137 | DRAGON EYES

A few days later, I’m lounging with Blue, Yuri, and Darine around our usual spot outside during lunch - but it’s the final period of the day. I’ve stuck through the last few days, relaxing a little more each day that passes and falling back into my skin. We’re half-watching some students goofing around on the soccer field and speaking in low voices about everything Darine hasn’t been privy to before.

Yesterday she made her decision official with Blue and even told me of her plans to become a Wolven. I wasn’t sure what to tell her at first, not really knowing how these things go, but trusting in Blue’s high statistics of successful changes. I gave her the phone number to my Betas and told her to be sure before she goes through with the transformation. She came to school today with a spring in her step and her blue-green eyes bright with excitement.

One of the first things she did was talk to Blue before Homeroom started. She told me her decision was final, and thanked me for having me talk to known changed-Wolven. I frowned at the time, not sure I was entirely thrilled with my friend deciding to change so readily after talking to my Pack - the majority of whom were once human. But I trust my people to give Darine the honest truth about their experiences, and know - ultimately - it’s not my decision to make. Darine is literally old enough to make her own decisions, a few months older than I am, she’s no longer a minor- something she’s admitted has played a role in her sudden wish to become Wolven.

When the three of us have completed filling in the missing pieces of my story - and those Yuri’s undoubtedly told her, she sits back, slack jawed. After a moment, she blinks and lets out a low whistle.

“Well, shit,” Darine leans into Yuri’s side like he’s a wall. The mountain man seems to perk up at her touch, face smoothing out and an almost inaudible sigh escaping his slightly parted lips. I smirk at the cute picture the two make, shrugging a little as I lean a little closer to my mate.

“It was a crazy year,” I agree, tilting my head towards Blue. My mate’s face is screwed up in an expression of concentration, head turned slightly towards the school. His lips tips down at the corners in a frown and he shoots Yuri a look.

“On it,” Yuri is up without another word and jumps off the side of the bleachers before I can register what’s going on. I turn to watch Yuri go in the same direction as Blue was staring- and see a familiar shape just outside the school building…but something’s different about the young Azure.

My nose twitches as his scent explodes on the air, cringing back as the scent of unusually heavy rain floods my senses. Cole’s leaning over, clutching at his head like he’s got one hell of a headache. Just before Yuri gets to him, a few humans burst out of the door nearest the hybrid and call out to him. Their voices are rough and angry, not those of friends or concerned bystanders.

I blink at the scene in confusion. *Is Cole Azure being bullied?* Before I can open my mouth to say anything to Blue, Cole’s head snaps up, and even from here I catch the unmistakable glow of silver eyes. A curse falls from my lips as the humans do a double-take and their pissed-off faces crumple into expression of horror. A moment later, a powerful aura explodes from Cole’s direction, his body shaking visibly as something skids up and down his exposed skin-

I feel my eyes go wide as the young Azure’s form starts to blur and bulge.

Like something out of a cartoon, Cole’s whole body begins to pulse with inner energy, growing larger and larger by the second. The humans are just as dumbstruck as I am, probably unable to process what it is they’re seeing and feeling as Cole slowly begins to lose control over his human form. Only…it’s not a wolf the guy seems to be turning into.

Iridescent scales glimmer like light flickering off the surface of a lake, silvery and slick. Two identical, long horns unfurl from his skull, shimmering a sparkling silver just like the fluttering scales coating the hybrid’s skin. Suddenly, the power in the air sears out in the air, the light breeze turning into rough chops of wind buffeting out like the start of a storm.

Darine ducks down beside me as the wind picks up, sputtering out a curse as she seeks cover from the debris now whipping around. I ignore the scrape of twigs and other foliage that hit me, unable to move because of the shear force of power now rolling off the teen only a few yards away. My two halves are screaming for me to seek shelter or run far from here, but I physically cannot move a muscle as a primal fear shoots through me. My heart’s racing and my skin’s gone cold, a layer of sweat rising to coat me in a clammy film.

Just as I think my heart’s about to give out, something darts out of the beginnings of the forest bordering the school, a fresh streak of power, stronger than that Cole’s giving off, bursts. My knees give, a little shock slamming into me as air whooshes out of my lungs as the familiar aura of Kazamir, Craven’s *draki* friend, registers.

The moment he reaches Cole, the Azure turns his glowering, slitted-eyed gaze tear into the *draki*. Kazamir is older, and overall larger than Cole, though right now they seem to be around the same size, especially with Cole’s new horns jutting out like a threat. Kazamir doesn’t bother trying to soothe the hybrid as she streaks towards him.

Blue and Yuri sink to their knees, their bodies jerking like they’re only just controlling the Wolven inside. From here, I can’t make out what they’re saying, but neither Cole nor Kazamir are paying them any attention. The humans are cowering by the door they came out of, a flat surface that has no handle from this side. One seems to have passed out, the other two look close to falling suite, pale and trembling like cornered prey.

Seconds tick by where the two face off against each other, the glow from their eyes burning bright. Then, just when I think the wind’s about to get even stronger, Kazamir’s hand darts out and presses against Cole’s forehead. Immediately, Cole lets out a half-shriek, half-roar of agony, crumbling to his knees- while simultaneously shrinking into the human-form I’ve known him by. It happens so fast I fall forward, only just managing to catch myself before the metal bleacher step above clips my chin.

When I bolt back up, I realize the power’s disappeared, and the air is still. I suck in a fresh breath, gasping in oxygen for the first time in what feels like hours.

Kazamir is saying something to Cole, now in humanoid form like Cole, but his eyes are still that of a draki. Blue and Yuri nod grimly to the dragon-shifter, slowly getting to their feet and going over to their younger cousin. The two Azures take something from Kazamir’s other hand, little glinting circles. Finally, Cole’s body slumps to the side, and I see the draki had something pressed into his palm I hadn’t seen before. Another of those circular things. The dragon-shifter equivalent of silver?

Since Blue and Yuri are holding them so easily, I know it can’t be silver, even if it’s that color. Kazamir puts his circle into a pocket, literally seeming to have to peel the thing off his palm, where the circle has left an angry red imprint. Beside me, Darine gets to her feet unsteadily and presses close to my side. I can smell the fear in her scent and just a little fresh blood. I reluctantly turn my gaze away from the guys to assess my friend.

Thankfully, she’s only got a few scratches from the debris and not some gaping wound. None of them are deep enough to truly entice me, and almost all have stopped seeping blood. We descend the bleachers and race towards the still gathered cluster of of Azures and humans, Kazamir now gone. Hale arrives before we reach the others, his jade eyes glowing a steady acid-green. We catch the tail-end of the conversation as we get to the others.

“-they can’t remember any of this.” Blue tells my father firmly, tucking the circular medallion into his pocket and reaching for me with his other hand. I go to his side, instantly soothed by his presence as the contact warms me. I shiver for a second as my body warms back up and my two halves reluctantly come out of hiding. Blue’s arm tightens around my shoulders, his hand rubbing my shoulder comfortingly. Behind us, I can hear Yuri fussing over Darine’s cuts.

“Understood.” Hale nods to Blue, turning to the now unconscious three humans. One by one, Hale kneels over their forms mutters Commands I can’t hear. Still, as the fresh power skates over my skin, I can’t help but cringe back and closer to my mate.

Somehow, I know that this was a potentially horrible situation- a near miss. A situation that could have gone very badly. I silently count my lucky stars and make a mental note to report this to the Ancient. She said she couldn’t really see events where *draki* were involved…and I wonder if this could have been an event we just avoided.