Drago (Second Wave Book 2) Read online

  Lara smiled sweetly as she shouted through the Shengari’ at Drago. “Tell the Dranovian’s that he doesn’t know what they are! See if they can attack his beast!”

  Drago looked to Mikal as he spoke along the Dranovian path and wasn’t surprised when Mikal nodded his head and turned to look at his brothers. The Dranovian’s all stopped attacking the barrier and placed their hands near it, close but not touching it. Instinctively, the Tezarian’s all stepped back and watched as the twenty three beast killers closed their eyes. And chanted.

  Drago looked worriedly at his motionless mate and wondered what the fuck they were doing singing at a time like this when they heard a commotion outside. Hoping like hell that someone had thought to contact Grai and kicking himself for not thinking about it earlier, Drago saw Satalis move nervously to the center within the barrier.

  It was then he saw Satalis grab his head and Drago realized that whatever the Dranovian’s were doing, it was having an impact on the Dark Prime. The barrier shimmered a dark black before becoming grey, then black again. As if Satalis was having a difficult time maintaining the energy. Gathering his energy, Drago got ready and waited for the barrier to turn grey again.

  Satalis felt a tingling in his head and stepped back, trying to understand what it was. Running through the ancient knowledge that he had stolen through the millennia, it dawned on him what they were and he paled. Beast killers! The fucking Prime had found the only thing that could destroy him!

  Satalis panicked and grabbed the unconscious bitch by her hair before manifesting a dagger at her throat. “Stop it right now or I will kill her!”

  The Dranovian’s stopped immediately, to Drago’s relief, and stared at the Dark Prime with blazing amber eyes. Even Mikal’s normally white eyes, were glowing a molten amber and Drago couldn’t help but wonder what kind of power the Beast killers actually possessed. He was sure as hell glad they were currently on his side, he thought as he stared at his helpless mate, waiting for the barrier to weaken again.

  When the doors opened and the laughing guests started pouring through the doors, it was Dree who thought quickly and created the illusion of a wall around the standoff and the barrier as she shouted, “Trick, hide the bodies from the humans! Someone get them out of here!”

  Drago watched the fle’ te’ Brazar start throwing up illusions to try and protect the human guests that had arrived and let themselves into the mansion when no one had stopped them from coming through the open doors.

  Chris would kick himself for the oversight later, for now he and his brothers would not let up on the Dark Prime who held their sister, counting on the Tezarian’s and Lara to get the humans out of harm’s way.

  Satalis laughed maniacally, seeing his way out of here when he heard his back up among the guests. Watching all of those that the fake Devon had turned against him walk through his doors, adorned in an ostentatious display of expensive furs and jewelry, infuriated Satalis and with a wave of his hand he said, “Let those the bitch used against me, suffer the fate of traitors and fools.”

  Drago saw the wave of his hand and the barrier shimmer at the same time the humans began screaming, ignoring them, Drago threw himself against the barrier.

  The Tezarian’s watched in horror as the animal skins the humans were wearing as coats, belts and shoes began to come alive and attack those who had been wearing them and anyone else they could reach. They ran to protect the humans from the frightened and rampaging animals, leaving Drago and the Dranovian’s to deal with Satalis.

  Drago had felt the give in the energy around the barrier that time and began to batter it again when it turned completely black, blocking anyone from seeing inside. Terrified for his mate, he pounded against it with his fists as shots rang out around him and the humans screamed in fear and pain.

  Somehow, during the chaos, and in between Drago’s punishing blows, the barrier vanished and Drago’s fists penetrated empty air. The only thing remaining was Devon’s blood streaked on the floor. His Angel of Death and the Dark Prime had disappeared.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Grai T’Alq jumped off the transport before it even landed and broke into a run through the garden towards the mansion, his carefully chosen team trying to catch up to him. By the time he came close to the house, he was forced to slow down because of the humans and animals that were rushing out of every available door.

  Irritated and uncaring about the traitorous bastards that his daughter had been playing against the Dark Prime, he pushed them out of his way as he forged ahead, desperate to get to his children.

  He had reached them at the same time that Dree looked down the opposite hallway and screamed, “It’s an illusion! He’s dragging her down the hallway!”

  Grai looked and only saw an empty hallway, but instinct told him to run and he ran, finding himself among his pack of children and Drago as the rest remained to deal with the humans and animals. He was confident that the Tezarian’s and the team he brought could handle the situation. He had a child to find and bring home.

  They had come to a split in the hallway and stopped, looking both ways, unable to see anything and not knowing which way Satalis had taken Angel, they instinctively split up, dividing themselves up in the search. Drago and Mikal took the right, while Grai and Chris had gone left.

  After running through what appeared to be endless hallways, Drago barreled through a closed door and stood in momentary surprise at the roof of the house as Grai’s group came through another door on the opposite side of the roof.

  He was confused until he felt the telltale warm poof of air and smelled the engine of a ship. “He’s got a ship up here!” Grai screamed through the Dranovian path as he ran towards the middle of the roof, uncaring if he ran into the ship as long as they got there before Satalis left with his mate.

  Drago saw Grai do the same thing and they ran across the roof towards each other, waiting for one of them to hit the craft so the others would know where it was.

  Grai stared straight at Drago as he ran towards him, praying that one of them would hit the ship soon. His desperation for his daughter, causing him to be reckless. He called out through the Shengari’ to his transport pilot.

  “Find the ship! It’s on the roof! Get a lock on it, track it, fucking something, but don’t let it get the hell away!”

  No one noticed the two cloaked ships that had arrived outside of the gates, or the arrival of the new teams that began dealing with the injured and terrified humans. Or Lara running across the roof. But Satalis did.

  Roaring in rage, knowing that he would be lucky to escape, he finally vented his anger at the deceptive bitch who had almost caused his downfall. Maintaining his illusions to remain hidden, he looked down at the still unconscious bitch and drew his dagger.

  Drago and Grai were running full out until they saw Devon’s crumpled body appear on the roof before they felt the heat of engines and the gust of air that told them a ship had taken off. Grai slowed to a stop just as Drago hit his knees and reached for Devon.

  Turning her over, he put her head into his lap and roared in rage when he saw the deep stab wounds to her upper body, the blood soaking through her dress to his legs.

  “Get someone here now!! Medic!! Where’s Amun?” Drago screamed as Grai dropped to his knees and took one of Angel’s hands into his own, the tears running unchecked down his face as he screamed through the Shengari’ for the med techs to hurry and for Amun to get prepared in Dillon. His daughter was coming home and they would save her. He would accept nothing less.

  Drago gently pushed her hair out of her face and used his falling tears to wipe some of the blood from her battered cheeks. He could feel her life energy beginning to fade and he gently shook her shoulders.

  “Don’t leave me! Please don’t leave me. Fight!” He half growled, half choked out.

  He never heard Lara come up behind him until he and Grai were pushed out of the way as if by an invisible hand, both reaching out to Devon, trying to keep a hold o
f her. It wasn’t until Devon was enclosed in a golden barrier that they both realized that Lara had done it.

  Drago turned blazing eyes to Lara as she stepped into the golden light with Devon. He saw Lara mouth the words, “I’m sorry.” Before she put her hand over Devon’s mouth and nose.

  Drago, Grai and his children roared in rage as they saw Devon/Angel struggle weakly against the hand that was stealing her ability to breathe her last breaths. Drago started beating his fists against the golden barrier, desperate to get to his mate who was now completely unmoving.

  “They need to get away and calm the hell down before I can release the barrier!” Lara said, to who no one knew and didn’t care until the one person they all least expected to see, flicked her fingers and pushed the angry men out of her way using her energy.

  Grai looked in astonished horror at his pregnant mate and son as they easily moved past his sons and Drago, wondering how the hell they got there and why they were there. It was then that her light brown eyes blazed silver at him and he was physically held immobile. It took only one glance to know that his sons and even Drago were also rendered immobile by his very angry mate.

  When he moved his lips to speak, she moved her fingers angrily and he was rendered mute next. Tricia T’Alq stalked over to the barrier and gently laid a hand on it as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

  Opening her eyes, she set her son on the ground and looked deeply into his beautiful eyes. “You help Lara keep our Angel safe so we can get her home and get her well ok?”

  She gave her small son a beautiful smile when he nodded his head and walked through the golden barrier to hold Angel’s hand, his other hand quickly drawing what appeared to be symbols in the air around Devon.

  Tricia stood and looked over the men in front of her and pointed her finger at Chris as the Tezarian’s and the teams that Grai and Tricia brought, reached the roof.

  “You!” Tricia said as she stabbed her finger into Chris’s paralyzed chest. “You have a lot to answer for!” She began, when Chris unwisely interrupted. “Mom, I swear…”

  With one flick of her hand, Chris was also muted and remained helpless against what he knew would be an epic rant from his mother.

  “You lied and hid things from your father and me! Put your sister in unbelievable danger! Put yourselves in danger! Did you see your brother?” Tricia demanded as she pointed out the blood caking Liam’s arm from the bullet he took for a now astonished Dree.

  Tricia felt her daughter stir and put a protective hand over her stomach. “Do you have any idea how upset you have made your baby sister? She’s terrified for her Angel! And so is your brother!” Tricia said, pointing at Tristan who was rocking back and forth, humming and writing his symbols in the air.

  Drago didn’t give a damn about the crazy dynamics of how Tricia was mother to the group of Dranovian’s. All of whom were of varying ages and races. All he cared about was that Lara had killed his mate.

  He turned furious eyes on Tricia and spoke before she could mute him as well. “She killed my mate!” Drago roared.

  Tricia turned blazing silver eyes to him and immediately her eyes dimmed and returned to their normal light brown. She walked over to Drago and grabbed both of his hands in her own and looked deeply into his eyes.

  “No Drago, she held the laustio pod that you found at the reflection pool, in Angel’s mouth long enough for her to swallow it. She needs time for the new beast to make the connections in her brain. And she needs me and her baby sister and brother to help her bond correctly with it.”

  “You,” Tricia said before turning to glare at her mate and sons, “And them, must let us help her. Our Angel is a full human, if you do not calm yourselves. ALL of you,” Tricia said, ensuring that the others knew she was speaking of them.

  “Then we may not be able to help her make the correct connections in her mind. And ALL of you know what happens to those who have an anomalous beast bonding!” Tricia said as her eyes changed from silver to brown, her energy fluctuating in her anger.

  Drago, Grai and the Dranovian’s all paled at what Tricia was saying. If the bonding did not go correctly, Angel’s own family would be required to destroy the beast inside of her or even Angel herself.

  Lara and Tricia knew that they finally understood and released the golden shield around Angel and the paralysis over those on the roof.

  Grai watched as a small transport landed beside them on the roof and four med techs came out and ran to Angel. Loading her body was difficult since Tristan had refused to let go of her hand and continued to rock and hum beside her as he held her hand.

  Drago, uncaring what anyone thought, climbed inside the transport beside her and took her other hand. When Grai entered the craft he looked at Drago oddly before roaring out, “Hell no! Not my daughter! You better Gods Damn well…,” He began before Tricia came up behind him and slapped him in the shoulder.

  “Shut the hell up! You’re in just as much trouble as those boys! You and your plots and secrets! She learned this behavior from you! Now you sit the hell down and let her mate try to comfort her! It’s about damn time our Angel finally found someone and I am damn glad it’s someone as wonderful as Drago,” Tricia said angrily as she squeezed in beside Tristan and laid her hand on Angel’s leg to lend her energy and that of her unborn daughter who demanded to help her big sister.

  Drago was so damn confused over the whole Dranovian and sons and daughter thing that couldn’t muster the energy to try and figure it out, his thoughts consumed with the small spark of energy in Devon… or Angel. Whoever the hell she was, Drago thought with confusion.

  It didn’t matter though, she was his mate and he would not leave her side until she was well. He would figure the rest out later. He ignored the daggers that Grai was glaring at him and concentrated only on his mate and sending her as much energy as he could, to feed the small spark her could feel in her.

  Lara nudged him and gave him a small smile. “Just love her Drago and she will pull through this fine.”

  Drago choked on his emotions and just nodded his head as a few more tears slipped unchecked down his face. He didn’t know who the hell she really was, but he did know that no matter how impossible it seemed, he really did love her.

  He heard Grai snort before he groaned. Looking up Drago saw that Tricia held her hand in the air, three fingers pinched together as Grai’s lips twisted in an odd way. As if someone were pinching them between fingers. If he wasn’t so worried about Devon/Angel, fuck if he knew what to call her, he thought as he shook his head.

  Uncaring if Tricia ripped off Grai’s lips or not, he looked at her imploringly. “What is her true name? Devon…,” he couldn’t finish it and was grateful for the warm energy that Lara sent him. If the bonding took, Drago would be forever grateful to his sister for thinking so quickly in giving his mate the laustio pod. He refused to think of anything other than a perfect outcome, more so now that Beast killers were here.

  His troubled thoughts were interrupted by Tricia. “Her name is Angel T’Alq and she is our daughter. Obviously, not a natural one. But she is our daughter in the same way as the one in my stomach. And her brothers are as well. Do not ever doubt that we would not die for them the same as we would Tristan and our baby,” Tricia said warningly, the mother in her letting him know that if he ever dared to hurt their daughter he’d regret it.

  Drago nodded his head, ignoring Grai’s swiftly nodding head and blazing eyes. He didn’t care who her family was or how they were family, he just wanted to know her real name. He had suspected it was Angel when she’d called herself the Angel of Death and he’d heard Mikal say that her name was Angel. But a part of him just wanted confirmation from someone else.

  He was terrified for her and confused. He had always believed that his mate was not the brutal Devon they had all read about, but now that it was proven he didn’t feel the relief he had thought he would feel. Instead, he was hurt and confused. He didn’t understand why she hadn’t trusted
him enough to tell him the truth of who she was. Especially after they had made love.

  Hell, she’d sent her brother Mikal to kick his damn ass, he thought, feeling a little pissed about that and vowing to get even with her brother later. Feeling a little overwhelmed with doubt and conflicting emotions, Drago never noticed Lara and Tricia grinning over his head as they sent him bolts of calming energy.

  *****

  Dree was still working on Liam’s shoulder in the transport craft when they landed in the hangar at Dillon, TX. Chris had been pacing the craft the entire way and was just waiting to get out of the ship and get to his sister and parents who were in the craft behind them, landing next.

  Chris wasn’t sure if it was the special priority docking code that his father had given him in case of an emergency, like the one going on now, or if the Tezarian’s had given forewarning, but when he jumped out of the craft, he immediately raised his weapon.

  Knowing something was wrong, his brother’s quickly followed, Liam taking up the rear as he tried not to drag Dree around since she wouldn’t stop trying to bandage his wound while he tried to stay in front of her.

  Dree finally looked around and her mouth formed an O of surprise before she whispered, “What the fuck?”

  The hangar was packed with every form of alien or hybrid that lived in or around Dillon, TX and they were all looking at the Dranovian’s as if they were monstrous creatures. Faces were contorted in various expressions that ranged from fear and disgust to curiosity and rage. The mass of emotions were very strong and Dree could feel it weighing heavily on her own energy.

  The Dranovian’s obviously felt it as well and had raised their weapons, moving slowly and carefully as a unit to where the transport with their family in it was finally approaching. Dread, pissed off over Drago’s mate, the mission that had gone beyond wrong and the stress of not knowing what was really going on, finally caused him to snap.