Page 46 of Red Fire

Tank went after that dragon and Octavia, with a promise to finish what he started. He plans on claiming Octavia. Broken ribs or no, I will kill him if he has hurt her in any way. If he has mated her against her will, I will make his death slow. I vow it.

“Stay, or we will fight you,” one of the males says. “Tank is coming back with our female. He will be here any minute.”

They can’t believe that. I hear uncertainty in his words.

It takes everything in me to shift quickly. When going through the change, bones reshape and lengthen. Broken bones shift and pull. White-hot agony courses through my torso. I roar as I change, making sure I sound angry instead of in pain. Because I’m in fucking agony.

My body prickles as I take to the sky. I half-expect for them to come at me or to try to burn me from the sky, but they don’t. They know I’m right about that bastard.

Tank won’t share. It’s as simple as that. I’m sure they must know it. I hear cracking behind me as I fly as fast as I can. I ignore the pain. My leg is bleeding again. I ignore that, too. I have to get to her.

I falter, hovering on the spot when I see them. Fifty or sixty dragons flying together. Together? Why?

What in all the scales!?

Go!

Fly!

Save her!

I have to wrestle for control for a moment. Octavia must be among them; she has to be. What the hell is going on? There is only one way to find out: I fly after them. I think I know where they are headed. A few minutes later, my suspicions are confirmed when they start their descent.

There is a large black dragon at the head. There is something in his claws. I’m sure it’s Octavia.

She’s alive.

They’re flying together; they’re not chasing Tank. Perhaps Octavia is still okay. She has to be. A dragon tries to get to her, and three others take it out, pulling the beast apart. They seem to be protecting her.

Why?

What is going on?

I roar, feeling my energy levels increase tenfold. I put all my emotions into flying. I force my wings to pump harder and faster.

There is a thundering noise as all the dragons land almost in unison. The open plain is big but is suddenly dwarfed by dragons of all colors. It’s deafening when they roar and screech. I land as close to Tank as I can get, shoving a male out of the way and then another as I make my way to the asshole.

Octavia is standing next to him. She has her arms wrapped around herself. She looks terrified. She screams my name when she sees me, but I can hardly hear her through the commotion.

She starts to run toward me, but Tank shifts and grabs her a few strides later.

I shift, too. “Let her go!” I yell as the dragons behind me begin to shift.

“You have no authority here,” Tank says. “In fact, you need not be here at all. You already stated that you didn’t want to claim the female, and therefore, your attendance is not required.”

Octavia strains against his hold, but it is useless; Tank holds on tightly around her waist. I note that she has grass stains and dirt on her jeans, which have been torn. One of her bra straps has been broken and tied back together. I don’t think anything has happened, but I can’t be sure. I wish I could go to her. I want to yank her out of his grasp, but I need to play it cool, or I will be overrun by the males around me and killed. More dragons land. More of them shift.

“That’s not true!” Octavia yells. “Creed wants me just as much as all of you. He can fight for me. I refuse to take part in this unless he does.”

Tank laughs. “You refuse? You can’t refuse anything, human. You said you wanted us to fight for you. That the victor wouldget to keep you and that is what will happen. You will accept the male who wins in the end. You must.”

Fuck!

What has she done? I’m sure it’s exactly what she had to do to survive. I admire her strength and her ability to think on her feet when the chips are down. Still, this is bad. So fucking bad. At least it buys us time and gives us options.

“No, not unless Creed takes part.” She folds her arms tightly over her chest. “He will beat all of you, mark my words.” She glares at Tank. “Unless you are too afraid to go up against him.”

Clever. I could kiss her.