Zinc Dragon (Dragon Guard of Drakkaris Book 4) Read online

  “What are those, Roofies?” Leanne asked sourly.

  Hora narrowed her eyes. “What?”

  “Nothing. A human thing.”

  “These are something special… to help things along. Knock him out a bit, as it were. I want you to give them to him.”

  Leanne put up both hands. “No way. No how. I’m not going to help you drug and rape somebody. You’ll have to kill me first.”

  “That can be arranged. But know that we’re going to manage one way or another, even if we have to force them down his throat. This is a way for you to make it easier on everyone.”

  “Easier?”

  “I mean, I think we could force them down his throat, but I do think I might lose a few wolves in the process.”

  Though, Hora didn’t appear too concerned about it.

  “If it’s just going in his food, why can’t you hide it?”

  “If we tampered with his food, he’d smell it. Shifter.” She pointed to her nose. “But if you put it in, your own human scent should overwhelm anything else happening.”

  “Hm.”

  “Besides, if you do it, we’ll make sure you have a better ending as well. Send you somewhere you can be useful, maybe find a mate within our world, rather than kill you.”

  Leanne inhaled through her nose and held it for a bit before exhaling slightly. The rage she felt at anyone wanting to hurt her new friend was unbearable, but at the same time, it appeared she was helpless to make it stop.

  “I want your word,” Leanne said quickly, “that no harm will come to me if I do as you say.”

  Hora nodded. “Of course.”

  Leanne put out her hand. “Fine. Give them to me.”

  Hora gave her the bag. “Put these in his dinner. Make sure he eats them. I’ll be down for him tomorrow morning. He should still be out.”

  Leanne took the bag, looking at the small pink pills inside. “And they won’t hurt him?”

  “Of course not,” Hora said. “I want him pliable, not dead. Hell, me mating him will save him.”

  “How?”

  “I might as well tell you at this point. He can only be saved by taking a mate. On his planet, those with pure blood must mate to stop the progression of their elemental poison. In his case, zinc.”

  None of that really made sense. But Leanne definitely took note of the fact that mating had something to do with saving him.

  “Once I mate him, I’ll be able to save his life. So really, by drugging him, you’ll be saving both of you.”

  Leanne looked at the pills, mind working rapidly on a solution while trying to keep anything but a blank, compliant expression on her face.

  She sighed, as if in resignation. “Well, if it’s my only choice to save him.”

  “It is.” Hora glared at her, frowning. “Don’t cross me, human. I’ll kill you before you can put one foot out of line, and Zinc will die either way. Don’t even think of trying to make some kind of escape.”

  “I won’t,” Leanne said honestly. She was starting to formulate a plan, but escape had nothing to do with it. “I’ll put it in his dinner. I hate doing it, but I don’t want to die, and more than that, I don’t want to kill him.”

  “I believe you,” Hora said, looking content as she rested back in her chair again. “Good people are so simple to manipulate. I will have Barney down there and see you in the morning.”

  “Okay. See you then.” Leanne gave Hora a small bow and what she hoped looked like a grateful, relieved smile. “And thank you for giving me a chance, my lady.”

  Hora looked taken aback but pleased by Leanne’s obeisance and puffed up a bit in response. “Well. It’s not so much. Now get out of here. You smell like human.”

  Leanne hid her grin as Barney came back in to haul her back downstairs. She shoved the bag of pills in her pocket, quickly running through her different options of carrying out her plan later that night.

  She would save him; that was certain.

  She just needed to ask him a few questions first.

  Zinc could sense Leanne was in an odd mood ever since she’d come back from talking with Hora.

  Barney had been personally guarding the basement ever since the meeting, so they hadn’t been able to talk, but Zinc was looking forward to her being let out of her cell for dinner in a few moments.

  Hopefully, Barney would go on break for a bit, like he usually did during dinner, and give them a chance to talk.

  The dizziness had been coming in waves, like a fever that came and went, often after eating.

  He was trying to save his strength for the few minutes he would spend with her.

  He was surprised when Barney checked his watch a little early and then started down the hall, jangling his keys as he got them out to unlock Leanne’s cell.

  She exited, and he heard words exchanged between the pair before she muttered something and angrily jerked away.

  Another wolf brought down food trays, putting one by each cell before going upstairs quietly, as if hoping not to be noticed.

  Leanne walked down the hall and waited impatiently for Barney to open the cell, then stared at him as if expecting him to leave.

  “I have to do this on my own,” she said to Barney, who shrugged and locked the door to the cell.

  After a moment of angry glaring, he finally threw his hands in the air and left, shutting the basement door behind him.

  “Wow, you have leverage on him or something?” Zinc croaked out, his voice oddly scratchy.

  “Or something,” she said, looking more nervous than usual. “Here, you need to eat.” She walked to his tray and bent over it for a moment. “Just checking if it’s too hot.”

  He couldn’t see she what she was doing, but she appeared to be opening some sort of bag or stirring something for him.

  Regardless, he was touched by her care and trusted her implicitly.

  “They wrapped the rolls today,” she said, finally handing him the tray. “I thought I’d open them for you.”

  “Thanks,” he said, looking down at the spread. Soup and rolls today. He hated the food here, but at least the company was better.

  “Listen. Hora, she wanted to talk to me about mating.”

  Zinc’s heart skipped a beat as he put down his spoon and looked up at Leanne, who put her hands in her lap quietly.

  “She said being mated would save you. What does that mean? What does it entail?”

  Zinc’s heart rate increase, and he felt slightly weaker as a result. “It’s not something you have to worry about, Leanne. I would never ask it of you.”

  “No, I mean, Hora wants you to mate her to save your life.”

  Zinc snorted. “I already said I’d rather die.”

  “I don’t want you to die, though.”

  Zinc shook his head. “Mating is very serious. I could not possibly do it with her. Even to save my life.”

  “Stubborn,” she said quietly. “What does it entail?”

  He nearly choked on the soup he’d been eating. “What?”

  “What does she mean by mating?”

  “No idea,” Zinc said, pained by the untruthfulness of his answer. But truly, it was an ugly subject, and he didn’t want Leanne, angel that she was, caught up in it. “Listen, don’t worry about it.” He set aside his soup and grabbed his roll, lying back on the bed and staring at the ceiling. “I’m not feeling too well today. Talk to me?”

  She scooted her chair closer with a little sigh. “What do you want me to talk about?”

  “Tell me what you did as a dragon heart.”

  She laughed, putting a hand to his head and frowning. “You’re clammy.”

  “It’s been a rough day. Better now that you’re here.”

  “Zinc, I just want to save you…”

  “So talk to me. Tell me what you did.”

  She sighed. “All right. But you eat your soup.”

  He begrudgingly picked up the bowl as she began her story. A totally endearing tale of her going into a burning
building to rescue her boss’ many dogs. Though Leanne was self-deprecating about the stupidity of her decision, Zinc could tell she truly had a love for animals, for all life.

  There was still joy radiating in her face when she spoke of her actions, of her success in saving all of them, and he knew, despite the result, she didn’t regret what she’d done.

  He’d finished his soup and felt sweat drip down one side of his forehead from exertion as his hand that was holding the bowl slipped off the cot.

  The bowl clattered to the ground, breaking.

  Leanne jumped, grabbing his hand and coming closer. She grabbed a rag and dabbed his forehead. “No. Zinc. Please. Hang in there.”

  “I’m fine,” he said, though he felt like he was hallucinating. Now and then, the dizziness felt like light streaming in from all corners. Almost… peaceful.

  Was this what it felt like to be close to dying?

  “No, I’m not going to let this happen…”

  Someone was talking. He wasn’t really sure who. He could see the purple oceans and beautiful mountains of Drakkaris. Nearly smell the fragrant, warm air.

  Then he felt someone grab him on either side of his head, jerking him up to face her.

  An angel. Leanne? He felt he knew her. Swirls of poison on the outside of his vision nearly obscured the borders of her face. But he could still make out dark curls, dark eyes, full lips.

  Beautiful.

  The dragon inside him awakened, staring up at her with pure want.

  He didn’t know who this woman was, but he’d give her anything.

  He was surprised when he felt lips close over his. Was he dreaming? Then the angel with the dark hair pulled back again, and her eyes were glaring.

  “Tell me how mating works.”

  “We have sex, and I give my ring,” he said, holding out his hand, the small metal band he always wore there. He felt he was telling some kind of secret that he wasn’t supposed to, but what did it matter now? All his inhibitions seemed to be flying with the light that was streaming all around him.

  He closed his eyes as he was enclosed in warm softness and felt in control for a second. Felt the pain in him receding. Felt tiredness begin to take over.

  “Zinc, one last question,” someone said through the encroaching darkness.

  “Yes?”

  “Can a mating be reversed?”

  He didn’t really understand the question, but he thought he knew the answer.

  “I’m the king,” he said weakly, feeling consciousness abandon him. “I can do anything.”

  And then he lapsed into sleep, and the angel was gone.

  Chapter 6

  That night, Zinc was sleeping earlier than usual, a bad sign that he was probably not feeling well.

  Leanne hoped it meant that the guard in front of their cells, Barney, would think she’d given Zinc the pills in his food.

  She had no intention of dosing Zinc and letting that dragon lady take him. She had a plan of her own, and all she’d needed to know to put it in motion was that Zinc could undo a mating if he needed to.

  She didn’t think he hated her. In fact, he actually seemed attracted in the times he was lucid. He was always thoughtful and kind as well.

  She couldn’t just let him die, and she couldn’t let that dragon lady mate him.

  That left only one option.

  She leaned back on her cot, letting moonlight stream over her curvy body. She knew from overhearing the guards that they found human females attractive, and she hoped Barney wasn’t an anomaly.

  “Barney,” she called in her best imitation of a sultry voice.

  Barney jerked his head up from where he’d been zoning out on his chair and stared at her with narrowed eyes. “What is it, bitch?”

  She tamped down on her anger and gave him a winning smile. “It’s getting lonely in here. Why don’t you come in and share a drink with me?”

  Barney looked suspicious, so she slowly pulled off the long tunic she wore, leaving her in only a bra and pants. She leaned forward slightly, pressing her breasts together.

  “It’s been weeks. I have needs…” She pouted at him and saw him sit up rigidly.

  It was working.

  She darted a glance at Zinc, glad to see him still sleeping, sad to see the paleness of his countenance. “I still have the glass of wine they brought with dinner. You can share it with me.”

  Barney also looked at Zinc, then shrugged, a smile spreading over his face. “Well, the stupid dragon should be out for at least twelve more hours, thanks to you dosing him. You know, I almost thought you wouldn’t do it. You were getting so close to him.” He flashed large canines as his grin grew wider, and he stood and walked over to the cell, jangling his keys as he pulled them out.

  She picked up her wine glass and walked to the door, letting him take in the look of her shirtless curves. She sipped from the glass, pretending to drink it.

  “There’s another male I would rather get close to,” she said, looking at him over the rim of her cup as she feigned taking another sip. “Now that he’s out of the way, I don’t have to take care of him anymore.”

  Barney eagerly came up to her cell and unlocked the door, letting himself in. Her heart started to race almost painfully as she found herself alone in the cell with the huge male she knew was a monster.

  But she couldn’t falter now.

  She sidled up to him and ran a finger down his chest as she held the glass up to him.

  He took it from her and took a long drink from it, and she marveled at his stupidity in so willingly taking a drink from a woman he knew had access to doping drugs that day.

  Perhaps horniness was a bigger blinding factor than she thought. Or perhaps it was easier for him to believe that she would sell out Zinc rather than risk her life for someone who was still practically a stranger.

  He smiled as he lowered the wine glass, and then his eyes went slightly unfocused.

  She wondered how drugs meant for a dragon would work on a wolf.

  He wavered on his feet, then fell to the ground with a crashing sound, his keys clattering a few feet away, the cup smashing beneath him.

  Perfect.

  She crouched and touched his neck, noting a pulse with relief, as she wasn’t trying to kill anyone.

  She just needed time to get to Zinc’s cell and do what she had to. She didn’t even know how it would end for her. Perhaps she would die before she could even really explain her motives the next morning. Perhaps she wouldn’t even save him as she hoped.

  But she had to try.

  She scooped the keys off the ground and walked quickly out of the cell, listening for any activity upstairs that meant someone had noticed the crash.

  Nothing.

  She got to Zinc’s cell and unlocked it as quietly as possible, using one of the keys on the ring.

  Zinc was tossing and turning slightly, though the loud noises in her cell didn’t appear to have awakened him. His forehead was damp with sweat, and he was murmuring something in his sleep.

  Something about Drakkaris. And going home.

  She touched the small metal necklace around his neck that was supposedly restraining him and wondered if it was hastening the onset of his sickness.

  As she stroked the side of his face, trying to wake him, it occurred to her just what a huge mystery this man was. With his dark-silver hair and eyes, he truly looked not of this world.

  “It’s going to be okay, Zinc. I’m going to save you.”

  At that, his eyes flashed open, and the pupils there were dark, long, misshapen.

  The eyes of a dragon. Was his creature always inside him? She hadn’t had the chance to really see anyone shift. The shifters had only needed their strength in human form to capture her and the other dragon hearts.

  Not to mention their super-human healing canceled out anything the dragon hearts had done.

  His pupils returned to normal as his hand covered hers, and he looked around blearily, finally focusing on her fa
ce. Then his gaze dropped to her chest, and his eyes widened as he realized she was shirtless.

  He made an attempt to sit up but then slumped back down wearily. He looked over at her cell, where Barney was still lying on the floor.

  The collar around his neck sparked as he tried to sit up again. “Did he hurt you?” His voice was raspy. “That bastard.”

  Leanne placed a hand on Zinc’s chest, pushing him back down. “No. In fact, you could say I hurt him. Though, he should wake up okay. Jerk.”

  Zinc let out a sigh, resting a hand on his chest. “That’s good, then. I’m glad you’re not hurt.” He raised an eyebrow. “Wait, what do you mean you hurt him?”

  “I… Look, I’ve got a lot to tell you, and I have to do it fast. I don’t know when they’re coming for you.”

  Zinc managed to prop himself up on his pillow a bit. She was sitting on the side of his cot, pressed against him in a position that was a little more intimate than they were used to.

  Then again, with what she had planned, she supposed it was good to be a bit intimate.

  “Listen, Zinc,” she said. “When they called me up this morning, they gave me pills. They told me to drug you.”

  Zinc’s gaze changed to the color of oxidized steel. “Why? Did you do it?”

  “Of course not,” she said, giving him a sad smile. “I can’t believe you thought I would.”

  He sighed. “I wouldn’t blame you. There isn’t much left of me anyway. Might as well save yourself killing me.”

  “They didn’t want me to kill you, Zinc.”

  His eyes darted to hers in confusion. “What do you mean they didn’t mean to kill me? What were the drugs for?”

  She looked over at Barney. “They just… knock someone out.”

  Zinc’s eyebrows lowered as he thought it over. Then his eyes widened, and he let out an angry growl. “That creep. She was going to rape me.”

  Leanne pressed her lips together. “Yes.”

  Zinc let out a string of curses and then leaned forward, putting his head in his hands, and she stroked lightly over his back, trying to soothe him.

  “Zinc, I came up with an idea. I don’t know if you’ll like it, but it seems to be our only choice.”