Page 48 of Surge of Heat

Suddenly, there’s the sound of a massive explosion somewhere outside. The ground seems to rock, and the room is thrown into darkness. A few people start screaming. One person is crying. Outside the window, there’s a flash of green scales before it disappears.

Evander’s voice comes out of the darkness. “Everyone is going to be fine. We just need to be quiet and not do anything to attract the dragon. Is there a basement in this place?”

I hear the owner’s nasally voice. “Yes, down the stairs right behind the computers.”

A glow illuminates Evander’s face with his phone. “Use your phone light to guide you down the stairs. Don’t run, just go nice and easy. We’re all perfectly safe.”

There are a lot of murmurs about the dragons, about dying, about us all burning to death, but the people obey Evander, moving slowly down the stairs. The three of us go around the back aisle and look out the window. In the distance, we can see the green dragon. He doesn’t appear to be aiming for me. He’s landing on roofs, blasting his flames, and just being an overall asshole.

“People are going to get hurt if we don’t do something,” Aydan says.

Evander nods, the hard lines of his face a little scary illuminated by the glow of his phone. “The green dragon is good though. He knows how to be a dragon. Last time, I didn’t stand a chance against him.”

“You were alone then.” Aydan sounds confident. “You have me now. Why don’t we chase him off?”

Evander seems to think for a very long moment. “Okay, but we have to work together. This won’t turn out well if we don’t have each other’s backs.”

“Agreed. Two on one are good odds. We’ll be okay.”

“Two on one?” I repeat, shaking my head. “No, I’m helping too.”

Both their heads jerk in my direction, and I sense that Granger wants to sigh behind me. But he doesn’t get it. I can’t just sit back while they get hurt. I did that once with Evander. I’m never doing that again.

“He’ll instantly go after you,” Evander says, like I’m stupid.

“You’ll just make things harder,” Aydan tells me, and I desperately want to remind him that he was only human just a few days ago.

“The two of you won’t let him hurt me. Besides, three on one is much better odds. He’ll figure it out pretty quickly and get out of here.”

“No,” Evander says.

I lean up onto my tippy toes, so our eyes are almost level. “I’m going to do it no matter what you say, so you should probably decide how much time you want to waste yammering.”

His jaw ticks. “You’re a brat.”

“Maybe,” I tell him, trying to sound as cocky as possible.

He pulls me in for a kiss that steals my breath, and then releases me. “Don’t do anything stupid out there. He wants you, not us. Just keep yourself safe.”

I nod and head for the door. Aydan grabs my wrist, and I look back at him. “Seriously, I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”

“Okay.” I kiss him too, and then we all head outside.

No one’s on the road. All the cars have either pulled over, I’m guessing so the people could hide in the shops, or they’ve been left completely abandoned in the street. We spread apart,then shift. It only takes seconds, and then the three of us are dominating the big road.

In this form, I’m more aware than ever of the two big males that think they own me. The gray dragon and the gold dragon are at both my sides, and they’re bigger than me, nearly double my size. Their scent comes over me, powerful and intoxicating, and I have the unbelievable urge to let them mount me.

You smell fucking amazing,Aydan says, his words loud in my head.

So do you. Now focus on the green dragon.I’m telling him, but I’m telling myself too.

Evander starts to move closer, and I step away.Remember, the green dragon.

He groans in my head but keeps his distance.

We take flight into the air and head straight for the green dragon. He seems to notice us just in time as he sits perched on top of a building. The alley beneath him smolders with flames. He shoots into the sky, and we give chase.

He tries circling around, to get on my back, but Evander and Aydan are there in an instant. The green dragon tries to reach me several more times, but there’s always Evander and Aydan, snapping at him, covering him in flames, tearing at his wings.

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