Page 1 of The Dragon's Distraction

Chapter 1

Lyla

I slipped through the delivery bay in the prison and darted outside. There was a full day of classes and session in front of me and I needed a few quiet moments to myself. I’d politely eaten breakfast with the other therapists as I normally did. But the never-ending stream of work was getting to me. A damp and cool breeze tickled at my skin. It was nothing but trees and water around here. It should have been beautiful. But somehow it just highlighted how far we were from civilisation. It wasn’t just the prisoners that were trapped here in this weird combination of far away from everyone and cramped into a place with too many people all at the same time. In theory, since I worked at the prison, I could organise transport into the nearest town and back. That was expensive and difficult, though. And the people in town weren’t the friendliest.

I walked to the treeline and listened to the leaves rustling. My breath slowed and my shoulders relaxed. I managed a few quiet minutes before the bell ringing in the prison behind me, jolted me out of my thoughts. Tension immediately crept back in and I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease it out. I needed a break. An actual break. We all had access to some paid leave, in theory. But Cospire would sigh and moan and complain about the schedule and consistency for the prisoners until we gave in and didn’t take it.

I looked back at the grey building. When I arrived 4 years ago, I’d been a peppy, enthusiastic young woman. Where had she’d gone? I’d never cared about mates or anything like that. I just wanted to make a difference. Second chances and rehabilitation were important to me. I’d seen the difference having those chances had made to my brother. But I hadn’t realised all this would wear me down so much. A pang of sadness hit me like a gut punch. I missed my family.

For now, all of that was irrelevant. I had things to do, and everyone expected energy and enthusiasm. I pasted my mask back on and turned back to the grey prison before jumping with shock as I came face to face with Cerys.

“You okay, Lyla?”

“Oh, you startled me. Yeah, of course.”

“It’s ok to not be ok.”

I waved her away, unable to find the words.

“Lyla, maybe you should take some real time off. Visit family. You are wearing yourself down to the bone. We can all tell how much you miss them. And this place…. Well, you’re made for a busy, bustling life where you don’t feel constrained. So, I know this isn’t ideal.”

She wasn’t wrong. I met her gaze. She was quiet, but she was perceptive. I felt my shoulders fall and the pressure lift slightly, even at the thought of taking leave.

“You know how Cospire is about things.”

Cerys snorted.

“Honey, since when have you ever bowed to what Cospire thinks? You chewed her out last month for palling up too much to Delaney. If you being reluctant to tell someone off isn’t a sign of how tired you are, then I don’t know what is.”

She was right. I’d never held back from speaking my mind before. What was I doing? I pulled myself up straight.

“You’re right. Once I get the next scheduled batch of yoga classes done, I’ll take a week. Maybe two. Screw Cospire.”

A small trickle of optimism swelled inside me. I’d write a letter to my brother and parents to let them know and hopefully I’d get to spend a good amount of time with them. I bounced on the spot as I imagined hugging them all.

“There we go,” Cerys said with a smile. “There’s our girl.”

I wrapped her in a quick hug and bounced back into the building. It wasn’t all magically better. But I only had to make it a few weeks. I could do that. What could go wrong in this predictable, boring place in the next few weeks?

Chapter 2

Falkon

The cold was unrelenting and draining. I tried to explain this to my last therapist. Not being able to bask in the sun was physically painful. Exhausting. Reptilians of all types need the sun for energy. And there is never enough food in prison. Prisoners are kept as tired and weak as they can get away with. After years in this place, all I wanted to do was sleep. Being too tired to get into trouble seemed to have worked though, because I’d been approved to join in exercise lessons out in the yard. My first class was therapeutic yoga. I had no idea what that was. A dumb human invention, I imagined. But I went for the novelty of being outside. For the glimpses of sun that it would give me. For the hope of having even a bit of energy again.

I dragged myself out of the darkness of my cell to wait. There was one small window in the seating area and a small sliver of dull light beamed through it, hitting a table. I lumbered onto it, positioning myself in the beam and curled up, wrapping my tail around me. It was a large table, but I was nearly too big for it. The sliver of light barely felt warm, but I hoped it would give me the energy to get out to the yard at least. Monsters milled around and chatted, but no one paid any attention to me. I was just the sleepy dragon. Tired enough not to bother anyone, but too big for anyone to risk upsetting me.

“Time to go to your class.”

A baton prodded me in the side. My eyes flickered open, and I took a moment to glare at the guard. He flinched. Almost imperceptibly, but I caught it and grinned before pulling myself up. I followed him, keeping my wings tucked in tightly. Whoever built this prison had done so for tall monsters, not wide ones. I was both, even at my young age of 50. I’d size out of this prison one day. Maybe sooner that I would like.

Fresh air hit me the moment I stepped outside, and my scales twitched. The skies were grey, but it was brighter and warmer than inside the grey stone building. Monsters stood around the yard, some chatting. Some awkwardly trying to look tough in the corner. I glanced up. A metal net covered the yard. No flying away, even if my wings worked after all these years of inactivity. I wanted to curl up and sleep. But I walked to the middle of the yard and lined up the way the other monsters were starting to do. The smells in the air tickled my nose and I inhaled deeply. There was a hint of flowers.

“Ok, guys. Are you ready?”

I looked for the chirpy voice. She was up high on a platform in front of us. The moment I saw her, it was like being hit by the full force of the sun on the brightest summer day and then having it try to pull you in. I wanted to rush to her. Wrap her in my wings. Breathe in her scent. Blonde hair glinted like gold as she reached back and pulled it into a ponytail. She was tall for a human, but still looked tiny compared to all these monsters. A host of terrifying monsters. But she smiled at us and looked around the yard, seeming to want to make eye contact with everyone. When her green eyes met mine, I couldn’t breathe. She looked shocked for a moment, but quickly regained her composure and turned to fiddle with one of those music players that humans have.

She might have looked away, but I couldn’t. I was mesmerised. Warmth ran through my body, like I was being infused with energy just from being near her. I heard the faint vibration of my belly as it churned into action, creating a deep purr. I’d long ago given up on having enough energy to produce fire again, but this woman was a miracle. My body ached to fly. To soar. To pin her down and mate her vigorously. My cock twitched, but it remained hidden inside my body, tucked away.

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