Page 42 of Surge of Ice

It’s an oddly sweet offer. “No, let’s just keep going. We’re almost there.”

I just pray that Dahlia is okay. As scary as this is for me, I can turn into a big bad dragon, and I’ve got an even bigger bad dragon at my side. I can’t even imagine how she’s feeling.

“You’re worried about your friend?” His tone is gentle.

“Yes, I am.”

“Do not fear, we will reach her soon. And should anyone threaten her, we will show them the power of a true dragon’s wrath.”

I wish I was as confident as him, but I have to pretend to be. For Dahlia.

SIXTEEN

Samantha

The mobof people has only thickened, making me more and more nervous with each passing second, when wefinallysee the restaurant with the UFO on the top. I consider continuing to drive through the throng of people, but spot a quiet alley and turn down it instead. Zane and I will be much faster on foot from here on out, and should be fast enough to ensure the car is in one piece when we get back.

Cutting the engine, I turn to Zane. “We’re going to walk the rest of the way, but we’re going to have to be careful. People are capable of anything when they get like this.”

“You do not need to warn me. I am prepared for trouble.”

I bite my lip. Zane is so innocent to this new world. Will he really be able to handle it if we have problems out there? I know we’re stronger and faster than any human, and that we can go dragon if we have to, but that doesn’t mean we’re invincible. I mean, he doesn’t even know about guns. Times are more dangerous than when he was last awake.

“Just promise me you’ll stay by my side.”

He reaches forward and cups my cheek. “I have always made this promise to you, but I will again.” His blue eyes seem to make more promises than his words.

I shiver, closing my eyes.

“Samantha?”

Then, I pull away, knowing that if I don’t, I’ll do something I might regret. Zane is a temptation, and I need to resist him. At least until things are settled with my men.

“We should get going.”

He nods, looking regretful.

I climb out of the car. Zane doesn’t. I hear him struggling inside. Going to his door, I open it for him and explain the handle again. I even press the lock button to show him that too. If he’s going to live in this lifetime, he’s going to need to know how things work.

“Lock, unlock. Lock, unlock,” he says, clicking the button back and forth, grinning like mad.

I laugh. “That’s right. Remind me later, and I’ll show you the windows.”

He gives me a funny look. “I know what a window is.”

“Not this kind,” I say, grinning as I imagine his face when I roll the windows down.

He climbs out, and I lock up the car. Now that my focus isn’t on him, I turn back to face the main road. People are everywhere. Some of them have guns, others bats, but all of them seem to be carrying stolen goods. It’s kind of scary.

I make sure I’m at Zane’s side, whether for his sake or mine, I’m not sure, but it seems like a good idea. We start heading for the main road, knowing the restaurant we’re headed to is less than a block away.

But before we can exit the alley, I catch the gaze of a man in a group. None of them have stolen goods, and all of them look like they’re trying to cause problems. The smile he flashes meinstantly chills my blood, and then he’s making a beeline for me. His cronies follow right behind, their gazes running over me in a way that makes me feel vulnerable for half a second before I remember that I’m a dragon.

These bitches are about to get roasted, and they don’t even know it.

“What do we have here,” the leader of the group calls, the tattoos on his face dancing as he speaks.

Zane leans in to me. “Trouble?”

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