“I have to do something,” Ottis whimpered.
“Staying here is the best thing you can do,” Hijinks said.
But Ottis wanted so badly to be out there, helping Doc win against Sevrian. He pressed himself against the window, his heart in his throat as Doc took another stab at his ex.
Sevrian was starting to gain an advantage. Doc’s movements were slowing; he was distracted. By the stab wound?
Would Doc shift into a dragon now, or was he still wary of someone seeing him through the hole in the hedge?
The hole.
An idea jolted into Ottis’ mind. His heart stuttered.
Quietly, so he wouldn’t distract anyone, Ottis ran to the nursery and dropped off Marcie. Then he ran to the linen closet and grabbed the largest bedsheet he could find.
He shrugged off his clothes and ran limping to the side door, slipping out of the mansion. The moment the door closed, he shifted into a wolf.
He ran much faster in this form because he had three good legs instead of one. Ottis darted along the far border of Doc’s property, keeping his head down.
Some of the thugs saw him and gave chase. Ottis outran them, his heart pounding as he skidded to a stop behind Doc, next to the hole in the hedge.
“Sweetheart,” Doc hissed.
Crap. Doc had seen him.
“Ah,” Sevrian said with a nasty smile. “How nice of you to save me all that trouble, Ottis.”
But Ottis wasn’t listening to him. He shifted back into a human and snapped open the bedsheet, flinging it across the damning hole.
The thieves gained on Ottis. Sevrian lunged at him with his beak and claws.
Ottis panicked.
Doc shifted into a massive golden dragon, his clothes ripping.
Before Sevrian could crash into Ottis, Doc slammed into the griffin, knocking him out of the way. He grabbed Sevrian by the neck and pinned him with a scaly paw, his eyes flashing red.
“You disfigured Ottis and stalked him. You keep threatening to ruin his life everywhere he goes,” Doc snarled in Sevrian’s face. “I’ll give you one chance to prove that you should be spared. Apologize to him.”
Sevrian leered at Ottis. “Why should I? He’s real good at sucking cock. I could knock him up, but he’ll only get more whiny—”
Doc opened his mouth, and unleashed a stream of the hottest blue flames.
Beneath him, Sevrian shrieked as he burned to a crisp.
Ottis stared, his heart pounding.
For years, Sevrian had been a thorn in his side, a thing he had nightmares about. He had run from one alpha to another, going into hiding when he heard that Sevrian was on his tail again. His leg always ached when he remembered that alpha.
Now, Sevrian was no longer a threat. He would not bring danger to Ottis wherever he went.
It felt like a great weight had rolled off his chest.
Ottis swayed on his feet. “Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” Doc glanced at the hired thugs, who were now eyeing him with interest. “Get somewhere safe. I’ll clean up this mess.”
Ottis nodded and shifted back into a wolf, staying back while Doc roasted the men who advanced on him.
