Page 81 of Fated for his Flame

The glass fell around us as the rest of my family dropped to the ground with me, our dragon wings ensuring we hit the floor and bounced up onto both feet. Seth shouted orders, and the other men in the room hit us almost the instant we landed. Almost.

My wing flicked out as I spun, slamming into my nearest attacker and flinging him away. I grunted as pain erupted from where Caine had stabbed me. The muscles were still healing, and the flight over from the palace hadn’t done me any favors.

But pain was nothing at the moment. I could ignore it. My only focus was Seth.

“Seth!” I roared just in time to see the cowardly prick duck out of the room.

I stormed after him, but a familiar leering face slid between us, blocking my path.

“Hello, Silas,” Mattias spat. “Going somewhere?”

“Yes.” I started forward. “Through you.”

Mattias laughed and came at me. I’d anticipated that. Like so many others, he was a brash, arrogant fighter who thought he could overpower his foes. There was little training in his actions. He’d never needed it, not when he traveled with Seth and his pack of goons, who always had numbers.

That wasn’t how I fought.

I waited until he’d committed to his blow, then I lunged forward, bending low at the waist. Mattias’ fist sailed harmlessly over my head. A second later, my shoulder, now thrusting up, caught him in the stomach. I drove through with my legs, and he bent in half over me with a mighty whoof as all the air in his lungs was driven out.

My feet left the floor, and as gravity took hold, I added my own force to it, slamming Mattias down. Tile cracked and chipped as he hit hard, slamming his head back hard enough to stun him.

“I have looked forward to this for a long time,” I growled just as he blinked his eyes back into focus.

I started to shift in mid-air. My legs grew rapidly in size, long claws sprouting from my feet. Mattias’ eyes went wide as he realized what was about to happen. My wings stopped flapping, and I dropped like a stone.

He rolled, trying to get out of the way, but my dragon-sized paw landed on his spine with a bone-crunching crack.

The other dragon shifter didn’t move.

“Clear!” Vicek shouted as he and the trio of guards who’d come with us from the start finished the rest of the room.

Looking around, I saw Caleb nursing his shoulder with Shi at his side. She was splattered in blood, but I didn’t see any wound. It must not be hers, I decided. My father was coming behind us, leading the rest of Vicek’s men.

After confirming everyone was okay, I hurried to Chloe’s side.

“Hi,” I said as casually as I could. “Sorry I’m late.”

“I’m surprised you came at all,” she said a bit coldly as I freed her arms. She pulled her arms in front of her and massaged her wrists.

“I deserved that,” I said, not letting the biting tone get to me.

Her expression changed instantly. “Why do you say that? Wait, no, we need to get out of here.”

“Not until I say something,” I said.

“No, Silas, we—”

“Shh,” I said, pressing a finger to her lips. She looked ready to explode, but I had to say it now before it was too late. “Chloe, I’m sorry.”

Her eyes widened. “For what?”

“For not giving you a chance,” I said. “To explain yourself. To give your side of the actions. I just jumped to conclusions about you without thinking. And you deserve better than that. Even if you’re just as guilty as they say you are, I should have asked you. Which I think you were trying to tell me. So, here it goes. Chloe, what happened? What did you do?”

She smiled. “I’m so happy to hear that. And I’ll tell you everything. I promise. But we have to go. Now!”

“Why?” I asked, looking around. “His men are dead. Seth is on the run. Vicek can hunt him down. We’re fine.”

“No, we’re not,” Chloe said, just as I picked up a faint tremor running through the floor. “Seth set a trap for you. The rest of his family is hiding in the house. Waiting. They’re going to kill you.”

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