Dragon Tamer

Camden

Since I was old enough to wield a sword, I had gone through rigorous training to push my body to its limits. The title Dragon Prince demanded it. My kingdom demanded it. Without our dragons and the magic my family possessed, our people were open to the monsters that threatened Wala daily. My family protected these lands for centuries. It was now supposed to be my turn to protect and serve.

Fat load of good I was doing right now.

While Kali risked her life, dragging me into unknown dragon territory, quite possibly the most dangerous territory in the world, I lay helpless, hindered by the agony that held me in its clutches. The pain was unbearable. The frustration of being unable to do the job I was born to do, crippling. Every time Kali or Zellar jostled me in their travels, my bones felt like they were moments away from shattering. It was all I could do to hold back a cry of agony. Sometimes even that wasn’t enough.

In all honesty, I was ready to give in to the pain, the roiling heat threatening to melt my flesh from my bones. It had been a good run. Kali had shown me a different side to the world I grew up in, a side with a different kind of magic. Watching her work with dragons was truly the most incredible thing I had ever witnessed. And humbling. Having been surrounded by dragons my entire life, I thought I knew all there was to them. I was wrong. Dragons were so much more than tamable beasts, a source of power. They hurt just like we did. They loved as fiercely as we did. They were more loyal than any man. I didn’t deserve to be a Dragon Prince.

But I held on. For Kali. She promised she’d found a way to cure me. She refused to give up on me, despite how I had belittled and disrespected her in the beginning of my Rite of Passage. Even when my deplorable actions weighed heavy on my mind, she had long since forgotten them and had become one of the closest friends I ever had. If she thought I was worthy enough to fight for, I would fight this sickness to stay alive. I would do anything for her, endure all the pain and suffering in the realm, if it meant I had one more chance to tell her how much she meant to me.

I tried to stay awake, to endure her hardships with her, but when the agony reached its peak, the only way to remain sane was to lose myself to the darkness. Every time I woke up, I was in a different place or position, on the cold, hard floor of a cave, or surrounded by Kali’s arms in Zellar’s saddle. Despite the burden they carried, they travelled quickly, crossing lands I hadn’t even dreamt of seeing. Maybe one day, once she found this cure, we could see the world together, see places neither of us had seen before. The thought eased the pain ripping through my body. Many times, if the fever let me, I dreamt of a time where Kali and I flew together, of her upon my back and the wind beneath my wings. They were a safe haven. The pain couldn’t follow me there. In fact, I had never felt more free than when I envisioned becoming the extraordinary creature I had grown to admire during my time in the Randala Valley.

At some point, my dreams turned into nightmares. The freedom I had taken joy in was ripped away from me. I was suddenly trapped in a body that didn’t feel like my own. My own skin was foreign, thick and rough. Even my own mind was unfamiliar, taking on a more bestial form against my will. It was during these terrifying moments of darkness when I craved nothing more than blood and flesh. I wanted to feel bones crunch between my teeth and the copper tang of my prey in my mouth. Whenever I caught Kali’s sweet lavender scent, my whole body felt as if it had been set aflame with a savage desire. This wasn’t a new feeling; Kali had grown on me far more than I had anticipated and I often found myself enamored by everything she did. What was new was how I wanted to act on it. There was nothing loving about the way I envisioned holding her. It was purely possessive. A desire to claim and dominate her body and soul.

She’s mine, the brutish thought echoed through my mind frequently as I slept. The voice was deep, husky, guttural. Relentless.

I won’t hurt her, I argued against the bestial part of my mind. By Gods, I wanted to protect her from the dangerous lands we traversed! Hurting her was the last thing I ever wanted to do. Yet this foreign part of me was demanding to be let free, to kill anything that dared to threaten me and to take Kali as my own.

One night I woke up in a sweat (though that appeared to be a permanent state of my being as of late), strapped to the branch of a tree. Zellar was below us, clutching the enormous trunk; his form was so clear, it might as well be daylight. It must be this fever. Ever since it kicked in, my senses had drastically changed, allowing me to see the goblins Kali hadn’t seen in the valley; I could even smell the fragrances of this forest, from the dirt far below us to the flowers in the treetops.

Noticing I had woken up, Zellar’s green eyes honed in on me. He huffed, blasting a puff of hot air my way. I didn’t need Kali to translate and tell me that was a threat. Like Marco, he knew something was happening to me and didn’t trust me. He wouldn’t let me hurt Kali. I took small comfort in that. At the very least, if whatever was happening to me got out of control, Zellar would end it quickly before I could touch her.

The wind rustled through the broad, waxy leaves keeping us hidden in the canopy. Kali’s scent trickled past my nose; when I would normally find her perfume soothing, it was tainted by something sour. Whatever that new scent was, it sent a painful shudder along my shoulder blades. I bit my lip shut and rode the pain out. There wasn’t much I could do for Kali, but I would not draw in the attention of all the predators in this area and make her life that much more difficult. The fiery waves of pain raked down my back like claws tearing into flesh, claws trying to split my back open.

Maybe the dark alter ego in my mind really was trying to break free.

Once the pain subsided, I peered up at Kali, perched in the branch above me. I didn’t need moonlight for me to see the dirt, blood, or her torn clothes. There was no way for me to tell how long we had been in the dragon territory, how many monsters she had faced for my sake.

“Kali?” I rasped. I licked the water off my lips; at some point while I was out, she had given me water and there was still a few remnant drops for me to savor.

“Yeah?” Her form shifted, slightly leaning off the branch precariously to look at me. The moment those luminous blue eyes locked onto mine, the shudder came back again, except this time it rushed to my hands, snapping every joint and bone in my fingers. I didn’t look away from her, no matter how much it hurt. I didn’t want her to worry for me, not more than she clearly already was.

“Are you all right?” I somehow managed to keep my voice level, calm.

Her eyebrows knitted together, like she was surprised I’d even ask, like she didn’t expect me to care. Had she learned nothing of our time together? These days, she was the only thing on my mind. Gods! I tried to sabotage my training so I’d stay with her longer. Being the stubborn, tenacious force that she was, she wouldn’t have any of it. She wanted me to be strong, prepared for the duty that laid ahead of me, and she wouldn’t even let me get in the way of that.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” she responded, forcing herself to sound brave. I could tell. Her voice was just a little too clipped to be genuine.

Didn’t she know I could see through her? She couldn’t hide anything from me. I tried to explain that I could smell she wasn’t feeling all right, “Something doesn’t feel right. When I look at you or smell you. . . something inside me stirs. It hurts-” Another wave of hit me, cutting me off. All I wanted was for her to know that she wasn’t alone, that if she wanted to talk, I was here for her--but the damn illness was taking its toll on me and I barely had any energy left to continue. The ache clamped down hard on my back and left me panting for breath. My lids grew heavy.

No. Just a little longer. . . Please.

I could barely hear Kali’s retort, “I can’t do a lot about the smell. Sorry.” I didn’t miss the hurt in her tone. I had offended her. By this point my mind was so far gone, I couldn’t remember what I had said to upset her. I didn’t want to end the night like this, especially if it wasn’t guaranteed that I’d wake up again.

“Wait,” I begged. I was met by a long silence. “Kali?”

She hunkered down on her branch, not giving me a moment’s thought. She was done.

“Fine,” I muttered, frustrated and exhausted. “Good night, Kali.”

I let the darkness drag me back down to its depths.

When I woke up next, I was draped over Zellar’s back. We were going up a steep incline and the horn of the saddle was digging into my side. There was shouting in the distance. Before I could panic, I saw Kali’s dark brown ponytail swaying as she hurried up the mountain (or maybe it was a volcano; I vaguely remember her mentioning a volcano). Every few steps, she peered over her shoulder down the slope, unaware that I had woken up; the look of fear on her face sent a jolt down my spine. I tried to ask what was happening, but I was too weak to lift my head, let alone move my lips. All I could do was tremble as the beast inside of me clawed at my back.

We came to a stop.

“Zellar, go!” Kali sounded panicked, terrified out of her mind. “Take Camden to the lava. It’s too hot for me in there, anyway. I’ll distract them. Once Cam’s better, take him home.”

What? Nononononono. I was not going anywhere without her. Don’t listen to her, Zellar! I wanted to shout, but my words died on my lips. I was too weak.

“Go!” Her command rang through my ears. “Leave me, Zellar. Don’t ever come back for me. It’s what they want. You can’t let them catch you or Cam, you hear me? Look after him.”

They? As in the dragon scavengers that had been hunting us?? She couldn’t be serious. Did she really think I’d let her face those animals alone? I had read too many reports of the countless lives they had taken from this realm--and what they did before their suffering came to an end. I wouldn’t let them take her from me.

It was too late.

Zellar, the cowardly traitor, moved against my will, carrying out Kali’s orders. Once he entered the large cavern, he swung his powerful tail into the walls, causing the ceiling to collapse. The last thing I saw was Kali’s tear-filled eyes--then the exit was completely blocked.

“No!” The roar tore out of my throat, harsh and raw, transforming my cry into something fierce and wild. It shook the cavern and startled Zellar into responding with his own cry. It was one of hurt and mourning.

Regardless of my protests, Zellar pushed onwards, taking the steep decline into the cave. Amongst my feeble struggle, I noticed the sweltering heat licking over my flesh; the heavy air made it near impossible for me to shout at the dragon any further. The heat didn’t hurt, though; it seemed to fuel the fire within me. A lake of lava came into view, it’s amber glow filling the cavern.

I was so done being helpless. Weak. He should have left me and taken Kali home! But no. I lay limp and pathetic on a powerful dragon, while she’s being raped and murdered by dragon scavengers. He didn’t need Dragon Vain to kill them. He had teeth and claws. He should be tearing into those bastards, drinking their blood, feasting on their bones!

I cried out as a tremor rocked through me. The movement was so sudden, I fell off Zellar’s back and rolled down the rest of the slope, stopping short on the shore of the lava lake. This wave was the most intense one yet. My back arched. My vision went white as bones cracked under the pressure.

Out! OUT! LET ME OUT! The growl inside me reverberated through my entire being and shattered my soul.

I screamed until my voice was hoarse.

Zellar landed at my side, making the ground shake beneath me. He growled fiercely, scales shuddering violently from his head down to the tip of his tail. Just when I didn’t think I could take the pain any longer, he lowered his colossal head, tucking the horn at the end of his snout under my back, and pushed me into the lava.

When I had expected to die, I merely sank into the depths of the lake. The heat peeled the flesh off my bones. It didn’t hurt. It was actually rather pleasant. The lava embraced me, much like the clouds in the sky did when I rode on Elesor. I found my peace at last. All the suffering I had faced up until this point was gone. I could finally let go. . .

Once I accepted my fate, a change quickly overtook me. My body became abuzz with something new. Something powerful. The lava energized me, filling my limbs with strength I thought was impossible to possess.

By the time I reached the bottom of the lake, I felt like an entirely different person. I was no longer Prince Camden Acker. I no longer bore the dainty flesh of man. My scales shuddered under the weight of the lava surrounding me. I flexed my claws one at a time, controlling each talon as dexterously as I would if they were fingers from my old body.

What am I?

This is our true nature, a voice rumbled in my head. It was the same dark, bestial voice that had plagued me for the past few days. You are man. I am dragon. Together, we coexist.

My mind reeled. I had been training all my life for the moment my soul Bonded with a dragon--but it wasn’t supposed to be like this! My brothers had said I would feel my partner’s powers coursing through me, and the strength that came with it, but this. . . this was something else entirely. I was powerful. Every fiber of my being had been transformed, optimized to have the strength and skill of an apex predator. It was incredible.

I was so stunned by this dramatic transformation, I didn’t realise I was still submerged in the lava. Cumbersomely, I lifted my wings and beat them against the current. With strenuous effort, I broke through the surface. Without the weight of the lava to hold me down, gravity appeared to be no match for me; my next thrust sent me hurtling towards the cavern’s ceiling. I collided into the jagged ceiling then plummeted down onto the lake’s shore. Rocks broke from above and struck my head. I barely felt them; they bounced off my scales and plopped into the lava, sizzling as they disintegrated.

A low rumble caught my attention. I swung my massive head to find Zellar, who had once been the largest dragon I had ever seen but now looked average when I looked down at his red scales. He bent over submissively, snout touching the ground, wings flat against his back.

Why is he doing that?

You are strong, the beast within me answered in a low, grating tone. He does not want you to kill him. I was beginning to think that this was going to be a permanent thing. As strange as it was sharing a mind with another being, especially as one as bestial as the dragon, I was glad for it. Because of his presence, I shared his instincts and was able to figure out how to use my new body without the awkward stumbling around hopelessly stage. Mostly.

Kill him? Why would I want to do that?

So you do not have to compete with him for females.

Females?? A tremor ran through my scales all the way down to the tip of my spiked tail. Even if I was a dragon now, I had no intention of competing for a female dragon. The only female I wanted was-

Kali! She was in danger. While I larked about in a volcano, she was being hunted by dragon scavengers. Just thinking about one of those bastards laying a hand on her made me crave the taste of their lifeblood.

Mine!

Zellar had just left her to fend for herself.

My claws dug into the magma stone. ”Kali!" I had hoped she’d hear her name and tell me where she was, but it wasn’t her name that left my jowls; it was a war cry, a dragon’s promise to find her and slay the men who hunted her like an animal.

Zellar lifted his head, raising his wings as he released a long, winded snarl. “Kali has made her choice,” he seemed to say (I guess I could understand dragons now.) “She asked me to take you home and I will do as promised in honour of her memory.”

“Honoring her memory!?” I snarled back. My tail whipped out behind me, slapping the lava’s surface in my agitation. “She’s not dead. We can still save her. Help me or get out of my way.”

Zellar’s wings flared behind him, blocking my path. He let out a warning roar, which I met with a fierce bellow. I never felt more powerful than I did right now, and I wasn’t about to let that power go to waste by letting the woman I loved die a horrible death.

I charged into the dragon, angling the horns on the top of my head for his exposed chest. Zellar grappled with me, claws raking down my sides. Ignoring the pain, I pumped my wings, using them to propel myself forward until he was up againat the cave wall. Zellar lost his footing and fell, leaving an opening for his belly. My instincts burned for me to tear into his flesh, but I held back, pinning him down with my weighty claw.

“Help me find her, Zellar, before it’s too late. Show me where she went.”

His green eyes held my gaze, defeat on the horizon, but being the stubborn fool, he resisted me. “She asked me to protect you, Camden.”

“I know.” Her words had carved themselves to be forever ingrained in my mind. What I wanted to know was if she had selflessly sacrificed herself for me because I was her prince or because she loved me. There was only one way to find out. “But now it’s my turn to protect her.”

Resolve hardened his eyes. He nodded. “We will find her and bring her home together.”

As annoying as it was that I had to convince him to help me when it should have been an easy choice, I was glad to have him on my side. This new body was still foreign to me and we were about to fight bloodthirsty dragon scavengers; it was comforting to know that if I failed to protect Kali, he would be there for her.

I moved away from him, scanning the cave for the exit. While I was human and writhing in pain, my surroundings had been the last thing on my mind, and now, as I looked around, I realised I no idea where I really was or how to get out of the volcano.

With a grunt, Zellar led the way up the incline; he leapt forward, using his wings to push him further through the air. Following my human instincts, I walked up the incline. It was cumbersome and took far more effort than I expected to coordinate all my limbs. My tail seemed to move of its own accord whenever I took a step and sometimes slammed into the cavern walls and tried to throw me off balance.

Hopeless. . . My inner dragon grumbled. You are meant to fly, not walk.

Ignoring him, I continued up the incline awkwardly. By the time I reached the top, Zellar had pulled away enough boulders for us to fit through. The sunlight blinded my eyes at first, even when the sky was shrouded in dark, ominous clouds, but once my eyes adjusted, I couldn’t believe what I saw.

The land below us was jungle, thick, verdant, and taller than any forest I had come across. It spanned further than my new eyes could see, following along the line of volcanos far off into the distance. The volcano we stood on was the first of the long chain that seemed to wall off this paradise from the rest of the world.

In all its beauty and wonder, a feeling of hopelessness overcame me. How in the seven hells was I supposed to find Kali in this?

Track her. Her scent is still fresh.

Her scent? I’d been so caught up in the world below me, I hadn’t stopped to take in the scents on the volcano. I would have never been able to catch them as a human, but now that I was a dragon, I could discern different smells, some more pleasant than others. Amongst the sour, acrid odor undoubtedly coming from the dragon scavengers, Kali’s scent called out to me. She used lavender infused soap in her baths, made by her Aunt Patricia. The scent was so clear, I could follow it all day.

Without thinking, I beat my wings in the air and pushed off the ground. Zellar followed close behind me. Kali’s scent wasn’t as strong in the sky, but it wasn’t hard to track her--we followed the sounds of angry men. It was unnerving to hear how many dragon scavengers she had hunting her, and my heart pounded harder in my chest.

They won’t touch her.

That was something we could both agree on. I pumped my wings faster, harder, racing to catch up to the uproar in the jungle. Zellar quickly fell behind, but I didn’t give a damn. Kali needed me.

Her scream wrenched my heart. Unleashing a vicious roar, I dove down immediately for the sound, tucking my wings in tight to avoid the looming trees in my way. I aimed for a small clearing, hitting the ground roughly; not even the squishy marsh softened my landing. Though, when I looked down, I realised the “marsh” was in fact a handful of dragon scavengers I’d landed on. Their blood stained my scales and a few bones wedged themselves between my claws, but the gore didn’t bother me as it would have in my human form. In fact, I felt a small pride well in my chest at the sight of my first kill.

There will be more blood.

Yes, more blood. Not enough blood had been shed for what they had done to Kali. She was bound only a few feet away from me, hands tied behind her back. A bruise was blooming on the left side of her face, while a trickle of blood ran freely down her cheek. Her shirt had been torn open, exposing the band across her chest, which barely concealed her breasts.

White, fiery hot rage erupted inside of me. I roared a warning to all the monsters in the jungle. They better stay away, because these bastards were mine. They hurt Kali and they would pay dearly for it.

Blinded by rage, I stomped, swatted, and chomped my way through the horde. The ones holding Kali, released her to face me. Without hesitation, my daring female, kicked one of them towards me. I opened my jaws and snapped them shut, relishing the feeling of ending yet another enemy. His comrade whirled for her to avenge his friend; I swung my tail, catching him with my spikes and sent him flying into a tree. A part of me wanted to run after him and swallow him whole, but Kali’s gasp caught my attention. She was so close, those sky blue eyes were all I could see. Both the beast and I were utterly captivated by her presence. Was this what it was like to be one of her dragons? She had a soothing presence about her that tamed the most furious of dragons. I couldn’t explain why she had this effect on me--on other dragons--but I didn’t want to fight it, fight her. I was hers, utterly and forever.

Not wishing to scare her, I gently nudged her onto her back and tore through her ties with a single tooth. At the first chance she had, she whirled around to face me again. She raised her hand, about to place a hand between my nostrils--but a whip caught her wrist and yanked her out from under me. He dragged her to his feet then hoisted her upright and held a knife to her throat. The smug, evil smile he gave her made my scales bristle. I let loose a dangerous snarl.

I was so focused on him--on the blade threatening to slice Kali’s throat open--I didn’t hear the ballista behind me. Before I could move, Zellar finally arrived, crushing the weapon beneath his weight. He huffed when I hissed at him for being so slow.

A sharp intake of breath snatched my attention away. The world slowed down as I watched the man’s hand move against Kali’s throat. He was going to kill her. Faster than I thought possible in my new hulking form, I closed the gap between us and took him into my jowls. I clamped my jaws shut and shook my head until there were only little pieces of the bastard at my feet. He must have been the leader, because at the sight of his littered corpse, the dragon scavengers turned tail and ran. The predator within me wanted to give chase until every last one of them was dead, but the sounds of Kali’s voice snapped me out of it, yet again bringing the human side of me to the surface.

She had run to Zellar, wrapping her arms around his thick red neck. The dragon had the audacity to return the embrace the best way he knew how to. The rage began to boil again.

She’s mine! the dragon inside me roared, making my scales tremble he was so angry at Zellar for touching her.

No. She’s not. The thought hit me hard. I would never be able to hold her again. I was stuck in this form, and as long as the beast inside me seethed and demanded I stake my claim, I didn’t trust myself to go anywhere near her.

You are not stuck, the dragon snarled in my mind, frustrated with me. You can hold the female. How else are we to claim her?

I froze in shock for a moment. What? You mean I can become human again?

Yes.

Then what are we waiting for? The power of this body was great, but I’d give anything to have fingers and toes again. To be able to hold Kali in my arms.

Only if you promise to take the female as our mate.

Sure. Eventually. That had been my intention all along, anyway. If she’d have me.

Now!

Not only was the beast an asshole, he was also impatient. Look, I can’t just ‘claim’ her, as you crudely put it. That’s not how humans do it. Besides, I’m not even entirely sure if she wants me that way, especially now. I’m a monster.

Dragon.

Whatever. Let me change back. Now. Though, I didn’t know why I was fighting with the dragon. It was my body. I shouldn’t have to ask for permission to change into my other form. The dragon seemed reluctant to change without a promise of my commitment to Kali, so I took matters into my own hands--claws. I dug deep into my soul and willed the shift. Instantly, I felt my scales shed, my tail shrink, my wings fold into my back. When I opened my eyes, the jungle was a lot bigger and Zellar towered over me. His enormous size no longer intimidated me, though. Just as my senses remained as honed as they had been in my dragon form, my strength remained too. I somehow knew if Zellar attacked me, I’d be able to withstand whatever he threw at me and come out on top.

Kali, unbeknownst to my transformation, wiped tears from her eyes, staring up at Zellar as if he was the one who had saved her. As much as it hurt my pride, I let it slide. “You came back for me,” she cried, the relief evident in her voice. “And you brought a friend!”

“Well.” I cleared my throat; after roaring as a dragon, my own voice sounded foreign to me. Much quieter. “‘Friends’ implies we’re on good terms, which we are not.” I locked eyes with the dragon, hoping he knew that I hadn’t forgiven him for abandoning Kali in the first place.

Zellar snapped his teeth at me with a growl. “I had every intention of returning to her once you were safe.”

I crossed my arms, not standing down. If he wanted a fight, I could transform right now and show him what I thought of his cowardly acts. “Oh please, you would have left her. Some loyal friend you are, after everything she’s done for you.” I’d seen first hand what Kali had to do to stop Grant from putting him down. And this was how he repaid her?

Zellar pawed at the ground, throwing a fit.

It took everything I had to not throttle the dragon. He was trying to save face now that Kali was here. “I don’t care if she told you to leave her. You ignore her and come back anyway--not wait until I make you help me find her.”

Kali blinked, switching glances between the two of us--then she finally noticed I was naked. Her face went a deep red, especially when she tried not to look down. That look set off a roiling heat inside of me that licked every nook and cranny of my body. “Cam, how did you get here? Where are your clothes?”

I stood straighter, prouder. The dragon let out a low growl within my mind, very much approving her wandering eyes. “Lava has a tendency to burn everything it touches--including clothes--and I flew here.”

“Did you ride with Zellar?” Kali peered back at the red dragon, as if he could give her answers. Her gaze found their way back to me--and to my cock. Gods, she really couldn’t stop looking and I loved watching her get all bashful about it.

“No. I used my wings.” Hoping my transition back to my dragon form went as smoothly as it went before, I stepped back and allowed the scales to fold over my flesh. The most uncomfortable part was when my wings tore themselves free of my back. Before I could think too much about it, I stood at my full height, my wings filling the space in the clearing.

She staggered back, jaw hanging low. “You. . . can. . . turn. . . into. . . a dragon?” She silently gawked a moment longer before she regained control over her jaw. “Is this. . . normal? Like, can your brothers do this too?”

I quickly shifted back to my human form. The constant quick changes were wearing on my body, leaving me sore and a little tired. Note to self: keep shifting to a minimal.

“No, they can’t,” I answered her. “They’re going to be pissed.” They were going to be beyond pissed. I could do what no Acker had ever been able to do, and it was all thanks to this incredible woman in front of me. I couldn’t wait to lord it over them. Showed them right for bragging about becoming Dragon Princes before me. I felt powerful enough to be the King of Dragons.

“Do you feel any different?” she asked, inching closer to me. My heart yearned for her to come closer so I could hold her in my arms, if nothing else but to make sure she was all right, but I feared what my dragon would do. He was already getting antsy, fully aware of her proximity.

“Loads, but in the best of ways.” I offered her a reassuring smile. Just because I was different now, didn’t mean I wasn’t the same Cam she knew. “Apparently my eyesight was abysmal, because now I can see the faintest of details in everything and the world feels so much bigger now that I can see clearly. I smell. . .” I inhaled deeply, taking in all the scents around us. “I’m not sure what I smell, there are so many scents, but there’s one I know--lavender. You.” The dragon in me came forth, demanding I close the gap.

Zellar came up behind Kali, coiling his tail around her, purposely forcing me to take a step back, which I allowed, despite my dragon’s resistance. He snorted a warning.

“Fine. You’re right, anyway. I can feel him trying to influence me.” I clenched my fists, frustrated. Was this how it was always going to be now? A constant battle for control over my body?

“What?”

Poor Kali was so confused. I wished there was a better way I could explain what was happening to me. “Zellar doesn’t want me near you until I have a better grip on the dragon inside me. He thinks I might hurt you.”

Snorting, she crossed her arms and gave me a look that could kill a full sized dragon it was so venomous. “So, not only can you speak to and understand dragons, you have one inside you, too?”

“Yes,” I answered. Admitting it out loud made it all the more surreal, but I couldn’t deny what I had become. “He gives me strength like you wouldn’t believe. He taught me how to shift back so I can talk to you. He taught me how to follow your scent; I found you because of him. But he is an animal and has animal instincts, which he’s convinced I should act on.”

“Like what, flying?”

I wanted to laugh at her naivete. She had once admitted to me that not many men in Plum had shown interest in her, but surely she had to know how attractive--tempting--she was. What man wouldn’t want a strong, beautiful woman like her at his side?

“Amongst other things.”

She is ours, my dragon purred in my mind. He had decided taking a different approach; rather than forcing me into something I clearly wasn’t willing to do, he was trying to coax me. And man, it was tempting. As I was getting comfortable with my dragon form, he was getting comfortable in my human form, and was learning how to manipulate me. We must claim her before another male does.

I closed my eyes, hoping to shut out all temptation. "Quiet,” I muttered to the damn dragon. “Not right now.”

“Cam?”

Suddenly Kali’s hand was on my arm. The touch sent a jolt through me and my dragon leapt at the opportunity. He took control of me and seized Kali’s arms.

Her scream racked through me, piercing my heart.

“Don’t!” I cried, begged the dragon. I only just managed to gain control of myself before I hurt her. I dropped her arms and stepped back, breathing heavily. “Stay away from me, Kali. Don’t touch me.” As much as it killed me, it was for her own safety that she stayed away from me.

She staggered back into Zellar’s form. She dropped her gaze, holding her arms around herself. I might as well have told her her scars were as ugly as Amber said they were. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

Great. Now I’d hurt her. Way to go, dragon. You want her to be our mate? Quit being an asshole. Let me handle this.

The dragon remained silent.

“Hey, Cam?” Kali called, timid now. “I know I’ve asked a lot of you these past few days, but we should probably get going, make a camp. We’ll be safe in the trees. . .”

“No,” I said before she could finish. “It’s time to go home.” I needed to go home and learn to control the dragon if I had any hope of amending my friendship with Kali--if I had any chance of becoming something more to her.

I followed her gaze to the setting sun. “It’s almost dark. Do I need to remind you how dangerous it is to fly at night?”

“You’ll be safe,” I promised. Nothing would happen to her, not as long as I breathed. Her safety was something the dragon and I could agree on. “The sooner we head back, the better.”

“Fine,” she spat. I winced at the bitterness in her tone. “If you want to go home that badly, let’s go.”

She swung into Zellar’s saddle, tossing a well-deserved glare my way. If only she knew how I felt, what I would do for her. Until I got my dragon under control, I would have to bare her hatred towards me and hope that when I was finally ready she would forgive me.