The Last of His Kind by Doris O'Connor Read Free Book Online

brain
screamed in terror as the flames licked at her feet, and all hell broke loose
in the cave.
    Machine
gun fire echoed around her, and the shapes of three huge dinosaurs filled her
vision.
    Oh
God, I'm going to die.
     
     

 
    Chapter Six
     
    Doric
circled the outside of the cave like a madman. Penelope's fear burned his
nostrils, and he roared his frustration. The entrance to the cave was too small
for him to breach in his true form, and he couldn't shift into his human shell
this enclosed by the waters of the
Loch
. The
curse would not let him, no matter how much he strained to do so. His muscles
cramped, his bones cracked and rearranged, and pain radiated through him. Yet
still he could not complete the shift.
    The
Celtic words carried through on the damp air, hesitant at first, and then
gaining momentum, and his gut clenched in fear and then admiration. The ancient
protection spell she wove was not for herself, but for the people she loved, and
the pain in his body ceased. The red mist cleared, and he shook his large head
in wonder. His father's voice spoke to him, his kind eyes filling his vision,
just as the men inside the cave howled in fear. The stench of fire and
Penelope's screams spurred Doric into action, and he dove, his father's eyes
guiding him through the maze of tunnels he'd never before explored. He burst
through the cave's underwater walls and emerged into the smoke filled hollow
interior of the cavern. The ball of fire in the corner made his heart stop, and
with one almighty kick of his tail he caused a wall of water to douse the
flames.   Penelope's screams stopped, and
his heart clenched seeing her lifeless form hang from the pole, surrounded by
the shapes of his brothers. The tsunami-like wave of water filled the cave and
sent the men off their feet, their guns firing wildly in to the air, bullets
ricocheting off the glistening stone walls. Doric barely felt the wounds they
caused, too concerned with the sight of the woman he loved to take any notice.
Fuck it, he couldn't lose her.
    Another
flick of his tail brought down Euan in his eagle form. The coward had shifted
the minute Doric had emerged from the waters of the underground lake and the
wave hit. The eagle squealed and fell to the ground, his wings broken. Euan
shifted back to human, shivering and coughing in the receding waters, and
Doric's furious roar shook the cave. The two remaining thugs screamed their
terror and took off at an awkward run towards the exit of the cave, hindered by
their various injuries, and covered in blood. They tripped over the mangled
remains of their partner in crime, who had taken the full brunt of the impact
of the wall of water. His grotesque form lay spread-eagled on the floor, his
neck broken from the force with which he'd hit the jagged sides of the cave.
    Doric
stomped his webbed feet so hard the ground shook, and the precariously small
entrance to the cave crumbled, just as they reached it. Their screams echoed
and then dulled to a distant wail, when the entire entrance collapsed.
    Another
roar brought Euan down again, and Doric advanced on the shifter. Before he
could raise his feet and stomp the scum bag into dust, his father's voice in
his head stopped him.
    “Son,
you know that is not our way. See to your lady. She needs you.”
    Doric
shook his head, huge splashes of water hitting Euan straight in the face, and
Doric roared, sending the man cowering into a ball. His dad was right; this
piece of shit wasn't worth breaking their code for. But his beloved father was
wrong on one count.
    “She
is not my love, athair. She can't be. I won't risk her.”
    His
father's soft laughter ran through his head, to be joined by his brothers who
still stood guard over Penelope. Unable to touch her in their spirit form they
had nonetheless protected her from the worst of the fire and the water. She was
breathing, just, short shallow breaths that barely raised her chest, her
expression hidden by the sodden strands of