Page 58 of Lion Conquers All
Aarav threw the man on the ground at his feet. If he didn’t let go of him his lion was going to shake him until his neck snapped. Fury burned in his chest.
“I know what I’m doing. I’m not some damn civilian. I’ve hunted on this mountain off and on my whole life. Who else was going to find those kids?”
“We are!” Aarav roared this time, his voice taking on a very animalistic quality. His claws pressed through the ends of his fingers. He unzipped the pocket with the tranq gun, grabbed it, loaded it.
“What the fuck is that?”
“Shut up.” Aarav grabbed the struggling man and shoved the gun against the man’s bare neck. He pulled the trigger and watched the liquid drain into the man. The male’s eyes closed almost instantly and his body went limp.
“Fuck.” Aarav shoved the tranq gun back in his pocket and pulled out the flare gun instead. He shoved a cartridge into the chamber and fired into the sky.
One flare for trouble. This definitely qualified as trouble.
24
CONNIE
“Tell me again.”
Connie took a deep breath and frowned. “It won’t change what you saw. These people are special. Powerful. And they are not human.”
“It was a dragon. There was a dragon. He was…huge.”
“Yep.” Connie stared through the windshield at the white-grey sky. The snow had let up a little, and visibility was improving a little. She could see the peak of Denali in the distance now. She hoped that would help the search go quicker for the Reyleans.
“How long have you known? You act like this is old hat. No big deal.” Sarah Roberts was gripping the steering wheel so tight her knuckles were white. She kept twisting her hands on the leather-covered wheel. “That’s how he was so sure he could find the kids. Because he’s some kind of magickal creature?”
“Yes.”
“Is the deputy a dragon too?”
“No. He’s—” She cut herself off. His story wasn’t hers to tell. And maybe they could hide some people. Maybe Sarah would believe Col was the only one that could shift into something else.
“He’s what? They’re different aren’t they?”
Connie nodded, keeping her gaze glued to the sky. She could’ve sworn she saw a flare in the distance. But it was so fast. Barely a flash of light and then gone, hidden by the storm again.
“He showed me his eyes, there was a flicker of flame or something in them, but I didn’t think dragon. I don’t know what I thought. Maybe that he had special abilities like a super hero or something. Like those people my son and husband watch TV shows about. He’s strong or fast or something…but I didn’t think dragon was an option.”
“You promised to protect them. They are risking everything to find your kids. If people see them.”
“No. I get it. I see why they were so hesitant now. And I stand at my word. My husband and I will move heaven and earth to protect them. No matter how many dragons there are.” Sarah turned to look at Connie. “Are they dangerous?”
“Dragons? Yeah, I would imagine so. Big teeth. Breathing fire.”
“What?” Sarah’s face whitened to match her straining knuckles.
“They are quite lucid even in animal form. They won’t hurt the kids.”
“You can talk to him when he’s a dragon?”
“Yes, Naomi said they can understand you perfectly.”
“His wife, right?” Sarah looked back through the windshield at the sky. “What is he carrying?” She pointed ahead and Connie’s heart stopped in mid-beat. Col was returning to the cabin and there were human legs dangling from one of his claws and a lion’s tail from another.
No. No. No.
“Please drive.” She banged on the dash. “Please. Somebody is hurt.”
