Amber's Fire, Book 3 Of Blood In The Dragon

watching 34

Chapter 34

Ruby POV

I had heard whispers weeks ago,rumors drifting through packs like smoke, that there had been trouble at the kingdom. Someone had tried to take their daughter. At first, I thought it was just gossip. There’s always gossip. But the more I listened, the more it didn’t feel like idle talk… It felt like something was being buried. And I don’t like secrets. I had told my son, Court, about her. Little things at first, stories before bed, soft and harmless. A girl in a kingdom, strong and special. He listened every night, eyes wide, already fascinated with someone he had never met. The other day, I even took him to the market because I heard they might be there. We stayed hidden, tucked into a dark corner, watching. She was there. Skipping beside her parents like nothing in the world could ever touch her. Laughing. Free. Court tugged on my sleeve, excitement lighting up his face.

“I want to go talk to her, Mama.”

But I pulled him back quickly, my grip tightening just a little.

“Not yet, honey… we need to wait. We need to make sure we can do this.”

He didn’t understand. How could he? But I did.Something wasn’t right. So today, I left him at home. This wasn’t something a child needed to be part of, not yet. I moved quietly, slipping through the trees until I reached my usual hiding spot behind a large oak. From there, I could see everything without being seen. At least… that’s what I thought. Everything seemed normal at first. Too normal. Then it happened. My breath caught in my throat as I stared, my heart slamming against my chest. “No… that’s not..” I blinked once. Twice. But it didn’t change.The little girl… she, Oh my goddess.

That wasn’t possible. That couldn’t be possible. A dragon.

A child… shifting into a dragon. My pulse roared in my ears as I pressed myself harder against the tree, trying to stay hidden, trying to think. This wasn’t just rare. This was dangerous. Power like that, this young? And they were hiding it. Of course, they were hiding it.

One of them, his beta, I think, suddenly turned toward the trees. His eyes narrowed, scanning.

Did he see me? My body went rigid. Don’t move. Don’t breathe.

For a second, I thought it was over. But then he turned away.

That was enough for me. I didn’t wait another second. I slipped back, then turned and ran. fast as I could, branches snapping under my feet as I put as much distance between us as possible.If they think they can keep something like that hidden…They’re wrong.

Every alpha deserves to know what I just saw. And if they think they can live peacefully after this? They’re more foolish than I thought.

Levonna POV

Amber and Alpha had a playdate this morning. Drago didn’t want them outside, he’s been on edge ever since everything that’s happened, but the kids begged. And honestly… they deserved a little normal. So we gave in. We were all out there. Joy, Randy, Drago, and me, watching them while they played.

For a while, everything was perfect. Alpha sat in the grass, completely focused on his little trains, making soft noises as he pushed them along imaginary tracks. Amber wasn’t far from him, sitting with her dolls, humming to herself, completely content. It was peaceful. Too peaceful. Because suddenly… it changed. Amber’s body tensed, and before I could even react, She shifted. Nxy stood in her place, larger than the last time, her scales catching the light.

“s**t…”

We moved instantly, all of us closing in around her, forming a wall to block her from any outside view. My heart pounded. She’s bigger… that’s not good. I stepped closer, keeping my voice firm despite the panic clawing at my chest.

“Nxy, we need Amber back. You can’t be seen right now. It’s too early for you to be out.” She growled. My eyes narrowed immediately.

“Don’t you growl at me, young lady. Shift back now. That’s an order from your queen.”

For a second, I thought she would defy me. But then… She whimpered. Her head tilted slightly, and when she spoke, her voice was softer… almost strained.

“I’m sorry, Mama… but I need to. If I stay in for so long, I’ll grow weak. Please don’t be mad.”

My anger melted instantly, replaced with guilt. She wasn’t disobedient. She was struggling. I let out a slow breath, softening my tone.

“Alright, Nxy… I understand. But next time, we wait until we’re inside, okay? It’s safer that way.”

She nodded. Moments later, she shifted back, and Amber stood there again, small, vulnerable.

I didn’t hesitate. I scooped her up into my arms, holding her close.

“Joy, I’m sorry, but..” She cut me off gently.

“Don’t worry. We’ll finish the playdate inside. It’s safer… just in case it happens again.”

I nodded, grateful. But as we turned toward the house, a heavy feeling settled in my chest. Because something didn’t feel right. Like we weren’t as alone as we thought. And if someone had seen…Everything was about to change.