Chapter 149 Stupid Wolf

Chapter 149 Stupid Wolf
LORCAN

Fuck. 

These dragons are something else. 

It takes everything for me to stay calm as we walk through this woodsy area. The one thing that helps me keep my cool is the fact that they're not treating Lyria harshly. On the contrary. 

They're being more gentle with her than with me and her friend. Then again, Zorah's probably asking for it because she won't stop cursing and kicking. 

At this point, we just have to wait and see what we got ourselves into, but part of what makes me feel calm is knowing that Lyrus would never put her in a dangerous situation. He's the one who wanted us to come here. 

I guess this is just... procedure. 

After walking for a total of twenty or so minutes, we arrive at what I can only assume is a dragon town of sorts, built right in the middle of the island. We're standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking a wide area with caves partially hidden by a waterfall. In the sky above, there are dragons of different sizes flying around. 

This is fucking madness. 

Behind us, the dragons communicate in their language, and then one of them whistles loudly, causing one of the dragons flying overhead to turn around and fly right toward us. My heart skips a beat as it gets closer. 

Fuck, it's massive. 

I exchange another look with Lyria, who looks at me like she's trying to say something, and then one of the dragons says roughly, "You fly now."

All three of us are forced onto the dragon's scaly back. There's a small gap between the edge of the cliff and the dragon, and we have to jump right over it. It makes my heart skip a beat, but I manage to sit. The same thing happens with Lyria and Zorah, who argues before she's practically thrown on. We're flanked on either side by dragon warriors, and then the dragon flies up once before sinking to one of the lower caves. 

And fuck, I forget how to breathe. 

Behind me, Zorah is screaming her head off, but the flight doesn't last long. I get dizzy as the dragon stops, and then we climb down. Lyria turns me to in wander and tells me, "That was something, wasn't it?"

"It sure was."

"You assholes!" Zorah yells as she struggles to stand upright. "I'm going to be sick. I can't believe that happened!"

"Move," one of the dragons in human form commands in that same harsh tone they all seem to use. I inch closer to Lyria as we venture deeper into the cave, noticing how her breaths get more and more shallow with every breath we take. Shit, it's getting hot in here. Do they intend to cook us alive or something? What the fuck is going on?

"Lyria?" I say softly. 

"This place," she whispers as she looks around frantically. "I saw this place, Lorcan. In my vision."

It takes me a while to figure out what she means by that, and by the time I do, we're at the very center of a cave, where the source of the heat is. It's a massive fire, and I feel the direct heat from several feet away. 

The dragons who accompanied us here stand behind us, and we wait for a few figures to approach us—two males, two females, and an old woman who can barely stand straight. 

"Ah, the hybrid," the older man says as he starts toward Lyria with his arms wide open. My protective instinct hits me out of nowhere and I step directly in front of her to shield her from him. 

"Not too close," I grit out. 

The man shows me his hands, even though his expression doesn't change, and he says, "You're a wolf, aren't you? I can smell you, now that your skin is warmer."

Because I'm paying attention to what he's saying, I don't notice the dragon inching closer to me until he kicks the back of my knee. My other knee touches the ground while the one he hit sings with pain, and then a hand fists into my hair and forces me to look up. 

"Please, don't!" Lyria yells. "He meant nothing by it. Please."

"He might not have meant anything by it," the older man says, "but I am the king around here, and so, you owe me respect. Think of me as your alpha. How would you speak to your alpha?"

I clench my jaw and it takes everything for me not to shift. The pain paired with the heat is driving me nuts. But I take one look at Lyria and something inside of me calms down. I can't fight with these people. They haven't given me a reason to. 

"If he wants to fight, we will have to imprison him."

"He won't," Lyria insists. "Please, he won't do anything."

"Fine. You, Lyrus Swanson's daughter, are our guest of honor and my future daughter-in-law, so I will accept your apology as his, and we can proceed with the events of the day."

My head snaps up so quickly that I nearly bite my tongue off. 

What the fuck did he say?

Lyria shoots me a panicked look, but for some reason, I stay put, even as the king, or whatever the fuck his title is waves over the younger man behind him. He looks like he's in his late twenties or some shit. 

"This is your future spouse," the king continues. "He is my son, Markyan, and—"

I shift quickly and lunge right at both of them. Behind me, Lyria is yelling at me to stop, but all I can do is focus on the fact that they want my mate to marry some fucking dragon. My mate. 

I barely feel the blows the other dragons are raining down on my back. I manage to tear a good chunk out of the younger man's arm before something hard hits the side of my head and makes my vision go black. Staggering, I whirl around and see the king standing over me with a sword in his hand. 

The edge of the sword is covered with blood. 

Is that mine?

Before I can answer my own question, my own blood drips into my eye and I fall onto my side on the scorching floor of the cave, and I pass out just as Lyria sinks to her knees beside me.