Page 81 of Hidden Fate

Two dragons darted toward us from between the treetops. They must have peeled off from the main group to deal with us. The magenta dragon had its gaze on me, but it shifted its attention to Thorn, as did its lavender dragon friend. Why were they ignoring me? The likely reason had a chill running down my spine.

Drake didn’t want me hurt. He still wanted me by his side.

Keep running, Thorn connected, taking my arm and pulling me along beside him.The entrance is just up ahead.

He was right. With two dragons chasing us, maybe no one else would join them. If we could drive them off, we could safely hide away.

I tapped into my dragon, and she pushed me forward. In the distance, the hill with the fake rock entrance came into view, and I pushed harder. The sound of the wings was right behind us.

Spinning, I raised my gun and aimed at the dragon’s nose, but as soon as I pulled the trigger, the dragon lifted higher, and the bullet hit its neck and bounced off. The dragon scoffed.

The magenta dragon turned its creepy white eyes on me, suddenly deciding to attack. It made a clucking noise, and then the lavender one focused on me as well.

They sped across the last remaining feet toward me, and Thorn snarled at my side. As I readied myself, he jumped in front of me.

No!He didn’t have time to fight them off, either.

He was going to die.

CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN

Thorn’s magicflared through our connection as his hands glowed, but they were on us. He reached for the dragons, and they jerked back out of reach. They darted into the air, preparing to descend on him again.

Wheezing, I gripped my dagger, ready to cut an asshole, when the magenta dragon’s head jerked toward where the rest of the fighters were.

The lavender one darted over Thorn’s head toward me. I held my dagger close to my side so the dragon wouldn’t see it. I would wait until the last possible second to reveal my hand after stumbling and making it think I was frozen in fear.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have to act. This entire battle scared the shit out of me. There was so much more to lose than just our lives. The future of our people was at stake.

Thorn snarled as the dragon floated just out of reach of his white-glowing hands and dipped down, its talons extended toward me. Then I realized what was going on.

They were going to take me to Drake.

I’d rather die than be back at his side.

Get down,Thorn connected.

Gunfire pelted the magenta dragon, and rushing footsteps came closer. It had to be someone we were waiting on.

Sharp nails dug into my shoulders, and I swung my dagger, ignoring the agonizing pain. Thorn spun around, but the mark was made. The dragon flapped its wings, jerking me backward.

My dragon roared inside as I slammed my dagger into the top of the lavender dragon’s talon. It shrieked but maintained its hold on me with its uninjured talons, lifting me higher. I drew my gun and leaned back, aiming for where the jaw connected with its neck. If it released me and I fell on my back, it might hurt, but I’d be out of its grip.

I fired, hitting the spot, and the dragon screeched.

The dragon and I dropped.

I closed my eyes, bracing for impact, but something hard slammed into me, and soon, I was hugged against a strong, masculine chest as someone ran with me in his arms.

Between the scent and the buzz, I knew without a doubt who my savior was—Thorn.

Something crashed, and over Thorn’s shoulder, I saw a large lavender tail barreling toward us.

Watch—I started, but that was all I got out.

The tail slammed into Thorn. His upper body crashed on top of my left side, knocking the wind out of me. My lungs burned as I tried to suck in oxygen.

I’m sorry.He groaned as he rolled off me and onto his feet.

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