Dragon Bites [Dragon Love 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  Dear Jax, Ed, and Darton,

  I can’t tell you how much you mean to me. When I came to Brimstone, I expected to find a different life. Instead, I found so much more. You were there for me when my father passed on, and if I let you, you’d be there for me for the rest of my life. But some things are more important than love.

  Yes, I said it. Love. I love you, and because I do, I have to put your safety over the ranch. You mean the world to me.

  I want you to sell the ranch for me. Or, if possible, consider buying it for yourselves. I can’t run it from a distance, and I can’t stay here. Not when my presence puts you in danger. Rick will never stop until the ranch is in his hands. I wish I could give the ranch to you, but I need the money. Although I realize it’s not what you want, I don’t see any other way. I know, if I stay, you’ll do anything to keep me safe. Without me, you’ll have no problem standing up to him. I’m going to see my father’s attorney and get the process going to give you legal authority to sell the house, land, and the livestock.

  Please forgive me for not telling you in person.

  Yours forever,

  Colby

  Folding the letter in thirds, she took an envelope and placed it inside it. After she finished showering and packing, she’d set it on her bed, the last place she would ever see them. By the time they finished the chores and came back for lunch, she’d be gone.

  Chapter Nine

  Darton felt the world go out of control. He, Jax, and Ed had hurried through the chores and had made it back just in time for a noontime lunch. As soon as he’d come through the door, however, he’d felt her presence. Or, rather, the lack of her presence. Like a bloodhound on a trail, they dashed up to her bedroom. Darton found the cream envelope lying on top of the white crocheted bedspread and lunged for it, grabbing it a second before Jax could.

  Now he wished he’d let Jax get it first.

  “What’s wrong?” Ed’s voice sounded strangled as though he fought for enough breath to speak.

  Darton couldn’t get a word out. Instead, he thrust the letter at his friend. Pain seared into him hotter than any dragon’s flame. She’d left, but not before telling them that she loved them.

  They’d found their mate, only to lose her over a fucking ranch.

  “Shit.” Ed handed the note to Jax then stalked to the window and stared outside.

  Jax read the note then let it fall to the bed. “She’s gone? Just like that? She just up and left and didn’t say a fucking word?”

  “That’s what it said. Or can’t you read?”

  Jax flung his body at Darton, the shift erupting as his inner dragon roared its anger. Never one to turn down a fight, Darton growled and took his friend with him as he fell backward. Punches would soon turn to worse as claws sprang from hands-turned-to-paws.

  “Knock it off, you two. We’ve got to find her and bring her back.” Ed weighed into the fray, putting his body between his two friends. He shoved them apart. “Shift more and you’ll tear her house apart.”

  Jax fell away from Darton. Snarling, Darton pushed to his feet and backed up, but his eyes still burned from the fire that was so close to getting free. He could feel the heat in them and wanted nothing more than to turn his flame loose and scorch the entire world.

  “She’s probably halfway home by now.” Jax’s chest rose and fell, his frustration marring his face.

  “Then we go and bring her back.”

  Darton snarled at Ed. “Bullshit. And then do what? Tie her up and keep her here against her will? Shit, she’s already split, and that’s before we had a chance to tell her about us. What are the chances she’ll stay once she knows?”

  Jax rubbed his jaw where Darton had landed a solid blow. “He’s right. We’ve lost her for good.”

  Ed didn’t anger easily, but the fury inside him boiled over now, showing in his snarl. “You two are a couple of pussies. I don’t care what we have to do to keep her with us. But that doesn’t matter if she’s not here. Let’s find her and bring her back. Then we’ll worry about keeping her.”

  Darton could see that Jax wanted to believe Ed, too. He could see the yearning in both his friends’ eyes. He grabbed the paper. “Didn’t you see it?”

  “See what?” asked a defeated-looking Jax.

  “She wrote it right here.” Darton waved the paper as though it were a flag of victory. “She said she loves us. Trust me. She’ll come back. Hell, she even said we could talk her into staying. She’s as good as telling us to come after her.”

  “You’re stretching it, man.” Yet Jax’s face brightened a little with hope.

  “I don’t think that’s what she meant.” Ed struggled, trying to believe, too.

  “Not outright. Hell, she probably didn’t even realize it, but I’m willing to risk taking the chance. We find her, even if we have to go to Colorado Springs to do it.” Darton smiled, excited at the idea even if he didn’t fully believe they could pull it off. “Are you with me or not?” What did he think they could do? Drag her home?

  If I have to, I will.

  * * * *

  Pain seared into Colby, yet she continued to struggle. To give up wasn’t an option. “Turn me free, you asshole. You’re too late.”

  “The fuck I am. I know damn well you didn’t have time to make anything legal that fast.” Rick jerked her along with him, pulling her away from the street and into the large open space behind the Burnin’ Hell Bar.

  She hadn’t noticed him watching her as she’d gone into Lee Schwatten’s law office. Her meeting with Lee had shocked the attorney, but he’d promised to draw up the legal papers giving the men she loved the power to sell her ranch for her. She left close to tears but certain she was doing the right thing for their sakes. She hadn’t gone five feet out of Lee’s office when Rick had grabbed her and forced her to go along with him.

  He was right, of course. Lee was working fast, but it would still be another hour before he’d have the papers ready to sign.

  “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. My father’s estate—”

  “Your father’s ranch, you mean. That old fart didn’t have anything else of value.” Rick shoved her against the side of the building. Red glittered in his eyes, but unlike the red she’d seen in the eyes of her men, his frightened her. A frantic gleam added to her fear.

  “Look, you’d better get your hands off me, or you’re going to regret it.”

  He sneered, putting his face too close to hers. “Or what, bitch? You gonna sic your men on me?”

  “You know what they’ll do to you.”

  His sneer grew. “Bullshit. Burning cows? That’s nothing compared to what I’ll do to them.”

  “What do you want?” Not that she really needed to ask. Still, if she bought enough time, maybe someone would come along and see them.

  “You’re going to give me what I want. Sign your ranch over to me. If you play nice, I’ll give you half of what I was going to pay you in the first place.”

  “Half? You’re not serious.” She darted her gaze past him, searching for someone, anyone to call out to.

  “You don’t have any choice. Either you sign it over or I’ll make sure everything you own is burned to the ground. And, trust me, I won’t stop at setting those assholes on fire along with everything else.”

  “You can’t hurt them. They’re stronger than you are.”

  “Maybe, but I’m smarter, with a lot of friends who wouldn’t mind showing them we’re in charge. Trust me, girl. If I want them dead, they’ll die.”

  “You torched my barn, didn’t you?” She didn’t wait for him to admit it. “But what you did to those cattle? That’s lower than low, cruelty no decent person would ever stoop to.”

  He leaned back, his sneer morphing into a smug smile. “It’s what we do, bitch. We burn things.”

  She frowned as a dark cloud passed over the ground behind them. “Who burns things? Especially poor animals?”

  The smug smile disappeared, replaced b
y a momentary glimpse of fear. Rick clutched her arm, holding her there, and twisted around. She followed his gaze as he lifted it toward the sky.

  She blinked, unsure of what she saw.

  A shimmer in the sky changed into three shimmers. Three shimmers that soon grew darker. Soon the cloud she’d thought hovered above them grew black as the outline of something very large became clear. What she thought was one shape, however, soon split apart, becoming three.

  Rick’s deep snarl terrified her. The sound was not human, more animal than anything she’d ever heard.

  She jerked her attention away from the three dark outlines that were continuing to change into distinct shapes. Rick’s eyes, fully filled with red, glowed with hatred.

  “What are you?” she whispered.

  He backed away from her, his body changing. Arms and legs grew, cracking and then reforming in a different way. Skin gave way to black scales like those of a snake. His body doubled, then tripled, then doubled again. Red eyes blazed from an enormous head with horns running along its jaws. It opened its jaws wide, showing massive, saliva-dripping fangs.

  Rick had changed into a black dragon.

  The scream choked in Colby’s throat. Instead, she remained mute as three more dragons landed on the ground behind Rick, shaking the earth beneath her feet. The creatures were magnificent. While one was black like Rick, its red eyes didn’t fill her with terror. Instead, they looked upon her as though worry filled the beast. The dragon next to him was covered in blue scales with red eyes that were dotted with silver. Its long tail swished behind it as the third dragon with green scales took a step toward Rick and growled, the throaty warning unmistakable.

  Rick the dragon opened his mouth and spewed flame. The other dragons roared, lifting their wings for protection. As they did, Rick spun around and wrapped his massive clawed foot around her. Colby screamed as his form disappeared with only a shimmer to show the outline of his body. A moment later she was jerked into the air.

  * * * *

  Jax narrowly missed swiping Rick’s head with his claw as he took off. He would’ve hit him if Darton hadn’t knocked into him, throwing him off balance. What the fuck?

  “You could’ve hurt her.” Darton pushed off the ground, his wings spreading and lifting his huge body into the air.

  “Come on.” Ed flapped his wings and followed Darton.

  Using telepathy as they always did in their dragon forms, Jax jumped, throwing his body after his friends. He picked up speed, catching up with the other two men as they trailed behind Rick.

  He can’t do anything to her. He won’t.

  “Are you willing to bet her life on it?” Darton stretched out his neck, his gaze locked on Rick and Colby.

  “Fuckin’ council should’ve put a stop to him.” Ed dipped low.

  Too late to worry about them. What do we do?

  As far as Jax was concerned, Rick had brought on any kind of judgment they wanted to give him. Even after they’d told the council what Rick had done to the cattle, even after they’d taken one of the charred remains of a cow to throw at their feet, the council hadn’t done a damn thing to keep Colby safe and rein in Rick’s terror. Fury burned at him as he watched a terrified Colby cling to Rick’s talons. The pleading in her eyes ripped at his heart.

  Loud screeches filled the air as three more Black Dradian dragons, friends of Rick’s, flew over the rise and headed their way. They should’ve known Rick wouldn’t do his dirty work alone.

  We have to do something now before those others get to us.

  “We have to make him turn her loose.”

  Jax glared at Darton. No shit. But how?

  Darton turned his head toward Jax, the expression on his face ominous. “Catch her.”

  Without more warning, Darton let out a screech, laid his wings against his body, and zoomed to the left of Rick. Seeing Darton coming at him, Rick darted to the right. Ed, who had taken his cue from Darton, raced to get into position on Rick’s other side.

  Shit. No. Wait.

  Jax flapped his wings, driving the air under him to propel his body forward. Just as he dipped below Rick, Darton and Ed swerved, driving their bodies against Rick’s.

  Caught between the two dragons, Rick roared his fury. With his wings pushed against his body, he lost control and started falling toward the ground.

  Colby screamed as Rick opened his claw and let her go.

  Wings don’t fail me now.

  Jax swooped low, speeding as fast as he could, but it wasn’t fast enough to catch her. He darted past her, his claws coming up with empty air. Twisting around, he looked down and saw the terror in her face.

  Although he knew she couldn’t understand him, he sent her his thought. I’m coming.

  He did the only thing he could do. Folding his wings tightly against his body, he drove straight down, dropping like a stone.

  Her fall blew her hair around her, forming a kind of halo to her white face. She kept her eyes locked to his as he plummeted toward her. The ground moved faster and faster toward him, but if she died in the fall then so would he.

  I’m coming.

  He uncloaked, needing all his concentration centered on catching Colby. He could see the cows in the pasture and hear the birds taking flight to get away from the other dragons. If any human looked toward the sky, they would’ve seen the battle going on above them.

  Reaching out, stretching as far as he could, he grabbed her, enclosing her body in his claw. Elation filled him, but he had no time to celebrate. Lengthening his neck, he looked skyward and drove his body upward. For one horrible moment, he was sure he and Colby would slam into the ground.

  And then he was soaring. With a mighty roar, he sped upward toward the sun.

  His elation grew when he sought out his friends. They’d traveled far from him in their fight to take Rick, but they were no longer alone. He grinned, smoke tendrils drifting out of his mouth.

  Other Talasium and Emeralian dragons had joined his friends. The council must’ve finally decided to help. Whether someone had seen them in town or in the air was unclear, but he didn’t care. They wore their cloaks, but he could see past them and tell that his friends were no longer fighting alone.

  “Take her to safety.” Darton roared and whipped his tail, ramming it into one of the Black Dradian dragons.

  Jax blew out a flame, catching one of Rick’s friends by the tail. The dragon screeched and, like the coward he was, turned tail and darted away.

  “Go!” cried Ed.

  Going. Jax tilted to the side and shot away from the battle. Glancing down at Colby, he saw her wide eyes. Yet, instead of terror filling them, a kind of awe sparkled there.

  Would she accept them now that she knew what they were?

  * * * *

  Either she was dreaming or she was hallucinating. Colby clung to the foot of the huge dragon.

  She’d been terrified when Rick had changed into a dragon and taken her into the air. Had, in fact, at one point, passed out. She’d been sure she was going to die, either crushed in his large claw or dropped to the earth.

  Then it happened. Falling from a dizzying height, she’d had time to think about her impending death. Since she couldn’t see the ground coming closer and closer, she’d prepared herself for the moment of impact. Praying, she’d stared into the blue sky and had turned her fear free.

  She’d never expected the other dragon to swoop down and catch her. At first, it had been only another shimmer against the blue background. Then, slowly, as though it had thrown off a coat, it revealed itself. When it grabbed her, it had knocked the air out of her. Still, she held on, once again trapped in the clutches of a monster. It flew upward, saving her from an awful death.

  At last, she’d looked at it. Really looked at it. Its green scales glowed like the finest of all emeralds, its red eyes glowing yet not frightening. As it climbed into the sky then away from the other shimmers—dragons—she found herself growing calm. If it had wanted her dead, it wouldn�
�t have caught her.

  The dragon landed on one foot, keeping her in the air. Slowly, it gently lowered her to the ground, releasing its huge claw and stepping away. She lay still, catching her breath and equilibrium.

  It backed up then lowered its head. Like a dog at its master’s feet, it lay down.

  She scrambled away, hurrying to the porch. Yet instead of dashing into the relative safety of the house, she stopped at the top of the steps and faced the monster.

  “Oh my God,” she whispered. Could she believe her own eyes? Was she looking at a real dragon?

  Puffs of smoke burst from its nostrils as it lifted its head and tilted it to the side. A low moan that held no malice rumbled out of its body.

  “Are you for real?”

  It lifted its head a little higher. She would’ve sworn it smiled.

  Swallowing her fear, she edged back down the steps. “You won’t hurt me, will you?”

  Unbelievably, it moved its head side to side as though shaking its head in answer.

  “This is amazing.” A strong gust of wind blew over her, almost knocking her off her feet. She stumbled backward and reached for the railing. Whipping her hair out of her face, she stared at the area around the dragon. The air shimmered as she had seen it before. Alarm sent her scurrying back up the steps toward the front door.

  “Babe, it’s okay. It’s us.”

  “It’s okay, honey.”

  “Ed? Darton?” How close were they to the dragon? “Don’t you see it?” She whirled around, ready to warn them. What she saw didn’t make any sense.

  Darton, Ed, and Jax stood where the dragon had been. She searched the yard then lifted her gaze to the sky. “Where is it? Did you see the dragon? How could you have missed it?” She rushed to them, suddenly needing them to hold her, to prove that they were truly there.

  “It’s okay, Colby. Everything’s okay,” soothed Jax.

  She turned around, still trying to find the dragon. How could something so large disappear so fast? “Where is it?”

  “Right here.”