In seconds, Zane’s body twisted and morphed into a massive white tiger. His claws came out, and he dug them deep into the dragon's neck, drawing dark red blood. The dragon screamed into the air and chomped at Zane’s face, but he again dug his claws into the dragon’s head to keep the jaws at bay.
They wrestled, coiling over each other as each fought for dominance in a life or death struggle. Tina gasped, horrified, wishing she could do something, anything at all to help.
The gray dragon kicked Zane onto his back, and the cat shifter snarled up his attacker. The dragon lifted its claws to deal the final blow to Zane’s face. Before Tina could scream for help, a torrent of fire hit the gray dragon like a semi-truck. It sailed backward, breaking several trees as he flew into the forest from the sheer force of the attack.
Not far off, her red dragon stood in the remnants of her garden, wings out as fire burned in the back of his throat. Her black wolf and an exhausted Flynn stood on either side of the red dragon, staring down the last attacker. Killian soared by overhead, speeding toward the dragon who had tried to kill Zane.
All around them, the naked bodies of bloody men lay motionless on the dirt. Tina gasped, bile rising in the back of her throat at the sight of so much death, and she covered her mouth to keep it down. Amy had told her once that shifters returned to their human forms when they died, and it was obvious that none of their attackers had survived the princes’ rage.
The rest of her men seemed okay, so Tina rushed to her tiger. As she knelt beside him, Zane shifted back to his human form. Blood covered most of his body, and she held his head as he watched her with a dazed expression.
“I’m fine,” he said, his words slurred.
“You are definitely not fine,” she said, brushing hair out of his eyes.
He dismissed her concern with a wave of his hand. “Shifters heal quickly. I just need a minute, and I’ll be okay. Really. I’m just glad you’re not hurt.”
“Let me at the treasonous bastard,” Draven snarled.
Tina wasn’t sure when Draven and Anthony had shifted back to their human forms, but the dragon shifter bolted past her in the same direction Killian had taken. In his anger and rage, she could barely recognize the carefree man who had taken her on a ride through the cold sky above her temple.
All of her men had jumped to her aid, putting their lives on the line to protect her. In the end, it was because they all felt she was theirs in some capacity. Despite the contest, despite the fact they were competitors, they had worked as a single team and overcome the odds without even a moment’s hesitation.
That realization only made it harder to choose.
31
Draven
Draven snarled down at the dragon shifter who lay at his feet. The thin man barely had any muscle on his body, and his blond hair was matted with blood. Draven examined the stranger’s wounds. Deep gashes across his abdomen and throat would slow his healing significantly, giving Draven enough time to learn what he needed to know.
Nearby, Killian kept guard in case of reinforcements.
“Talk,” Draven ordered the wounded stranger.
Blood trickled from the dragon shifter’s mouth. He laughed, which only caused another bubble of blood to spurt down his face. “Why should I?”
“You are a dragon shifter. Your loyalty belongs to me, and yet you had the audacity to attack my future mate and me.”
Killian snorted, but Draven ignored the eagle shifter. He had an interrogation to finish.
“She’s too precious to give to one man,” the dragon shifter said.
Draven cocked his fist, ready to flatten this asshole’s face. “She’s mine.”
The dragon shifter coughed violently, and Draven lifted his face out of the range of the blood spewing from the man’s lungs. “We’ll get her first.”
The shifter’s comment confirmed a suspicion for Draven. “You’re with the Turncoats.”
The stranger spat out blood and sneered. “So, you know about us? And here we thought you were too busy fucking anything in a skirt to see the world around you for what it was.”
The Turncoats were a sect of dragons who had rebelled against the crown for the last decade. They stoked the fires of rebellion, coaxed protests, raided businesses, and caused any mayhem they could to turn public opinion on the dragon crown.
They told the public they fought for the people; in all reality, they weren’t trying to free the people. They were trying to install a new monarchy.
The dragon shifter shoved his bloody finger in Draven’s face. “Your days as Crown Prince are numbered. You’ll never be king. We will get Damara, and we will use her power against you and your father. The throne isn’t yours, and you know it. We’ll gut you in the street, with your so-called subjects watching your execution.”
Draven’s eyes blazed with hatred at this man’s gall. His dragon roared for him to shift and run the bleeding man through with the spikes on his tail, but he reined in its anger. “Killian, watch the traitor, will you?”
The eagle shifter nodded. “He won’t move.”
He trusted Killian’s word. Though it would be in a rival prince’s best interest to overthrow Draven’s family, he and Killian had fought beside each other like brothers. The thought unnerved him.
As much as Draven wanted to kill the traitor, he would instead get his phone from somewhere on the battlefield and call his father to come pick up the garbage. He was certain King Edward would quite enjoy spending some time with the Turncoat bastard in the dungeons at Mersarth.
Draven sneered at the pain waiting back home for the asshole. No one threatened his woman and lived.
32
Tina
In the aftermath of the battle, everyone crowded in Tina’s room. Not much of the temple had been destroyed, thankfully, mostly just some unused guest suites.
She sat on her bed with Anthony on one side of her and Flynn on the other. Anthony’s hand slipped around her waist, and he leaned in to her, pressing his torso against hers. She welcomed his touch, grateful for the werewolf who would do anything to keep her safe.
Zane stood by the window, furiously thumbing his phone, a frown on his face as he searched for information on the terrorists who had tried to take her. Thus far, he didn’t have much news to share, but he had interrupted a few times with tidbits that might have been relevant. Meanwhile, Killian watched the world outside like a hawk, while Draven furiously paced a groove into her floor.
Ray stood by the door, her chin high. The high priestess was the first to break the silence. “Tina, you need to leave Epara.”
All five of Tina’s princes glared at the high priestess, who faltered somewhat under their glare. Draven nearly growled, a current of smoke escaping his nose as he stared at Ray. “Choose your next words carefully, woman.”
Tina barely suppressed a grateful smile. Her beautiful dragon was fun and lighthearted, but only up until someone threatened her. After that, they would have to deal with fire and fury, and he had already shown he was willing to kill for her.
Ray audibly gulped at the dragon prince’s threat, her eyes wide as she watched the dragon shifter warily, but she quickly turned her attention back to Tina. “I mean no offense,” she added hastily. “I mean only that it’s not safe in Epara. I’ve done everything I could, but I still failed to stop an attack.”
The men relaxed, but Tina didn’t. She narrowed her eyes, careful to watch Ray’s body language as she nervously scanned the princes. For a woman who had failed in her sole duty to protect the only goddess on Earth, Ray didn’t seem remorseful or guilty in the least. If anything, she seemed eager, but eager to do what exactly?
Deep down, Tina’s intuition flared. Though she couldn’t put her finger on it, something wasn’t right about this whole situation. Sure, it had been evident from the beginning that Ray didn’t like Tina. The more time Tina spent with Ray, though, the less she trusted the high priestess to do what was in Damara’s best interest, either.
A surge of agreement shot through her, and Tina knew that Damara was just as skeptical about Ray’s intentions as she was.