My fate, however, was about to be sealed.
My dragon continued to roar inside my head, drowning out my thoughts. He tore at me, trying to steal control, trying to stop me. He was urging me to wait just a little bit longer. Finley’s dragon hadn’t accepted his goodbye. He thought that meant something.
Little Dash stood just off to the side, tears of pain streaming down his face and blood dripping from the blade at his throat. They were slowly sawing at his neck. His father lay at his feet, barely moving, his head bleeding profusely.
I’d stalled all I could, and they were paying the price. My time was up.
Dolion’s greasy smile curved his blue lips. “I’d say I won’t be too hard on you, but why lie? The entire castle will hear your screams…and then watch your pleasure as you suck my cock.”
I took a deep breath and moved my hand forward. She was worth it. They were all worth it. This was my duty. Dying for them was the least I could do after what my father had done to them. I would do it without regret, but I’d still do everything in my power to try to drag Dolion straight to hell with me.
The roaring sped up my heart. Drowned out everything around me.
And yet my dragon had stilled within me…
Confusion seeped in as I realized those roars hadn’t been coming from my dragon at all.
The demons who’d gathered around, watching in glee with satisfied smiles, suddenly flinched and ducked and looked right.
My dragon’s anguish and agony had turned to smug pride and a desperation to rise into the sky. To fight. Right now.
And then I saw her.
I knew it was her the instant I laid eyes on her.
Beating her wings for more speed, soaring out over the Royal Wood, she bore down on Dolion’s party with such unspeakable rage that it made my stomach flutter and a grin tug at my lips. The demons around me, including Dolion, cowered in fear…
Finley. Her dragon.
I couldn’t do anything but stare, locked in time like my castle, struck dumb by her majestic beauty and glittering rage.
She was the most stunning dragon I’d ever seen, and she took my breath away.
Even in the moonlight I could tell her scales shone a deep burgundy, glimmering and sparkling. A light dusting of gold coated her, shining yellow in the low light. I’d never seen anything like her color.
And I knew, without a doubt, that the gold dusting would match the color of my once-dragon. She was my true mate in heart, body, and soul. And it didn’t matter that I stood in a kingdom of ruin. She would always fight to be with me—and then fight at my side.
She was my princess. One day she’d be my queen.
And she’d proven that she would walk through hell and come out on fire to make me her damsel. The woman sure knew how to get her way.
“Sorry, Dolion.” I yanked my hand back before he could shake off his stupor and grab it. “Time’s up.”
I reached for his neck as Finley swooped low, right for us. Her wings tilted wildly, her body positioning all wrong. She had no finesse with flying.
She also clearly didn’t give a fuck.
She slammed into the demons gathered around, crashing down on top of some and rolling over others. Then she shifted, the change happening faster than I’d ever seen, and hopped up, naked and covered in blood. She grabbed a dagger out of a demon’s hand, not worried that the rest of him seemed to be absent, before slashing her way toward me.
Dolion’s eyes widened. My fingers began to curl around his neck, but the next instant they moved through nothing but air. He’d teleported away, a magic only the most powerful of demons possessed.
“Fuck,” I grunted. No time to go after him. Not until Finley’s family was safe.
I spun and grabbed the arm of the demon that held Dash. I wrenched, and a fierce crack preceded her howl of pain. I yanked her forward, took the knife, and stabbed her in the throat. I got out of the way, and my dragon took over, shifting and growing in front of the boy and his father, shielding them as Finley cut her way to us.
More dragons flew in, some familiar, belching fire and carving through the air. My mouth would’ve dropped open if I’d been in human form. My dragon paused in shock.
Tamara. Lucille. Jade. Xavier. More. I’d thought they were dead. Long dead. Where had they—
Wolves burst through the trees, growling and snarling. And although we had wolves, plenty of them, I already knew these wolves weren’t from our kingdom. A great alpha led them, running onto the dead grass, his pack fanning out behind him in perfect harmony. It was the sort of pack that would be legendary throughout a wolf kingdom—the sort of alpha who didn’t usually like the idea of working with dragons.
Fire scoured the ground, blistering over demon bodies as they attempted to flee like cowards. They’d brought in a huge host, filling every inch of the kingdom. They should’ve had the upper hand. And yet…
Finley’s dragon swelled into being. As she came closer, she saw who was at my feet, and rage roiled through her. She swung her tail and took out three demons before bending and snatching another in her mouth. She chomped at him aggressively, shook his dead form, spun the limbs off him, and then knocked over two other demons when she flung the remains.
Any demons who’d held out turned and ran.
My heart swelled as I adjusted to keep Dash protected between my feet, kicking a demon who ran too close. My dragon swung our tail and cleaved through two other demons trying to get away. Finley fought with me, even though it meant staying on the ground.
Fuck, I loved this woman.
The grounds cleared in no time—the demons who could teleport away from the castle had and the rest had run, now being tracked and taken down by the wolves.
Finley shifted back into her human form, hurrying to her family at my feet. I stepped away, leaving her to it. We couldn’t have a reunion yet. Not until our people were secured.
I quickly checked the bodies littering the ground. No Dolion. That bastard had seen what was coming and gotten out. He couldn’t teleport across the entire kingdom, though. Maybe when he popped into being, someone would be there to grab him.
I ran to the edge of the clearing, the dragons remaining in the air above me, the alpha wolf waiting patiently for direction. He was putting himself under my charge—because of Finley, I had no doubt. A debt, maybe. Something owed. As soon as his duty here was done, he’d be leaving. The fact that he’d come at all showed he had honor. He was someone to respect, not overlook.
I’d kiss his ass for it later. Right now, we had a job to finish.
Shifting into my human form, I stopped just long enough to give directions.
“The demon king has fled. Find him if you can. Those of you who are unable to trail, scour the wood and the villages for demons. Kill every last one you come across. If you find wounded, help the locals take them to a central location within each village so they can be treated. Let’s lock this kingdom down from the inside so that we can break the curse once and for all.”
My stomach dropped and then fluttered as desire spiraled through me. I wanted to break the curse right now. I wanted to turn around, run full speed at Finley, throw her down, and claim her all over again. This time she’d be claiming me as well. This time, there would be no tea afterward to prevent getting her with child. She was my forever, and I wanted it to start as soon as possible.
But I would not break the curse and put her in further danger. Not until I was sure we could succeed.