Page 205 of Forcing Fate

“You’re right.” He dropped his temple to the top of my head and heaved a weary sigh.

My pulse stuttered. Panic gripped my heart like a vise. Something was wrong. My Rafe didn’t surrender. He didn’t give in. He fought for what he wanted.

“You’re right,” he repeated. “I knew better… I used you. I dragged you into–”

My throat tightened. “No!” I choked. I didn’t want to wake the others but suddenly my world was crashing down around me.

“It’s my fault,” he muttered.

“No, it’s–”

He cut off my words with a chaste kiss to my temple. “It won’t happen again.” He turned away.

My heart screamed at the distance between us, and I took a step toward him.

I would not lose this.

I would not lose the happiness I had found.

I would not lose him.

I reached out to grasp his vest, but he drew back further.

“Rafe, I–”

A roar shook the ground. My knees gave out, and I slapped my hands over my ears. A gust of wind tore at my hair, whipping it around my face in a frenzy. Through the scattering of snow and cracked branches, a dragon swooped down, claws extended.

Something snared my cloak and threw me. I landed behind Rafe and he drew his sword, facing the creature.

“Bow! Get your bow!” he shouted over the dragon’s outraged screech.

I scrambled back, gaping up at it. It pulled up, flaring its wings wide. It was huge—fully grown. Its scales were a dim gray in the moonlight, but its eyes burned—bright and alight like raging flames.

Why did those eyes look so familiar?

It pumped its wings and tucked into another dive. I rose on trembling legs and took off at a run toward the camp. Jamlin and Xzanth were already running our way. Xzanth took aim at the creature but didn’t loose an arrow.

From birth, we were taught dragons were special creatures that deserved our love, respect, and gratitude. It would be hard to overcome all that teaching and instinct, to strike at it. I pumped my legs faster, trying to reach them, but my ankle gave way, twisting in the deep snow.

A shadow loomed above me, and terror chilled my soul. A gust of wind knocked me off my feet, and I flailed. Someone crashed into my back and I fought to free my face from the cold snow. A heavy weight rolled off me. The ground quaked, and I pushed myself up. The beast stood just behind me, paces away. It opened its maw, and the world went eerily quiet.

Its hundreds of teeth were sharpened to wicked points, and its tongue flicked in agitation. Everything was unnaturally silent as Rafe’s body moved between me and the dragon. It whipped its head back and lashed at him with its tail. He jumped and rolled with the blow. As he landed, the dragon swiped its claws, shoving him away before he found his feet.

The behemoth threw its head to the ground in front of me. Snow flew into the air, drifting down in lazy trails. Its scaled lips twitched and nostrils flared. Wind ripped at me as it sucked in a deep breath, and I grimaced, expecting it to open its mouth and drench me in fire.

It lifted its head, and I rocked back on my knees, staring up at it. It tilted its head as it crept closer, peering down at me with eyes like fire. I swallowed against the terror squeezing my throat. It slowly lowered its muzzle.

I threw my hands in front of me, bracing myself for impact as the great head swung toward me.

I expected to feel physical pain.

I expected the massive head to crash into me, or dragon fire to rain down.

What I didn’t expect to feel was the dragon inside me.

My mouth opened in a silent scream as pain tore its way through my heart and mind, as though the giant beast had entered my very soul.

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