Chapter 36
Chapter
Thirty-Six
This time the chair felt very different.
The questions felt like an interrogation.
Everything I was saying, I didn’t even remember saying it.
I remembered saying that today I was feeling weak, but the nurse brushed it aside completely.
Ebony’s grip on my hand was no longer comforting. Now, it felt like a shackle.
“Have you noticed any unusual bodily changes?”
I shook my head, knowing we were getting near the end of the questionnaire. The nurse rattled off three more questions before smiling and patting my shoulder. She started to get up, and I spoke up.
“I had a question, actually.”
Ebony’s hand tightened and squeezed me. “What do you mean, Marcus?” She whispered at me, angry again.
I ignored her, looking at the nurse. She seemed surprised, but nodded. Turning back, she sat down on the chair.
“What can I help you with?”
“This drug, it was an experimental process that we signed up for. How many others have undergone this testing?”
The nurse’s eyes flashed to Ebony for a moment. “We have thirteen others in the trial currently.”
“Do any of them have the bonds to their shifter sides?”
“Marcus, what are you asking?”
Humming, the nurse wheeled back and grabbed the clipboard. “This drug is to help those who lost their shifter souls, like you. It affects our bond and the ability to have pups or hatchlings, as you would say.”
“If someone who had a bond to their shifter side, would it affect them?”
“I don’t have the research into that. Considering that there aren’t many who have issues getting pregnant with their mates.”
I nodded, thanking her. She smiled and left, closing the door behind her. My lips pursed as I sat up in the chair.
“Marcus, what is going on with you today? Is it because of your family? Did they get in your head?”
My eyes locked with hers. There was worry, but that look of anger hadn’t left. It sent a shiver down my spine. In my head, I could feel the alarm bells going off. Something was seriously wrong here.
“Ebony, last night…my dad helped me connect with my dragon.”
She didn’t move or say anything for a while. My panic got worse the longer time wore on. I squeezed her hand.
“Eb, this is a good thing. We don’t need this.” I waved to the room. “I will get stronger. We can have the family we want. Without the help of anyone or anything. I’m not broken. This is a good thing.” I was almost pleading with her to accept my happiness.
We continued to look at each other as the door opened and the nurse came in. I ignored her and tried to read anything on Ebony’s face. She had to understand how much this meant to me. After all the nights she held me, after caring for me through the worst, I could heal.
She finally broke our eye contact, looking down. I looked down and watched as she tied a leather strap around my arm. My heart fell, and I felt my dragon come closer, pressing into my mind.
“Ebony?”
Two more nurses came in. They looked more like security dressed up in scrubs. One stepped forward and grabbed my arm, pinning it down against the chair. Another came around and put his hands on my right shoulder.
“Ebony…what…?”
“If you want us to be together, Marcus, we have to do this.” Ebony stepped away from me.
The nurse stepped forward, and I fought the two men. “No! Ebony! We don’t need this! Not anymore!”
“We do, though. You do.”
Pausing, the nurse looked at Ebony. “Should I continue?”
“Yes. Put that in first and then prep the other one. A full dose. We can knock him out and then proceed with the timeline.”
Her voice sounded foreign to me. Usually, there was a softness to her. It was kind and sweet. This was hard, angry, and clipped. Colton was right. I shouldn’t have come. I should never have left. I should have asked more questions before coming back.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Thrashing against their hold, I was too weak to do much. The nurse wasn’t gentle this time. She stabbed the needle into my shoulder, in the exact spot where my scales met, and emptied the liquid as fast as she could before stepping away from me.
My dragon burst forward, my core exploding in a fiery burst. I felt my horns grow on my head as I lost control of my body. He roared as the entire room became engulfed in fire and smoke.
Colton! I’m sorry! I tried fighting it! I tried! They are holding me down. I’m so sorry.
My panic rose, and I tried to reach out again to Colton. The moment I touched it, the pain doubled, and a quiet sob filled my head. Whatever this drug was, it was killing my bonds.
Colton?
He didn’t answer. It was only the soft cries and the pain. I kept the bond open, listening as his whimpering slowly quieted.
What…happened? His voice was breathless as he tried to breathe through the pain from our bond falling apart in real time.
My dragon is in control. I can’t rein him back in. I tried to reason with Ebony. That I didn’t need to get shots. After I told her I had my dragon back, she strapped me to the chair. Two more came and held me down. I couldn’t stop the needle.
His curse was barely a whisper. He sobbed, and I wanted to scream. Instead, my dragon let out another fiery roar. He felt the pain that Colton was going through. He was livid, not just at those around us but with me. This was torture. I needed to break free.
They are trying to put something else in me.
You have to get free! You can’t let them inject you! If they give that to you, you’re gone. Fight, Mar! Please!
The entire chair shook as my dragon forced us to shift into our humanoid-draconian form. After a few tugs, the leather strap holding us snapped. His claws swiped at the shifter holding onto our other arm, easily shaking off the one pressing down on our shoulder.
We couldn’t see anything, and he continued to spit fire as he fought the hands still trying to subdue us. There was coughing, and we finally got away from the other two. A third burst into the room and tried to body us.
As my dragon’s claws dug into their back, the other two had recovered and jumped on us.
Still, in our current form, we towered over them.
Their claws bounced off our scales, and my dragon pushed the heat of our core to an unbearable temperature.
The next fire that left our mouth was an almost blinding white.
The explosion in the room deafened the screaming that filled it.
People were running and screaming while the fire spread.
I managed to get to the door and tried to get to the emergency exit at the far end of the hallway.
Halfway, the shifters tackled us and pinned us to my stomach.
More piled on, and we tried to thrash against them, now of one mind.
“You are mine, Marcus. You will always be mine.”
Ebony stood in front of us, a syringe grasped in her fist. Fire had burned her clothes, charred half her face, and her hair was still burning. The image of her, the furious look on her face as her eyes glowed. It was pure possessiveness.
Her hand shifted, and claws tore at the scales on my arm.
She slammed the syringe into my shoulder.
It emptied into my shoulder, but my dragon refused to take it.
With one last burst of strength, we exploded.
The building around us exploded, smoke billowing up and around us, throwing debris in every direction.
He had shifted us into our full dragon form in one burst.
It had taken everything in him, and worse, I could feel the poison spreading from my shoulder. I didn’t know how much got in, but it was enough to cause excruciating pain. Pushed into control, I surged forward, out from under the building that was still partially standing after our shift.
I jumped into the air, slamming my wings down in a tremendous burst of air and rocketing me into the sky.
It was hard to move them, the liquid spreading, feeling a lot like the ice Beau spewed out.
It was so cold that it actually burned. Once I reached the clouds, I adjusted my trajectory and shot off north.
I needed to make it back to the lair. I had to.
Pushing myself, I felt the liquid ice spread, rendering parts of my body numb.
All I could do was focus on my wings, not losing feeling. They were the only things I needed.
Mar!
My eyes widened. Colton…help…help…please…
I’m sending the family, Mar. Don’t worry. They will get you.
I’m sorry. I knew it felt wrong before I went. I didn’t trust myself, or you, or my dad. I wanted a simple life. I wanted it to be easy and quiet. I wanted to not think about everything that had happened and what I’ve done. The pain…I don’t…
I know, my Alpha. I know. Focus. Please. You need to fly as fast as you can. You’re still within their reach.
I let out a pained laughed. When did my life become theirs to destroy? When did I lose everything?
Not everything, Mar. Not yet. Just hold on. Just a little longer.
My wings were failing. I tried to make big sweeping flaps, but the ice was reaching the muscles I used to do that. Worst, I could feel myself shifting. If I were this high, I was going to fall and it might actually kill me.
Mar…look ahead!
Looking up, I smiled. There was relief and fear, and frustration all rolled into one. My family was coming for me. I could see them. One more push and I felt myself glide down.
I’m sorry, Colton. I tried. I tried…
My body shifted, and I closed my eyes as my body dropped out of the sky. I heard a scream and a roar, but I lost consciousness as I fell.
Slowly, my eyes opened, and I looked up at a familiar ceiling. Home. I was home. Sitting up, I groaned. There were at least a few broken or cracked ribs, and someone had wrapped my entire right arm in bandages. Squeezing my eyes shut, I pressed my fingers into my eyes. What the hell happened?
My door opened, and I looked up to see my mom in tears. She was carrying in a tray with water and a cup a white medicine. Setting it on my desk, she sat down next to me and took my hand gently in hers.
“Oh, sweetheart, how are you feeling?”
I took a breath, wincing as I did. “I think…”
My stomach rolled, and my mom caught it as I threw up into the trash can she held under me in time. It hurt so badly. There were definitely a few of my ribs broken. Still, I forced myself into the awkward position as I threw up.
“You’re okay. It’s okay. You’ve been through so much.” She rubbed my shoulder, making sure to stay away from the bandages.
Once I could take a breath, I sat back up. My hands were shaking as I grabbed the blankets. My memory was a mess. Worse, I could barely feel my dragon. He was there; it just felt like the entirely of our strength was gone.
I looked up at my mom. “What…happened?”
“You don’t remember?”
My eyes shut for a moment. The image of Ebony standing over me, the vicious look on her face, slammed into me. Leaning over, I threw up into the trash can again. Mom held it up, this time moving my hair out of the way.
“It’s okay. Take your time. You don’t need to push yourself.”
I closed my eyes, unsure of what was going on. “I feel so weak.”
“You’ve been out for five days. You almost died.”
Looking up at her, I took a couple of breaths. “I almost died?”
“You got really banged up. It took an incredible amount of strength to heal you to where you are now.” Dad stepped into my room. “You need to rest.”
My body sagged as I rubbed my eyes. “I don’t understand. One minute, everything was fine. The next…there was fire and…I don’t know. My memory is hazy. Except…except for Ebony.”
“She’s been asking for you. For us to hand you over to get treated.”
Panic rose in me, and my eyes snapped up to my dad’s. “Please…no…”
He nodded. “We told her. Don’t worry. You’re safe with us. We’ll work through this. Whatever happened. Whatever they did, we will get you back on your feet.”
I gave him a weak smile. “Thank you, Dad. I’m sorry…I’m so sorry.” I looked over at my mom.
“Oh, my sweet son.” She kissed my head. “You don’t need to apologize. You’re here now. You made it home. That’s all that matters.”
Nodding, I took a slow, deep breath. Mom helped me lie back down on the bed. She traded the trash can she had for another that was under my old desk.
“Rest. If you need anything, just yell. When you feel up to it, we can make you something to eat.”
Something so simple made me laugh. Tears filled my eyes, and I turned away from the both of them. My arm covered my eyes.
“Thanks. I will.”