On the Accidental Wings of Dragons (Dragons of Eternity Book 1) (16 page)

19

Screams rang out through the park as gunfire barked from several of Eternity’s Elites. The bullets bounced off the iridescent scales of the white dragon that had been one of their numbers. Michael crouched protectively over
Mine!
. These men had hurt her and were going to pay for it.

Letting out a great roar, Michael swung his tail, taking out three of the men behind him. He placed one clawed foot over
Mine!
so she was protected but wouldn’t be crushed as he fought. Turning his attention to the man in front of him, Michael snapped him up and tossed him into one of the bushes. He really didn’t want to hurt these men; they had been his friends. Well, he didn’t want to hurt most of them. One was most definitely going to be hurting.

The sting of bullets on his left side had Michael turning to face his attacker. Balling up his claws, Michael swiped at the man, knocking him back. A few quick flaps of his great wings knocked the rest of the Elites off their feet. A few more shots hit Michael’s back, but a swing of his tail took care of that attacker. They should know better than this. They were going to need something much bigger than the handguns they were trying to hit him with.

Looking around, Michael saw the one person he really wanted, hunkered down and taking aim. Michael roared in rage at his partner. He lunged at him, snapping his teeth but missing the man. He was just out of Michael’s reach. He would have to relinquish his protective hold on
Mine!
to get to him. An answering roar came from the bushes where he had tossed Demarco. Michael snarled and pulled himself over
Mine!
as a green dragon shot into the air. Michael let go with another echoing roar, warning the new dragon off.

A bark of gunfire from Jareth brought Michael’s attention back to the ground.

Demarco took the opportunity to dive-bomb Michael. Michael was nearly twice his size, but the unexpected impact sent Michael teetering forwards.

“
Mine!
” Michael roared as he stumbled forwards, trying not to crush Carissa. Dropping to his belly next to her, he tucked his wing around her. No matter what, he had to protect her. Michael turned his attention to her to make sure he hadn’t injured her more.
Mine!
lay motionless under his wing. Rage turned his vision red, and he whipped his head back around to that son of a bitch who’d shot her.

Roaring, Michael dropped his wings loose so they scraped across the ground.
Mine!
would be safe under that shield. A great swing of his tail brought the fringy end around to smack Jareth off his feet. Lunging forwards, Michael snapped the fallen man up in his massive jaws.

Jareth screamed in terror as his gun jammed up.

“
Michael!
” Daniel’s voice boomed across the chaos.

Michael whipped his head around to look as his boss, racing towards him. Kyle was only a step behind him. Michael closed his mouth and sucked on his partner, worrying him with his teeth. One good bite, and the man was toast. Smoke bubbled out of Michael’s nostrils, startling him. Oh my, he could make flames! Maybe he should just roast him instead.

“
Don’t do it!
” Daniel loped up to stand in front of Michael. “Killing him won’t do you any good.”

A growl rumbled up from Michael’s chest. He lifted his wing, showing
Mine!
’s crumpled form, and then dropped it over her again, protectively.

The blood drained from Kyle’s face, but he stayed where he was.

Smart man.

Demarco landed behind Daniel, watching Michael closely.

Michael’s jaws clenched, making Jareth scream again.

“You will never clear your name if he’s dead,” Daniel yelled up at him.

The desire to crunch down on the man that hurt
Mine!
and the need to clear his name warred inside of him. His instincts demanded that he end what had hurt
Mine!
, but he couldn’t be with
Mine!
if he killed the pathetic thing wiggling in his mouth.

Michael sucked on him, rolling him around in his mouth, considering his options.
Crunch or spit him out? Crunch or spit him out? Crunch or spit him out?
A tingle against his side drew his attention from the whimpering mouthful.
Mine!
sat up under his wing, rubbing his side.
Mine!
was alive! Her eyes held a note of begging that made his decision for him.

Opening his mouth, Michael dumped the sodden man out at Daniel’s feet. He snorted before shifting back to his belly and curling his head up under his wing.
Mine!
leaned out and hugged his great nose.

She kissed it, borrowing the voice he wasn’t using. “Thank you.” Carissa rubbed her cheek between his nostrils. “Can you help me up?”

Michael let
Mine!
grab on to his scales as he lifted her to her feet.

“Mine,” she declared, and kissed him on the nose again.

Michael purred his contentment at being claimed. His head followed
Mine!
as she walked out from under his protective wing. The Elites he had knocked over were back up with guns trained on him, waiting for his next attack.

“Put those away!” Daniel called to the men surrounding Michael.

Michael’s head shifted back and forth with a growled warning.

The men tensed up with guns aimed at him.

“They won’t hurt her,” Daniel reassured Michael. “
I said put them up!
” he bellowed to his squad.

Slowly, they lowered their guns, but no one actually holstered anything.

Daniel looked down at the mess Michael had made of Jareth. He was well slobbered and slightly chewed, but nothing a field kit couldn’t fix. He squatted down so he could talk to him. “So, do you want to explain why you fired on an unarmed man giving himself up?”

Jareth looked up at his boss. “She wouldn’t leave his side,” he answered. “His hair was white. I thought he had her under a spell.”

“It takes a better man than him to bespell me,” Carissa growled at him. “No offense, love.” She patted the side of Michael’s head where it lay next to her.

He snorted his forgiveness.

Daniel looked over the woman, and then turned back to Jareth. “Of all the people here, you should know that Michael isn’t a mage,” he reprimanded him. “As you can see, he had another reason for the white hair.” Daniel waved at the huge mound of white dragon sprawled in the grass. “But, you’d have known that if you had followed protocol and brought him in like you were ordered to.” He looked around at the rest of the group still holding their positions. “Did I, or did I not, tell you to come out and collect him peacefully?”

The group was deathly still.

Daniel turned his attention back to Jareth. “I believe my exact words were, ‘Michael is no longer a suspect in Carissa’s abduction. He’s waiting for you in the park. Please bring them both in, unharmed.’”

Disbelief and doubt swept across the faces of the Elites surrounding Michael.

“Isn’t that what he told all of you?”

Heads shook around the group.

“No?” Daniel looked back down at Jareth.

“Sir?”

Daniel looked at the brave man. “Yes, McGee?”

“We were informed that Michael had been spotted in the park, and we were to bring him back by any means necessary.”

“Any means necessary?” Daniel asked.

The solider nodded. “Any means necessary.” In fact, most of the group nodded.

Daniel stood up, away from the worn man. “I think this might require a full inquiry—of this incident and everything in the last five years.”

Jareth looked rather peaked and pale.

“McGee.” Daniel looked over at the brave solider who had spoken up. “Why don’t you, Charlie Mac, and Demarco head back to base and lock our friend here up. Oh, and while you’re at it, there’s a very interesting file on my desk that needs taken over to Internal Affairs. Give it to the investigator who’s been working on Duncan’s case. Apparently, someone’s been leaving vital information out of his reports.”

McGee’s eye’s narrowed as he caught the implication. They jumped to Michael’s still form and then to Jareth before coming back to Daniel. “Yes, sir!” McGee and another heavier, dark-skinned man fished Jareth up from where he was sprawled. They patted him down, stripping him of his weapons, and frog-marched the man out of the park as Demarco’s green-dragon form lumbered behind them.

Now that Jareth was dealt with, Daniel turned his attention to Carissa. “Are you hurt?”

She leaned against the boned frill at the back of Michael’s head.

Michael’s eye tracked Daniel’s movements as he and Kyle approached her. A warning growl rumbled up from his chest.

The surrounding Elites raised their guns to point at the dragon.

“I said
put those away!
” Daniel’s yell stopped the motion. “Meaning holster those pieces!”

Movement was reluctant, but the surrounding Eternity members tucked their guns away.

Carissa patted Michael soothingly. “I’m fine.” She shifted so Daniel could see the bullet wound on her shoulder. The 9mm slug had just barely broken the skin. “I’m not stupid enough to come into a potential firefight without protection. I just hadn’t expected it to hit that hard.” Carissa moved her shoulder around, working the ache out of it. “Knocked the wind out of me for a few minutes. This big lug didn’t even realize I’d cast protection spells on the both of us as we wandered the park.”

Michael shifted so he could catch her in the corner of his eye. Protection spells? He vaguely remembered
Mine!
’s fingers tingling as she ran them over his butt. So she was spelling him, not caressing his ass. Michael snorted. He had liked it better when he thought the little gropes and tingles were because she liked his ass. Oh well, they had felt good.

“And you.” Daniel finally turned his attention to the elephant in the room, or rather, the gigantic, white dragon drawing a crowd. “Damn, you’re huge.” He ran his eyes down Michael’s side. “I think he might be bigger than you are.” Daniel turned to look at Kyle.

“I think you’re right.” Kyle had been oddly silent through this entire exchange. His eyes kept drifting from Carissa to Michael and the protective way the large dragon guarded his sister.

“Well,” Daniel sighed, “I’m sorry to say this, but I’m going to have to put you on administrative leave until further notice.”

Michael nodded his understanding without disturbing
Mine!
, who was leaning into him. Man, she felt good there.

“Now, why don’t you shift back so we can go sort this shit out.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Carissa interrupted before Michael could nod his head.

“Why not?”

“Decency laws,” Carissa offered. “I don’t think he stopped to take off his clothing before he shifted.”

Michael snorted. Clothing had been the furthest thing from his mind at that moment. He vaguely remembered the sound of tearing. Laws were in place to allow dragons to shift, but a brash display of public nudity would still get you arrested.

“Point.” Daniel gave him a considering look. “A blanket. We need a blanket.”

***

Carissa let out a sigh of relief as she leaned against her bedroom door and engaged the lock. Alone at last! Well, not completely alone. Her eyes swept over Michael’s broad back as he surveyed her quarters.

The last day had been grueling. After the chaos in the park, they had both been subject to medical care, followed by hours of interrogation at the hands of Eternity’s Internal Affairs department. She had nearly taken someone’s head off when they had tried to get her to part with Michael. He was hers, and no one was going to take him away from her—especially in a place where someone might hurt him. A few of his fellow Elites held tightly to their guns while Michael was around. As if they’d never seen a dragon before! But, that was over now.

Bless Daniel. He, of all those idiots her brother had arranged to protect dragons, had seen the connection between her and Michael. It was on his order that the Internal Affairs guys backed off and allowed her to stay with him, under the condition that she remain quiet. Which worked out fine, since she had to give Michael back his voice to answer their questions. She simply held his hand as they drilled him about his involvement with the missing dragons.

In good form, Michael sat contently, answering the same string of questions until the investigator was sure his story wouldn’t change. Then, they had left them sitting in an overly bright interrogation room, but that hadn’t bothered either of them much. Simply holding his hand, knowing that she had found the one man for her, made the entire event bearable.

Finally, Michael had been released into her custody by order of her brother. They had grabbed a couple of burgers before coming back here so Carissa could get changed. Her shirt currently had a bullet hole in it. Michael had insisted that she wear the leather jacket they had left in Daniel’s office on their last visit. He had also tried to give her his shirt, but she put her foot down on that one.