Death

Chapter 6 - Death

Garren

"Are you sure about this, Ren?" Mildred asked one last time as I stood in front of the portal that would lead me into the human realm. The portal we used for transporting magically enhanced medicine to Justine to help her cure the sick humans of her world.

I adjusted the black tunic Justine had given me along with the uncomfortable pants humans called jeans and a pair of black combat boots. I had tied my hair back, leaving my scar on full display. I knew no amount of glamour would hide my large stature or the ruggedness that came with being a dragon shifter, and frankly, I wouldn't be in the human realm long enough to really draw that much attention.

Or so I hoped.

I looked over at one of my best warriors, giving her a stiff nod.

"I don't have much of choice in the matter, Mildred." Her grey eyes swirled with gold as her dragon showed its presence. A look of understanding filling them.

Only Mildred, Hunter and Cordelia now knew the truth as to why I had been in such a foul mood for the last four months. And unlike Balor, they understood why I would rather sacrifice my happiness instead of giving a life of misery to my mate.

"Of course. Be safe out there, my King. We will have a Kingdom to fix when you return." Mildred placed her right hand over her heart, bowing her head, her braided hair falling forward. It was a farewell from a fellow warrior before heading off to battle, and one of the only times I didn't fault my warriors for addressing me by my title.

"Well met, Mildred. I will return as soon as I can." Gregory cleared his throat, handing me a bag of things I would need for my travels. Lastly, he gave me a phone, the one small piece of technology from the human realm that was the bane of my existence because it not only was an annoyance but it only held the numbers of the council members, most of whom I couldn't stand.

I reluctantly shoved it into my pants pocket, giving them one last nod before taking a deep breath and stepping into the portal.

The salty night air was the first thing that assaulted my nostrils. Then the smell of the human realm came after—the loud noises of vehicles and horns honking drilled into my ear drums.

I forced my eyes open, finding the night sky staring back at me along with the bright lights from all the buildings just outside the dock.

"Looking good, Ren. If it weren't for the almost seven-foot height and the build of a warrior, I would say you fit right in with my kind." Justine teased from beside me. Her voice was as light as ever, filled with amusement.

I turned to her, finding her dressed in a leather jacket, jeans, and a hat on her head. She smiled, lip ring glinting in the night light—a new addition to her ever-changing features; humans were such peculiar creatures. I flashed her a smile, trying my best to hide the nerves I found myself feeling now that I was here and really doing this.

"It's a good thing I am only here for a day or two, then. It makes it easier to forget me." Justine laughed, shaking her head.

"I don't think anything about you screams forgettable, dude. It's just not in your DNA." I always liked Justine; she was one of the few humans that I had met and liked instantly. She had a cause she believed in, and she went for it. I admired that; It was why I allowed her into my kingdom and helped her with her dreams of curing the sick and giving them more time to live because she reminded me a lot of myself. 

"I suppose you're right. It comes with being a dragon." I mused, the corner of my mouth tipping up. She rolled her eyes, scoffing.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. The ego is strong with this one. Okay, so I hear you need to find the elusive Balor Bloodstone. The guys' a ghost, really. Not many people have seen him, and the ones that have don't remember much. I know he is a big deal in the black market, and I try my best to steer clear of him."

"Interesting, the humans really have no idea who he is. He truly is a devious creature." My dragon mused, obviously choosing now to talk to me since we were here to see our mate. I nodded, agreeing with Ophir; Balor was devious indeed.

"You aren't missing much. He is just another male so full of himself he forgets that he isn't the only person living in this world and that his actions affect other people besides himself," I commented; Justine blew out a low whistle.

"I take it you two have met then. So what is he, another dragon or some kind of magical beast? The stories I've heard about him are nothing short of brutal." Justine only knew so much about our worlds and how they worked for her own protection, enough to keep her safe from anyone asking questions but allow her to travel between realms without danger of getting mixed in with the wrong crowd or beings on our side.

"He is a Dacian, a fae werewolf hybrid. They're powerful and rare. His mother was the first Dacian to be born in decades, and she was the Queen of all our realms. His father was a werewolf that resided in the human realm. Balor is the youngest of four siblings. You met his oldest sister once. I don't know if you remember her. Imelda Bloodstone." Justine's eyes widened as she absorbed all the information I had just laid out for her. I was sure she had a question, but I was on a time limit and needed to get out of here as soon as possible.

"I can explain more of this to you later on, but right now, I need to get to Balor so I can find the person I am looking for." Justine nodded, her throat bobbing as she swallowed.

"Yeah, you will definitely be telling me more about this when you do whatever it is you came here to do. Starting with the fact that there is fae so powerful they rule over dragons." I laughed, shaking my head.

"Just wait until she finds out who Imelda actually is." Ophir teased.

"Okay, so you're in luck. Since the portal comes out into Vancouver, we really don't have far to go. I heard through the grapevine that if you want to meet with Balor, the best chance to do so is at his club further in the city. I'll drive us there, and then you can do whatever it is you do and get yourself a meeting with him."

"Lead the way."

The car, as Justine called it, was the tiniest thing I had ever been in. It was cramped and extremely uncomfortable, and Justine couldn't stop laughing at me as I slumped myself forward so that my head didn't hit the roof.

"This is a horrendous form of transportation. Flying is so much easier." I grumbled; my back was starting to ache from the awkward positioning of my body. Justine giggled as she turned another corner, forcing me to shift my weight.

"Unfortunately for you, big guy. A flying dragon is definitely not the way to go unnoticed here." I hummed in response. The car stopped, and Justine turned off the engine.

"Lucky for you were here, though." I didn't dignify her with a response as she gave me a shit-eating grin. Instead, I swung the door open and got out, my spine cracking as I stretched out my sore limbs.

"I am never riding in one of those ever again," I muttered as I rubbed the back of my neck. Justine snorted, throwing her head back.

"Hey, you should be thankful I brought you here. I could have just-" Justine's words faded away as I was hit with the familiar smell of grapefruit and flowers. A Smell I had only been around once, but it was so addicting and delicious that it had engraved itself into my mind for all eternity.

My mate was here, and by how strong it was, she wasn't too far. If I had to guess, she was somewhere outside the club. Either in the long lineup of people for the club or in a nearby building. I inhaled a deep breath. A hint of fear clung to her scent, and suddenly, I was on high alert.

"Thanks for the ride, Justine. I will make sure you are compensated for all of your help." I muttered, cutting her off. I knew it wasn't nice to cut people off; even as King, I never abused my status to be rude to my people, but an overwhelming wave of urgency filled me, and I couldn't ignore it.

I walked away from her, my mind tuning out whatever she shouted after me. I was a dragon on a hunt now. Searching for my mate and whatever prey might be potentially threatening her even if I came here to reject her, to protect us both. I couldn't fight the bloodthirsty urges of my dragon when a potential threat found its way to my mate.

It didn't take me long to find her, and the sight before me had me reacting instantly. I wasn't anything but a beast as I grabbed the male who thought it appropriate to touch what was mine. I knew immediately that something wasn't right with Penelope; her eyes were glazed over, and her body was limp as this bastard tried to have his way with her.

To touch any female like that was unforgivable. But to touch my mate like that was a death sentence.

The male screamed, piss staining his pants as he looked up at me -fear filling his disgusting eyes as he saw his future in mine as Ophir showed his presence.

"Who the fuck are you?" The poor excuse of a male hissed as he tried to regain some composure. But that immediately fell away again as I pressed my forehead against his, my eyes boring into his own. I was feral; his death couldn't come fast enough.

"Your worst fucking nightmare. No one touches what's mine and lives to talk about it." I didn't hold back as I slammed my fist into his face. His bones crunching against my fist filled me with a sick sense of joy. Hearing his screams slowly die out as I broke bone after bone was euphoric. As I watched the light fade from his eyes, I knew it wasn't enough, but he was dead, and my mate needed me, so I didn't have much time to overthink it.

I dropped the useless waste of skin off the ground, not caring about who saw it. I would be gone soon enough that no one would ever find me again.

I turned around, finding Penelope slumped against the stone wall. The smell of her blood tainted the air. Too much of her skin was exposed, and I needed to get her somewhere safe to look her over and heal her.

I crouched down, lifting her into my arms; sparks shot through my body as she curled into me. Our bodies perfectly moulded for one another. I knew I shouldn't, but I couldn't stop myself from pressing my face into her hair, allowing her scent to cling to my skin.

"You're safe now, Little one. No one will ever hurt you again." The words were out of my mouth before I could process them, but she was so out of it I doubted she had even heard me.

I turned around, heading back out of the alleyway, unsure where I was heading; all I knew was I needed to get Penelope out of here. A side door to the club opened, and the last person I wanted to see stepped out into the alley. But despite how much I hated the bastard, I knew he could help us.

"Unless he wanted this to happen," Ophir growled, and I tensed a little, not wanting to imagine that Balor could be so cruel. But then again, he had already risked so much of his family so far that I couldn't really say this wasn't another part of his plans without certainty.

"I assure you I didn't know this would happen, Garren." Balor hissed, clearly seeing the conversation already playing before us. His eyes flickered to the dead body behind me, his lips peeling back in disgust before they shifted back to me.

"I promise you. I didn't know." The sincerity in his voice was the only thing that saved him from me beating his pretty little face in.

"Your promises mean shit to me, Balor. Just get us the fuck out of here and somewhere safe where I can heal her. Somewhere that I can calm Ophir down before he forces me to shift." I snapped, my skin starting to feel itchy as Ophir stirred beneath it, the need to shift almost overwhelming all my other senses. 

Balor didn't question me, and I didn't say another word as he stepped forward, placing his hand on my arm. The world around us disappeared into a blur of black smoke. The loud noises of city life faded into nothing as we appeared in a large bedroom.

"This is my home. Reyna is at her mother's for the weekend with our daughter. You will be safe here. There are clothes in the guest closet, and the on suite is fully stocked." Balor didn't say anything else before sheering away again. I didn't have it in me to think more about where he might be going. I placed Penelope on the bed before grabbing her some clothes.

I pulled an oversized shirt over her tattered clothe and took off her shoes, tossing them on the floor. I moved onto the bed beside her, pulling the comforter over the both of us as I tucked her into me.

I knew this would only make it harder for me to reject her, but I didn't care. I only cared about keeping her safe, and right now, that was the only thing that mattered.

I inhaled her sweet scent as I did the one thing my mother always warned me against doing. Sending my emotions into Penelope, manipulating her feelings until her body relaxed against mine, and then I let my magic seep into her skin. Healing her faster than her wolf ever could.

I would let my dragon have this last moment of peace before we had to let her go. Because as much as I wanted to deny it, I needed this just as much as Ophir did. One night with my mate wrapped in my arms as I had once dreamed of having. One night of selfishness.