Rune's vision went molten gold as his dragon demanded immediate, violent action. These bastards were threatening hismate, and the ancient part of his soul that had been shaped by centuries of territorial dominance wouldn't tolerate any harm coming to his mate.
He floored the accelerator, the Lamborghini surging forward with predatory grace. The SUV's driver noticed his approach in the rearview mirror, but Rune was already committed to his course of action. He pulled alongside the larger vehicle and, without hesitation, rammed his sports car into its side with enough force to send it careening toward the canyon wall.
The SUV's driver fought for control, managing to straighten out, but his attention was split now between pursuing Maple and dealing with Rune's interference. That moment of distraction was all Rune needed.
"Get away from her," he snarled through gritted teeth, even though the SUV's occupants couldn't hear him.
The SUV accelerated again, apparently deciding to finish what it had started. Rune watched in horror as it rammed into the sedan's rear bumper with vicious intent, sending the smaller car skidding toward the canyon's edge where a drop of several hundred feet waited.
No.
The word exploded through his mind with enough force to crack his iron control. His dragon surged forward, demanding shift and flame and the complete destruction of anything that dared threaten their mate. But there wasn't time for subtlety or transformation.
Rune accelerated and yanked the wheel hard to the right and slammed his Lamborghini into the SUV with every ounce of power the machine could deliver. The impact sent both vehicles spinning, but his target got the worst of it. The SUV careened off the road and crashed into the canyon wall with a sickening crunch of metal and stone.
His own car was totaled, the front end and passenger side crumpled beyond repair, but Rune was already moving. He kicked open the driver's door and stumbled out, his gaze fixed on the sedan that was now teetering precariously on the canyon's edge, its rear wheels barely maintaining purchase on solid ground.
Behind him, flames erupted from the SUV's wreckage as the fuel tank caught fire. The explosion that followed seconds later lit up the desert sky, but Rune didn't spare it a glance. Whoever had been inside was no longer a threat, and right now only one thing mattered.
Maple was trapped in that car, and he had seconds to get her out before it plunged over the edge.
The sedan hung suspended over the canyon's edge like a death sentence waiting to be executed. The guardrail had buckled under impact, twisted metal now the only barrier between the car and oblivion. Rune approached with predatory caution, every step calculated to avoid disturbing the vehicle's precarious balance. The acrid smell of burning fuel from the destroyed SUV behind him mixed with the desert air, but all his enhanced senses focused on were the two heartbeats trapped inside that car—one steady but concerned, the other rapid with terror.
Maple.
The driver's door faced away from the canyon, giving him access to extract the male first. Rune wrenched it open with controlled force, mindful that any sudden, sharp movement could send the entire vehicle plummeting.
"Easy," Rune commanded, reaching for the sun-weathered man behind the wheel. "Move slowly."
The man's practical field experience showed as he didn't panic or make sudden movements. Instead, he gripped Rune's outstretched hand with steady determination.
"Get to her," the man said urgently as Rune hauled him clear of the wreckage. "Save her."
"I'm working on it," Rune growled, his attention already shifting to the passenger side where Maple sat trapped.
The guardrail had buckled inward during the crash, pinning her door shut and leaving only inches of clearance. Rune could see her through the spider-webbed glass, her green eyes wide with fear as she clutched that damned treasure chest against her chest like a lifeline. The claim marker inside pulsed with ancient energy, calling to him even through the metal and glass barriers.
"Can you move?" Rune called out.
"The door won't budge," Maple replied, her voice steady despite the terror he could smell radiating from her. "And I think the car's sliding now."
She was right. The sedan shifted another inch toward the edge, loose gravel cascading into the canyon below with sounds that echoed like distant thunder.
Rune didn't hesitate. He reached for her without thought, without consideration for consequences or mate bonds or the careful control he'd maintained for centuries. His only focus was getting Maple away from the canyon's edge before gravity claimed her.
The moment his hands wrapped around her waist, the world exploded.
Every nerve ending in his body blazed with recognition as ancient magic surged between them, the mate bond snapping into place with the force of a lightning strike. The claim marker in her treasure chest hummed loudly, responding to their fully activated connection, and Rune felt something fundamental shift in his soul—a hollow space he hadn't even realized existed suddenly filled with her presence.
Mine.
His dragon roared in triumph, but Rune forced the primal satisfaction aside. The mate bond could wait. Right now, only her safety mattered.
Maple's arm wrapped around his neck as he lifted her from the car, her free hand maintaining its death grip on the treasure chest. The sedan gave one final groan before sliding over the edge, disappearing into the canyon with a crash that reverberated through the desert silence.
Rune carried her several steps away from the crumbling edge before setting her down, his hands reluctant to release contact with her. The moment he stepped back, his dragon protested the loss with violent intensity, demanding he reclaim their mate immediately.
The mate bond is locked now.
