Page 35 of To Ignite a Dragon's Desire

They were both heavy males, though, and built like tanks.

Gosh, it was strange to think these human bodies somehow housed a dragon inside. If that’s how it worked. Honestly, none of this made sense.

But the sky crackled again with that thunderousboom, lighting a fire under my ass.

“All right, buddy. Minute’s up. On the count of three, you’re with me.” I didn’t let him go as I guided his grumbling self to the staircase.

“Did… you call me… buddy?” Malachy panted as we made it down the first three steps.

“Sure did.” I glanced over my shoulder, looking up at the sky. Lucan’s blue-tinted dragon met the flash of light in the distance.

A roar so deep and soul-crushing it could only be described as a battle cry came from the massive beast, sending shivers down my spine.

I faced forward again, fighting the urge to stay on the roof and make sure Lucan would be okay.

He was bigger than Kieran. More ferocious looking than anything I’d ever seen. I had to believe he’d be able to hold his own against whatever the hell was trying to break into his wards.

But I sent up a silent prayer anyway—despite it never working in the past—that Lucan wouldn’t get hurt as I helped his injured brother down the stairs.

I was starting to like having my dragon around. It’d be just my luck for something bad to happen to him now.

14

Lucan

Bone to Pick

The talons in front of me swiped through the air, missing my snout by inches as I reared back. Pale underbelly scales—the telltale color of the MacAlister Clan—flew past the reach of my jaws.

I’d planned to rip a chunk out of the youngest brother’s neck before he’d gotten smart and flipped out of reach.

Even if his yellow and green coloring hadn’t given him away, I would’ve known this particular dragon was Shawn. He still had the scars on his right flank from the last time I’d kicked his tail a few centuries ago.

I should’ve ended the MacAlister line then, back before they rose to such power. They’d always been a thorn in our sides. But Malachy had ordered peace despite the threat they posed to him.

Over the centuries, as they amassed a following of idiots, they’d grown bolder in their attempts to take over the O’Sullivan birthright. Kieran—curse him and his diplomatic ways—along with Malachy had allowed such foolish behavior to continue, going so far as to indulge them when the oldest brother thought he’d be able to take on the role of guardian and change the prophecy.

Predictably, it hadn’t worked.

As far as I was concerned, they’d overstepped their boundaries one too many times.

I would’ve killed them for less.

Verminous snakes.

Shawn’s dragon let out a furious roar as I slammed my barbed tail into his side, sending him spiraling toward Earth in a freefall.

I beat my heavy wings, rising higher into the troposphere as I checked the horizon for the other two. If one MacAlister were here, the others weren’t usually far behind. By the looks of Malachy, it would’ve been an ambush from the three of them after he was weakened from guardian duties.

Come out, come out wherever you are.

I couldn’t wait to end this.

But the air was calm except for two smoke trails cutting paths through the blue sky leading to me and Shawn. Mine ended at my tail. His went spiraling downward.

It seemed as though they’d abandoned him.

I didn’t sit with the knowledge for long.

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