Page 55 of Of Bone and Ash

“Ryland. I’ll drop you just as fast as I did him if you touch me!” she grits out, making my Dragon growl at the challenge she’s laying in front of us. What my pretty little mate doesn’t realize is I love it when her dark magic wraps around me. The pain her magic can cause is a balm to my shredded soul.

Walking over, I snag her wrist, despite her loud and vocal outbursts, ensuring my fingers encompass the very spot Andrei touched and marking her skin with my scent rather than his. It’s all I can do not to grab and yank her into my arms, to mark her with my scent everywhere. The urge to bury my nose in her hair and breathe her in hits me square in my chest.

I know my possessiveness is not granting me any favors in her books, but it is something I can't control. The need to ensure every male on this field knows she’s mine is an instinct I can’t suppress, and I almost hope she drops me on my overbearing ass as a result. It’ll help with the guilt later.

A bolt of pain ricochets through me as Fina’s magic wraps around my wrist, mirroring my hold on her, and I chuckle, looking down at the dark magic, hoping it will leave a mark. Nothing would make me happier than having a physical reminder of her with me throughout the day.

I slowly release her wrist, prying my fingers off her one by one despite the anger I feel while doing it. I know I need to earn back her trust and get back into her good graces before I go around scooping her up like I used to when we were kids, but I also know my Dragon’s limits, and there was no way I was going to be able to handle my best friend without hurting him with his scent mark on my mate.

“Ryland,” Andrei groans, still on the ground at my feet, sweat dripping down his reddened face. I sigh and cross my arms over my chest as I slowly lessen the dominance my Dragon is radiating and hear a collected sigh of relief from the people on the field.

“You’re intolerable,” she snaps, pulling her wrist to her chest and rubbing at the spot I just scent-marked. I nod in agreement as I stare at her. She’s so fucking beautiful. It’s been so long since I could just look at her. I think I could stand here all day if she’d let me.

“I am. And you used to be better at carrying through on your threats,” I respond, watching as the magic releases my wrist without leaving a single mark. “I thought I taught you better than to give up without a fight," I tease just as I feel something cold wrap around my ankle and take it out from underneath me. A second burst of magic strikes me in the chest, shoving my already falling body harder into the ground below and knocking the air from my lungs. I blink up at the blue sky in a daze, trying to remember the last time someone got the better of me like this as I hear Atlas roar with laughter.

I wheeze in a breath as a shadow blocks the bright skies, and Serafina’s face comes into view as she steps over my body, a leg on either side of my hips. She shakes her head, cold eyes raking up and down my body as she bends down, bringing her closer and making me smile.

“The only thing you taught me was never to trust someone so completely that they can ruin you with a handful of words,” she whispers, effectively stabbing me in the heart with a metaphorical blade before standing back up and turning toward her brother, not looking back once as she strides over to where Boris is watching us all. My smile falls from my face as I roll to my side and watch her go, my heart cracking at the pain I saw in her eyes. The pain I put there.

“Dammit,” I groan before flopping back onto the ground, putting a hand over my eyes to block out the sun.

“Dude. I’ve never seen someone put you on your ass like this before,” Andrei groans, rolling to his side next to me and giving me a funny look. I chuckle and nod, letting my hand fall away from my face as I slowly collect myself. My dick is rock hard, and I know I have to be pitching a tent in my pants, but I can’t bring myself to care. When Fina ran from me last night, I was terrified I would never have the chance to apologize to her. The sad and broken girl I had seen wasn't who I was expecting.

But this feisty woman?

I grin and push myself up to my hands and knees, watching the girl who owns my soul talk with Boris. I can deal with Serafina’s anger. I can tolerate whatever punishment she deems fit as long as she doesn’t retreat into herself and lock me out. I’m more than willing to fight for her, as long as she fights back.

“Serafina has a way of doing that,” I admit, thinking back to all the times she’s taken me off my feet, both physically and emotionally.

“Yeah…” Andrei draws out, side-eyeing me hard as he gets to his feet and offers me a hand up. “You like her?” he asks in a questioning tone.

“She’s mine,” I respond simply, brushing off the grass and dirt from my pants and shirt before repositioning the blades I have strapped at my waist.

“No shit! Well, damn, I wouldn't have touched her if I knew. Sorry, man,” Andrei says, clapping me on the shoulder.

“Yeah, uh, me too. Just don’t touch her and we’ll be fine. I didn't hurt you, did I?” I ask, a thread of worry worming its way in, but Andrei only laughs and shakes his head.

“Nah. I’m counting myself a lucky bastard for still breathing,” he teases as Dimitri runs over, dipping his head in a respectful nod.

“Bella!” I watch as fucking Teos Ramadan shakes the blonde clinging to him off and runs past, his too-tight rugby shirt and tiny shorts pissing me off as I track his movement toward my girl.

“Teos!” she complains, mouth agape, as he waves her off without a backward glance.

A growl builds in my throat as I imagine yanking his arms from his sockets and beating him with them until he stops breathing. ‘Kill him,’ my Dragon urges, and I nod in agreement.

“Shit! Fuck!” Andrei says, whacking me on the back of the head as smoke starts to billow from my flared nostrils. “Bad Dragon!” he snaps as he runs after the young boy. “I’ll take care of him. You kill a student, and you're toast!” he hollers over his shoulder as he runs, then throws himself at Teos just before he can reach my girl. I cross my arms over my chest, watching in part amusement, part anger as the boy goes down with a hard thump, Andrei doing me a solid and pinning him to the ground as he starts to talk to him.

“Ryland!” Atlas snaps, turning to watch the commotion with an unimpressed look my way. “Get him off Teos!”

“Oh my God! Let him go,” the blonde cries, trying to push past some of my team members who actually do their job and keep her on the side of the field. A few of Boris’ team finally start to show up and help clear the students off the field, taking the noisy blonde with them.

“Teos!” Fina shouts, muttering something else under her breath as she steps around Atlas, her long sword materializing in her hand as she stalks toward Andrei, murder burning in her gray eyes.

Oh fuck!

“Fina! Drop the sword!” I bellow, racing toward her as a hand catches her wrist just as she’s about to bring the blade down on my best friend. Don’t get me wrong. By default, I fucking hate that feathered bastard Ambrose who is constantly on my ass about my magic, but I can’t help but be grateful that he stepped in and stopped Fina from dealing that killing blow.

“I think we've had enough killing for today,” Ambrose drawls, shooting Fina a disapproving look.

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