Page 42 of The Dragon's Flamebound Mate

“We should get down there and get ready,” Hayden said. Nerves were pouring off of him. Following a team that was so perfect wasn’t ever easy.

I agreed with him and indicated it was time to get the others. We stood from where we were in the stands and walked down to the waiting area before the announcers started speaking again. We didn’t want to disturb others by blocking their view, even if it was only for a few minutes. We held our heads high—now was the time to get into the competition mindset and not let any doubts or anxieties overtake us.

We could do this.

We were ready.

We were going to own the sky.

Of course, Carson found us and took the opportunity to come by. Jackass. His typical smarmy smile adorned his face, and for a split second, I wished I was the type of guy to throw a punch. He was 100% the type of guy who needed one.

Zayne held my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Ash. Zayne. The two of you never returned my calls.” He spoke loudly, as if hoping others might overhear and we might be framed as the bad guys.

Zayne shrugged one shoulder. “Didn’t seem to be anything worth discussing, really.”

Carson chuckled. “I just wanted to extend my congratulations. Ash is a unique” —he winked— “person. You’re lucky to have him. Even if he isn’t a dragon, he sure knows his way around one.”

He was such a piece of garbage. If we were anywhere else, we could end the conversation right here, with him walking away knowing not to cross the line again. But we weren’t somewhere else, so instead, we had to get through this without causing a scene.

My skin burned, both with embarrassment and irritation. Meanwhile, Zayne just looked bored. He was so much better at dealing with horrible people than I was, that was for sure.

“If that’s all…” Zayne gave a little shooing motion.

For a moment I thought Carson was going to say more. He did love the last word. Instead, he seemed to deflate at not being able to get a rise out of my mate. “Oh. Good luck,” he said, though I didn’t believe for a minute that he meant it.

Once he walked away, my mate pulled me tight against him. “Mine,” he said.

“There was never a doubt.” I wiggled my body against his, blending our scents together. His dragon was close to the surface. So was my eagle.

“I really wanted to hit him.”

I laughed, having been thinking a very similar thought. “It would’ve been fun to see that, but it’ll be more fun if we can enjoy our team’s flight.”

He nodded, and his dragon receded as calm overcame him. I refused to let Carson get under his scales and my feathers. I full-on refused.

The time was ticking away, and we pulled the team into a huddle.

“This is it, team. We’ve done what we can, now it’s time for you all to show the rest of dragonkind what we can do.” Zayne’s voice sounded so confident that even if we didn’t have a solid routine at the ready, I’d probably have still believed him.

Each member of the team nodded, their earlier fears and anxieties washing away now that we were here.

Zayne, Hayden, Kellan, and I stood in our designated area while our team marched onto the field, led by Scott and Christa.

I held my breath and Zayne’s hand while we watched.

The team was introduced, and the crowd cheered for members new and old alike. We had many supporters who had come from far and wide to watch us. I’d been aware of that all along, but experiencing it was such a different story.

Once the team had stripped down and shifted to their dragon forms, they were given the go-ahead to begin.

Christa and Scott took to the air first, followed closely by Issac and Susan. Jay was our alternate and wouldn’t compete until the later competition. We made sure that everyone played an active role, unlike some teams. It was important to us that they all felt their worth.

The team began with a diamond formation, with Scott leading and Christa tailing. They kept tight to one another, their wing beats in perfect unison—a feat that was not an easy one considering they were all of differing sizes. I lost count of how many hours we’d spent working on that alone. Watching them synchronized on this made each and every one of them worth it.

Their first few maneuvers went well. They twisted and turned in unison, showing off their skills as a team and individually. Scott and Christa dipped low, while Issac and Susan flew circles in the air. Their careful figure eights gave the illusion that they might crash head on, but their precise maneuver didn’t allow for that. I had seen them do it countless times and knew full well they weren’t going to crash and even I gasped along with the audience. The illusion was performed to perfection.

Just when it looked as if Scott and Christa would hit the ground, they extended their talons and picked up the batons that were waiting for them.

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