Dragon Guardian (Drakins of Wyrmarach) (19 page)

They struggled to run through what Wren now recognized as
some kind of meat processing plant. While she didn’t see the evidence of the
torture on his human body he moved with an automatic jerky dis-coordination
hinting at the infirmity his form had transferred inside.

Far from top shape it was up to her to save them. Using the
sword like a cane, she plodded
on,
Kiernan leaned on
her for support, her arm wrapped around his back holding him as much as she
could. After minutes of wandering around she found them back where they’d
started. They’d traveled a big loop. Kiernan was leaning on her heavier now.

“Sorry, it must be this other way.” There was only one other
choice. Why hadn’t she chosen that one
first.
This
hero stuff wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. She wasn’t sure who was shaking
more, Kiernan or herself.

After another eternity of dragging him along the passage way,
stopping twice to let him lean on the wall and gather his strength, he seemed
to rally. The light was a bit better and the air a little clearer. Pushing open
the outer door, Wren discovered they were in the middle of nowhere.

There was nothing to see on the skyline but miles of forest
and sunshine. She wracked her brain trying to remember if she’d heard anything
about an out-of-business slaughterhouse anywhere near town to orient her
bearings. There was little chance of much traffic this far out.

How would they walk back to town, if they could figure out
which way town even was? Kiernan leaned on the building, panting as the outer
door closed behind them with a clicked lock. A car was pulling into the parking
lot.

“Wait that’s Ron Packard.
He can
help us.”
 
Wren turned away to run toward
the SUV.

Kiernan rooted to the ground unable or unwilling to move
another step. Ron would help her. What brought him way out here anyway?

“Wren.
Nooo.”
 
Panicked horror laced Kiernan’s voice.

Wren stopped confused, looking back and forth between
Kiernan, who was coming completely unglued, and the advancing Ron. He had
jumped from the car and started running toward them waving his arms and
yelling.

Kiernan’s expression didn’t seem quite sane as a spectrum of
emotion played over his face. Wren settled for wild eyed fear as the best
description.

She glanced back at Ron. Granted, her break up with him had
been unpleasant but... He certainly didn’t look like the controlled biologist
she’d dated.

Of course there she stood in a black bath towel carrying a
sword, next to an almost naked man. They both looked pretty disreputable,
dangerous even. That made Ron’s expression and yelling tirade even odder.

The memory surfaced of Isobel’s tarot reading, The Magician,
someone is not who they seem. Beware the betrayer in your midst.

Oh shit, shit
. The
betrayer wasn’t Kiernan who she thought dumped her. Nor, Isobel who’d turned
out to be spying on her for the Dragon race. The betrayer was
freaking-Ron-stinking-Packard. She turned back to Kiernan, hefting her sword as
she ran.

Ron pounced on her, punching her from behind. Her sword went
flying. Ron grabbing her hair was probably the only thing that kept her from
plowing the ground on her face. He twisted her pony tail savagely around his
hand and wrenching her face next to his he hissed.

“You meddlesome little witch. What have you done?”

She fought trying to get free
of Ron’s hold.
He used her pony tail like a rudder to control her and maneuver out of her way.
He jerked her hair, punishing her when she managed to twist around to connect a
punch or kick. She was infuriated at how easy it was for him to evade her. If she
hadn’t dropped her sword she’d skewer the rat.

Her anger escaladed thinking about what he had done to
Kiernan, how Ron had used and manipulated her. She kept kicking and swinging
wanting to land one good punch. The angrier she got the harder she fought.

She heard a deep roar. The sound behind her was a primal
challenge that could only be dragon. The trumpeted sound momentarily distracted
Ron and she felt his grip on her hair loosen.

Wren tried to twist free but only managed to turn to face
him. He whipped around placing her between him and the threat. She kicked as
hard as she could against his shin bone on her way toward kneeing him in the
groin. He punched her in the stomach ending her struggle.

His blow robbed her of the air necessary to scream when a massive
claw gripped her, jerking her off the ground. She heard a hiss and snapping
sound that could only be dragon jaws. Ron’s hand wrapped in the rope of her
hair gave him leverage to hang on to her grappling to pull her back to ground.

Wren thrashed, kicking out feeling satisfaction when her foot
landed with a squashy thunk in Ron’s crotch followed by a crunching smash as
her punch connected with his nose. A swath of her hair ripped loose in his
hand. With a pain filled scream he released his hold and hit the ground
rolling.

Finally free, she looked up to see Kiernan in dragon form
again. She screamed her loss, “My sword, Kiernan my sword,” woefully out of her
reach in the dirt. The Dragon faltered dropping toward the ground. No way
around it, she would be crushed when he crashed. She braced for impact, a bone
jarring landing that somehow wasn’t the tackle she’d expected.

Her cheek scraped the earth, a glare of light in the grass,
her sword and within reach. She grabbed the blade hilt and clutched it against
her in a body hug as the dragon’s hind feet sprung launching them into the air
with another spine cracking whip.

He beat his huge wings for height to clear the trees. In the
dark she’d first thought his color was black, but realized he was a deep indigo
blue, same as the cloth she’d wrapped around herself. She tried to shift her
position in his grip. Thankful for the rescue, she wasn’t going to complain
about the discomfort or jerking her off the ground with Ron hanging onto her
hair, or the whiplash effect of the landing/launch needed to retrieve her
sword.

Caleb and Ethan projected their thoughts in unison amplifying
one another as their mental voice assaulted her.
What in the seven fucking hells are you doing?

Well at the moment I am
flying clutched by a dragon who used to be my boyfriend. We’re trying to
evading capture from a mad man I used to date and I’m catching crap from you,
my current boyfriends.

Caleb’s weariness pounded at her. The hard metallic taste of
their fatigue poured through the link stinging her tongue, deflating her anger
at their bossy demands.

I fucking told you to
stay put so we could find you.
 
Ethan’s anger was an obvious veneer for his worry.

Wren tried to shift her position again as the gripping hold
became increasingly more uncomfortable.

Evidently you weren’t
listening when I, told you, that staying put wasn’t an option, Sherlock. So,
what’s your next brilliant plan?
She grumbled.

We’re coming for you.

The uncharted miles of National forest rolled beneath them
like a verdant green carpet. Kiernan seemed to be struggling to carry her. In
his weakened state she didn’t know how long he could fly or where he was taking
her. The pines below her looked like clusters of arrows waiting for him to drop
her onto their sharp impaling points. The dragon dropped into free fall causing
Wren to scream.

“What happened?”
 
Caleb
and Ethan’s combined mental voice made a discordant harmonic tone in her head.

The dragon had recovered and beat his wings to hold their
altitude.
I’m fine. I always scream on
thrill rides.

Kiernan seemed to be flying on auto pilot now. Every wing
beat felt labored.

Kiernan’s been held
captive and tortured for months. He’s very week and seems to be fading fast.

Wren was trying to figure out what to do or how to convince
Kiernan to land when she heard a Dragon’s confrontational brassy blast of
sound. Kiernan swerved defensively twisting her harder and forcing another
startled scream past her lips.

The attacking dragon swept down on Kiernan positioned with
the sun at his back like an avenging angel. His massive bulk blocked the light
casting
she
and the dragon in shadow. Air pushed
around him from the flap of the advancing dragon’s huge wing span. In her
position, clutched in Kiernan’s claws she couldn’t see the Dragon.

“Rogue, you will follow me to land.” The words thundered in a
blended harmonious command as if spoken simultaneous by two voices, Caleb and
Ethan?

The massive dragon flew over Kiernan slightly ahead of him.
Looking up she could see the monstrous body of the huge bronze dragon half
again as large as Kiernan. Okay maybe dragons were even bigger than the one
Kiernan shifted into. Who was that, Ethan or Caleb? There was only one dragon,
then
she saw why. The brothers had said they shifted into
dragon. Now she realized the component they missed revealing, not that it
mattered, but saying dragon instead of dragons plural wasn’t a mistake.

Their dragon had two freaking heads. She could make out twin
necks erupting from the wide muscular chest in graceful arches to two very
large dragon heads with two very angry dragon expressions, if she was any judge
of dragon emotions. Freaking hell, Caleb and Ethan in dragon form made a
formidable sight.

Within moments they’d arrived at an open stretch of forest to
accommodate landing. The two dragons touched down simultaneously in the field.

On landing Kiernan shifted to his human form in a somewhat
easier transition than she’d witnessed before. She scooted across the ground,
away from him as he changed. She clutched her sword, more than a little shell
shocked by the whole experience.

Wren sprang up, gasping with the relief of finally being back
on terra firma and free. She fought back a laugh as the bus sized two headed
creature waddled toward her carrying her purple and pink backpack with her
sword scabbard tied through the shoulder loops.

She threw herself between the kneeling penitent Kiernan and
the advancing dragon. Ethan and Caleb roared through the transition back to
human form. Bronze leather looking briefs kept them from being naked but didn’t
hide the fact that their desire for her was equal to their anger. They were
really pissed.

Pulling her away from Kiernan, Caleb brought his lips down on
hers in a claiming kiss, before glaring at the still kneeling Kiernan. Ethan
nipped her neck low at her shoulder, a punishing reminder of his displeasure as
much as a stamp of ownership while he glared at Kiernan daring him to move.
Caleb swung her around behind them blocking her from Kiernan’s view.

“You dare too much rogue.” Ethan growled at the quietly
kneeling man, as he charged toward him with his sword drawn. “You’ve been
charged with crimes against the realm.”

Ethan had one long sharp and scary looking sword. Caleb had
two twin blades that were shorter and no less sharp and scary looking.

“Where did you two get swords?”
 
Wren had had about enough of their pushy
dominance.

Caleb arched an
eyebrow,
looking at
her with patient explanation he gnashed his blades together.
“Tail
spikes,” as if that explained everything.
Ethan advanced on Kiernan.

 
“You hold it right
there Ethan,” She shouted. Having touched Kiernan’s pain she couldn’t bear to
watch him kneel helpless awaiting his fate. She hadn’t saved him to have him
slaughtered now. Caleb moved forward swinging his twin swords in an intricate
pattern, light flashing off the blades in front of him.

“You too Caleb, Kiernan saved me. Don’t you dare hurt
him.
”
 
She threw
herself between her lovers and Kiernan. Ethan’s distress pelted her like a
shock wave.

They both projected a fear of her loss, having no indication
that she still existed. Caleb’s indescribable fatigue from acting as focus of
their, search pulled at her.
Then their relief at finding
her, crushed by the realization that she remained in danger, and they were
powerless to get to her quick enough.
On top of that the effort of then
triangulating her position while she was on the move, still in danger zapped
the rest of their reason. Their aggression pinged between each extreme making
them snarl like a baited bear.

So of course, Ethan roared at her “Female, you would stand
between this criminal and his punishment.”

“You listen to me. He hasn’t done anything wrong. He saved
me.”

She turned to Kiernan. “Say something in your own
defense.”
 
He remained silent. She
pleaded with him. “Kiernan, I know you may have thought. . . I mean I didn’t
know you had been kidnapped. You didn’t know that,
well.
. . things have changed for me since I saw you last.”

She glanced over her shoulder at the two who had turned her
life into an episode from the x-files. They were both pretty emotional for
males who believed that sex was just the outlet for normal physical urges. One
could almost think that they were j-e-a-l-o-u-s.

Kiernan looked up and met her eyes as she turned back to him.
“The heirs to the kingdom have spoken. You have everything I would have wanted
for you, my Queen.”

“Kiernan, I’m so sorry. I need you to want to live.”
 
She couldn’t explain the feeling but somehow
she felt responsible for him and she desperately wanted him to choose to live.
He needed a task to focus his survival skills on long enough to gain distance
from the hideous experience he’d escaped.

He bowed his head again. “I am ever your servant.”
 
She cupped her hand around his cheek,
stroking the side of his face with her thumb. His suffering swamped her.

“You will live and have purpose. The Goddess isn’t finished
with you yet.” She felt the magic sizzle down her arm and through her hand.
Kiernan leaned into her touch. She felt an electrical buzz of energy surround
them.

Caleb shouted. “Wren, what are you doing?”

She looked over at her men. No, the word men did not
adequately describe them and all that they were to her, her males, her mates,
well potential mates, if she claimed them. For the first time since she’d met
them they were completely speechless.
Gobstobbered, in fact.
The power faded from her.

“Look, I got teleported or something away from you ended up
where Kiernan has been held hostage and tortured for months. I freed him just
before Ron Packard returned. Packard’s crazy. He’s behind all this. He probably
sabotaged my stairs too. Why are you so angry?”

Ethan growled the primal need of an alpha animal to protect
and possess his mate against a rival. “You reek of another dragon; his stench
is all over you. Now you defend him against us, and you’re touching him there …
intimately on his face. You are ours. You will not touch other male
dragons.”
 
He finished the statement with
a predatory bellow. “And what have you clothed your body with?”

“I don’t know. When I left you I was naked. I found this
cloth and wrapped it around me. What’s the big deal?”
 
Ethan and Caleb circled her inhaling deeply.
Kiernan, forgotten by them for the moment, watched them quietly as if awaiting
the outcome. Ethan spat the words at her as he ground his teeth. “Take it off.”

“Oh no, I am not stripping here in front of all of you. You
do realize being naked is what started this fiasco.”

“Take it off or I will take it off, for you.”
 
Ethan spoke each word slowly, venom coating
each syllable.

Caleb pulled a T-shirt out of her purple back pack the dragon
had been carrying and threw it to her. Wren caught the shirt. She laid her
sword down on the grass.

Obviously they knew she disappeared from them naked and at
least he had thought to bring one of their t-shirts. It would hang down
mid-thigh on her.

She didn’t need to be able to read their minds to feel the
rage radiating off of both of them. If a little thing like taking the cloth off
would appease their anger, she’d take it off.

But, they were going to have to have a sit down talk and come
to some understanding later about this whole belonging, and ordering her
around. She grumbled as she fumbled with the fabric.

She tried to untangle the makeshift wrap around her body. It wouldn’t
come loose. She tried pulling and couldn’t get the leather like fabric
unknotted. “Guys, I can’t get it off. What’s going on? Why can’t I get this
knot to let loose?”
 
She looked up as
Ethan and Caleb stared at her and then at Kiernan. Finally, he’d met their
eyes.

“Wren, what have you done?”
 
The loss in Caleb’s voice stopped her struggling with the piece of
cloth. He stared at Kiernan, who remained passive and silent, which ticked her
off more. Then she saw what Caleb must have seen.

A perfect quarter sized mark shaped like letters in a large
inverted tear had formed on Kiernan’s right cheek where she had touched him
with her thumb a moment ago, a mark suspiciously like the design she seen
trying to form on her Goddess given sword.