Page 35 of Claimed By the Drakarn Warrior Lord

I wanted to grab her, shake her until the facade crumbled, until she dropped that damnable guard—for once, for me. But Rath’s signal flashed again, more urgent now, pulling my attention away before the unspoken could be said. Before I could confess the chilling realization: her betrayal cut so deep not because it revealed weakness, but becauseit illuminated the terrifying extent to which I had already surrendered my heart.

"That wasn’t a suggestion." I spread my wings, the membranes stretching taut, catching the harsh light. "You’ve proven you can't be trusted. Don't compound your error."

The raw hurt that flashed across her features nearly shattered my resolve. But the lie, however delivered, remained. And now, we plunged into battle with compromised trust and unknown threats.

I launched myself into the air before she could retort, catching a thermal that lifted me higher. Below, the camp stirred, a disturbed nest of vipers. They’d seen us.

Good.

Let them come.

Rath fell into formation beside me, his voice a rumble carried on the wind. "Movement to the east. They're attempting to move the humans."

A snarl tore from my throat, baring my fangs. "Take the others. Cut off their escape route. I'll engage their warriors."

He hesitated, his gaze flicking toward the alcove where the humans were held captive. "If they resist?"

"Subdue. No fatalities." I met his gaze, thecommand leaving no room for interpretation. "These humans are under my protection now. All of them."

A sharp nod acknowledged the order. He peeled away, leading the others in a wide arc to intercept the enemy clan attempting to flee with their captives. I tucked my wings, plummeting towards the cluster of rival warriors spilling from their makeshift shelters.

The first Drakarn never registered my approach. My talons ripped across his wing membranes, the tearing sound sickeningly satisfying as he cartwheeled into the sand. The second managed to gain altitude, but a brutal sweep of my tail sent him spiraling back to earth.

More swarmed to meet me, their scales a harsh variety of colors under the blazing sun. They fought with a practiced savagery, but I hadn't earned the title of Warrior Lord of Scalvaris through chance. My claws found the vulnerable gaps between their scales, my wings a blur of motion, deflecting their clumsy attacks.

A flicker of movement at the edge of my vision snagged my attention—Terra, disregarding my direct order and on the move. Fury and a chilling spike of fear warred within me.

The distraction was costly. Claws raked across my shoulder, a searing line of pain drawingblood. I roared, spinning to face my assailant, when Rath’s voice, laced with urgency, ripped through the din.

"Darrokar!"

His warning arrived too late. A hulking warrior, his scales the color of a gathering storm, positioned himself above me, preparing a dive that would have shredded my wings. But then, a flash of red hair erupted between us.

Terra.

She’d scaled the treacherous obsidian spire and launched herself at my attacker, her smaller form colliding with his far larger one. They tumbled through the air, a tangled mass of limbs and scales, and for a terrifying heartbeat, I thought she would fall.

But she was a whirlwind of controlled chaos. Using his momentum against him, she twisted, redirecting his descent into the jagged face of the spire. The impact reverberated through the rock, showering us with black glass shards.

I caught her before she hit the ground, the frantic rhythm of my heart slamming against my ribs. "I ordered you to stay back."

"Yeah, well, you're welcome," she shot back, her grip tight on my shoulders, her eyes blazing with adrenaline. "Now put me down. They need help."

They. Always others.

But she was correct. The battle’s focus had shifted to where Rath and my warriors were locked in a brutal melee, struggling to shield the humans. I set Terra down behind a fallen boulder, ignoring her immediate protests.

"Stay. Here." My growl was a promise of violence. "Or I'll chain you to it myself."

Her mouth opened in protest, but I was already airborne, my wings slicing through the humid, smoke-tinged air as I hurtled towards the heart of the conflict.

The battlefield was a riot of guttural snarls, desperate shouts, and the brutal clash of honed steel against obsidian-hard claws. Rath stood as a bulwark between the cluster of humans and the relentless assault, his massive crimson form a living shield. But his stance was off—his weight unevenly distributed, his wings trembling with subtle, unnatural spasms. His gaze kept flicking towards one human woman, her face pale but resolute, clutching a makeshift weapon with surprising ferocity.

I banked low, the rush of displaced air churning grit and blood-soaked sand as I targeted the largest of the remaining rival Drakarn. His scales were a dull, mottled gray and covered in scars, a testamentto countless battles. He raised a jagged blade, poised to strike down a fallen warrior who lay clutching his wounded side, blood blooming in the sand beneath him.

The subtle tightening of the air, the near-silent intake of breath from the human woman—her eyes wide with horror—told me she saw it too. I could almost hear her gasp as my talons raked across the enforcer’s back, sending a shower of blood and splintered goethite scales flying. He roared in pain and fury as his weapon spun from his grasp, landing with a muffled thud in the sand-soaked ground.

His head snapped towards me as I landed heavily, my wings flaring for balance, the impact jarring my legs. My fighters roared their approval, the sight of their Warrior Lord bolstering their resolve.

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