Page 77 of Dragon Unhinged

Fuck, has it always been this painful? This disjointed? Or is this just my new reality, after the damage Brianna’s father and his humans have done?

Ash has already shifted, a beautiful green and purple beast, barely outlined by the setting sun. He’s standing in my way, ready to fight me if he has to. And I know he doesn’t want to.

Malcolm’s still human, waiting to see how the tides will shift, if Ash will need his help to contain me.

I let another roar as the pain throbs through my large body. I’ve got half a wing on the left side, a taloned foot shredding my shoe on the right, and scaly patches starting to ripple over my skin. The dark green scales burn as they settle into place. The ground gets further away, but I can still feel my human body as my dragon rips through it. This is the first shift we’ve done on our own since Brianna’s father captured me.

Declan, I didn’t know.Ash’s voice is trapped somewhere between horrified and sorrow.

At this point, I’d rather the horror. I don’t want pity. I want vengeance. There was a time he would stop at nothing until our parents’ murderer was brought to justice. Grey still roams free, and he’s mostly likely got my fucking mate.

I try to distract myself, reaching out to her mentally. No distance has kept her from me. But when I reach out, there’s nothing. I can’t feel her. I can’t hear her. It’s like she never existed at all, like she was a figment of my imagination, a spectre I created to get me through my torment that faded as soon as I was safe.

After several agonizing minutes, I finally feel like I’ve mostly shifted, like my dragon is almost entirely in control. Why then does it feel like I’m still broken? Like I’m a damaged, mangled fraction of the beast I used to be?

Declan.Ash’s voice again, but it sounds like it’s underwater, like there’s miles between us.

I wheel around, staring at him.What?

He projects an image to me, a monster that couldn’t possibly exist. Broken, jagged scales. A wing with scarring, holes, even atear that runs almost the length of it. Talons that look like ragged bits of bone.

Eyes that swirl between purple and black.

What is this? Who is that?

It can’t be my dragon. My dragon is a fierce, strong warrior.

What happened to you, brother?This voice is Malcolm’s, and I turn again, pain radiating up my tail as it catches on one of the vent units on the roof.

I don’t know what tricks they’re trying to play, what horror they’ve cooked up, but it can’t possibly be me. The image flickers away and I just feel Ash and Malcolm’s pity and disgust. Their disgust hits all the way down to my core and I aggressively whip around, making them both give me space.

I have to find my mate. I will kill anyone who stands in my way.I run for the edge of the roof, only to get slammed to the surface by one of my brothers.

Maybe both.

Fuck, that hurt.

You are not flying like this, Declan. You’re going straight to Syrena. Don’t make me call Pru for a tranquilizer.Ash’s clawed foot pins my neck to the floor, and I move to throw him off, to fight him off just like I’ve fought off so many other creatures.

I wouldn’t willingly kill my brother. If I have to hurt him to go find Brianna, then so be it. I’m not willing to just sit around and do nothing. The longer I wait, the further away she gets.

But fuck, he’s strong. Has he always been this much stronger than me? I’ve been fighting for my life for months. I can take my damn brother, even if he is older. I struggle against him, but he doesn’t budge.

Don’t do it, Declan. Please.

Malcolm’s damn near sitting on top of me. When did he become so much heavier? So much bulkier? I used to be able tothrow him around like he weighed nothing, like the youngling he was.

If you jump off this roof, you will crash into the ground. Those wings wouldn’t support the smallest of dragons. I know you’ve suffered, withered, but it won’t do you or your mate any good for you to break every bone in your body trying to save her.

He projects that image again, the mangled, broken dragon.

It can’t be me, can it?

I want to fight.

I want to stay a dragon.

I want to find my mate.

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