Read Loyalty: A Dragon Shifter Menage Serial (Seeking Her Mates Book 4) for Free Online

to build up behind them under the heavy sunless sky.
    Out of the corner of her eye she spied movement in the clouds above: a seagull, perhaps, though it would be rather far inland. No. This was something larger: a vulture, flying about under the low covering. She could see it now, its wingtips spread as it flew in uneven circles, inspecting the world below.
    “That’s strange,” she said, slowly registering its movements. As she spoke the bird seemed to dive, a manoeuvre which was uncommon for vultures, known more for profiting off the kills of others than for attacking stray animals. Speed was not their strength, after all.
    “What is it?” asked Graeme, leaning over to take a look.
    “A vulture,” she said. “He must have seen something down here.” As she spoke the words, she felt her mind at work once again, recalling who and where she was. A dragon shifter, the target of many a living creature; not a simple human woman riding a train in a state of bliss. The fire-breather inside her began to pace, impatient with her failure to react rapidly, aching to make an appearance to pre-emptively take on any threat coming at them.
    Of course, Lily thought, wanting to slap herself. The creature diving at them like a fighter plane was no common bird.
    “Well, this is unfortunate,” said Conor. “He’s one of them, and he knows we’re here. He’s coming for us.”
    A moment later a light thud sounded on the roof of the train car, soft enough to seem to the untrained ear like luggage being tossed about according to the natural movements of the vehicle.
    “He’ll get in,” said Lily. “Somehow.”
    “What of it?” said Graeme. “A vulture shifter is no match for us.”
    “No, but look around,” said Lily, panicking as her mind attempted to solve the dilemma that now threatened them. “We’re in a tiny compartment, not exactly ideal for three huge beasts to rear their heads in defence. Besides, he could have other abilities; it would be foolish to keep ourselves confined to this little prison.”
    “Well, let’s not forget that we three have a few tricks of our own,” said Graeme, recalling his newfound gift for mind control, and his more honed skill of making objects move through the air without the use of muscle. “And I know where the luggage is stored. I saw a few very hard, very heavy pieces that would make excellent cannon fodder.”
    “You wouldn’t,” laughed Lily, reassured by his confidence.
    “Try me.”
    The three grabbed their packs, which they’d kept close at hand during the trip, and slid out of the compartment stealthily, making their way towards the front of the train. As they approached the passage which connected their car to the next they heard a door slide open behind them.
    “He’s here,” whispered Conor. “He’s alone, but somehow that doesn’t reassure me.”
    Lily turned and looked. At the end of the narrow passageway stood a tall, thin man with greasy hair and a stooped back which made him look as though he were hunched unnaturally forward. He was making his way towards them, a shiny object in hand.
    He has a gun, she thought, and Conor nodded in acknowledgment, without turning to look.
    Graeme, do you hear me? he asked, his mind focused entirely on the red-headed man who was now assessing the ammunition on the luggage rack.
    The red dragon shifter nodded slightly, acknowledging. Conor’s communications were coming more clearly now, their mutual powers strengthening.
    Disarm him.
    Next to them stood a series of metal shelves used for storing oversized luggage.
    “Move, get behind me,” Graeme said quietly. He wondered for a moment if he could employ the mind-control trick on the vulture shifter, but now was not the time for such experiments. If it ended badly, it could mean a serious wound or death.
    Lily and Conor moved by him slowly and stood by the door as Graeme’s body served as a barrier between them and the would-be assassin.
    Unfortunately, the vulture took