Chapter 24

TWENTY-FOUR

Samantha

I dive down from the clouds and see Aydan's golden scales beneath me. In an instant, I'm on his back, trying to use my wings to disrupt his flight. It works. He starts dropping from the sky like a stone, but he bucks, and I fly off.

Dislodged, I know I have to get moving or he'll catch me. I shoot away from him, but he's gaining on me quickly. And then, as I glance back, I see Evander strike him from the sky. The two of them are so large that I'm grateful I'm out of the way as they go tumbling from the sky.

They manage to separate and right themselves.

I didn't even sense you coming, Aydan says, sounding a touch impressed.

You untangled yourself faster than I would have thought. Evander's trying to compliment him, and I think Aydan notices.

They continue fighting. Fire sprouts from their mouths. They use claws and teeth, but are gentle. This is practice fighting, not real fighting.

I fly away from them, diving toward the ground. At the last minute, I pull up, practicing a move I know will be important. From the edge of the cliff, I see Granger waving his hands. It's time to be done. We've practiced enough for the morning.

It's time for a second breakfast, I tell the boys, landing lightly beside Granger.

When I shift back, I'm breathing hard in my human form. Sweat gleams on my skin.

"How did you do?" Granger asks.

I smile at him. The wind is playing with his hair, sending the brown strands in every different direction. I'm tempted to pull him into my arms for a hug, just to breathe in his scent, but I don't want to be too weird. Dragons get the scent thing. Humans, not so much.

"Practice was good. We're all figuring it out. Figuring out how our bodies move, and how to use our unique skills to our advantage. I even think Evander and Aydan fighting is good in a bunch of different ways. If they can learn how to fight a dragon as large as they are, I don't think they'll have trouble fighting one the size of a green dragon."

He grins. "You're right. But I also think it's helping them get along, working out a little of their anger with each other."

I smile too. "They do seem calmer," I add. "A little."

He runs his hands through his hair, looking handsome in a pale blue shirt and brown slacks. All our lives Aydan and I have kind of run the show, but something has changed in Granger. I don't know if he just became more confident in college, or if the fact that we need that big brain of his to figure things out has given him more confidence. Either way, he seems different.

His gaze moves to the clipboard in one of his hands. "We do need to spend more time having the guys try to approach you from the back. You've learned a few moves, but that's the position you'll be most vulnerable in."

Unable to help myself, I hug him, drawing him in and breathing deeply of his scent. "We're so lucky to have you. You're going to keep me safe from this whole mess."

He gives a humorless laugh. "I'm not a dragon. I can only do so much."

"Well, you're doing a ton."

His arms fold around me, and he holds me tightly. "You're my best friend, Sam. You're important to me. I could never let anything hurt you."

"I know." I sigh. "I always feel so safe with you."

He squeezes me tighter. "Good, because you're always safe with me."

Evander hits the ground near us, shaking the earth, followed by Aydan.

I look up at Granger and laugh. "Think they'll get more graceful with that?"

He chuckles. "Probably not."

Evander and Aydan shift back, and both of them are looking pleased as punch. Two huge, sweaty men, grinning at each other.

I get the unexpected vision of us all taking a shower together and pull back from Granger, feeling embarrassed. There's no way I'd be able to coax those two to get in a shower with me, but the image of them does all kinds of things to me.

"You're getting faster," Aydan says.

"Well, you're getting stronger," Evander tells him. "That last move, I seriously thought you were going to snap my neck."

Aydan's grin widens. "We do need to get that dive down. Ending up in the ocean was cold and miserable."

I laugh. We'd been practicing diving and pulling up at the last possible second over the ocean. I was able to do it with ease, but they lack the gracefulness that my smaller dragon easily possesses.

Granger taps his clipboard. "Well, when we get into breakfast, I have a lot of notes."

"Perfect, man," Aydan says. "Every tweak you make just makes us better and better."

"That bucking move," Evander compliments, lifting his brows. "Pure genius."

Suddenly, alarms start going off, along with red lights at the tops of all the buildings. Gun turrets open out of the ground in all directions, and the air feels sinister. Without saying a word, we know what's going on. There's a dragon. Close.

We all start running for the building, racing as fast as we can. The gun turrets start firing at the sky. The noise is deafening. I glance back and see Granger far behind me. I try to stop, but Evander catches my arm and keeps me running.

"No!" I say, gesturing to Granger.

Then a flash of green explodes from the clouds, and the green dragon swoops down and plucks Granger off the ground. I don't even have time to think, time to react, and he's gone with my Granger.

It takes seconds to shift, and I'm in the air. Thankfully, Evander and Aydan are right at my sides. The clouds are hard to see through, but in the distance, I see flashes of green.

Flying harder, I hear Evander's voice in my head. We can't fly as fast as you can. You'll catch up with him, but we'll be left behind. We have to stay together.

I start to fly ahead of him, not caring about his words. The green dragon is a monster. Violent. A killer. And he has sweet Granger in his claws. If something happens to my best friend, I'll never forgive myself.

Listen to Evander, Aydan says. Stick with us. We'll catch him, together, and we'll save Granger. He'll be okay.

I don't want to slow down, but I do. Just a little. Letting my men catch up to me.

The green dragon is just ahead. He's not eating Granger, or trying to hurt him. He's just carrying him, although I don't know why.

Time passes. I don't know how much, but I suspect several hours. We're tired from practice, but the green dragon appears to be fresh and rested. No matter how fast my men fly, they don't catch up with him.

The air has grown colder. And then… snow begins to fall.

What is he doing? I ask.

Something is wrong, Evander says. He's leading us somewhere. This has to be a trap. We should turn back.

And what? Leave Granger to die? Aydan asks angrily.

Maybe not leave him to die. Maybe just send Sam back where it's safe.

No , I tell him easily. I'm not going anywhere without Granger.

Then we're playing right into his hands.

I don't care.

Aydan sighs in my mind. Evander is right. You should go back. This feels like a trap, but we can handle him. What we can't handle is you getting hurt.

Over my dead body.

Sam– Aydan begins.

Seriously, shut up, I tell him. And luckily for him, he does.

Time passes and more and more snow falls. We hit the coast of a continent covered in ice and snow. I don't know where we are, but some dragon sense somehow knows where we are in relation to our home.

Suddenly, there's a flash of brown to our side. Watch out!

The brown dragon strikes Aydan in the side, sending him flying into Evander. Evander's wings tangle around each other, and he drops like a rock. Flames shoot from the brown dragon's mouth, washing over them both.

Panic fills me, but I see the green dragon getting away and give chase. They can handle one dragon… I think. I can't handle losing Granger. If I use everything we've been practicing, I might just be able to stay alive and keep my wings intact while fighting this asshole dragon.

Up ahead, the green dragon swoops low and I see Granger tumble from his claws into the snow, just on the edge of the water. Then the green dragon shoots up into the sky, disappearing from view. I swoop down, hellbent on landing by Granger and carrying him from the snow.

Unfortunately, just as I'm about to dive down, I sense the green dragon behind me. He tries to mount me from behind, but I roll to the side, spinning in the air and avoiding his grasp. The bastard tries again, and I do my spin move the opposite direction.

Sam, stay close. Aydan's voice is in my mind. Get back to us.

This is a trap, Evander says. They were trying to separate us.

The green dragon swoops down at me, and I turn at the last possible second. Before he can try again, I leap onto his back and bite down on his throat. Blood fills my mouth, but I bite harder.

He bucks. Hard . I cling to him, but his bucking grows more violent until I'm tossed from his back.

The dragon is on me in an instant. I feel one of its claws catch my wing, and there's a terrible tearing. The other claw digs into my back, slicing past my scales, and I scream inside my head.

Both Aydan and Evander are shouting for me in my mind. I stop flying, and suddenly we're plummeting. He has to adjust to make his wings work, to keep us from falling into the ocean, and I take the opportunity to snap out of his grip.

Heart in my throat, I dive up into the clouds. I need to keep fighting. I can't let him get on my back again.

I will have you, female. His voice is grating in my head.

You will never have me.

When I shred your wings, you'll have no choice.

Even with my wings shredded, I won't let you touch me. Ancient words flow through my mind. You're an unworthy male. You don't deserve a female like me. I'd sooner burn than carry your young.

Sam! Where are you? Aydan's voice is frantic in my mind.

Sam, just stay safe. We'll reach you as soon as we're done with this asshole. We're trying, Sam. We're coming, Evander shouts into my mind.

Unworthy? the green dragon says, his voice like an angry snake. If I am unworthy, then all males are unworthy of you.

He slams into me from above, but instead of trying to shred my wings, he puts all his weight on me. We're hurtling toward the ocean, far too close to the icy lands, and I'm trying to use my wings to slow us down, but it's nothing against his weight.

The ocean rises up in front of me, and then we go slamming into it. Freezing water strikes my scales, fills my mouth, and I struggle to free myself but can't. We continue to sink like a rock in the ocean as darkness closes in around us and the air is stolen from my lungs.

A cold, cruel thought enters my mind. I think I might die.