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But they weren’t down for long. Back on their feet, they charged toward us, and I scented the fear on them, even as they grew closer. The morons were running to their death, and for what? To obey their sick leader in the hopes of some reward.
I chuckled darkly. They hadn’t seen anything yet.
I loosened my dragon and let him rip out from me. It was instantaneous, fueled by the need to protect our mate and stand between these men who’d take her from me if they could.
My dragon roared in defiance at the thought, refusing to entertain it. They would not succeed. I’d burn the whole world to the ground to save my mate.
The men shifted as well, surprising me with the swiftness of it. Not just any dragon could transform on the fly. Tomas had known what he was doing when he chose these men to come after us.
Still, it wouldn’t be enough. I was nearly twice the size of both of them, and Mariah’s dragon was larger as well—something I hadn’t quite expected.
I planted myself firmly in front of her rather than take flight, refusing to allow them access, but Mariah roared again, flapping her wings in fury, coming to stand at my side. I craned my neck, trying to send her a message through our connection, our bond that’d intensified beyond anything I ever could have imagined.
Stay back.
Another alpha command, used only because I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her. Under any other circumstance, I would never force anything on my mate.
Smoke billowed from her nose.
NO!
Shocked, I felt the strength of our connection reverberate. Even more stunning was the realization that Mariah wasn’t just any dragon.
She was an alpha dragon.
I could sense it through the mate bond. I hadn’t recognized it before, but now that she was in full form, in all her gloriously terrifying beauty, there was no denying it. The potency of it nearly took my breath away as she blasted another column of fire at the two approaching beasts.
Not only was my mate an alpha, but she was also an alpha mama. And she was furious.
The attack came fast, the two dragons splitting apart—one coming for Mariah, the other for me. I wasn’t worried for myself, the driving urge to protect her overpowering any sense of self preservation. But I didn’t need to worry about her, either.
She lifted one massive leg, the claws gleaming menacingly as they caught the sunlight, then she took a ferocious swipe at the dragon, knocking him clean off his feet in one thunderous blow. She prowled toward him, smoke billowing from her nostrils as she snarled, her tail whipping back and forth, its spiked tip swinging into the scales of the dragon that lay on the ground.
Fire exploded around me, the heat of it blasting my skin, and I whirled to face the oncoming attack, taking a trick from my mate’s book, and swinging my own tail. The spikes landed true as they tore through the dragon’s sensitive, unprotected underbelly.
He roared with pain, falling to the ground, and it bought me time to look to Mariah and make sure she was okay. She was fighting her own battle, with fire pouring from her as she blasted the dragon over and over. It would slow him down, but it wouldn’t stop him. Our scales were made to withstand the heat of dragon fire.
Another blast hit me when my attacker regained his footing, still coming after me. But my eyes were fixed on Mariah as she roared once more, swiping her tail again, and knocking the dragon back. Then she lunged, pinning him to the ground, gaining the advantage as the larger beast.
In the next breath, her claws were at his throat, deadly tips puncturing the flesh, drawing blood as she snarled in his face.
He roared in outrage, and I could feel the murderous fury pulsing from Mariah. She was a heartbeat away from ending him.
No! I shouted through our bond. While I wanted these attackers dead and gone, taking a life was no easy thing. It was a trauma I never wanted her to endure.
She didn’t show any indication that she’d heard me. Turning, I made quick work of the other dragon as I swung my tail, further ripping the bastard open until his entrails fell to the ground. Just for good measure, I opened my maw, clamping it around his neck and ripping his throat out in one quick motion. He fell limply to the ground, and I didn’t give him a second look.
I spun back to my mate, rushing toward her to take care of the second dragon and send him right on the heels of his partner to the Hell where I hoped he rotted. He’d managed to turn the tables, regaining his footing while I was dealing with the other, and he was gaining ground on Mariah.
I roared, leaping into the air, ready to take him down and rip his throat out, too, but Mariah was fast. Too fast. She got to him first, taking a page from my book and digging her massive fangs into his throat. With one mighty heave, she ripped it right from his body, her eyes blazing with fire as she turned to me, soaked in blood.
In an instant, the dead dragon returned to his human form, as had the other I’d taken out. Quickly, I shifted back, needing to use my voice.
“Mariah,” I gasped, racing over to her. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her massive head, her amber eyes still burning brightly. While I couldn’t feel her as clearly as in my own dragon form, the connection was still strong, and her emotions were roiling.
“Jax!” I yelled over my shoulder. “Call Matthew!”
