Page 32 of Ensnared

“They were friends,” Axel says. The coldness in his voice reminds me that we’re not. In fact, he’s been staying away in order to search for a way to get rid of me. He may be proud that his ensnared human—his slave—is a warrior, but he’s not keen on having me around.

I’m a liability at best.

An enemy at worst.

I need to remember that at all times.

“Tell your siblings to pack their bags.” Axel stands. “We’re joining the main camp.”

“Just like that?” I ask. “I thought you didn’t want people to know—or other dragons to know, I mean—that you’d bonded me.”

“They’ll have to find out eventually.” He shrugs. “Now that you seem to be fully recovered and we’re officially bonded, it may as well be today.”

8

After I got tapped to join the best MMA gym in Houston, I thought everything would be smooth sailing for me. After all, only the best of the best were invited to train there.

My first day at the new gym, someone dipped my socks in some kind of glue. I was in a hurry, and I thought they were just wet, so I decided to ignore it. By the time I realized what had happened, I yanked my shoes off. That also peeled my socks off, and all the skin on my feet went with it. I was worried Mom would make me leave the gym, so I didn’t tell her. At least, not until my right foot was infected. I won twenty-four hours in the hospital with that one, and even after my release, it made for some long, miserable training sessions.

After my return, I thought they’d back off.

I was wrong.

My gloves were doused in soda and covered with ants. My Gatorade was replaced with apple cider vinegar. My clothes were dusted with itching powder. My locker was decorated with graphic photos, terrible words painted across it.

Sousa’s predecessor said it was just normal ‘hazing,’ and he told me the other fighters were jealous. In the fighting world, complaining about things like that was considered weak. I learned pretty quickly to keep my eyes open, to watch my back, and to make myself an uncomfortable target. I never stooped to doing the same things back—I let my aggression out on the mat. Soon enough, they were afraid of using such backhanded tactics.

Jealousy turned into respect.

I’m not sure what to expect from the ensnared who have been dragon captured for more than a week now. I’m sure their dragons have done a better job training them—how could they not? But how much could they have learned in a week? I do need instruction. Obviously Axel hasn’t had much luck being taught, since he’s not supposed to have been able to bond me in the first place. Even so, I’m not worried about myself. I plan to be a very, very difficult target for any hostility. I’m only worried for Coral, Jade, and Sammy.

Axel waits patiently, or at least, barely tapping his foot, while we gather up our meager belongings.

Sammy’s piled up a veritable mountain of junk he’s pilfered from all over the store. Most of it’s random decor items, ranging from superhero paraphernalia to animal pictures. “No way. You can’t take all that. Last time, you could barely hang on during the ride.”

Sammy’s face falls. “But?—”

“Absolutely not,” I say. “You can take what fits in your backpack and nothing more.”

His shoulders slump as he walks away from his treasure pile.

Gordon, crouched near the entrance in his dragon form, slithers even closer, hisses, and starts to gather up the ends of the sheet that was lying underneath Sammy’s pile of junk.

“What’s he doing?” I ask.

Tell him I’ll take it. Gordon’s voice in my head is raspy with a hiss-like undertone that suits his snake-dragon form.

“That’s not necessary. He’ll be fine,” I say.

But Gordon’s already biting down on the corners of the sheet.

“That’s not going to hold,” I say. “It’ll tear a hundred yards from the store, and then he’ll be even more upset. Trust me. He’ll get over it quick.”

Axel grabs a duvet off the bed next to us and flattens it on the ground. Gordon drops the hobo pile on top, and Axel helps him reposition and tie the duvet around it.

“You don’t have to do that,” I say again.

They ignore me.