Chapter
Twenty
Elias gaped.Fuck me.
The dragons crashed in the sky. Claws tore and gripped at scales. Roars vibrated through the air. Necks and tails swung. Wings beat.
Gerard drove Lord Amsel back, claws scratching at his torso. Lord Amsel bellowed.
Of course, Elias had seen dragons fighting before. Many times. But all those times, he or his allies had been the focus of the dragon attacks. He’d been too focused on not dying and instead bringing down the dragons to appreciate the majesty and strength of the powerful beasts flying above. And he’d never seen a dragon fighting another dragon before.
Lord Amsel bit at Gerard’s shoulder. Gerard swung his thick neck, smashing it into the side of Lord Amsel’s head, dislodging him.
Then Gerard stretched his claws and dug them into Lord Amsel’s white, scaly stomach. Lord Amsel bit his neck. The two locked together, spinning through the air towards the ground. But before they hit the earth, they bothreleased their holds on the other, pushing back and flying into the sky.
Elias didn’t blink. He didn’t draw breath. He just watched, hands clasped in front of him, nails digging into the backs of his hands.
The two flew, mighty wings flapping, as they watched each other. Muscles tightened and moved beneath gleaming scales. Gerard roared, and the sound sent a shiver down Elias’s spine.
As he fought, Gerard kept angling his head to keep the other dragon in view of his left eye. In human form, Gerard always wore an eye patch. In dragon form, the right eye appeared glassy and white. And the fern-like scars from Elias’s attack looked even more like lightning against the green scales.
Gerard lunged, smashing into the purple dragon. He gripped one wing in his claws and wrenched, tearing the membrane. Blood spilled. Elias gasped.
Already Gerard had pulled back, flying up and above, directly above the other dragon. Lord Amsel tried to right himself. His wing that had just been released struggled to flap.
Gerard dove straight down. His claws drove into Lord Amsel’s back and injured wing. He pushed him down with brutal strength and speed.
Lord Amsel struggled, trying to break free. Gerard leaned down and bit his neck. Lord Amsel cried out a moment before he hit the ground. The thud resonated through the earth, and Elias felt it deep in his bones.
Elias jumped and applauded.
Gerard released the grip of his teeth and claws. He flew upwards, circling the field high above. He opened his jaw. He lit up the sky with orange-and-gold dragonfire.
I’m going to marry him! I’m going to marry that magnificent dragon!
He felt light-headed. He yelled until he ran out of air. Around him, the crowd chanted, “Dragon Warrior! Dragon Warrior!”
Elias joined in, shouting with them, “Dragon Warrior! Dragon Warrior!”
After several victory laps, during which Lord Amsel had shifted and left the field, Prince Gerard landed. Still in dragon form, he looked out over the stands.
Elias clapped and hollered and screamed. Then Gerard walked towards the grandstand on all fours.
He’s so strong! So glorious!
Elias continued to applaud as the dragon paused. His thick neck stretched long. Gerard’s working green eye swept over the crowd. It settled on Elias. Elias’s breath caught as the force of that gaze rested on him.
Once before he’d seen this very dragon above him. But back then, two green eyes had fixated on him as the dragon had opened his mouth and planned to kill Elias.
Now he will be my husband. He will be mine. My dragon warrior prince.
Electricity skittered along his skin. His heart raced. Elias lifted his head. He set his jaw. He clapped harder.
I will make him like me! I will make him want me. Whatever it takes.
Then the dragon pulled in. He shuddered. His body transformed. Long limbs grew shorter. Scales turned to dark skin. Suddenly, Gerard in human form stood before Elias and the crowd.
Elias hummed, eyes tracing that gorgeous, muscular body, and those thick thighs. Gerard’s cock, evenflaccid, was rather impressive. Elias’s throat dried, and his gut tightened.
