Fang tickled my neck beneath the scales. I ground my teeth. Okay, maybe infuriating wasn’t the right word. Every time the Dreambitch popped into my head, my pulse raced, and both my beast and monster leaped to attention. They wanted her there. They also wanted her, period.
And that scared the fucking hell out of me. Me, who wasn’t afraid ofanything.
That her words and thoughts could pop into my mind due to something I had done, and done voluntarily, only made it a thousand times worse.
I’d put her there.
She must be asleep now. I’d not sensed anything from her for a while. What had last pulsed at me along the link had not been good. Was she sick from the Dragon virus? All I had to work on were rumors—and those said that while some barely reacted to it, others didn’t survive the transformation.
Mate,both my monster and beast kept insisting. My anger flared, provided with its true focus. They’d bloody kicked me and her into the abyss by sinking my teeth into her. Now we were both seriously fucked.
My only solution seemed to be to run. As soon as this was over, I was going to put as many miles, and realms, between her and me as I possibly could.
The thought generated a storm of protest from within that I brutally choked off. Not an easy task, as the beast was, at the moment, fully expressed. My wings spread in an arc over my body, and a low hiss escaped my jaws.
Something winged by overhead.
The distraction was welcome. My Dragon eyes scanned them as they passed—something about a few seemed familiar, but seeing how I’d met so many pinions in my time with Brock, that was not unusual.
They vanished in an instant. Were they landing nearby? Many Dragons preferred sleeping outside to being confined in the smoke-filled, crowded inn.
I just hoped they kept to themselves. I was in no mood for company.
I was never in a mood for company.
My stomach growled. If I’d just blasted the bloody fish, I’d have eaten by now. Marcus had seriously screwed with my brain.
I’d just poked the steamed fish with an exploratory claw when I became aware that I was no longer alone.
They stepped from the surrounding forest, eyes glowing gold and bronze against the shadows. Dires, in beast form, with their long tongues hanging down and their gazes fastened on me.
I snorted steam. “Fucking wells gets lost.” They’d be nutzoid to mess with me. I could wipe them from the face of this realm in the first few minutes.
So, I ignored them, returning to my fish. Which was when the first dart shot from the darkness to sink into my hide.
It hurt, damn it. By the time I spun, snarling, a dozen more had followed in its path. Their tips must be crystal, or they’d never have penetrated my scales.
I roared, more indignant than angry. That any mere mortal could think to drug and capture me was ludicrous. These bastards had no idea what they were dealing with—my healing ability disabled most drugs before they had a chance to do anything at all.
My wings were useless in this forest. I could have launched for the sky, but the Deranger in me wanted blood.
It wasn’t until I charged at the Dires that I noticed the figures darting away through the bushes—human forms, holding the dart guns against their chests. The braver ones stopped to shoot more at me. A few sank home.
It spurred me on. They underestimated how fast I could move while supposedly under the influence of their fucking drugs. I snagged a Dire with my claws and ran right over him, shredding him as I did so. Then I lunged sideways and caught a human form in my teeth.
The energy released by their deaths flowed into me, and the Deranger soaked it up. I took out another Dire frantically dodging through the trees, and hooked a foreclaw into the cloak of the next human form running beside him.
I’d just dropped him from my jaws when the first pain ripped through me. Savage and piercing, it drove the breath from my body. I almost collapsed, but pushed myself upright, only to have another wave nearly drop me to the ground.
I’d never felt such pain, not even when swords had been run clear through me. It took all my strength just to snap at the Dires that now closed on me, ripping at my legs with their sharp teeth.
They couldn’t penetrate my scales, but they leaped for my wings to shred the sensitive membranes. I shrieked at them, trying to spin and snap, but another spasm lanced through me—
It took the strength from me, and even the Deranger couldn’t power through it. For the first time in my life, I was trulyvulnerable.I twisted, desperately trying to get them away from my wings, but my legs failed me.
A tiny fuzzy form emerged from her protective scale pocket and launched herself at the closest Dire. For once, Fang aimed true, landing on the beast’s shoulder before sinking her fangs into his neck.
He screamed and immediately spasmed, falling to the ground. I flung myself forward, trying to grab her—but she was on a mission. She leaped to another, and bit him, too.
