They continued to watch Megan, waiting for her to mess up. To show her true colors. She did, but not in the way they expected.
Rain’s disgust at the two brothers mooning over Megan soon turned to horror as it became obvious the woman was manipulating the two men, playing them off each other. Rain may have technically still been a teenager, but she was well aware of the games men and women played with each other. Though, frankly, she thought such games incredibly stupid.
“You know she’s sleeping with both of them,” she told Padre Pedro one evening at supper. “Sutter and Elan.”
A look of distaste crossed the Padre’s face. “Unfortunately, that’s not illegal, Rain. Even if they are brothers.”
“She’s playing them, Padre. She told Sutter he was the only one for her and the next minute she’s fu ... uh, screwing El in the parking bay. I swear she knows every button to push, that bitch.” She flushed. “Sorry, Padre.”
For once, Padre Pedro hadn’t chastised her for her foul language. Instead he just patted her hand, his face lined with sadness.
Megan’s manipulation of Elan and Sutter continued until one day Rain and Padre Pedro caught the two brothers brawling in the compound yard.
“Stop it,” Rain screamed at them as she and the Padre physically hauled the two men apart. “Fighting over a woman? Are you two insane? You’re brothers for fuck’s sake.”
But it had only gotten worse. Megan had claimed she was pregnant with Sutter’s child, so the two had gotten married straight away, as was custom at Sanctuary. When children were involved, commitments were encouraged for stability.
Meanwhile Megan had continued her affair with Elan, eventually convincing him the child was really his. It was the affair that proved her final undoing.
Late one afternoon, Rain had seen Megan and El sneaking from the compound. She knew where they were headed. The two of them had a spot in the hills not far from the compound. Despite Megan’s marriage to Sutter, or perhaps because of it, Rain had not stopped paying attention to Megan and her little games.
When they hadn’t returned by sunset, Rain started to get worried. Even worse, Sutter was freaking out, having noticed his wife’s disappearance. Rain didn’t dare tell him where she was. Not for Megan’s sake, but for the sake of the two brothers. If Sutter discovered his brother was still sleeping with Megan, there’d be all-out war and Rain couldn’t bear the thought of it even if El was in the wrong.
She slipped out of the compound, armed with nothing but her bow and arrows, some bandages and a bottle of alcohol just in case one of them had been injured. She was also well aware that no single person could bring down a drag, but it was better than nothing. All she could do was hope the dragons stayed away.
She found them exactly where she expected they’d be. They were buck-naked and fast asleep.
“Wake up you idiots.” She kicked at El’s foot and tossed their clothes at their heads.
El opened his eyes and looked around, noticing it was nearly full dark. “Shit.”
“Yeah, asshole. Now get dressed. We need to get back to the compound. Sutter’s freaking out.”
“Fuck Sutter,” Megan snapped. “I’ll come back when I’m good and ready.” She didn’t even bother to cover her nakedness, proudly thrusting her bare breasts forward as though Rain was supposed to be impressed.
With a smile Rain stalked over and slapped the bitch right across the face. It felt good. “Listen, you waste of skin. You will get dressed now and you will return to the compound with Elan and me. You won’t argue. You won’t hesitate. You and your little mind games have put us all in danger.”
“You little piece of ...” Megan sneered. But she never finished her sentence. The scream cut her off.
It was a scream of a dragon that had just caught the scent of its next meal.
“Shit! Everybody down!” Rain threw herself out of the way as dragon fire strafed the spot where she’d been standing.
“Megan!” Elan ran to the woman who was standing in the middle of the clearing, clothes forgotten, looking completely shell-shocked.
“But they should have come. Why aren’t they here protecting me?” Megan’s voice was plaintive. Like a child who’d been promised a treat which hadn’t been delivered.
Rain had no idea who “they” were or why Megan thought she was so special, but apparently the woman wasn’t entirely in touch with reality. There were bigger predators than her in the world.
In the darkness, it was difficult to see the dragon clearly, but Rain could just make out its outline as it wheeled in the sky and turned back for another run. It headed straight for Elan and Megan.
“El!” Without a thought to her own safety, Rain launched herself at Elan, knocking him to the ground and rolling them both out of the line of fire.
Unfortunately for Megan, she was still standing there in shock, babbling about whoever was supposed to save her. One second silhouetted against the flames from the earlier pass, then the next second screaming as she was engulfed in flame herself. The screams didn’t last long.
“Megan!” Elan’s voice was filled with horror. “Oh, my god, Megan!” He tried to run to her, but Rain wasn’t about to let him sacrifice himself. Not for that manipulative bitch.
She smashed a fist up into Elan’s jaw, knocking him out like a light and very nearly breaking every bone in her hand. She hated having to hit him, but it was the only thing she could think to do.
Unfortunately, there was still the dragon to deal with. She cast about for a weapon that might work. Her bow and arrows would be practically useless.
A smile crossed her face. She pulled an arrow out of her quiver. Ignoring the pain in her damaged hand, she carefully notched the arrow and waited. It didn’t take long. The drag spotted her and swooped in for the kill.
As it drew close, Rain
