79 Another Ross

Continuation of Dmitri's POV:

Sera walked back out after a few seconds, holding the door for Kara as she stepped out, catching her balance a little. Sera had her in a white dress with gold lace against the white that had rose patterns in it. She was stumbling a bit from the five inch heels that were made to match the knee length dress. Kara walked up to me and gave a smile as she grabbed my arm quickly before she almost fell.

"I told her she could use the flats," Sera mused. "She said she wanted height though." I laughed a little then stood up, looking at her.

"Kara, you could've worn flats. You wouldn't be tripping," I told her and let her hold my arm so she wouldn't fall.

"But...." She trailed off.

"You better go back and slip on the flats," Sera said in amusement. "I don't want you falling down the stairs."

"That wouldn't be good," I purred to her. "Besides, you don't want to hang on me constantly, do you?" I teased lightly, looking her in the eyes.

"No.... I don't think so...." She went back to the closet then to change into the flats. Sera sat back down and picked up her cup of tea. She took a sip from it before looking towards me.

"I'm sure Aurelio and Rei could help you and I'll see about finding those books. Is she going to start living here? I'll have Alfred set her up a room and get her some clothes- pretty dresses and anything else she might want to wear." I nodded and then rubbed the back of my neck.

"I don't know yet Sera," I whispered to her. "The resistance currently has her. They're going to sell her in two months but I snuck her away for a bit."

"Sell her?" Sera asked. "Well Kingsley could buy her. He's done it before. He told me one night he bought a rare polarbare just for Lyle. Only because he knew Lyle would take good care of her and make sure she'd have a happy and protected life." I nodded.

"I could probably buy her too. I bought Toma once... and I have a lot of leverage considering what happened tonight," I told her and sat down beside her. "You do know about the plan, right?" I asked her.

"Of course I know," she whispered. "After all, I'm an old member of the council. Kingsley is on the council too. He doesn't let anything slip up and not tell me about it. After all, I am his advisor. I know what the council planned."

"Yeah, I just became an outpost leader again- the very one where she is being kept," I hummed out, looking towards her. "I could buy her easily with that position."

"I'll give you my card then. In case she's just over your budget- she won't be for mine." She rubbed my hand then. "I don't want to see her go to a bad person." I nodded and then sighed softly.

"They have no clue she's not in her cage. I couldn't stand letting her sit in there by her lonesome," I mumbled to her. "She ended up coming home with me though...."

"She's a real sweet heart," Sera told me as she looked towards the closet. "I don't think I could have let her stay in the cage either. Be good to her, Dmitri." Sera looked towards me. "She's a rare item to come across." I nodded.

"I will," I promised her then frowned. "Sera, just between me and you..." I trailed off as I glanced towards the closed door then looked at her. "Sera, I bit her back at the outpost, and I couldn't help it... and I could taste something under all the flavors of her, but I'm not quite sure what it was but it was so luring to me.... I don't know what it is. Do you think it could just be her blood as a shapeshifter? I mean... I'm not sure," I mumbled nervously, fidgeting.

"I never tried a shapeshifter before," Sera told me. "You'll have to read up on them and ask around if you're so curious to know if it's just her blood or something else.... Do you want it to be something else?" Sera asked. I frowned slightly.

"I'm not sure," I mumbled and then picked at the couch slightly. "I thought she could be my mate after I tasted her, but before I could drink much more after finding the taste, I bit her too hard and I made myself stop...."

"Hmmm," Sera purred as the closet doors opened and Kara bounced out in the flats. I tensed up a little then looked towards her with a smile.

"Hey Kara, is that better?" I asked her softly, dropping it quickly.

"They're a little big," she mumbled.

"Well not everyone can have the same size shoe," Sera mused happily. She sipped on her tea then. I glanced at her then looked at Kara, biting my lower lip before I sighed.

"Kara, I was wondering... how would you like to not go back into the cage and stay with me?" I asked her softly. "You could stay in the room from earlier and come here too with me."

"Will I get food?" Kara asked curiously.

"Uhmm... yeah?" I laughed a bit. "I don't think that should be what you're worried about," I told her. "You know I'd feed you. I just wanted to know if you wanted that... or if you'd rather be sold to someone else." I fidgeted then, crossing my legs.

"I don't want to go back in that cage," she told me and shook her head. "I was trying to make a joke about the food. Of course I'd like the idea of staying with you." I nodded then.

"Okay," I whispered and then held out a hand towards her. "I'll have to buy you then so you can stay with me." She looked towards my hand before walking up and grabbed it, she gave me a small laugh.

"Of course," she purred. I smiled at her then and laughed, pulling her down into my lap and held her.

"You're going to love it," I told her and gently kissed her cheek. "You'll have lots of friends~ and you'll be staying with me- do you want your own bedroom here? I can't do much about at the outpost, but I can sleep on the couch there if we get stuck out there during the day," I hummed out, wanting to plan this.

"I want my own room," she told me and looked towards Sera. "I want a room next to you." I laughed a little and shook my head. What have I started? I ran my fingers through her hair then took my hand away from her.

"We'll see," I told her softly. "Sera can help you find a bedroom."

"I know a room that's empty near mine," Sera told her.

"There you go," I told her and laughed. "You can have all kinds of fun with Sera, and I won't have to worry about a jealous dragon," I purred teasingly. Toma will be pleased if he hears that she isn't going to be near me. He'd allow this much easier.

"We can do each other's nails," Sera suggested and smiled. "I haven't had a best friend in a while that's a girl." I smiled and then gently moved Kara into my spot beside Sera and got up.

"I think I'll go get some blood and maybe head on to my room. There's no point in trying to go back to the outpost tonight to get it all settled. I can do it tomorrow," I told them and gave them kind smiles. "Thank you Sera for helping Kara," I purred to them and then started to head for the door.

"You're leaving?" Kara asked. I paused and then looked over my shoulder at Kara.

"Well, I think that you could use some time to start getting your room set up, and I could use something to eat... and I can't really take care of your situation tonight," I told her softly. "You'll see me again at some point." I smiled towards her then.

"You'll be fine here with me. We can start discussing your room design," Sera told her. "Let him run along and be a male." I laughed then and looked at Sera.

"You make being a male sound so strange," I purred at her and smiled before I looked towards Kara. "You can always come find me if you want something Kara. I don't mind at all... even if you're just wanting to hang out," I purred and walked over again, giving the top of her head a kiss as I gently touched her hair. "I'm only a few hallways over. You should be able to follow my scent."

"If not, I'll take you to him." Sera promised her.

"Okay," Kara said towards me. I smiled and looked down at her.

"You'll be fine," I promised her and rubbed her cheek. "No more cages for you either. I'll go talk to Aurelio about you too and tell you what I find out," I ruffled her hair then pulled back, looking towards her longingly as my fangs ached slightly, but I started for the door, ignoring it. "I'm sure he knows something."

"Let me introduce you to the Vampire Diaries," I heard Sera tell her, the attention going to their conversation instead of me leaving. I smiled softly and left them, going towards the kitchen and got myself a bottle of blood before I headed for the night room to find Aurelio.

"Aurelio, out of curiosity, what do you know about shapeshifters?" I asked, sipping on my blood as I walked in. He was eye locked on the screen, playing a zombie game with Kingsley.

"Shapeshifters?" Aurelio asked. "They're very rare. I know a good bit about them, why?"

"Because we have one," I said casually, walking over to them. Kingsley glanced at me then back at the game.

"Is it the girl Toma was yelling about?" Kingsley asked.

"Yeah," I told him and smiled. "I'm rescuing her, and she doesn't know much about herself at all."

"Well I know quite a few things actually. Shapeshifters don't raise their young because they're afraid that if someone comes after them they'd come after the children as well. So they hide them in other families- they switch them out at birth. Sometimes they give them to unicorns or dragons to help raise them in safety. Shapeshifters have been hunted for centuries, mostly by blood drinkers and ghouls. They're mostly found in the dragon realm. Dragons in the realm agree to raise them only because they know the species is falling to extinction. It's also harder now days for shifters to find their own species because they're all in hiding." I frowned and nodded. So that's why she doesn't know much about herself.

"Hunted by blood drinkers? Is it because of how fascinating their blood is?" I asked softly. Was that what I sensed? Was it a natural desire to feast off her? An instinct?

"Well I heard that shifter's blood runs deep and you can taste everything in their blood, all the species. They're the only way a blood drinker like a vampire can taste what animals taste like without becoming sick and unhealthy. Ghouls eat them because of a similar reason. Shifters are one of the delicious and rare treats out there. Just because you can taste other species without dying." I frowned and gave a nod.

"So say I bit her... and I tasted something luring under that.... It's just her natural blood then?" I asked him. Huh... so it's just how she tastes, nothing more.

"The only luring thing would be if you tasted a siren in her.... Other then that their blood isn't luring- it's just fascinating. I'm surprised you found her."

"I'm rescuing her from the resistance who found her," I explained and then sat down on the couch. "I'm going tomorrow to buy her completely to keep her away from them. She doesn't deserve that life."

"How old is she?" He asked.

"About 19 looking," I told him.

"Did you ask her about where they got her from? She's around the age to be away from a dragon's hoard and on her own. Sounds like she didn't have a good time on her own for the first if she got caught by the resistance." I frowned.

"No, I didn't ask her where they found her. She recognized Toma's dragon scent on me though when I let her out of the cage," I told him softly.

"That's a dead give away she came from a dragon hoard," he told me.

"So she was raised by dragons," I hummed out and tilted my head as I thought about that. Toma might not be happy about that then. He might be worried that dragon tendencies might've rubbed off on her.

"More like protected, hoarded like gold. Sometimes dragons like rare species and will hoard them in their treasure for protection. That's an agreement between the shifters and dragons. Nothing to do with switching at birth or anything. She was handed over to a dragon to be protected. Sounds like he didn't do a good job."

"No he didn't because she was stuck in a cage and now she's hanging out with Sera," I told him and shook my head. "At least she's getting friends though.... I'll have to tell Toma about this."

"Yeah, well she is nineteen so maybe the dragon decided he did his job at protecting her until she was old enough to protect herself," Kingsley suggested.

"Maybe Ross knows about the agreement of protection, I doubt it," Aurelio said in amusement. "He might not know much about that from the dragon realm. It's something common though in my book of spells. I get information about species and their treaties." I nodded.

"That's cool.... Maybe you can look at her tomorrow night and see what you can find out," I suggested then sipped on the bottle of blood. "So do they have mates and stuff like that or do they randomly date like humans?"

"Shifter's bloodlines have to be pure. They can only mate with another shifter to get a shifter. They don't have mates due to the crossing in their blood. I mean it's just like the myth of the hybrid werewolf vampire. It can't run with the moon goddess after death. Shifters have no connection with the afterlife views or fate. They're actually closer to god like my species and.... Calix and Emile are. I'd have to go through the whole order to explain that to you- but they get to choose their mate like I do. Although... Well I've only heard of them mating with another shifter to make sure the species continues instead of dies. There might be that off chance they get paired with someone outside their species." I frowned a bit, sinking down into the couch. That's way too complicated.

"So... I guess that makes sense," I mumbled. I tasted a siren then.... I looked towards the blood and then took a sip of it. The likelihood of anything like that off chance is probably not real. I mean, Aurelio hasn't heard of it. They pick their mates, so I had to have tasted a siren. That's all it was.... I don't think I should allow myself to bite her anymore though. I don't want to taste the siren again and hurt her. "I'll make sure to keep myself from biting her again in case I taste a siren again," I mumbled, swirling my blood around in the bottle. "I don't want to hurt her."

"On the off chance," he begun. "If she was mated to a vampire, I figure it would be hard for the mate to tell because of her different scents smothering each other and the taste. That's a good reason as to why it's never been heard of them mating out of species. It would be impossible to tell."

"Could they tell?" I asked and frowned, just wanting to know out of curiosity. I mean, it was obviously probably a siren. I already had a mate in my life, and even though it's possible for me to have another, I doubt fate would let me find one so soon in my life. Plus, I should've been able to pick up on it a lot better than that, right? It almost blended right in, so it's a siren.

"You know," he looked towards me as they both died in the game. "I heard a rumor running around once that even if they could tell they were mated to someone- say outer species or someone they disapproved of or if they approved of someone instead of waiting for fate to decide- that they could easily change their fate to where they could be mates..... Sort of like fate deciding to have a mate? It was a very crazy rumor I picked up at a bar where this guy was super drunk and spitting it out in an argument. I think they'd be able to tell if they changed forms into- say a vampire that could know who their mate is..... but in human form, no." I nodded then and took another sip of my blood.

"I was just curious," I hummed out and then looked towards the game. "I'll have her come talk to you tomorrow night. I think it would be good for her to talk to you while I'm taking care of the matter of her freedom. She might have a lot of questions." I smirked a bit as I watched them respawn on the game. "She'd want to meet you anyways." He looked towards the TV.

"I'd love to meet her. What's her name again?" He asked curiously.

"Kara," I told him and smiled, looking over at him. "She said her name was Kara."

"Any last name?" He asked me.

"Does it matter? I think it was Gray," I told him. "Yeah, it was Gray."

"Shifters use their keeper's name as their last name. If she was protected by a dragon, odds are the dragon's name was Gray." He said calmly as he glanced at me. I nodded.

"Okay, but we're not returning her," I told him firmly. "He already lost her. We'll give her to Ross if she needs a dragon."

"Of course. But you must understand as long as she keeps using his name as her last, if he hears of her he'll be able to find her that way if he wants to check in on her. Plus it shows other's who is protecting her. Especially if she tells another dragon her last name." I frowned a bit.

"I might tell her that her new last name is Ross," I muttered. "I don't like the idea of another dragon coming around.... Kara Ross doesn't sound that bad."

"See why last names are important?" He asked and chuckled.

"Yeah, Toma would be mad if another dragon showed up. He already isn't happy that Kara can be a dragon," I muttered and then sighed, finishing off my bottle of blood. "I think I will go tell her before I go to bed to take Ross's name. I don't want her to tell someone her last name is Gray and accidentally get a dragon attacking the castle."

"If anything he'd end up coming to visit her to make sure she's doing fine. Though- since we have two dragons here, it would be wise to avoid a third." I nodded and got to my feet, deciding to go tell her that her new last name was Ross.

"I'll go tell her about her new last name.... Toma doesn't need to meet another dragon and get angry," I whispered and headed for the door, leaving quickly. I started back for Sera's room and knocked on it when I reached it, wondering if they had left it or not. Aurelio ran up from behind me and slammed his hand on the door and gave me a serious look.

"I forgot to tell you, before you go giving her a dragon's name you better make sure Ross is okay with it." Aurelio gave me a serious expression. "It's a big question for him to answer. Once she takes his name for her last he'll be obligated to protect her." I tsked. Why didn't he tell me that sooner? I legit walked out the door and he could've told me.

"Okay.... ROSS! I NEED TO TALK TO-" I felt something tackle my feet then and heard Ross growling as he gnawed on my shoelaces. I frowned and looked down at him, scooping him up. "What are you doing up here?"

"I'm not allowed in my treasure hoard," he whined to me, looking up at me pitifully from my arms.

"Looks like you were coming to see Sera," Aurelio said in amusement. "You've got good timing."

"I think Toma is decorating my nest tonight with some things and then going shopping again," Ross whined and then crawled up onto my shoulder. "I can't even see my shiny coins all over my floor!"

"You should ask Toma for some of your coins then," Aurelio suggested.

"Are you boys going to continue to talk outside my door or come in?" I heard Sera ask. Kara giggled on the other side of the door. I frowned then before I opened the door.

"Aurelio, will you be my diamond?" I heard Ross asking Aurelio, leaping off my shoulder and onto his with a purr. "You turned me down last time, but please~"

"I've done told you, I'm not a dragon's treasure! No." Aurelio said calmly.

"Why not?" Ross growled and then started to nip at Aurelio's ear. I laughed as I watched the two of them, shutting the door behind them. Aurelio frowned as he came in the room and started for the couch with the girls.

"Because you've got a more important decision to face," he explained.

"Like what fish is my favorite fish?" Ross purred in amusement. I walked over to them and frowned.

"No, you need to decide whether or not you're willing to protect Kara," I told him. He stopped quickly and then looked towards Kara on the couch. He puffed out some smoke towards her then.

"She's got another dragon's scent," he growled softly.

"Exactly, we don't want another dragon to show up, so you should protect her and let her take your name," I told him. He jumped down into her lap then and looked at her before he crawled into Sera's lap, purring as he nuzzled his head against her stomach.

"Okay, if it means a dragon doesn't come here," he said, going with it rather easily.

"What?" Kara asked. "I like my name." I frowned and looked towards her.

"Yeah, but if a dragon comes looking for you, it won't be good, so you need to take Ross's name as your last one and become Kara Ross," I told her. "He'll protect you."

"Yeah..... but...." She trailed off then. "I feel like I would betray Gray."

"Gray lost you though," I told her and frowned. "Do you want to go back to him?" If that's the case... I might as well take her back. There's no point in keeping her here in two dragon's hoards if she wants a different dragon altogether.

"No of course I don't want to go back... I left to explore not to go back as soon as I left.... Gray didn't loose me.... He's letting me see the world." I frowned at her then and crossed my arms then sighed.

"Fine... but if he comes looking for you, you're going with him," I told her then. "My dragon will get angry quickly if he shows up, and I'd prefer for him to not get hurt."

"I don't want to go if he shows up...." She trailed off and looked towards Ross. "If you don't mind.... Ross.... Then I'll use your name." Ross looked over at her.

"I don't mind. Don't run off," he told her and then purred. "I protect everyone here anyways...." He started to crawl up Sera's dress and got onto her shoulder, nibbling playfully at her ear. Sera smiled and rubbed him on his head.

"Okay.... Kara Ross....." She blushed as she watched him.

"You're so sweet," Sera whispered to Ross. Ross purred loudly at the praise and snuggled up against her neck, nuzzling his face against it as he held his wings tightly to his side.

"I love you too Sera~" He said sweetly to her. I could see him using his fire in him to warm his body up a bit more and keep her shoulder and neck warm.

"You better take good care of Kara," Sera said to tease him. "I don't want to hear about her getting hurt."

"She won't get hurt," he promised her. "She's part of my hoard now~" He licked her cheek sweetly then as he snuggled up closer to her, curling his body around her neck. I laughed a little and looked towards Kara.

"Welcome to the hoard of the dragons," I joked.

"Two dragons too, might I add." Aurelio laughed and started for the door. "I'll be off! I need to get back to the game." He left the room then. I smiled and looked after him then looked towards Kara.

"Thanks Kara. I know Toma will be able to sleep better knowing that there is less chance of another dragon showing up," I told her and kissed the top of her head. "Ross probably will too...." The doors opened suddenly and I could hear Aurelio come back in.

"Before I forget," Aurelio said as he walked up to Kara. "It's a pleasure meeting you and I look forward to telling you what I know about your kind. We'll have to have a talk soon." He gave her a sweet smile and received one back. He left quickly, hurrying back to Kingsley. I laughed and then looked down at Kara.

"Well that should be fun... learning about your kind from Aurelio," I told her and then smiled softly.

"Yeah, I think so." She gave me a sweet smile. "I'd be interested in knowing about my kind."

"I'm glad he's able to help you," I mumbled and then rubbed her cheek before I pulled back. "I'm going to go head to bed before the sun rises," I told her then looked towards Ross. "If you see Toma, tell him I said hi," I purred then looked at Sera. "Goodnight Mrs. Sera," I said politely and then headed for the door. I went out and then headed for my bedroom, humming softly as I ran my fingers through my hair. This should be interesting... taking care of Kara. I laughed and went to my room, preparing for the dawn.