Page 56 of Spike

As we climbed aboard the truck, the minor burns I'd sustained during our escape began to flare. Nitro groaned behind me. Maybe our injuries were more serious than I thought.

Questions swirled in my mind, each one more urgent than the last. Who was that black dragon, and had Jack hired it to hunt us down? And that strange rune... what did it signify?

Colin landed gracefully on the ground, shifting back to his human form before joining Bash in the front of the truck.

“What the hell happened? For a moment, I thought we were done for," Bash said, sounding worried.

Colin shook his head, brow furrowed in confusion.

"I'm not sure. The other dragon shifter just... backed off. There was something odd on his chest," Colin mused. "But let's not think about it for now. We need to get out of here before it decides to come back. Honestly, I don't think I could take on that creature, not by myself."

With that, Bash took the wheel, the engine roaring to life as we sped away from the Blue Vale Valley compound.

Gray, I somehow made it out of that madness, was my last thought before falling unconscious.

16

GRAY

I read Micah's urgent text, my heart leaped into my throat. Spike and Nitro were at the clinic with second-degree burns.

Without a second thought, I told my manager I had an emergency, not bothering to explain further.

He waved me off, accustomed to my sudden departures by now. I raced to my truck, feeling anxious.

The fear coursing through our mating bond earlier had nearly sent me into full panic mode. I struggled to calm myself as I sped towards the clinic.

Something had gone horribly wrong in Blue Vale Valley, but what? My mind had raced with terrifying possibilities.

Spike and Nitro had been in a dangerous situation, and I felt completely powerless.

My hands started shaking, and I realized I couldn't drive like this; I would only get into an accident.

Spike and Nitro were alive; Micah confirmed that. I took deep, steadying breaths until my fingers were steady on the steering wheel.

Then, I drove to Micah's clinic in a hurry. I didn't realize there was a crowd gathered there.

Venom was there, speaking with a couple Spike had introduced to me once: Bash and Colin.

Colin was a rare dragon shifter... And Micah mentioned Spike and Nitro had suffered burns.

Was that somehow related? My questions could wait, I decided. I wanted to see Spike for myself first.

"Where's my mate?" I demanded, pitching my voice louder so I could be heard.

"Gray, he's over here," Micah answered from somewhere in the clinic.

I pushed my way past Venom, Colin, and Bash, relieved to see Spike in bed, arguing with Nitro over a cup of pudding.

"That was supposed to be mine," Spike said.

"I thought you didn't want it," Nitro replied.

If the two of them were capable of bantering like they usually did, then they would be just fine, I thought, relaxing a little.

Spike broke into a huge grin when he spotted me.

I was about to run up to him and pull him into a hug, then I realized his chest and left arm were covered in bandages.

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