Page 28 of Stryker
“Like I said, you want her, come get her.” I scanned the crowed, seeing how off-balance they all were. Nobody seemed to know what to do. It would have been comical if things weren’t so serious. Kat continued to try to pull free of me and I refused. I knew what she’d do; she’d offer herself and try to spare me.
If I lost her, if I lost another person I could have protected, though, it would destroy me. I’d rather die fighting for her. I’d rather my death mean something. So I’d go down fighting for her.
“You all seem confused; so let me make this clear.” I spoke slowly and carefully so even the dumbest ones could get it. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe. From the thugs that tried to kill her or from you.” I snorted, fury filling my being. My dragon would not be swayed from protecting his mate. “Seems like you’re all the fucking same after all. Bunch of low-life criminal scum scared of your own shadows. At least the Doubletap bastards have the honor to list someone’s crimes before offing them.”
Of course I knew that insulting them wouldn’t help my case, but fuck, I had to do something. I wouldn’t let them just kill us quietly.
With an angry growl, the leader jumped toward me, shifting in air.
15
Kat
“Stop!” I ripped off the blindfold and screamed the words at the battling dragons.
The dragons tangled and someone grabbed me. I pulled toward Stryker as the other dragon got a claw in him and dragged it, tearing flesh open and leaving a gaping wound. But in taking that shot, the other dragon didn’t realize he opened the perfect shot at his throat. Stryker’s teeth clamped on the black and blue dragon’s throat.
The guy that grabbed me covered my ears and suddenly a piercing noise sliced through the air. I dropped to my knees, my vision flashing white as both dragons crashed to the ground.
When the hands left my ears, the sound was gone, but a faint ringing still echoed through my brain. Freed, I crawled on my knees toward Stryker’s dragon form. He was still, too still.
“Stryker!” I shrieked his name, my heart shattering in my chest as my mad scramble to him ended with me throwing myself against him. His ribs inflated and the loud sound of his breathing filled my grateful ears.
I ran my hands over him and clung to him, my tears flowing freely.
“Come, girl.” One of the men gestured me in a kindly voice. The guy could be extra for any Norse god movie with his powerful, strong-boned face. His lips were full and his arms were beefy. He looked like he could rip me into two halves if he wanted to.
“Help him!” I refused to let go of Stryker and the man seemed to hesitate, his brilliant golden eyes on me. A slight breeze ruffled his shoulder-length brown hair and he glanced at another man out of the corner of his eyes.
“He’ll be fine. We knocked them out to protect both of them.” He offered his hand and the rest of the dragons watched. “It’s time.”
“Do it right here. I want to be near him. Please.” The last word shredded my throat and pain exploded through me. After all of this, I’d assumed we’d win. I’d been so sure that we’d prevail. That Stryker would be able to appeal to them, that they’d see reason, that maybe we could run.
But as the group half-circled around me, I knew if I ran, I’d be caught and die out in the woods somewhere far from anyone that loved me or cared. So I made my stand. If this was the end, I wanted it to be near someone that gave a damn about me.
I glared defiantly at the man.
He sighed, shoving a hand through his hair. “This isn’t personal. It’s just business.”
I nodded, my throat aching like I’d just swallowed a billion angry bees. “I know.” I couldn’t do more than whisper. Without another word, I curled into Stryker’s side, listened to his steady breathing and relaxed even though my head was screaming at me to fight, to run, to try.
I wrapped an arm around him. His steady heart was beating against mine and I drew strength from it as the man approached me like I might snap at him at any moment. I touched near the injury running down his side and pulled my hand away red with his blood. “You have to get through this,” I whispered, praying he could hear me.
I placed my bloody hand over my heart, leaving the mark on my skin. And I waited. I waited for the hunter approaching me to destroy me. I waited for the swift darkness to consume me. I waited for everything to end and as I did, I thought about my parents. I thought about Stryker’s smile, his touch. I remembered him sitting in a stay ray of sunlight. I didn’t remember his exact words, but I remembered how he made me feel.
Safe. Protected. Validated. Important. Loved.
“Kat!”
I knew that voice and I turned to find the blue-eyed dragon that had confronted us the day before walking toward me. “Draco.”
“When Stryker found you that day, did you happen to see this woman?” He held up an image of a beautiful woman and I instantly remembered the model-pretty, blue-eyed woman that had saidHito me as I passed her on the sidewalk on my way home.
“I did.” I met his gaze, recalling the way she’d lifted her head and smiled at me, a sparkle in her eyes.
“Describe her. What was she wearing?” His eyes narrowed and he stepped closer to me, but he didn’t need to be threatening. Stryker had expressed fear the woman was in trouble, so I’d offer information to help them help her.
I knew they wouldn’t hurt her. I was in jeopardy because I slipped between the cracks. The proper channels were not taken to save me. And while I was grateful I’d been saved at all, I understood that this was how things had to happen.
