So much of life in the After is comprised of taking things one day at a time, one meal at a time. There are no long-term plans. There’s no hope for the future. There’s just surviving until tomorrow.

Is it so wrong that I want to grab at a little playful affection while I can? I consider Kael, his big body pressed up against mine as he nuzzles at my throat. His scent is in my nose, his scorching skin rubbing against mine. It wouldn’t take much to encourage him. A little bit of an obvious rub against the thick cock pressed against my belly and I’d find myself up against the wall…

And this time he might not take no for an answer.

I should hate that thought. I should be revolted by it. Instead, the thought makes my body flush with desire all over again. The mental image of Kael pushing me against the wall and pumping his enormous erection inside of me makes my pulse quicken and my body ache deep inside.

His body stiffens against me, and I realize he’s picking up my scent in the air.

“Clau-dah,” he growls low in his throat. I know that growl. He thinks I’m being a tease. Strange how my mispronounced name suddenly holds so many meanings.

But I don’t want to be a tease. Not really. I’m curious about him, too, and I keep thinking about what would happen if we kissed. If I let him touch me. Somehow, I don’t think he’d hurt me. Not if he stayed in control. And he’s been in control all day. Greatly daring, I run a hand down the front of his chest. His body is so hard against mine, not a bit of give to his muscles. He’s huge. Mammoth, really. He’s tall, but more than that, he’s burly and thick, but not an ounce of it is fat. I glance up and notice that his eyes have swirled back to black again, though gold flashes through them. He’s fighting it.

I don’t want to push him too hard. Maybe he needs more time. I probably do, too. So I give his chest a gentle little pat. “No. Not yet. I’m not sure I’m ready.”

Liar, says my body. I almost expect Kael to echo it aloud. But he only buries his face against my neck and inhales my scent once more.

After a moment’s hesitation, I slowly wrap my arms around him, running my hands down his back. His eyes stay gold, and I smile at him. This is nice. We can do this. Just hold each other. If this is the only communication we have for now, I’ll take it.

His arms go around me, and he’s warm and delicious. It’s like being wrapped in a blanket, and I sigh with pleasure at how good it feels just to have him pressed against me. It shouldn’t feel this good, should it? I’m so distracted by the feel of him that it barely registers when a shadow passes overhead. Kael stiffens, and his eyes immediately go black.

I panic and fling myself out of his arms, stepping away.

A dragon trumpets a challenge, loud and angry. I stare at Kael in surprise, but it takes me a moment to realize that it’s not him. In the next moment, claws wrap around my waist and I’m snatched into the air.

There’s another dragon.

“Kael!” I scream, flinging my arms out for him. For safety. He’s the devil I know.

Kael won’t hurt me.

But this new dragon? I don’t know a thing about him. I don’t know if his eyes will go gold and he’s friendly, or if they’re black with anger. I don’t know if he wants a human snack or something far more dire.

The building disappears below, and I watch in shock as Kael’s receding form moves forward. His muscles bunch and he flings himself into the sky, changing to dragon form almost instantly and following us.

His bellow of fury is deafening, and even from here, I can see his eyes are completely, utterly black.

13

CLAUDIA

My hands frantically pull at the claws that hold me tight. The strange dragon had snatched me from Kael’s grasp and is now flying away with me. His claws tear at my naked skin, and he gives another roar of fury, one full of rage and anger. One I haven’t heard from Kael in days. Fear chokes my throat, and I shove my whipping hair out of my face, trying to get a good look at my captor.

It’s another gold dragon. Not quite as big as Kael, but far more battle-scarred. From here, I can see a mass of scars and half-healed lacerations climbing the scales of its throat and jaw. The claws that hold me close are covered in older white markings that show that my new captor likes to pick fights.

Why me? Why did he grab me? I think of Kael and his laughing gold eyes. Then I think of his near-constant erection and swallow hard. Things might be very, very bad with this new dragon. Kael is patient and sweet to me, but I don’t know this stranger at all. More than that, I don’t want to get to know him, either.

The dragon twists and spirals higher, and I clutch at his claws, muffling the scream that tears from my throat. The wind is wild this high, and the new dragon spreads his wings, rising on an updraft. He’s flying out of the city, away from the building I’ve called home for the last few days…and away from Fort Dallas.

Not good. Not good at all. I can’t be taken away. I have to get back to Amy.

I look behind me frantically. Kael is close, darting back and forth behind the other dragon. He hangs a bit below him and doesn’t attack. I worry it’s because he’s afraid that the other dragon’s going to drop me. Either way, I’m in double trouble, because Kael’s eyes are a dark, unrelenting black. As I stare down at him, he roars his anger furiously. Once. Twice.

Each roar only makes the new dragon’s claws tighten around me. I push at them, panicking. What can I do? I don’t want him to drop me, but I also don’t want to be pinned between a dragon fight in midair. I won’t survive that. I’m helpless between these giants, a pawn for them to fight over.

The new dragon twists in midair, head turning in an exaggerated fashion to check on Kael, who dogs behind him. The eye I can see is black with dragon fury. As I worry, he tosses me casually between his claws, and a shriek of fright escapes me.

Kael bellows his anger at that move, too.

The dragon’s other foot squeezes me close, and this time I cling to its claws, panting in fear. I don’t care that the act of ‘catching’ me caused my fragile jumpsuit to shred itself. That felt far too much like being dropped. I don’t want to be dropped. The ground is far, far too distant for comfort. So I hold tight, and from this side, I realize this scarred bastard only has one eye—the other is gone, nothing left but a mass of scar tissue.