Page 50 of Surge of Storms

There’s a cruel amusement in his voice.When I was human, I was overlooked by women. All they wanted were big, tall, strong males. Someone to put them in their place and break them. They didn’t want a nice guy like me. Well, now I’m not a nice guy. I’m everything any woman should want, and I deserve the best woman. I’m told you’re her, so that’s what I’m going to have. You.

I’m not a fucking thing. I’m not a prize to win. I’m a person, and I don’t want you. I’ll never want you. And there’s nothing you can do to get me.

There’s a low angry laugh filled with poison.Oh, Sam, Balor has been very clear about your weakness for humans. Eventually, you’ll break. You’ll become ours, mark my word.

Evander tries to say something, but I cut him off, focusing on Than and Kek, who keep glancing back at me.No dragon could possibly want a female who hates them, who is disgusted by the sight of them and their touch. I’m disgusted by cowardly dragons who kill people and animals just because they can. If you have any hope of getting a female in the future, not me, but another one, you should stop this. Break off from this group and be the kind of dragons a female would want.

When none of them answer and I realize they’ll be out of the range of communication soon, I press on.Your current actions will not win my heart, or any female’s heart. Think about it. You’ve been alive for many lifetimes. Has this ever worked before?

Nice try,Malikay says,oozing arrogance,but all of us are of one mind. We will have you. We will take you, and no one can stop us.

I try to call after them, but they’re too far away. Cursing in my thoughts, I stop and watch them, feeling angry beyond belief. I’m not athingto take. I’m a person. And the thought of them… getting me, fills me with dread.

You did a good job, Zane reassures me.

The dragons were listening. They heard you. That’s something, at least, Granger says.

Well, we tried things your way,Evander tells us carefully.Now, it’s my turn.

His way might be better, but still, I wonder if Than and Kek can at least be reasoned with. Malikay and Balor would certainly be less threatening if it were just the two of them. No matter what we do next…

EIGHTEEN

Samantha

My breakfast plateis nothing but syrup and whipped cream. The french toast and bacon have long since been devoured, and I seriously think it might be time to undo my pants and just flop down on my bed until I feel less bloated. Across from me, Granger takes his final bite, and our group seems to be in lazy mode. I have a feeling none of us really wants to go out and search for Malikay and his gang again today.

Dr. Duncan exits the elevator on the other side of the room and hurries to us. As I watch him, I instantly know that today isn’t going to be a relaxing day. He stops in front of our table, and I have a flashback to him in his blue and white striped pajamas, which we’d caught him in during the attack in the night. The thought eases some of the tension inside of me.

“There’s something you should see,” He tells us, combing his fingers through his unruly blond hair.

“That sounds ominous, doctor,” Evander remarks, dropping his napkin on his plate and standing.

We all stand and Granger gives a forced smile. “How come no one ever says, ‘there’s something you should see,’ and then it’s like a giant sundae or a puppy?”

Zane perks up, eyes sparkling. “Later, I shall say those words and show you my cat. Then, you will be happy.”

“Not the cat again!” Aydan groans.

But the truth is, the little girl is growing on us. Although she’s not super cuddly, she’ll now occasionally walk up to us, rub on our leg, then dart away when we try to pet her, so that’s progress. Zane swears up and down that she’s super cuddly with him when we aren’t around, but I’m not sure any of us believe him.

As we head for the elevator, no one says a word. We climb in and go to the surface, hoping not to see any more dead bodies or burned buildings. We’ve experienced enough of both to last us a lifetime.

“Any clues about what we’re going to see?” Granger asks, as we step out of the elevator.

“I think you just have to see it for yourself,” Dr. Duncan says, leading us down the sidewalk, towards the front of Specter Inc.

It’s kind of sad. In every direction, the once-beautiful grass has been burned to a crisp. The view feels like that of the lands after an apocalypse rather than the lovely space it used to be. Evander said he already has plans to replace all the grass, but that fact has been made more complicated because not many contractors want to work next to a bunch of dragons.

Speaking of which… there’s dragons sunbathing by the cliff, dragons in the sky overhead, and dragons playing in the ocean. If Evander wanted to create a sanctuary for them, he’d succeeded.

It takes a few minutes before we reach the gate to the outside of Specter Inc. Dr. Duncan waves his arm, and the security guards open the gates. We all step out together… to see the strangest sight possible: huge solar panels have been tossed into a giant pile in the grass off to the side of the road.

The solar panels shine in the sun, and I let out a little gasp and head toward them. Moving closer, I touch their surfaces, feeling strangely warm inside.Have solar panels always been this pretty?

“What is this?” Aydan asks, wrinkling his nose.

“Did one of our betas do this?” Evander asks, clearly confused.

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