I'm The Dragon King's Slave

Chapter One: Into The Fire

Dragons. These brutal, bloodthirsty shifters have ruled over humans like me for centuries. Their fire means death, but there's one thing I fear more. Becoming one of their slaves. Hold my breath. Don't make a sound. One wrong move tonight... and I'll never be seen again. SMACK!

I hit the floor and taste blood. My face throbs where my father has struck me, like he has so many times before.
"You spilled my good liquor!" My father yells.
"I didn't mean to!" I exclaim, "It was–" He raises his hands at me again, but the thunderous roar of a dragon overhead cuts him off. It's the winter solstice. The one night of the year where the dragons descend... And hunt us. To take us as their playthings.
"God, Lavena, be quiet! Are you trying to get me kidnapped and made into a fucking slave?"
I glare at my sister, Gemma. She fakes a frightened sob to get me in worse trouble.
"You're not the only one in danger." I remind her.
"Who would want you?" Gemma scoffs, "You're just a brother killer who–"
"You know I didn't kill him. He–" I begin to explain myself, but my mother grabs me by my hair, yanking me to look into her cold eyes.
"Shut your mouth, Lavena. One more word and I'll throw you outside." She spits.
I grit my teeth and ball my hands into shaking fists.

I'll get out of here one day. Away from these dragons. Away from this so-called family.

"Lavena! Lavena, help me, please!" My heart stops when I recognize my best friend's voice. She pounds relentlessly against the front door.
"Oh my god, that's Sofia!" I gasp, "We have to let her in!"
My father shakes his head firmly. "Not a chance in hell."
A viscous snarl tumbles behind the door and Sofia screams. Ignoring my parents threats, I sprint for the door, grabbing a butcher's knife off the counter.

Smoke and ash choke me. I move through the inky blackness, dodging bursts of flame from dragons soaring high above.
"Sofia!" I scream, "Where are you?! Sofia, I–" The ground suddenly shakes as two dragons land in front of me, shifting down into their human forms.
"What do we have here? She's a pretty one." One dragon says.
"Yeah, but she's feisty. We'll need to break her in. Teach her how to behave." Says the other.
The hulking dragons grin, laughing viciously as they corner me. I grip the knife with white knuckles, digging my heels into the ground.

There's no way I'm letting these monsters touch me.

With a dangerous glare, I raise my knife. The two men chuckle.
    "You don't want to fight us. You won't last a second." One scoffs.
    "I'll cut out your eyes if I have to." I shoot back.
    "We can't have that." The other dragon says sadly, "How would I enjoy looking at that sweet body of yours?"
I laugh lowly, "The only thing you'll be looking at is your friend bleeding out."

    The bigger dragon lunges for me, and I swing my knife at his face, cutting deep into his cheek.
    "Agh!" The dragon screams, "You little bitch! I'll kill you!"
I brace myself as the huge dragon swings a powerful fist at me... but it stops mid-air. A man twice as strong, as dark and dangerous as the storm-filled sky, slams to the ground in front of me.
    "You damage her, and I'll damage you." The new dragon growls.
    "Alarik, we– we only meant to–" The two smaller dragons stutter.
    "Do I look like I give a damn about your excuses?" The dragon flashes sharp, shocking blue eyes, and the two lowlives back away, fleeing into the night.

    "I had that handled." I say, adjusting the knife in my grip.
    "No, you didn't." The mysterious stranger turns to me, his broad, Herculean frame illuminated by the raging fire.
    "You were foolish to fight them." He says firmly.
    "I didn't start the fight." I shoot back, "But I would have finished it."
The man arches an eyebrow at me.
    "You have quite a mouth on you, human." He says.
I scoff, raising my eyes to meet his.
    "That's not all I have, dragon." I raise my knife again. "I'll fight you, too. Take one more step and see what happens."
The stranger chuckles low in his throat, squaring off with me.
    "Yeah?" He demands, "Prove it to me." He takes a step and I swing my knife as quick as I can. I almost knick him, but he dodges. The force sends me flying forward... right toward a pile of red-hot, burning rubble. I go to catch myself, but with inhuman speed, the man grabs my wrist, pulling me back.
    "I was fin–" But before I can finish, fire erupts in my veins. Right where the man touched me.