I blinked my huge eyes at the vampire on my snout. No, not vampire,Locke. They were Locke, Asher, Kade, and Darian. My stomach plummeted as I realized what I’d almost done. I’d nearly killed them. Had nearlyeatenthem. But it wasn’t them that hurt me; it was Warrick. And now my thoughts of burning the city were replaced with my desire to protect my treasures.
Because that was what these males were. They were my treasures, mymates,and I had to keep them safe.
Dipping my head, I speared down from the clouds with all four of my males on me. Down we flew until we were soaring through the mountains and over forests and valleys. I wouldn’t go to the mountain of the monsters, the one where I’d spent my first few nights in Katakin, but another, smaller mountain jutted out of the earth not too far away, and I circled around it before I found what I was after.
A cave.
“Where is she takin’ us?” Asher shouted.
“It doesn’t matter. We’re away from the city, so it’ll have to do for now,” Locke answered.
Dropping low, I flapped my wings, slowing our descent, then I tucked my wings in as we soared into the dark cave and my taloned feet scraped across the cool stone. Walking straight to the back of the cave, I checked to make sure it was empty before curving back around.
Locke, Darian, Kade, and Asher jumped from my back, the four of them facing me, their muscles tense as if they were ready to dart out of the way if I tried to turn them to ash.
Treasure.The word echoed in my mind again.
My treasure.Mine to keep. Mine to enjoy. I roared again, but this time, it wasn’t a cry of anger. It was a roar of possession. A declaration to the world that these males belonged to me.
Stalking forward, I lowered my head, aiming for Locke. His dark eyes were wary, but he didn’t move as I sniffed his legs and lifted my snout all the way up to his eyes. I breathed on his face, and his black hair ruffled from the gust of air.
“Well, at least she’s no longer tryin’ to eat or kill us,” Asher said with a grin, and I turned my attention to him next, giving him the same treatment I’d given Locke. He chuckled as my snout lifted one of his arms into the air. Next was Darian, and my hot tongue darted out to taste the side of his face.
Sweet. Delicious.
“I’m not so sure she thinks we’re off the menu,” Darian commented with a smile, remaining deathly still while I continued to sniff him.
A growl came from Kade then, carnal and possessive, and desire flared low in my belly. It was the growl of an alpha challenging his mate, and my gaze shot to him with interest. “It’s not eating she has in mind,” Kade said. “She’s a newblood. We’ve never had a dragon shifter before, but I imagine she has many of the same instincts as other shifters. She’s going to want to test the limits of her power.”
I eyed Kade curiously, wondering what he would do next. I knew I was Raine. Knew I wasn’t just an animal, but my creature still ruled my body, and the need to assert my dominance rose inside me. Another growl rumbled in my throat, and Kade’s eyes darkened as he answered my growl with another one of his own.
“Change back, Mahare. You have nothing to prove, and you already know we’re yours,” the wolf shifter said, not taking his golden eyes from me.
Asher cleared his throat. “What he said.”
Power ran through me, and I flexed my muscles. I liked this. Enjoyed feeling invincible like there was nothing in this world that could stop me. But…my nostrils flared as I scented my males again. There was something I wanted more than power. I wantedthem. My treasures.
“Focus on calming your mind, and picture yourself in your human form again. Push back that animalistic part of you,” Kade coached, and this time, I tried to listen. I wanted them but not while I was a monster. What had the males called me?Adragon.
I snorted out more smoke and strained my mind, trying to suppress my creature. I pictured myself in my human form, with my smaller frame, fiery red hair, and amber eyes.Not a monster. I’m not a fucking monster, I chanted in my mind, but nothing happened, and I grunted in frustration.
Locke stepped closer to me, and there was something like sorrow in his eyes as he stared at me. Sorrow but also awe. “It’s not about suppressing your monster; it’s about accepting it.”
Accepting it?I thought about his words and refocused my mind. This time, I coaxed my dragon to the back of my mind. I reminded my creature that she’d get another chance to come out and play soon. I was skeptical that it’d work, but to my relief, within a matter of moments, my body was shifting and shrinking.
Asher sighed heavily when I was completely back in my human form, his shoulders slumping with exhaustion. “You all right, sweetheart?”
I didn’t stop for small talk. Desire coiled inside me, and I strode to Kade who was the closest, and smashed my lips against his.My treasure.Kade wound his arms around me and let me dominate his mouth like he knew just what I needed in that moment. My hands slid lower on his body, but he grunted in pain as my hands passed over his ribs.
Jerking back, I took a step away from him as my gaze fell to his chest. A large purple bruise marred his muddy skin, stretching across his chiseled torso, and my eyes grew wide. I wanted my treasures, but I didn’t want to cause them pain.
“I’ll be fine,” Kade murmured, but scratches covered his body, and I winced as I wondered how many of them had come from riding my back while he was butt naked. The idea would have been humorous if the after-effects didn’t look so damn painful. My gaze swiped from Kade to the others, and I swallowed hard. As a dragon, I hadn’t realized how beaten and ragged they were.
Blood and gore covered Darian and Asher, the black smeared across their faces and matted in their hair, and Locke’s clothes were torn like something had tried to claw him to death.
The sight of them had memories of Warrick driving his blade into my leg rising to the surface, and my hand shot to my thigh. I pressed my fingers against the bare skin, but the wounds were no longer there.
Darian came forward with a look of concern, and he lifted my shaking hand as he scrutinized me. When he finished his inspection, his gaze settled on my face, and he pulled me close to him. “Thank the devils you’re in one piece.”
