The Thing in the Pit {Kyle}

[Lillie Galleau]

KYLE

The morning storm had left late afternoon damp and renewed. The crystalline sheen reflected a lazy sun that peeked out only once in a while from behind the gauzy white clouds. It was almost Spring. The season was so close the dragon could smell it on the wind and made it warm enough that instead of stuffing themselves into a vehicle where Kyle couldn’t have his hands all over his mate or give her all of his attention, they’d decided to walk the way to Lani’s establishment. The dragon inhaled and smelled only clean; dark memories and bad dreams had been washed away by those tears from heaven, and puddles under their feet were brilliant with reflections of mouthy embraces and chaste touches.
The shifter was holding his mate’s hand and she was at am arms length, driving him insane by stretching away from him as far as she could while peering in the passing windows. His severe cobalt gaze drank in her form and when he inhaled his time, he drank in the lingering smell of her on his skin. Of him on hers. The bonding scent which was released during ultimate closeness marked the pair like the wedding rings they had yet to bear. Their union went much deeper than words or trinkets; it was soul deep. Eternal.

Kyle loosed a snarl from his lips and pulled Lillie into his side, wrapping the arm around her hips in order to keep her there. For the moment he ignored the main reason for their trip to the Pit in order to bask in the glow of his pregnant woman. She was as the sun; the female warmed his skin and seeped into his core. She was his light, his strength, his very purpose.

“Come closer so that I might thieve some of your fortitude.” Kyle rumbled and ducked his head into the crook of her neck as they continued to glide forward over the moist sidewalk. “The closer we come to the Pit, the more my resolve crumbles. The thought of Lani’s new hair color and her sense of humor have my knees fairly trembling.” He smirked and the expression looked altogether out of place on the stalwart dragon. Of course, he was kidding about being terrified of the feisty and very eccentric psychic Lady Moonblood. Besides Lillie, Lani was one of the only humans that existed that the ancient shifter cared for enough to call a friend. She had saved his life by taking him in after an attack by the Sorceress and an ally in downtown New Orleans, and had it not been for her purchase of a certain painting that hung in her bar; the dragon and the flower may not have reunited when they had.
As their love was fated they would have eventually come back together after centuries apart, but the depiction of Kyle in his beastial form hung in The Pit had formed the beginning of a relationship -this- decade that would span the ages.

A sudden cloud darkened his radiant azure stare. Thoughts of the sorceress, the dream that Lillie had mentioned earlier, and the child growing in their womb threatened to overwhelm him. What new information could Lani have to offer? Did it pertain to the terrifying nightly vision his prophet had foreseen?
Kyle tightened the arm snaked around Lillie’s waist and slowed their pace. The longer he could stall this serene moment the better.

Stopping altogether the shifter used the arm wound around her to twist his female in his arms, bending his mouth over hers and marking her lips with a kiss that spoke his worries. Oh, the dragon’s ever vexed head. It was always, and would always be so.




LILLIE

”Ah my gah, look at that color! It’s so blue and pretty…no, Lillie, fortitude. You have no money to spare on…shoes! Ooh, the new Jimmy Choo’s! Oh, the sparkliness…”

Oblivious to her mate’s desire to keep her close, she was indeed having a grand old time peeing into various shop windows as they made their way to the Pit. She would have driven him or taken a cab, but the dragon’s expression of longing when he glanced out the front window was a testament to his need for nature, and she easily gave in to the request of a walk. Her feet were going to be quite annoyed with her, at some point, but to see that happy light in Kyle’s eyes? It was worth any price.

Swinging their clasped hands playfully, the prophet allowed herself to be tugged along. The sun was warm, there were smiling faces all around her and, most importantly of all, there was no witch in sight! Sure, they were headed toward the fountain of information regarding their current ‘problem,’ but…gah, she just couldn’t help but fall into her eternal optimism. Ilani had said that she had information on the bitch who’d tortured her husband…maybe she meant that the woman was nowhere to be found. Maybe Carlotta had dropped off the face of the earth, and they could finally enjoy a life of peace and happiness.

She bit back a sigh as she returned to Kyle’s side, hugging his arm against her chest. Yeah, and pigs would wear those neat Jimmy Choo’s instead of her.

The familiar snarl beside her forced her mind from such dark thoughts, and she smiled up at the handsome face of her man. God, but he was beautiful; all dark angles and chilseled features. There really wasn’t any wonder that the few paintings of him that she’d put up for sale in the past had sold like hotcakes. There was just something so darn hypnotizing about him. There was a strength in the clenching of his jaw, a stalwartness in the way he held himself…but there was also vulnerability there, lurking in the back of his eyes.

Laughing at his ‘admission’ of anxiety at seeing her rambunctious friend, she just shook her head and gave the side of his head a kiss, She wanted to see him smile more; she’d do anything to see lightness in his expression, rather than worry. A deep, hot anger entered her chest then, as she brooded on the reason for that darkness. Tilting her head up, she wound her arms around his neck and fell into his embrace; melting against him so perfectly that her breath caught in her throat. She fit against him like the right piece of a puzzle and his nearness made her think of innocent laughter and sunshine.

Of a father finally being able to see his daughter grow. Of him chasing her around their yard, and glaring at potential suitors who showed up at their door. Would she be like her father; the baby now sleeping in her womb? Would she have his laugh, his quirky smile, his temper? She deepened the kiss, fueled by the love she had for her family and wished that the moment would never end.

But, of course, it did. And quite suddenly, she thought with a little grumble.

”Thank God that I lied and said I didn’t know what you two were doing today,” Ilani’s voice sounded from beside him, amusement lacing it. ”If Pat would’ve seen you necking out here like a bunch of teenagers, he’d have had a stroke.”

Pulling back from Kyle with a little roll of her eyes, Lillie eyed her friend. Today, the bar owner had chosen an array of Goth clothing that resembled a slinky corset and her hair glowed bright orange in the remaining afternoon sunlight. Her arms crossed over her chest, the DeVoux matriarch was obviously trying not to smile, and with a little shake of her head, she turned on her heel and headed for the bar, talking to the air beside her.

”God, Cash, next time warn me that they’re outside making out! I thought when you said ‘they’re in the alleyway,’ something was wrong! You suck as a lookout, you know. Seriously, next time you scare me like that, I’m gonna exorcise you to Kingdom Come.”

Shaking her head, she cast a wry look at her mate before following the psychic into the bar. It was empty for the moment; the regular crowds favoring the dead of night to late afternoon. Sliding behind the bar, Ilani eyed them with amusement, then started wiping the dirty glasses lined up on the bar.

”So, tell us about what you found out,” Reluctantly, Lillie managed to detach herself from Kyle’s side and slid onto an empty booth. Glancing at her mate, she reached out and curled her fingers around his hand.

Ilani just ducked her head and hid a smile. Kyle thought that she might be responsible for reuniting the two lovebirds? Well, the bar owner knew it, and debated using her newfound matchmaking powers to do the same for her children. Putting her glass down, she leaned forward on the bar and looked up at the dragon shifter.

”Well, what I do know is that your little friend is one freaky little woman,” She said, glancing over at a mannequin set to the side of the bar; Cash’s favorite toy. It started to move as the ghost slid into it and turned its eyeless face from Lillie to Kyle and gave them both a little wave. ”I did some digging into her life and had my boys fan out to find her. We didn’t manage to find her…but we have found out what she’s been doing for the past few weeks. There have been a bunch of children going missing and from what their ghosts have said…Carlotta’s been building up her powers using their…um…bodies.”

Normally, nothing phased the psychic, but the sight of those small, mutilated bodies…she shivered and crossed her arms over her chest. ”Whatever she’s doing; it’s some kind of really bad mojo. And truthfully…I’m thinking that you’re not her only target now, Kyle.”



KYLE

To the shifter, there was nothing but his woman. The taste of her lips was ambrosia; a stimulant that shot straight to his head and all other parts of his body. The man had no etiquette when it came to public displays of affection, he didn’t care if touching her like that or kissing her as if they were both alone and unclothed there against the red brick of the building was taboo or wrong; he was insatiable. A beast. A dragon.
Luckily, he was fairly tame for an ancient storybook monster; the sound of Ilani’s voice behind them drew a low growl from his throat and kindled an aggravated fire in his cobalt eyes instead of prompting him to throw a ball of flame at her.

Too bad. It would have matched the orange color of her hair.
Kyle arched an eyebrow at the feisty psychic and made his displeasure apparent with the fall of his lips. He wasn’t quite sure what all of her prattling was about, but the name of Lillie’s older brother shed a ray of light on the mystery that was her human idioms.
Still, the shifter let his disgruntled gaze drift to the glowing face of his mate, and the corners of his mouth couldn’t stay down-turned for very long. His flower loved the eccentric woman, and well, the dragon…didn’t really want to roast her. At the moment.

He couldn’t see the ghost Lani was addressing as she stormed back into the bar but he could sense him, and Kyle shook his head at the way the firecracker spoke to the specter. She had more balls than the World Series; at least that’s what Pat had said about her on more than one occasion, and not always for her spunky mouth. Today’s attire was a testament to that.

Inside the empty establishment, the ancient shifter followed closely behind the two women; coming to rest beside his seated female. He squeezed the hand that clung to his, brought it to his lips and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply before pressing a kiss against her delicate knuckles.
A knot had formed in his chest by now; the purpose of this visit returning to the forefront of his thoughts once more. And as if his woman could read his mind, Lillie wasted no time inquiring about said purpose. Kyle drew in a deep breath and held it in; the hand not entertained with the Flower’s clenched tightly at his thigh. A warmth begun to spread from his palm until it consumed his hand in red; the fire inside him stirred to the point of near release; if not from his fingertips, than from the back of this throat. It bubbled there now like bile from his stomach.

The fire was momentarily distracted when Kyle followed Lani’s gaze to a tailor's dummy sat at the end of the bar; narrowing his eyes in bewilderment when the thing looked and then waved at them. Ghosts. He would never understand their brand of humor.

The distraction didn’t last nearly long enough in the Dragon’s opinion, as the explanation of Carlotta and her idea of some kind of science experiment drew another growl from his throat; this one much louder, it rattled the glasses Lani had just wiped down.
This ‘bad mojo’ was something the shifter had experienced before, and he didn’t wish it on another living soul; especially children. He couldn’t even consider that Lani’s parting hint had anything to do with his unborn child or Lillie, for as it was, it was getting harder and harder to control the beast clawing at his insides.

Giving Lillie’s hand a light squeeze, Kyle slid out of the booth and went to the bar, going behind it and helping himself to his favorite liquor, a bottle of gut-rot Tequila with a worm floating at the bottom before grabbing a bottle of water for his pregnant mate.
He couldn’t sit back down. He was too keyed up for that. Handing his wife-to-be the water he twisted the lid off the liquor and began gulping it down. Being a dragon gave him an amped-up tolerance for the stuff, but if he drank enough maybe he could dull the pang in his chest.

“Talk to the ghosts again. I need to know where they lived, what they saw when she took them. I can follow their bodies like a trail of bread crumbs…right toward the witch.”
Realizing his harsh words were probably too much for his delicate flower, he glanced back to her with a softer, poignant look. “Apologies love. I did not mean to be so blunt. I need to find the sorceress before she can do this to another. To our family.”

He took another quick swig from the bottle and wiped across his moistened lips with the back of his hand. “Lani…if I need to go away, you will take care of my female?”

[Lillie Galleau]

LILLIE

Despite the gravity of the conversation, Lillie couldn’t help the little blush from staining her cheeks, as she felt his lips on her knuckles. It was as if the man was a walking aphrodisiac; she couldn’t help but feel the constant need to rip off his clothes and have her dirty way with him! It was his nearness, his scent, the way his eyes softened every time he looked at her and his lips tilted up into that small smile. She had no idea why others tended to shy away from him, thinking him some kind of…daunting beast. To her, she was his ‘love dragon.’ A slightly overprotective and sometimes irritating love dragon, but hers, nonetheless.

A sixth sense that she’d come to recognize as ‘Kyle Vision’ warned her of the dragon’s dark thoughts and she leaned into him, giving his hand a little kiss of her own. She knew that he was constantly afraid that the witch would be able to get to her, as she had all those centuries ago…and the fact that the evil woman was currently underground had to be making him half insane. From her dreams and the few emotional confessions she’d manage to pull out of him, she knew that her safety was a constant…obsession, almost and yearned to make everything alright.

It was in her nature, she supposed; the need to make everyone around her as happy and content as she strove to be. Forget Kyle’s anxiety about having a homicidal witch roaming New Orleans; the knowing that the love of her life was anything less than ecstatic was KILLING her! If it wasn’t for her pregnant state and the fact her mate would probably keel over and die if she tried it, she’d go hunt the bitch down and end all of the drama!

Man, she’d been raised by four older brothers and dreamt about the future. She did not need anymore drama. Drat, why couldn’t the witch just spontaneously combust and save them all the trouble?

When Kyle pulled away, Lillie couldn’t help the little sound of protest that escaped her. It was always that way; even the smallest distance between them had her groping for his hand. Steeling herself against it, lest Lani use it as this week’s ammunition for her ‘Let’s Make Fun of the Pregnant Lady!’ routine, she forced herself to concentrate on what was being said.

And then wished she didn’t.

”Need to go away?” She squawked, at the same time as Lani’s somber ‘you bet your fine ass.’ Feeling the sudden need to bean either one of them with her now opened water bottle, the psychic couldn’t help but scowl at them.

Ilani just ignored her, instead focusing on the dragon. ”I’ll see what I can do. Cash can wrangle them and I’ll have Pat pull in his favors and get the exact locations of each dump site. From what I’ve learned about this witch, she’s not that smart on the psycho-killer stage; she probably…ugh, I just threw up in my mouth…ate them and left their bodies right where she killed them. So fuck yeah, breadcrumbs. When you find the bitch, I call Punch #1,”

Giving the dragon a little nod, she looked over his shoulder and waved at the mannequin. With what looked like a martyred sigh, the doll slumped forward in defeat, before straightening and going still. Cash was off to fulfill its duties, and now it was time for her to do the same. Turning her amber eyes back to Kyle, she eyed the bottle of tequila he stole, then sauntered around him. ”Now, get the hell out from behind my bar, or I’m gonna tell all the ladies that you’re my new ‘tender. They’ll eat you alive. I’ve gotta go open up, so make yourselves comfortable, you two. If y’all need, you know how to get to my place. I’ll let you know when I have more info for you, Doobie.”

With that and a wave over her shoulder, Ilani moved over to the bar’s entrance and opened the double doors, releasing the wave of people outside. Lillie couldn’t help the involuntary cringe that followed the loud giggles that followed the latest group of patrons into the room, and turned to eye the sexy man behind the bar. ”’Take care of your female,’ huh?” She said, taking a sip of her water. ”You do know that I have more bodyguards than I can count, right?”


KYLE

Deacon’s jaw was clenched with worry; his intense cobalt eyes darting back and forth between the bright haired psychic and his mate at the booth. They lingered on Ilani with a slight head tilt of appreciation when she agreed to both keep eyes on the fragile flower as well as dispatching her own brand of detective; the ghosts that -sought- her out. His stoic expression never faded, not even when she brought up the sorceress’s latest victims again; once more mentioning that she had not only used their inner essence for her magic, but had made a meal of them. This worried the shifter even more. Carlotta was up to something; that much was certain, but exactly what was a mystery he would only be able to learn once he had her right before him; his large hands wrapped around her pale throat.

It had been months since they had seen the witch, which was both a blessing and a bother. It had given the dragon and his woman time to heal; both from physical wounds as well as emotional ones. They had been given time to grow closer and strengthen their timeless bond; reveling in the things they knew about one another since ages before, and discovering new things about one another. Their bliss had formed a shield around them, but it was not one meant to last. The fragile bubble had been trembling against the sharpened minute hand on the clock. Receiving this new knowledge about their arch enemy, the pointed edge had pierced the skin and the shield had burst.

Deacon was lost in his agony when Lani opened the bar up to patrons, and it was only at the sound of Lillie’s disheartened voice did he lift his gaze and drift back over to her side.
He dragged his tongue across his bottom lip and narrowed his eyes, lifting the Tequila to his mouth and taking a heavy pull as his eyes drank her in around the bottle.
Delicate lines of worry creased the tender skin around her eyes; eyes as blue as the heavens at twilight…eyes which could usually erase any tension he felt in his chest or shoulders. Filled with their own concern, this time looking into them fueled a fire of wrath that was hidden within him; a place that was moved by his raw emotions; the fierce ancient beast that was both a part of him and a creature wholly separate. Blood thirsty and brutal. Cruel and guided by instincts.

“If I am to keep you safe, along with all your other aforementioned body guards, I need to be clear of mind and purpose. You speak as if you will be there by my side to face her, and I would not have it so. You have seen her dark power and her wrath once before, a fact that haunts me until I feel the need to seek out a priest to exorcise the ghost. I let her get too close to you before. It will not happen again. She could have killed you, Lillie. She could have killed our childe. I nearly died and had that happened, she could have…”

He inhaled sharply, taking another deep pull before sinking into the seat next to her. His hand drifted under the table to grasp her thigh, gently, he gave it a squeeze before moving upwards to rest at her belly where another heart beat like dragonfly wings. The specter of a smile graced his lips for a moment, but was banished, and his face was again the mask of resolution.

“Lillie, what function has Carlotta for these children that she has made to suffer?” The question was asked of his mate, but Deacon’s far-away stare was proof the inquiry was merely thoughts escaping his lips. “She has been in hiding and to what purpose? Does the ingestion of these babes grant her some different power than what we have seen before? Has she lost control of the dragon army she once fed from to gain potency?” The shifter shook his head and sighed wearily, finally gazing up into Lillie’s face with a look of defeat.

“I will see to it you are instructed with the use of a weapon, but I will not put a weighty sword in my woman’s hand. What thought does mind give to a shiny new stun gun? It would have duel purpose. You could use it on Lani when her mouth runs away from her…”
It was meant to be a joke, of course, but the dragon’s face remained as serious as a heart attack.



LILLIE

Darn it, was it too hard to ask for a paranoid fiancé? Maybe one who was a tad overprotective and worried about nothing? But no, she had to be the one with the guy who made absolute sense…

Lillie bit back a snort as the thought floated through her mind, and eyed the bottles behind the bar. She really didn’t want to think of Kyle and the witch facing off, but she knew it was inevitable. She also knew that her being around during that fight would be laughable; something quite like a kitten facing off with a grown Doberman…but darn it, she didn’t want him to get hurt! BAH, she really wanted a drink! She wondered how fast her man would have her in a headlock if she went for the tequila bottle he was holding.

With a weary sigh, she rested her hand over his, sliding her fingers through the webs between his. ”I know you’re right,” She said, pitching her voice over the testing sounds coming from the stage behind them. ”And you are; it’s completely foolish to think that I’d be anywhere NEAR the fight between you and Carlotta. I’m not stupid; I know that if I were there, I’d only distract you and…probably end up passed out in a corner somewhere, because I hit myself with my sword.”

She laughed at the thought, though it was only half humored. ”I just…Kyle, everything inside of me is practically screaming for me to not you out of my sight. When you were hurt on the street…I don’t want you to be alone, if you’re hurt like that again. Do you understand? I know you’re afraid of the past repeating itself, but I’m afraid of the same thing. I don’t think I could live without you. And the thought of raising this child on my own…”

Oh crap, there went the waterworks. Quickly, before she could start bawling in front of everyone, she ducked her head and slapped a hand over her eyes. Great, now she was being the hormonal watering pot. Did pregnant women have a spigot? Some way to shut it all off? With a little grumble, she swiped at her eyes and bit the inside of her lip to stop the flow.

Sometimes, she really wished she knew how to be like him. He was so controlled, so stalwart…and there she was, probably making him feel embarrassed or guilty for something that certainly wasn’t his fault. Was it his fault that a crazy-psycho witch from hell had taken one look at his God-like patootie and fell hard? Was it his fault that said crazy-psycho witch wouldn’t freaking die? Nope; both of those were heaped on the shoulders of whatever God awaited them after this life…and when she met It, HEAVEN help It, because when she was through…

With a half sniffle and half laugh at his stun gun comment, Lillie took another swipe at her eyes, then looked up at him again. Catching his hand in hers, she brought it up to his lips to kiss. ”Honey, my brother’s a cop, remember? I haven’t shown you my little box of ‘goodies’ he’s been giving me every Christmas for the past ten years. I think I have more semi-legal weapons than any woman my age should and I know how to use all of them. Now, if we’re talking a special, Witch-Killing sword…God, I’m sorry; just ignore the waterworks. It’s a pregnant woman’s prerogative to regress to two years old.” With a shake of her head, she traded his hand for his cheek as she leaned into him. The smell of him made something inside uncoil.

Though, it wouldn’t be uncoiled for long…


CARLOTTA

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

The sounds that her heels made on the pavement were eerily similar to the ones she’d made naught but a few hours ago. Those brittle little bones had been such a treat; who would have known that marrow would taste so good? Crunch, crack, creek and RIP…it was like a symphony orchestra.

Of Death.

The bright neon sign that heralded the cliché biker bar flickered and danced against the darkening sky, and Carlotta frowned at the halo it made around the people moving in and out of the building. It was almost as if it were protected…but by what? Another few steps closer had her frowning even more as the acrid smell of defensive magic assaulted her. Ugh, just smell that! It was like rotten eggs, congealed blood…and the word ‘no.’ Her blood pressure was already fatalistically high with how long it was taking to reclaim her property; she just couldn’t abide by this.

”Hey, baby, you lookin’ to go inside?” A man with slicked back hair and a snake’s smile sidled over to her, slipping his hand to the small of her back. Once upon a time she would have had his fingers cut off for such impertenance, but in today’s world…well, he could be useful, in his own little way.

And his touch…mmm, it reminded him of his touch. Those big, calloused hands and the way they felt on her skin. Ooh, but it gave her the shivers, just thinking about it. He was so close and if everything went as planned, she’d feel them on her again. He was fated to be hers, after all; her pet, her lover, her property.

Not to mention that his child would taste twice as sweet when he watched her devour its little heart.

A wide smile crept onto her face as she finally turned toward the stranger. ”Why, yes I am. Be a gentleman and escort me in, handsome?” Honey dripped from her tongue as she ran a red tipped nail over the man’s chest. She could feel the muscle ripple beneath his shirt, and knew that he was hers.

If she were escorted in by one who didn’t mean harm, she wouldn’t set off any alarm bells with the obviously supernaturally minded proprietor. See? She knew the fool would come in handy.
And once she was inside, well…she just knew he’d taste good.

A step into the building had her wincing, as the strong beat of the music assaulted her ears. Good Lord, did people really listen to this drivel? Ugh, society had definitely declined, while she’d been in hiding. Maybe after she reclaimed her pet, she’d make a new world order in her own image. Oh yes, that would be quite the Christmas present to herself! She clapped her hands; a gesture which her partner saw as approval for his company and immediately ushered her toward the bar.

Bah, she didn’t care what drinks they served; she was only there for one reason and one reason only. Now, where was he…where was her handsome man—

All thought ceased to exist when her eyes fell on the dragon. He was just as she remembered him; so big and powerful. Now that was a leader of men; not the fragile little thing who ran the country. That was a man worth her love, worth the WORLD’S love.

And the love of that freakishly resilient prophet.

Carlotta couldn’t help the low growl that slid from her lips as the human leaned into Kyle. Rage and jealousy boiled under her skin until she was sure it became a physical manifestation. Her power roiled, bubbled in her belly and her fingers clenched at her sides. But no, she couldn’t strike now; not yet. What were they…talking about, anyway? Were they talking about their past life? About how she’d taken that from them? Glee crawled in on the heels of jealousy, as she remembered the look on the slut’s face as she plunged her dagger into her heart…

SQUEAK!

What seemed to be a living doll seemed to throw itself around on the hook it was attached to. Flailing around, its faceless head contorted and jerked back and forth, as if something…inside was trying to get out. What was this? What kind of magic was this?

…Ah, damn. She sighed dramatically when those flopping arms suddenly jerked upright to point directly at her. The stupid thing even started to twitch and flail, almost hitting the patrons around it.

Ghosts. She really did hate ghosts.

[Lillie Galleau]

KYLE

At Lillie’s playful tease about hitting herself with a sword, the rumor of a smile tilted up one corner of Kyle’s lip and his eyes shone with the light of good humor. But the candle in his cerulean gaze was extinguished before the smile could brighten the rest of his visage and an animalistic growl reverberated low in his throat the moment she brought up that night he had nearly left her, and then the notion she would have to raise their progeny alone. The very thing that did the great and powerful dragon in completely however was the sight of her crystalline eyes leaking diamonds all over her pale, but glowing porcelain cheeks. The shifter’s chest seized; the intense pounding within slowing to a near silence. Pain was seeing Lillie cry; thinking that she felt anything but happiness and peace as she carried the weight of the love they shared in her womb. They had lived and died at the mercy of the witch for too long and he would not have it so. He was going to find Carlotta and he was going to slaughter her. The threat of his heart being ripped from his chest again was over.

Lifting rough and scarred finger pads to her cheeks Kyle wiped away the falling drops of crystal and leaned in to kiss the watery path they had left. “And is it also a pregnant woman’s prerogative to drive her mate to the brink of madness? Talk of you wielding arms like some kind of warrior and then laying breath against my skin… it is enough to drive a dragon insane.” another growl resonated in his chest when her lips pressed against his hand and lifted then his whiskered face, and he let out a rumble that would have sounded very menacing had the prophet not known it was all for her.
The shifter used that scarred and tawny hand to seize her chin, gently tilting her once sightless eyes to his so she could fully grasp the truth behind his words. “I may part your side for a moment in order to rid the witch of breath, but it will be nothing compared to the eternity I will be there to stand beside you…with our child. Children if the Fates are kind.” Kyle told her, and his honesty was a sapphire blaze in his stare. “If you ask it of me, I would burn my clothes and bind myself to your bed with unbreakable shackles. All I ask of is a meal of bread and water to regain my strength after you have used me as you will and a blanket to cover my shame so that I may hold my offspring from time to time…”

And as if the sadness had never been there, it was gone; a mere memory as Kyle wrapped an arm around his mate’s shoulder and pulled her closer into his side, making short work of the Tequila.
By the time he got to the bottom of the bottle and had properly disgusted his female by letting the worm sit on his tongue and then chewing it up with more show than necessary, Kyle was feeling more -human- than he had in long while.
He had Lillie laughing and that sound was music to the shifter’s ears; one certainly more melodic than the noise playing over the loud speakers and moving bodies on the dance floor.

It was perfect. -Was- perfect, that is until a slight chuckle left the dragon’s parted lips at something his mate had said and his gaze went to the tailor’s dummy; once again alive with the movement of the spirit within. The ancient shifter’s brow creased when he realized the jerking was more frantic than before, and he followed the pointing limb to a set of familiar eyes across the bar.

Within those familiar depths Kyle saw his world crumble before him. He saw Lillie--Madeleine pulled from his arms and then felt the pain of that separation as if it were a corporal thing. He saw those glaring, compulsion filled eyes above him; felt her silken black hair falling against his bare shoulders as she writhed and bit at the skin of his neck and used him until there was nothing left but an empty shell.
The memory of that emptiness stunned the man ephemerally, and then unbidden, he leapt up to stand, his hand going to the large blade he had attached to his hip just for occasions such as this.

“No….” He growled and the sound fairly shook the booth he and Lillie had been nestled within; the empty Tequila bottle fell to the floor with a glassy clatter. Lifting the blade from its sheath to point at his beautiful foe, Kyle narrowed his gaze with the glare of a predator on its prey. “You.”

He took a step forward; paused, glancing back at Lillie whose side he refused to leave, and then lifted his deadly stare back on that pair of eyes. Panic had erupted in the club after seeing the powerful and threatening looking male displaying a knife that looked almost comical in size, and with all the yelling and running for the hills he wasn’t completely sure he had really seen her. The witch. The black widow in the web.


LILLIE

It was actually kind of funny; how moments passed from one to the next. It seemed that in one second, Lillie was accepting the fact that she was a slave for her dragon warrior, and picturing what kinds of ‘I’m sorry’ outfits she was going to buy from Bawdy Kate’s House of Naughtiness, just for him…and in the next, she was face to face with the devil herself.

Before all Hell proceeded to break loose, the psychic had laughed at Kyle’s words; giving him a wry little smile, as he spoke of her driving him insane. ”It’s kind of a Galleau tradition,” She said with another chuckle. ”We tend to drive our significant others insane. Just ask my brother Nicky. His wife is always claiming that she keeps two wooden spoons; one for cooking and the other to beat him senseless.”

Snickering at the thought of her brother and his fiery wife, she had tilted her head to kiss the palm cupping her cheek. She could feel the strength in that hand; practically radiating from his skin like the fire deep within him. He was so strong, so worldly…sometimes, she wondered how he could even consider being around her optimistic little self. And sometimes, if she really let herself go, she began to wonder if he were more in love with her previous self, than the woman she was now…

But, as usual, she slapped those nasty thoughts away. As if her Kyle could be THAT stupid. Hardheaded, overprotective and too darned handsome for his own good, sure, but not stupid.

”Ooh, a dragon-love slave,” She purred in reply, her cheeks heating slightly at the thought of him naked and tied to her bed. Why hadn’t she been given teleportation powers, rather than psychic-ness? ”That would definitely be on my Christmas list. And I just told Lani that I was interested in her fuzzy handcuffs and edible lotion. Did you know that they come in ten different flavors? I’m excited about the strawberry one…but none of that makes a difference. What’s important is that you’re going to come back to me. Because if you don’t, and I have to wait a lifetime for you, like you waited for me…I’m going to follow you into Heaven and beat you throughout eternity.”

Each word was emphasized by a little poke in his chest, as amusement danced through her eyes. She was afraid, sure…but hearing him say those words; swear that he’ll be back to make her pregnant multiple times- cue some rolling of the eyes- she felt the tension in her ease. She laughed, hid her face when the dragon dramatically chewed on the tequila worm and had even snuck a sip or two herself. She was content and for the first time, had the sudden vision of what a normal life would be like.

Not that it lasted very long, but hey, at least she’d had ten minutes of a nice night out on the town.

”OH MY GOD, HE HAS A SWORD!” Someone screamed, and panic broke out. Dancers fled from the area around their booth and the bouncers, with permission from their boss, ushered the others out. Most were kept corralled near the door, as the security teams fought to force the mass of people out into the night. Ilani, looking none too happy with any of them, reached behind her bar and produced a sawed off shotgun, into which she proceeded to load the appropriate shells.

Scooting out of the booth, Lillie stood behind Kyle and grasped the tequila bottle in her slender hand. If need be, she’d break the bottle and use it as her own little sword, but until then, she’d stay back and try not to distract the dragon too much.


CARLOTTA

For her part, Carlotta could think of nothing else but how much she loved her pet. Seeing him standing there, looking just as he’d had all those centuries ago…oh, but the memories it brought back! Him in his little wrap and leathers, there to answer to her every beck and call. She remembered looking into those blue eyes as she lay on top of him, and felt the play of muscle under her fingers.

But that look of utter wrath on his face…now THAT hurt. After all she’d done for him! Given him her love and protection from a race of humans who would inevitably hurt him…the ungrateful cad!

Her own brand of fury darkened her features, and her eyes spat hell wrath, especially when that slut of a prophet proceeded to sidle up to the dragon. HER dragon! Her fingers twitched to be used, and she almost gave into the compulsion. The spells she had in mind wouldn’t kill her lover, but it would definitely stop that little bitch’s heart. Kyle, he was strong enough to withstand her magic- it had been what attracted her to him in the first place; that strength- but his slut certainly would not. Just one little spell, and she would be gone…

But so would the baby. Mmm, and she couldn’t have that, now could she? Little dragon-hybrid-freak. She’d never tasted that kind of delicacy. Mmm, mmm, mmm! Finger lickin’!

”Me,” The witch agreed, a wicked smile curving her pale face. As the cattle swerved around them, she faced her pet with her arms loose at her sides. She didn’t even spare a glance at that sword, or the other human woman coming to stand at Kyle’s side with a shotgun. None of them mattered; there was just her, and her love. Her dragon.

”Don’t tell me that you didn’t think I’d gone underground for good,” She went on with a throaty laugh. ”Or that I’d let you find me. Really, Kyle; do you think that this is the first time I’ve been hunted? You’re just so cute! All of you.”

Amusement faded slightly when that strangely dressed human woman raised her shotgun. With a sniff, Carlotta flicked her wrist and cackled in delight as the bar owner went flying backwards to crash into a stack of chairs. Next, her eyes turned to her other problem; the slut cowering behind the dragon.

”One down, one to go…but I think I’ll save her for later. What do you think, Kyle? Shall I kill her the same way as the last time? Or should I come up with something new? She’s such a resilient one, your wife!”

[Lillie Galleau]

KYLE

The anger inside him was a bubbling cauldron. A warm, red glow began to spread from his hands and then radiated outward until his shoulders wore the same illumination; the living pyre inside of him infecting the tawny human form.
His wide chest lifted and fell as he stood as a breathing shield in front of his pregnant mate; panting as the fire threatened to consume him to the very core. The dragon shifter’s fury was a living inferno. Its only purpose was to escape the bodily confines and burn it all.

Holding his hands out to keep from accidently harming his lover Kyle forced his stare to remain fixed on the sorceress. Even as she spoke he could see more than the raven haired female form before him; he could see the past play out as if it were as much a corporal image as her. His wife torn from his arms and screaming. The witch covered in blood when she came to use him. Madeleine lifeless in his arms after Carlotta had taken the light out of her eyes. A snarl was torn from the dragon’s throat as the witch chided him like a babe and unbidden, the glow in his palms smoldered brighter.



A moment before he cast his palms out to let the flames escape their tawny prison the sound of a weapon cocking stole his attention, and intense azure eyes leapt towards his psychic comrade as the witch lifted her as easy as a rag doll with a mere flick of the wrist and then sent her flying.

Howling as if he could feel Ilani’s pain, Kyle shifted forward; the sharp teeth in his mouth piercing the soft pink gum as the other side of him threatened to take control of his form. It took only the threat of violence against Lillie and the mention of her precedent form to do just that.

“She is resilient, and bears a weighty sword in her husband. So much as speak her name again and find the smile on your face etched eternally into a silent scream before I watch the life leak from your veins.”
And with that the flames spewed from his palms, and he growled in pain and anger as he let the blaze leap towards the grinning witch as if it were a thinking creature with a purpose.

Still he would not move from his woman’s side. The shifter’s skin was stinging with the need to rupture; the black pupils in his eyes narrowed to a reptilian slit that sliced from the top of the sapphire orb to the bottom. The blue was ringed in black. They were cold as diamonds. Underneath the tawny smooth planes of the muscled, but average sized human man, black scales writhed and begged for release. The dragon wanted to come out and play. Kyle clenched his fist and bid his resolve to hold. Shifting within the club would do him no good. There was too much brick and not enough room.



LILLIE

Instinct had Lillie reaching out for her mate, but seeing the unnatural glow around his hands, she hesitated. She knew the anger that boiled inside of him; how he sometimes described the dragon as another entity altogether. Seeing Carlotta like this, and with her right there in the background…oh God, how was all this happening?

She cried out when Ilani flew back and started to go toward her, when a cold, unseen presence stopped her. What in the world—

There was a cold wind whipping around the room now, and Lillie gaped in outright shock as she caught sight of the wispy forms of…holy cow, were those people?! It was almost as if a little haze of white mist had descended upon the bar, and with every gust of wind, she could just make out the forms of…people. Men, women, some in flowing Victorian dresses and others holding flags. What in the world…were her new eyes giving her some kind of Ilani-Vision?

Well, whatever they were, they scared the ever living crap out of her when two broke off from the crowd and moved toward her. Witch or no, Kyle going into Dragon-Mode or no, there were ghosts moving toward her! Reaching for her! When had she fallen into a freaking horror movie?

Stumbling back a step, she bumped into the booth behind them and started to gape. One of the figures, now fading in and out in live color- he was some kind of…court jester, in big, poofy pants and a frilly shirt- stopped walking toward her and seemed to slap a hand up to his face. He turned, speaking to his partner, and then with a whoosh of wind, she found herself being propelled forward, much like Ilani had been. Except, where the psychic had met the hard wooden wall of the bar, Lillie found herself being ushered forward by invisible, protective hands, toward the back office.

That’s about when she started fighting in earnest, wanting to be near her mate, despite the fact that he had to be alone when facing the witch. She’d gone and promised Kyle that she’d be alright with him facing his age old enemy alone…but she suppose she’d lied.

”Let me out of here!” She yelled, pounding on the now locked door. The ghosts had left, but she still felt them around her, putting up some kind of…defensive line around the room. ”Let me out! Carlotta, you bitch! If you hurt him, I’ll kill you! I’LL KILL YOU!”

And as the mist roiled and surged around the witch and the dragon, said ghost in poofy pants managed to flicker himself up beside Kyle. Giving the dragon a ‘I’m not dead enough for this’ look, he went to making himself look formidable.



CARLOTTA
Not that he should have tried, given that the entire show was making Carlotta bend over in mirthful laughter. When the psychic had flown through the air and Kyle’s cry had echoed in the room, the witch’s eyes had practically crossed in pleasure. Oh, but it had been so long since she’d heard that sound! It was like…listening to a beautiful sonata while the sun rose before her eyes. And when he’d gone and threatened her in that lyrical voice of his? Damn, if her panties didn’t melt away right there!

That was why she always pursued him; why she thought, nay knew, that he was hers. He was the only man to ever stand up to her like this; to threaten her in such a way that she knew that, if given the chance, he would kill her as coldly as she had killed others. His bloodlust, his rage, his mercilessness all matched hers.

He was her other half. Her pet. Her Kyle.

”Is that what you really want?” She purred, after she managed to get ahold of herself. Straightening, she made a pouting moue with her lips as the ghosts ushered the female away, but she consoled herself with the fact that the girl would be hers to play with soon enough. Right now, it was time to get reacquainted with her pet again, not obsess over a meaningless little chit. ”Don’t you remember all of the fun times we had? All of those warm nights you spent in my bed. All those—GAH!”

Ducking the flames that soared toward her, she barked out the words of a protective spell. The magical defense surrounded her in a little bubble, and she righted herself with a dramatic huff. ”Really now, that wasn’t necessary, darling. I’m here to reconcile! To—“

Another surprised sound escaped her as a chair suddenly flew through the air, smashing itself into her bubble and forcing her to take a step sideways. After scowling at the gathered ghosts, currently giving each other high fives, she turned back to the dragon. ”As I was saying. I came here to see if we can’t work things out. If you come with me—“

Another chair flew, knocking her another step.

”If you come with me, I promise—“

She grunted as she hit the side of the bar, trying to ignore the ghosts. ”If you give up your little ‘normal life’ fantasy and come with me—THAT’S ENOUGH!”

A wave of power burst through her, and the mist disappeared. Crackling with dark, evil energy, she straightened and faced the dragon. Whatever sweet, innocent façade she’d been entertaining before was gone, now replaced with a look of complete rage, possession and jealousy. Her eyes had bled red, and her skin became pale, almost to the point of transparency.

”Enough of this nonsense! You are MINE, Kyle Aodhagan. You always have been, and you always will be. I will kill that wife of yours for good this time, and you will return to me!”


KYLE

The fire trying to escape its tawny confines had Kyle’s body shimmering like a lantern now, and his narrowed azure eyes had taken on an eerily bright, diamond like glow.
Though the space of the bar parted them, the dragon panted angrily; the very smell of her pale skin searing his memories like the most potent kind of acid.
He wanted nothing more in that moment than to wrap his fingers around her neck until he heard the crunch of bone, and unbidden, the nails of his digits lengthened into razor sharp claws and the fangs burst forth from his gums. The dragon within would not stay confined for much longer.

The ghostly intervention drew his attention from the witch for an ephemeral moment and though he protested the specters by reaching out to grasp Lillie’s hand, he forced himself to let it go without a struggle, knowing that she was just as vulnerable around -him- in this state than she was with the sorceress. He mourned the loss of her proximity with a deep grumbling within. The thunder outside THE PIT crashed in unison with the storm brewing in his soul and fat raindrops begun to thump against the roof as one settled in the corner of his intense stare. But these rain drops would not fall.

“The only thing I recall is pain. And then emptiness…” Kyle replied in a growl that sounded more beast than man, punctuating the two words so that they could properly explain the depth of them. His white hot eyes were narrowed on his rival, and now that his swollen mate was no longer at his back, he willed the dragon to take control.
The shifter snorted and a wisp of smoke escaped his flared nostrils; the flames practically crawling up the back of his throat as he moved closer to his enemy.
The flying chairs and wailing phantoms did nothing to deter the dragon’s mission, so when Carlotta let loose a shriek and a corporal blast of malice, he was nearly dropped to his knees. The lingering dark magic held him with invisible shackles; shackles which took a thunderous roar and all of his strength to break free from.

“Enemy mine.” Kyle snarled, addressing her once more as he forced his trembling body to move towards her. “You stole everything from me. My mate. My dignity. My life…What sort of fever has taken hold of your mind to make you EVER believe that you could own me again now that Fate has returned what was thieved?” He clenched his taloned fists until he felt the warm spring of crimson when the sharp points pierced the skin of his palm and winced as the muscles of his body tightened; ready to shift.

But not yet. The words perched on his tongue had been waiting be freed for hundreds of years and he meant to give them flight.

“The very sight of you curdles my stomach. If there were not brimstone in my throat now it would be rising bile in its place. I am sickened by the stench of your malice. Made flaccid and impotent by the lie in your smile…”

Despite the whirlwind of movement and noise that surrounded them, you could almost hear a pin drop as he took another slow tread towards the witch, her anger turning up the corner of his lips into a smile. Kyle let out a throaty laugh then; a frenzied laugh that sounded alien coming from the usually emotionless dragon. The creature within was fueled by her jealousy and anger; amused by it.
A grotesque resonance of breaking bones sounded, and the shifter moaned quietly as he felt the slow repositioning of tissue and ligaments beginning inside of him.
The threat against his wife was the last straw. Scales began to erupt from underneath the taut, tawny skin.

“If you want my return, you will have to drag me there.” He told her in a voice that was no longer the human’s but the ancient reptile. “I dare you.”

And the dragon did the most unexpected thing. As if toying with the sorceress, Kyle held out a his hand, palm up. He bent up his taloned digits; one, two, three times. He was not a man meant for this modern world but he -had- seen the Matrix. Twice.

[Lillie Galleau]

CARLOTTA

God, those words…they cut her, like acid knives to her skin. Dismay and hurt flashed onto her face as she gasped and jerked, as if his growled statement slapped her. How could he think such horrible things? She’d loved him so much that she’d hid him away; taken him away from that useless life and that useless woman. He needed someone who understood his beast inside; someone as bloodthirsty and powerful as he. Not some…defenseless little human like that bitch Madalein! He needed HER! How could he not see that?

Snarling on dismay’s heels came a hot, raging anger; as palpable as the heat drifting off of the ancient shifter’s skin. How dare he treat her so? After all she’d done for him! After the army that she’d bred for him, the nights she’d spent in his arms, telling him things she’d never said to another soul…HOW DARE HE!

With a shriek as her only response, Carlotta dug deep into the darkness inside her and willed the floor to shake with the righteous anger she felt inside. Fine, he wanted to be stupid and pretend that he felt nothing for her? That she was some kind of deluded simp? Fine…he could die along with that bitch he was protecting!

The image of the pregnant psychic ran through her mind and she screamed again, the building practically shaking on its foundation as it fueled her rage. No, death would be too pleasant for the shifter. She’d force him to watch her as she tortured his ‘mate’ until she begged for death, then consume the young inside her, absorbing that wonderful power. When the bitch was dead, the shifter would be hers again. He’d tell her that he loved her. She would make him.

Extending her arms toward the shifter, as if reaching for that offered hand, she loosed a wave of dark energy. Floorboards, pieces of the broken chairs around her and various other objects flew with it, creating a tiny typhoon of sharp wooden shards. She wanted to smell his blood, like she smelled the sweet call of his flesh. She wanted to hurt him, punish him, make him take what the horrible things he’d said to her. The untrue things. Untrue; all of it was untrue!

”Fine, you want to be dragged? Then I’ll drag you! You’re mine! My dragon! My slave!”

He loved her! And he would admit it!



LILLIE

And while Carlotta was having her psychotic meltdown, Lillie was doing her best not to freak out in Ilani’s very protected office. She could hear the sounds of raised voices from outside and felt the ground shake, but dammit, nothing else! Pounding on the door and jiggling the lock had gotten her nowhere, so she’d turned to banging on it with a now broken chair leg. She’d by Lani a new one later.

”Damn it!” She cursed, throwing the chair leg onto the floor in frustration. Whatever the ghosts were doing to the door was definitely strong, because she couldn’t get the stupid thing to budge.

Pressing her ear against it, she tried to listen to the voices outside. She heard the muffled sound of Carlotta’s shrieking voice and sobbed in relief when Kyle’s sounded next. She could practically feel his anger from there and wanted so badly to be out there with him. Who cares if her presence might distract him? She’d promised him that he’d never be alone and she’d meant that with all her heart. When would be a better time to live up to that vow, than when he faced his abuser?

”Let me out, damn it!” She knocked her fist against the door again, more in frustration than anything else. ”I’ll be alright! Just let me out. Please, I need to see him!”

Whatever else she was going to say was abruptly cut off, as the building began to shake. Startled, she stumbled a few steps back and fell onto her rear with a gasp. What the hell was going on out there?!

Like dominos, the knick knacks around Ilani’s office began to shake and fall, and Lillie huddled against the door, shielding her head and her belly protectively. A thunk sounded from the other side of the door, and her heart skipped when she heard her friend’s voice.

”You guys are gonna fucking pay for new interior decorating!” The psychic roared, over the sounds of Carlotta’s tirade. ”Or I’M gonna be the one to kill you! Stay down, Lil! And pray to God that your hubby doesn’t burn the damn place to the ground!”


KYLE

Kyle’s hackles rose, sensing the dark wave a moment before the source of the swell opened her arms and released the sea; splitting the building to its very foundation from the looks of the flying glass and wood and the earth quaking that was doing underneath him. The ancient shifter had already been crouched in a position of attack; facing her, legs slightly bent, his arms stretched towards her and the dragon inside just waiting for the moment to strike. But he had been momentarily distracted from the assault by the mesmerizing look that had etched itself across her pale, striking countenance. Oh yes, the sorceress was as lovely as a midnight sky; ominous, potent, with eyes that could cut a man to the very core. But he was -no- man, was he.
The ephemeral look of hurt told the story of the pain his words had caused; as good a weapon against the female as the heaviest, sharpest of swords. That pain flared out at the dragon like a corporal ripple, feeding the animal clawing to get out of him; ripping at the flesh of his arm.

The smooth tawny plane gave way to the slick, black scaled membrane underneath, and a roar loosed itself from the shifter; the slow shift was always intolerably excruciating.
A group of glass shards flew toward him like a crystalline sea of fish; assisting the dragon more as it tore through the skin on his face. The handsome visage of Kyle Magnus Aodhagán became a monster from the big screen; half attractive male, but the other half of his face peeling back to reveal the reptile that was the other part of him.

“I am no one’s slave!” The shifter bellowed; falling to his knees on the surf of black magic as it rolled out. He clenched his hands and snarled as the digits split open to expose the black talons; claws shredding the floorboards beneath them as easy as through paper.
Letting his head fall back against his neck Kyle loosed another howl, this one bringing up the brimstone that had been ablaze in his throat since laying intense cobalt eyes on the witch. It flared up and out, crackling in the air before landing in an arc around the dark female.
Catching the hem of her attire, the flames licked up her form, giving the dragon a chance to pull himself up to stand, taking in the scene around them.

He could feel the pull of his woman from behind the door of a far back room, and it nearly tugged the heart right out of his chest. Lille’s fear and desperation were a palpable thing; wounding him more than the witch ever could. It was the inner dispute that tore him in two. Finish the witch here and now or save his woman from the stress that was surely seeping to the very core of her. And could he finish the witch without taking his true form, and defiling what he knew to be such a huge part of his friend; the psychic.

Reveries of being Carlotta’s slave made up the dragon’s mind before the man could finish the thought. It ripped itself free of the feeble human form until its big black body crowded interior; jaws open and dripping with acid rain; teeth gleaming for a taste of her translucent glowing skin.



LILLIE

“Holy fuckin’ shit! My bar! YOU GUYS ARE GONNA PAY FOR ALL THIS DAMAAAAAAGE…”

Ilani’s voice howled through the door, as Lillie continued to pound on it.

“Let me out, Lani!”

“No!”

“Yes! Let me out!”

“No!”

“Dammit, Lani, I can help!”

“No, all you’ll do is get yourself ki—AAIEE! My custom made bar counter! My limited edition skeleton! My future coffin! FUCKIN’ KICK HER ASS, KYLE!”

The sounds coming from outside were torturous; a cacophony of wood creaking and objects shattering, accompanied by Ilani’s angry howling. The floor beneath her shook and tilted, and if she didn’t know any better, she could hear a similarly deafening roar that sounded suspiciously like the dragon side of her mate. Good Lord, had he shifted inside the bar? How was his bulk going to fit inside? He’d be vulnerable; unable to move, without hurting himself! Not to mention that he couldn’t exactly let the outside world know about his ‘special side,’ and they were cutting it close, if the cops hadn’t already been called for all the noise. Hopefully, those ghosts were making the same kind of protective bubble around the bar, as they were around the room.

Ilani, witnessing Kyle’s true form for the first time, stilled for a second in between yowling and stared in awe. He was so big, so powerful, so…burning the shit out of her floors! She let loose a triumphant yell as the flames licked at the witch’s feet, watching her dance around with glee, but it was short lived. Shit, they had to take care of this face, before Doobie went and put his freaking head through the ceiling!

The soldiers looked exhausted, especially the ones making sure Lillie was safe, and Cash was still doing his best to rally the others from the In Between, back into reality. There wasn’t anything she could do, short of cower in the corner and curse. And damn, was it annoying.



CARLOTTA

On the other end of the room, Carlotta was a roiling mass of anger, hatred and…lust. Even though the dragon’s words had cut her heart to ribbons, the sheer power that he exuded was enough to make her forget what he’d said and take him into her arms. Gods, look at him in his dragon form! Now THERE was the true ruler of this pitiful world. A warrior who matched her, bloodlust for bloodlust. Now, all she had to do was get rid of that annoying female, and he would be hers again.

When the fire erupted from his frame, the witch fell back with a curse. The dark energy radiating out of her swelled, protecting her as best as it could, and she used the time between his change and when those reptilian eyes focused on her again to dart toward the back door. The psychic was no problem; another swipe of her arm sent the woman flying toward the dragon.

“Catch her, my love! Catch her if you can!” She called out, on a laugh. The psychic screamed, flying through the air with her arms flailing. Oh, what a scene! If only she had a camera on hand. She would distract the dragon with attempting to catch his human friend, and with another swipe of her hand, made sure half the floorboards went to blinding him.

The next would-be problem was the office itself, surrounded by those pesky ghosts as it was. A ball of black, oily magic appeared in her hands and she shot it at the door, keeping her protective circle about herself. Sweat beaded across her brow and she knew she had very little time before the dragon lashed out at her again…but yes! There it was! The wood splintered and cracked, as the ghosts themselves started to wail and fade, obviously losing energy fast.

Through the cracks in the door, she could see the psychic’s frightened face. The woman had backed away and was clutching…a wooden chair leg? How perfect! Another blast gave her a nice sized hole, into which she snarled at the prophet, loving the fear that practically rolled off of her.

“You will be still, slave!” She howled, over the noise of the fire and the wind she’d summoned. “Or the next spell I cast will eat through your woman’s heart.”


KYLE

Kyle tried to move, but his mass filled the cramped space, and he let loose a roar at his sudden vulnerability.
Shifting had not been the most brilliant of ideas; especially given the fire trying to work its way out his maw at the moment, but the creature within him was wild and trying to contain or control it was futile.

The wood beneath his massive claws creaked in protest, and reptilian eyes narrowed at the whining floorboards as he swung his scaly tail around, accidently striking a piece of bar counter. He groaned, and the sound came out miserable and desperate. He dragon could hear the desperate pleas and arguments between Lillie and Lani more clearly in this form, and he needed to hold her, right now, despite his desire to kill the witch.

Was she still safe there? Did she know that he loved her more than life? More than vengeance? That to watch her birth their babe was the only dream that he could see when he closed his eyes at night?

It had to be done. The witch would not steal his dreams this time. She was going to die here --this night. And he could finally be at peace with his mate; for Eternity.
The shifter loosed another furious hiss and wrenched his immense head towards the retreating raven headed sorceress.
His jaw was open revealing rows of acid dripping pointed teeth, and what do you know? Kyle was hungry for cow. Too bad it was going to disgust the fuck out of him. A little fire damage in a bar was easy to explain. Dragon vomit was a whole different story.

When his radiant azure eyes caught sight of Carlotta it was with the release of a livid growl. The black haired witch was making her way towards the back; closer to the hiding place of his lover. Kyle moved towards her; tucked wings shifting angrily behind him, but before he could catch the witch a jerk of her wrist sent Lani flying in the air.
The dragon reared up to seize the psychic carefully in an enormous claw, accidently striking the brick wall to the right of him so that it crumbled from his weight.

Kyle hissed in pain, struggling to keep a hold on the fragile human that wouldn’t break her in two. He shifted on unsteady reptilian claws, weaving between the erupting floorboards until he landed on his side and released her to safety.
“Goooo!” He called out absently, and the noise that issued from the dragon’s throat was a mix between a rumble and a hiss, a human voice echoing something from the center of the melody.

The shifter knew the bar owner well enough to trust she would get to safety. Lani was as resilient as she was mouthy, which allowed Kyle to refocus on the retreating Carlotta.
The female was surround by a magic so dark it nearly weakened the ancient dragon. The blackness oozed outward, wrapping itself around his form and clenching him tight about the neck.
But there was no time to surrender to that oppressive darkness. Carlotta threw out her hands and a blast so violent it knocked the dragon sideways manifested, revealing the exposed human female hiding there.
Kyle’s wide, blue eyes met those of his terrified mate, and suddenly, the darkness that had threatened to choke him caught hold of his throat again. He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. His life flashed before his eyes.

But he could hear what the woman said. The warning that woke him from his living death and had his body trembling as the shift overtook him.
Clothing lost to the sheer size of his other form, Kyle took a step toward her a shaking, nude human man. He had one arm outstretched, his face drawn and pleading. “No!”

“No…” He whispered again, horrified as his gaze darted from the malicious eyes of the sorceress to the wide sea blue ones of his love. “Please…” He begged, desperately, moving slowly toward the pair while keeping his eyes on his mate.

Just before Carlotta Kyle inhaled sharply, holding it in as he did the one thing he could think of to save his wife. His life.
The stoic dragon loosed a sound from his throat; one that was as miserable as it was yielding. He let his lids slide closed, sinking down on one knee and bent his head down in reverence, whispering to Lillie before conceding to the witch.

“She may have me in body, but I am forever yours…”

And then to the witch.

“I am your slave, my queen.”

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[Lillie Galleau]

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With wide eyes, Lillie jumped away from the door just as it exploded outward. The evil face of the witch peered out at her from the hole created there, and she couldn’t help but gasp. She saw to images of the other woman; one so obviously in the past, floating just above the one now looking triumphantly over at her. The past and the present, she thought, fear exploding through her. For a split second, half her mind flashed back to the last time she’d laid eyes on that evil, angry visage…and felt the pain of the pairing knife as it cut through her sternum.

A wooden groan sounded as what was left of the door fell down, revealing the scene outside. Kyle in his dragon form was an awesome sight to see; bigger than the room in which he was cramped, all muscle and powerful sinew. For a moment, hope swelled in her throat as she imagined him leaning that serpentine neck forward and encasing the witch in fire…but it was quickly dashed.

He wouldn’t do anything to put her in harm’s way, she realized, panic finally falling into her chest. He would sacrifice himself for her; she knew it! And her fears were confirmed, when the dragon dissolved into the naked form of the man.

Her eyes drank him in, and the urge to run to him was overwhelming. But the witch blocked her path, putting herself between the dragon and his mate.
”NO!” She screamed, agonized at the sight of her proud Kyle kneeling before the witch. ”Get up! Don’t do this! Get up, Kyle! Please! You bitch!”

There was hardly any thought that ran through her mind in that instance, that didn’t involve blood, gore and ripped out hair. Without a second thought, she raised the chair leg she’d been holding in her now icy hands and charged, hoping that seeing the dragon crouched before her was enough to give her the chance to get in a good whack.

But the moment never came.



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With a bored flick of her hand, Carlotta brought the prophet careening to a halt with a whisper of magic. Now floating a foot in the air, Lillie struggled against the magical hold, but to no avail. Her makeshift weapon was yanked out of her hands and she bobbed like a child’s toy, all for the witch’s amusement.

”Well, that was rude,” Blood red lips curled upward in a triumphant smile, as she looked down at her love. ”Here you are, trying to save the stupid little human, and she tries to attack me. Really, Kyle, your choice in a mate disappoints me,”

Like a little girl with a puppet, she made the prophet dance in the air, until Lillie’s face started to turn green. Then, a devilish light came onto her features. A wind blew up, casting the contents on Ilani’s desk careening away, and with one last bob, she set her new plaything down onto the wooden surface.

”Your fealty is heartening, my love,” The witch said, once again facing the dragon. ”But I think you’re just saying that to win me over. I think that your bitch needs to be sent back into the Underworld, hmm? Then, you’ll truly be mine!”

A slit, as if an invisible knife had cut right through it, appeared in the front of her dress. Lillie struggled, but to no avail; only able to cry out and attempt to yank herself away from the evil magic surrounding her. Then, her cries turned from frightened, to pained, as the pliant flesh above her sternum suddenly split into the faintest of cuts.

Clapping her hands gleefully, Carlotta looked from dragon to prophet. ”Oh, isn’t this fun? I think I’ll cut out her heart in front of you, then deal with the soul of your child inside her. I haven’t eaten in so long. I hunger, my love, my Kyle. Soon, we will truly be together!”

It was obvious that the witch had more to say, but she suddenly went silent; eyes flickering around them. Lillie still struggled, panting in relief as the burning in her chest stopped. She could feel the wet trickle of blood slide down her side and along her neck, but she didn’t care; couldn’t tear her eyes away from the man at the witch’s feet.

[Kyle Aodhagán]

The dragon could not breathe. He could not move or even lift his eyes to the one sight that would calm the thundering in his tawny chest or soothe the fire within him. One look at his lover and all that powerful resolve would fade like the stars in morning. Or mourning, as was his case.Kyle’s big muscular body was trembling. His fists were clenched so tight the short, blunt nails drew blood from his rough palms. His eyes were locked closed so they would not disobey; seeking out the vision that filled him with inner peace. And then the sound of Lillie’s pleading broke his thundering heart into a thousand shards. They splintered within his chest and the shifter felt every prick from every separate sliver cutting him; piercing him inside.

The dragon’s mouth gaped open and a miserable sound escaped; half guttural, animal growl half man; the sound of ultimate grief. As if could already feel the pain of her loss. Her absence.
But Lillie would live. He would do this thing now and she would live, and he would work out a way to return to her and kill the very thing that threatened their future together.

The ancient dragon felt the shift in the air before it happened. Subtle changes in his mate’s breathing a moment before her charge tore his glowing azure eyes apart in time to watch his pregnant female thrown backwards. “No!” Kyle bolted up, reaching out to her, but dare not move to intervene. She had not landed or been thrown against some hard surface that would harm her, but was cradled by the air; floating in weightlessness.
The shifter gasped in horror, wide gaze flickering to the witch as her malicious hiss found his ears.

He had known the sorceress for centuries. Kyle understood that Carlotta would not let an attack like that go unpunished. He had to cope with the pain he was feeling later, for now he had to do something to save his mate and childe from harm.
But he had to be clever about it. Lottie had already disregarded his surrender; had presumed his actions had been devious and merely an end to a purpose. He had to make her believe it. It was a risk but the ancient evil was already so twisted within the mind surely it was pliable in the hands of one just as old and wicked.

Kyle clenched his jaw and his fists at his sides feigning calm even as Lottie threatened his wife’s life. Unwilling to let the agony he felt watching his lover lain upon the desk like a sacrifice show within his eyes, the dragon stood stoic for his ‘queen’, flinching only in mind as the sliver of crimson bloomed across Lillie’s pale dress at her belly, where their progeny slept.
Her eyes…Gods…her sky blue eyes found his and Kyle almost faltered, seeing those unfathomable depths cloud with pain and tears. It was all he could take.

Moving to Carlotta the dragon snaked an arm around her waist and twirled her toward him, into his chest. He hissed in a breath past the pointed teeth that still remained in his mouth, holding it in as he closed his eyes, picturing the woman he was about to kiss was his mate instead. He had to make her believe.
And then forceful, hungry lips came down upon her supple ones, and Kyle nearly winced at the taste of poison. Lifting a free hand to fist into her raven locks, the shifter devoured the witch with his kiss, pressing his steely body against hers. Large, black leathery wings sprang from his shoulder blades and suddenly they were soaring. Wrapping those wings around the female like a shield he ascended until they burst through a thin, damaged part of the roof and rose into the vivid hue of the sky.

And still he kissed her. Wrapped the woman in the love he had for Lillie so that he could bear it. So that he would make her accept it as truth. So that he would forget the fragile prophet and his young.