The Mates of Dragons

Maybe She Is More

Zani was large as he dropped from the sky and landed. Whatever it was that was shot at Xerxes hit Zani's side and he used his large tail to swing at them. He demolished two cars and they flew into the side of a building. Xerxes could see around Zani, snapping out of his trance with this Kendra. Zani wasn't at his full form but still huge. Two men were staring at him, one he recognized from the diner. The other was the dark skinned male. Xerxes sealed the wound on her neck with deliberate slowness. Clearly saying that he could do what he wanted to her, they weren't going to be able to stop him.

He knew that they had come for her. The male from the diner looked the most upset, he was clearly worried about the woman. He clearly cared for her and Xerxes for no reason he could name felt a spike of anger and jealousy toward the man. No he was not going to just hand her over and let it go he decided. Just seeing that human and the way that he looked at Kendra. He felt the things that Zani had the other night. For a moment all that pain was gone tasting her. It felt like the hole in him where his mate should be was gone. Filled with her.

His rage came from nowhere the same as Zani's. However he was holding something that the human wanted, something that he didn't deserve. His kind had so many, why should he get this woman as well? Kendra wasn't even human, and Xerxes should be able to have someone. Not be passed over because he was born inhuman. He thought for a moment picking her up so she was cradled in his arms. You know what, no he wasn't done with her. However as much as he wanted to keep her here, understand this draw to her he also needed to make the smartest choice for survival of all involved.

He'd let her go back for now, but only because she could be more use there at the moment. He'd make sure that she didn't go back to the humans in the end. No, he wanted what she could give him. Even if it was for a short time or just a hint of what he or Zani should have. It would be worth it to have something small for himself and maybe Zani before they left this world. This Kendra seemed like she could give it to them. So he would be back for her.

One of the men came running toward him. Then he realized it was no man, it was the demon. Xerxes looked at him and spoke low.

"Itaz um ack nieek." it sounded like complete gibberish to those on the street, but the demon was sent flying and slammed into a solid brick wall going through it. Xerxes knew the demon wasn't dead, but without being able to use his hands, Xerxes had to speak the incantation. The language of the mages was long ago forgotten but by a select few. These stupid creatures would never learn. Xerxes and Zani had learned more than any of them could understand. They could use magic lost to this world.

Zani let out a blast of fire, spraying the street. Humans were looking out windows but dashed inside to escape the fury on the street. Those humans that were hunting him dove out of the way. The cement bubbled and cracked with the heat of Zani's fire. Xerxes set Kendra down, propping her against the building there and looked at her for a moment. He suddenly fought the urge to just pick her back up and take her with. It was strangely hard to swallow setting her down.

'We should leave now before one of them manages to put a hole in your chest like last time.' Zani's voice said to him.

'That we should.' Xerxes said and her eyes were barely open, he lifted her chin so that she was looking at him.

"I will be watching you." With that Xerxes turned and went up Zani's side with a swift practiced movement. His hands and nails extending into claws that dug into the scales. After all Xerxes was a dragon himself.

He crouched low looking down at the few humans there, he memorized their faces. Besides them he saw the demon coming out of the hole where the building was. He was in bad shape from that hit and needed time to heal. His gaze moved to the one he knew was vampire. This one was actually older than Xerxes, he sensed it. He had skill and power, he would be trouble that one.

Zani made an extremely powerful downstroke with his wings and a jump, which launched him skyward in one go. There was the sound of some kind of gun fire, but it didn't do much, the bullets wouldn't pierce Zani's hide. And even the part that was softer on him, bullets wounds would heal. Explosive wounds, they were a lot harder. Hence why Xerxes had jumped in front of the one before, so long as his body was whole and there he would heal. Dismember Xerxes and he wasn't coming back.

'You weren't paying attention.' Zani growled at him and Xerxes looked toward the ground. It was far below them now. The lights looking like pinpoints.

'No I wasn't. I was enjoying myself too much. She tasted so good, like everything.' Xerxes admitted leaning as Zani banked to the right.

'I felt it from you, it was very strong. Why did you leave her there then?' Zani didn't want to say it and be wrong. However the way Xerxes was reacting each time he met this Kendra was starting to signal that she might be more. He really, really didn't want to say the M word and know that it was wrong. They still didn't know what she was. Xerxes would not be able to identify his mate though if she wasn't dragon yet. So was that? Was this the reaction? Zani like Xerxes was burying the thought. Call them stupid, but truly do you even know what a hope like that stolen away would do to them? Zani was barely hanging on watching his mate fade. Xerxes never had a hope in the first place since he was a child.

'Because for now it will be smarter, we will have a spy in the enemies' camp and they don't even know it.' Xerxes just grumbled it and seemed lost somewhere.

'Does she?'

'Not yet, but her mind has already shifted in our favor, I can sense it.'

'Or you want to.'

'Maybe, but I just know.' Zani felt an odd tingle in his mind and body, kind of like receiving the gift of hope. That dangerous emotion they were trying to avoid just kept popping up. Zani once more thought just maybe, maybe if Xerxes could find someone to call mate, even if they weren't able to be like them, it would be enough. That was all he needed, just enough to keep his mate going. To maybe have her hatch. Zani winced inwardly, they really would never learn would they? Xerxes caught Zani's thoughts this time.

'You know that I would in a heartbeat if it meant she would hatch Zani. In a heartbeat.' Zani rolled and dove from the sky toward the mountain. Xerxes would take anyone if he thought for one moment it would give Zani his mate.

'I know, and I'd do the same for you. Sometimes I wonder if we are even two different beings.'

'Sometimes I wish you'd get out of my head.'

'If I did that you'd be dead by now. Seeing you become enthralled the second you have the scent of a female in your nose.'

'Jealous?'

'Nope, I don't need to lust after humans.'

'Actually I never lusted after a human, just had a need that was sated. Now this one isn't a human at all.' Zani spread out his wings, the wind was powerful at the moment. It was going to bring in a storm, they could feel it. He landed on the out cropping. Xerxes dropping off and strolling inside, he knew that the humans were watching. Let them watch.

'She could be more dangerous.'

"She could be, but that's why it's exciting. I needed something new to interest me." Xerxes teased.

'You are a complete juvenile and I feel like I always have to be the mother chicken.'

"You look like a mother hen, Zany." Xerxes said mispronouncing his name. Zani was the size of a large dog and he snapped his tail out nearly getting Xerxes in the legs had he been slower. He snapped his tail up and hissed before moving forward and diving down into the hole.

'You are a human asshole.' Xerxes just laughed and stepped off the edge plummeting down. His wings extended to slow his descent. Though once at the bottom he glanced up for a moment and wondered if he had made the smartest choice leaving her. With a harsh breath he walked forward into their cave.