15. Darrokar

FIFTEEN

DARROKAR

Terra’s arms were a vise around my neck, her body a surprising weight pressed against my chest as we knifed through the wind’s violent bursts. Below, the crimson sands unspooled, an endless landscape warped by waves of ferocious heat.

The wind, thick with the grit of the wasteland, delivered the faint tang of her—fear, sharp and undeniable, a core of determination, and beneath it, something furtive. Something that tightened the skin around my fangs with gnawing suspicion.

She was hiding something.

A thermal punched at my wings, and I corrected our course automatically, my gaze raking the merciless terrain. The desert was a predator, even to those of my blood. For humans? It was death .

Ten of my fiercest warriors shadowed us, their flight a testament to years of honed discipline. Rath was among them, his ruby scales flashing beneath the brutal sunlight. The volatile temper that usually simmered beneath his surface was notably absent, replaced by a focused intensity I knew intimately.

He, too, was on the hunt.

"There!" Terra’s voice, thin but clear, sliced through the wind’s roar. Her finger jabbed toward a jagged obsidian spire, a black fang tearing at the horizon. "That rock formation. It's the only shade for miles."

My wings stiffened, a prickle of unease tracing my spine. She was right, a certainty in her tone that scraped against my senses. It spoke of experience, of a familiarity that shouldn't exist. Unless …

"You know this place." It wasn’t a question.

Her body’s stillness against mine was an answer in itself. "No, but it's where I'd hide out if I needed to disappear."

The word hung between us, heavy with unspoken implications. From whom? From me?

Banking sharply, I angled towards the spire, a silent command for the others to maintain altitude, circle wide. As we closed the distance, the scent hit me, acrid and unmistakable—Drakarn. A significant number. And beneath that reek, the faint, metallic tang of humans.

Plural.

Involuntarily, my grip around Terra tightened, my talons flexing against her back. She gasped, a sharp intake of breath, but I couldn’t force my hold to ease. Every instinct screamed that she knew. Had known all along that more of her kind were out there.

She’d spoken of her ship, of the thousands aboard. Had she truly been ignorant of their fate? Or had even that been a carefully constructed lie?

We landed on a thin ridge, the twisted obsidian shielding us from immediate view. Below, nestled within a natural amphitheater carved by the wind, sprawled a rival clan’s encampment. Sentries patrolled the perimeter, their wings held half-spread, struggling against the scorching air. And there, tethered within a sheltered alcove …

"Six," I growled, the sound a low reverberation in my chest. "There are six more of your kind with your Vega."

Terra’s heart hammered against my scales, a frantic drumbeat against my own. She offered no denial, her silence a damning indictment.

"You knew." I released her, the physical act mirroring the desperate need to put space between us. The betrayal burned, sharper and more insidious than any desert sun. "All this time, you knew there were others."

"Darrokar—"

"Don’t." My tail lashed, a swift, violent flick that sent a spray of crimson sand arcing through the air. "Did you imagine I wouldn’t protect them? That I would ever bring them harm?"

Her green eyes locked onto mine, unwavering, laced with a fierce defiance that offered no apology. "I couldn't risk it. Not with their lives on the line."

Her words struck with the force of a physical blow, leaving me winded. My chest constricted, but it was the dull ache beneath the surge of anger that truly unraveled me. "But you could risk us ? Risk severing the bond between us? The trust we’ve bled to build?" My voice dropped, the raw edges of my hurt scraping against the air. "I am your mate, Terra."

"And they're my responsibility." Her tone was clipped, every syllable precise, but a tremor ran beneath the surface. She took a step closer and lifted her hand.

Even as her scent—spiced earth and something uniquely hers, something that burrowed deep—enveloped me, my instincts screamed a warning. I recoiled, a deliberate step back that widened into a full extension of my wings, stirring the dust into a swirling vortex between us. Her hand froze mid-air, a fleeting flicker of something akin to pain crossing her features before her jaw tightened, snapping into that familiar soldier’s resolve I both loathed and admired.

"Don’t," I repeated, my voice a low, guttural rumble, barely leashed. My wings curved inward for a heartbeat, shielding me in an involuntary gesture before settling against my back. "You lied to me. Do you understand what you've done? Every fiber of my being is designed to protect you, to trust your word as law. You are mine ."

Her lips parted, but before either of us could plunge deeper into this chasm of fractured trust, a shadow swept over us. I snapped my gaze skyward, recognizing the unmistakable shift of Rath’s broad wings, a stark silhouette against the harsh light, signaling movement within the camp below. A brutal reminder that our enemies remained, even as the world between Terra and me felt as though it was imploding.

I turned back to her, my muscles coiled, every nerve ending screaming. The urge to drag her close, to reassure myself of her physical presence, warred violently with the equally powerful need to thrust her away, to create distance. But beneath the consuming anger, the relentless hum of the bond persisted, an invisible tether binding me to her in ways I couldn’t sever, even if I desired it.

"Stay here," I commanded, the order sharper than intended. "Those kervash won’t hesitate to use you against me if they see you."

Her shoulders squared, her entire demeanor coiling like a struck serpent. "I can fight," she spat, each word laced with iron and defiance.

I leaned in close, my words a near-snarl, the raw fury a mask for the agonizing vulnerability she’d exposed. "Do you think I question your strength, Terra? Do you believe me blind to it? But down there, strength alone is insufficient. I will not risk losing you."

Her gaze flickered for a fraction of a heartbeat, a raw, untamed emotion breaching the surface before she ruthlessly suppressed it, drawing down those impenetrable walls she so easily erected.

I wanted to grab her, shake her until the facade crumbled, until she dropped that damnable guard—for once, for me. But Rath’s signal flashed again, more urgent now, pulling my attention away before the unspoken could be said. Before I could confess the chilling realization: her betrayal cut so deep not because it revealed weakness, but because it illuminated the terrifying extent to which I had already surrendered my heart.

"That wasn’t a suggestion." I spread my wings, the membranes stretching taut, catching the harsh light. "You’ve proven you can't be trusted. Don't compound your error."

The raw hurt that flashed across her features nearly shattered my resolve. But the lie, however delivered, remained. And now, we plunged into battle with compromised trust and unknown threats.

I launched myself into the air before she could retort, catching a thermal that lifted me higher. Below, the camp stirred, a disturbed nest of vipers. They’d seen us.

Good.

Let them come.

Rath fell into formation beside me, his voice a rumble carried on the wind. "Movement to the east. They're attempting to move the humans."

A snarl tore from my throat, baring my fangs. "Take the others. Cut off their escape route. I'll engage their warriors."

He hesitated, his gaze flicking toward the alcove where the humans were held captive. "If they resist?"

"Subdue. No fatalities." I met his gaze, the command leaving no room for interpretation. "These humans are under my protection now. All of them."

A sharp nod acknowledged the order. He peeled away, leading the others in a wide arc to intercept the enemy clan attempting to flee with their captives. I tucked my wings, plummeting towards the cluster of rival warriors spilling from their makeshift shelters.

The first Drakarn never registered my approach. My talons ripped across his wing membranes, the tearing sound sickeningly satisfying as he cartwheeled into the sand. The second managed to gain altitude, but a brutal sweep of my tail sent him spiraling back to earth.

More swarmed to meet me, their scales a harsh variety of colors under the blazing sun. They fought with a practiced savagery, but I hadn't earned the title of Warrior Lord of Scalvaris through chance. My claws found the vulnerable gaps between their scales, my wings a blur of motion, deflecting their clumsy attacks.

A flicker of movement at the edge of my vision snagged my attention—Terra, disregarding my direct order and on the move. Fury and a chilling spike of fear warred within me.

The distraction was costly. Claws raked across my shoulder, a searing line of pain drawing blood. I roared, spinning to face my assailant, when Rath’s voice, laced with urgency, ripped through the din.

"Darrokar!"

His warning arrived too late. A hulking warrior, his scales the color of a gathering storm, positioned himself above me, preparing a dive that would have shredded my wings. But then, a flash of red hair erupted between us.

Terra.

She’d scaled the treacherous obsidian spire and launched herself at my attacker, her smaller form colliding with his far larger one. They tumbled through the air, a tangled mass of limbs and scales, and for a terrifying heartbeat, I thought she would fall.

But she was a whirlwind of controlled chaos. Using his momentum against him, she twisted, redirecting his descent into the jagged face of the spire. The impact reverberated through the rock, showering us with black glass shards.

I caught her before she hit the ground, the frantic rhythm of my heart slamming against my ribs. "I ordered you to stay back."

"Yeah, well, you're welcome," she shot back, her grip tight on my shoulders, her eyes blazing with adrenaline. "Now put me down. They need help. "

They . Always others.

But she was correct. The battle’s focus had shifted to where Rath and my warriors were locked in a brutal melee, struggling to shield the humans. I set Terra down behind a fallen boulder, ignoring her immediate protests.

"Stay. Here." My growl was a promise of violence. "Or I'll chain you to it myself."

Her mouth opened in protest, but I was already airborne, my wings slicing through the humid, smoke-tinged air as I hurtled towards the heart of the conflict.

The battlefield was a riot of guttural snarls, desperate shouts, and the brutal clash of honed steel against obsidian-hard claws. Rath stood as a bulwark between the cluster of humans and the relentless assault, his massive crimson form a living shield. But his stance was off—his weight unevenly distributed, his wings trembling with subtle, unnatural spasms. His gaze kept flicking towards one human woman, her face pale but resolute, clutching a makeshift weapon with surprising ferocity.

I banked low, the rush of displaced air churning grit and blood-soaked sand as I targeted the largest of the remaining rival Drakarn. His scales were a dull, mottled gray and covered in scars, a testament to countless battles. He raised a jagged blade, poised to strike down a fallen warrior who lay clutching his wounded side, blood blooming in the sand beneath him.

The subtle tightening of the air, the near-silent intake of breath from the human woman—her eyes wide with horror—told me she saw it too. I could almost hear her gasp as my talons raked across the enforcer’s back, sending a shower of blood and splintered goethite scales flying. He roared in pain and fury as his weapon spun from his grasp, landing with a muffled thud in the sand-soaked ground.

His head snapped towards me as I landed heavily, my wings flaring for balance, the impact jarring my legs. My fighters roared their approval, the sight of their Warrior Lord bolstering their resolve.

The enforcer staggered to his feet, his back a ruin, his movements sluggish. He lunged, more out of desperation than skill. It didn’t matter. I sidestepped with a fluid grace, my tail whipping around, catching him mid-charge. Bone crunched against bone, a sickening sound, and he was airborne for a fleeting moment before slamming into a jagged outcrop. He didn't rise. The fight drained from his eyes, leaving them vacant.

The tide of the battle shifted. I tracked Rath’s movements, a brief assessment of his position and the threat he posed. More of the humans were upright than I’d anticipated, their crude weapons wielded with a surprising amount of fierce determination.

Whatever fear or burning anger fueled them, it bought the precious seconds my warriors needed to gain the upper hand.

My focus snapped back to the remaining rival Drakarn, their attempts to regroup failing miserably. Their scattered formation reeked of panic; their leader was either dead or had fled.

Fools.

I surged forward again, claws crunching on fragments of scale and bone as I slammed into another straggler. His yelp was abruptly cut short beneath my weight, the air expelled from his lungs as I drove him into the sand. His body convulsed once, then went still. A feral snarl tightened my lips, though I suppressed the surge of satisfaction. Such indulgence was a waste of energy, a luxury I couldn’t afford.

"Press the attack! Leave no survivors!" I bellowed, my voice a weapon that cut through the chaos. The commanding tone galvanized my warriors. Discipline, precision, overwhelming force—it yielded the same brutal efficiency as always. The rival Drakarn faltered, their resistance fracturing. Instincts for self-preservation eclipsed any semblance of strategy.

Their retreat was a disorganized rout. My warriors pursued relentlessly, each strike precise, aimed to incapacitate or kill. The sands drank deeply of fresh blood, the air thick with the metallic tang and the acrid smell of scorched flesh. The wounded were abandoned, left to writhe in pools of their own lifeblood under the pitiless suns. A grimly familiar sight.

The battle’s frenzy subsided, leaving an echoing silence. The heady scent of victory, usually exhilarating, left a bitter taste on my tongue. I planted my claws firmly, wings folding against my back as I surveyed the remnants of the carnage.

My gaze snagged on Rath. He stood unmoving, his bulk still shielding the huddled humans. His breathing was ragged, a low, rhythmic rasp against the backdrop of fading battle cries.

I landed beside the alcove, the humans shrinking back, their faces etched with fear and a fragile defiance. Vega stood at the forefront, her posture protective despite her obvious exhaustion.

She inclined her head, a subtle gesture of acknowledgement. Her gaze swept over the fallen Drakarn. "This didn't exactly go as planned. Some asshole grabbed me as soon as I left the city."

"You speak our words." Was this another human trick?

Vega shrugged. "I'm a quick study."

I had to leave it aside for now. "Terra is unharmed." I glanced over my shoulder, seeing my mate approaching, disregarding my earlier command.

Of course.

The two women exchanged a brief, assessing look, a silent communication passing between them. I recognized the subtle narrowing of Terra’s eyes, the telltale sign she was calculating which truths to reveal.

Rath approached, his wings held tight against his back. "The area is secure."

I studied the humans, noting their reactions. One in particular drew my attention—a slight female with vibrant purple hair who couldn’t seem to tear her gaze away from Rath. That was a problem for later.

"We return to Scalvaris," I announced, spreading my wings, my shadow falling across them. "All of us. Arrangements will be made for these women."

If my mate had any objection, she kept it to herself .

The flight back was taut with unspoken tensions, the air thick with simmering emotions and unasked questions. Terra rode with me again, but the familiar warmth of her was absent, replaced by a rigid stiffness that felt like a physical wound.

I watched my warriors pair off with the rescued humans, noting the careful way Rath positioned himself to carry the purple-haired female to the medical cavern.

The twin suns disappeared as we descended into Scalvaris. I landed on my private balcony, setting Terra down with a force harder than intended.

She stumbled, catching herself, her green eyes meeting mine. They held a turbulent mix of defiance and something I couldn’t decipher. Regret? Fear? The clarity I once possessed was gone.

Only one question mattered, the one that had clawed at me since the battle had begun. My voice was stripped bare, raw with need in the fading light.

"Will you ever trust me?"