Page 39 of Smoke

“I will not die. You will die.” He took one step toward us, then another.

The ground shook slightly each time one of his feet touched down.

“I don’t think so.” My dragon roared its approval as I finally let go and allowed it to come forward, out of my consciousness and into the light. The familiar sound of shredding denim and cotton, the sensation of growing, expanding, filling more of the space around me. I fell forward, on all fours, and growled as softly as I could. We might have been in pitch darkness, but there was still a chance of being seen.

The creature blinked, confused, staggering away from me. “You’re…”

“A dragon,” Pierce confirmed for me.

I let my appearance speak for itself.

The being who was once Bradley turned and fled into the thick cover of trees beyond the motor court, hoping to outrun me.

My dragon thrilled at the chance to play cat-and-mouse with the brute. The dragon’s sharp eyes helped me see my way through the darkness while the troll stumbled and crashed into trees, confused and shocked and too beside itself to think clearly.

How does it feel?I wanted to ask as I followed him around. What does it feel like when somebody bigger and stronger than you has you pinned down and there’s nowhere for you to go? Do you like being the prey this time? Do you like being the smaller one, the one hiding from me?

He breathed heavily, almost panicking, probably from the knowledge that his time was near. As far as I was concerned, it didn’t have to ever end. I would’ve followed him to the ends of the earth if it meant extending his torment. For not only Alina, but all women he’d victimized—because an attacker didn’t leave bruises like the ones he’d left when it was their first time throwing their power around. The thought only added fuel to my raging inner fire, and I growled menacingly.

Bradley let out a cry of fear as he fell. A fallen limb tripped him up and ensnared him in its branches. He was cut and bleeding in a dozen places, at least, shallow cuts. For a moment, the thought of pouring my blood in his wounds occurred to me. I remembered with my human consciousness the way Jasmine had suffered before Alina healed her. The way her body had begun to rot from the inside out. She’d gone through a hell I wouldn’t have wished on anybody, but that was before I met Bradley.

No, it would take too long, and I wanted to get Alina out of this place. The dragon approved. He wanted her safe and warm and in our bed as soon as possible. So I advanced on my prey, then, wings tucked up at my sides, walking on all fours. Breathing hard and heavy, blowing hot air on him which made him shiver pathetically.

“Please… please… let me live…” he whimpered, though coming from him it sounded even more pathetic. “Let me live, and I will leave them alone. Nobody has to know who you are or where you are. Just leave me alive. Please.”

I paused, still toying with him, and the way his eyes widened told me he hoped I was thinking it over. It was almost too easy. I wished I could draw it out a little further.

Instead, I ended it. I opened my mouth to show him he wasn’t the only one with sharp teeth before using them to tear his head from his shoulders.

I dropped it immediately, not wanting the taste of him on my tongue any longer than necessary. Blood poured from his neck and over his body. With any luck, the animals in the woods would be attracted to the smell and come out to see what I had left for them.

The dragon wanted to roar its approval.

I held it back. Once we got home, he could celebrate all he wanted. I shifted before he could give us away and walked back to where I had left Pierce.

He was waiting there with clothes, which I hurried into. “I thought you were going to back me up,” I grumbled as I dressed.

“You know, you could thank me for having the foresight to get the clothes for you,” he reminded me. “Otherwise, you’d be walking around with your dick hanging out and good luck if you think I’d bail you out when somebody called the cops on you.”

I couldn’t argue with that, so I let it go. Not that I needed his help—if anything, I would’ve refused if he had offered it. My dragon wanted the sole responsibility for putting an end to Bradley’s life. We were Alina’s protectors.

She was waiting with Jasmine when we returned to the room and fell into my open arms. Nothing had ever felt so sweet, so perfect. The dragon was pleased. He had his mate.

“He’s gone?” she asked, clutching me.

“He’s gone,” I had the pleasure of reporting. “He’ll never hurt you or anybody else, ever again.”

“And you’re all right?” She searched my face for damage—of course, there was none.

“He didn’t get the chance to touch me,” I promised, kissing the tips of her fingers.

A glance over her shoulder showed Pierce and Jasmine looking at us. Jasmine beamed happily, which wasn’t a surprise. She was right about everything she’d said in the Jeep, and she knew it.

Pierce looked less-than-pleased, but that wasn’t a surprise, either. I might have gotten rid of Bradley, but there was a still a fight to be waged once we got home.

“We should get out of here, just to be on the safe side,” Gate suggested. “Even if we don’t drive back tonight, we can get a few rooms someplace else.”

The fact that we still had to discuss bringing both girls back went unsaid. He was trying to be diplomatic about it.

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