Fang moved to meet the warrior bitch face-to-face while Max covered Aimee. “That’s my brother you hold. I suggest you release him or lose your head.”
She raked a scathing glare down Fang’s body. “I am Drakaina Arcadia and we don’t deal with inferior species. Stand aside, animal.”
Sam stepped to Fang’s side. Gloved hands on hips, she met the women with the open hostility of someone ready to battle. “And I am Samia, Basilinna of the Thurian Riders, granddaughter of Hippolyte – who was the daughter of Ares. Declare yourself.”
“Nala, Basilinna of the Drakaina, most favored of Ares, Artemis, and Athena.”
Samia scoffed. “Color me unimpressed. Now release my most beloved brother or suffer my full wrath and battle-tested blade.”
Nala tightened her grip on his hair. The pain of it must have been severe, since a moment later, Serre involuntarily shifted into his native bear form. Something that only happened when the Katagaria were in severe pain or suffered an electrical shock.
Sam manifested her staff. The men moved forward to engage their group as Aimee shot past him to cover Serre.
“Wait!”
All eyes went to the stairs and for a full minute, Max stood completely motionless as the mark on his hand heated and burned in response to her appearance. Every part of his body came alive in a way it hadn’t for more centuries than he could recall.
The dragon inside salivated and it was devouring the human in him so fast, he could barely hold his form.
He struggled to breathe. If he broke dragon right now, he’d take out half the bar. He was far too large in his native body to shift here and now.
But it wasn’t easy to remain human…
Not when the beast inside him was stirred to this level. Not when it wanted blood.
Her blood.
Like a grand queen wrapped in a mantle of red, brown, and gold feathers, a lush, full-figured, Titian-haired beauty descended the stairs. Her red helm fell over her face to form a sharp beak that shaded her eyes.
But he knew their color. Searing, haunting green that was salted with gold. Filled with bold intelligence. They had a way of looking at him with ball-shriveling scorn.
Seraphina of the Drakaina-Scythian Riders. Voluptuous. Passionate.
How he hated every breath she drew.
The Amazons parted to make way for her to pass through them, to reach their queen. To the baretos humans, her armor would appear as painted, scaled bronze. Yet it wasn’t. Those were the tanned and preserved scales of Katagaria dragons she’d slain, and marked her as one of the most vicious dragonslayers of her tribe.
Her queen’s champion rider.
Seraphina struck her chest in salute and lowered her head. “Forgive my interruption, Basilinna, but perhaps I can be of assistance?”
Nala hesitated. “Is he here?”
“No, my basilinna. I fear your informant lied to you. I would know if my mate were here.”
Nala cursed and kicked Serre in the ribs. With a flick of her vibrant red cloak, she faced Seraphina. “I’m going to gut that demon.” And with that, she led her warriors back upstairs.
Seraphina stayed behind as they left. It was all kinds of stupid to lie to her queen. She knew that and yet…
She swept her gaze over the gathered men. The raven-haired one was definitely not the Drakos she sought. By his fetid stench, she knew him to be wolfborn Katagari. The rest were all blonds. All exceptionally handsome and well built. Two were twins. They couldn’t be her Maxis. They, like the one wheezing as he turned human again and pushed himself to his feet, were bears.
That only left the one.
Like the others, he wore strange clothing – not that of a warrior or traditional Drakos. His dark blond hair was cropped very short, but as their eyes met, she recognized those perfectly chiseled masculine features. That strong, rigid, and unyielding jaw. That look of fiery defiance that pierced her with its proud arrogance. A pride that had always dared her against their traditions and culture.
Her hand heated up with that familiar burn. Something that only happened when two mates were brought together again after a long separation.
Determined, she headed toward him, only to have her path blocked by the other Amazon in the room.
Samia gestured toward the stairs. “You need to leave with your tribe.”
Seraphina shook her head. “You have something that belongs to me.”
Samia stood fast and solid. “There’s nothing here for you.”
“Oh yes, there is.” She held her hand up for Samia to see the dragon mark on her palm. “I’m here for my mate.”
2
Max cursed while those words cut through the immediate and echoing silence of the room. All attention went straight to him as jaws dropped in comical unison.
Before Max could think to leave, Dev took his hand in his own and checked to see the matching mark. Tsking, he shook his head in chiding condescension. “Maxy! You got some ’splaining to do!”