I didn’t get anything out of the woman except that she knows Fablestone exists and she’s looking forward to seeing us soon. She ended the call before I could do anything – track it, pinpoint her location. I couldn’t do anything.
But she scared the shit out of me.
Fablestone is my home.
I don’t like knowing that the dragons are being systematically hunted. There’s another clan in the forest who is facing the wrath of Lucky, as well. What about the wolves? Are the wolves being targeted? I don’t know, but I think it’s possible.
There are a few shifters living in the clan now who aren’t dragons. Rescued from a Lucky facility recently, they’re starting to heal from the nightmare illness Lucky sent down on us. Still, most of them aren’t talking much. I don’t know if Lucky managed to fuck with their memories or if they’re still just in shock, but it doesn’t matter.
The only thing that matters now is saving my clan.
The only thing that matters is keeping them safe from these monsters.
But I can’t do that hiding in a cabin in the woods.
I have to go back.
I have to take care of my people.
And I have to do it now.
Chapter Five
Julie
THE DRAGON IS BIG.
Magnificent.
Huge.
I’ve never seen anything like it before. Hell, I’ve never even imagined anything like it before, but I know what it is. It looks like a fairytale creature from years ago. It looks incredible.
And it’s pissed off beyond belief at Nicole.
Good.
It should be.
She’s a terrible person.
It growls. Loudly. Nicole tries to seem cool with the huge dragon in her face, but she takes a step back involuntarily. I’m glad she’s not unaffected by this creature’s size or face. He looks angry. Mad.
“We were just talking about you,” Nicole says. She reaches into her pocket. The dragon starts to move. He looks like he’s going to leap toward her, to hurt her, but Nicole pulls something from her pocket.
Her weapon.
I leap forward, launching myself at her back. I have to stop her. I know I’m too slow, too late, because the dragon howls in pain as he falls back. She shot him with some sort of dart, I think, but she’s on the ground now and I’m firmly sitting on her back. The weapons are long gone, tossed into the darkness with her fall.
“What the fuck did you do to him?” I yell, screaming. I’m losing control right now, but I don’t even care anymore. “What did you do?”
Nicole laughs, and it’s all I can do to keep from kicking her in the head. I don’t know what she shot him with, but he seems hurt. He howls over and over again, and then something starts to happen.
He starts to shrink.
“What the actual fuck?” I whisper.
“Didn’t know he could change, did you? Most people don’t know that about the dragons. They aren’t monsters at all. Not really. They’re more than that.”