Captured By The Dragon
Episode 8

Patara

Dylan took me in his arms without a word and walked across the rushing river as if the flow didn’t bother him at all. I gripped onto him tightly as the cold water splashed up at me with each step he took.

He set me down once we were on the other side. I glanced up to gaze in his eyes but the blue shade had turned as black as nightmares. I blinked and they were once again blue like the stormy skies.

Had I imagined that?

The corner of his mouth moved up slightly as he reached out to touch my face with a sense of gentleness that felt like only a shadow of his real emotion.

I swallowed the thick lump in my throat and glanced around us. “What—where are we?” I stammered.

Dylan’s smile turned to a smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest. I wasn’t sure if I missed his slight comforting touches or not when I was this scared. My head was leaning more towards not since he threw me against a bed to man handle me into clothes not that long ago.

“Here?” He asked and glanced around the area with a sort of familiarity and softness. “This is the northern part of the shifter country. I grew up here.”

He stretched his arms above his head as if the area alone belonged to him. “Welcome to my world, princess.”

My eyes widened as I spun around to take the area in. It looked nothing like my town. Instead of a city with buildings and roadways, it looked like I had stepped into another world—or went completely back in time.

It was a wide open area with tall yellow and pink trees. Stone pathways that led into a far off village that had cottages instead of the modern houses I was used to. Even the sky looked different here—the greenish blue color with harsh pinks swirled in from up above.

In the far off distance, I could hear the sounds of screeching that made my skin prickle. That had to be from the dragons—the shifters. This world was bright and dark at the same time. Completely inhuman.

Was I going mad? My eyes were deceiving me, they had to be. None of this was real. Just a few days ago I was seated at my piano bench playing Beethoven’s pieces over and over again until my fingers ached.

Now I’m following a strange man through a fairytale forest that screamed danger.

—

Around noon, Dylan led me to a calm stream that made my throat ache desperately just from the sight.

“Rest for a moment, I’ll be right back.” He said before he disappeared through the trees. I immediately dropped to my knees and cupped my hands to bring fresh water to my mouth. Never in my life had I been so thirsty—I wanted to drown the whole stream and lick it clean.

Once I got my fill, I washed my face and arms in the cooling water. I almost didn’t notice the group of men on the other side of me until they started to move closer.

My body tensed, all my senses were on high alert. I didn’t have to turn towards them to know they were watching me. I could feel their gazes take in the sight of me like a horrible caress of the skin. “Look at that.” One of them muttered to their friend.

I slowly stood and acted like I didn’t notice them. I glanced around for Dylan, but he was no where in sight. Where had he gone? Perhaps he left me to die out here just for laughs.

Boots crunched against the grass as they neared me. I started to head towards the direction Dylan went casually as if I still didn’t notice them. Two of the men sped up their pace just to pass me. As they did, I felt each of their hands smack my a*s roughly as if it was their right to. I gasped and turned to face their smug faces, but all they did was laugh at me as if I was a fly already caught in their trap.

One of the men dared to step closer and I took a step back, wary of the stream behind me. His eyes looked me up and down slowly, my stomach turned in disgust and fear that hadn’t left me since I was taken. “How would you like it if I f****d you so hard you could barely close your legs?”

His words clawed at my skin and stomach as if he was ripping me open to devour before he even touched me. I didn’t hesitate this time, I took off through the trees in the direction Dylan headed before they could clasp their meaty hands on me. I heard them shout and I didn’t know if they were following me, but I didn’t dare stop to replace out.

My breath was heavy in my ears as my feet stomped across the dead grass. I may not have trusted Dylan, but he was better company than those animals.

I flew out of the trees and banged right into Dylan’s hard chest. He caught me in his arms and stumbled back just a little from the impact.

“Woah, what’s wrong?” He straightened us both and looked down at me. I couldn’t help it when I saw the concern on his face, I bursted into tears like a fool. This… this stranger. This man that was as comforting as he was scary—was all I had at the moment. He was the only one that showed me a version of kindness.

“Shhh.” He whispered and brought me back against him. I buried my face against his chest as he ran his fingers through my long, wild hair. My hands fisted in the back of his shirt as if I was clinging onto him for life.

After a long moment, he pulled me back a little so he could get a better look at me. His long fingers tilted my chin up and wiped away the stray tears that kept falling. “Don’t cry.” He whispered. I wanted to melt against his kind voice, I wanted to curl around him and allow him to make the rest of the world disappear.

I felt rooted to the spot when his eyes flickered to my lips. His breath smelled like berries and oranges as it caressed my face. I never had a boy look at me like that—let alone be this close to me, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do as he leaned down towards me.

Ever so slowly, he pressed his lips against mine. A jolt sparked through my body and left me feeling weightless. Half of me wanted to push him off and the other half wanted me to sink in deeper and replace out all the things he craved about me. He was so beautiful.

I stayed still as his hand crawled up my back and held my head straight as he kissed me. His other hand brought my h**s against his own and suddenly I was overwhelmed with a strange heat as our bodies touched. What was happening to me?

My mind felt dizzy and so far away from my grasp. Just as soon as it started, he ended it and pulled his mouth free of mine.

I blinked open my eyes to see his stormy blue ones try to hide a wicked glint. His mouth pulled into a smirk that held nothing but bad intentions. “How pathetic.” He whispered before he dragged his tongue against the side of my face to taste my leftover tears.

My body trembled in disgust and shame. I closed my eyes tightly and tired to pretend I didn’t just give into a boy that looked like the devil.