fact, the last time, they burned it down, releasing all my subjects. This time, my subjects had escaped on their own. I had been watching from my personal laboratory since my lead scientist told me that the shifts were imminent. He wasn’t wrong, but what we didn’t expect was that they would grow to sizes that burst through their cages. They had become wild, killing the scientists before helping the others escape. The dragon and the tiger wouldn’t have known that some of the humans that had been laying on the ground, had become snacks for the vicious creatures, as they fed on their way toward freedom. Once again, I’ve been thwarted because my scientists don’t seem to know what they are doing. Thank goodness my “daughter” and her future mate are both still under my control. Eliane has been responding well to the treatments, almost as well as the dragon. I’m hoping tha
The voices in my head have started screaming again, only this time, they are telling me to do something, anything to help the children that this monster is killing. I’m stronger now, so I shut my mind off from Ishir. He is helping that boy, helping Everett and Kaylani try to save him, and while he does that, I go to Cyrene. I know what I have to do even if it kills me. I pick her up, kissing her and smelling her sweet, exotic scent, a mix of mine and Ishir's. “Zephyr?” Nova’s quiet voice asks from the doorway. I take one more deep breath of my daughter’s scent, then put her back in her crib before turning to Nova. She’s breathing heavily and there are tears in her eyes. “What’s going on?” “I have to go end this Nova. I can’t let Oliver and his men hurt you or any of these children any more. It will never stop while he’s alive.” Her lips quiver and she rushes to me, wrapping her arms around me. “Please come back to me. You’re the only family I have, Zephyr, you and Ishir. I love
I pick up the boy, which is about all I can tell about this poor creature. He shifted and his body didn’t take it well. Whatever his primary DNA is, it isn’t elf or dragon. “Here, call Everett and let him know we’re coming in with one," I say, handing Zephyr my phone. "Did you check the other rooms?” “Yes, the others are dead, but he’s alive,” she says as she dials and heads outside. I race back to the office, grabbing as much as I can carry in one hand including the computer, while carrying the boy with the other. I don’t have time to rip out the cameras, so it’s possible Oliver will see that we were here. Hopefully, I can tap into the feed online and block it, but I need to take care of this boy first. I run outside, picking up my phone where Zephyr left it before racing up her back. I’ve barely gotten settled before she’s lifting off and flying faster than she’s ever flown before with me on her back. “Hang on, buddy. We have a doctor that can help you. Just hang on until we ca
‘Have you ever been to this city?’ Zephyr asks me in the mind link as we fly. ‘Just once,’ I say hesitantly. It was when I was searching for the assassin, before I knew that it was her. ‘Oh,’ she says. ‘So, anything in particular I need to know about this city?’ ‘It’s smaller than the one where Tana’s penthouse is,’ I tell her. ‘So, hopefully it will be easier for us to find him?’ she asks. ‘Let’s hope,’ I say. We land outside the city and once again, I take in the gorgeous view of my mate in her dragon form. She is spectacular. I missed seeing her while she was pregnant. I stroke my hand down her chest and under her wing. She turns her head to watch me as her body quivers at my touch. “Truly, I have no idea what I did to deserve such a beautiful, wild and fierce creature like you,” I tell her, opening up to her so she can feel my love for her. At times like right now, it hits me like a freight train. “Sometimes, I love you so much that it hurts, Zephyr,” I tell her, leaning ag
After Ishir told me that the hybrids must have been close when we were there and that they came back and finished off the animals that they had started to eat, I knew we needed to get back out and start looking for them again. Avani took Merethyl to his cave of treasures. He has done that with all of her pregnancies because his DNA in their child mingles with hers and she begins to talk and act like a dragon. This time seems a bit easier than what I’ve heard of the first two, or maybe Avani is better at reading the signs and getting her away earlier. He took her early this time, so they will most likely be gone for two to three months, meaning we've lost one of our search party. He told Ishir that he will continue to search for the hybrids near his cave of treasures, but he won’t leave Merethyl for long periods of time and once she is completely overwhelmed by the dragon DNA, thinking she’s a dragon, she won’t leave the cave until she delivers. They’re having a girl this time, anothe