Page 43 of Red Captive

I turn in that general direction, moving fast, trying to keep my rage under control so that I can listen for her…for them. Myhearing is better in my dragon form, and it doesn’t take long before I pick up on their conversation.

“What’s wrong with you?” the duke yells.

I pick up my pace, a low growl percolating in my chest.

“I said no!” Jen screams. “Stay away from me.” Her tone is laced with fear, making all of my hackles go up.

Kill him!

Kill!

“I’m not spending a penny on goods I haven’t sampled,” the duke says; it sounds like he’s smiling, which makes my blood fucking boil. Plumes of smoke leave my nostrils. I hold back a roar. I need to keep a handle on my dragon.

“I’m not going to pick you, so there’s no point in sampling anything. You’re an asshole!” Jen screams. I’m getting closer by the second. There should be an entrance to the turret somewhere close by.

The duke laughs just as two guards jump to block my path. I char them with hot flame, along with a table, some chairs, and the heavy drapes. Everything around me goes up in flames.

I keep running toward the sound of her cries.

Fuck!

There! I find a spiral staircase. I shift and start running up the stairs. I climb as fast as I can. The sound of footfalls below alerts me to more guards on my heels.

“That’s not true,” the human shouts as I take five steps at a time.

What isn’t true?

“Of course it is.” The duke laughs again, sounding evil as fuck. “You’re mine, human. The sooner you accept that, the better. Now, be a good girl and—”

“Get your fucking hands off her,” I snarl as I enter the large airy space at the top of the stairs. It’s a round apartment, complete with a kitchen and a living room. There’s also a bed.The duke is holding Jen by the wrists. Her blouse is ripped, exposing her lace-clad breasts. The belt on her pants is broken. It’s clear that he is up to no fucking good. He looks like he is trying to get her to lie down on the bed. To accept his advances.

Prick!

“Oh, look, it’s your puppy dog.” The duke smiles at me. “You should leave before I—”

“Get your hands off the female before I break them one at a time, so fucking help me.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” He lets her go. “I am the duke. I—”

I tackle him with a snarl that rips right through me. The duke lands hard on his back. His face becomes a mask of rage and shock. “How dare you!” he spits. “Get off—"

“Oh, I dare.” I punch him in the face. Once…twice...three times. Blood sprays as I pulverize his lip. His nose breaks. His jaw cracks. I’m trying to go easy. I don’t want to accidentally kill this disgusting excuse for a shifter. Not because I think he doesn’t deserve death, because he does, but because if I kill him, I will be in a world of trouble. The human might end up in deep shit as well. I can’t have that.

“Steel!” Jen yells. “Behind you.”

I leap to my feet just as four guards pour into the room. There are more behind them. Soon, they’ll overtake me. I need to get the human out of here and to safety.

I turn and grab Jen, picking her up as I run. “Trust me, please.”

I don’t wait for a reply. There is no time. I pray she does as I ask and follows my lead. I keep running for the doors and kick them open as we reach them. Glass breaks and wood splinters.

Jen screams and turns away, hiding her face in my chest. She holds onto me as I keep running. With zero hesitation, I jump from the balcony. There is no railing. All of the balconies at the castle are designed for the comings and goings of dragons.

I let her go for a second as I shift; her hands are pulled from me as I do. She’s screaming. Then I grab her carefully with my talons as we fall. It happens long before we reach the rocks below. I catch her easily, and she stops screaming as soon as I do. Then I start flapping, the rest of the guards falling into formation around me as we fly as hard and as fast as we can. The duke is screaming profanities from the balcony behind us. I don’t stop to check if his guards are following us. I don’t care.

I’m fucking livid. A part of me wishes I could go back and kill that bastard duke. I wish I’d hit him harder. He deserves it after what he did.

There is flapping behind us, but it doesn’t last long. They give up the chase as we near the villages. It won’t be long before we reach the palace, and then there will be some explaining to do.

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