Page 46 of Claimed By the Sinful Dragon
As the night had worn on, I’d found more blood, and fibers of the rope they’d bound her with. Bound her so tight it broke the skin.My jaw clenched as I thought of it. I wanted to rip him apart for that alone.
Yes. Kill the pup. Kill anyone who would dare harm her,my dragon urged, his fury melding with my own until I no longer knew where I ended and he began.
But I couldn’t lose control. Not yet.
I’d found the spot where the fools had camped for a few hours, allowing me to gain on them. Allowing me to note five distinctive scents in addition to Kaylee’s. Five men who would die today.
When I found them, when I had Kaylee safe, then I could lose control. Not before.
And when she is safe, we will burn the rest to ash.
Yes. We’d let it all burn, every trace of those who’d dared to threaten, dared to hurt, the one I—
There!
I dragged my focus back to the woods as the dawn lightened. I’d almost missed the turn in the trail. I needed to focus.Kayleeneeded me to focus. I’d already failed her once. I wouldn’t fail her again.
The fire burning in my chest turned to ice. They were heading for the border. And if they crossed out of my territory…
Fly!
No. We can’t.
As much as I wanted to, as much as I abhorred crawling along at a snail’s pace through the undergrowth, likely not even twice the speed of the wolves, I couldn’t take the risk. With the thick tree cover, it would be too easy to pass directly over them.
Not when we know where they’re headed,my dragon growled impatiently.
Our border is over 400 miles long, they could come out at any point.
My dragon settled back with another grumble, and I pushed on, the scent of my Tribute and her kidnappers growing steadily stronger with every step. And with every step, my dragon grew more restless.
We’re almost to the border.
I know.
If they’ve passed beyond our borders…
Iknow.
I bit back a growl. If they’d passed beyond our borders, and I murdered them in another dragon’s territory, I risked war. It wouldn’t stop me. I was bringing my Tribute home, and nothing would stop me. If we got lucky, they’d take a sharp right and veer into Gaheris’s territory. He’d have no issue with what had to be done. But I wasn’t counting on luck.
I doubled down and pushed hard, my uneasiness growing as the trail continued straight ahead. The land was technically neutral territory, but arcane law meant all neutral land was territory of the crown. I’d need to make the deaths quick and clean, neither of which was high on my agenda, if I didn’t want to risk unwelcome attention.
Risk it.
Let’s just find her first. We’ll worry about how to kill the upstart wolves when we catch them.
We will take them back to our lair and torture them. Slowly.
A low rumble of agreement spread through my chest. The idea appealed to every jealous, protective instinct in me. That Tribute wasmine, and they’d stolen her. There was a price to be paid, and only their pain would settle the debt.
We grow near.
I sharpened my focus. He was right; we were close. My uneasiness increased. The trail was at least half an hour old, but air scenting told me I’d reach them within a minute. They had stopped, and—
Her scent is not fresh.
I froze, inhaling.Fuck!
