Page 48 of Knotted By the Triad

I caught myself before I fell and looked down. A jagged blue shard protruded from beneath my ribs. Blue light spread through the scales surrounding it. What the fuck? The pain worsened, burning and freezing at the same time as it burrowed deeper into my body.

My dragon recoiled, and for the first time since I'd shifted, my hold over him faltered. Across from me, the smuggler began changing again. Bones cracked. His body expanded. Dark scales spread across his skin as he forced his battered body back into its dragon form.

Damn. He’d only shifted so he could stab me. The shard must’ve been hidden in his clothing. I tried to go after him. My leg nearly collapsed beneath me again. The smuggler rose as an unnatural cold spread outward from the shard, sinking deeper with every heartbeat.

Even my dragon couldn't fight the chill taking hold of us. Pain tore through me. Not ordinary pain. This pain was cold, deep, wrong. The magic seemed to spread beneath my scales, burning through muscle while freezing everything it touched. My leg buckled again.

The smuggler was hurt badly now. One leg dragged, and blood poured from his side. But he was smiling as blood spilled from between his sharp teeth. Then his gaze moved beyond me. Toward Zuri.

The bastard lunged for her. The pain disappeared beneath my rage and my desire to protect my mate, even if it cost me my life. My body slammed into his before he made it three steps. We rolled.

He clawed at my face. I snapped at his throat. This time, I didn't hesitate. My jaws closed around his neck. He tried to shake me off. I bit down harder. His claws tore down my shoulder, tearing at my scales.

I tightened my jaws until flesh gave way. Blood flooded my mouth. The dragon jerked beneath me. This ends now! I ripped my head back. Part of his throat came with me, flesh pulling away from him. I spat it out as a final raspy breath escaped him. His body went limp beneath me.

Victory, my dragon roared as silence fell over the forest.

I stood above him, blood dripping from my jaws. My breathing came hard. My vision blurred. The trees shifted strangely around me. Something burned in my side. The blue shard. I looked toward Zuri. She was staring at me. My dragon went still.

She sees us. Like this.

Blood covered my mouth. Another dragon lay dead beneath my claws with its throat torn open. She should've been afraid. Instead, she rushed forward, staring up at me with tears in her eyes.

“Daemin?” she whispered.

Mine.

My dragon wanted me to go to her. I tried. My leg collapsed. I caught myself before I hit the ground.

“Daemin!” She moved closer.

Allie followed. I tried to tell them to stay back. What came out was a low growl. Zuri slowed. For one horrible second, I thought she'd finally become afraid. Then she pulled the covering away from her face.

“It's me,” she told me.

As if I could ever mistake her scent. Strawberries and chocolate. But it was mixed with the smell of blood. She was wounded. If I could kill that bastard again, I would. Zuri approached carefully and lifted one hand.

My dragon lowered his head. Her palm touched the scales along my face. Everything inside me quieted. I breathed deeply, breathing her in. Home. That was what her touch felt like. Finally. I had a home.

“It's okay,” she whispered. “I've got you.”

My eyes closed.

My omega.

“Yes,” I thought. “She’s ours.”

We protected her.

“Yes, Beast. We did.”

That was all that mattered.

“Daemin, you're bleeding.”

She moved toward my side. The moment her fingers came near the shard, my dragon snarled.

Zuri snatched her hand away. “Okay! Sorry. I wasn't going to pull it out.”