Twin Dragons: Dragon Lords of Valdier Book 7 (32 page)

“Mother is expecting again,” Heron said,
looking at Bane. “She sent Jasset for some of Lady Lyla’s jamberry.
Merck and I tagged along. It had been a long time since we had been
out to see Creja.”

Bane nodded as he glanced at several men
still standing around. He gave a brief, sharp nod to them. Grief
pulled on him as he thought of what this would do to his friends,
not to mention Creja and Lyla. It was almost certain that some of
the men in the village would die. It was a definite that if Creja
fought against them, he would die along with his sons and take his
mate with him.

Still, he had made a promise to his friend.
He could do no less for Creja than what Creja had done for him when
he had been unable to kill his two older sons when they went mad.
If he had been stronger, fewer people would have died. The guilt of
their deaths still weighed heavily on his soul, even centuries
later.

“We will take care of the matter,” Bane told
Merck. “Stay away from Creja’s home until this is over.”

“I am old enough to fight, Father. You know
they will not let the female go,” Merck argued. “She needs to be
removed, otherwise she could be killed. It will take every warrior
to defeat them.”

“I said, we will take care of the matter,”
Bane said sharply.

“Yes, sir,” Merck replied, lowering his head
as his father turned and walked away.

“What are we going to do?” Heron asked.

“We watch the female, but from a distance,”
Merck said with determination. “If we get a chance to take her, we
do.”

“But your father said…” Heron said,
nervously looking over at where Bane was talking to three other men
who were nodding. “Merck, I don’t want to do it.”

“Then, don’t,” Merck replied. “Go home,
Heron. Your mother needs you.”

Heron winced at the condensing tone in
Merck’s voice. He gave a weak nod before he turned on his heel. He
glanced over his shoulder, but Merck had already disappeared.

*.*.*

Melina frowned as she glanced around her.
She had wandered down to the river as Creja, Cree, and Calo worked
on building the foundation of their home. Bane and several other
men from the village had come to help as well.

She had been surprised when they arrived
early this morning, especially after finding out that the boy Cree
had almost strangled was Bane’s son. It wasn’t until Calo had
explained that Bane and their father were very close that she
finally relaxed.

“Valdieran males can be very aggressive,”
Calo grinned. “You have probably realized that by now.”

“Just a little,” she had teased.

Since the incident two days before, both of
her mates had been very protective. Lyla had stayed with her
yesterday, but today she was visiting Heron and Jasset’s
mother.

Holding it up to the light, she smiled when
she saw the deep thread of gold running through it. She dropped it
in the basket where she had been finding all different ones to use
for decorations.

A loud roar up on the rim where the men were
working startled her. Straightening up, her heart caught in her
throat as she saw more than a dozen dragons suddenly converge on
the men. She started up the rim in surprise when she saw Cree
stagger before falling to his knees. She couldn’t see Calo and
Creja, only Bane, who appeared to be directing the men and
dragons.

Fear choked her and she started to call for
her dragon when two dragons suddenly swooped down out of the air in
front of her and landed. She stumbled backwards, almost falling
over the basket with the stones she had been collecting. The dragon
in front suddenly shifted into his two-legged form. Melina
recognized the warrior from the other day.

“You!” Her eyes swept frantically to the
group of men up on the rim. “What is going on? What are those men
doing?”

“You are safe now,” Merck said with a
reassuring smile. “The Twin Dragons will no longer be a
threat.”

“A threat?” Melina whispered, raising a
shaky hand to her throat as she saw sets of dragons lifting off
with each male in a net. “What have you done?”

“You have no need to fear now,” Merck said
with a frown, stepping closer.

Melina’s eyes flashed in fury. “You… you…
jerk! Those are my mates!” She growled in frustration.

“Not any longer,” Merck replied in
confusion. “You don’t need to worry, I will protect and care for
you.”

Melina’s hands clenched into fists as the
stupid boy stepped closer to her. Her eyes flashed to the other
dragon behind him. It was time to show them what a girl from
Georgia could do.

Reaching down, she grabbed the basket of
rocks. Grabbing one, she wound her arm up and pitched it just like
she learned playing on the Clayton County Girls’ Softball team.
Merck reeled as the first rock struck him in the gut. The second
hit a little lower.

“You’re outta there!” She shouted as he
collapsed to his knees with a loud, pain filled cry. “Batter
up!”

Melina didn’t stop until she was out of
rocks. By then, the other dragon was snarling and using his wing as
a shield. Her hand groped the empty basket and an unfamiliar curse
escaped her lips, causing her to blush. Panic set in when she saw
Merck stumble back to his feet and glare at her.

“Damn!” She muttered.

What do I do?
She wondered
frantically as he realized she was out of ammunition.

Let me out,
her dragon demanded.
Now!

Melina didn’t think twice. Turning on her
heel, she fled across the uneven ground, shifting as she ran.
Within seconds, she was flying as fast as she could in the opposite
direction away from where her mates had been taken.

Cree! Calo!
Melina called out
frantically as she felt the others pursuing her.
Help
me!

Me… Mel… Hi… de,
Cree’s weak voice
whispered through her mind.
Sym… biot, will com…

Where can I hide?
She wondered as her
dragon slipped in and out between the thick undergrowth of the
forest.

I know,
her dragon whispered.
Trust me.

I do,
Melina whispered forlornly.
Please, just don’t let them catch us.

Melina withdrew into her dragon, letting the
creature’s instinctive nature take over. As the seconds turned to
minutes, the distance slowly grew further and further as her dragon
pushed herself to the limit of her ability to escape the two males
trailing her. Being larger, they had a more difficult time
following the smaller female who made sure she took the path of
most resistance.

Soon, the female began to slow. Breathing
heavily, she sighted the place her mate had been showing her.
Turning sideways, she folded her wings tightly against her sides as
she flew through the narrow gap in the rock face of the
mountain.

She opened her wings and glided higher,
arching in the massive interior cavern before slowly descending to
the smooth floor. She touched down on shaking legs, stumbling
several steps before collapsing in exhaustion.

A low cry escaped her as Cree’s symbiot
flowed through the entrance. It shook before dissolving so it could
wrap protectively around her weary body. She raised her head enough
to run her tongue along the smooth surface before she fell into an
exhausted slumber.

Cree, I’m safe,
Melina whispered.

Silence met her. Tears glittered on the
delicate green dragon’s long, dark lashes before they fell. Grief
pulled at her, but so did determination. She would not give up on
her mates. They were her family. Never again would she be
alone.

Cree blinked up at his Father and Calo. They
were chained to the poles in front of him. His stomach rolled as
the drug that had been in the water lingered in his system.
Traitor. That was the first thought that came into his mind. The
second was he was going to kill every one of the bastards if they
harmed Melina. Hell, he might do it anyway.

“Where…” He drew in a deep breath and forced
himself to stand on his legs so he could relieve the strain on his
arms. “Where are we?”

“The center of the village,” Creja replied
before he muttered a warning. “Do not try to shift. We’ve each been
fitted with an explosive collar. It would appear they have taken a
trick from the Antrox.”

“Why?” Cree choked out as he rolled his
neck.

“They think you and Calo have gone mad,”
Creja said in a quiet voice.

“Why would they think that?” Cree asked,
staring at the guards that had been placed around them.

“You attacked Bane’s son, Merck,” Creja
replied in a heavy voice. “Memories run deep, Cree. The villagers
remember when Brogan snapped.”

“I want to see my mate!” Lyla demanded,
pushing against one of the guards. “You dare attack my sons and my
mate! You have no right! They have done nothing.”

“Your sons have gone mad,” one of the men
said. “Leave, Lady Lyla. It is best for you not to witness
this.”

“Witness what? What do you plan to do?
Murder them? For what? Protecting their mate? All males have the
right to protect their females. How can you expect Twin Dragons to
be any less protective for their true mate?” Lyla argued
desperately.

“Lyla,” Creja called softly. “It will be
well, my mate.”

“Not this time, Creja,” Bane said heavily as
he approached. “Lyla, go to my mate. Stay with her.”

“No!” Lyla cried out as two warriors stepped
forward to grab her arms. “Listen to me. They have found their true
mate. They have not gone mad.”

“The female fled as soon as she was free of
the Twin Dragons,” Bane replied in a low voice. “She was
terrified.”

“Of course she was terrified,” Lyla retort
in a voice that rose in anger. “You attacked her mates! Two of the
warriors chased her! What was she supposed to do? Let you take her
as well?”

“We were there to help her, to save her,”
Bane protested.

“She is not from our world. She would not
understand why you would do this to her mates. All she would see is
that you were attacking them and trying to take her against her
will. Who accuses my sons of being mad?” She asked in a low voice.
“I have the right to know who accuses them? What proof do you
have?”

“Your son attacked me. You saw him. You were
there when he did it,” Merck stated, pushing through the group.

“You take the word of a youngling, a boy,
who didn’t know better than to approach a mated female?” Lyla
scoffed. “Of course, he attacked you. He told you to step away from
her and you refused! Any male here would attack you for the same
offense to their mate.”

“I heard the female cry out in fear,” Merck
insisted as he pointed to Calo. “That one grabbed her and held her
against her will. They deserve to die before they kill
everyone.”

Lyla stepped forward and slapped Merck
across the face… hard. She raised her hand to do it again, but one
of the guards grabbed her. Fury coursed through her and she turned
on the male holding her.

Creja, infuriated by the guard, roared out
and struggled against the restraints holding him. Dark topaz scales
rippled along his arms and up his chest and neck as his dragon
strained to take control to protect his mate. He roared again when
Lyla cried out in fury as the guard wrapped his arms around
her.

“Father, no!” Calo yelled. “Mother, calm
him. If you don’t, he will die.”

Lyla immediately stopped struggling.
Turning, she looked up into her mate’s eyes. For endless seconds,
they gazed at each other in silent communication. A shudder ran
through Lyla and she collapsed in defeat.

“If you kill my mate and sons, Bane, you
will never be able to live with the wrong you have done,” Lyla said
in a voice filled with emotion. “The Goddess herself has blessed my
sons with their true mate. Never before has a set of Twin Dragons
been given such a gift. It is hard enough for a single warrior.
Yet, Melina is their hope. If you kill them, you kill her as
well.”

Bane stood in silence, listening to Lyla’s
impassioned plea. He looked at his son, Merck, and a wave of
misgiving swept through him. It was true. Fewer and fewer females
meant fewer and fewer true mates for the warriors. The idea that a
female, especially from another species, could be the true mate to
the Twin Dragons seemed impossible to believe.

Yet, did not the Royal family find their
mates among the stars,
he thought before he pushed the thought
away.

“Take her to my mate,” Bane instructed in a
heavy voice filled with sorrow. “She will stay with you, Lyla. I’m
sorry.”

“No! Please, I beg of you, do not kill
them,” Lyla cried as the warrior guided her away. “No!”

“Bane,” Creja said hoarsely as his eyes
followed his mate.

Bane looked up at Creja. His face tightened
as he saw the grief reflected on it. He knew how much it had pained
Creja to order the execution of the last set of Twin Dragons. He
now understood the heavy responsibility and remorse that Creja
suffered as he made that decision. It had been one that he could
not have made.

“I made you a promise, Creja. A promise that
I now understand I should not have burdened you with. Just as you
kept your vow to me, I will keep mine to you,” Bane interrupted. “I
could not kill my own sons when the time came and it cost the lives
of many. I would spare you and Lyla the guilt that Lesann and I
carry.”

“She tells the truth, Bane,” Creja said in a
low voice. “The girl is their true mate.”

Bane shook his head, looking into the cold
eyes of Calo and Cree. There had never been a true mate for a set
of Twin Dragons. No female could control them as males, much less
handle two alpha male dragons. It was impossible. It would take an
extraordinary female to do that.

“There is no true mate for a set of Twin
Dragons. You and I both know that. I wanted to believe there was as
well,” Bane said as he turned away. “My sons wanted to believe it
so much they tried to take a female against her will.”