Page 75 of Her Lawless Prince

“Biosignatures match the information supplied by Captain Rita,” a man said. “This is him.”

Fire burst brightly beneath her feet, sending up billowing black smoke. A pained cry rang out. Grier instantly lowered her toward the ground only to drop her close to a lit funeral pyre. The soldiers scattered in fear of the dragon.

Payton watched a figure fall within the flames. The smell of cooking meat was unmistakable.

Nyle!

She roared as she landed, running toward the flames. Seeing a figure in the middle, she tried to jump into the fire to rescue him.

Wind blew her back mid-jump as Grier beat his wings to extinguish the fire. Payton rolled on the ground. Her body shifted back into full tiger form to protect itself.

A scream erupted inside her chest, releasing from her throat in a loud, agonizing roar. Pain, unlike anything she had ever known, filled her. A charred figure emerged in the heavy smoke and didn’t move as the remains kneeled, head down.

She was too late. Nyle was dead.

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Nothing mattered.

Payton’s heart squeezed violently. Any second, the organ would implode, ending her torment. She stared into the smoke coming off the charred remains.

The sound of land crafts buzzed as the soldiers fled in fear. Grier spouted fire after them to chase them away.

Her tiger retreated deep inside like a wounded animal hiding in a cave, and Payton found herself crouching naked on the ground. Her limbs shook, barely able to support her as she tried to crawl toward the pyre. Rocks pressed into her knees and hands. Tears streamed down her face.

They should never have trusted the general.

Torn between wanting the pain to be over, and the sudden burning need to make every single member of the Federation pay for their crimes, Payton began to scream.

Her fingers dug against the ground.

She begged the gods to reverse time.

She begged them to kill her too.

She couldn’t live without him.

Claws extended, and she reached toward her chest to rip out her own heart.

“Payton,” Grier yelled, running toward her in his human form to stop her.

“I can’t. I can’t,” she gasped between breaths.

Grier grabbed her wrists. “Look at me. Look at me.”

She blinked, staring at him briefly in shock before turning her attention back to the pyre.

Grier jerked her hands and leaned to block her view. “Look at me.”

“Grier?” She wanted him to tell her it wasn’t true. “It can’t be this. I need more time. We have to fix it.”

His eyes teared, and all he managed to say was, “Just look at me, Payton.”

The smoke had cleared. She used Grier’s help to push to her feet and tried to stumble past him toward Nyle. “I need to see him.”

Grier kept hold of her, refusing to let go as he walked alongside her.

A strange gleam caught the light from beneath the ash. Stunned, she reached for it. Her touch dislodged the thick covering, and the metal frame of a leg appeared.

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