Hero looked around his room, everything seemed fine. Well save for the fact that the left side of the bed was covered in burnt sheets. The fire extinguisher in his hands felt empty, “time for another new one.” He sighed, why was it as of late his dragon fire would take a will of it’s own and light the bed he was in? if only he where home he wouldn’t have to deal with this crap.

He thought of his home in South Korea, 4 stories, a basement that hide his lair, every room in the house fire proofed mostly because dragon kind tended to have difficulty controlling their fire when angered and the lords knew if you had more then one dragon lord in a house then things were going to get set ablaze. He sighed again and tossed the extinguisher to the side and looked to his left. A smile emerged from the man that stood there, “Yes, Xiah?” his personal guard had a wicked sense of humor and since this was the third hotel room In the last month he’d set on fire just by sleeping he knew he was in for a few jokes at his expense. Idly he wondered if any of the other Dragon Lords had this kind of issue with their guard.

Xiah nodded toward the clock, “You have 10 minutes.”

Hero cursed and ran out the room, threw on his leather jacket after throwing on a pair of jeans, a silk button up shirt, and grabbed his card key for the room, “Alright lets go.” He ran down the steps where he was met with another guard, this one frowning. “Your going to be late.”

Hero waved a dismissive hand and motioned to the car parked down the street, “Then lets go Siwon.”

Siwon ran a hand though his short hair, glanced up to Xiah who ran out of the building close behind. “’Nother fire.”

Hero sighed, great it was starting already.

 

A long legged brunett stepped off the curb, “What way?” the dog beside her looked up at her and tilted its head, “Um… Wrroo?”

She rolled her hazel eyes, “You can speak now.”

The Giant Mastiff that stood beside her sighed with relief, “Damn Bri I hate when you make me be quiet.”

“Only because you can’t talk about anything but ersion or ask for food.”

“My next demon lord is going to let me do what I want.”

“I pity your next demon lord. Now which way, Micky.”

Micky shoot his giant head again, huge globs of drool slopping every which away, “Your Guardian friend said east at 6^th.” Bri switched shoulders for her bag and looked around then headed around the construction that was in the way of the sidewalk making pedestrians take to the street to pass. She looked down at the paper that was in her hand. “We’re going to be early so if you’re good I’ll let you find a nice store to look around in.”

Micky huffed something about Paris not liking dogs but she paid him no mind, she continued to look over the paper in her hand. She didn’t see anything around her.

Hero looked up as he went to lean in to the car, his nose twitched, “Gold.” Xiah and Siwon both stiffened and looked around, “A lot.” It wasn’t common this day and age for anyone to have real gold on them, much less enough for a dragon to notice even if it was like crack. Siwon motioned across the street, “There.”

Hero looked over at the woman, a large Mastiff walking beside her, “HER.”

Before a mortal could blink he was across the street a few feet from her, from between two cars that were park on the side he reached out and grabbed her arm.

Bri looked up in surprise as a grip of steel grabbed her arm and pulled her in to a brick wall, stunned she just looked at it. Micky barked and ran toward her, “BRI!, BRI you ok?” the wall she’d been pulled in to took a breath, “Demon.”

Bri looked up, hero’s face looked from her to the demon dog then back, “You’re a demon lord?”

She reluctantly pulled herself away from his grasp, he’d been so warm, his breath caressing her hair had felt like silk running over her, he'd smelt so good too, like the midnight summer rain in the forests she missed so much.

"I am." She almost whispered trying to get her brain to work.

Micky sat beside her and looked up at hero, "Want me to bite him?"

Hero's lip twitch, "GO a head and try demon."

Bri took a step between the two of them, "Do not threaten my demon, dragon."

hero let a smile flirt with his lips, "Then i shall threaten you."

"I wouldn't do that, she likes it rough."

"Hush."

Micky's eyes took on a puppy dog look, "But."

"i said silence."

Hero glanced across the street where Siwon and Xiah watched them, "Why is a demon walking around Paris in the form of a dog?"

Micky smirked, "Wow you'd think dragons where smarter then this, I don’t have to answer you. unless my Demon lord commands me to."

Bri smiled, “Excuse me we should be going.” She move to step aside but Hero blocked her, “You have gold.”

“So?”

“I’m a dragon.”

“And?”

Hero frowned she was intentionally doing this wasn’t she? “So you have quite a bit on you, I desire it.”

Along with being able to find gold and other treasure’s easily these items acted not only like an addiction but an aphrodisiac as well. Bri smiled, “And you wont, so if you’ll excuse us.”

 

 

It was then that a door to the shop opened knocking hero backward, the glass slamming against his nose. “OH! Oh my goddess I’m so sorry!” the shock in her face turned to horror when she saw the woman that had been standing with the man she’d hit with the door.

Bri turned and looked at her, “YOU!”

“AW HELL!” She threw her bagged meal at Bri knocking her off balance and ran. Dodging other pedestrians leaping over the road crew and the blockades, “God I hate dragon hunters.”

Bri brushed off the food from her clothing, “Micky! Sickem!”

“I hate when you say that, I’m not really a dog you know.” Micky ran off after the woman that had exited the shop. Hero stood up from the ground and shook his head trying to dislodge the stars that danced around his head. Siwon and Xiah where at his side in a moment. “Hero.” Hero waved them off, “I’m fine, Who was that?”

Bri frowned with Micky gone after that female dragon she now stood in front of 3 dragons, “Just someone I’ve been hunting.” She didn’t hide the fact she was not only a demon lord and a dragon hunter, but that didn’t mean she’d tell three of them what she was. “Excuse me.” She turned and ran off after the female.

Hero looked to his two gaurds, “She was a dragon.” Siwon said as he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket.

Hero frowned at the vacant spot that Bri had been in, “That demon lord...”

Xiah nodded, “Something about her was off.”

After his meeting Hero stood on the sidewalk of the hotel building, “That green dragon pisses me off!” he mumbled to himself as he passed back and forth trying to cool off as Xiah retrieved the car.

Yunho and his personal guard stood a few feet from where Hero passed, “Don’t let him get to you Heechul is just like that.”

“It doesn’t bother you that a war could break out thanks to him?”

Yunho shrugged, “I see no reason the Blue dragons should get involved with a war between that of the green and Black septs.”

Hero frowned, dispite his being the lord of the Black dragons he had always considered the blue dragon lord his friend. “Whatever… HEY! That’s her!”

The black haired woman that had taken off earlier after hitting hero in the nose with the door walked by the hotel, every so often she’d cast a glance behind her. “HEY! HEY! HEY YOU!” Hero ran across the road ignoring the cursing of a taxi driver, “HEY, you’re that woman that hit me with the door.”

She looked at him in surprise, “I’m sorry about that, but erm… I really can’t stay and apologize appropriately.” She tried to keep walking but he grabbed her arm.

“Wait, why was that demon lord after you?”

She blinked at him for a moment, “You don’t know what she is?”

“yeah, a demon lord.”

She shook her head, “No, she’s a dragon hunter.”

Hero cursed, “No wonder she had so much gold on her.”

“Now please, I have to go.” She tugged her arm trying to get from his grasp.

“You’re a black dragon?”

“yes?”

“I have never see you before where are you from?”

“Really I have to go, don’t let her catch you, after she napped Micky from me she uses him to hunt dragons. He really is a good demon but she.. she’s evil, please take care if you meet again.”

She broke from his grip and started forward but ran in to a brick wall, “Oww.” Siwon looked down at her, “If the Black Dragon lord wishes to speak to you as a sept member you much adhere.”

She looked up at Siwon, her heart feel, “Please she’s not far, you have to go, I have to go.” The desperation in her voice grew.

Hero motioned for Yunho, “lend me your guard?”

Yunho smiled at her, “Hello Clara.” Yunho motioned for his guard, “GD, the black lord needs assistance with an unruly member.”

GD took her arm as Siwon took her other arm and escorted her to Hero’s car that had just pulled up. “Now, if you have no further need of my guard we shall return home.” Yunho and GD bowed to the other dragons and strolled away. Well they tried to until they saw Bri and Micky.

“NO! please she’s here you have to let me go!” hero looked around and saw Bri, “Ah, I see her.”

Yunho stiffened, “why hello Caramia.” He said and he held out a hand to take hers and bowed.

Bri smirked, “Dragon.”

She looked around and saw the three men from earlier around a midnight blue car, as well as Yunho and his guard.

Yunho straightened up a smile curling his perfect lips; he assessed her for a moment before frowning.

Bri smiled when her eyes fell on the woman that Xiah tried to help SIwon push in to the car, “Ah, I see you found her.” She turned to her demon with a frown, “You lost her to other dragons.” She hissed in an almost inaudible whisper.

Micky cringed, “Sorry.” He knew hell would break out, his eyes drifted to the woman, a low growl escaped him before he realized. “You still think you could belong to her?” Bri laughed as she walked past everyone toward the car, “You are mine! You will not and cannot protect her now.” The tapped his head in a cruel manner.

Micky hug his head, he hated this woman, yeah she was beautiful, actually she was more than that she was drop dead gorgeous but her soul had been tainted by the dark powers once her home had been destroyed all those centuries ago. “Why don’t you let me have her, she’s not worth the trouble she’ll cause you, dragon.”

Hero straightened up, “Ah, we meet again, dragon hunter.”

The moment the word left his lips all heads snapped up around the hotel steps, most being dragons or their mates. She swore and glanced around, “So little Shida told you?”

Shida, who was no longer fighting the two dragons, hid behind Xiah.

 Xiah and Siwon took a step forward, “What business do you have with a member of our sept?” Hero demanded.

An evil cackle excaped bri’s lips, “Member? Ah so she didn’t say anything important, that is no member of any sept, she is an outcast.”

Hero looked back at Shida, “Is that true?”

“No.. well.. yes.. kinda.”

When several dragons surrounded Bri she smiled, “I’ll get you one of these days, little sister.”

Shida shivered at the threat in Bri’s words still staying close to the car, but once Bri vanished in a puff of smoke she sank to her knees.

Hero grabbed her arm and pulled her up, easily pushing her in to the car and slamming the door before she could protest, “Xiah ensure every one of our sept gets home safely.”

Xiah nodded and walked away, Siwon got in the car after hero go and drove them off.

 

“Explain.”

It wasn’t the explained she hated so much as the tone in his voice, “I.. well.” She looked at her hands, “I am an outlast.”

“so you tried to lie back there.” Hero stood in front of the window in his study, instead of going back to his hotel room he had drug Shida to his home in Korea needing to not only be home but to also not be close to where a dragon hunter was.

“No.. I its just.” She moaned and put her face in her hands, “My parents were cast out, well my mother was, my father he.. he was a mortal.”

“So your half?”

She shook her head, “NO I am a full blood dragon.”

“then that was your twin.”

She nodded. Hero thought about that for a moment, it wasn’t unheard of for a mortal and Dragon to have a full blood dragon, but that meant that dragon would have a mortal twin.

“She was that dragon hunter?”

Shida nodded, her body shook, she wanted nothing more than to go home.

Hero knelt down to where he could lift her chin a bit to meet his eyes from where she sat, “If you are full blood then your mother would have been allowed back in to the sept, why was she not?”

“She would not give up Bri.”

“Ah, now I see, so that made you an outcast as well, well the way I see it is you have no choice but to rejoin the sept now.”

Shida looked up at him, he had stood back up and had resumed his place near the window. “No.”

He spun around, “what?”

“I can’t, but thank you for your offer, can I go now?”

“No.”

Her shoulder’s slumped, “But. Look I appreciate you thinking you where saving me and all but I have dodged my sister for 2 centuries I think I can handle myself at this point.”

Hero laughed, “I did not save you… you are oucast, that means you do not belong to my sept, I have no duty to save you.”

“Then why did you forse me to come here?”

He was so fast she didn’t see him move until she felt herself get pulled in to his arms, “You are a drgaon, a very attractive one at that.”

Shida looked up in to his eyes, black pearls looked at her, as though they sought to inhabit her soul. “NO.” she shoved hard but even with her superior strength she was no match for a Dragon Lord, “Please, please don’t.” her breath became ragged as his lips moved inches from hers, “I.. no..” she tried to make her face turn away but to her horror her tongue ran over her lips. “Please.”

“Please what?” he asked his lips barly touching hers, “Tell me haneul-ui bi.”

“Kiss me.”

He smiled as he obliged her request, his lips took possession of hers, he tongue pushing its way in to .

He tasted like wild berrys and cinnamon, and smelt like heaven, her knees weakened as his tongue explored , she didn’t realized he’d moved her toward the couch once again and leaned her in to it. “Why” she whispered in to his mouth as she let her tongue explore his in return. Once he finally pulled away her, she realized she had turned in to a pile of mush. “You are a mate are you not?”

A little history only dragon lords and their mates have fire, while each member of a sept has a talent unique to that sept only the most important members have dragon’s fire.

The fact that he was the Dragon lord of her mother’s ex-sept meant he was the one dragon she couldn’t lie to, that thought made her blood boil, or maybe it had been that kiss she couldn’t tell anymore.

Her breath was still erratic, and her heart felt like it would jump out . “Please don’t make me.”

Hero moved away a few steps, “You  can’t lie to me but you don’t want to tell me the truth either.”

She nodded slowly, “That is correct.”

Hero smiled and sat down on the couch, motioning for her to do the same. He propped his feet up on the elaborate coffee table that sat inform of the couch, “What about a little game?”

“A game?”

“I’ll ask you a question and you tell me the answer, that way you can pick your words carefully.”

“I’d rather not.”

“If you don’t want to answer at all then just remain silent.”

She slumped in to the couch, “I don’t have a choice do i?”

“No.”

“Fine.”

He watched her for amoment, her black hiar contrasted nicely with pale skin, her black eyes glittered in fear. He knew she was afraid of what he’d ask her.

“You refuse to accept a place on your right ful sept correct?”

“Yes.”

“Are you mated?”

She cringed and remained silent.

“A dragon lord?”

                Silence again.

                “I see, are you happy?”

                “no.”

                “So you desire freedom.”

                “Yes.”

                “But denie assistance?”

                “Yes.”

                Who are you mated to?”

                Silence met his question, he didn’t realize how badly he needed to know the answer until she looked upp at him from the floor. “Please don’t make me answer that.”

                “But you do desire to be free of this mate, correct?”

                “yes.”

                “then why not join your sept and seek our protection?”

                “I can not.”

                “why?”

                She opened but nothing came out, she sighed and looked back to the floor.

                “You are commanded not to speak of this arnt you?”

                “Yes.” Her eyes searched his for a moment, if she could she’d jump at the chance to join her rightful sept and even find a mate she felt was worthy for herself but such a time would never be with in her grasp and she well knew it, she was owned.

                “The demon, that woman said he’d been yours?”

                ‘Yes, when I… I mean, a long time ago in order to obey my mate I was set to become a demon lord as well as a dragon, Bartherto the demon king agreed so that he would have a link to Dragon kind, Micky was granted to me in name and look only I had no real power.”

                “how did she come to own him?”

                Shida figited in her seat as Siwon brought in drinks, “Sorry to interrupt, do you wish me to leave sir?” she noticed his distasteful look towards her.

                “No Siwon, I’d like to have you opinion on this unless Shida minds.”

                She knew from his look it wasn’t a question, so she remained silent until Siwon had taken a seat.

                “Go on.”

                Shida took a sip of the Dragon’s blood drink, the tang and spice quickly calmed her nerves a bit, “five centuries ago my sister, Bri, found out that she could be immortal if she where to become a Demon lord as well. She’d always hated that my parents had favored me over her since I was a full dragon and would one day beable to clear my mother’s name sake.” She studied Hero’s handsom face for a moment. His expression gave her nothing, she realy didn’t know if that was a relief or if it was terrifying. “She petistioned the Demon King and was awarded a place, then as her power grew she was able to do just about anything she desired, by that time I had outlived my usefulness and no one cared that she sought to destroy me… and that which I loved.”

                Siwon cocked an eyebrow at her, “What did you love?” Hero beside him nodded, he held his breath something in him prayed for it not to be the mate.

                “Micky.”

                “That demon?!” both men sat forward and saired at her.

                “That demon is the bravest, and most caring being I’ve known since my parents past away.”

                “Dragons and those they call mate are Immortal.”

                “Unless your ‘mate’ has the murdered.”

                Hero stood up and walked to the window, Siwon sat back and studied her for amoment, until his attention snapped to Hero. “Who is this mate?!”

                She jumped at the anger in his voice, “I can’t.”

                He punched the wall, his dragon fire blazing around him in a show of pure icy blue rage. Shiba’s head fell to her knees she’d pulled up around herself, “I’m sorry.”

                Siwon stood and bowed, “Sir I shall leave to two of you alone.”

                Shida heard the door close but also felt the couch move beside her, hero’s arm went around her shoulder’s and pulled her toward him, making her fall from the position she’d wrapped herself in, “Sir.”

                Hero brushed the Firey tears that feel down her face, “DO not worry, I will challage this mate for you, and you will be free.”

                Shida shook her head, “No.”

                “You think I will not?”

                “I know so.”

                “you do not know me, so you know nothing of what I will do.” His rage flared up again, she was questioning his honor? Or was it his power she questioned?”

                “You would seek to make me trade one prison for another?” she stood up to move away from him, being in his arms was far to much for her to bare. “A prison is still a prison whether it is nice or desolate.”

                Hero stood up and grabbed her arms, “DO you not want to be free?!”

                “If you challenge him I will be yours, what freedom is that?!”

                Hero’s arms dropped to his sides his hands curled in to fists. “You think I would treat you as he does?”

                “No, I know you would not. But…” she hesitated afraid of what she was about to say, “You would make my prison worse.”

                Hero lost any control on his temper he had left, “WORSE! YOU REALLY THINK I’D MAKE IT WORSE?!”

                She cringed from the sheer volume of his voice, the way his fire spread around him. Her hand lifted his to her chest, his fire immediately died down, a sure sign that she really was a dragon lord’s mate. “You felt that kiss, you felt my heart it does just as it does now, my breath quickens, my heartbeat grows erratic when you are touching me, however nice a prison it would be it would still be one. A prison of my heart.”

                Hero’s hand pulled back from her as though she where a leaper, “Prison of the heart?” he said quietly.

                She nodded, “I want to be free, not just of the crule lord I must serve but of all things.”

                Hero sat on the couch, “Go.”

                “Thank you.” She turned to leave but stopped at the doorway, “And… thank you for understanding.”

               

                Siwon entered the room after the front door slammed shut behind Shida, “Sir?”

                “Yes?”

                “Xiah is back, Yunho looked in to that woman.”

                “And?”

                “The dragon twin was promised to a dragon lord 4 centeries ago, the mother was so desperate to be back in to a spet but retain both sisters that she promised her to him, but instead of doing as promised he murdered that family, she was a pon, as he desired the other sister but as she is mortal without her being a dragon or a mate then she could not be in the sept for him to have.”

                “What dragon.”

                Siwon looked nervously at Xiah who stood in the hallway, “The green Dragon.”