Chapter 16

Feno’s dragon cut through the air, swiftly heading toward Delia’s location. Willow, riding on his back, had refused to be left behind as they went in for Delia’s rescue.

“We’re close. Where are you?” Vander’s voice came through across their mental link.

“About five minutes away,” he replied.

The area the shifter had shown them in his memories came to view. He began the descent to the ground, gently landing to not throw Willow off his back.

His dragon, ever careful of Willow, slowly lowered its head and shoulder to allow her to gracefully slide off him. Her smaller form rode along his neck and shoulders as her feet met the ground. She took a few steps away and turned to him with a smile plastered across her face.

His dragon pushed its head toward her, wanting her touch. She rubbed his snout, unafraid of his dragon. His beast loved her attention.

“Come on. We have work to do,” she murmured, giving his snout one last pat.

He stepped back from her and pulled back on his beast, commanding for his human form to come forth. His dragon grumbled as it relented and shifted.

He appeared before Willow in his naked form. Her eyes dropped to his cock, and it jerked at attention. A growl formed in his chest at her heated look. He waved his hand and willed clothes to appear on his body.

“I’m beginning to not like that trick.” She giggled.

“Sassy witch,” he snorted, grabbing her hand and tugging her to him. His attention was caught by the sound of two other forms flying overhead.

“Wow,” Willow breathed and cast her eyes toward the sky to witness Vander and Jodos arriving in their dragon forms.

Their large dragons glided around with their wings wide, circling overhead. Her eyes were wide with awe. The two dragons landed quietly on the ground.

“Hey,” Feno said, bringing her back against him. His dragon didn’t like the way she was staring at the other beasts.

She turned her eyes to him and laughed at his expression.

“You have nothing to be jealous about,” she reasoned, keeping her eyes on him.

The other two dragons shifted. He peered over the top of her head and scowled. His brother and friend appeared naked for a brief second before clothing themselves.

“Someone’s jealous.” Jodos laughed and made his way toward them.

“Maybe his name should be Feno the Jealous instead of Feno the Fierce.” Vander laughed alongside Jodos.

“How about Feno, the Only Child,” Feno growled.

“Empty threats, empty threats.” Vander shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Hello, Willow. Hope my brother is treating you well.”

“He is.”

She smiled, but he could see she was trying not to laugh at his idiot brother and friend. He scowled at them, turning to lead the way into the woods. He didn’t care that they knew he was a jealous dragon. His animal only wanted Willow’s attention on him. He wouldn’t apologize for being so enamored with his mate.

“Let’s go after the rogues,” he ordered.

The wooded area surrounded them, and the path grew narrow. It was just as the memory from the shifter had showed them. The path would lead them to where he was sure the wolves would be. It was early morning, and if he knew rowdy rogues, they would not be expecting company and would be sleeping off their night.

The group trekked through the woods in silence. From the memory of the wolf shifter, he knew they would be outnumbered, but three strong dragon warriors could take on a bunch of rogues. The local wolf shifter pack had been notified of their location, and their alpha would not stand for rogues moving in on their territory. Rogues were never wanted in any town or city. They didn’t live by the shifter way, and they sure didn’t bow down to the local alpha. But first, the dragons would get Delia back and leave the rogues to the local pack to handle.

Coming upon the edge of the woods, Feno turned with his fingers to his lips and looked down at Willow. She nodded. He saw the stubborn tilt to her jaw; she was ready to jump into battle to save her grandmother. They had already discussed the plan. While he, Vander, and Jodos handled the wolves, she was to sneak to her grandmother.

He turned back. Vander and Jodos spread out so that they, too, could get a look at the camp. His eyes searched the camp, searching for the shifter who would be leading the rogues. A few of the men stirred, but most remained asleep on the ground around the smoldering fire. His gaze landed on the cave that he recognized from the vision.

Out walked the leader of the rogues. Feno recognized his tall frame. He stalked from the cave. Small hands gripped Feno’s arm, and he glanced down to find Willow’s attention on the shifter who walked across the clearing and disappeared into the woods.

“Now,” Feno growled.

They exited the brush with Willow behind him. Besides Willow heading to her grandmother, they didn’t have a plan other than disabling the shifter and grabbing the elder witch. It wasn’t much, but it would do.

Shouts echoed. Another shifter appeared from the mouth of the cave. Willow took off running toward it, and Feno cursed and went after her.

Growls filled the air. Some of the rogues shifted, and his eyes locked on a wolf headed toward his mate. He threw himself in front of her and caught the large animal. Fangs snapped at his neck, but Feno, being the stronger shifter, broke the neck of the wolf, tossing its body to the ground.

He glanced around. Vander and Jodos were in the midst of fighting human and shifted men.

“Feno!” Willow’s scream grabbed his attention.

Turning, he found her frozen in place, two wolves circling her.

His eyes narrowed, and he ran toward her, releasing his energy. His power, stronger than that of a wolf shifter, shook the ground. The wolves looked around in confusion. Their eyes narrowed on him. He reached Willow’s side.

“Stay behind me,” he growled, his incisors breaking through his gums. His dragon was ready for battle and demanded to be set free so he could rain down fire on the camp.

“We’re not setting the woods on fire,” Feno snapped at his dragon. It responded with a growl, displeased with his answer.

“I can feel her near,” Willow announced from behind him, her fingers gripping his shirt.

He didn’t take his eyes off the wolves. They took a step toward him.

“Now what do we have here?” a voice rumbled from behind them.

Feno quickly turned his body, keeping Willow behind him.

The leader.

His eyes narrowed, and he approached them.

“We’ve come for the witch,” Feno snapped. His skin prickled; his animal pushed forth again. He shoved his beast back.

Not now .

He didn’t want to shift and risk setting the entire area on fire. That would make it harder to retrieve Delia.

“Oh no. You don’t get to come here and snatch her from me. She’s mine. I was paid good money for her.” The leader stood by one of the growling wolves. The wolf bared its sharp fangs that were dripping with saliva.

“Who paid you?” Willow demanded, moving to stand by Feno’s side.

Feno placed his arm in front of her to keep her from moving forward.

“Delia’s granddaughter. Isn’t that nice of you to try to rescue your grandmother. I’m sure I could get double for taking you both.” The shifter chuckled.

“You’d have to get through me first,” Feno growled.

The leader of the rogues would die before Feno allowed them to take Willow.

His chest rose; he fought his beast who demanded to be set free. Their mate was being threatened, and it wanted to destroy the shifter who stood before them.

“Kill him and take the girl,” the shifter commanded, his eyes narrowed on Willow.

Feno pushed Willow behind him. The two wolves converged on him. They both jumped, and he braced his body to be hit by both, but only one connected with him. The wolf’s body slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. He caught sight of the other one frozen in the air.

Willow.

His eyes flew to her and found her manipulating the wolf before casting its body through the air and slamming it into the stone wall of the cave.

“Willow, run!” he hollered and kept the wolf from sinking its teeth into his shoulder.

He twisted his body around to where he landed on top of the wolf and shifted his hand into his sharp talons. He sank his talons into the throat of the wolf, ripping the flesh out. The wolf bucked, blood gushing from the wounds. It flailed around, trying to draw breath, but instead, the sounds of gurgling filled the air.

Feno looked up, finding Vander and Jodos in control of their situations with the other wolves, and found no sign of Willow or the rogue leader.

A curse flew from his lips, and he stood to his feet and took off into the cave.