****

Karli stood inside the cage of claws, her body hot, and her mind going numb.  She felt like she was having an out of body experience, as she was no longer in control of her own limbs, her own awareness.  She saw the twins across the space, their hard bodies at the ready to attack the beast.  And she wanted them.  More so than she wanted to breathe.

Grasping one of the dragon’s claws, she watched as her fingers lengthened some, sharp claws extending from the tips.  A wave of desire hit her, and she felt her panties dampen.  A low growl formed in her chest, she needed Ryden and Rayne, they were the only ones who could make the need go away.

Her whole body ached, centered at her core.  Ryden was talking to the beast, but in her jumbled mind, she could not understand what he was saying.  He was moving much too slowly, he was not killing the beast; he was not coming for her.  If the two did not rescue her now, did not bend her over and shove their cocks into her immediately, she knew she would die.

Karli looked down at her hands, watched as they elongated more, her claws now at least six inches long.  Anger filled her blood, she needed out of the cage, she must have her men.

Now.

Raising her claws to the underside of the palm above her, she dug her fingers into the soft flesh she found there.  The roar that followed nearly burst her eardrums, but the cage was lifted and she ran to Rayne, clasped into his arms as she turned to watch one of the darker headed males throw Ryden a long gleaming silver sword.

Before she could blink, Ryden had the sword unsheathed and struck through the muzzle of the beast, twisting it in an attempt she assumed was to hold back the dragon’s fire.  Two more of the dark haired ones surrounded on either side, drawing marks into the air that glowed blue around the beast.  The single dark Berserker stepped under the belly of the dragon, implanting a sword deep in its belly, a rich stream of golden blood spewing out, coating his feet.  Rayne pushed Karli behind him, as he grasped a sword and ran ahead into the fray.

Karli dropped to her knees, the need to mate swelling over her once more.  The want burned deep within her as she watched her men protect her.  She felt a pulse of energy leave her, and she felt the growl within her.  Rayne stopped before her, turning to return her call.  Just then, the dragon’s claw swiped at his chest, leaving four identical red slash marks in its wake, his crimson blood dripping down his ribcage.

All the men jabbed at the beast as Rayne sunk to the ground.  The shock and terror of seeing Rayne struck down was like ice water to her fiery libido.

Karli ran to him, and drug him away from the raving animal, trying to be as careful as she could with the claws on her fingers, nesting his head on her lap.  Hearing a vicious scream, she saw the beast had been stuck in the chest, but the Berserkers were not done with it.  Silver flashed in the form of steel, winking in the light from the surrounding electric torches assorted through the space.

Flapping its wings, but getting nowhere, the great beast attempted to roar, but the sound welled in its throat because of the sword still embedded in its muzzle.  Lifting from the ground, it fell back to its hind legs, the power of flight seeming to have failed the creature.  Desperate, the animal flailed out, striking one of the dark haired ones casting spells into the night air. Fortunately, he rose again, his fingers working even more feverously to work through the warm night air.

Suddenly, the more they struck, the more the beast shrank in size.  The figure of the animal twisted and contorted, arms and legs constricting, a more human form taking shape.

Suddenly, B was at her side.  The woman pulled a bag from under her dress, and held her hand over Rayne’s open wounds.

“No!”  Karli pushed B’s hand away, hovered over his body, growling her beware.

“Karli, rest easy, it is just an herbal poultice; it will aid him in regenerating faster and save him from the poison within the dragon’s claw.”

Karli looked down at Rayne’s chest, seeing the wounds already festering, the marks ugly and swelling.  Nodding her head, she hoped the crazy woman knew what she was talking about.

B sprinkled the herb mixture over the wounds while chanting a few words Karli wasn’t sure the origins of, and to her amazement, she watched as the skin stitched back together, healing itself until only light pink welts remained.

“How?”

“Just a little magic.”  B hummed as she pushed the poultice bag back under her dress, flattening it under her dress.  “I knew it would come in handy, today being the Nave and all.”

Karli’s eyes spread wide.  Perhaps B isn’t as crazy as we all thought.

“But like I told you, Karli, these men, good for nothing.  Look, they already bring in dragons to my park and put us all in danger.  They should know better.”  Karli felt her mouth drop at the nonchalant attitude B exuded, as if it were any other day and there wasn’t a battle with a dragon happening right before her. “I warned you.  I’m outta here. I’m not staying around to see what other beasts they might have following them around.  Plus, I need one more trip on the Snarling Wolf to make my Halloween complete.  I wanna be on it when the fireworks are going off, and since half the park is here looking at this craziness, the line should be shorter.  Tootles, toots.”

Karli shook her head as B left the scene.  She looked down at Rayne, who was starting to come to.  After a few moments, his eyes opened, immediately going to hers.  “You are unhurt?”

His first concern was with her, not for the gaping holes that had just been in his chest.  “I think you were the one in a little more danger, Rayne.  I’m fine, and now you are too.”

He sat up a little, looking down at his chest, spreading a wide hand over the marks, now just mere scratches.  “How?”

“Ahh…just a little magic.”  The smile he gave her brought the lust back tenfold and she knew she needed to get away from him, or she would impale herself on him then and there, surrounded by the crowd.  Pushing the lust aside, which was no easy feat, she struggled to her feet.  Stepping closer to the being on the ground, she inhaled deeply.

David.

She had never felt right around her boss, and now she knew why.  Intuition was an incredible thing, but she just wished she had realized sooner.  Karli had little recollection of how she got from her office with David to the grip of the dragon, but she now realized it was all one in the same.

Ryden’s sword was implanted in the center of David’s chest, his eyes glazed over, fixed on Karli.

“You were…supposed…to be…mine.  Karli.”  David rasped out, blood trickling from his mouth, sliding down his neck as he reached one hand out to her.  “Promised…to me.”

A shiver slid through Karli as she cringed inward, the thought of his touch repellant to her more now than it had ever been.  She looked into his eyes as he realized she refused his touch, and the light began to fade from his gaze.  As the glimmer extinguished, David’s body began to smoke, erupting into a flash of fire, turning to ash within seconds.

Karli watched the scorched earth in front of her, a numbness rolling over her.  She barely moved when the crowd of Scream Town guests erupted in a single cheer.  She looked at Rayne and Ryden, both of their eyes large as they looked over the crowd.

A few teenagers had stepped closer to look at the ashy spot that had once held David’s remains.

“Best freaking Scare Town, ever!”

“Ah-maze-ing.”

Karli watched as the teens wandered away, shaking her head.  Laughing to herself, she realized the crowd thought that this was just part of the night’s entertainment.  Wouldn’t they be disappointed next year!

As the crowd began to disperse, she felt the wave of heat hit her.  She had been fighting it all night, and her brain and body felt the exhaustion that the night’s events had.