Page 57 of Hidden Fate

We could hear more hurried footsteps now. The other warriors were running, too, but that was a blessing. At least they’d stayed close together.

We all must have tapped into our dragons, because our group picked up its pace, and so did the man running ahead of us.

Thorn, don’t hold back. They need to see you before they scatter,I connected. Though he hadn’t been feeling anything other than determination, I also knew he didn’t want to leave me behind, which would slow him down.If I get into trouble, I’ll let you know.

He tensed as he ran past the other side of a red cedar and then past me. Finally, he replied,Are you sure?

Yes. Now go.That was the whole point of coming here, but I knew he needed to hear me say so.

He picked up his pace and flew by everyone, confirming what I already knew. He was the strongest of us all…hell, probably out of all the dragons. No one had told me this outright, but there was a reason the royal line ruled—they emanated power. Thorn had the same raw power as his father. He was strong, and with his mark, he could be unstoppable, which was how his grandfather had terrorized their world. To me, Thorn’s situation was different because he was my mate. Even though I knew he was powerful, that power didn’t affect me. Not in the same way I saw it affect others until they got to know him and saw the man he was.

Theron and Vlad surged forward, leaving Brenton, Errol, Saphira, Hydra, and me behind. They weren’t as fast as Thorn, but they were stronger than the rest of us.

The warrior was pulling away, but I could still see the back of his head. I had to split my attention between him and dodging the trees in front of me. He was smaller than the other warriors I’d met, but with each pump of his arms, his triceps bulged. I was certain that even though I’d become a dragon, the loose skin of my underarms still wobbled every time I moved my arms—though with all the training we’d done, I hoped I was getting more toned.

Thorn was gaining speed, and his frustration swirled through me.

I noticed the other footsteps had gone silent…like they’d stopped running.Thorn, something’s up.

Before I could say more, a clearing came into view. The other nine warriors stood waiting, rifles pointed right at us.

Bile burned in my throat. Out of all the possible scenarios, I hadn’t consideredthis. Maybe the warriors regretted their decision and had turned on us. That would be the best way to gain Drake’s forgiveness if they wanted to rejoin what could be the winning side, especially with our limited resources.

The man who was running blew past the two tallest men in the center of the group. A gigantic, ripped, deep-bronze complected man whose braids of ebony hair were pulled into a bun on top of his head had locked his graphite eyes on Vlad, while a fair-skinned male with dark blond hair styled upward, who was only a few inches shorter and not quite as buff but could still take on an ox, had his sapphire eyes on Theron.

“Stop where you are and raise your hands,” the bigger man snarled, his voice as deep and menacing as his muscles.

We all slowed, even Thorn, and his fear peaked within our bond. I knew exactly why. He wasn’t afraid for himself—he was freaking out because he was fifteen feet away from me and not able to protect me.

We weren’t as prepared as we’d thought, and I feared we’d walked into a horrible trap.

The guards at either end of their line, both women, were focused on my mate, while the remaining five focused on the rest of us. I recognized them vaguely from our brief time together in chaos.

“Wait.” The tan-complected woman on our left with dark brown hair lowered her rifle a few inches. The skin around her midnight-black eyes tightened as she let out a deep breath. She lifted a hand and tilted her head. “Who are you?”

Thorn straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin. “Thorn Wight.”

“No way.” The female warrior on the other end snarled. She still had her rifle trained on my mate, her cinnamon irises glowing with anger. “This is a trick. Maybe witch magic? Thorn wouldn’t be able to find us. He’s in hiding and doesn’t have the resources.” She jerked her head back, the ends of her golden brown ponytail swishing over her shoulder.

“Itishim.” Errol pivoted around me and came into view. “Drake has learned where you are. A dragon shifter saw you and reported it. His warriors will be here tonight to eliminate you.”

The guy who’d been running from us gaped. “Errol? Is that really you? Prove it.”

“First off, witches don’t interact with dragons, and second, I was there when the king asked you to become part of his inner circle. He told you that he’d noticed your passion for doing the right thing, and he needed you at his side.”

He sucked in a breath and nodded. “It is you.”

“And thisisThorn. There’s no deception involved.” Errol gestured to my mate.

Tragedy had a way of messing with details, and when they’d last seen us, we’d been naked. My dragon snarled at the thought of the others—especially the women—seeing my mate unclothed. It was a good thing they weren’t certain they recognized him, or I might have had to kill them for that reason alone.

“This isn’t a trick,” Errol finished. “We have a source inside the château who notified us that you were hiding in this area.”

I appreciated that he didn’t divulge who the informant was, but it wasn’t surprising. He was the king’s advisor, after all. Though these warriors were loyal to the late king, that didn’t mean we could trust them yet.

The ten scanned each other, and Runner Guy nodded. “Lower your weapons.”

I was surprised Runner was the leader of the group. He was the scrawniest man in the mix, but if the two who flanked him hadn’t been so huge, he probably would’ve appeared much stronger. He did appear older, so maybe that had something to do with it.

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