Page 36 of Red Fury (The Dragon Tributes #8)

S hadow

The sky is hinting at gray. The sun will start to rise soon. We’ve been driving for several hours and are back in our secluded spot in the wilderness outside DC.

Our.

I probably shouldn’t think of it as that.

“Here we are,” he says, his voice rough with exhaustion. Dark circles shadow his eyes.

“Thank you for doing this for me. I know you probably just want to crawl into bed for a couple of hours of sleep,” I say, stepping out of the vehicle and breathing in the crisp morning air.

“No problem.”

“I need this,” I tell him.

He nods in understanding. “Me, too. Let’s get it done and then let’s get back to my place.”

I nod.

Without another word, he unties the blanket from around his waist and lets it drop to the forest floor.

Even after everything we’ve been through together, the sight of him naked still makes my breath catch. All that powerful muscle and tan skin, the tattoos that wrap around his biceps and torso. I’ve come to like the red in them. It’s sexy, just like the male himself.

Fury closes his eyes and reaches for his dragon. I can see the moment he connects with his beast – his muscles tense, his breathing deepens, and there’s that familiar shimmer in the air around him.

But the shift doesn’t come.

He growls in frustration, his hands clenching into fists. “Come on,” he mutters.

I watch him try again, see the strain on his face as he fights to shift. The drugs must still be affecting him, still muffling his connection to his dragon.

On the third attempt, his body finally begins to change. The transformation is slower than usual, more labored, but gradually his human form gives way to scales and wings. His bones lengthen and thicken, muscles expanding as his dragon emerges.

When the shift is complete, he’s magnificent. Massive and powerful. His eyes, now reptilian but still unmistakably his, focus on me.

For a few moments, I just look at him, and then I realize that it’s my turn. He’s waiting for me.

I’m exhausted.

That’s all.

I pull the dress over my head and let it fall beside his discarded blanket. My panties follow. The cool breeze raises goosebumps along my skin, but I barely notice. My dragon is pressing against my consciousness, eager to be free.

Behave, girl!

I feel bad asking Fury to do this. I can see he’s tired. I hope he doesn’t have to end up chasing after my dragon. I’m tired, too, so I think it will be okay.

Unlike Fury, my shift comes easily. Too easily, in fact. One moment I’m human, the next, I’m stretching wings. My gray scales catch the very start of the morning light.

We need to hurry. The sun will be above the horizon soon.

I turn toward Fury, drawn to his massive presence. My dragon goes over to him. She rubs against his side, a deep rumbling purr emanating from her throat. It’s gentle, almost tender. Fury responds in kind, his own rumbling purr matching hers as he nuzzles against my neck.

It feels nice. I like the contact. The closeness. The— Crap! It’s her thoughts invading mine. We need to remain professional. Even after all that happened. Especially after all that has happened.

Stop!

I tell her, trying to assert control over my dragon.

We need space.

And incredibly, she listens.

She pulls back from Fury without argument, without the usual struggle for dominance. I walk her to the opposite side of the clearing, putting distance between us and him.

Thank you!

I tell her, relieved that she actually listened for once.

I stretch my wings again, testing their strength, reveling in the feeling of being in my scales. I let my tail whip from side to side. I wish I could fly. That I could—

Wait a minute.

Why isn’t my dragon throwing herself at Fury like a hussy? Or demanding we fly? Demanding we hunt and kill something, anything?

She isn’t.

She’s calm and under my control, but there as a part of me. For once, there isn’t this push and pull. A war inside me. I can just be. I exhale.

In all my years, I’ve never experienced anything like this. My dragon has always been the dominant force when I’m in my scales. She’s wild, unpredictable, barely leashed. That’s why we need riders on Draig Island – to keep us in line when we shift.

The realization is so shocking that I immediately call her back, shifting to human form. The transformation happens effortlessly, as if I’m simply choosing to change clothes rather than fighting to reclaim my humanity.

That never happens either.

I stand there, naked in the clearing, staring down at my hands in wonder. My scales are gone. I shifted. My dragon let me. I didn’t need to be forced by another dragon.

“Why are you smiling?”

Fury’s voice breaks through my amazement. I look up to find him back in his human form, the blanket wrapped around his waist again. He’s watching me with curiosity and concern.

“I…” I shake my head. “Fury, something’s different.”

He lifts his brows. “Different how?”

“I mean, I could think clearly in my dragon form. I could make decisions. She listened when I told her to move away from you. I’m normally a voice in the background that she ignores flat.

” I lift my eyes in thought. Then I look back at him.

“I’ve never had that kind of control before.

Never. My dragon has always been the one in charge when I’m in my scales. ”

Fury studies my face intently. “You’re right.” He shakes his head. “I forgot you were a Draiger, for a moment.”

I give him a look.

“I don’t mean that in a bad way.”

“I know.” I roll my eyes.

“I could see the control. It was all there.”

“And the shift back was effortless,” I continue, rubbing my nose. “Usually, it’s a battle. But just now, it was like I simply chose to shift back, and it happened.”

“You didn’t need my help this time,” he says. “I wonder if it’s because of the drugs. Maybe whatever they gave us is still suppressing your dragon somewhat.”

The suggestion deflates some of my excitement, but I have to admit it makes sense. “You might be right. It does seem like the most logical explanation. She doesn’t feel suppressed, though, but it has to be it. Maybe we’re just that tired.”

“We’ll know more as the drugs work their way out of our systems, and yeah, I’m exhausted too.”

I walk to where I dropped my dress. I pull the garment over my head.

“With that in mind, let’s get going. I also really need to contact my Council before we hit the road.

I feel terrible for not informing them about the nuclear threat.

I mean, I sent a quick text telling them there was a threat involving heavy artillery.

I told them that I needed to find out more information before debriefing.

I should have told them everything when I had the chance,” I say as we head back toward the SUV.

“Like me, you were trying to find out more about it. I didn’t want to cause undue panic.”

“Exactly, but, in hindsight, I should’ve said something more,” I say.

“Aside from a similar text to yours, I only just told Steel before making my rescue attempt. They gave a timeframe of three weeks. Kozlov is the one brokering the arms deal, and he’s also been a little preoccupied with abducting you and organizing that insane auction.

I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a delay when it comes to delivery of the goods after all this. ”

“You might be right. I keep thinking that I could have died… What then? My people would have been none the wiser. We’re talking about nuclear weapons, Fury.”

“Don’t talk like that, Shadow.” He grabs my hand and squeezes. “You didn’t die. I would’ve told them myself if something happened to you.”

“Really?” I snort-laugh. “You?”

“Yes…me. What’s so crazy about that?”

“You’re a Red,” I push out.

“Yeah, but I’m also a dragon shifter, same as you. We’re the same, Shadow. The same species with a common enemy. Yes, I would have told them if you couldn’t. I would have warned your people.” I see sincerity burning in his eyes.

I want to lean in and kiss him so badly, but I hold back.

“They wouldn’t have believed you,” I tell him, feeling a little sad.

“That would have been on them,” he tells me. “My point is that you can tell them now. There is still time to come up with a plan if they’re referring to our islands. We thought we were doing the right thing by not freaking them out on a potential false claim. Stop beating yourself up.”

“You’re right.”

We hike in silence for a time. I have my heels in my hands. It’s easier without them.

As we get nearer to the vehicle, I hang back.

“I’m going to make that call now,” I tell him, pressing the clip and taking my phone from the heel of my shoe. “I don’t want to know what they must be thinking after I missed that flight yesterday.”

His expression grows grim. “You have an excellent excuse for missing that flight. Yeah, I need to call in again, too.”

“Let me guess,” I say, studying his face. “He didn’t want you rescuing a Draiger. He wanted you to let me rot.”

The way his jaw tightens tells me I’ve hit the nail on the head.

He shakes his head. “That’s not true. Steel didn’t want me risking myself, the mission, or our people by going in there half-cocked. And in hindsight, he was probably right. He ordered me to stand down and wait for a team to be sent. One of their directives would have been to rescue you, too.”

“So, you disobeyed a direct order?”

“I did,” he admits. “And I’d probably do it again, even if it was a dumb thing to do.”

Something warm unfurls in my chest. The idea that he risked everything to come for me warms me in ways it shouldn’t.

Don’t read too much into it, I warn myself. He needs you for the mission. That’s all this is.

But the warmth remains. I’m clearly an idiot.

“I’ll see you in a few minutes,” he says, walking away to give us both privacy for our calls. “Then we’ll get back on the road.”

I nod and watch him disappear into the trees before scrolling through my contacts to find Councilor Reed’s number.

She answers on the first ring despite the early hour. Then again, she is two hours ahead of me.