They covered the miles between their ship and her home in a matter of minutes, and his heart stopped as he caught the familiar sight. He opened his senses further, trying to feel for her. Something. Anything. Yet nothing. They circled as Kal tried to figure out what else to do.
A moment later her weak voice came through to him again. Fading in and out.
Run, Kal. Donnie is part of it. He told them about you. Run. I’ll be fine.
Like fucking hell he’d leave her. Eadric nodded as Kal relayed the same information. He could sense her now. Still weak, but he felt her.
The dragon flicked its head toward the mountains. Not far at all. He would find her and then, Donnie would regret his choice.
Both dragons turned and took off into the distance. He was coming for her. He would find her. And he would kill whoever had threatened her. This was what he was bred for. This was the monster he knew.
Kal and Eadric touched down near what appeared to be a house. Nothing but a damn house. The mountain air chilled his dragon's soul, or maybe that was the loss of his mate. The two dragons tucked in between trees, trying to hide their size among green and brown foliage. Fuck, they stuck out like two dragons in a damn forest.
His dragon sniffed the air and snorted. Her scent lingered. Eadric whipped his head around, back and forth, as they tried to hide while still seeking Maddie.
There was nothing happening. Kal’s dragon dug his claws into the ground, digging up a chunk of earth and letting each grain drain through his massive claws.
He needed to remain calm, come at this as a highly skilled warrior rather than a lovesick pup.
His dragon gave a chest-deep rumble in response. They both needed her and emotion would save no one.
The unassuming white and black exterior was out of place, but how? Narrowing his eyes, his dragon listened. Heartbeats. The hunter within him could feel them.
Maddie?
He tried again through the weak connection.
Nothing. They, Kal and Eadric, used their power to feel, looking for magic.
Moments passed, sitting and waiting. Studying, waiting for what they knew was there to show itself.
Floods of colors danced along the air. So many types of magic. Their dragons snorted and crouched lower, waiting for a target.
Kal snarled at the lack of Maddie’s signature. His dragon scanned the area once more, and he had to do a double take as something faint faded with every passing second. There. That was her.
Tucking his wings close to his body, they prowled low and paused. There was no way to go unnoticed once they left the cover of the trees.
Kal gave Eadric a quick nod, and they shifted into human form.
Just as quick as they shifted, they both ducked and ran for the cover of a vehicle.
“What kind of place is this?” Kal said.
Eadric sniffed the air. “I don’t know. Can’t be anything good though. There are a lot of scents I don’t recognize. Human, but not.”
Kal studied the building.
There’s more to this place than what we can see. I hear an elevator. Do you see any type of monitoring system?
Eadric pointed.
There and there. The words strong in Kal’s head.
Nodding, Kal held out his hand. A lick of fire flared up. He blew on it and it took off towards camera one. Eadric did the same to the next. Both cameras out of commission, they stood and moved.
Don’t come here, Kal. Please stay. I’m safe.
Her voice stopped him. He could feel her fear, how was she safe. This time, he was close enough that even with the weak connection her fear spilled through.
She was not safe; she was not even close to safe. He could feel what she wouldn’t say, there was no hiding it.
Eadric went to take a step forward and Kal held him back.
She’s telling me to stay away. What the hell am I supposed to do?
The sun was nearly gone now, time was passing. Time. Fuck, he hated time.
Call out to her again. See if she answers? Ask her why?
Nodding, Kal calmed his mind. Right.
Maddie?
The echoing of her voice came through weak.
Kal? Please go. They want you. They’ll want your brothers if they find you.
Kal looked at Eadric.
Who’s they?
She was quiet again for a few heart beats.
What’s she saying? Eadric asked.
Kal shook his head. “Hold on. She’s quiet again.”
Kal? Don’t come for me. Go home.
What the-?
“She’s telling us to go. But she won’t tell me who has her.”
Eadric took a step forward. “Ask again. And next, we don’t ask, we just go in.”
Maddie? Who are they?
His brother started to move.
Kal followed Eadric. “Where are you going?”
Eadric looked back at him and then at the house. “We need to save your mate. I don’t think I could leave if I wanted, anyway. Something - there’s something here.”
Kal nodded. “Yeah. Some assholes are here. Come on. She hasn’t answered. I’m no longer waiting for her permission.”
Eadric smiled. There’s my brother.
They walked in silence, slowly approaching the house, taking in any shift in the air.
Fire licked along their skin, ready for the attack.
Things were too quiet. Whatever they were up against couldn’t be too bad. Nothing on this planet was known to be a galactic threat, but still her fear drove him, fueling his fire within. No one threatened him or his mate.
Kal? Go. I feel you.
Maddie’s voice again.
Go. They will hurt you if you come for me.
He ground his molars at her last response.
What are they, Maddie?
Eadric and Kal stood in front of the door, staring at it.
“Do we burn it down?” Eadric asked.
“No. We don’t. My mate is in there.” Kal reached out. “Maybe we should try the door knob?”
Eadric leaned against the side of the house.
The knob turned.
“This is really anticlimactic, isn’t it?” he said as Kal gave the door a push.
Kal’s dragon sat below the surface, ready. “It’s odd. Perhaps they don’t really understand what they are up against? I know she’s afraid, but I can’t tell from what.”
As Kal took a step forward, he
