Page 24 of Burn Dragon Burn

Racing into a huge room that resembled a surgical theatre, the scent of Nat’s blood cut through the smoke and flames, permeating his every sense. Speeding from the room, forced to bend at the waist just to fit into the tunnel, his shoulders cut through the earthen walls.

The farther he went, the smaller the tunnel became, but he refused to be stopped. Using the impenetrable scales covering every inch of his body, he removed all obstacles.

Flames licking at his heels, the walls closing in all around him, he opened his jaws to roar her name just as her scream of “RAFE!” cut through the haze of his mind. Picking up speed, forcing his enhanced senses and sight to their very limits, he saw the lifeless body of his mate, face down in the dirt before him.

Scooping her up without slowing, barely able to hear her sluggish heartbeat, he burst through the tunnel and took a hard right. Awash in the fragrance of fresh air and fresh blood, he moved quicker still.

Spying a metal ladder stuck into a concrete passage leading upward, he poured on more speed and the second he duckedunder the cement archway, he bent his legs and jumped. Landing in the same wooded area as before, he barely noticed where he was as he laid an unconscious, barely breathing Nat on the ground.

Dropping to his knees, forcing himself to be calm, his scales to recede, and his body to return to normal, Rafe ignored his own pain as he commanded his Dragon King,“Magic, healing magic, she’s lost a lot of blood.”

Appearing on the other side of Nat, Max also got to his knees as he asked, “May I help?”

A single nod, not only to say yes but to give the King credit for knowing Rafe would rip him apart if he dared to touch Donatella without permission, was all he could manage. His entire focus, all that he was or would ever be, was focused on his mate and keeping her alive.

Closing his eyes and shutting out the chaos of his Brethren’s voices in his head, he focused on each cut, starting with the deepest first. As quickly as he could, making sure not to overload her system with unfamiliar magic and cause any further harm to her delicate system, he knit ever single broken vessel and torn vein back together with a meticulous precision he hadn’t known he possessed.

When her heart beat without stuttering or stopping all together, he sat back on his heels, simply watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Looking up at Max, trying to hold back the tears burning his throat, he murmured, “I’ve done all I can do. It’s in the hands of Fate and the Universe.”

“She is strong and you have done your best. Now, you must deal with the man responsible.”

Getting up and following the King, it only took a single look at the insignificant piece of shit who’d dared to touch his mate, dared to harm innocent young women, and had dabbled in blackmagic for Rafe’s rage to return tenfold. From one heartbeat to the next he went from human to Battler Dragon once again.

Reaching down, he closed his massive paw around the quivering waste of flesh and bone and jerked him from the ground. Holding him at arm’s length, Batterfield’s nails scratched at the scales covering Rafe’s hand as he feet dangled in the air.

Squeezing tighter and tighter, reveling in Norman’s fear as the little man’s face turned a brilliant shade of purple, Rafe shoved his snubbed snout into the psycho’s face and snarled, “Today you die.”

“No, please, no, no, no,” Batterfield’s frantic whispers had no effect on the Dragon. The bastard had not only laid hands on Donatella, he’d also left her to die in a fiery tunnel, not to mention, killing and disemboweling six young, innocent women.

“Yes,” Rafe hissed through his long, sharp fangs. “Yes, Norman Batterfield, today you die for your crimes.”

One final squeeze. The sound of cracking bones and ripping flesh filled the night air. A single loud pop, like that of a helium balloon being stuck with a pin. Blood, gushing like a fountain, covering Rafe’s scale-covered face and chest from the gaping hole where Norman’s head used to be and it was done.

Dropping the headless corpse on the ground, the Battler Dragon turned without a single backward glance and returned to his human form. Walking back to his mate, he gently lifted her from the ground and cradled her to his chest.

“I’m taking her to the hospital.”

“I shall dispose of the body,mi amigo.” The King laid his hand on Rafe’s shoulder. “Take care of your mate, for she is all that matters.”

17

Waking up to laughter and her mouth so dry she could only croak, Nat was shocked to find not only her Nona and Rafe, but also Max and four of the biggest, handsomest men she’d ever seen in her entire life. Reaching for the small plastic cup of water sitting on the table that stretched over her bed, she couldn’t help but smile as Rafe was right there to help.

Holding the cup to her lips, the love in his eyes was something she’d never expected to see in any man’s eyes, let alone one of the Universe’s chosen warriors. Taking tiny sips of water until her throat felt like it was no longer on fire, she waited until he’d set down the cup before reaching for his hand and holding it up to her lips.

“Thank you,”she whispered directly into his mind.“I just knew you’d come.”

“Nothing and no one will ever stop me from coming when you call.”

“Alright, enough of that crap.” The room erupted in laughter as a slightly shorter version of her mate with a high and tighthaircut stepped up to the other side of her bed and held out his hand.

With no doubt that he was Rafe’s brother, she slid her hand into his and chuckled as he teased, “I guess I should introduce myself since we’re about to become family. Gil O’Rhordan.” He motioned at Rafe with his head as he added, “The lunkhead over here’s brother.”

“Nice to meet you,” she croaked, her voice still sounding more like a bullfrog than a person.

Stepping back, Gil went on, “And the guy with no hair on his head but more than enough on his face is Abe. Beside him is Ben and the last one who looks like a refugee from Hell’s Angels is Oz.”

“Nice to meet y’all.”

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