Page 43 of Red Fire

“I will kill anyone who tries to take the female from me,” Tank says. “I figure I can kill all three of you. At the very least, I will take two of you down. Is she worth it? Chances are you will die.”

One of the dragons moves his weight from one foot to the other, looking uncertain. The second dragon growls low.

“Of course she is,” the other shifter snarls. He looks at me. “She’s plenty worth it. We are going to share her.”

Share.

What?

That’s worse. So much worse.

“You can join us. The four of us will be hard to beat. We can take turns mounting her. She can bear us all children. We will want for nothing,” he pleads with Tank.

“I don’t share!” Tank says in a rasp that has hairs lifting on my arms. “The female is mine. Go away so that I can claim her. Or watch! I don’t care, but don’t try to interfere, or you will die.”

“It’s you who will die, Tank. The odds are in our favor.”

I think back to all the nature shows I’ve watched. These men remind me of some of the species they featured. I have to do something. I have to play to their instincts. Come up with a solution. It’s clear that none of these shifters wants to fight, or they would have launched an attack already. They are quick to anger and even quicker to act. There is a standoff situation on the go here. I need to make the most of it. I need to try to save myself. To buy time.

I wish I knew where Creed was.

Let him be alive.

I need to come up with something, and fast. Creed also kept telling me that I thought too much like a human. These men are not humans; they’re shifters. I need to think like them.

“If the four of you come to blows, I will be hurt or even killed,” I say. “Did you think about that?” I address Tank.

“There won’t be a fight. These males were just leaving,” Tank says.

“You were right when you told Creed that there would be endless fights over me,” I say, sounding frantic. “More dragons will come.” As if on cue, there is a screech from above. “There they are now. You won’t be able to keep me. It doesn’t matter how strong you are.”

“I will claim you quickly. I shouldn’t have hesitated the first time. I won’t make the same mistake again,” Tank says. “Now back off!” he shouts at the green-eyed shifter.

Both dragons growl. There’s smoke. The guy in the middle shakes his head.

“If you fight, I will die. Then, none of you will have a female. I will be useless to you dead. Humans break easily. We don’t have your healing ability.”

Don’t think in human terms.

I don’t know enough about dragons. I know animals, though.

Think like an animal, Octavia.

“The female is right,” Tank says. “Move away. She’s mine. We can’t fight, or we risk hurting her.”

The dragon on the right snarls, and for half a second, I think he’s going to attack. He doesn’t.

“I am not his,” I say.

Tank’s arm tightens around me, holding me too tightly, and I cry out.

“Youaremine,” he snarls.

“If this escalates, I will die,” I warn him.

Another couple of dragons crash down in the undergrowth behind us.

Think like an animal.