Page 93 of Tempting Her Dragons

“Good,” I say.

“I don’t recognize her,” Bishop says.

“We didn’t pay attention to all of the others,” River says.

“If Saphira didn’t know who she is, the woman must have kept separate,” King guesses.

“It was chaotic,” River whispers. “Saphira was young, and we were more concerned with surviving.”

“Why would a coyote who was there want to put her back in a cage?” I ask.

“I don’t have the answers,” Mom says. “You’ll have to get her to tell you.”

“She needs to shift back,” I say, and Saphira’s head lowers. “She’s listening to us.”

“Her dragon is running the show,” King says softly.

“I think so,” Bishop says, and King steps forward.

“Firefly, we need you to shift,” he says, and I follow him.

“We need to hold you, baby,” I say, and we stand shoulder to shoulder, feet from our dragon mate. Her gaze tips down to the woman. “Put her down. She’ll be dead shortly.” Saphira snarls.

“You did well, Firefly. We killed the humans; the threat is gone,” King says. Saphira throws the woman toward a tree. If the poison, shock, or burning flesh didn’t kill her, the crack of her head against the wood did it.

“Shift, baby,” I encourage. The motion of her wings stops, and she lands gently on the earth. She takes two steps to eliminate the space between us, and we have to look up. She drops her head, and I hold still while she sniffs my blood-stained shirt. She does the same to King.

“I know you don’t like the smell,” King says.

“We will burn the clothes when we get home,” I offer. I watch her, astonished as she uses her fire, barely breathing toward the fabric. Her fire won’t burn our skin no matter how much she directs toward us, and she knows this, but my surprise is in her skill and control of her gift.

“What the fuck?” River exclaims.

“Amazing,” Sally gasps.

She burns the blood from the fabric, leaving our clothes intact.

“She has been hiding many talents,” Laken says.

“It appears so,” Bishop agrees.

“Good job, Firefly,” Kingston says, brushing his hands down his clean shirt. I stroke her head, and she leans into my palm.

“You are stunning in every way, baby,” I say. “But we need to make sure you are okay.” She steps back, and the change rolls over her. She has mastered the shift; she does it seamlessly.

“It took you guys long enough,” she says when she stands before us and then bursts into tears.

“Shit,” King says, reaching for her. She falls into his arms.

“Fuck,” she whispers. “Why am I crying?”

“You are in shock,” I say, and she reaches for me. I take her extended hand.

“It doesn’t matter,” King growls. “You can feel however the fuck you want.”

“She put a collar on me,” she says, and her brothers hiss. “She was in love with the man who violated me and blamed me for his death.” Several growls and curses ring out. “The humans were his friends, and she promised to turn them.”

“You punished her well,” I say, sick at the thought.

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