Dragon's Mercy
3.

Maria stares at Ryker as the three dragon hunters wait and see how she'll respond.

"It doesn't look like she listens too well." One comments.

"She listens just fine." Ryker's gaze burns into hers, willing her to do as he commands.

Every fiber in her body wants to fight, but she has no choice. "Yes, I'll obey. I'm sorry for my hesitation." Doing her best to act submissive, she lowers her head to him.

To all who are watching, it looks like he's so protective of her that he won't let her go. "She's mine." Ryker's low growl has the three hunters stepping back.

"Sure, she's yours." Ryker pulls Maria to her feet, carefully keeping their wrist chains hidden. When she moves next to him, he pulls her closer in an obvious show of possession. "What's your woman's name?"

"Does it matter?" The hunters laugh as she digs her nails into Ryker's skin. He nods toward their town, turning the men's attention away from her. "You guys live there?"

"Yeah, we're on patrol duty now, but we'll walk you down."

"That's not necessary."

"I insist."

Ryker grasps her hand tighter as they follow the men.

The town is mayhem. Dragons, werewolves and vampires are all chained and in cages, waiting to be sold to the highest bidder. The hunter picks up a stone and throws it at a vampire chained inside a cage.

"Fuck you!" The vampire snarls.

"You interested in purchasing a vampire? Their blood is pretty costly around here because humans have been drinking it for added strength."

"What about dragon blood?" The words are out of her mouth before she even realizes it.

"I can give your woman a lesson about talking out of turn."

Ryker glares down at her as the hunter rubs his hands together with excitement.

"Oh, I don't need a lesson. Ryker hates dragons and lets me talk about them."

"She's right. My wife is allowed to talk about her hatred for dragons." Ryker eyes her up and down lustfully. "It turns me on." The group nods, completely understanding his reasoning. "Yes, I hear dragon parts sell for more because they're harder to catch."

"They've been getting a lot easier lately. And dragon blood is something only our leaders are allowed. It's said to give them greater strength than vampire and werewolf blood combined." The hunter pauses. "But you can buy dragon scales to use as a shield. Their scales are stronger than any man-made metal." He points at a weapons store across from them.

Ryker pulls her to the side to speak to her privately.

"Ryker, did you know humans were drinking dragon blood?" She questions him once they're out of earshot.

"No. It was believed dragon blood killed humans when drunk."

"I wonder if that has something to do with why only the leaders can drink it?"

"Maybe. But first, I need a gun, which means we need money. I'm not walking around here with just a pocketknife for protection."

She looks around at the heavily armed hunters. The jerk who brought them into town now puts his cigarette out on the vampire's arm. The vampire tries to fight back, but he's bound with silver. "Since you're cold-blooded, this shouldn't bother you."

"Fuck you. You humans are cockroaches...."

There's fire in her eyes when she turns back to Ryker. "I want to steal from that hunter. I'd really like to slice off his fingers one by one and shove them down his throat. But since I can't, stealing will be enough."

Ryker's stubborn lips turn up into a smirk. It's the first real smile he's given her. "I'd like to kill him too."

"Maybe I could talk out of turn again and distract him?"

"No. I worry he'll slap you and then I'd really have to kill him."

"Why? I'm sure you don't care if he hits me."

Ryker's quiet for so long that she doesn't think he's going to respond. "As far as he's concerned, you're my wife. No one is allowed to touch what belongs to me."

The vampire manages to grab the hunter's arm and pulls him toward the cage. "Let me go, you devil!"

"This is our chance. Follow my lead."

"Oh, God. You better not get us killed." She sighs.

"You're alive so far." He pulls her over to where the vampire cage is. A crowd has formed to help the hunter get away, but the vampire won't let go.

"If I'm going to die anyway, I may as well kill you first."

"Kill it, hurry!" The hunter's hip sticks out as he tries to pull away from the cage.

She gets a glimpse of his wallet sticking out from his back pocket. She gently elbows Ryker, showing him the wallet peeking out from the jerk's back pocket. He nods and she leans in, pretending to help the hunter. "Stop the vampire! Hurry! He's going to kill him!"

"Please, help!"

Ryker moves behind her and quickly snatches the hunter's wallet. "Yes, you've got it." She crows quietly.

He pulls her away from the crowd as the vampire and the hunter both die in the fight. "You were a good distraction."

"How much did we get?"

"We have more than enough for weapons and a room for the night."

When they get into the weapons store, her eyes light up with excitement. As soon as they enter, the store owner walks over. "What are you looking to kill?"

"Umm, dragons."

If the owner found it odd that she replied instead of Ryker, he doesn't give any indication. Instead, he points them over to a wall of guns, arrows and machetes. "I know you're a fighter in your flight."

"Yes, I'm actually the best fighter in my flight."

"I'm not surprised. In the little time we've been together, it's obvious you can handle yourself."

She picks up a set of throwing knives. "These are great."

"Did you do a lot of combat fighting in your dragon flight?"

"Yes. My father says a good leader is one who leads our dragons into battle, not one who sits home and hides from the fight. When I was 16, I started strategizing with my father about the best way to ensure our flight's longevity."

"I heard you advised him when he defeated the Red Rock flight."

A smile forms on her lips when she thinks about her greatest battle victory to date. "Yes, I was in charge of leading our dragons into that battle."

Ryker gives a begrudging nod as she picks up a bow and arrow set. "I thought so. You're very shrewd."

"Thank you." She pauses. "I assume you love fighting on the front lines."

"You're correct. There's nothing I love more than a good, hard battle." He picks up a large machete.

"Of course, you had to choose the biggest knife in the store."

"Hey, there's another one if you want it. And a gun too." Ryker also picks up the throwing knives and a gun. "What weapons do we want?"

"Bow and arrow, also the throwing knives." She grabs the bow and runs her hand along the string, making sure everything is tight.

Ryker nods, satisfied with her choice and the handling of the weapon. "Make sure you get extra arrows. I have a feeling we're going to need them."

When they get to the counter, four more customers walk in. They grab a few guns and get in line behind them.

"That's a lot of weapons for two people." The store owner nods.

"Well, we have a lot of enemies." She nods.

"All worthy dragon hunters do."

Ryker takes out some money from the wallet she helped him steal.

"Hey, do I know you?" The customer asks.

Ryker gives Maria a quick glance before turning around to the customer behind them. "No, we've never met."

"Are you sure? You look familiar. But not because I've seen you around here."

Her stomach clenches and she knows they need to get out of there fast. Her and Ryker grab their weapons, turn away from the counter, but the customer still insists. "I'm sure."

As they walk away, the man grabs Ryker. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Ryker's response is immediate, reaching his hands out and snapping the man's neck. The chain binding their wrists comes tumbling down.

"They're escaped prisoners! Kill them!"

One customer attacks Maria, while the other two go after Ryker. Moving like lightning, the male dragon quickly rips one's throat out.

"I'm going to tear you apart." The owner reaches a hand back to punch her.

Just before his fist hits her face, she slides to the ground, kicking his legs out from under him. Then she stands, turning to the other hunters. Finding a rhythm with Ryker, they begin to fight as one. "Fuck yes, Maria." They both their arms that are chained and use them to strangle one of the hunters attacking Ryker. He pulls hard on the chain, easily squeezing the life out of the hunter. Then they hear the click of a shotgun behind them.

"Don't move, or I'll blow you into a million pieces." Before the owner can blink, Maria takes out a knife and throws it at his chest. He falls to the ground, dead.

"Well, that was easy, even with the chains." She looks around at the four dead hunters on the ground. The fifth hunter is injured, but not dead yet. "Kill him, Maria. Otherwise as soon as we leave here, he's going to have us tortured."

"Hell yes, I'm going to have you tortured!" The man moves toward a gun. Before he can get the shot off, she takes out her knives and throws two at him. He falls back to the ground, dead.

"Don't worry about the bodies. A bunch of humans killing each other over a dispute won't surprise anyone. Come on, we need to find a safe place to sleep tonight. It's been two days since we've gotten any rest."

~W~

After walking all day, they finally make it to the other end of the town. As they walk toward the inn to get a room, they overhear a group of hunters cheering.

"The Black Sun dragon leader is dead! Too bad it wasn't us who killed him."

"No...." the breath leaves her body and her legs begin to shake.

Ryker takes her clasped hands and moves them to rest behind her back. "You must keep your cool."

"I hate to give those Demons dragons any credit, but I don't mind if they keep killing each other off." Her whole body shakes as if it's going to explode. Hot tears threaten to fall. Ryker's intense stare burns into her, silently willing her to stay calm. The group turns to the couple with a collective glare. "What? You aren't glad the Black Sun lord who has slaughtered thousands of humans is dead?"

Taking a deep breath, she cools her thoughts, lowering her head and hoping it looks like it's from fear and not grief.

"Of course, my wife is glad the Black Sun dragon lord is dead. Dragons murdered her family, so she gets extra excited when one is killed. She's upset that we hunters didn't kill the dragon lord ourselves and get his body."

The group nods, seeming to understand her outburst. "We're going on a dragon hunt tomorrow. You both should tag along. We'll try to find a dragon for your wife to torture."

"Sounds enticing. We'll think about it." Ryker holds her close as he leads her inside the inn.

As soon as they get into their room, all of the anger she's been holding back rips through her. Her eyes glow with fury when she turns them to Ryker. "How could you not tell me there was a plan to kill my father?" She lunges at him, clawing at his chest.

He grabs her and wrestles her to the bed. "Maria, calm down! I didn't kill your father."

"Liar! Your flight would've had the murder planned for weeks in order to pull it off." Angry tears spill down her cheeks, but she doesn't even care. She flips him off and pounds on his chest with all her might.

Ryker roughly grabs her wrists, turning her so her back is to his chest. He wraps his arms around her, holding her close. "I didn't know there was a plan to kill your father. I swear, Maria."

She tries to fight back, but he's too strong. Going limp against him, her anger is replaced with sadness. He holds her tighter, cocooning her in his strength as heavy sobs wrack her body. She holds him close, enjoying the feel of being in his arms. A few minutes later, her tears subside. She takes a few deep breathes, but he still doesn't let go of her. She's surprised how relaxed she feels in his arms. She sits up and Ryker sits next to her. She ignores the heat that sears from where their thighs touch each other. "Did you really not know about the plan to kill my father?"

"As far as I know, there was no plan to kill your father. But I would've given the order if I had the chance." He looks like he wants to say more, but stops himself and looks away.

She reaches over and grasps his stubborn chin, forcing him to look back at her. "Don't do that. Don't shut down. I know you have something to say."

He grabs her wrist, holding it to her chest. "There was a plan in place, but it was to kidnap you, not your father."

"Oh, because the plan with my mother went so well." She tries to pull her arm back to hit him, but he won't let go.

"I'll tell you all about if you stay calm and keep your hands to yourself." Seething with anger, she pulls her hands back to her lap and gives him her full attention. "Because of how badly things went with your mother, I was in charge of the mission. The plan was to wait until next week when you and your new husband were to leave for your honeymoon."

"And what were you going to do with me once I was kidnapped?"

"Use you to lure your dragon flight out and destroy them."

"Stupid plan. My father loved me, but he would never sacrifice his dragon flight for me."

"Kidnapping you would be considered a declaration of war. He'd be forced to respond."

"And you'd kill me after I was done being useful?"

Ryker's jaw clenches and she holds her breath as she waits for his answer. "I was going to decide that after questioning you."

"So if you decided not to kill me, I'd be a prisoner locked away for the rest of my life?" His silence is his answer. "Oh, my father had a plan to kill you too."

"I expected no less from him too."

"Are you sure your dragons didn't screw up and kidnap me early?"

"I'm sure. I had just left a meeting with the group before I was kidnapped. I walked from my training area into my study. As soon as I entered, I was hit on the head." His fists clench at the memory. "I didn't even hear them coming. But it had to be someone in my flight who betrayed me. No one else would've been able to get into my study."

"Ryker, it can't be a coincidence that we were both kidnapped on the same day and chained together."

"No, the same person wanted both of us and my mother dead. It's possible that the same person also killed your father." Ryker's gaze roams over her face. "I know you said you don't remember how you got kidnapped. But if there's something you do remember, I think it'd be smart to share it."

"All I remember is being hit on the head and waking up with you. But I have a feeling my stepmother is involved."

"Why?"

"I saw her having sex with my fiance, Nestor."

Ryker stares intensely at her as if he's trying to read her mind. "I know there's more you're not telling me. But it sounds like your stepmother had your father killed."

"Yes, my stepmother would kill anyone to get ahead. I think we should go down to the hunter bar and see if I can get more information about my father's death."

"That's risky, Maria. Hunter bars are.....intense."

She stands up and pulls Ryker to his feet. "I can handle it. I need to know what happened to my father."

"You need to listen to every word I say."

"I'll listen." Ryker eyes her with raised brows. "I promise, Ryker. Nothing is more important to me than finding out who killed my father."

"Well, you're going to have to do more than listen. You're going to have to pretend that you like me."

"I've already been doing that. We've been holding hands this whole time."

Ryker pushes her back against the wall. He raises his hand and his fingers gently caress her cheek, then his thumb moves down her neck to her racing pulse. "The hunters need to think that when we leave that bar, I'm going to bring you back up here and fuck you." He leans in, his lips hovering just above hers. "You need to look like you're begging me to bring you back here."

"Ryker-"

"I know. You don't beg." His lips move to graze across her jaw, sending tingles down her neck to her budding nipples. "But just for tonight. You need to forget how much you hate me." Then he pulls back to stare into her eyes.

"Just for tonight, I'll forget I hate you."

Five minutes later, Ryker walks them into the bar, which looks more like a brothel than a bar. Men are openly making out with women. One waitress squeals as three men pick her up and lead her to a back room.

"Stay close." Ryker tightly holds her hand, keeping their wrist chains hidden as he leads her to a table and sits next to her. The drunk hunter who was outside boasting about Maria's father's death now stumbles up to them. He grabs her wrist, but Ryker pushes him away. "Get away from my wife."

"She doesn't act like your wife. No one with a woman that hot would sit next to her and not touch her. If you aren't going to partake, at least give her to me so she doesn't go to waste."

"Oh, I'll be partaking all right." Ryker roughly lifts her to straddle his lap. His chain stays hidden as his hand holds her lips, then his free hand grips her hair. Their eyes briefly lock as before his lips crash down onto hers.

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