Page 87 of So I Dared a Dragon

“I can’t wait to sin with you.” She took me by the hand and led me out of the room. I would follow this woman anywhere.

The group followed us. Magnus was part of the security team for the night. It would be a good role for him, and ifThe Mating Gamecontinued, I’d talk to Hugo about keeping him on. The two of them seemed to get along. Magnus was meticulous with details and a great fighter. He could be the piece this team needed.

It all depended on what we found in that mountain…

There was a tension in our group as the elevator brought us back to earth that made me think I wasn’t the only one fixed on the future. The hotel lobby buzzed with people living in the present moment as they poured in for the night’s festivities.

As promised, paparazzi choked the entrance, shouting questions at us as we made our way to the vans.

“Aarix!” one of them called out.

I kept going, squeezing Calista’s hand, remembering Hugo’s advice. They’d already been briefed on everything they needed to know about the show.

Somehow, I felt naked. Not a thing that usually bothered me, but I was at a definite disadvantage.

“Aarix!” another one called out. “How will you make your freedom permanent after the show?”

I stopped, but Calista didn’t. She tugged on my arm. “They’re just trying to get under your scales.”

I didn’t want to tell my mate they’d succeeded. But she’d know. She’d be able to feel the way my heartbeat sped up and the way my temperature spiked at their question.

“I’m not sure why that would be a concern,” I said, stepping forward.

“We talked to the Night God, and he said, and I quote—” The reporter waited until he had my full attention. There was no way he talked to the Night God. Something about this guy that was off, like his skin didn’t fit quite right, and I wondered how many forms the Night God could take, because the way his eyes turned red made me think it was him hiding in this skin. “This time, I’ll send him straight to hell before he has a chance to claim his mate.”

thirty-two

. . .

Calista

“Tell him if he wants me, he knows where to find me.” Aarix breathed fire to punctuate his statement, sending the rest of the reporters running for their lives.

“Babe.” I took Aarix’s hands in mine. They were so hot it took everything I had not to rip them away. Flames danced in his eyes, and smoke rose from his skin. He was moments away from a shift. “You can’t take the reporters seriously. It can be damn near impossible sometimes, but you have to remember, their job is to get you to react.”

And whoever had asked that question scored the fucking jackpot.

“You don’t understand.” Aarix’s body shook. Sweet moon, he was about to shift. Any reporters brave enough to stick around would get the story of their careers. “I’m pretty sure thatwasthe Night God.”

Oh, shit. No wonder he was ready to blow.

“How?” I scanned what was left of the crowd, but couldn’t find any unfamiliar supernatural creatures. “I thought he was a country music star in his human form.”

“He must have more than one.” Smoke plumed from Aarix’s nostrils, and he glared into the distance like he planned to hunt the reporter—or the Night God—down. “That energy is absolutely unmistakable.”

“If it was really him, wouldn’t he have”—I hated to say it, because the last thing the night needed was two dragons hellbent on destruction—“gone for Darcy?”

“He got what he needed from her,” Aarix growled. “Now he wants me. And he’ll get nothing. I plan to make him regret every decision he’s ever made.”

Hugo came up and put a tentative hand on Aarix’s arm, wincing when he felt the heat. But the wolf didn’t back away. Hugo and I would never see completely eye to eye, but he was slowly earning my respect.

“Remember what we talked about up there,” he said. “The best revenge you can get against that bastard is to let him watch you living your best life with your mate by your side.”

“It’s the power,” I said. My heart thumped in my chest in tandem with Aarix’s. “That’s what scares the Night God. He knows he can’t overcome the two of us together when our powers mix.”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about?” Bibi said as brightly as she could manage. But there was no mistaking the fact she was absolutely spooked. Maybe it was just the flames, but Aarix was right. The power was funky out here, like the Night God had left one of those nasty little notes behind. “The two of you have already mixed powers, so to speak, correct?”

“We have.” And right now it was so strong I could barely breathe. “Promise me you’ll enjoy yourself tonight. You gained your freedom, don’t give it back to him willingly.”

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