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“Well, hello, Storm. You have something that belongs to me. I want him. Now!” Grail moved into the mouth opening of the cave, and Storm felt his power surge against the spell she had wrapped around Alex.

It wouldn’t work, of course, she was much stronger than him, but it would weaken her more in protecting the human.

Grail had been a gray Dragon in color when Storm had first met him, his color bleeding into his human form, giving his eyes and hair the same rich colors.

Now, he was black as pitch. His eyes, once a soft, rich, pewter color, were now black with his dark magic and evilness.

He was tall, as were all their kind, but he was also heavy.

His lack of physical activity not keeping him in the shape he should have been.

Though his face, dusky in pallor, was gaunt and shallow.

She wondered how he could fly, much less take flight.

“You can’t have him. I’m to take him back to the realm.” She opened her magic and pushed hard back.

Grail raised his hands, and power appeared in the form of a ball of electricity. The longer he held it, the bigger it grew. If he hit the protection, he would destroy it. Storm needed to get them to safety now.

Storm moved in a flash to stand in front of her assignment; she shifted partway, and her wings fluttered out from her back.

She flapped them once, and their powerful movement moved air strongly around the forest and knocked Grail to the ground as he stood in his fragile human form.

Turning to Alex, she grabbed him up and ran to the lighted opening just beyond Grail.

As she passed him, she felt a searing pain in her back but did not slow her pace.

By the time she was in the open light, she was a full dragon, Alex tucked tightly in her talons.

She soared high in the air just as Grail screamed at her to come back.

As a dragon, she could see all the areas where it would be safe for them to land.

Her vision was perfect, and she could see the heat from any humans or animals below them, not wanting to land where anything could find them.

Storm knew she was losing blood, but until she landed and got the man to safety, there was little to nothing she could do.

She was getting weaker and knew that she would need to land soon or risk falling and crushing the man she was sent to protect.

Opening her mind, she hoped to be able to speak to the man. It was the way of their kind to be able to talk to their mates when there had been no bond at all between them. Unlike most species, she could have spoken to Alex since his birth had she known about him being what he was to her.

“Are you hurt? I should have asked sooner, but I wanted to get you out of harm’s way.”

“No. I’m fine. Your claws are digging into me, but I fear that if you lessen your grip, I feel I’ll fall to the earth—unless that is your plan?

Tell me, Storm, do you plan to play toss the man into the air and see if you can catch him before he plummets to the earth.

If so, could we not play today? I have a very busy schedule tomorrow, and if I’m crushed…

well, it could put a crimp in things. No, I think a little pinching is preferable to death.

I can smell your blood. How hurt are you?

” She told him that she was, but she would heal when they landed.

“If there is anything I can do to help you, please let me know. I’m pretty handy to have around. ”

She smiled at his sense of humor. Storm had not expected that. He was being very calm for a man who was being flown well above the clouds by a huge blue dragon.

“I must land soon to sleep and heal. I know of a place where you’ll be safe until I can do both. No one will bother you there.” She told him with as much reassurance as she could. Weakness was pulling hard at her, and she did not think she could go much longer.

“So you plan to leave me? I hope you don’t expect me to sit around quietly waiting for your return. I may not know what is going on or why that other…what was he anyway?”

“He’s a dragon like me. And you will stay where I tell you. You are to live at all costs. I don’t have time to placate your feelings, human. I can easily say that you were eaten by Grail as not. Now be quiet.” Storm began her descent.

Pain racked her body, and she knew that the landing was going to be hard. Seconds before she hit the earth, she dropped Alex and tumbled over him, careful not to land on him. As much as he irritated her, she did not want to kill him.

Her body shifted as soon as she stopped rolling, shifting to the last shape she had taken, hiding her true identity from anyone who would come upon her injured body. It was there to provide their kind with surreptitiousness.

Storm sat up just long enough to ensure that Alex was all right, her body and mind already pulling her to sleep.

The area where she had taken them was hers; it was safe and hidden well from everyone, including any of her kind.

She saw Alex stand and stride toward her just as blackness pulled her under.

~*~

Alex leaned over the woman he had carried into the house he had found a mile or so from where she had fallen.

The fire he had lit in the deep fireplace reflected off her face, the reds and golds of the flames casting surreal shadows across her flawless cheeks.

She was a beauty, just like her sister, Ember.

There was no doubt to him that the two women were sisters, as they were identical twins and as alike as any he had ever seen.

He moved the dark hair away from her face and ran his fingers down her downy cheek.

When she stirred slightly, he grinned. She was by far the most stubborn person he had ever met.

“Why do you look at me like that?” She looked up at him, her voice soft in the hushed room.

“I was thinking about how unlike your sister and you are. You are very beautiful, both of you. But you lack her softness and the…genteel nature that she has. You are strong and stubborn. And I’ve never wanted to kiss anyone more than I do you.”

The expression on her face was priceless.

He nearly laughed out loud but caught himself before it burst forth.

He was afraid she would hurt him. Alex was not a stupid man, he had seen what she was, and while it was hard to believe, he was not going to dismiss the fact that she had flown them away from trouble.

“Why?” He asked her what she meant. “Why would you want to kiss me? It’s not like I’m all that much. I’m, well, at least for the moment, just a woman who has the ability to change into a great dragon. Nothing special about that.”

“Why would I want to kiss you, or why do I think you’re stubborn?” He touched her again. He could not seem to help himself. “And you are extremely special. I’ve only just thought of this too. You’re extremely special to me for some reason. Do you know why?”

She looked at him for long moments, and he suddenly felt her touch his mind again, this time in a searching way, not to speak. Alex was not sure why he did not block her, but he would not try to fight her if she needed reassurance.

“You’re a vampire. They didn’t tell me that.” She sat up on the side of the bed, but he didn’t move back. It put them closer than before, and he was happy with that.

“Yes, I’m a vampire. You’re a dragon. I didn’t know that you even existed until I met Ember. You say ‘they’. Who? And who is that man who tried to kill us?”

“The Elders of our kind, they are the ones who sent me to bring you back to them. The other dragon, his name is Grail. He’s also a dragon like me, a time shifter.

Did Ember tell you what we do?” He nodded, and she continued.

“He was there to kill you and me because we’re supposed to be mates.

We are to deliver the next line of dragons.

Mother told me that our children were meant to destroy him and his reign.

I didn’t stick around long enough to hear why.

Grail has been building his power base for many years and has been moving through time, making adjustments in the fabric of lives to gather monies to fund his cause—to destroy all dragons but himself.

I was in the Americas waiting for Grail to make a move to take a group of scientists away before they were to die, but he came here to get you instead.

We had been tracking him for some time. The earthquake that happened in China was the result of him having a temper tantrum.

Ember said that she had been sent to save you, but she didn’t know why until I spoke to her.

You see, you were to die in that last call you went on when on patrol.

When Grail realized that you had survived, he unleashed his anger on those people. ”

“I’m sorry for them. I never meant to cause them harm.” He was a good cop, and he never pulled his gun unless it was the only thing left for him to do.

Storm stood up and looked at him. The glow from the fire danced in her eyes. When she licked her lips, he watched, mesmerized by the pink tip moistening her lush lips. “Storm…”

Before he could claim her mouth, he felt himself being tossed across the room. Storm landed across his body, protecting him from falling debris. Her hand clamped tightly across his mouth when he started to speak.

“Grail.” She said in a way of explanation. Moving quickly, she stood and pulled him close to her.

“I know you’re in there, Storm, my dear. Come out and play with me, and bring our tasty friend along with you. We’ll char him up and laugh over the silliness of all this fighting. I can offer you so much more than he could ever.”

Alex pressed back against the far wall and flipped Storm around so that her back was now where his had been, and he moved hard to her body.

“As a human, is he as mortal? Will he die like a regular man?” Alex moved the thoughts through her mind. The words were fast and hard, urgent even.

“No. Yes. It needs to be silver through his heart, though. But his dragon would protect him by wrapping himself around Grail and taking him away. Grail would sense your movement, and as quick as you are, Grail is much faster. You can’t…you can’t think to beat him, do you? He’ll take you, kill you.”

“Do you care, Storm? Would you morn me if he kills me?” Now, his voice was a caress, a stroke along her heart and mind.

Without hesitation, without speaking in his mind, she answered. “Yes. Yes, I would.”

“You are mine, understand?” He warned her. At her nod, he kissed her quickly and pulled his gun from his ankle holster. Winking at her, he took her hand and moved to the front of what had once been a small house.

“Please, Alex, please don’t do this. He’ll kill you.” She whispered in his mind again.

“He’ll try.” When he started to step away, she pulled him back into the semi-darkness. “What?”

“You need to feed from me. I’ll strengthen you, protect you. Feed from me, and my dragon will know you, and it’ll keep you safe, keep us both safe.”

Alex looked at her and smiled. He felt his fangs drop into place to feed. The need to sip from her nearly staggered him off his feet.

He wanted to savor her, make her his, and knew from her sister that dragon blood, especially Storm’s blood, was poison to those who did not ask and were given permission before drinking.

But for those who had been allowed that rare sip, the benefits were amazing.

Alex leaned into her throat, nuzzling her skin, tasting her with his mouth and tongue.

Licking the area just over the pulse pounding in her neck, he pulled back slightly and stuck his bite deep and quick.

Her moan ran along his skin like a caress.

At the first taste of her essence, he immediately felt the power surge into him. The more he drew from her, the stronger he felt his body getting. Alex was an older vampire, so his strength was not paltry, but with her surging through his veins, he felt extraordinary.

Pulling back reluctantly, he sealed the tiny wounds with a flick of his tongue. Moving his mouth along her jaw, he reached her mouth and sealed his over her heat.

“I know that you’re in there, Storm. I demand that you come out now and face me. I have plans for us, plans that do not include that vampire mate of yours. Children of our union will bring me more money than I ever imagined.”

Alex backed away from her slightly and saw the lust in her eyes. “If you stay right here, I’ll take care of him, and we can get back to where we were before he interrupted us.”

“I need to keep you safe. I need to stand at your side.” He smiled at her possessive tone.

Moving and taking her hand once again, he hid his gun behind him as they walked forward.

“Ah, the future Queen and her stud. You know, I think I’m going to enjoy killing him. Oh yeah, this is going to be…”

He never finished. As he dropped to the ground, Grail stared at the smoking gun in Alex’s hand.

Alex and Storm watched as Grail began to shift into several forms quickly before he just simply melted into the ground; his blue blood stained the ground beneath him.

There was a lot to be said for the element of surprise.