She's A Natural

Prologue

Killian's P.O.V.

I was the last one of my kind. I watched my mother and sister be slaughtered right before my eyes after they were raped. Repeatedly. My father was forced to watch as well. I was next, but I outsmarted them. They should have known better than to try to outsmart a dragon. We were clever creatures. I pretended to be dead at the precise moment, slumping to the floor dramatically and heaving a deep, "dying" breath. I was already covered in blood, so the idiots couldn't see my wounds healing miraculously. Even my broken bones and torn ligaments realigned themselves, and the tissue molded back together as if embracing old friends.

The one time I truly regretted my enhanced hearing was that night. My father was beaten and chained like an animal so he couldn't fight back. Not that he didn't try. He believed that he had to live to find another woman he could at least share a companionship with—since he would never love someone as deeply as my mother ever again—and birth another son that would hopefully, by some miracle, carry the dragon gene. It was almost impossible for the child of non-mates to inherit any kind of power. The bond the two had with their mates rejected passing down any kind of benefits to the child.

He fed off of his anger, hissing and roaring at the death of his mate and children. They killed him eventually, after hours of trying to get close enough to hurt him. Cowards.

I listened as they cheered at his dead body, hanging limply in his chains. They boasted of their strength and bravery at murdering the last of the dragon race.

You think you are brave? I wanted to scream at them. You think you are strong? You shackled us! We were defenseless! You used spears and guns against our nail and tooth! You are nothing!

Instead, I stayed silent.

Then came the question of what to do with our bodies. They decided to show us off to their friends for proof, then skin us to keep as prizes. We were all in our dragon form, our most basic image, changed from our human form due to our defense mechanisms when we had first saw them. They put their weapons away to carry us better.

Bingo.

I really don't have emotions to speak of while I was attacking them. My vocabulary was reduced to simple commands. Bite. Tear. Rip. Claw. Burn. Kill. Nothing but death and destruction was thought of.

Kill. My monstrous claws ripped through the man's chest, the soft skin giving way easily.

Burn. I roared, bringing a wave of fire up my throat and out of my mouth. The attacker turned to nothing but ash.

Kill! My teeth sunk into three men, tearing into them like a starved animal does to their wounded prey.

When I shifted back into my human form, exhausted, I saw blood and ash. Nothing else remained of the people that harmed my family. I looked back at them, whimpering pitifully. My sister, so young and fragile. My mother, sweet and caring who didn't know the meaning of merciless. My father, strong and proud. All of them dead.

I promised myself, in that moment, that nobody I loved would ever be harmed again. I refused to fall like my father. I would be stronger than that. I would protect my mate and our children. I would build up the dragon race once again with her. We would be superior, crushing any obstacle in our path.

No one would hurt her. I would protect her with my life, and in return, she would honor me with strong sons and graceful daughters. I would love and cherish each and every one of them, showing them how to defend themselves so that our race would be unbreakable like it once was. My mate would show them compassion and understanding to make them blossom with elegance and care.