Chapter 23

TWENTY-THREE

Aydan

I don’t understand how I’m feeling. It’s not the blinding rage I felt when I found Evander and Sam together. It’s something else. I don’t want another man touching Sam. I don’t want to share her with someone else. But deep down, if I have to share her, Zane doesn’t seem like the worst person to have to deal with.

Sighing, I get off the edge of my bed and go to the door. Dr. Duncan had called us to go to the labs, so there was probably something important that we needed to discuss. When I exit my room, I hesitate, staring down the hall. I know he has his card to open everything, but does he know how to use it?

Cursing under my breath, I go down the hall and push the buzzer beside Zane’s room. A second later, he opens it, and I see his blackened and bruised face and feel a strange amount of guilt.

He grins when he sees me. “Come look!”

Then he hurries back across the room and picks up a little tube with wet cat food in it. He lies down on the floor on his belly and stretches out his hand with the cat treat to the orange mess on the ground. The cat, to her credit, is actually kind of beautiful, with long fur that goes from a burnt orange to a light orange color, even if she seems a bit thin. She’s certainly in better shape than she was yesterday.

“What am I looking at?”

He shushes me, then, very slowly, the cat creeps forward and begins to eat the treat out of the long tube in his hand. Every time the tube runs out, he pushes on the bottom and more comes out, until he rolls up the entire tube. Before she can dart away, he gives her head a gentle pet. She hisses, but there’s not a lot of fight in the sound.

“She’s coming around,” I reluctantly admit.

He looks up at me with his battered face. “She will love me soon. I know it. But I can be patient.”

I watch him as he climbs off of the floor. He’s still in nothing but his boxers, but his scratches from the cat have mostly healed. For a man, he’s tall and built muscular and strong, but compared to Evander and I, he has more of a swimmer’s build. I like that I’m bigger than him.

“Did you get the message that we have to go to the lab?”

Zane picks up the lanyard part of his badge and dangles it between his fingers. “It did talk to me, but it wouldn’t respond. I wasn’t sure what to do.”

I sigh. “Dr. Duncan was telling us we’re needed in the lab room, which means you have to get dressed.”

The ice dragon gives me a serious look. “Clothes are uncomfortable. I am already concealing my penis, what more do people want?”

I feel a smile itching at the corner of my mouth. “Clothes are mandatory. Now, go get dressed.”

He looks like an unhappy toddler as he goes to his dresser and pulls out clothes. It’s far too amusing to watch him struggle into a white button-up shirt and slacks. He doesn’t know what to do with the buttons, so I show him, and then he’s off, dressing on his own, grumbling every step of the way.

When he’s done, he gives me a frustrated look. “Good?”

“Socks and shoes too, Sport.”

He dramatically throws himself back on the bed. “Now, my toes must be concealed? Are they like mini-penises in this new society?”

I laugh and go to his dresser, throwing a pair of socks at him. Then I choose one of the pairs of shoes that sits nearby and bring it over to him. “It’s just the way we do things. Now, shoes. We don’t want to be too late.”

He does as I ask, but struggles so much with the laces that I eventually kneel down and do them for him.

“You, Aydan, have always taken good care of me.”

I look at him in surprise. “Have I?”

He nods. “I was never sure what to do or what to say, but you were sure enough for both of us. I missed you.”

Standing, I try to hide my embarrassment. “Put the badge on. It’s the only way you’ll get the elevator, or any of the doors, to work without us with you.”

He does as I tell him to, but kneels down where the cat is hiding in the corner. “My little Miu, I shall return soon. Do not miss me too much.”

In return, the cat growls at him.

He looks up at me. “I am growing on her.”

I don’t know what he sees that I don’t, but I’m not sure that cat will ever be the fluffy companion he thinks she’ll be. The thing is, I don’t know if he’ll care. I get the feeling he’ll keep loving her, no matter how much she growls and hisses.

I head for the door, and Zane follows. We’re walking down the hall when he says, “Are you still mad at me for being with Sam?”

I glance back at the marks she left on his neck and feel my jaw clench so hard it pops. “I’m not happy about it.”

“That I expected,” he says with a nod. “As long as you do not hate me.”

I feel uncomfortable. “I… think you two could have waited longer.”

“Understood, but you do not hate me?”

My thumb rapidly pushes the elevator door, even though I’m not sure it does anything. “I don’t hate you.”

Suddenly, his head rests on my shoulder. Not sure what to do, I freeze up. This isn’t a man thing to do. Men don’t just sit with each other like this. He has to know that, right?

“I have missed you, my friend.”

I duck out from under his touch. “Got it.” Then I clear my throat.

The elevator arrives, and we get on without a word. Every time I glance over at Zane, weird thoughts move through my mind. He looks less wild and out of place in clothes. His face still looks like hell from us punching him though. The strange thing is, he doesn’t even seem upset about us punching him.

What’s with this guy? And do I kind of… respect him?

I don’t know.

Everyone else is already in the room, crowded around the table. Sam is sitting in the middle of Granger and Evander, so Zane and I take the big chairs, one of which is new, then look up at Dr. Duncan and Dr. Abigail. Instantly, I get a bad feeling. Neither scientist looks happy.

Dr. Abigail combs back her dark graying hair with her fingers and seems to study us for a minute before she starts talking. “There have been some… developments this morning.”

“What kind of developments?” Evander asks, instantly in “boss mode.”

Dr. Duncan turns to the TV and switches it on. The brown dragon and the salmon-colored dragon dominate the screen. We see footage of them blazing fire over streets and burning buildings while people run in terror. The images aren’t just from Oceanview. They seem to be attacking several different towns.

Evander curses. “I thought the attack on Oceanview and the others were a mistake or the dragons being angry that they couldn’t find Sam. This… this is something different. Why the hell would they just be going around at random and attacking cities?” He shakes his head. “The government is going to have a field day with this.”

Dr. Abigail continues to let the footage play. “Their behavior is extremely strange. They seem to be terrifying people, but they’re not actually killing them. For the most part. We can’t think of any way to explain this.”

“I can,” Zane says, surprising everyone. All eyes are on him, and the normally calm ice dragon looks upset. “They are trying to awaken Malikay.”

“Malikay?” I ask.

Zane nods. “Balor, Than, and Kek are beta dragons. If the three of you had enough experience as dragons, they could not dare to compete with us. We are bigger and stronger. We are naturally better fighters. Many betas do not even try to get mates, because they know they are unworthy. Balor, Than, and Kek, on the other hand, have tried many times to take Sam from us, but the only time they got close to accomplishing their goal was our last lifetime… when they joined Malikay.”

We all wait, staring. My stomach drops, and I pray he has something more comforting to say about this situation, because something about his words tells me we’re in trouble.

“Malikay is an alpha dragon. He is large and strong, but he has never been chosen by a female because he is rotten to his core. Each female he approaches with a desire to break them rather than to mate them. He doesn’t care about having a willing partner, as long as he steals a female. I believe he is destined to be alone every lifetime, simply because there is no light, no goodness, inside of him. Always. Every time. He never changes.”

I can’t help but ask. “Where are these other female dragons? Why am I the only one awake right now?”

Zane looks surprised. “Females often take longer to awaken than the males. Not always, like with you, but most of the time.”

Granger shifts to the end of his seat. “So, the three dragons are attacking people to try to awaken this Malikay, so they can steal Sam from us?”

Zane nods. “Dragons tend to find each other in each lifetime. He’s likely following his instincts to different areas he feels Malikay might be, to terrorize the people around that area until the fear of death compells the human to shift into their dragon form.”

“What does this mean?” Sam asks.

“This is bad,” Zane responds, running his hand through his white-blue hair. “If they awaken Malikay before we find the storm dragon, we will not be powerful enough to stop them. This may be the lifetime they finally steal Sam.”

I feel the color drain from my face. “We can’t let that happen.”

Evander reaches over and squeezes Sam’s hand. “We can just practice more as dragons. We can get stronger, and if they even try–”

“No,” Zane says. “You do not understand. If Balor, Than, Kek, and Malikay come for Sam, we will lose. We need the storm dragon.”

“One dragon can’t make that much of a difference,” Evander scoffs.

Zane levels him with a serious look. “The storm dragon is a massive alpha, larger than two alphas combined. He commands the skies, the weather. He can use lightning as a weapon to strike down his opponents. With a storm dragon at our side, most males wouldn’t even approach Sam. Even if she was discovered out with only the storm dragon, all other dragons would instinctually bow down to him. Now, that is not to say Malikay wouldn’t still try to get Sam with the storm dragon, but that is to say that he would fail.”

Evander shakes his head. “We have technology now. We have jets and rockets. Hell, we have nuclear bombs, if we need them. A storm dragon isn’t the answer to this.”

Zane looks frustrated. “I do not know these terms, but I have lived long enough to know what I believe. We must find the storm dragon.”

Sam wraps her arms around her chest. “Is this what my life will always be like? Constantly running from dragons who want to hurt me and needing you guys to protect me?”

To my surprise, Zane crosses the distance between them and kneels down, resting his hand on her knees. “There are many things you do not remember about dragon ways. First, beta dragons do not typically go after females. Many have awakened, and few have come here. They are drawn to you and your scent, but they know they are unworthy of you. Most betas respect the claim of alphas. Even Balor, Than, and Kek will be forced to respect our claim when the storm dragon comes.”

“Great, so I’m only safe as long as I have the biggest males around me?”

Zane smiles. “It will also be different if you are with child. Your scent will change to match all of ours, as the baby will be all of ours. And so–”

“Wait, go back,” Granger says.

Zane stares in confusion.

I clear my throat. “Did you say the baby will be all of ours?”

The ice dragon nods. “The female accepts seed from all her harem to create her child. Children are so rare that the child takes on all the best parts of their mother and fathers. That is why each new generation of dragons is stronger, smarter, and faster.”

My gaze meets Evander. “So, we could both be the father to her future kid?”

“And me,” Zane answers, seeming pleased.

“And we’ve had other kids?”

His answer takes me by surprise. “Two throughout your many lifetimes. They are both Awakened Dragons and male. We did not, however, have one our last lifetime.”

“We have kids!” Sam says, placing her hands on her belly.

“I will tell you when they awaken this lifetime,” Zane tells us reassuringly. “But you will know them by their scent.”

We’re going to have to ask Zane more about that later, because that’s too much to handle right now. Us. Parents. Way too much to handle.

“Well, okay then… so you said it’ll be different when I’m pregnant?” Sam asks.

“Yes, when you are pregnant, your scent will change, being weaved with all of ours. No other dragons will want you. We will become… more eager for you, but other dragons will detest the scent of you. Even after the baby is born, no other male will come after you again until the next lifetime. Unfortunately, you are not always blessed with a child each lifetime, so you tend to need our protection until the end of your life those times.”

Sam rubs her hands over her face. “So, my path to freedom is pregnancy. Very nice. So liberating. It’s not like I can just tell a bunch of jackass males to keep their dicks to themselves and have my words be respected. Nope, I’ve got to smell like all your semen just to get a break.”

Evander stretches and grins. “I’m not opposed to the idea that after I get you pregnant I won’t have to worry about other men.”

“It’s not the worst thing,” I admit.

She glares at both of us.

Granger looks very serious though. “Hey, with all the data we’ve received and current technology, we may be able to replicate that ‘bad’ smell with the other dragons so they leave you alone.”

Dr. Duncan starts taking notes, seeming excited by the idea.

Sam glares. “I don’t like it. Any of it. I want these dragons to leave me alone because I don’t want them, not because my scent changes with pregnancy. That can’t be the only way to get them off my back.”

Zane stands and kisses her head. “It is the way of dragons, but do not worry, my Samantha, pregnancy is rare and extraordinary. No new dragons have been born in the past two lifetimes, so we just need to find the storm dragon to keep you safe.”

“Yay,” Sam says weakly.

Silence falls between all of us, other than the sound of Dr. Duncan’s pencil scribbling on the paper. Just a short time ago, we weren’t even sure we could believe what Zane said, but now we’re taking his word as gospel and trying to figure out what to do with the information. It’s a strange change, but I can’t say it feels wrong.

“So, we need to do two things: we need to figure out a way to identify dragons, so we can figure out who our storm dragon is, and we need to stop the dragons from waking this Malikay,” Evander says, steepling his fingers together. “I think the scientists need to be the ones working on the first problem, and we need to be working on the second.”

I like the way his mind is working. “So, right now there’s Balor, Than, and Kek. Three dragons versus our three dragons,” I say, then look at Zane.

“You mean four versus three,” Sam clarifies angrily.

Everyone ignores her. Not because she isn’t a dragon, but because we’re never going to willingly lead her into battle with dragons who want to take her and are willing to hurt her to do it. As long as we cover her in our scent and leave her in the base, she should be safe. This is where she needs to be when she’s not with us.

“Do you think we can handle them?” I ask.

Zane shakes his head. “You are still more human than dragon. You need dragon instincts, and that is difficult to teach, but I can try.”

“Damn it,” I mutter.

“Uh, hello,” Sam says. “There are four of us and only three of them. We can handle them.”

Zane gives her a strange look. “Females only fight when they absolutely have to, when they’re forced into it. They are just too precious and too rare to place in danger.”

“So, I’m just expected to sit on my ass, twiddling my fingers, while you guys fight for me?” Sam asks angrily.

“You do not have to twiddle your fingers,” Zane tells her with a sincere smile.

Her eyes get a little twitch, the one that frightens me. “Let me clarify: I will not be sitting around doing nothing while you fight.”

Evander turns to her, his face a calm mask. “It would be more dangerous to have you there with us, distracting us. Instead of fighting with them, we’d be trying to keep you safe.”

“Then don’t do that!”

“We wouldn’t be able to help ourselves.” He lifts a hand when she looks like she’s about to go off. “Just think about it, not through the lens of your pride, but logically, and we’ll come back to this. No one is telling you no, we’re just asking you to think about it.”

It’s awkwardly quiet when I say, “So, potentially, it could be us three against three dragons who are better at being dragons. How do we tip the scales in our favor?”

“What about if we used fighter jets to help?” Granger asks, then clarifies for Zane. “They’re like giant metal birds that can shoot hot balls of metal at anyone we want.”

Zane seems to consider this for a moment, then nods. “With the help of hot balls, and some practice, it might work.”

Granger snickers under his breath.

My hands close into fists, and I take a deep breath. “Alright then, they’ll focus on the brainy side of things, and we’ll learn to fight as dragons, with jets helping us out.”

Zane nods. “I just hope you are quick learners.”

Me too.