Hidden Rage: Kindred Tales

The thing that tore those two guys apart like they were paper dolls, whispered the little voice in her head, but she kept those words to herself.

Dragon looked at her for a long time, as though considering what to say. At last, he nodded.

“Yes,” he said heavily. “That.”

“What is it?” Bobbi asked softly, wrapping the blanket more tightly around herself. “I…I’ve heard it speak through you sometimes when you’re feeling, uh, possessive of me. But whatever it is, it must be huge.”

“I don’t know what it is.” Dragon shook his head. “I was hoping maybe you could tell me.” He looked at her appealingly. “After all, you know more about my people than I do.”

“I don’t know that much, though,” Bobbi protested. “I mean, I know there are many different kinds of Kindred, but I’ve never heard of any that turned into a…” She almost said “a monster” but she closed her lips on the word. “Into another being,” she finished instead. “I really only know about the three main kinds—Beast Kindred, Blood Kindred, and Twin Kindred.”

He sighed and shook his head.

“Whatever it is, it only came awake when you came into my life. It told me that you awakened it.”

“It did? I mean, you actually talked to it?” Bobbi asked, surprised.

He nodded.

“I did. Yesterday after the fight in the alley. It was, er, very close to the surface still. It was the one who told me to Mark you. It told me that if I didn’t protect you, it would.”

“Meaning it would come out again?” Bobbi put a hand to her throat. “Oh my God!”

“I don’t think it came all the way out yesterday,” Dragon told her. “Only partially because it sensed that you were in danger.” He sighed. “I guess I shouldn’t say ‘it’—I should say ‘he’. Because he’s definitely male and he’s definitely part of me.”

“So…you don’t mind having this…this other guy inside you?” Bobbi asked. “Even knowing he could, uh, come out and take over at any time?”

“I think he would only ‘take over,’ as you put it, if you were in danger,” Dragon said. “His main focus seems to be protecting you—which is my main focus too,” he added.

“But still! Just the idea that you might turn into…into something else. That this thing could come out and take over your body at any time…” Bobbi shivered all over, feeling like someone had dumped ice cubes in her belly.

Dragon gave her a distressed look.

“Bobbi, no! Please don’t think like that.” He took her hands in his and ducked his head so he could look into her eyes. “I might not know much about him, but I do know one thing: whoever this…this person is inside me, he cares for you. He loves you as I do. And he would never, ever hurt you.”

“But he’s so big!” Bobbi protested. “I remember thinking that it looked like you’d grown ten feet tall! And he’s so massively strong.”

The corners of Dragon’s mouth twitched in a small smile.

“And how does that make a difference? You and I are already such different sizes and strengths but have I ever hurt you?”

“Well, no,” she admitted. “Aside from throwing me over your shoulder and carrying me around like a doll.”

“I like carrying you,” Dragon murmured. He scooped her up off the couch without warning and cuddled her in his lap. “I like holding you,” he murmured, his deep voice rumbling in her ear as he pressed her against his chest.

“Dragon! Put me down!” she protested, but without much heat. The fact was, she kind of liked their size difference too. She’d dated men taller than herself all her life—it was kind of hard to avoid it when she was so petite. But she’d never dated a giant like Dragon and she had to admit, rather than making her afraid, his massive size made her feel safe and protected.

He cuddled her for a moment more and kissed the top of her head tenderly, then sighed.

“I will put you down, but only because I have business to attend to before First Meal. But first, I have something for you.”

“You do?” She frowned, rearranging her blanket as he set her down on the couch beside him. “What is it?”

“You’ll see—I’ll bring it to you.”

He left the couch and came back in a moment with the flat packet Bobbi had seen him taking out of his ruined shirt the night before.

“I’m really glad I didn’t lose this during the, er, fight,” he remarked, as he opened it carefully. It seemed to unfold like an envelope, only all four triangular corners opened up to reveal a kind of case lined in some kind of gray velvet.

“Oh!” Bobbi looked at what he had revealed in genuine surprise.

Lying on either side of the gray velvet lining were what looked like fifteen or twenty golden bangles. And in the center was a golden chain with a golden dragon, wings spread and a forked tail curling beneath it. It had ruby eyes and a tiny spout of ruby flames were coming from its open mouth which had diamond fangs.