their dragon potential was activated people were afraid of them.
The only people dragons obeyed were those who did not feel that instinctive fear. But finding enough people lacking that fear was nearly impossible. In lieu of enough masters, the syndicates relied heavily on the drugs.
Rafael reached out without thinking to stroke Conway's head, smiling faintly. Conway rumbled in approval, pushing into the touch, amber eyes bright as he smiled up at Rafael. One of the many reasons Leo hated Rafael was that Rafael felt no dragon fear, while Leo could only pretend.
Dropping his hand, Rafael looked over the notes again. There were several pages detailing all the instances that the recon team had noted the dragon-fear in people that Cam came in contact with. Cam, like many people with dragon potential, probably regarded himself as a loner, and had likely been hurt more than once when people told him he was scary.
Since Cam still acted more human than dragon, he'd probably never shifted before. Rafael checked the preliminary blood work again, which confirmed that Cam had ever turned into a dragon. At least eighty percent dragon and he'd gone eighteen to twenty years as a human. Rafael was surprised that nothing environmental had triggered a change.
Sadness swept through Rafael as he thought of all the humanity that would fall away once Cam changed. His draconic nature would take over completely, especially if he was bound for the pits.
Conway rumbled a warning. Rafael looked up to meet eyes the color of molten gold. He stared in surprise—the file listed Cam's eyes as blue. They wouldn’t change to amber until he shifted for the first time. Why in the world had his eyes turned gold?
A shiver of fear trailed down Rafael's spine, and Conway backed away with a low growl, dropping to his knees beside Rafael. What in the world? Conway shouldn't be afraid of another dragon. Rafael shouldn't be feeling any sort of fear either.
What in the world kind of dragon was Cam?
Shaking himself, Rafael said, "Good morning, Cam. Feeling any better?"
"Yeah, but I won't for long if you're here to give me more of those nasty ass drugs."
Rafael looked at the bottle he still held and shook his head. "No," he said, and put it back in the case, then tossed the case onto the desk behind him. "You don't need them; they'd just handicap you. That's why you've had such a hard time with them so far."
Cam made a face, and pulled up the blankets he had shoved away in his sleep. "Who are you?"
"My name is Rafael. This is Conway. You seem remarkably calm about all this."
Shrugging, Cam said, "You ever feel like you were just waiting for something to happen? Like, you know it's there, you know it's coming, but you don't know what it is or even why you feel that way? That feeling has been gnawing and picking at me for years. Then all this crazy shit happens and well, I feel like I'm finally done waiting. Whatever is happening, at least I'm done waiting for it."
Rafael smiled faintly. "Though the sensation is not normally so extreme, that is more or less how most dragons describe feeling."
"Dragons, yeah, I remember those. Like out of a fucking book, they were crazy. Hit like sons of bitches, too, man. I almost had them when they finally doped me."
"Most people cannot defeat one dragon, let alone three and an additional seven men," Rafael said dryly.
Cam blinked at him. "Um. Oh. Uh. Are you sure?"
"Very sure," Rafael said with a smile. "I don't know—" he stopped as the door slammed open and Conway gave a low, hateful growl. Rafael tensed, but forced himself not to recoil as Leo strode into the room shadowed by his assistant and two bodyguards.
Rafael swallowed as his brother drew close. Where he was lithe and average, with light blue eyes and bright blond hair, Leo was broad, tall, dark—and mean. Always his mouth and eyes looked mean. He reeked of coffee, whiskey, and his fancy cigars. "Good morning, brother," Leo said with cold cheer, and
The only people dragons obeyed were those who did not feel that instinctive fear. But finding enough people lacking that fear was nearly impossible. In lieu of enough masters, the syndicates relied heavily on the drugs.
Rafael reached out without thinking to stroke Conway's head, smiling faintly. Conway rumbled in approval, pushing into the touch, amber eyes bright as he smiled up at Rafael. One of the many reasons Leo hated Rafael was that Rafael felt no dragon fear, while Leo could only pretend.
Dropping his hand, Rafael looked over the notes again. There were several pages detailing all the instances that the recon team had noted the dragon-fear in people that Cam came in contact with. Cam, like many people with dragon potential, probably regarded himself as a loner, and had likely been hurt more than once when people told him he was scary.
Since Cam still acted more human than dragon, he'd probably never shifted before. Rafael checked the preliminary blood work again, which confirmed that Cam had ever turned into a dragon. At least eighty percent dragon and he'd gone eighteen to twenty years as a human. Rafael was surprised that nothing environmental had triggered a change.
Sadness swept through Rafael as he thought of all the humanity that would fall away once Cam changed. His draconic nature would take over completely, especially if he was bound for the pits.
Conway rumbled a warning. Rafael looked up to meet eyes the color of molten gold. He stared in surprise—the file listed Cam's eyes as blue. They wouldn’t change to amber until he shifted for the first time. Why in the world had his eyes turned gold?
A shiver of fear trailed down Rafael's spine, and Conway backed away with a low growl, dropping to his knees beside Rafael. What in the world? Conway shouldn't be afraid of another dragon. Rafael shouldn't be feeling any sort of fear either.
What in the world kind of dragon was Cam?
Shaking himself, Rafael said, "Good morning, Cam. Feeling any better?"
"Yeah, but I won't for long if you're here to give me more of those nasty ass drugs."
Rafael looked at the bottle he still held and shook his head. "No," he said, and put it back in the case, then tossed the case onto the desk behind him. "You don't need them; they'd just handicap you. That's why you've had such a hard time with them so far."
Cam made a face, and pulled up the blankets he had shoved away in his sleep. "Who are you?"
"My name is Rafael. This is Conway. You seem remarkably calm about all this."
Shrugging, Cam said, "You ever feel like you were just waiting for something to happen? Like, you know it's there, you know it's coming, but you don't know what it is or even why you feel that way? That feeling has been gnawing and picking at me for years. Then all this crazy shit happens and well, I feel like I'm finally done waiting. Whatever is happening, at least I'm done waiting for it."
Rafael smiled faintly. "Though the sensation is not normally so extreme, that is more or less how most dragons describe feeling."
"Dragons, yeah, I remember those. Like out of a fucking book, they were crazy. Hit like sons of bitches, too, man. I almost had them when they finally doped me."
"Most people cannot defeat one dragon, let alone three and an additional seven men," Rafael said dryly.
Cam blinked at him. "Um. Oh. Uh. Are you sure?"
"Very sure," Rafael said with a smile. "I don't know—" he stopped as the door slammed open and Conway gave a low, hateful growl. Rafael tensed, but forced himself not to recoil as Leo strode into the room shadowed by his assistant and two bodyguards.
Rafael swallowed as his brother drew close. Where he was lithe and average, with light blue eyes and bright blond hair, Leo was broad, tall, dark—and mean. Always his mouth and eyes looked mean. He reeked of coffee, whiskey, and his fancy cigars. "Good morning, brother," Leo said with cold cheer, and
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