The Alpha Dragon's Prisoner

Running Behind-Xander

We don't have time for this. Get rid of him. Our mate needs us!

In total agreement with my dragon I pick up my pace. He quickly jumps in front of me and I am forced once more to halt. "Why can't you see that I don't have the time right now?" I say scolding him as I push my feet forward.

His hands push against my chest as his dragon flashes in his eyes. "Make time. I have waited long enough for an answer" he says. My aura pushes out automatically at the disrespect. I push it out heavily as I hold his gaze with my head held high. I hate to put him in his place like this but there is one alpha. Me. And no one will demand something from me that I don't want to give.

His dragon finally breaks our stare off after a moment and bares his neck with an audible swallow. "Now that you know your place, I will tell you the truth. Your father has to die. After you go and say your goodbyes he will be sent into the ether. He will never be seen again after the crimes he has committed against my people. Including you, his own son, and his grandchildren. Make sure you seek your closer" I state to him once I allow him to lift his head.

He blinks rapidly as tears fill his eyes. However, I can see the determination in his stance. The tears that shine in his eyes are not for him. They are for his mother Ivette. With a solid nod in y direction he quickly turns to walk away. "Igneous. You know Maximus has to be the one to send him through to oblivion. If I were you, I wouldn't let your mother hear the process of it. She doesn't deserve anymore pain" I warn. He keeps his back to me as I speak but I can still tell that his shoulders are rigid.

With nothing else left to be said I follow the trail that my mate doesn't know she left me. I can still smell Julia on the trail which softens my worry. At least she isn't alone out here. I know that most days Julia can be obnoxious but she does always have a person's best interest at heart. If my mate truly does have the ability to make people talk to her then maybe she could use an honest friend.

We are what she needs. Once we have the bond completed, we will be her shoulder.

"I know buddy. I just hope that we will have the chance after this" I say as I try to reassure him. My steps falter as something unknown hits me in the chest. The feeling immediately has tears springing to my eyes. The breath in my chest halts as a scream leaves my mouth. I don't even notice how all the birds in the tree fly away at the yell.

My feet shuffle forward while it feels like something is piercing my impenetrable skin and clawing my heart out of my chest. My vision blurs as I move and I fight to keep going as I struggle to walk. My dragon releases an ears splitting wail inside my head that I have never heard before. My hands clamp over my head as I fall to my knees just as I exit the trees. Tears run readily down my cheeks as I try to search for her. The mind link opens as so many voices start to flood it.

"What's happening?"

"What is this?"

"Is everyone okay?"

"Oh, Xander. Where is he? Someone needs to get to the alpha"

Unable to focus I force the link close with a bit of the energy I have left. My head continues to swivel left to right as I search for my mate. I need to see her. I need to feel her. My head snaps straight when I watch Derricks form exit the water. His blue hair pops into appearance first, perfectly dry as if he didn't just come from below the depths. His steps are slow as he holds my gaze.

I don't know what it is that I see in his gaze but it instantly has me crawling me forward across the rocky surface of the cliff. When his chest is revealed and I see my mate still in his arms, I find strength I didn't know that I had. I rise to my feet and rush forward as my dragon mourns our loss in my head. The roar that leaves my mouth as I take her from his rocks the world around us.

My legs collapse at the loss of tingles and the warmth of her flesh. I blink through my tears as I try to will her to open her eyes for me. The beating of my heart is so loud that nothing else around me registers. My hands caress against her cold flesh as I try to warm it on my own.

"What did you do?" My dragon roars at Derrick.

"I tried to save her Xander. She was in the water to long. I even took her to the depths where my powers are stronger to see if I could force it out. I'm so sorry. There was nothing else that I could do for your mate" he says with tears in his eyes.

The tears in his eyes do nothing but piss my dragon off. There is no way that he could know how this feels. He didn't feel the little bond that we had as it ripped itself from my chest. He doesn't know what it's like to receive your very own reason for living only to have it snatched away seconds later.

I squeeze her in my arms as my aura pushes out with all its might. The strength of it is so much that I can see the power of its golden trail in the air as my robe starts to shred. My dragon pushes forward ready to end it all at the loss of our mate. A hand on our shoulder has our talons elongating as we hold her and our dragon teeth bared for all to see. I still hold her close trying not to pierce her flesh. Soon I won't feel it at all after my transformation. The only thing I need is to get away from the pain.

I meet the gaze of Maximus and the pity that I see there makes me want to explode. The ground starts to shake under our feet again as I feel something building in my chest. As soon as I open my mouth the roar that leaves my chest has Derrick and Maximus cowering to the floor. The water before me goes turbulent as a golden flame leaves my mouth at a deafening pitch.

All the love I have ever felt bleeds through the fire as I feel myself drain. If I can't have my mate to love, then I don't want any of it. They can have it all. A hand on my shoulder doesn't stop the torrent of power from leaving me as my dragon pushes it all. The voice in my ear can barely be heard over the sound he makes.

"Use it Xander. Breathe. Dragon. Use the love you have to replace the love you lost" Derrick screams. The words barely make since to me but apparently my dragon understands completely. I watch as he pushes to his feet as he continues to release the golden flames without the roar.

Our eyes look down at our mate as we finally shut our lips and everything stills around us. Just as his intentions reach my mind I push forward to stand with him. Grasping her jaw I pull her face to mine and line my lips with hers. Tears leave my eyes at their coolest as my chest aches beyond anything I have ever felt. His words have brought me hope. Have given us hope. So with a new sense of determination we gather all the love that we feel in our chest.

We gather the love that we have for our people. The love that we used to show a common stranger on the streets. The love we have for our parents. The love that man and beast have for one another. The love of our home. Most of all, we gather all the love that we have for our mate, that we should have given her since she got here, and we push it all out.

This time there is no roar to accompany the actions. The love that we share with her is silent and everlasting. Sometime you may not be able to see it but she will always feel it. Dragon breath. It can make the coldest things turn warm. It can bring out the true beauty in the strangest of flowers. For me I hope it can bring back the life of my mate.