Finding The Red Dragon

I Will Follow You

"Pretend you are sicker." Jake whispered as he sat down the bowl of soup. Ella had been pretending for two days now. Where were they? Allan had promised Jake they were coming for her. What was taking so long?

"Is she better today?" Kruse stepped from behind Jake, and she gave a weak smile. "I am still here, ask me." Ella pretended to be too weak to even raise her head. "Are you better? Has the medicine started to work?" Kruse picked up her bandaged arm, and thanks to Jake, it still looked like a bloody mess.

"This should be healed." He snapped at Jake. "I am not sure why she is not healing. I cleaned it myself." Jake kept his eyes lowered. "Maybe a stronger wolf needs to heal it. I need her to be able to stand by midnight. I will be strapping her to the roof. If the dragon will not come for her on his own, she is going to call for him." Kruse dropped her arm, and she made a show of cringing in pain.

"I will send Marcus in to take care of that." Kruse glared at Jake, who hung his head lower. "Sir, if I may, Marcus is not the cleanest wolf in the pack. May I suggest Carlyle." "That weakling?" Kruse laughed "Sir, he is stronger than me, and he might not scare the human so much." Kruse gave her a long look then disappeared into the hallway, slamming the door.

"What does he mean strapping me to the roof?" Ella asked. "Do not worry. I have word that there were dragons moving through the woods near here today." Jake whispered as he padded her forehead. Her dragons were coming!

"What about this Carlyle guy?" Ella asked. "He is also a prisoner here, like me. Trust me." Jake helped her take a drink of water. "We can trust him." Jake added as the door opened.

In walked a very tall, very handsome man, with jet black hair and the grayest eyes she had ever seen. "Kruse sent me." The man said. "Carlyle, this is Ella. Ella, Carlyle." "So, this is the one that is going to bring Kruse the red dragon." He looked her over and Ella shivered.

"Do not scare her Carlyle, she is sick." Jake warned. "I do not smell disease on her." He sniffed the air. "Kruse said she was bleeding and that I should help." The man took two long steps and reached for her arm, but she jerked it back and gave a pleading look to Jake.

"Carlyle, stop the show. She is perfectly fine, just weak." Jake nodded. "The blood?" "Mine." Jake pulled up his sleeve to show the bite mark from earlier, then motioned for Carlyle to sit.

"Dude, what are you doing? He will kill you." Carlyle looked nervous. "Not if he dies first." Jake exhaled and looked to the door before explaining everything to him.

"Shit, Jake, are you crazy?" "No. I am tired of being a prisoner here. I want to have my freedom, and Ella can get me that." "I can get it for you too, if you help us." Ella sat up and took Carlyle's hand. "The camera." Carlyle nodded as he pulled away.

"Disabled. It is just looping the same video every three hours." Jake smiled. "Smart." "The human Martin, he has been my eyes in the woods. The dragons are close now. I would not be surprised if it happened tonight." Jake's admission made goosebumps crawl over Ella's skin. She wanted nothing more than to go home.

"How many are in on this?" Carlyle looked Ella over again. "Four of us. Five with you. Probably more if I can get to them." "How do you know who to trust." Carlyle looked unsure. "Funny how those of us that are captives want to work to get out, no matter the cost." Jake looked at Ella, and she understood.

"Anyone that helps me will be spared. Can you get word to the dragons in the woods? To my friends?" Ella asked. "I can." Carlyle said. "Ok, tell the dragons that anyone that says..." She thought for a moment. "Lessalynn. If they utter that name, they are to be spared, they are a friend." She looked to Carlyle in hope.

"Lessalynn?" Carlyle raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Sal and Allan will understand. Just tell them if they meet a wolf who says that name, to spare them." "Lessalynn." Carlyle repeated. "Yes. Now go tell them, and anyone else that is on our side. We need to help the dragons get in and take out Kruse, then you will all be free." Ella nodded to Jake 

"And we trust her?" Carlyle asked Jake. "With my life." Jake smiled at her, filling her with warmth. "Then I trust you with mine also." Carlyle held out his hand and she took it. "One day I will repay you for your kindness." Ella looked right into Carlyle's eyes and for a brief instant, his changed before he shook it off and let her hand go.

"There is something special about you Ella. My wolf can sense it, he tells me you are honest and pure, and we should follow your lead." Carlyle looked at her, then Jake. "You felt it too?" Jake asked Carlyle.

"I did. It is strange though. She is not a wolf, but I feel it." "As did I. I feel drawn to help her. To follow her." Jake whispered. Then with another deep breath he stood.

"This is where we make our stand." Jake held out his hand to Carlyle. "We do this together and we get out of this place forever." "I'm in." Carlyle stood and after a hand shake, he left, leaving Jake and Ella alone.

"Are you going to explain that feeling you both have?" Ella crossed her arms. "It is not something that I can explain to you right now. Just trust me, whatever it is, it is going to change the future of our kind when the dragons come."

"I promise they will not hurt you." Ella reached out and touched him, and he smiled. "I believe you Ella. My wolf knows to trust you. I know there are things I will never understand in this world, but I know to follow my wolf's lead." Jake smiled and she stood and hugged him tightly.

"Ella, this dragon of yours, Ragnar, he is one lucky guy." Jake blushed. "He is not really mine. I just...I am not even sure if he likes me, or if I...this is all strange to me." "Why do you say that?" "Because I like a dragon. That is so weird." "No weirder than a wolf liking a human." He gave her a shy smile and it was her turn to blush.

"I will be back as soon as I have any news." "Thank you, Jake. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you." "Just remember me." "Always." She gave him the shy smile this time and he left the room, closing the door with a laugh.

She decided to get up and shower. If they were coming for her tonight, she wanted to look her best. Jake had been kind enough to find her a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, which she was grateful for. Even if she did not have undergarments, clean clothes were better than nothing.

She had just towel dried her hair and was putting on the clean socks and her tennis shoes when the door burst open and a man as wide as the door got to her in two steps, yanking her almost off her feet. This did not look good at all. And with the all that she had, she prayed her dragons would find her in time.