dragons breath 01 - stalked by flames by susan illene Page A

to kill him in this form that I did when I saw him as a dragon? Sure, my alarm bells were ringing at the sight of him, but not to the point I lost control of myself. With Aidan appearing mostly human, my feelings were more cautionary like anyone would feel when a dangerous man approached them.
    “Do you know this guy?” Conrad asked, giving me an incredulous look.
    “We met once.”
    Conrad grabbed my arm and yanked on it. “Let’s get out of here. There’s something wrong with this guy’s eyes.”
    “Leave, human, if you wish to remain alive.” Aidan was now only five feet away from us. His right fist was clenched as if he was about to use it.
    I pulled out of Conrad’s grasp. “Go put the groceries in the truck. I’ll meet you out there in a few minutes.”
    “No way.” He shook his head. “This guy looks crazy. I’m not leaving you here so you can end up like that dead guy in the back.”
    I let out an exasperated breath. “I’ll be fine. Just go!”
    Conrad didn’t move.
    “You test my patience, human,” Aidan growled.
    “Don’t mess with me.” Conrad lifted his arms and one leg like he was going to kick out. “I know karate.”
    Sometimes I had to wonder if he had a death wish. Aidan lunged forward and took Conrad by the throat, lifting him into the air. The younger man clawed at the shape-shifter’s hands, but couldn’t get free. An acrid scent reached my nose as if something was burning.
    “Let him go, Aidan,” I demanded, pulling on his arm. “You’re hurting him.”
    He turned his yellow-eyed gaze on me. “This human is disrespectful and weak. You have no need of him.”
    I pulled my pistol and aimed it at his head. This was the first time I’d ever pointed a weapon at a person…or at least someone that looked like a person. But I couldn’t stand by and let him hurt Conrad.
    I gave him a cold look. “I said let him go.”
    “Try it,” he encouraged, flashing teeth with pronounced fangs.
    I swallowed. It was easy to pull a gun, but harder to pull the trigger. Conrad made choking sounds and the stench grew worse. My nose twitched. It smelled a lot like skin burning and there appeared to be steam coming from Conrad’s neck. Did the dragon shape-shifter’s touch burn flesh?
    “Let. Him. Go.”
    Aidan’s eyes turned cold. “No.”
    My hand shook, but the barrel wasn’t more than three feet from his head. Even this nervous I couldn’t miss. I sighted on his nose and pulled the trigger. The bullet struck his forehead and jerked his head back before zinging away. Glass from a light fixture over a cash register shattered. When Aidan looked down on me again, there was nothing but a small gash on his head.
    “What the…?” My jaw dropped.
    With his free hand, he rubbed the wound, smearing blood across his forehead. He hardly winced. How could he still be alive?
    “Tough skull,” he answered.
    I aimed at his chest and fired several more shots. Aidan jerked and grunted, but he didn’t fall or let go of Conrad. What the hell kind of clothing did the dragon shape-shifter have on? Other than some indents in the material it appeared unharmed.
    “Are you finished?” he asked.
    I glared at him.
    “Put your gun away and I’ll let your friend go.”
    “What if I don’t believe you?” I asked.
    “He’s got minutes before I’ll burn through his neck. Are you willing to take that chance?”
    I hesitated but lowered it.
    His eyes narrowed. “I do not wish to see it at all.”
    Gritting my teeth, I tucked it into the back of my pants. Aidan released his grip, letting Conrad fall to the floor. I rushed over and kneeled next to him as he crouched on his hands and knees, gasping for air. His throat hadn’t been burned through, but his normally dark skin was pink with pus from where Aidan had gripped him. The burns looked similar to touching a hot pan for too long. It took Conrad a minute to catch his breath. I rubbed his shoulder, not knowing what else to do.
    “Was that really