Page 37 of Dragon Flames
While the room is the lap of luxury, and I could want for nothing, it’s still a prison.
Trapped.
By people who were supposed to protect me.
Keep me safe.
Yet, they’re treating me no better than everyone else.
Forever imprisoned.
I press my hands against the door, then tip back my head and scream out all my rage and pain.
Much to my shock, my hands sink into the metal.
I push harder, watching the door begin to melt like playdough. Clawing away the metal in lumps, I peel the door away until there’s just enough room for me to slip through. By the time I fight my way free, I’m shaking like a leaf, my body aching like I just bench pressed a truck, my skin feeling as tender as a bad sunburn.
I’m not sure how long I was trapped, but the sun has long since set, giving the guys a couple of hours head start. Thankfully, I listened to enough of their plans that I have a vague idea of where they’re heading.
I march toward the front door, ready to yank it open, when the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Hearing a slight sound from behind me, I whirl, my eyes widening when I see a small army waiting.
The guy in the front flashes a smarmy, cocky smile, and casually aims a gun directly at my heart. “Here, I thought it was going to be a challenge extracting you from this fortress.”
They must have been waiting for the guys to leave, timing it just right so I would be alone and helpless.
Stupid fuckers.
I give them a feral smile, more than ready to take out all my pent-up aggression on these asshats. “Bring it.”
Chapter Thirteen
DARIUS
Everything’s in place, but I can’t get over the feeling that we’ve fucked up by leaving our mate behind.
“She’s safe, Darius,” Elias repeats the refrain again, but worry darkens his green eyes.
I try to convince myself that our mate is okay, safe behind our walls, but the itch under my skin won’t be appeased. “Let’s break up this party and get home.”
Preston doesn’t say a word, just continues to glare at me. While he wants to protect Felicia as much as the rest of us, he was against locking her away.
I hadn’t wanted to do it either, but I couldn’t do anything but follow the imperative to keep her safe. My dragon refuses to allow any harm to come to her. The very thought threatens to send my beast on a rampage, and I struggle against the need to find her and assure myself that she’s whole and unharmed.
After an hour of rigging the building and taking out the security teams, we’re finally ready to move. Just as we’re about to step out of the shadows, the lights dim, and Lord Gresky steps onto the stage.
“As I promised, we have a very special treat this evening. She’s a rare find, finally maturing this year. Meet the very first female dragon.” Gresky’s voice booms in the room, his expression gleeful as he pulls back the curtains to reveal our mate standing in the center of a fucking cage, wearing nothing but tiny strips of clothing that barely cover her privates.
Silver hair swirls around her, her silvery eyes hard chips as she glares at the audience. A wildness clings to her, vibrating the air, and drawing every damn fucking eye in the place.
The sight of her locked away behind bars, put on display, wrenches something loose in my chest. A sinking sensation threatens to choke me, making me realize how badly I fucked up.
I just wanted to keep her safe, but instead, I handed her over to be sold.
My dragon roars in my head with the demand to be set free…only this time, there’s no holding him back.
Even as the shift takes hold, fire burns through my veins, and my bones crack and snap. I hear two more roars from my flight mates. The screams from the audience are like music to my ears, and I watch the shifters scramble for cover like mice.
Tasty little morsels.
