Free The Imprisoned Dragon and the Witch by A K Michaels Page B

everywhere they went. “ A girl’s gotta be prepared.” She would laugh when he asked her about it. Hell, he was grateful right now because after this mission, he didn’t want to be wandering about naked in the freezing cold!
    Kyra gave him a small smile and a wink as she straightened up, falling in behind him and Drake’s Wolves. He wanted this mission over, so he could take Kyra home and have the official mating ceremony that she deserved.
    As they walked further and further into the damp rock passages, his tension rose. They would be sitting ducks for any Witches and he, more than once, tried to move Kyra back and behind the Elite guards. She was having none of it and kept slapping his head and shooing him onwards. “ We better not run into any serious trouble!” he thought as they moved further and further inside the mountain.
    Not long afterward his ears picked up a commotion, coming from quite a distance away but his Wolf hearing clearly heard shouts and a woman scream. A few seconds later the entire place was filled with echoes of the most horrendous sounds, screams that lasted for mere moments but would be with him for a long time. “ Jeez, what the fuck was that?” he thought as they continued on, now going downwards towards goodness knew what.
     
    *****
     
    Ronan lead their little band with Creed at his side and Starr at his back. Esther and Celeste walking behind Starr and the Elites brought up the rear. His thoughts on keeping Celeste as safe as possible. If the Dragon was as ill as Esther seemed to think, it sounded like they would definitely need Celeste’s unique abilities.
    Although the rock hallway they were in wasn’t exactly small, he felt it was. His six foot six frame meant his head was only a foot or so from the roof. He kept dipping his head thinking it was going to hit some pieces of rock jutting downwards. On and on they walked, the tunnel they were in meandering right, left and back again.
    Slowly they made their way, now the ground sloping down, down, and down, until the slope was quite steep. He glanced back and saw Celeste and Esther holding on to each other as they traversed the rocky floor. Although it wasn’t completely dark, it wasn’t daylight either and there were more than a few loose rocks under foot.
    Ronan looked over his shoulder, Esther sounded a little breathless. “Are you okay?” he asked as he slowed the pace a little.
    Esther nodded. “Yes, carry on. We need to hurry.”
    “Okay, but be careful, the ground is getting more and more unstable.” Ronan turned, upping his pace a little, wondering how long it would be before they ran into trouble.
    He had no doubt that they would, run into trouble that is, with the alert spells breached it was only a matter of time. He just hoped they got to the Dragon first, so Celeste could get to work on it.
    Not too long after this thought, his feet stopped, his head swirling to catch the noise his Vampire ears picked up. Creed frowning beside him as he seemed to do the same, cocking his head to the side.
    The ebony Vampire raised an eyebrow. “You hear that? Sounds like your Sire and his mate have run into some trouble.”
    No sooner were the words were out of Creed’s mouth than they all heard the blood curdling screams reverberate throughout the tunnels. The sound having Celeste whimper and gasp.
    Starr’s hand touched his back. “I think Peri’s dealt with whoever it was. Hope I never make her angry!”
    Ronan’s lips twitched at his mate’s words. “I’m sure even if you did, she wouldn’t do that to you. Whatever that is. Come on folks, it sounds like we’ve been rumbled. Esther, hope you’re ready?”
    The old Witch was trying to calm an upset Celeste. “I’m ready, don’t worry ‘bout me. Now can we get moving again? I don’t like these tunnels.”
    As Esther shivered, they started moving forwards, Ronan using every ability available to him to keep watch for any trouble. His eyes strained, his ears