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  “Do you really want to attract mundane attention with this fight?” challenged Rovik. “She’s mine and I’m taking her with me. End of story.”

  In the Great Purge era, Schwarzen dominant males hunted and decimated others indifferently in order to rule unchallenged. That made Schwarzen the most hated among the breeds. Then came the peace era where every dragon did their best to blend into the human population. They adopted unwritten rules to let their real existence became stuff of legend, and none were ever to reveal their true form in the presence of humans.

  “I don’t appreciate your fucking tone, sonny. Fairlee is Blutrot’s territory. People here know us. We’ll do what we have to do to protect our interest,” the sheriff said. “This is your last warning.”

  “Then by all means, don’t hold back,” Rovik hedged, thumbing his nose. “But Emily isn’t going to marry your son. Not now, not ever.” He cast a contemptuous glance at Dwayne. “Pity, if the best you can do is force an unwilling woman. Don’t tell me you can’t get an erection unless you see a girl cry.”

  It appeared Dwayne had enough and decided to talk with his fist. From the corner of his eyes, Rovik saw Dwayne barreling toward him and his combat instinct took over. Everything happened in a fraction of a second.

  Rovik sidestepped, avoiding Dwayne’s attack. He grabbed Dwayne’s neck and slammed it against the side window of the Escalade.

  The glass broke spectacularly as Dwayne’s head hung halfway inside the vehicle. Rovik heard Emily scream. Before Dwayne could react, Rovik yanked him out and hurled the sheriff’s son’s body toward his father. Both of them sprawled, hitting the ground harshly.

  One of the human goons, shot at Rovik. The sheriff yelled to stop as Emily was in the line of fire. Stupid thing to do. Rovik moved in with inhuman speed, grabbed the rifle from the idiot and slammed the butt squarely in that man’s face with a satisfying wet crunch. The idiot tumbled, howling in pain.

  Rovik heard Emily scream through the broken window. A red-headed deputy tried to open the door to extract Emily. Rovik was on him instantly. The red-head snarled at him and bared his sharp pointy teeth. Damn half-blood. Rovik decided he wouldn’t hold back. His system was full of endorphins to the point of euphoria. His Schwarzen battle instinct nearly took over.

  He loved the bloodlust.

  The smell of blood. The violence.

  The amount of pain he inflicted on his opponent.

  One of the reasons he enlisted as a marine was to channel his beastly side into the correct outlet.

  He liked battlefields as if he were the apostle of the God of War.

  Rovik’s scales resurfaced his skin; fingers turned into sharp claws. The red-headed deputy had threatened his dominance and Rovik disliked it. His instinct demanded the threat be neutralized swiftly. Rovik seized the deputy and tore a chunk of flesh off his shoulder with his equally transformed sharp teeth before twisting and yanking the arm itself from the deputy’s body.

  Scream of pain.

  Looks of shock.

  Taste of flesh and coppery-tang blood filled Rovik’s mouth.

  Fuck. Rovik never knew it’d be so sweet.

  He’d never fought dragons before, be that full or half-blooded, and he never let his Schwarzen instinct have full rein. But there had to be a first-time for everything.

  Fight. Kill. Feed.

  At this point his humanity slipped farther, but he didn’t mind.

  Behind him, the Escalade roared alive. Emily had moved behind the wheel and took over the SUV, trying to get away.

  Run, run away, little sweet thing.

  Better for you not to see me like this.

  Emily ran into the cruiser that blocked the street. The Escalade crashed. She backed up and didn’t stop when the SUV slammed the front of the sheriff’s cruiser. Tires screeched a loud shriek. The back of the SUV scaled the front hood, crushing the cruiser beneath. The Escalade stopped then lurched forward in full speed, plowing the blocking cruiser in its path. It climbed over the beat up vehicle, squashing it as it passed and sped onto the quiet road.

  Rovik turned his head to the sheriff’s party. Eyes wild reptilian yellow, devoid of humanity. A pair of black majestic leathery wings ripped through his jacket and uncurled like stuff from a nightmare.

  He breathed deeply and laughed deliriously at his shell-shocked opponents. His body rapidly transformed into his dragon form.

  “Food,” he hissed before his human speech was entirely impacted by the shift.

  It was all fair game now.

  Them Blutrod.

  Food.

  Chapter Four

  Emily counted herself lucky that the SUV’s airbags hadn’t inflated from the extensive damage she’d inflicted to the vehicle. The car’s Onstar security system kicked in when Dwayne’s head broke through the car window. The smooth voice of a female care specialist asked if they had been in an accident. Emily answered everything was fine. When Emily crashed and ran over the cruiser, another care specialist asked again if Emily needed police assistance. Criminy, the ones they were trying to get away from were the police. She told her that the police already assisted them.

  Assisted to kill them.

  Emily floored the gas to get away from the bloody carnage scene behind her.

  Away.

  Now.

  Rovik, the man with the dragon wings, had turned into a fully transformed beast.

  It seemed surreal. Almost like watching something out of a fantasy film. A real dragon in this modern day. Rovik was a gigantic dragon who spanned about seventy feet from head to tail. His body was covered with gleaming obsidian scales. His head sported two majestic horns and sharp, spiky long feathered frills that covered part of his neck. His long, spiky tail swished back and forth before it whipped toward one of the cruisers and ripped it in half.

  Norman, Dwayne, two others shifted into dragons and the four of them ganged up on Rovik. Emily had never seen them fully shifted until now. She shivered. Her hands couldn’t stop trembling on the steering wheel.

  Rovik.

  She couldn’t believe Rovik was a dragon. And a vicious one. In no time he latched on to one of the red dragon’s forelegs and ripped it apart.

  She tore her eyes from the rearview mirror, focusing on the road.

  Rovik.

  How could she not sense it? She thought he was a normal guy. No wonder he was so brazen. Did Rovik know who the McGuires really were?

  Crazy, crazy, crazy!

  Suddenly, something landed on top of the SUV with a heavy thud. Emily wildly glanced at the rearview camera. She didn’t see anything behind the vehicle. Whatever it was started moving forward. Then a clawed hand swung in through the broken window. Emily screamed and dodged it.

  A heartbeat later, a head appeared upside down, grinning at her. Emily knew him. He was Dwayne’s second cousin, Jack, who worked in the deli. But the Jack she knew wasn’t cover in scales and had claws like this…whatever he was.

  “Stop the car!” ordered Jack. His voice was much deeper and disturbingly distorted.

  Emily didn’t listen. There was no way she would stop. She’d drive this SUV until it couldn’t run anymore.

  Jack clawed at her again. When he wasn’t successful intimidating her, he grabbed the door and yanked it outward, ripping it off the vehicle.

  “What the fuck!” This new Jack thing gave her massive heebie-jeebies. It was only time until he got her if she didn’t do something.

  Emily floored the gas then braked hard. Tires screeched. The motion pulled her body forward but the seatbelt kept her in her seat. Jack was thrown ten feet forward on the ground. He was no longer the person she knew. He was an ugly wingless human dragon covered in red scales. The Jack she knew was a friendly, easy going guy. Emily didn’t know this person.

  Without hesitation, she shifted gears and hit the gas to the max. The SUV roared and ran over that scaly creature as if it were nothing but an unseemly large bump on the street.

  That’s okay, she
told herself. Jack isn’t human, so that technically isn’t murder. Oh, God, what am I doing?

  Meanwhile the auto security system connected and the care specialist asked her if she was in a car accident.

  “Shut up! Shut up!” Emily hit the dashboard. “You’re not helping! Find me some cop that isn’t a dragon!”

  The care specialist didn’t understand and kept barraging her with the same question. Emily diverted her attention to the front. One big red dragon flew ahead of her and swooped down from the sky. Before it could reach her, the black dragon lurched straight like a missile from the left and knocked the red dragon from the sky. Both crashed in the wooded area behind her.

  Emily swallowed hard.

  That black dragon was Rovik. He was trying to protect her.

  Rovik.

  Tears streamed down her cheeks. Should she feel safe? But she was kind of scared of him.

  She tried to focus on the road, ignoring the inquiry from the care specialist’s voice. However, her respite from the dragons was short lived. Then something huge and black flew low directly on top of the Escalade. The SUV suddenly went airborne. Rovik’s claws pierced the roof and the windows.

  She screamed her head off. What the hell, man. What the hell?

  Rovik grabbed her from the side. She screamed and pounded her fist against the dragon’s sharp and long claws as he sliced her seatbelt then pulled her out of the SUV. While she was busy screaming, Rovik let go of his car. It crashed into the trees. Emily suddenly found herself in Rovik’s arms. He shifted into his human form but kept his wings.

  “Rovik!” Emily clutched on his shoulders. “Put me down! Put me down!”

  He slightly folded his wings and the two of them took a nose dive toward the ground.

  Emily fainted.

  When she opened her eyes, Emily found herself lying on the ground, head propped on an oversized gnarled tree root. Only greenery surrounded her as far as her eyes could see. She hoisted herself into a sitting position, then to her feet. She felt a mild headache from getting up too fast. It took her a few minutes to regain her equilibrium. When the vertigo passed, she noticed she was alone. In the middle of woods, bump-fuck-out-of-nowhere.

  That—until someone cleared his throat.

  Emily startled. She turned her head to the side.

  Rovik was sitting on a rock, stark naked.

  She quickly averted her eyes.

  Her heart hammered hard.

  Rovik.

  Rovik the bounty hunter. The black dragon.

  Vicious monster.

  She held the trunk of a tree and flopped down. She felt weak for some reason.

  “Are you okay?” Rovik asked. He came and crouched next to her, placing his palm on her forehead. Checking her temperature? Weird.

  Emily flinched when their skin touched.

  “I just wondered if you had a fever,” he said. “Are you afraid of me?”

  “N-no.” Yes. Okay, maybe a little. Who wouldn’t be?

  “I can understand if you do. Sorry, I wish you hadn’t seen that side of me.” He withdrew his hand. “You didn’t sustain any injuries as far as I could see. Thank God for that. But your color wasn’t good earlier so I couldn’t leave you alone.”

  He’d better not! She whipped her head toward him and regretted it. She’d forgotten he was naked. “Sorry.” Emily fixed her stare on her own bridal slippers. She only had one on her left foot. She didn’t know what had happened with the other one. It must have fallen off during the scuffle.

  “What for?”

  “For causing you trouble. And ruining your SUV.”

  “I destroyed my own car, remember?”

  “You wouldn’t have if you hadn’t been involved with me.”

  “Hmm. I can’t stand to see a dame in distress. I’d probably come to you anyway. Especially since you’re my mate.”

  I’m what? She whipped her head again and this time she didn’t care if he was naked.

  Rovik dusted his hands and stood. She got an eyeful of his toned, tight ass. She was distracted immediately. He had a really nice body, muscled, chiseled, a well-proportioned figure, with broad shoulders, a tapered waist, and powerful long legs. His skin was naturally tan.

  His upper back, and arms were inked with intricate tribal tattoos. He was covered in sweat, dirt, and unidentifiable grime from the fight she didn’t want to think about, and even with all that, he still looked incredibly hot. Unconsciously, her mouth watered. She sooo really wanted to stick out her tongue and taste his skin between his shoulder and his neck and—

  Emily shook herself from the outrageous thought. What’s wrong with me? Wasn’t I afraid of him? Rovik is a dragon. A fiendish monster who didn’t think twice about ripping off Deputy Nelson’s arm and took a chunk of—

  Rovik caught her ogling. “What’s the matter? You’ve never seen a naked man before?”

  “Of course, I have.” She scowled. Then it occurred to her that Rovik was just teasing. She scrambled up and smoothed her way too big loaned shirt. “Nice ass, by the way.”

  He looked amused.

  “Do you want your shirt back?”

  “No. Keep it on. Are you okay to walk?”

  “Where are we going?”

  “To where I chucked the SUV. It’s not far from here. I got spare clothes stashed in there. And shoes too.”

  Rovik picked his way, navigating between the dense vegetation. There was no trail inside the forest. They had to climb over fallen tree trunks, push their way through thickets which she dreaded more than being chased by the McGuires. She hated insects of all kind and shapes. They gave her epic creeps. When she noticed there was a caterpillar stuck on her sleeve shirt, she promptly squealed and frantically tried to brush it away.

  He came to her rescue and casually removed the offensive bug. “I got you. Don’t worry.”

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem.” He stared at her feet and then the cuts on her face from the thorns and prickly brambles. “You’re not wearing adequate shoes to walk on this terrain. Want a piggy back ride?”

  What? That’s silly. Her gaze strayed to where Rovik had chucked the caterpillar. That thing was still alive, wriggling on the ground. “I’m fine, thank you.”

  “I could shift and carry you on my back, but I’d rather keep under the radar at this time.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Dragons can easily detect one another when they shift into their dragon form, especially if they happen to be in a close range. We’re up against four Reds and a few half-bloods. The sheriff is an old dragon and quite tough. They’ll be looking for us soon. I prefer not to face them unless I have backup.” He threw a good-natured grin at her. “And you can’t fight.”

  She swallowed hard. “What happened to them?”

  “I wounded them. Enough for stalling while we make our escape. Now, stay behind me.” Rovik turned and cut a path for her.

  She shadowed him. “How come you didn’t tell me you’re a dragon?”

  “How come you didn’t tell me you’re engaged to a dragon?”

  He had her on this one.

  “I didn’t know what they really were until now,” she explained, slightly deflated. “They’re secretive about that stuff. This was the first time I saw them transformed.” Emily wrinkled her nose. “And I’m not Dwayne’s fiancée. Least, not anymore.”

  “That’s right, ‘cause you’re my mate.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Means just that. You’re my girl.”

  It would sound romantic if those words weren’t spoken by a naked man, even though Rovik was glorious in his bareness. Still, she disliked that it was decidedly one-sided. When did she agree become his girl? Damn it, they weren’t even dating.

  Emily sniffed. “As I recalled, you hired me as your bookkeeper. I don’t remember you asking me out.”

  “Hmm? Then consider it a promotion. I promote you to my girlfriend. Fiancée. Wife.”

  What? H
e kept walking.

  “Rovik!”

  He halted, turned, and planted a deep kiss on her lips.

  At that very moment, everything in the world stopped. It was a kiss unlike any other. The way he made her hot. The way he made her brain mush. She felt as if she had melted to her spot. She froze, couldn’t think about anything but Rovik and his kiss. Rovik. Kiss. Rovik.

  He parted his lips, gazing down at her with satisfaction. “That’s better.”

  She blinked. She felt as if she had been drugged with some really awesome dope. How is it possible for someone to make me feel this way? She hated when Dwayne touched her. But it was different with Rovik.

  She liked it.

  No, she loved it.

  She blinked again. That’s better, he’d said. What the hell did that mean? Did he kiss her so she would shut up?

  Oh, he didn’t.

  He’d better not!

  “Let’s go,” he said. “We’d better find my stuff before dark.”

  She wanted to retort but still couldn’t find her voice. Like a zombie, she trudged behind him. Emily clutched her heart; it was pounding like crazy. She felt like she was drunk on champagne. The bubbly, effervescent giddiness danced to her every nerve tip.

  Crazy.

  Was this called love?

  She was supposed to be scared of him.

  She wasn’t anymore.

  On the contrary, she lusted after him. She wanted him to kiss her again. Maybe more than kissing too. Her gaze strayed lower and before long she was ogling his naked ass. His nice, tight, sexy ass. In fact, she could see his man parts dangle here and there as he walked. Good lord, just how big was he? He must be well-endowed otherwise he wouldn’t be dang—

  Rovik suddenly stopped and she crashed onto his back spectacularly. “There it is,” he said.

  “Uh-oh, sorry.” Emily stepped back.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine,” she murmured. Just horny. “What were you saying?”

  “Found it.”

  His SUV was wedged between two huge trees, upended, seven feet from the ground. Some of its windows were broken with large branches speared through them and the airbags had inflated as well.