Page 51 of Hungry Like A Dragon
Seemed to Noah that was what she’d been doing all along.
“The necklace,” Petra muttered out of the side of her mouth.
Noah stared at Delilah’s hand. What about the necklace?
“Keep her attention,” Petra whispered, and then she began backing away.
He glanced at Delilah. “Uh…” What the hell was he supposed to do to keep her attention? And why?
When Delilah started to look Petra’s way, he waved his hand and took a few steps toward her, pulling her focus back to him. “Uh, hey. Um… So Petra and I aren’t really fated mates.”
“No?” Delilah sounded surprised. “You sure act like it.”
That’s all it is, lady. Just an act.“I mean, maybe we are. Who knows? We’re from the Detroit colony, remember? Can’t find out.” Wouldn’t that be something? If they convinced her to lift the curse and it turned out he and Petrawerefated mates? Certainly better than the alternative, which would be watching her fall in love with some other guy.
Noah was 1,000 percent sure he wouldn’t be able to handle that.
“Trust me,” Delilah said. “It’s better this way.”
He could actually understand her reasoning. If she never lifted the curse, he’d never have to find out if Petra truly belonged with someone else. And maybe then she’d stay with him.
“You might be right,” he said.
“I am?”
Before he could expound, Petra slipped up behind the other woman and reached around her shoulder, grabbing the green gem and giving it a yank. Delilah shrieked and tried to step away, but the necklace didn’t go with her.
“No!” she screamed as Petra dropped it on a fallen, rotting wooden beam and slammed her heel into it.
A flash of light burst from the stone, followed by what Noah could only describe as a sonic boom. The force of the reaction sent Petra flying several feet, until she dropped like a stone and slammed into the ground.
“Petra!” he shouted, and scrambled to her side, dropping to his knees. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and lifted her torso. Her eyes were closed and her head lolled backward like a ragdoll. “No! No! I can’t do this again!” He shook her, which, of course, did no good whatsoever.
He felt the telltale shimmer of magic warning him that a dragon had shifted nearby. Then Talia was on her knees next to him. “Oh my gods, Petra!” she cried out, lifting a hand and touching the unconscious woman’s face.
She was only unconscious, wasn’t she?
“Is she…?” Noah croaked out.
“I don’t know,” Talia responded.
“Petra,” Noah said, hugging her upper body to his chest. “Don’t leave me. I need you. Sadie and I both need you.”
“Sadie?” Talia asked.
“Our daughter.”
“Yourwhat?”
He shook his head and buried his face in her hair. “Come on, baby. Come back to me.”
“When did you and Petra hook up?” Talia asked. She paused. “That baby? The one Gabe’s grandmother was holding? Is thatyourbaby?”
Noah didn’t answer her. He continued holding Petra, rocking her, sending prayers up to the gods.
Please don’t take her from me. Please let me have another chance. Please let me make this right. Please. I don’t even care if she’s supposed to be fated to another. Just let her live.
Noah was dimly aware of more and more people gathering around, dragons and gargoyles alike, forming a circle around him and Petra and Talia. And then someone else crouched near him.
