Chapter 45
Forty-Five
Anna
“You see?” Bryna chuckled as the ice cut us off from Caz and the scale dragons. “He never stood a chance.”
She walked forward to the barrier, placing her hands against it. The ice groaned and spread. Thickening, I was sure, and trapping us in there with her.
Come on. Wake up. Wake up. We have to do something! Caz needs our help!
But my dragon was sluggish. It retreated at the pain my thoughts were causing it. We shouldn’t hurt Bryna. We weren’t supposed to do that. Thinking such things hurt both of us.
The alternative was losing Caz, and I wasn’t about to let that happen, but the collar’s influence was undeniable. It weighed heavily on us, dragging us down. We wanted to sit still and submit. To be good.
Not for her. Not for someone evil.
“It was so predictably easy to destroy him.” Bryna cackled as the room shook and rumbled.
Whatever was happening on the other side of the ice wall, it was violent. I could only hope Caz was prevailing.
“So misguided. He’s been pining for his ‘fated mate’ for years. I can’t believe he thinks he actually found it in you. Either way, you’re going to be his downfall. His death is all thanks to you.”
Each word the bitch uttered was making me angrier. The room was turning bright as my dragon roused itself from the collar-induced slumber. I wasn’t about to sit there and let her fur-covered friends hurt Caz.
Not if there was something I could do about it.
Come on. Arise. I know you’re in there. Caz needs you. Milly needs you.
I need you!
Now get up and show me that you’re real!
The collar was growing hot around my neck. The pain of defying the commands its master had given me was agonizing. My dragon screamed.
I screamed.
Bryna whirled, only then realizing that Caz had freed us from the icy restraints.
“What are you doing?” she shrieked. “Back on your knees. You will submit!”
Her alpha power was threaded through the words, encouraging submission, demanding it, with a threat of violence if disobeyed.
My dragon shrugged it aside as I struggled to one knee against the unveiled power of an alpha-class dragon. Bryna was no slouch.
But my dragon was fucking pissed. This bitch thought she could take our man? Nuh-uh. I don’t think so.
“You will obey me!” she howled, bringing up her hands.
My fingers wrapped around the slave collar, gripping tightly. I glared at Bryna.
“No,” I growled and twisted, using every ounce of power I possessed. “I won’t.”
The collar snapped, and my dragon surged forward, riding the wave of energy as she expanded to fill my mind and part of the room.
Magnificent wings so bright white-purple as to be transparent burst forth from my shoulders, whipping around me protectively.
Bryna’s ice attack slammed into them and bounced off.
“This isn’t possible!” she screamed, her fingernails lengthening until they were claws. “I’m going to rip you apart.”
“No, you will not!” I thundered back, alpha power tearing free of me as my dragon worked its way to the surface. Scales poured down my arms, reshaping my hands to match hers.
We crashed together, and I shoved Bryna backward. She flailed her arms for balance, scoring a slice along my underarm when I was too slow. Then she caught her balance and came at me like a banshee, shrieking in anger.
I rolled back under her, tucking my legs to my chest, and kicked her clear across the room. She hit the far wall with a crunch, and I was on her in a second. My claws sliced her arms and chest. I slammed them into her head and raked her legs until her blood was flying.
“I’ll kill you!” I howled. “He’s mine. Mine! None of you can have him. He’s my mate!”
I reared back, my claws swiping down to open her throat to her spine. My dragon wasn’t taking any chances.
But the blow never fell. A grip like steel closed on my wrist, stopping me still. I didn’t hesitate. I struck out with a wing and spun, but it didn’t matter. It was like hitting solid stone.
My dragon was frenetic, whining and claws, trying to get back to Bryna, to spill her blood on the floor. To end any threat to me, Caz, or Milly. She would never rise again, and I would use the blood of my enemies to show that they should never threaten him. Ever. Or they would hear from me.
“No,” a gentle voice, a familiar voice said as I was hauled to my feet. “She must live, my love. She must live to face her punishment. To become the face of what will happen to those who resist the changes coming to our kingdom.”
Our kingdom?
My dragon hesitated. It was the opening I needed. I reasserted control over the feral beast, doing my best to fumble around and rein her in, to keep her under control. Now was not the time for murderous protection.
“C-Caz?” I stammered when I finally wrestled her into submission.
“Hello, my love.”
I flung myself at his chest. He grunted in pain, but when I tried to pull away, his arms folded around me, squeezing harder.
“Stay,” he rumbled, and I wanted to bury my head in his chest and live in the vibrations.
“Okay,” I whimpered quietly, tenderly wrapping my hands around him. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“I’m fine,” he said. “Nothing that won’t heal. How are you?”
“Okay, I think.”
He pulled back, but only enough to be able to kiss me. I rose on my tiptoes, drinking in the heat of his mouth. His hand squeezed my ass, and I moaned slightly, rubbing against him.
The battle lust was fading, replaced with a raging need to be mounted and taken by my mate. He was the one I would submit to. The only one.
“Hey, um, you know she’s getting away. Right?”
I glanced down at Milly, who was pointing one frail hand at the door. Bryna was crawling her way down the hallway, and I noted the angle of one of her legs.
“Did I break her leg?” I asked. “I don’t remember doing that.”
Caz grunted. “Wasn’t me. So must have been you. Your dragon is vicious.”
“Don’t you forget it,” I warned playfully.
“She’s still getting away,” Milly said.
Caz waved her off. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“Why not, mate?” I purred, hanging off his side sensually, uncaring. I needed to be fucked. Now. My dragon agreed.
“Calm,” Caz whispered. “Soon. I will take you home, and I will spread you on the desk in my study at the top of the citadel, and I will fill your pussy with my cock until you scream my name. But you have to wait.”
My dragon whined unhappily, but I stood a little straighter nonetheless.
“Good girl,” he rumbled in my ear, his warm breath running down my neck, bringing shivers and bumps with it.
“I’m right here,” Milly said dryly, interrupting us. “I can hear everything you’re saying. Just because I’m halfway starved to death doesn’t mean my hearing doesn’t work. So knock it off. Will you?”
“I will never tire of my mate,” Caz said, as if that settled the case. “Ah. There we go.”
A clatter of footsteps came down the stairs and Dirk appeared at the head of a squad of scale-clad dragons from the palace. He stumbled to a halt at the carnage in the hallway, looking around.
Only now did I see the results of Caz’s work. The dragon impaled to the ceiling, several more in pieces. Two more frozen completely solid. The rest … I didn’t see any sign of them.
“Damn. That’s hardcore,” Milly said in the silence as Dirk hoisted Bryna up to her feet in the hallway.
She spat in his face. He headbutted her unconscious.
“Come on,” Caz said, bending down next to Milly. “Let’s get out of here. Shall we? You need some medical care and a good meal.”
“I agree,” Milly said. “But I think you’ve got the order of operations mixed up.”
I choked back a laugh. If Milly could still crack jokes, she was going to be okay. Ella was recovering at the chalet. Bryna was in custody.
Together, we started down the hallway toward Dirk and the guardsmen.
“Did we do it?” I asked quietly. “Is it truly over now?”
“No,” Caz rumbled as we passed Bryna’s unconscious form. “The changes have only just begun.”