“What the fuck am I doing?” Cora’s foot lifted off the gas pedal. The car slowed a bit as she realized the full ramifications of her choices. If she kept driving, if she spent the night in town, the bond she shared with Stig would shatter. There would be no second chance.
She hit the brakes and brought the car down to a manageable speed. She checked her rearview mirror and the road ahead before whipping a U-turn. Her foot depressed the accelerator and she raced to meet highway speed again. She had to get to Stig.
Would he take her back? Her heart fell at the thought he might not want her anymore. She’d betrayed his trust and love. He’d told her his darkest secret. He’d been willing to go against the Brotherhood to have her, his human lover, and she’d stomped on his heart because she’d sprouted a few scales.
Cora wiped her wet cheeks and sniffed loudly. If Stig turned her away, she’d die. Deep down inside, she knew without a doubt their bond was special. When she’d touched him, when she’d turned him into something awesome and exceptional, they’d created a unique bond. Cora could only speculate as to the depths of the mating bond between dragons. She sensed Stig didn’t truly understand it either but instinct told her it was powerful.
The sight of headlights in the rearview mirror startled her. This wasn’t a busy road, so the beams took her by surprise. After the initial sighting, she didn’t pay them much attention until they seemed to be getting closer and closer, faster and faster.
Cora’s eyebrows drew together. Why was that SUV driving so fast? She considered pulling onto the shoulder to let it pass but it was already dark and she feared hitting a deer. At any rate, the shoulder was incredibly narrow and there was a short bridge up ahead. It would be far too dangerous to attempt.
She gripped the steering wheel as the speeding SUV drew incredibly close. She expected a turn signal to pop on any second to alert her to the car’s intention to pass but it never came. The SUV got closer and then, without warning, slammed into the back of her car.
Cora let loose a string of expletives as her body lurched forward and snapped back. She barely kept her car on the road. Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. Adrenaline spilled into her bloodstream, igniting her fight-or-flight response. It took her a millisecond to realize what was happening.
The men who held her brother’s debts and burned down her bakery had caught up with her.
Fear struck her heart. Cora floored the gas but it was no use. The SUV revved up again and crashed into her bumper. Her head flung forward and almost whacked the steering wheel. The seat belt tightened and snapped her back again. Her neck stung painfully from the wild movement. She managed to straighten the wheel and keep her car in its lane.
Could she do it again? Cora sincerely doubted it.
There was no time to think. The SUV clipped the side of her car and sent her spinning. She hit the brakes but it was no use. Everything happened so fast. She couldn’t see a damn thing. She spun out of control before slamming into something. A guardrail? She couldn’t be sure. Whatever it was, the impact launched her car into the air.
Cora shrieked and held tight to the wheel. Suddenly she was upside down. The backpack in the backseat flew forward and whacked her headrest. The contents of her purse exploded and splattered her face. Makeup, a cell phone, her wallet, emergency tampons—they were like confetti in the front seat.
And then the car smashed into the ground. It rolled down some kind of embankment. Glass shattered in her face. Metal crunched. There was intense pressure along her left arm and leg.
Then everything stopped. The seat belt snapped tight against her body and cut into her neck. Cora dangled upside down in her seat. Excruciating pain ripped through her arm and thigh. It was so dark she couldn’t see what had happened to her limbs. Had they been broken by the rolling? Probably.
Cora tried to release her seat belt with her good hand but it wouldn’t let loose. She was stuck and fading fast. Her head throbbed fiercely. Unconsciousness was only seconds away.
And there were shouting voices drawing close.
* * *
Chained in his cell, Stig experienced a roller coaster of emotions. He switched from a sensation of utter despondence to self-loathing and then pure fear. His dragon body vibrated with panic. It took him a moment to realize the wild emotions weren’t his own. They belonged to Cora.
And she was terrified.
He closed his eyes and embraced the alien feelings coursing through him. Their burgeoning mate bond transmitted her emotions straight to him. There was no doubt. Cora was in extreme danger.
Stig cried out as searing pain tore through his arm and leg. Cora was hurt and afraid. Something had happened to her. A car accident? Or something worse.