His father was as broken by her death, buthis love for Cole triumphed over his sorrow. During those troubleddays, he nursed his son back to life while a part of him remaineddead forever.
Then Cole’s shock and grief wore off, and awhite-hot fury the likes of which he’d never known erupted throughhim. It was so intense that his claws lengthened and his fangsextended as the lycan broke free in a way it never had before.
He launched himself at the dragon. Thecreature reared back as Cole sank his claws into its throat. Thedragon’s eyes rolled as Cole sawed at the wall of musclesurrounding its throat. The beast’s teeth snapped as it twisted itshead to get at him, but Cole was wedged up beneath its head and outof the way of its powerful jaws.
“Stand down!” the Lord bellowed, but Colebarely heard the command, and he didn’t obey it.
Animalistic snarls filled the room, and ittook him a couple of seconds to realize those sounds were comingfromhim. However, they were not enough to deter him. He waslost to the mindlessness of the wolf and the thirst forvengeance.
The dragon swiveled enough that teeth rakedhis arm. He ignored the agony and blood those teeth created as hehacked through sinew as thick as steel. Warm breath plumed againsthis back as the dragon twisted its head to snap at him.
Smoke burst from its nostrils, and secondsbefore it released a plume of fire, Cole slid to the side to avoidit. He was too lost in the bloodlust of the lycan to be able tocontrol those flames. The dragon’s fire blasted against its neckbut didn’t leave a mark on its flesh.
The blood soaking Cole dripped off and filledhis mouth as he slashed through the monster’s flesh. The metallicliquid caked his nostrils until he could barely breathe, but hecontinued to avoid the dragon’s jaws while seeking to destroy themonster.
Around him, the slithering sounds of theothers barely penetrated the beat of his heart rebounding in hisears.
“That is enough!” the Lord shouted. “Stayback!”
The command rebounded throughout the greathall, but Cole barely heard it as the dragon’s movements grewsluggish and its head tilted at a funny angle. Then its powerfuljaws sank onto his arm and clamped down.
The pain the bite created only fueled hisdesire to destroy as he sank the claws of his free hand into thegap he’d made in the beast’s neck. His flesh gave way as thedragon’s teeth scoured his bone.
As the creature sought to tear his arm fromhim, Cole lifted upward with his free hand. Sinew and skin gaveway, and a hissing scream issued from the dragon as he tore thething’s neck upward.
Bone cracked and popped as a rending soundfilled the air. The dragon bit down harder as its blood spilledover him.
Cole continued to pull upward until hesevered its spinal cord and it couldn’t hold onto him any longer.The dragon released its grip on his arm seconds before Colesucceeded in tearing its head the rest of the way off.
When the dragon’s head fell to the groundwith a wet thump, Cole released it and dropped down. His shouldersheaved as he spun on the Lord.
CHAPTER 64
With a snarl, Cole stepped toward the Lord. He wasabout to rush up the steps of the dais, but the dragon behind thethrone had slid its head in front of the Lord while Cole destroyedits friend.
Its face was only inches away from Cole’s.Its hot breath blew Cole’s hair back from his face when it baredits lethal, six-inch-long teeth at him.
Then he felt the hot breaths of the othersand realized they’d all enclosed on him. He didn’t turn to look atthe monsters, but if the hate in the eyes of the one guarding theLord was any indication, they were all pretty pissed.
None of them were as irate as him.
“Uh-ah.” The Lord wagged his index finger atCole like he was some kind of recalcitrant toddler throwing atantrum.
It only enraged him more. His shouldersheaved, his muscles swelled, and his fangs filled his mouth as hisbreath came in ragged exhalations. His claws bit into his palmsuntil his blood spilled free; it mixed with his father’s and thedragon’s while he glowered at the monster before him.
He might be able to kill this one too, butthe others would be on him before he reached the Lord. A big partof him didn’t give a fuck if he died trying to slaughter thisprick. The other part told him he had to live to fight anotherday.
If he died here and the Lord survived, Lexiwould be vulnerable. And he could not leave her unprotected in aworld where this monster ruled.
If he could get to this monster and kill him,he would do it because it would keep her safer. However, he had noshot of succeeding. He’d managed to kill one dragon; he would notbe able to battle his way through them all.
“Such a pity,” the Lord said as his gaze fellon the slaughtered dragon. “She was one of my favorites.” Then hisattention returned to Cole, and a sly smile curved his mouth. “Butveryimpressive. I don’t think anyone has eversinglehandedly killed a dragon before.”
Cole didn’t speak as blood dripped off him tosplatter on the ground.
“I should kill you for doing that to one ofmy babies. Her friends certainly want you dead, but you are of farmore use to me alive.”
The Lord stopped and stared expectantly athim, but Cole still didn’t speak. If this lunatic gave the commandto kill him, he planned to take out a few more of these monstersbefore he went.
