Chapter One
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THE TWO DRAGONS CLASHEDtogether in a move that Rex could swear made the ground shake under his feet.One of them reared up on their back legs, snapping his fangs at the other.It looked like the dragon leader was trying to snatch Merrick around the throat, but luckily, Merrick got out of the way.
Rex couldn’t imagine how his brother, Alpin, would react if something were to happen to Merrick.Alpin was strong, but not so strong that he’d survive this with his heart intact.Merrick had become incredibly important to him, so much so that he’d decided to move in with the wolf pack permanently.
Rex couldn’t look away from the fight.He’d seen many of them since he’d become a vampire, and even before then, but watching two dragons fight to the death was an experience he’d never lived through.He wasn’t sure he wanted to see this ever again, especially not if it involved a dragon who was dating one of his siblings.Even though Merrick was strong and capable, there was still a possibility that something might go wrong.
Nothing did.Merrick ducked out of the way and used one of his wings to slap Martin.The way he was grinning told Rex that he was enjoying himself, which wasn’t something Rex understood.He didn’t like fighting.He did it because he didn’t have a choice.Merrick didn’t in this case, but the smile that exposed his fangs was a little disturbing, especially with the blood staining them.
Merrick was massive in his dragon form, but he was also fast.He used his tail to hit Martin, causing him to stumble closer.As soon as he was close enough, Merrick lunged, closing his jaws around Martin’s neck the way Martin had tried doing to him only moments before.Rex barely had time to be stunned at Merrick’s speed.One moment, Merrick was holding Martin up, and the next, Martin’s lifeless body fell to the ground.
The forest fell quiet around them.Everyone stopped moving.Rex could still hear people fighting in the distance, not knowing what had happened to their alpha.They’d find out soon.Martin wasn’t a danger anymore.Hopefully, that meant that the clan wasn’t, either.
Merrick raised his head to the sky and roared, fire bursting from his mouth.Rex winced, briefly wondering if it was necessary.Merrick had to be careful if he didn’t want to set the forest on fire, especially with the damage already done by the fighting.It was a miracle that the fires Rex had noticed during the fighting hadn’t spread.
“That’s my man,” Alpin crowed, startling Rex.
Rex rolled his eyes at his brother’s words.He was proud of Merrick, too, but he didn’t think the boasting was needed.He supposed that Alpin and Merrick really did fit well together.He wouldn’t have thought that when they’d first met—in fact, he’d been sure that Merrick hated Alpin—but he couldn’t deny it now.
The aftermath of a battle was always odd.If one lost, they had to run for their lives or end up being killed or imprisoned.The pack hadn’t lost, though.Rex was sweaty, tired, and hungry, and his body ached, but he was still standing.They’d fought a dragon clan—or part of it, anyway—and they’d won.
He couldn’t say that he’d seen that coming.
He’d been lucky.He was still standing and in reasonably good condition, but the same couldn’t be said for everyone.Martin and his second were dead, which was what they’d deserved.They weren’t who Rex was worried about.
The pack had no doubt lost people.It was a given since they’d fought dragon shifters.Rex wasn’t a healer, but he could still walk around and help people where possible.He’d need blood soon, but in the meantime, his work wasn’t done.
Alpin had joined Merrick and was fussing over him.That would keep him occupied, which was always a good thing because it meant that Rex could focus on other things.He looked around.Several people were sitting on the ground, some against trees, others just flopped in the dust.A few of those were moving, but not everyone.Thankfully, the people who needed the most help were already getting taken care of because Rex wouldn’t have known where to start dealing with serious injuries.
He noticed a man sitting against a tree, looking pale.The man was dressed, which probably meant that he wasn’t a shifter.That could make him any other number of creatures since the pack hadn’t been fighting alone, but when the man rolled the back of his head against the tree and turned in Rex’s direction, Rex recognized him as a fellow vampire.
He wasn’t sure why Harmon was here.As his coven’s leader, it would’ve been easy for him to send someone in his place.It was what most other leaders would have done.Not Harmon, though.He’d been there every step of the way, attending meetings and coming up with solutions to the problems the dragon clan had caused.It was almost as if he was reluctant to go home, which couldn’t be right.Most vampires would be uncomfortable spending so much time away from their coven.Rex’s family didn’t, but that was because they were weirdos.Besides, they weren’t officially a coven, but they were family, and all of them were here.
“Everything okay?”someone asked, causing Rex to turn.
He nodded at his sister, Yvonne.There was blood on her cheek and a massive scratch on her chest, but she looked like she was okay.She was still standing, anyway.“You?”
“I’ll heal.I’ve already talked to Cressida and Mallory, and I was with Parker and Luca earlier.They’re all fine.”
“Alpin and Merrick are, too.”
She snorted.“I saw that.I heard it, too, unfortunately.”
“Alpin’s right to celebrate.Merrick might just have rid the pack of the dragons.”
“I guess we’ll see what happens when the rest of the clan finds out that their leader’s dead.”
That was something that worried Rex, and he was sure he wasn’t the only one wondering.The entire clan hadn’t been present today.It wasn’t even close.That meant that back at the clan house, there were people who might want revenge for the killing of their clan leader.
Rex wasn’t sure the pack would survive it if the dragons attacked a second time.
But it wasn’t something they needed to worry about today.Hopefully, even if the clan and whoever would be in charge now decided they wanted revenge, they wouldn’t attack today.They’d lost people—more than just their leader.They’d need at least a few days to regroup.Rex wasn’t sure a few days would be enough for the pack to be ready, but hopefully, there wouldn’t be a reason for them to have to be.
His sister stepped away, and he turned back to Harmon, who was still alone, leaning against that tree.He was holding his arm close to his chest, and there was blood everywhere.Rex could see it came from a long gash in that arm.It had to hurt.
Since no one was checking in on Harmon, Rex decided he might as well do it.As a fellow vampire, he felt like he should, even though they didn’t belong to the same coven.Harmon was an ally and one of Merrick’s closest friends.He technically was part of the family.
