Free Scales (Shifter Rescue 1) by Sean Michael Page A

was dark and he couldn’t see anything. Before he could complain, Pirou pressed a button and a light came on highlighting a shape draped over the mattress, which was the only furniture the room boasted.
    Long tail, wings like a bat, pointed snout, sapphire-blue scales. Whoa.
    “Pirou… That’s… he’s… a dragon .” Drill was stunned.
    “Uh-huh.”
    “Why is he here?” There had to be a reason the dragon was one of Pirou’s special projects and sedated. Hell, Drill hadn’t even known there was such a thing as a dragon shifter. No, he hadn’t even known there was such a thing as a dragon. They were a thing of legends.
    “The slavers had him. My contact said that they hadn’t managed to get him to wake yet.”
    “Slavers!” That made him growl. “So you don’t know if he’s even sane or not, let alone a shifter.”
    “I don’t know anything except that he’s a dragon and he needs help,” Pirou admitted.
    “And you want me to help him and find out as much as I can before you have to tell my brother what you’ve done.”
    “Uh-huh. Please.”
    “You’re lucky I like you, Pirou.” Drill went to the door. “I’m going in.” He wasn’t one to pussyfoot around.
    “Just like that?”
    He shrugged. “You said you don’t know anything about him, right? Well, we aren’t going to learn more by sitting here and looking.”
    “I did. Do. Should I get help?”
    “Just lock the door behind me.”
    “Are you sure?” Pirou looked so tired, so worried.
    Drill cupped Pirou’s cheek. “I’m sure, Pirou. Everything is going to be fine. You go and get some sleep or a meal or fix something. I’ve got this.” And if he wasn’t entirely sure, well, Pirou didn’t need to know that.
    Pirou leaned hard. “I’m… I owe you.”
    Drill nodded -- Pirou so did. “And at some point, I’ll collect.” Bending, he kissed Pirou’s nose.
    “Thank you, dearest.” Pirou hugged him tight. “I couldn’t let someone hurt him. Even if he’s not a shifter, he’s magic.”
    A dragon. Magic indeed. And if he was a shifter, that just made him that much more amazing.
    “Go on. And lock the door to the basement.” Drill didn’t want to risk anyone being hurt. Or his dragon getting away.
    Pirou nodded, heading up, obviously reluctant to leave him alone.
    Drill waited a few minutes, watching his dragon through the window in the door. It was the most beautiful being he’d ever seen -- even skinny and still. The sapphire scales were lovely, and he found himself fascinated.
    Who on Earth would want to trap a beast like that? And if he was a shifter, what did the man look like?
    When some time had passed, Drill unlocked the door and went in, closing it behind him. Ah, this dragon was a shifter -- Drill could smell it, smell the man twined with the beast. Fascinating. He was so glad Pirou had called him to handle this -- he wouldn’t have given up this experience for the world.
    The wee dragon backed away, curled into itself. “No more. Please.”
    “Oh you’re awake. And you talk in your dragon form.” How unusual. Special. Pirou had called it magical. “You’re not with those people anymore, the ones who wanted to hurt you, sell you.”
    “No more.” The dragon looked at him, eyes shockingly bright, like jewels lit from within.
    Drill moved slowly closer. “No more what?”
    “The darts. No more. Please.”
    Oh, the sedatives. He imagined they could make someone sick as a dog. “No. There won’t be any more darts. I don’t want to hurt you or keep you doped up.” Just the idea of it made him want to growl. Loudly. He didn’t figure that would make the dragon trust him any more.
    Those keen eyes never left him, watching him like a laser.
    He watched back. “Do you have a name?”
    “Yes.”
    Okay… that didn’t help. Drill chuckled softly. “What is it?”
    “Az. I’m called Az.”
    “Hi, Az. I’m Drill.”
    “Are you bad?” Az asked.
    “No. I’m not.” Would he admit it if he was? “My