Chapter 26

TWENTY-SIX

Samantha

We’d spent the last couple hours looking through Dr. Duncan and Dr. Abigail’s research. Honestly, at any other time I would have found it absolutely fascinating, but my mind was on other things. Namely, my three dragons. So, Granger had suggested we have a picnic by the cliff, and I’d leapt at the chance for some fresh air.

The elevator beeps and opens onto the cool afternoon air. Granger gestures for me to go ahead the best he can while carrying his tray, and I grip my tray and step out into the warm sunlight.

“It’s weird. I actually like this place,” I confess.

He walks beside me. “Even though Evander isn’t my favorite person, there do seem to be some benefits to associating with a billionaire,” he admits.

I laugh. “Evander keeps telling me about all the things we’ll do when all this dragon stuff settles down. He says I’ll be the bell of the ball at all his fundraisers. Part of me is looking forward to dressing up in pretty gowns and eating fancy foods, but the other part of me thinks I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb in his world.”

Granger gives me a funny look. “Sam, you belong in whatever world you want to belong in. You’re… you.” And he says it like I’m something really special. “You’re capable of absolutely anything, and if someone doesn’t see that, then screw them.”

I smile. “You’re too sweet to me.”

He blushes and looks away. “How are you really handling the dragon trio?”

I try to find the right words. “Honestly? I’m handling it better than I ever thought I would. For so long, I only thought I had room in my heart for Aydan, but everything’s been rearranged. It’s like I just… have more room for love.”

“And you’ve cleared that room out for Evander and Zane?” There’s a note to his voice. Not quite disapproval, but something close to it.

“You don’t think I should have?” I watch him closely.

His calm mask slips a little. “It just seems like it happened so fast. One minute, I thought you and Aydan were finally going to get to ride off into the sunset, and next, the impossible happens, you end up with more than one guy. I’ve tried to calculate a thousand different scenarios, and none of them ended with that.”

“You’ve calculated scenarios for my love life?” I ask with a laugh.

He looks embarrassed. “Not exactly. I had passing thoughts about it.”

“Passing thoughts,” I repeat, followed by a giggle. “You’re just being overprotective and we both know it. You don’t like Zane and Evander.”

“I’m not sure I’d say I don’t like them. Evander has his uses. His brute strength is certainly a bonus when we’re dealing with enemy dragons, along with his power and connections. Zane is knowledgeable about dragons and willing to share that knowledge. He’s also less emotional than Evander and Aydan, which I feel our little group needs a bit more of. It’s just that… I don’t know. I think I’d prefer to see them as part of our group than–”

“My lovers?” I offer.

He nods.

We reach the edge of the cliff, and he sets his tray down, then takes the blanket over his arm and spreads it out. Our trays hit the blanket, and then we’re snuggled up next to each other, his comforting smell washing over me. Something eases in my chest, and I take a deep breath, feeling like I can breathe easily for the first time since the guys left.

“Just think,” I say. “Aydan is coming around to them, which means you’ll probably come around to them too.”

He shrugs and reaches for his sandwich. “Maybe it’s a dragon thing, like you’ve said before, but I don’t know if I can wrap my head around you with three different guys, two of whom you barely know.”

“It’s definitely a dragon thing,” I tell him gently. “It’s like we’re a totally different species, and this species naturally shares one woman between multiple men. Even since just knowing Zane, I feel more complete. Like this is how it was always meant to be.”

“And soon we’ll be trying to find the storm dragon to add him to our little group,” Granger says quietly.

“I guess,” I say, my thoughts working. “Although I’m trying to picture anyone I could feel as connected to as all of you.”

“Me?” he asks, lifting a brow.

I lean over and kiss his cheek. “Yes, you. You’re my family. Dragon or not, you’re just as much a part of this little group as those three. The only difference is that you’re not trying to get in my pants.”

His face is bright red. “Good to know. Still, I’m nervous this storm dragon isn’t going to want me around. I’m picturing some giant biker dude, or maybe a bodybuilder, some guy with more testosterone than brains. And a guy like that isn’t going to want a guy like me just hanging around. Those types don’t see a use for brainiacs.”

“Biker dude or bodybuilder, no one is pushing you out of my life, so don’t worry about it. You’re family. You’re here to stay.”

I grab one of his arms and wrap it around my shoulders. He sets down his sandwich and snuggles closer. His other hand drops and falls on my thigh, and my skin warms under his touch. He seems to notice a minute later and draws his hand back, but the warmth of his touch lingers.

“Sam…”

I don’t know what it is in his tone, but I spring up and take a couple steps back, followed by an uncomfortable laugh. “The view from here is incredible, isn’t it?”

Glancing out over the water, I watch the waves roll onto the beach and the white peaks swell. Wherever I live in the future, I hope I have a view like this.

Granger returns to eating his sandwich, and I feel like I’ve done something wrong. Said something wrong. There’s this nervous energy underneath my skin that I don’t understand, and I can’t seem to get under control.

“Where do you think they are right now?”

He looks up at me, and his dark eyes seem to go on forever. “They should’ve reached the other dragons by now, so they’re probably fighting. The last satellite images of them showed both the brown dragon and the salmon dragon burning down a couple of buildings.”

“But not the green dragon?” I ask, puzzled. “Isn’t he their leader?”

Granger frowns. “Maybe Balor makes them do most of the work.”

“Maybe,” I say, feeling uneasy. “How about we head inside for lunch?”

“Sam,” he says, his tone serious. “You can’t be thinking…”

Alarms start ringing and the air control missiles fire, exploding into the air around us. The noise is so sudden and so intense that for a second I feel overwhelmed, like I can’t breathe. Like I’m in the middle of a warzone.

But then realization comes slamming into me, along with a sense of terror, I turn to Granger and scream, “Run!”

“You run!” he shouts, as he springs to his feet.

I feel the rush of wings and dread explodes inside of me. Damn it. Damn it. I know they’ll be green before I even see them. This is it. He finally has me, and all three of my men are hours away.

I’m screwed.

But to my surprise, the green dragon scoops up Granger, not me, and darts into the air.

Fucking hell. Not again. What is it with this asshole?

He knows. He knows if he just took me, I’d escape, but taking Granger gives him leverage over me. The bastard.

Shock radiates through me, but I shift within seconds, knowing that I can’t waste time. I leap into the air, even knowing that it’s a trap, because I’d do anything for Granger. Except, the bastard Balor is going as fast as he can in front of me, soaring over the ocean like we’re in the middle of a race.

I fly after him, knowing that I can catch up. I know I’m faster, but he switches his direction and shoots directly up. I don’t slow, staying on his ass, flying so hard that every inch of my body aches. But still, we go higher.

Higher and higher until I feel the air thinning. Higher and higher until I feel ice gathering on my scales. I should be solely focused on catching him, except I’m not. I’m thinking about what this altitude will do to Granger in his human form. How long can he last up here?

Please , I say. Just give him back . But the green dragon doesn’t respond.

My wings are beating as fast as my heart, faster than I’ve ever heard them beat before, and then, I’m almost on him. Just inches away.

Which is when he switches directions and comes crashing into me with all his might. I fall, spinning out of control, then catch myself. I spot him just below me. Without a thought, I dive right at him, trying to tear his wings. Trying to get him to fly lower, to somewhere safer, somewhere I can get to Granger.

I leap onto his back and bite his throat as hard as I can as my claws tear at his wings. He doesn’t seem to fight back, doesn’t do anything.

Give him to me, or I’ll tear apart your wings and leave you grounded forever. It isn’t an idle threat. I’m ready and willing to kill this bastard to save Granger. Anything, for Granger.

And then, I see. I realize my mistake.

His claws open, and Granger goes tumbling from them. He’s such a small figure in a huge sky. A figure that will die the instant he hits the ground if I can’t catch him.

I leap off of the green dragon’s back and dive after Granger, but the green dragon claws and bites at me, dragging me back up, trying to mount me. Before, I found Balor impossible to escape, but a soul-deep need to save Granger flows through me. Every time the green dragon catches me, I escape again, doing a freefall to reach my best friend.

Somehow, I’m falling faster than the green dragon. I’m fast enough to escape him, but not fast enough to gain on Granger. His lone figure falls and falls too far ahead of me, and my throat chokes with tears. My mind screams that I’ll never reach him, that he’s too far ahead, but I try, I try to do the impossible.

I try to fight gravity.

A roar of pain and anguish tears from my throat, but I don’t slow in my freefall. My claws stretch out, reaching and reaching for someone I’ll never get. I picture what he must be feeling, the impossible fear, the terror, the pain. I can’t believe this is happening.

I can’t believe I can’t save my sweet Granger.

The sheet of water appears below, even though it may as well be a concrete slab by the way Granger will hit it. I wail, my claws stretching out, and I know. He’s going to die. I’m going to crash into the water, and the green dragon will easily pick me off. That was Balor’s plan all along.

Heart in my throat, I watch as Granger hits the water… and then, I pull up. My wails of distress fill the air, and I sense Aydan, Evander, and Zane responding to my distress from far away. I look for any sight of Granger, but there’s nothing. It’s like the ocean is some horrible beast that’s swallowed him whole.

A terrible feeling stretches through my chest. It’s a kind of pain I’ve never known before. My wings stop beating, and for a brief moment I’m falling, before I manage to flap them again. But the pain, the pain doesn’t stop. It stretches on and on, like in losing Granger, I’ve killed a part of myself too.

Is that what this is? Granger was so much a part of me that I can’t bear to lose him? I can’t exist without him?

A thousand moments spring to my mind of Granger and his messy hair, of his deep brown eyes, of the little crinkles at the corners of his mouth. The pain in my chest only deepens. I can barely breathe. Barely will myself to keep moving.

This… this can’t be it. He can’t be… dead. He just can’t be.

High above me, I hear the green dragon roar. Pain consumes me. Sorrow consumes me. Maybe this was always his plan, but I can’t seem to care. I think I’ll just let him take me, just let him kill me. Anything has to be better than this pain. Than living without him.

I close my eyes and see nothing but Granger. I can’t do this without him. I can’t go on without him. I just can’t.

If you enjoyed this book, grab your copy of the final book in the Dragon Bonds series, Surge of Storms.