CHAPTER FIVE FIRE DRAGON TRIBE
Lord Flame POV.
Caw!
“Shit! Diablo! You scared me..” I had fallen asleep waiting for Zara's response. I looked at the clock on my desk. It was ten at night. I stretched and yawned, rubbing my eyes. Scratching Diablo, the raven's head, I took the letter from his leg. I wish we could use phones. Dragon shifters had problems using cell phones. Our powers drained the batteries so they never worked.. because of this we still use letters.
“Holy shit..” I scribbled a quick response and quickly tied the new letter to Diablo. He took off, soaring out the castle window as I ran out my study door to wake the elders.
*****
Zara's POV.
When my alarm went off at one fifty in the morning I reached over and shut it off. I hadn't slept all night. Nonetheless, I got up, dressed and headed for the backyard. I sat in the dewy grass, my head leaned back and my eyes closed. Basking in the moon's glow. The breeze rustled through my hair and brought the smell of moss and earth from the forest. Caw! Diablo had returned.
“Good! You're back!” I jumped up and ran to meet the raven. I tore the scroll from Diablo's leg and opened it. Smiling at the response scribbled on the parchment. I ran inside, Diablo swaying on my shoulder.
“Come on you two! Wake up!” I banged on the door of the twins' room. “We have a meeting with the Fire dragons!”
“What? Why?” Felix called through the door.
“It's about what dad said last night. They have some information on Medusa and a safe place for all of us. The pack is being moved until we know where Medusa is and that it's safe again. Dad and Genie are coming.” Alix opened the door.
“Why did you have them locked up?” Alix had his arms crossed in anger but his voice was calm and steady.
“To calm them down. And to give us all some space. They are locked in the guest house.”
“Oh..” I smiled at my brothers.
“Come on! I want you two to meet Flame and his Mate. They are awesome!”
The pack was being escorted by fire dragon tribe warriors. Each family was packed into a car or two. The Volk family had one car. Jade's large family had two. As we drove down the road I texted Jade, It was a short message. “Hope you're okay. We will be there soon.” The driver of our car was a tall dark skinned man, who wore a gray suit. The car seemed to be way warmer than it should have been. Especially since the air conditioner was on. We drove in silence for 2 hours. Before I drifted off.
****
“Ah! What are you doing? Stop! You're gonna kill us all!” I woke suddenly to Genie's scream of terror. When I looked out the windshield I saw a cliff. We were headed straight for a cliff. The driver chuckled as he reached up and hit a button. The car lifted off and was gliding over the ledge then over a beautiful river that sat thousands of feet below us. Halfway across the ravine the car shuddered and dropped in height. We all screamed. The driver laughed again.
“Wow!” Felix had his face pressed against the window suddenly. Looking out, I saw a huge volcano and palm trees everywhere. Genie unexpectedly spoke.
“Palm trees? Volcano? Are we in Hawaii?
“Oh wow! It must be a magic barrier!” I said excitedly.
“It's a portal.” The driver's deep voice was nonchalant. As the cars pulled up in front of the large castle, a tall skinny dark skinned man with dark hair that I could only assume was Lord Flame came down the front steps. He wore a black suit with shined shoes and a red tie. I felt underdressed immediately. The driver got out and opened the car doors for me and my family. I stepped out first and bowed.
“Thank you lord Flame. Your generosity and protection means so much.”
“Oh Z, It is no problem at all! Please! Come in!”
“If it's not too much I'd like my pack to be shown to their homes for the next few weeks. We have traveled a long way and I'm sure they would all enjoy some rest and settle in.”
“Of course, Of course.” Lord Flame waved a servant over. “Have the guards take our guests to the caves!”
“Yes sir.” The girl bowed and walked off.
“Caves?” I asked.
“Because some of our tribe members are a tad, uhm, weary.. of your pack I have set up caves in the mountain. They are luxurious!” Flame smiled at me. “Your pack will not be disappointed! It's safer for everyone. Your family has rooms in the castle! And as you requested, Jade has a room in here as well.”
“Thank you for keeping us safe. It means so much to me.” Flame wrapped me in a tight embrace.
“You were so much of a comfort to me when my father was ruling.. I will never forget the unwavering kindness you showed me.”
“Flame.. You deserved kindness. Please, you owe me nothing.”
“I owe you everything, Zara.” Flame paused, He looked at me with sad eyes. “Come! Your rooms await!”
****
Lord Flame POV.
Flashback:
“You nasty little lizard!” Flame's father slapped him. “How dare you fall in love with a werewolf!”
“Please! It wasn't his fault!” Zara's screams were drowned out by Flame's screams.
“Father, I didn't mean to!” Flame fell to his knees begging his father. “Please! Please just clear her memory and set her free!”
“No! Flame, No!” Zara screamed and cried as she tried to break free from her captor's grip. The guard held on to her with unwavering strength.
“You foolish boy! I must do that anyway! But first..”
“No! Father! Please!”
Lord Fireclaw’s whip flashed through the air, cracking Zara hard on the back. Again and again. Each strike was punctuated with a howl of pain from Zara and a yell from Fireclaw. “Filthy!” Crack! “Werewolf!” Crack! “Scum!” Crack!
“Father, No!”
I awoke suddenly mid-yell.
“Another nightmare?” Thorn, My mate asked.
“Yeah. Sorry” I fell back against the pillows breathing hard thinking about what I had just re-lived. Zara remembered nothing of it, or my love for her because of my father's memory charm but I knew she remembered the weeks before that day. That day was awful. I sighed.
“Could you stop that?" Thorn snapped at me from her armchair by the fireplace.
“Sorry, Thorn.” I grumbled as I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. After several hours I still had not gone back to sleep. At two I got up knowing Zara would be awake and wandered down the hall towards her room. When I knocked she answered the door with a smile.
“ I figured I'd be seeing you.” Zara's voice was soft and gentle. I had missed hearing it.
“Wanna go for a walk?”
“Sure!” As we walked through the castle and down towards the doors Zara looked around, looking at the portraits of the dragon elders and Lords who had come before me. The large paintings all looked new. But it was easy to tell from the change in styles and clothing who was before or after the other. As we neared the doors my father's painting came into view. Zara paused, looking up into the dark unforgiving eyes of my father.
“He looks so familiar..” I froze at her words, turning around slowly to look at the doors and not her.
“Must just be because I look like him, Z. Nothing more.”
“You may have his face, but your eyes are kind and gentle. His were..” Zara trailed off and looked at the ground.
“Evil.” I finished for her.
“Yeah..” She whispered back.
“Come on. He's dead, he can not hurt us- I mean, me anymore.” When we stepped outside Zara took a deep breath.
“It smells like sulfur.”
“Yeah, the volcano makes it smell like that. It will go away in a few months. When the volcano goes back to sleep.”
“What wakes it up?”
“When the Dragon lord dies, it wakes up for up to a year. Our dead lords get put in the volcano's chambers, when it goes off, They are cremated, becoming part of the volcano.”
“Wow. That's cool..” As we walked along the sand Zara looked around taking in the scenery and new area.
“It is so pretty here. I could stay here forever..”
“Well fortunately for you Medusa is still hiding. It's not safe for your pack to go back until she is caught.”
“Maybe I won't go back.. There is so much I want to leave behind.. “ Zara stretched, making her shirt collar slide aside.
“You've been marked!” The shout of shock and anger came before I could stop it. Zara looked around in surprise.
“Yeah.. Uh.. I had to. You know to become alpha.” Zara looked sadly at the ground. “The sex is good. That's a plus. I guess..” The last two words came as a whisper.
“Z.. Do you not love your mate?” Zara let out a long sigh.
“I don't really know, Flame. I want to, I do. But..” Zara paused and looked at the ground. Tears started to fall on the sand. “I don't think I do. Not past the mate bond anyway.”
“Oh Z..” I reached out and pulled her into my arms.
As I grabbed her I felt a strange zap of electricity surge through my body. Zara pulled away suddenly. The fear and shock on her face turned to confusion as she looked at me, then felt for the mark on her neck. It was gone.