“Annie?” I gasped. Thankfully, she looked fine—not harmed physically in any way. A small twitch of her mouth told me she was trying not to smile.Why the hell would she want to smile at a time like this?I'd only met the girl in passing, so I couldn’t even be sure she knew who I was.
“Not real,” she whispered.What the hell does that mean?
I twisted, trying to keep my eyes on her, but my father kept pushing the damn bed farther away.
“You better not harm a hair on that girl's head,” I growled, losing the small grip that remained on my temper. “What are you doing with her? Let her go, old man. She's just a child!”
His deep chuckle was all that came in response as he wheeled me through a set of double doors. There was a transparent enclosure in the middle of the huge room, which was exactly where we were heading. A few people in white lab coats were loitering around, some with laptops and notepads. Most of them were watching me with eager eyes and I didn't fucking like it. A sharp prick in my arm made me jerk away from the man in a white coat who’d just injected me with something.They suppressed my powers already, so what the hell was that?
The bed was pushed into the enclosure and a few moments later, the cuffs that had been keeping me hostage fell away with a clank. I didn't hesitate, jumping off the bed and diving for where my father would've been. Of course, the coward was outside of the glass, looking smug as hell.
“What the fuck is this?” I bellowed, spinning around, trying to get any clue as to why I was in here. Aside from the bed, there was nothing else here in this clear box with me.
“Bring him in,” my father barked to someone, and my gaze darted over to the doors where two large men were dragging a man in by his arms. Panic seized my heart as I recognized that curly head of dark hair, the set of those shoulders.
“No!” I roared. “Get your hands off him! Fischer!”
Fish didn't respond, and his entire body was limp as they laid him on a steel surgical table. My fists pounded on the glass frantically, but it made no difference.
“You make me sick,” my father spat, disgust evident in his eyes. “I always knew there was something going on between the two of you. It ends now.”
“Don't fucking touch him!” I screamed, as one of the men in a lab coat began picking up different surgical tools.
“You take his cock like a little bitch? Shouldn't surprise me—that's all you've ever been.”
I couldn't focus, couldn't process my father’s words over how loudly my heart was now pounding in my ears. When that dead man holding the scalpel made his first cut, my vision sharpened. At the second cut, an ungodly roar exploded from my chest as I shifted completely into my dragon form.These motherfuckers are going to pay.
They just kept cutting him. Blood was dripping down the table and Fischer was lying there, still as a corpse. Fire spilled from my giant mouth as I attempted to destroy the fucking cage I was in. It had been magically reinforced with something. My fire, teeth, claws, brute strength—nothing made a difference.
The surgeon finally stopped his hacking. “Clean him up. Take him back to his cell. Bring in the next one.”
The two large men who had dragged Fischer in stepped up and carried him out of the room. I made sure I noted each of their faces. Their deaths were marked.
“Let me go!”
Oh gods. No. Please, no...
“Sloane! They're going to hurt me, please help me!” Red screamed, her eyes wild as she glanced around the room. Two new men were dragging her over to the table as the surgeon prepared restraints. Shifting back to my human form, I slammed my fists against the wall.
“Red! I'm so sorry, I'm sorry,” I bellowed, hoping she'd hear me over her wild cries.
“You know what, son? We need babies. Demon babies. Dragon babies. Whichever, both. And we're gonna get them.”
My throat tightened as Red's clothes were cut away.Fuck. FUCK. I can't. I can't fucking save her.
“Dad,” I croaked desperately, trying one last attempt. “Please don't do this. I’m begging you.”
His brow lifted, and he held up a hand to halt the progress of his men surrounding my woman. He stared into my eyes and I swayed a little on my feet, suddenly feeling exhausted from the lack of food and rush of adrenaline.
“This”—he pointed at me—“is exactly why it must be done. You're weak.” He looked back at his men. “Do it.”
In a blink, I was a dragon once more. My body crashed repeatedly against the walls as Red's wails of anguish filled the room. Pain exploded all over, as the force of my attempts to break through the enclosure was enough to crush my own bones.
With one last rush and all of my strength behind me, I propelled myself against the wall so hard that my vision swam as I stumbled back. I tried to shake my head clear, but the movement threw me off balance, and everything went black as I collapsed to the ground.
The last thing I heard was my name being screamed. A plea, and a curse.
The days were dragging. Every spare moment I had was used to try and reach Sloane. Nothing was working. We'd even tried what we’d used to contact Kai previously, with the added magic from the others in a power linking circle, and still nothing.
