Chapter 4

The Dragons (Nye)

The dark-haired dragon dressed in human form gently placed his mate down. His prey was unattainable here, and he knew she wouldn't let him go if she was awake.

Nye stalks forward towards the stairs, his brothers not far behind. The one named Dwen had gotten under his scaly skin. The itch to draw the man's blood had taken over when he gripped his mate's wrist.

As they roamed the castle honing in on the man's scent, their eyes beamed brightly, devilish creatures in human flesh. The smell gets more robust, and as he turns the last corner, a lone door down the hall appears. A wicked smile pulls at his lips. Nye opens the door, letting himself in, and he hears the pitter-patter of water.

"Good, yes, that's good…" Nye hears the moans of the man. It makes his skin crawl. The scent of a female also catches his attention. The steam coming from the bathing room trickles out from a crack in the door—a shame the female would have to die as well.

"Koa," Nye says, then nods, gesturing to the bathing door. The young one does as commanded. Koa kicks open the door, and the shrill scream of the woman ends when Nye hears her neck snap. Dwen wails and his voice is muffled as Koa drags him out and throws him in front of Nye. Dwen's eyes widened, and Nye could smell the fear, yet the man had the gall to leer back. "You damn beasts! What have you done to Kamari!" Dwen shouts, anger twisting his face.

Aneth growls, but Nye stops him with his hand before he lunges forward. "Mine." Nye growls. Nye crouches down to him, watching his prey squirm. "What? Are you going to kill me?" The flesh bag says. This question makes Nye smile. Of course, he understood what the humans were saying, but for now, he played dumb. His brothers, however, did not know as much as he did.

It came from years of being around villages and hearing humans talk. Eventually, it stuck, and he soon understood them. "You won't do it. Kamari won't let you!" Dwen assures him.

"She's asleep," Nye says, standing up and finding a comfy seat. Flopping into it, he crosses his legs, eyes locked on Dwen.

"What?" The surprise on Dwen's face makes Nye smirk. "You can understand us, can't you?" Dwen asks breathlessly.

Nye gives him a sinister look, then sighs satisfactorily, "Unfortunate for you."

Dwen scoffs, "What? Did I get on your bad side?" Dwen taunts, then eyes drift to Koa and Aneth, who roam his room. "H-Hey! Don't touch that!" As Dwen stands, so does Nye, and he grips Dwen's shoulder and then digs his nails into his flesh, shoving him down on his knees.

"Know your place." Nye's voice rumbles.

"Ah!" Dwen's face contours in pain. Nye tilts his head with a half-smile, "Was it not you who said Dragons aren't the only monsters?"

Dwen leers at Nye," Humans can be more cruel than you, you fire-breathing lizard-Ah!" Nye crushes Dwen's shoulder, and he crumbles to the floor. Nye stands over Dwen and leers down at him, "And yet you squirm beneath me. You humans have a fatal mentality of pissing me off. Especially you, Dwen."

Dwen's face contorted in pain. "Then why are you with Kamari? She is human!" He grunts.

Nye snaps and growls in his throat, then stomps on Dwen's rib cage like a bug. "Kamari is of Elder blood. You are nothing but a flea."

Yes. Nye smelled it within Kamari, and Kadea blessed all three of them with a mate from Elder's blood. No matter how strained it may be. The soul within Kamari called to him and begged him to go to her, and he was more than willing.

Dwen coughs up blood. Nye watches as he paints the wood floors."You won't get away with this; Kamari will discover what you've done." Dwen chokes out.

"Oh?" He tilts his head, " And what might she do?" Nye gives Dwen a sinister smile. "Come now. You were chattering much more in her presence. And as far as I'm concerned. She won't shed a tear for you."

"Traitors. You're all traitors. You lied to her!" Dwen chokes out.

"Lie? No. She never asked if I could speak fluently. All she has done is try to teach us your ways. So, you're the only one who knows of my secret," Nye stands straight, rolls his neck as his eyes beam, "Now, where was I? Oh," Nye grabs Dwen by the neck,

"I'm going to rip out your throat."