Page 31 of Fanged Secrets
Dragon shifter. There was no doubting it now.
We assessed each other in silence. He rolled his shoulders and flexed long, taloned fingers, lazily challenging me to fight. I mirrored his stance, already transforming when he barreled toward me with terrifying speed.
We crashed through the rickety fence and, winded, I tried to roll away. But I couldn’t avoid his whiplike tail that lashed out and sent me flying. I landed hard on the asphalt, skidding to a stop and immediately scrambling to my feet again. I bared my fangs, feeling my clothes strain and tear as my body morphed into its true form. Leathery bat wings burst from my back andmy bones cracked and lengthened, muscles writhing like snakes beneath my skin.
The shifter lunged at me again, his claws slashing in a blur as my eyesight dulled. I couldn’t see him as clearly, but I could smell him. I dodged and countered, using my own claws to rake across his scales. They scraped and screeched like nails on a chalkboard. The shifter’s tail whipped around to strike back, but this time, I caught it with one hand and used the other to punch him square in the jaw. My fist met its mark with a satisfying crunch.
Breathing heavily, I glanced back at the car, my heart clenching at the sight of Amara still slumped against the window.
Rubbing his bruised jaw, the shifter’s sneer contorted into a ghastly grimace. We collided again, a tangle of claws and teeth. I bit down on his shoulder, tasting blood, while he raked his talons down my side, tearing through flesh and fabric alike. Pain seared through me but I didn’t let go, sinking my teeth deeper and crushing through stoney scales.
He roared in fury and wrenched himself from my jaws. I looked up, just in time to see his head come down to meet mine, ramming into my forehead with such force that stars exploded across my vision and the ground warped beneath my unsteady feet. I felt the impact reverberate through my bones and stumbled away. Before I could recover, I felt powerful arms haul me into a headlock. I struggled against him, my vision dimming at the edges as I clawed at his forearm.
While black dots crowded my vision, I felt my assailant still for a moment and lifted my eyes to follow his line of sight. Amara crawled out of the wrecked car, dazedly blinking at us through a sheath of blood that streaked down her forehead.
Horror like a hot poker speared through my chest.
“No! Leave her out of this!” I fought desperately, twisting my body to break free.
But the dragon shifter tightened his grip, his intent clear as he kept his eyes trained on Amara. With a burst of adrenaline, I threw my head forward and swung it back again, feeling the crack of bone on bone. He staggered, and I cringed at the whiplash, but his grip loosened just enough for me to wrench myself free.
Before he could lurch for Amara I tackled him, our bodies crashing to the ground. I snaked around his claws to bite down on his forearm, but this shifter was tough, throwing me off with inhuman strength, his attention unwavering as he lunged toward Amara.
Oh no you fucking don’t.In that split second, I saw an opening. With all my remaining strength, I rammed into him from behind, knocking him down and spearing my claws deep into his back. He roared in agony, writhing beneath me as I dug my way deeper, ripping and tearing at loosened scales with my teeth. His tail whipped out and caught my cheek, slashing a future scar there, but I was undeterred. With a final twist of my claws, his horned head dropped to the ground, lifeless.
Panting heavily, I struggled to my feet, my wounds burning. I glanced at the car, smashed up and smoking, unsalvageable. Then I turned my head and saw Amara, swaying on her feet, staring at me. Her eyes were wide with terror, her mouth open in a silent scream.
She had seen everything. She had seen me – fangs bared, wings extended, covered in my enemy’s blood. My own blood ran cold.
"Amara..." I started, my voice rasping out like a broken instrument. But she just stared, frozen on the spot. I had no idea what to do or how to comfort her.
Memories of our earlier intimacy twisted into something unrecognizable. Whatever connection we had shared was overshadowed by the monster she saw before her. I took a tentative step toward her, but she flinched.
The sight of her like that, terrified of me, cut deeper than any wound ever could.
Chapter 18
Amara
The last thing I saw before everything went dark was Dylan, pupils blown wide, lips moving indecipherably. I shook my head to clear my vision but the world had gone blurry and rough around the edges. When I touched two fingers to my forehead, they came back bloodied, before they swam out of focus and the darkness swallowed me whole.
When I came to, it took me a moment to piece together what had happened. Something had hit us, something big. The car was on its side and so was I, limbs akimbo where I lay sprawled against the passenger door. Dylan was gone, and I was alone in the smoking husk of metal and broken glass.
Woozy and disorientated, I lifted my head and my vision rippled like disturbed water. I hauled myself upright and tested my sluggish limbs, bending arms and legs and letting out a breath when I found nothing broken. Everything was aching – and there was a sharp pain in my forehead like a nail driving into my skull – but not broken.
Movement flickered in my peripheral and I slowly swiveled my head toward it, but I couldn’t see much past the crumpled metal and the blood in my eyes. I tried to blink it away, and when that didn’t work, I balled a fist in the sleeve of my sweater and wiped my face.
When I was sure I wouldn’t topple over again, I began to crawl out of the wrecked car, picking my way past the jagged glass of the windshield. As I negotiated my way out of the crumpled vehicle the world tipped again, and the road beyond curled and twisted while I struggled to stay conscious. Somewhere along the way I sliced my hand and stared down at the gash in mute befuddlement.
Finally, my groping fingers touched rough asphalt and I hauled myself out, onto the road. The cold air shocked me out of my daze and I struggled to my feet, squinting at the blurry mass of moving objects in front of me. I dashed a hand across my eyes, tasting blood on my tongue, and looked again.
The scene before me was something out of a nightmare.
My breath quickened as I stumbled backward, panic rising as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing. A monstrous figure, a twisted, deformed bat-like creature, locked in combat with what looked like a scaled gargoyle come to life. I stood rooted to the spot, a cold dread settling in my bones.
The bat creature was pale and sinewy, moving in a flurry of slashing claws. Two flesh-draped wings protruded from its back, the scant sunlight revealing a tapestry of veins running through each webbed segment. Tattered fabric clung to its gnarled form, remnants of clothing, as if this being had burst from the body of a regular-sized human.
Only, there was nothing human about it anymore. Back legs buckled at odd angles like an animal and claws the length of my forearm tore into the slathering gargoyle, scattering scales likered confetti and tearing the soft flesh underneath into bloody ribbons.
