The Dragon's Secret Queen Read online

  He watched the members of Magus annihilate the other men. They looked wild and brutal. Blood splattered the ground and howls of pain echoed out among the containers.

  Chaz turned, shifting back to his human form as he went, and ran to Zuri. She sat crumpled on the pavement barely able to look around her.

  “Zuri,” Chaz bent to her. He took her in his arms.

  Zuri fell into him, her body exhausted. “Ava, she’s here. The others, we have to help them.” Zuri tried to get her strength back, to move, but Chaz settled her on the pavement.

  “I’ll take care of them. Just stay, we need to take care of you too.” Chaz brushed a few curls away from her face. She was choking out sobs and nodded at him. Relief overwhelmed Chaz. Zuri was alive. Zuri was going to be ok.

  Big Joe had transformed back to his human form as well. The Ukrainian’s were a thing of the past. The slain bodies of both man and beast dotted the ground. Only the Magus would be coming out of this one alive.

  Big Joe helped carry girls and women out into the waning light. One of the other men called for emergency medical help and the entire group tended to the women. Chaz had never seen the members of Magus so gentle. They tended to wounds, soothed hysterical girls who were just beginning to come out of their drug induced states. Names of parents and friends were given, calls were being made.

  “You came for me,” Zuri said as she pulled herself up.

  The first of the medics were arriving and they swarmed over the girls. It seemed that few were very hurt but the drugs they’d been given were strong and some of the girls had been drugged multiple times a day for more than a week. The girls were all bony and thin, they looked malnourished, but Chaz thought that some good food and rest could rectify that pretty easily. It was the emotional and mental damage he was the most worried about.

  The bodies had been cleaned up by a few of the Magus, and someone had sprayed down the concrete but there were still signs of blood and chaos everywhere.

  “Of course I came for you, did you doubt that for a minute?” Chaz lifted Zuri to her feet.

  “No.” She shook her head. “I want to go in the ambulance with Ava. Has anyone called her mother yet?”

  “She was too out of it to give us the number, maybe you should call her now?” Chaz asked. Zuri nodded.

  “I’ll meet you at the hospital?” Zuri asked looking up at him.

  Chaz nodded, “I’ll just make sure everything is cleaned up here, all the girls taken care of. I’ll see you there soon.” He walked Zuri to the waiting ambulance. Another girl was in with Ava but the medics made room from Zuri as well.

  She climbed up slowly into the back of the vehicle.

  “Make sure she is checked out too,” Chaz said quietly to the medic at the back. The man nodded at him, he closed the doors before the van drove off, lights blazing, into the night.

  Zuri petted Ava’s hand the entire ride. Ava looked fevered and pale and murmuring things under her breath.

  “She’s going to be ok?” Zuri turned to the medic beside her. “She’ll be fine. It will take some time, there will probably be some withdrawal at some point but she’ll be just fine.”

  Zuri hummed softly to the two girls. She left everything to the medic but she mothered them with love and soft bits of song that hummed out of her from her own childhood.

  At the hospital she wasn’t allowed to go back with the girls so she sat in the waiting room trying to fight off the fatigue that threatened to overtake her. Her body and mind were so tired. She wasn’t even sure that it was the drug they’d given her anymore. It was a release of all the nights she’d spent sleeplessly thinking about Ava. The adrenaline that had been pulsing through her all day, the physical effort to defend herself and save the girl that now lay on a stretcher.

  She watched as Sandy came in through the same doors. Other girls, young girls, all broken, all hurt, but all alive.

  Ava’s mom came rushing in an hour and a half later with Zack.

  “She’s ok? My baby’s ok?” Ava’s mother looked as wretched as Zuri felt.

  Zuri nodded and opened her arms to both mother and son. “They said she’ll be just fine. She’ll be scared and weak but she wasn’t touched.”

  “Oh thank god,” Ava’s mother burst into tears and this time Zuri was the one to comfort them away.

  Mother and son were both allowed back to see the patient. Zuri, not being a family member, still wasn’t allowed. She sat down heavily in one of the chairs.

  Her eyes were growing heavy and her shoulders sagged.

  “Zuri?” Chaz’s voice was like a soothing balm washing over her. She looked up, relieved to see him, happy that she didn’t have to try to be so strong on her own anymore.

  “I missed you.” She reached her hand for him and he took it, sitting down next to her.

  Chaz pulled her into the crook of his arm. Zuri breathed him in, lavishing in his masculine smell.

  They spent the rest of the night sleeping in the waiting room chairs wrapped up in each other. Just after five in the morning Ava’s mother came out and tapped Zuri on the shoulder.

  “Is everything ok?” Zuri sat up straight.

  Ava’s mom nodded with smile, “Ava is asking for you and the doctor says you can come.”

  Zuri stood with Chaz at her side. The hospital had found Ava a room and they took the elevator up to a quiet floor.

  Inside the room Ava looked fully awake. There were dark circles under eyes and stress on her face but she was relatively alert and looked much more like herself.

  “Zuri!” Ava’s eyes filled up with tears.

  Zuri walked around the bed and took Ava’s hand in her own.

  “How are you feeling?” Zuri asked, holding the slender carefully.

  “Not great, but…you came for me. You…” Ava brushed at the tears with her free hand.

  “Hey, I thought of a good one for you,” Zuri said with a sly smile. “Ambrosia.”

  Ava laughed a little hiccupping laugh. “The food here is far from ambrosia but it will suffice.”

  “Nice,” Zuri laughed too, happy to see a smile on Ava’s young face.

  “Mom says I got a letter from Oregon State.” Ava smiled at Zuri.

  Zuri looked to Ava’s mom, “I couldn’t help myself. I was so distraught…I wanted to be closer to my little girl.”

  “She opened it,” Zack added with a laugh.

  “I got in with a full ride.” Ava sat up a little straighter, a light pink flushed her face.

  Zuri felt the same choke of tears well up in her.

  “Don’t cry,” Ava said, her concern for Zuri overriding her own situation.

  Zuri felt Chaz’s firm hand on her shoulder and she placed hers over it.

  “I’m just so happy for you.” Zuri leaned forward and kissed Ava on the cheek. “Ok, we should let you rest.” Zuri stood.

  “Thank you,” Ava’s mom looked to Zuri and then to Chaz. “You saved both our lives today. I could never have survived if Ava…thank you.”

  Chaz nodded, obviously a little awkward with the outflow of gratitude.

  Zuri and Chaz walked down the quiet corridor and took the elevator back to the ground floor.

  “Kevin?” Zuri turned to Chaz.

  “He’s alive, he has a pretty bad bump on the head, the Ukrainian’s didn’t honor their end of the bargain I guess.”

  “What will you do to him?” Zuri stopped walking.

  Chaz looked at her and took a breath. “Nothing. I think living with what he did will be punishment enough.”

  Zuri nodded slowly. He was right.

  “Let’s go home,” Zuri said looking up at Chaz. She didn’t correct herself and say your home, or your house. She meant it. Home for her was wherever Chaz would be. They walked out of the hospital and into the budding sunrise.

  “There is one more thing Zuri Hayes,” Chaz said her name with a tenderness that made her stop walking.

  “What?” She looked up at him, thinking she’d missed
something, forgotten something.

  “I should preface this by saying this isn’t a question,” Chaz’s voice was calm and steady.

  Zuri raised her eyebrows. “Ok?”

  “You are going to marry me. I want our bond to be on paper, in front of our friends, in front of the world.”

  Zuri sucked at her teeth.

  “Aren’t you going to say anything?” he asked.

  “You didn’t ask me a question,” she said with false defensiveness. Chaz pushed his lips together in thought. “But if you had,” she continued, “I would definitely say yes.”

  Epilogue

  Zuri had considered asking Tiana, Big Joe, or even Zack to walk her down the aisle. But ultimately she’d decided to do it alone. She was meeting her eternal partner at the end of the aisle and that was perfect for her.

  She walked out of the small ramshackle building she’d set up in. Her dress cascaded down her body, hugging her round curves, trailing behind her as she walked barefoot down the pier.

  When they’d tried to think of location to get married nothing had sounded right to Zuri. Finally an idea had struck. She’d taken all the Magus members and some additional members of the community down to Devil’s Head and they’d begun a cleanup project. It had taken a full week and three dumpsters but they’d managed to turn Devil’s Head into a gorgeous old port.

  Now as she walked down the wooden boards she let the sea breeze ripple through her hair and around her lacy white dress. She looked at the group of people seated along the pier facing out toward the water.

  Mia was her flower girl in a puffy white and pink dress. Zuri saw Mia take the cue and Mia began up the aisle throwing clumps of flowers in rather random patterns.

  Zuri smiled. Jeremiah had become so attached to his new spaceship that he carried it around like a baby doll and refused to leave it at home, even for the wedding.

  Tiana and her husband were seated near the front of the guests. Mrs. Perez, who could barely walk anymore, was seated on one of the corners, looking out at the ocean. Zuri wasn’t sure that the old woman even really knew where she was, but she looked happy and Zuri had wanted everyone in her life and community around her on this special day.

  Zuri came up to the backs of the chairs and heads began to turn. Everyone began to stand and Sandy turned and winked at Zuri. Kevin had left town and ultimately Sandy was the one who couldn’t forgive him for what he’d done. Chaz had been right, he was getting his punishment without any help from Magus.

  Big Joe stood up and unleashed a fiddle from a neighboring chair and brought it to his chin. A slow melodic tune began to ease out and Zuri felt her face grow hot at the sound.

  It certainly wouldn’t have been Big Joe’s normal choice of music and the sentiment of it touched Zuri’s heart.

  Zuri started her walk down the aisle her eyes looking around her at the people who had come out to love and support her. Then her eyes landed on Chaz.

  Chaz was staring at Zuri with such intense love and solidity that Zuri felt a ceremony was redundant. She didn’t need vows to know that this man would be by her side for the rest of her life.

  She walked the rest of the way down the aisle without the aid of a father or family member. She walked captured in the tight embrace of those eyes.

  Later that night, after too much wine, lots of dancing, and delicious food, Zuri sat sidesaddle on Chaz’s motorcycle and drove off into the night. They arrived at the house and Zuri slid off her seat.

  “I thought you might fall off sitting like that.” Chaz looked at the dress and his bride.

  “Is that why you were driving so slowly? I was wondering.” She smiled at her new husband. She had no idea that he could look so handsome in a suit. It really was a day of discoveries.

  “Wait,” Chaz stopped her. He walked over to Zuri and swung her up into his arms. “I believe this is the traditional ‘over the threshold’ wedding night routine.”

  He walked to the door of the house and Zuri laughed.

  Zuri took the key from his breast pocket and unlocked the door before Chaz pushed it open with his foot.

  He walked into the house and Zuri gasped.

  She felt her feet hit the floor and Zuri paused, staring around her for a long moment, before moving into the house. Everything was completely redone. The once acetic house now felt like a home. Color and light flooded the room. The walls were painted a soft blue. There was a new plush sofa and a cozy looking side chair.

  “Throw pillows? Who helped you with this?” Zuri turned to him.

  “You think I don’t know what a throw pillow is?” He feigned a bruised ego. “I had a good bit of help from some really great people. I think the throw pillows were Tiana’s idea.”

  Zuri turned and walked to three full-length bookshelves filled top to bottom with books. Zuri ran her hands over the book spines. She pulled one out and flipped through its pages before returning it to its new home.

  “This is amazing,” she said as she walked back to the kitchen. New appliances were installed, a teapot on the stove, resurfaced countertops, a thick wooden cutting board and new knives. She walked back across the living room to the bedroom.

  When the door swung open Zuri caught her breath.

  Rose petals were sprinkled across the floor and bed and lit candles lined every shiny surface.

  Chaz came up close behind her. His breath was hot on her neck. The overwhelming sense of love she felt for this man was incomprehensible.

  Chaz’s fingers began slowly unbuttoning Zuri’s wedding dress. She felt the small buttons open one by one and she loved the anticipation…a good twenty buttons worth of anticipation.

  He pressed his fingers into the opening at the back of her dress and moved the sleeves down exposing her bare back. He gently moved the dress over her ample hips and it fell softly to the floor.

  “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” he whispered into the crease of her neck.

  Zuri turned to face him. She walked backward into the room, pulling him toward her by his tie.

  She undressed him slowly, memorizing the muscle and bone of his body. She touched every freckle, every mark, floated her fingers into his chest hair. She kissed him.

  His mouth found hers and he pulled her close to him. She wanted every inch of her skin to be covered with him. She pulled her legs up around him and pulled him in close.

  “So all of this is mine now,” she gestured to the house.

  “Every last thing,” he agreed.

  “And all of this is mine now,” she ran a hand over his body.

  “Every last inch.” He dipped his head and kissed her deeply, passionately.

  Zuri felt his large member growing hard and she guided him in. He moved on top of her, holding her gaze. His eyes touched her in a way his body never could. They touched her down to her soul. Zuri lifted her hips and swung herself over him, straddling him on top.

  “I like the view from down here,” he smiled. She rocked and rolled on top of him, finding her sweet spot and letting Chaz fill her up. The night was cold but Zuri was hot. Her body sizzled with each movement.

  Chaz reached a hand down and ran a finger across her most sensitive spot. She opened her mouth to moan but she bit down on her lip instead, humming out her pleasure.

  She lifted her hips and pushed them down again. She loved that feeling. The feeling of fullness. He hit something in her that could be expressed only in the building of internal fire. She moved again and again, reveling in the sensation.

  Chaz’s muscles were hard underneath her, his power and strength gave her power and strength. She fed off of his energy. Using it to climb toward her ultimate destination. Chaz placed both of his hands on her hips and guided her. He moved just as she wanted. He knew her desires before she even knew them herself.

  Zuri tilted her head back and released a long-held breath. Her body was growing with heightened sensation, every particle of her being focused on the man who now fulfilled her, completed her.r />
  They moved in sync, climbing together.

  Zuri looked at Chaz and she knew that he knew.

  She threw her head back and howled with the pleasure of full release.

  They lay in bed panting, sweat dripping over them, both slippery and content.

  “Happy wedding night, husband,” Zuri said as she turned her head languidly to look at him.

  “I have one more wedding night surprise, dear wife.” He swiveled his head to look at her. His eyes were shining and she was struck again with the abundance of love she felt for him.

  “Again? So soon?” she asked coquettishly

  “Yes, but there’s something else too.” He rolled over and peered at her.

  Zuri felt happiness beam through her, “Ok. I’m listening.”

  Chaz licked his lips.

  “You know how you were saying that there should be some sort of after school program for the kids in town? A place for them to learn and be safe so they can all go on to do the sorts of things Ava is doing?” He looked a bit red in the cheeks and Zuri thought he might actually be nervous.

  “Yes,” she responded, waiting to see what was coming next.

  “Greg is selling the bar, no one wants to go there after he got all chummy with wolves that almost sold their girls into slavery. The Smoke Stack wasn’t really a thriving bar anyway…so…” he drifted off.

  Zuri tried to grasp his meaning but failed. “So…what?”

  “I bought the Smoke Stack, for you. It’s close to the school, Magus can fund it so the kids won’t have to pay anything, and…you can help every kid that comes in the same way you helped Ava.” Chaz looked at her expectantly.

  It took a moment for Zuri to process what Chaz was saying. The Smoke Stack would be hers to turn into an after school space? Magus would fund it and pay her salary so she wouldn’t have to charge kids anything to come?

  “You—you bought the Smoke Stack?” Zuri asked, wanting to make sure she understood correctly.

  “Yesterday. I got it for a steal.” He laughed a little nervously. “If you don’t want it I can always resell it…I just thought…”