Page 31 of Creatures of War
His wings were tight against his back, framing his imposing frame. His scales were black, matching Tanja’s long hair.
“Captain Corniz?” I said in a shaky voice.
“You need to stay away from the three of them. Since you failed to make a choice, the king has made it for you.”
“What?” My eyes felt like they were bulging out of my head as the news hit me to the core.
“The king wishes to pair them with other riders. So, you need to stay away while we test the others. Hopefully it isn’t too late for them to find their mates.”
“I’m their mate,” I said, my voice growing louder as desperation clawed at me. The idea of any other rider touching them—bonding with them—was enough to send me into a frenzy. I wanted to tear heads off, blow fire and turn them all into ash. Stomp them into the ground. “No one. Me. I am their mate. Why is it so hard for anyone to grasp that? Why is everyone so keen to ruin what we have?”
I kept babbling, trying to get out of Captain Corniz’s grip, but he was a big man, easily four times my size. And the scar that sliced through his dark skin along his jaw and to his neck only made him more intimidating. I knew I should have kept my mouth shut and listened to him. But they were my mates.
They were mine. I couldn’t give them up.
Captain Corniz tried to herd me away from them, but I pushed back. I couldn’t let them do this. I couldn’t.
“If you guys hadn’t gotten caught trying to run, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” Corniz said.
“No. This isn’t right.” I yanked out of his grip and tried to turn to go after them.
“Enough, Rayna.” Captain Corniz scooped me and carried me away. I tried hitting him, ignoring him telling me to stop. Even Tanja was there, but she showed no expression as she stayed on the sidelines.
“Let me go to them. They’re mine. We’re all mates. Why can’t I be with the ones meant for me? Why is everyone against us?”
Corniz practically tossed me on my feet, and I almost fell, but his tight grip kept me steady. I tried to pull away, but he wasn’t having it, his grip on me tightening enough to be bruising.
I had to go to my guys. I need to fix whatever was making Zilon look so sad and exhausted. I needed to soothe their aches, make it so the pain of having their wings bound wasn’t as excruciating. I needed to help them.
There was a loud crack in the air, and barely a moment later, my cheek burned. My eyes blurred as I pressed my cold hand against my burning cheek.
“Now that I have your attention, Rayna. You need to shut the fuck up and sit still,” Captain Corniz said.
“Duran,” Tanja started.
“No, Tanja. She will fuck it all up and only make everything worse. You guys didn’t escape, so now you need to accept the consequences,” he replied.
“But—” I said.
“No. If you do not listen, if you go to them, what do you think the king will do? Think about it,” Captain Corniz replied.
“Careful with what you say,” Tanja whispered to him. Captain Corniz didn’t react to her, but he did blow out a breath.
His words were still biting as he said, “Go to them, and they will never fly again. They won’t even have wings. And useless dragons have no place here. They will return home in shame. As a rider, you still won’t be able to go with them.”
That shut me up. I couldn’t imagine the three of them without their wings. It was like taking a human and cutting off all their limbs. The cruelty of that outcome was enough to calm me down.
“Sit here and watch. That is all you can do.”
“But the others will—”
“Nothing will happen,” Tanja said. “I already told you: the bond cannot be so easily broken. If you are right, and you bonded with all three—”
“I did,” I answered.
Her eyes narrowed in warning. “Then, there is nothing to worry about. They are yours, and no matter how many riders sit on their backs, nothing will happen. So sit here, be calm, and keep them calm.”
She jerked her head toward the dragons. They were up and growling, all three facing us. The people around them had backed off completely at their aggression. If I had continued to fight as hard as I was, then they would have reacted.