Chapter Three #3
Guess they weren’t going to make it out of the dark forest unscathed.
“What are those things?” Wylder squeaked out.
Dario squeezed Wylder hard before letting him go. “Brace for an attack.”
The beasts moved as a pack. They were pure black, panther-like, but with tentacles sprouting from their shoulder blades. Their fangs glistened under the low light that peeked through the canopy of the dead branches.
Beside him, Wylder dropped into a low crouch.
“Don’t run,” Alek said quietly. “They will catch you.”
Stepping away from his mates, Dario began to undo the buttons of his shirt.
“What are you doing?” Wylder demanded.
“Helping in the only way that I know how,” Dario explained. He pulled his button-down and undershirt off then kicked off his shoes.
“Dario?” Mitch asked.
“Keep them off me for a few minutes,” Dario told him.
“Got it,” Mitch agreed.
Mitch stepped forward, twirling his sword. Behind him, Alek had two long daggers. Good weapons, but these beasts were feral. Fergie had told Dario stories of the carnage they could cause.
Removing the rest of his clothes, Dario called on the magical orb deep inside his core. He pulled at the pulsing light until the transformation began to overtake him.
Through the haze of magic, Dario watched as the first beast lunged for Mitch. In one solid swing, Mitch separated the beast’s head from his body. That didn’t deter the rest of the beasts.
The battle began.
For three minutes, Dario was helpless, doing anything to help his mates as they engaged against a full attack.
Wylder was moving fast, dodging out of the way of sharp claws and fangs. By Wylder’s side, Alek was swiping his daggers at every beast that came for him and Wylder.
The ground became farther away as Dario’s dragon form grew.
He rose and rose until his head crashed through the branches. This wasn’t the best place to shift but Dario had no choice when his mates were in danger.
Mitch spun, taking on three of the beasts at one time.
Dario’s mates were fighting for their lives and he was impatient to finish his transformation. The bigger the shifted form, the longer it took. Dario had witnessed Theo shift into his Maine Coon cat in just seconds.
As soon as the magic throbbed inside him, Dario stepped forward, making the ground under his massive feet rumble.
The beasts backed off but it was too late for them. They had attacked Dario’s mates.
With a thrust of his tail, Dario knocked the three beasts away from Mitch. Leaning down, he chomped on another beast that had been targeting Wylder.
Had these monsters attacked Theo as well?
Would they find Theo bloody or dead farther into the dark forest?
Anger filled him as Dario spat the chewed beast into the tallest tree beside him. He attacked. Utilizing his dragon’s need to avenge their mates, Dario let his animal side reign.
These beasts had dared to attack them.
Even now Dario had no idea where Theo was or his condition.
Whoever had taken their shifter would pay, just like the beasts of the dark forest that thought it was smart to try to take Dario’s other mates from him!Slashing, biting, decapitating heads, and pulling off limbs, Dario went after the beasts with all his pent-up rage.
It wasn’t fair! He wanted to scream. Instead, his roar shook the entire dark forest.
Dario had waited a very long time to find his mate.
And he was lucky to have four men that he was already starting to love.
Aleksander, his serious and stern vampire plus that had lived with the knowledge of being chosen for his entire life.
But Alek had a soft side too. Aleksander loved books and history.
He would have made the perfect professor had he gotten the chance to live without destiny hanging over his head.
Mitch might have more demon in him than warrior but was also fierce in not only his abilities but his need to protect them all.
Dario trusted Mitch with his life and those of their mates.
There was something sad behind Mitch’s dark eyes.
He needed more love and light in his life.
Dario wanted to provide Mitch with the comfort that had obviously been missing from his existence.
Wylder was the wild card that Dario would have never expected.
The enhanced human had been through so much pain and fear in his short lifespan.
If Dario could go back and save Wylder from what he’d been through, Dario would do that without a second thought.
He’d give up all his earned money to ensure that Wylder was never harmed in any way ever again.
Then there was Theo. Their youngest mate who still had moments of distrust even with them.
Dario’s greatest moments in his life were seeing the sweet shifter smile at him. If he could carry Theo around all the time, Dario would be quite tempted to do so. And Theo would probably allow it. Theo loved being petted both in human and shifted form.
His mates.
Dario’s most precious people.
And these beasts and whoever had taken Theo from him were going to pay.
Dario roared again. This time in warning to everyone in the realm. He wanted his mate back!
“Shh.” Wylder drew Dario out of his rage by rubbing Dario’s stomach. Which truthfully was as high as the human could reach.
Blinking, Dario realized that the dark forest was silent around him. The beasts, or more accurately the bodies of the beasts, were scattered around the ground.
“You got them, you big beautiful dragon,” Wylder cooed. “You got them all.”
Lowering his head, Dario let his nose brush against Wylder’s small chest. Not only was he so much bigger in this form but all his other senses were heightened as well.
He’d lost control. He had absolutely allowed his animal side to take over any human reasoning. It didn’t happen often and Dario was embarrassed that it had occurred with his mates present.
“He is beautiful,” Mitch said to Wylder as he stowed his sword away. “Gorgeous and fierce when protecting his mates.”
Even with Mitch in his true form, he was taller than Wylder and Alek but still half the height of Dario.
“You did good, Dario,” Alek told him.
Dario bumped against Wylder’s chest as gently as he could before doing the same to Mitch and Aleksander.
“Theo is going to be so pissed he missed this,” Wylder drawled. He scratched Dario’s chin, which felt amazing! “First Mitch and now you. Theo should be here to see the two of you.”
Sad again, Dario dropped his chin to his chest and whimpered.
“It’s okay,” Alek assured him, adding his own scratches along Dario’s chin. “Theo will understand.”
“He will,” Wylder told him.
Dario hoped so. He just wanted his sweet shifter back in his arms. He started to shrink down as he returned to his human form.