Not if there was something I could do about it.
Come on. Arise. I know you’re in there. Caz needs you. Milly needs you.
I need you!
Now get up and show me that you’re real!
The collar was growing hot around my neck. The pain of defying the commands its master had given me was agonizing. My dragon screamed.
I screamed.
Bryna whirled, only then realizing that Caz had freed us from the icy restraints.
“What are you doing?” she shrieked. “Back on your knees. You will submit!”
Her alpha power was threaded through the words, encouraging submission, demanding it, with a threat of violence if disobeyed.
My dragon shrugged it aside as I struggled toone knee against the unveiled power of an alpha-class dragon. Bryna was no slouch.
But my dragon wasfucking pissed. This bitch thought she could takeourman? Nuh-uh.I don’t think so.
“You will obey me!” she howled, bringing up her hands.
My fingers wrapped around the slave collar, gripping tightly. I glared at Bryna.
“No,” I growled and twisted, using every ounce of power I possessed. “I won’t.”
The collar snapped, and my dragon surged forward, riding the wave of energy as she expanded to fill my mind and part of the room. Magnificent wings so bright white-purple as to be transparent burst forth from my shoulders, whipping around me protectively. Bryna’s ice attack slammed into them and bounced off.
“This isn’t possible!” she screamed, her fingernails lengthening until they were claws. “I’m going to rip you apart.”
“No, you will not!” I thundered back, alpha power tearing free of me as my dragon worked its way to the surface. Scales poured down my arms, reshaping my hands to match hers.
We crashed together, and I shoved Bryna backward. She flailed her arms for balance, scoring a slice along my underarm when I was too slow. Then she caught her balance and came at me like a banshee, shrieking in anger.
I rolled back under her, tucking my legs to my chest, and kicked her clear across the room. She hit the far wall with a crunch, and I was on her in a second. My claws sliced her arms and chest. I slammed them into her head and raked her legs until her blood was flying.
“I’ll kill you!” I howled. “He’s mine. Mine! None of you can have him. He’s mymate!”
I reared back, my claws swiping down to open her throat to her spine. My dragon wasn’t taking any chances.
But the blow never fell. A grip like steel closed on my wrist, stopping me still. I didn’t hesitate. I struck out with a wing and spun, but it didn’t matter. It was like hitting solid stone.
My dragon was frenetic, whining and claws, trying to get back to Bryna, to spill her blood on the floor. To end any threat to me, Caz, or Milly. She would never rise again, and I would use the blood of my enemies to show that they should never threaten him. Ever. Or they would hear from me.
“No,” a gentle voice, afamiliarvoice said as I was hauled to my feet. “She must live, my love. She must live to face her punishment. To become the face of what will happen to those who resist the changes coming to our kingdom.”
Ourkingdom?
My dragon hesitated. It was the opening Ineeded. I reasserted control over the feral beast, doing my best to fumble around and rein her in, to keep her under control. Now was not the time for murderous protection.
“C-Caz?” I stammered when I finally wrestled her into submission.
“Hello, my love.”
I flung myself at his chest. He grunted in pain, but when I tried to pull away, his arms folded around me, squeezing harder.
“Stay,” he rumbled, and I wanted to bury my head in his chest and live in the vibrations.
