“Stop it, Jade,” Crimson urged. “You’re scaring them.”
My dragon soul didn’t care. Let them be scared. They deserved that much for putting my mate in danger.
A warm hand touched my front leg. I didn’t need to look down to know it was Alaric.
“No need to bite anyone’s head off, Jade,” he said, both stern and sassy. “I told you I’m fine, remember?”
I exhaled through my nostrils. Only the fact that Alaric was unharmed stopped me from biting someone’s head off.
“Y-yeah,” Aurum said, slowly untangling from Saffron. “Besides, Alaric agreed to it. It was consens—”
My anger exploded. “I don’t care if he agreed to it! You never should have done it in the first place!”
Cobalt and Crimson exchanged a quick glance, a silent agreement to shift and fight if this escalated any further. I almost dared them to try.
But a deep growl from the opposite end of the clearing stopped everyone. Viol emerged like a living shadow, his deep purple scales glinting as he stepped into the sunlight. He stalked closer until his snarling face was inches from mine. Our fangs were close enough to maul each other.
“Cut it out,” Viol said roughly.
My mind raged like a storm. The polite, civilized Jade warred with the possessive, furious dragon Jade. Every time I remembered Alaric in that dangerous bondage, my rage erupted, and all I wanted to do was commit violence against those who’d harmed him—even if it was my own family.
“I cannot,” I growled back.
“You can and you will,” Viol snapped. He lowered his voice so only I could hear him. “Enough, Jade. You’re acting likeme.We don’t need two insane freaks in this family.”
My feathers fell flat. As his statement sunk in, I suddenly came to my senses. Hot, liquid shame drenched me. I backed away and curled onto the forest floor. The utter disgrace shocked my system, and I reverted back to human form.
Alaric cradled me, still stroking my hair. It came loose from the tie when I shifted, spilling over my shoulders and back.
“It’s all right. I’ve got you,” he murmured.
His sweet words were the only tether left to my sanity. I was so bone-chillingly mortified, I could’ve dug a hole and buried myself in it.
After a few quiet beats, my brothers approached us. Viol, still in dragon form, remained by the tree line like a watchful sentinel.
As the eldest, Cobalt spoke first. Though he was still slightly guarded, I mostly heard relief in his question. “Are you feeling better, Jade?”
“Yes,” I rasped. Talking came easier now that I was back on two legs.
Crimson sighed. “You really scared us. Mostly those three.”
I didn’t want to look at Aurum, Saffron and Thystle. I was too ashamed. But no matter how disgusted I was with myself, they deserved an apology.
I forced myself to meet their cautious gazes, then stared at the ground in deference. “I am deeply sorry. That was unacceptable. Please accept my apologies.”
Tension hung thick in the air. Would they forgive me?
Saffron blew out an exasperated breath. “I thought I was gonna die without even finding my fated mate!”
As the tension vanished, Alaric grinned at me. “Not that I wanted anyone to get hurt, but I found your animalistic rage quite sexy.”
In the background, Viol scoffed and slunk into the darkness of the trees.
I groaned, wanting the earth to swallow me up again. “Losing your humanity is not sexy. It was awful,” I muttered.
Alaric glanced between me and my brothers. “So, I assume whatever just occurred is a dragon thing?” he asked.
“The phenomenon doesn’t only occur in dragons,” I explained. Sharing information made me feel more like myself. “Under the right circumstances, any shifter can turn feral. But dragonsare... passionate, to put it lightly. And if it happens to one of us...”
