I let go, and finally accept that things are so wildly out of control, keeping my head down won’t help me survive anymore.
Bringing the bat down again, I give it everything I've got, and this time, the windshield explodes into a shower of glass that rains down over the faded seats. The rearview mirror is the next to go, and I hop off the hood, taking out the side mirrors, but it’s not enough. Electricity races up the bat as I smash it into the hood, the muffled sound of the car’s radio surging to life before it cuts off with a loud pop.
Breathing heavily, I glance up, but none of the guys are even looking my way. Kodi is throwing knives at his targets, Raiden’s attempting to hold his control over a thin stream of smoke like it’s a whip, but it keeps dissipating right before contact and he growls quietly in frustration, trying again and again to perfect it. Stone’s wings are out as he focuses on navigating a tight space without knocking anything over, concentrating too hard to worry about what I’m doing.
I’m not going to get a better opportunity.
Coaxing my dragon to the surface, I’m adamant about not completely shifting. The anger and frustration burning me raw makes it easier to connect to that part, but I’m not so lost to my instincts that she takes over. Nothing happens for several minutes, and a low growl works its way from my chest that rattles the glass shards at my feet. A flash of gold on my wrist has the sound instantly cutting off, a grin splitting my face ear to ear. Even if it only lasts for a second, it’s the burst of confidence I desperately needed.
Tightening my grip on the bat, I turn my efforts to pulling electricity from the walls instead of myself. A tingle of energy races from my toes to my fingertips, and I watch in satisfaction as blue arcs dance across the surface of the bat. Riding a manic high, I make my way to the back wall, pulling a plate from the shelf. I toss it into the air, grip the bat in two hands, and swing. Right before I’m pelted by a couple of jagged shards, there’s a sharp tug in my chest, and I surrender a little more control. Instinctively, patches of scales cover my skin, and only one piece of debris manages to slice my bicep.
Kodi appears in front of me and starts pulling things off the shelves, grinning. “Breaking shit’s more fun with friends. What do you say, beautiful? Want to play with me?”
I swipe my thumb across the thin line of blood on my arm with a breathless laugh and can’t stop smiling. “We don’t have to clean up after, do we?”
He snorts. “Fuck no.”
“Then it doesn’t matter how terrible my aim is.” I gesture for him to back up and fall into a ready stance. “Switch after ten throws?”
“Loser has to give the winner a blow job!” he calls out before swiftly tossing a plate like a frisbee so far to my left, it nearly hits Raiden in the face.
My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. “You’re such a fucking cheater.”
He whistles innocently, tossing the next plate over his shoulder. “Oh nooooooo, my reputation. How ever will I sleep at night now?”
His next throw actually comes my way, and I land a solid hit on the vase, a small cloud of clay dust hitting me in the face. Swiping at my face, I cough out, “Nailed it.”
He alternates between throwing things at me and the others, trying to catch Raiden and Stone off guard. When his arms are finally empty, we switch places, and I only win because half of my throws don’t even make it far enough for him to stand a chance of hitting them, and we both pretend it was intentional on my part.
Raiden trails his fingers down my arm, drawing attention to the sleeve of golden scales as he starts plucking pieces of debris out of my hair with an affectionate smile. “This is a good look on you.”
“Dirty?”
Pressing his lips to mine in a chaste, lingering kiss, he pulls back enough to study my face. “Happy.”
My stomach flips, but it has nothing to do with unease this time, and everything to do with the man in front of me. “Thank you.”
“The pleasure’s all mine, angel.” With one more kiss, he steps away with a teasing smirk. “So, what do I have to do to get in on these betting games of yours?”
“What did you have in mind?”
He crosses his arms, tapping one of his fingers against his bicep as he mulls it over. “If you can get your wings out without fully shifting, I’ll tell you a secret that nobody else knows.”
“Not even Stone or Kodi?”
The two in question are blatantly eavesdropping now. Raiden smirks. “Not even them.”
Kodi pauses. “Wait a minute, I wanna know too.”
“Sorry, offer is for Amara only.”
I narrow my eyes. “It’s not something dumb like you don’t like chocolate, right?”
He crosses his heart. “Better, it’s something you can lord over my head to torment me with for the rest of our lives.”
“You drive a hard bargain, bossman, but I accept.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I realize the major flaw in the plan and groan. “I walked right into this one.”
Raiden’s eyes sparkle with mirth. “Whatever do you mean, love?”
