He said that, but his voice had turned terse. Now that he’d actually met Konrad, did he feel differently about fixing my relationship with the clan alpha?
I fixed my wide-eyed stare on Konrad. To my surprise, he didn’t swipe at Violet or try to bite his head off. He wasn’t stupid—he must’ve known Violet had the strength to back up his bravado, but he still didn’t know Violet was a dragon. Maybe Konrad thought he was another polar bear shifter?
But when Violet mentioned my name, Konrad’s furious glare pinned on me. A shiver shot down my spine. He was not happy.
“Where have you been?” the clan alpha demanded.
I was too scared to speak. “I...”
“He was with me,” Violet interjected firmly.
Konrad focused on him again. He sniffed the air, but came up empty. He couldn’t place the dragon’s unfamiliar scent. His lip curled into a snarl. “Tell me who you are.”
“Violet. I’m an alpha, too.” Violet crossed his arms. “And you know what? I don’t like the way you’ve treated Poppy since our conversation started.”
The bottom of my stomach fell out. Was Viol actually standing up for me?
Konrad threw his head back and released a harsh laugh. “You don’t know who I am, do you, outsider?”
“I know,” Violet stated calmly. “You’re Konrad the polar bear. The so-called clan alpha. Apparently, that means youownPoppy. But that’s bullshit. He’s his own fucking person. He doesn’t belong to anybody.”
As I listened to Violet, my jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe he was brave enough to confront Konrad like that. The words pouring assertively out of him were surreal to hear, like I was living in a dream.
A wave of visible rage surged over Konrad. He reared onto his hind legs, towering at his full height of nine feet, and drew back a huge paw armed with five deadly claws.
Fear sliced through me.
“Violet!” I cried.
But as Konrad took a nasty swipe at Violet, the air exploded with a split-second transformation.
Konrad’s claws didn’t strike human flesh. They were stopped in place by Violet’s scaly forepaw, gripping the black blades and holding them steady. Those terrifying bear claws, able to shred through the thickest hide with ease, were meaningless against Violet’s strength.
Violet’s dragon form towered over even Konrad’s full standing height. Clan members screamed in terror and shock, retreating backwards in a wave of fear. None of them had ever seen a dragon. I knew the sight of Violet’s large, unusual body spooked them. They were all afraid of what they didn’t know. But I wished they understood that he wasn’t scary at all. In fact,I felt even safer now that he’d assumed his dragon form, like a nestling chick beneath his wide leathery wings.
Konrad heaved a sharp, disgruntled breath. As Violet released Konrad’s paw, the bear took a lumbering step back. It took a few moments to comprehend the great mystical beast in front of him. He must’ve understood the power difference immediately, because he roared to summon backup. My heart sank as his brother, Knox, and third clan alpha, Sheba, came bolting to his aid. But even as the three alpha polar bears stood off against the dragon, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that Violet could win. I just didn’t want him to get hurt in the process.
“What the hell are you?” Konrad snarled.
“Monster!” Knox spat.
“Demon!” Sheba cried.
The bears flanked Konrad, who stood tall on his hind legs. But Violet didn’t lunge or lash out. He stood his ground, four feet steady on the earth.
“Heh. You wish. I’m a dragon,” Violet announced, spreading his wings wider. The bears balked momentarily, spooked by his wingspan, then returned to baring their yellowed fangs. “But this isn’t about me.” Violet arched his neck to glance at me. The eye contact sent a warm spark fizzing down my spine. It reminded me that Violet was on my side. That all of this was for my sake.
Unlike Konrad’s insistence that his decisions were for my sake, I actually believed that Violet had my well-being in mind.
The cold truth dawned on me.
Coming back here was a mistake,I thought.I should’ve flown away with Violet. I should’ve let him take me wherever he may—to his home island, or somewhere else...
But reality stabbed my chest like an icicle. There was one very important reason I couldn’t do that—and he’d just walked forward from the crowd.
“Sorrel?” I whispered.
My younger brother looked tidy and well-fed. But he wasn’t happy to see me. I didn’t think my heart could ache any more, but it did.
