“What are you doing, Poppy?” Sorrel demanded. “Why’d you bring that dragon here?”
Konrad’s ear twitched. “Youknowthis creature, Sorrel?”
“Y-yes, sir.” Sorrel sat up straighter as the clan alpha addressed him. “My brother and I met him a couple weeks ago after he crashed into the fields outside your territory.”
Konrad narrowed his beady black eyes. “And neither of you thought it was important enough to tell me?”
Ears flicking back with guilt, Sorrel lowered his head. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve known better...”
Konrad didn’t bother glaring at me. Strangely, he paid me little attention. Perhaps an alpha dragon was more urgent than a disobedient omega stray.
But then Konraddidlook.
He fixed his hard stare on me with a vengeance, pinning me for a long, uncomfortable beat of silence. The air between us was thick and tense. His rage magnified like a growing storm cloud on the horizon, and he was about to unleash a torrential flood on my head. I withered beneath his gaze.
Then Konrad snapped his glare back on Violet, sizing up the dragon.
I don’t want them to fight,I thought desperately.But if they do, Violet won’t lose...
Then Konrad fixed his gaze on Sorrel.
A dreadful premonition rippled across my pelt. I felt a deep pit of despair open up within me, as if something horrible was about to happen.
Konrad spoke in a menacing growl. “Knox. Sheba.” He paused for their attention. “Take Sorrel to my private quarters.”
Absolute terror tore through me. A string of unspeakable images raced across my mind. Nothing good could possibly come from that.
Nothing.
As visceral fear catapulted me to my paws, my voice—raw and hoarse—came out louder than I’d ever yelled in my life: “NO!”
I raced out from behind Violet, throwing myself at the ground beneath Konrad.
“I’ll go,” I exclaimed. “Please. Let me go in his stead.”
“Poppy!” Sorrel exclaimed, sounding almost offended.
He didn’t understand. Why didn’t he understand that this waswrong?
This wasn’t like before. I wouldn’t let Konrad sweet-talk his way out of my challenge because I had no more doubts. If I didn’t stop this, Konradwouldhurt my brother.
And I refused to let that happen.
My body trembled and fear pierced my mind like thorns, but I wouldn’t back down. I stared directly into Konrad’s eyes.
“Please, Konrad,” I begged. “Please take me in Sorrel’s stead.”
Violet’s voice was shocked and furious as he cried out, “Poppy, what are you doing? Stop!”
But as Konrad stared down at me, his expression slowly twisted into one of subtle satisfaction. As I groveled on the ground, he put a massive paw on top of my head, not holding back his strength.
“Poppy!” Violet snarled. I felt the ground shake as he surged forward. “Get the fuck away from him or I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” Konrad countered, letting his threat hang in the air. “Go ahead, dragon. Make your move.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Violet stare at the clan alpha in horror. He couldn’t move—if he did, Konrad would crush my skull. I didn’t doubt his threat, and neither did Violet.
“Why are you doing this to him?” Violet snarled, fury gnarling his voice. “You’re supposed toprotectomegas, not hurt them!”
