Wicked Dark Dragon (Dragon Heat) by Lolita Lopez Read Free Book Online Page B

a way to weaken the Brotherhood?
    The faraway sound of boots thudding against stone interrupted his troubled thoughts. Shoving to his feet, Mad closed his eyes and listened. He was grateful for the way Ivy seemed to instinctively understand that she needed to be still and quiet so he could use his heightened senses. He counted the different footfalls. Seven Knights were headed right for their cell.
    “Get up,” he urged. “Stay behind me.”
    “Where else would I go?” She rattled her chains. Not for the first time, he considered just yanking them out of the wall but that shock collar around her neck kept him from acting. He had seen the evidence of healing burns on her skin from the evil device and refused to be the one to cause her any more pain.
    The door at the end of the hall burst open and the Knights flooded into the hallway outside their cell. Mad pushed Ivy behind him but kept a grip on the fabric of the shirt she wore. Seven against two—well, one really—weren’t very good odds but he’d gotten out of worse situations.
    The head guard stepped forward and lobbed a key into the cell. “Remove the chains from her cuffs.”
    Mad spotted the Knight holding the controller for the collar wrapped around Ivy’s neck. He chose to follow the order rather than risk harming her. He used the key to open the small padlock covering the spot where the chains hooked onto the thick metal cuffs. The chains dropped to the floor with a noisy clang. When she was free of her bonds, Ivy pressed against his side. The dragon within him rejoiced at the way she sought his protection and reassurance. He curled his arm around her shoulders and hauled her closer.
    A new set of chains and cuffs were thrown into the cell. “Put those on him. Hook yourselves together.”
    Ivy knelt down and picked up the cuffs and chains. She eyed them for a few seconds before moving toward him. Nervously, she glanced up at him. His stoic nod convinced her to wrap his wrists and ankles in the heavy cuffs. Only the wrist cuffs had chains, so she stepped in front of him and attached the chains to her bonds.
    Bound together, Mad recognized how very limited his ability to protect her was now. He suspected that was the plan. He couldn’t shift without hurting her, and if he tried to fight, she would be caught in the crossfire. Whatever the Knights had planned for them tonight, they wanted to be sure he couldn’t lash out and attack them.
    After opening their cell, the head guard unsheathed a long and menacing cattle prod. “One wrong move, dragon, and I’ll pop her hard enough to stop that fragile half-human heart. Understand?”
    Mad gritted his teeth. His inner beast snarled and snapped to be set free. He shoved down the urge to shift and protect his mate. “Yes.”
    “The Seer has decided that you two have earned the right to a good meal and a hot shower. This is a privilege I’m only too happy to yank.” He waved the cattle prod in a threatening gesture. “She leads the way. You put your hands on her shoulders.”
    Mad did as instructed. He ran his thumbs up and down her skin, massaging her taut muscles and sending her silent encouragement to relax. Wondering if she might be able to hear him, he concentrated very hard and projected a simple message into his thoughts. Do what they want. They won’t hurt us. We’re valuable.
    She looked back at him, their gazes meeting briefly, before she turned her attention back to the cattle-prod-wielding Knight. Leaning back against him, she put two ominous words into his head. For now .
    He didn’t disagree with her but didn’t want to start down that path. At the moment, Ivy had something the Knights wanted, and they needed Mad’s help to get it. He would do whatever it took to thwart those plans—unless it put Ivy at risk. For the first time in centuries, he found himself conflicted about his role in the Brotherhood. He had sworn that the cause—defending dragons and saving the species from eradication