Alpha's Love (Rocky Mountain Shifters Book 3) Read online

  Chapter Ten

  Foster emerged from the cave, blinking against the bright sunlight. Almost instantly, his body began to transform. Before he could hurt Emily with his burning skin, he placed her body on the ground. His shoulders expanded with the emergence of his wings as his limbs grew larger and stronger. Finally, his wings spread to their full length as his transformation was complete.

  Quickly, he scooped up Emily’s body as gently as he could in his paws, cradling her against his chest before he rocketed into the sky. His wings propelled him forward as fast as they could. He became a blur in the sky, darting through the clouds. His mind was swarming with possibilities. He didn’t want to be pessimistic, but he couldn’t help but fear that he was making the trek back home for no reason. If the venom touched her lips, if she had so much as breathed it in, her fate was sealed. It didn’t matter whether he managed to bring her back to the kingdom or not. She was gone.

  But Foster quickly pushed those thoughts out of his head as he forced himself to fly faster than ever. No. Emily couldn’t die. She just couldn’t. His eyes burned as tears welled up in the corners. She had to survive. She simply had to. He held her a little tighter, making sure his claws didn’t dig into her delicate body.

  He whispered a small prayer under his breath as he continued his flight, his wings beating unceasingly. He was determined to make it back home in record time – to save Emily’s life. But the journey seemed to be taking forever. Minutes turned into hours and it felt like no matter how fast or hard Foster beat his wings, it simply wasn’t good enough. He cursed under his breath, wishing he could just snap his fingers and appear in the dragon domain.

  Eventually, however, he arrived. He landed effortlessly in front of the dragon’s den before shapeshifting back into human form. He held Emily tightly in his arms, holding her against his body as he ran inside. His footsteps echoed off the walls, bouncing back and forth, making it sound like there were dozens of people rushing through the narrow tunnel.

  Foster’s heart was pounding hard. He could no longer tell if Emily was drawing breath. He tried to listen for her heartbeat, but all he could hear was his own. He held her tight and yet, she felt so cold. It seemed impossible that she could still survive, but he couldn’t give up hope now. He had to get help. He had to get the venom out of her system. He had to save her.

  He pushed past an elderly couple who gave him strange looks. “What is he doing with a human?” The elder dragon tried to whisper to his mate, but his loss of hearing caused him to yell out the words.

  Despite their diminishing eyesight and hearing, they followed Foster down the tunnel even as he tried to run away from them. Suddenly, it felt like there were a million eyes watching his every move. Various whispers plagued his mind, making him self-conscious.

  Is that a human?

  What is the half-prince doing with a human female?

  Has Foster mated before Lloyd? Will he be the new king?

  I don’t understand what he sees in that female. Blonde hair?

  Where is he taking her in such a rush? Surely, he hasn’t killed her already… some dragons just don’t know their own strength.

  Foster tried to block out these rumors as he navigated through the halls of the den. Finally, he arrived at the medical ward, where women dressed in nurse uniforms tended to injured dragons. Their eyes smoldered with peculiar colors, all their pupils nothing more than thin slits. When Foster entered the area, they all stopped in place. Silence settled around them as all eyes fell on the girl.

  The head doctor stepped forward. He was a well-known dragon with purple eyes and a long, graying beard. “How dare you bring a human into the ward?”

  “She was infected. Dragon venom.” Foster answered, breathless.

  “Have you mated with her?”

  Foster hesitated, biting his bottom lip. He contemplated lying to his brethren, but he knew how easy it would be to expose the lie. “No.”

  “Then get her out of my sight. You know it’s forbidden to bring humans to the den. When the council –”

  “You treat her. Now.” Foster’s eyes darkened to coals. He growled, stepping forward, staring down at the doctor. “If you refuse. I’ll be a nightmare much worse than the council. You mark my words.”

  “Get out of my way.” The doctor pushed past him, but in an instant, Foster had him pinned against the wall, his hand on his chest.

  “Listen to me. You say another word without treating her and I’ll rip your heart out right here and now.” Foster’s threat hung in the air, making the atmosphere tense with his energy. His claws dug into the man’s shirt, ripping the fabric. “Now!” He hissed.

  The doctor’s eyes wavered before he nodded. Small beads of sweat ran down the side of his neck. He looked at the girl, his lips tightening into a thin line as if someone had cut a slit in his face. “Put her on the bed. I’ll treat her.” There was obvious fear in the man’s voice.

  Foster quickly complied, laying Emily down on a nearby bed. The doctor then pushed him away, barking orders at the fellow nurses who stepped into position, ready to do whatever he commanded. Foster tried to move closer and watch what was going on, but he was shooed away. He paced around until he was kicked out of the ward altogether. “If she dies… you’ll be sorry! You hear me!” He shouted in the doctor’s direction before he leaned against the wall, his breathing ragged. He was scared. He ran his fingers through his hair before he started to pace again. He could only imagine what Emily was going through. Surely, it was painful to get Dragon’s venom out of someone’s system. There had to be a reason why it was so lethal, even after treatment. But Foster wasn’t going to think about that. He pushed the thought of Emily’s mortality out of his mind and sat down, staring at the opposite wall, trying to think of something else.

  Still, all he could think about was her. That beautiful smile. The perfect nose. The bouncy curls that settled right above her shoulders. Foster couldn’t even imagine what his life would be like without her. He imagined her blue eyes and found himself falling deep into their depths. He pressed his nails into his palms in frustration, drawing thin lines of blood. He couldn’t believe this was happening. It all seemed like a horrible dream.

  Suddenly, the booming sound of footsteps echoed down the passage. Foster lifted his head and saw Lloyd coming his way. He looked like he was about to barge into the medical ward. “Lloyd.”

  The sound of his name made him stop in his tracks. He looked down, seeing his step-brother looking glum and his heart instantly dropped. “Where is she…? Don’t tell me…” He trailed off, afraid to complete the sentence. His whole body shook with the possibilities before he crouched down, his eyes searching Foster’s. “Say something, dammit!”

  “I don’t know. I have no idea how she’s doing!” Foster admitted, his cheeks burning. “They didn’t want to treat her at first… They said that because she was a human, she wasn’t welcome so I threatened them. They’re treating her now, but they kicked me out.”

  “You’re so useless. Why did you let them kick you out? You have no idea what they could be doing to her. You know how prejudiced our kind can be to humans.” Lloyd snarled before he stepped into the medical ward. “Where is she?” His question posed as a threat. A hush fell over the room as the dragons averted their eyes from royalty. “Someone answer me!”

  The purple-eyed doctor finally emerged from the crowd of dragons surrounding Emily’s bed. “We’re treating her now, but I must kindly ask that you leave.”

  “I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s going on.” Lloyd planted his feet into the ground, his stance wide. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared the doctor down, determined to keep his position.

  The doctor sighed, running his fingers through his long beard. “We managed to extract the venom from her system.” Lloyd let out a sigh of relief, his body relaxing a bit, but he could tell the elder dragon still had more to stay. “But she’s still in critical condition. The venom made it through most of h
er major blood vessels. She was lucky only in the sense that it didn’t reach her heart. I would estimate about a twenty percent chance of survival.”

  “Twenty?” Lloyd repeated, horrified. “You have to do better than that.” Lloyd wrapped his fist around the man’s collar, pulling him off his feet in anger. “I won’t have her die. You got that? You keep her alive if you value your own life.”

  “Your step-brother already threatened me.” The doctor answered calmly. “I’m doing all that I can for her. It’s all up to chance at this point.”

  Lloyd growled, his lip curling upwards, showing off his deadly fangs before he tossed the doctor to the ground in disgust. Unable to control his temperament, he rammed his fist into the wall. Pieces of debris fell from the ceiling before he walked away, flexing his fingers. “This is all a load of crap…” He sighed before he slumped down, joining his brother.

  Foster didn’t say anything. He hung his head in his hands, feeling defeated. “I feel like this is all my fault…”

  Lloyd didn’t even bother to agree. He was too concerned with Emily’s well-being. While the two brothers mourned the possible death of the beautiful bar owner, a series of footsteps bounced off the walls, joining them. They looked up, spotting the Dragon King and Queen walking toward them. Silvia walked behind them, a smirk playing on her lips and her head held high.

  The step-brothers quickly got up, rolling their shoulders and straightening their posture. Lloyd nodded at his father while Foster avoided eye contact, paying respect. “I heard that you two brought a human among our midst. An unmated human.” The dragon King, a well-built and powerful-looking man, said with a heavy voice.

  “It’s true, father, but you must understand –”

  “There’s nothing to understand!” He bellowed, his voice booming in the small space. “You have violated our laws. And to think… my own son.”

  “She was infected –”

  “Silence!” The king slammed his scepter into the ground, his pupils tiny slits. “I will not have my sons talk back to me. I’m disgraced that my own flesh and blood would disobey me in such manner. If the council finds out about this… it’ll bring ridicule to our family name. The Whitefields will go down in history as the first line of dragons with able-bodied princes who forfeited the crown due to their own folly.” He shook his head before reaching back and pulling Silvia forward. “At times, I regret Silvia was born a woman. It appears she’s much more capable of handling the kingdom than either of you are. Now, either you dispose of the human at once or I will disown you both as my sons.”

  Lloyd and Foster looked at each other, feeling the full weight of their father’s words. If they continued their courtship with Emily, it would mean giving up their right to the crown. The dragon community would ostracize them. Was Emily worth all that?

  Chapter Eleven

  The wait for Emily’s recovery felt like it lasted a lifetime. The princes paced outside the medical ward, waiting for the doctor as their father’s words sat heavy in their hearts. They hadn’t yet made up their mind about what they were going to do.

  “I don’t know if I can live without her…” Lloyd whispered to himself.

  “Neither can I… and only one of us can mate with her.”

  “I’m not letting you take her.”

  “And I’m not letting you take her either.”

  “So, we just have to wait for her to come to and decide on her own. You or me.” Foster rubbed his sweaty palms together. He had no idea who Emily was going to pick, or if she was going to stay with them in the first place. After all she had gone through, it wouldn’t surprise him if she decided to get as far away as possible from them. “What if she picks neither of us?” Foster voiced his concerns aloud.

  Lloyd stopped dead in his tracks. “What?”

  “What if she decides to stay away from us? I mean, we’re the reason she got kidnapped. She could simply push us away.” Foster sighed. “She might never want to see us again.”

  Lloyd stared at his step-brother. He hadn’t thought of that. He had been so concerned with her falling for Foster that he hadn’t even considered her rejecting them both. “Do you really think that’s going to happen?”

  “I think it’s a plausible scenario. Besides, she’s a human. She probably knows nothing about our kind. She might have some twisted idea inspired by storybook characters and grotesque movie depictions.”

  “Do humans really know nothing about dragons?” Lloyd knew it was true, but still, he didn’t want to believe it.

  “Don’t kid yourself. You know the council is unscrupulous. If we abandon Emily back on Earth, they’ll make sure she never remembers us…” Foster whispered the words, dreading the thought.

  “I… No… That can’t happen. I won’t let it happen.” Lloyd ground his teeth, feeling his every muscle tense with anxiety. “I want her to stay. She’ll pick one of us. She has to.”

  “No, she doesn’t. She has the freedom to do whatever she wants. If she wants to forget about us, she has every right to do so… no matter how much it hurts us.”

  Lloyd was about to protest when the doctor emerged, standing there with an emotionless expression. “You can come in to see her now.” He said, his hands clasped behind his back. He turned on his heels and walked back inside. It took the princes a few seconds to follow him. Their hearts were racing as they moved closer to Emily’s bed.

  Foster spotted her blonde curls stuck to her scalp with sweat. She turned her head and looked at him, her eyes widening with fear. “Foster!” She called out before she shifted her gaze. “Lloyd!”

  The two dragons rushed up to her side, each of them taking one of her hands in theirs. “Shh, it’s okay. It’s all over now…” Foster whispered soothingly as his thumb ran across the back of her palm. “You’re going to be okay…”

  Lloyd nodded in agreement. He found himself lost for words as he looked down at her bruised and battered body. He felt guilty for putting her in this situation in the first place. If he and Foster hadn’t made the bet to mate with a human girl, none of this would be happening. He squeezed her hand tight, vowing to do anything to make her happy.

  “Where am I?” She croaked, her throat dry and parched.

  “Shh. Don’t strain yourself.” Foster took the cup of water at her bedside and pressed it to her lips. She drank gratefully, feeling the cool liquid run down her throat. She gulped it down before letting out a sigh.

  “Thank you.” She whispered, her voice once again holding its usual harmonic rhythm. Foster caressed the side of her face, pinning a strand of her hair behind her ear. Emily found herself nuzzling against it, yearning for his touch. “Where am I?” She asked again. “Why does it look like I’m in a cave?”

  “It doesn’t matter right now… You had a little accident and you’re in the hospital.” Emily frowned. This certainly didn’t look like any hospital she had ever visited. The walls seemed to be made of clay. There were no machines anywhere. Even the beds seemed somehow strange.

  “But…”

  Foster leaned down and kissed her lips. Lloyd growled softly by their side, looking away. On the other side of the room, a few nurses shook their heads in disgust and snickered.

  It makes me sick seeing him kiss a human.

  Does he lack all common decency?

  I just don’t understand why the princes went after some ugly human when there are plenty of able-bodied dragon females.

  “What are they talking about?” Emily asked. She had the sense they were talking about her, but at the same time, their words were so strange. Why were they talking about dragons? Maybe she was delusional and this was nothing more than a dream.

  “Shut it.” Lloyd spat in their direction. They quickly busied themselves with their tasks, avoiding the piercing gaze of the dragon prince.

  You know, I used to think Lloyd was so attractive a few years back… now I’m not so sure anymore… any dragon who falls for a human can’t be alright in the head.

  Tell
me about it. There must be something wrong with them.

  I would expect this from Foster – he’s a bastard after all. But Lloyd is a pureblood, why would he go for some dim-witted human? She’s not even attractive. Too much meat on her bones.

  “I said shut it!” Lloyd stomped over to the gossiping nurses, his feet crashing against the ground.

  “Foster… what are they talking about?” Emily felt her head throb with confusion. Why were the women talking about Lloyd and Foster as if they weren’t human? And what did they mean when they said Lloyd was a pureblood? It didn’t make any sense. Emily pressed her hand to her head, feeling her temples throb.

  “Don’t…” Foster wanted to say something, but he felt the words disappear before they could escape his mouth. Lloyd suddenly returned and pressed the tip of his claw against Emily’s neck, pushing a bit of his own venom into her system. She gasped, her fingers tightening around his wrist before they slowly fell away, one by one, as her eyes closed.

  “Why did you do that?”

  “It had to be done. She’s not supposed to be here. We must bring her back.”

  “After everything we’ve done you just go and wipe her memory like that? I can’t believe you want to give up on her now. We can still make this work…” Foster stammered, looking shocked.

  “If we want to keep her safe, we don’t have much of a choice…besides… by the time she wakes up, she won’t remember us anymore. Whatever chance we had with her is gone now. You know that.” Lloyd gently picked her up, his arms wrapping around her tight. “She’s been hurt enough because of us. She deserves a safe, happy life and that can only happen if she believes dragons don’t exist. As all humans do.”

  “I never thought I’d hear you say something so mature.”

  Lloyd scoffed. “I wouldn’t call it that… I’m simply doing what’s best for her…” He whispered before he leaned down, kissing the top of her head. “I want her. I want her so damn bad, but it just can’t work… Dragons here would never accept her, even if she was my mate. They would constantly berate her and I don’t want her to live with that.” Lloyd marched off, leaving the healing ward.