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Or maybe I’m the one who’s heartbroken.
“Pyrah.” A growl escapes the golden dragon. “Surrender to me.”
My hands curl into fists. Surrendering to him means accepting his claim on me, allowing him to pursue me as his mate.
Isn’t that what I want?
When Rook lifts his bloodied sword, I rush between him and the golden dragon, thinking only of protecting him from death.
“Scaldric!” I need to catch his attention.
“Step aside.” The dragon bares his teeth at me, his tail lashing with agitation.
Smoke and emotion roughen my voice. “I surrender.”
Scaldric lunges.
He catches me with his hands around my waist. His claws close around me, pinning me in his grip, and he beats the air with his wings. My stomach lurches when we leave the ground.
Encircled by flames, Rook shoulders his crossbow. He fires a bolt that whistles past Scaldric’s head, barely missing his eye.
“Go,” I plead. “Fly higher.”
“I will protect you.”
Never mind that I mean to protect Rook.
We abandon the burning Thornwood and Rook far below. Wind stings my eyes and summons tears. I blink them away fast, glad that Scaldric can’t see my face. He doesn’t need to know how much I care about the demon I left behind.
I shout over the buffeting of his wings. “Where are you taking me?”
“Away from this godforsaken place.”
Fear sizzles through my veins. What have I done? I’m at the mercy of a stranger I’ve just met. Worse, I surrendered to him, and he’s not required to be gentle with me.
Claimed.
Bitten.
Fucked.
“Put me down!” I demand.
Scaldric dips one wing and spirals down into the Thornwood. He lands in a glade thick with dusk. When he releases me, I stagger away from him on shaking legs.
“You can stop running,” he says.
He’s still bleeding from his shoulder, where Rook’s sword cut him open. Blood stains his golden scales red, though the wound wasn’t deep enough to stop him from flying away with me. Dragon shifters heal fast.
When he reaches for me, I shield myself with my hands. “Don’t touch me.”
His pupils narrow into thin slits. “Did that demon hurt you?”
“No.”
“He’s an incubus. A defiler of women.”
My stomach clenches. “He didn’t…”
