Finding His Dragon(27)
Heedless of the war waged around her, she ran. His eyes were open wide, but he didn’t see. She threw her head back and roared. Flashes of light brightened the yard as dragons fought all around. They had to stop. They had to help him. She dropped to her knees, stroking his long neck, tears streaming down her cheeks. Fire churned in her chest, and her muscles screamed in pain as she fought to keep from shifting.
“So touching,” a male voice came from behind her.
She shot up in an instant, landing in a defensible crouch. She released the rumbling growl she’d been holding in her chest. If anyone thought they’d get near enough to her mate to inflict any more harm, they would die.
“My mate is defending the bastard who would steal her from me,” he continued before spitting on the ground at her feet.
Adrian. Close to six feet, with wide shoulders, and a thick neck, his body screamed strength, but she wasn’t fooled. His scent told a different story. He was afraid. The fact that he was clothed and not fighting along with his men told an even bigger secret. He was a fucking coward.
Behind her, Jace’s labored breaths slowed, and a sickly wheeze sounded with each exhale. The man before her was responsible for Jace’s injuries. Fury exploded inside, stoking the inferno already raging within her.
“Get up, bitch, you’re coming with me.” He sneered at her, and when she didn’t move to comply, he raised his left hand to his right shoulder as if to strike her.
She threw her head back and roared. The man took a small step back, but not far enough. She released the beast clamoring for freedom. Her clothing shredded and fell from her massive body as she shifted. The bastard had the nerve to smile at her. He had other men waiting to save him, but she didn’t care. The dragon recognized what she, the woman, couldn’t face. Jace was dying, and she didn’t want to live in a world where he no longer existed. She moved fast, striking before he could react. It took more than a bite to kill a dragon shifter, but one without a head couldn’t survive. Even after his body lay limp in her mouth, she shook her head, letting her teeth tear into his flesh, the she-dragon exacting her revenge on the enemy.
A high pitched whistle pierced the air. Moments later, a dark green colored dragon sprang from the roof. Its wings beat fast and hard as it fled west. Reyn. She shook her head from side to side, finally releasing her prize, sending his lifeless body flying high to land in the trees. Blood dripped down her chin and neck. Three more dragons took off, following Reyn back to Eldurcrest. She roared, fire spewing from her mouth. They wouldn’t get away. She spun, intent on going after them, but crushing pain ripped all the fury from her at the sight of Jace’s still form.
Her head swam as she looked around. Men, some severely injured surrounded them, but didn’t dare approach. Other dragons still littered the ground. Some moving, others not. His clan—her clan. She took a step back toward Jace, her feet faltering as she shifted to her human form.
She stumbled forward, unable to see through the tears. When she fell, she went on hands, and knees. Rocks and debris dug into her flesh, but she couldn’t stop, not until she reached him. When she finally did, she threw herself over him as grief overtook her.
No one spoke. The birds and animals that lived in the area had left the moment the battle had started. The only things breaking the eerie silence were her sobs as they tore from her soul.
Someone draped a soft blanket around her shoulders. It was the one that Jace had covered her with on her first night at the estate. She buried her nose in it, taking in their mingled scents still clinging to it. A large hand stroked her back. It might have been Brycen, or Luke, or any one of the other Dragon Blood men, but she didn’t acknowledge them. She couldn’t.
A growl filled the circle, followed by another, and yet another, each more menacing than the first. One by one, the men surrounding her and Jace fell back and turned to face the house, forming a formidable line of muscle and brawn. Only Brycen stood directly before her, guarding her. Charlotte couldn’t muster the strength or even the will to face the new threat.
FIFTEEN
“Charlotte,” a man’s voice bellowed from beyond her guardians.
She heard Fitz’s call, but she couldn’t respond. Her throat wouldn’t work.
“If you want him to live, you’ll have them let me through,” he shouted.
Charlotte jerked to attention, her head snapping toward the sound. Want him to live? Of course she wanted him to live. “Let him through,” she screamed, the sound loud and hysterical.
More growls rose up from the men. The line didn’t budge.
“He helped Maddie and me,” she repeated, this time, her voice much weaker. She grabbed Brycen’s arm, ignoring the congealed blood stuck to his bicep. “He helped us. Let him through,” she begged.