Page 92 of Leashed

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ryan held position, Dio’s imposing presence at his side keeping his feet anchored to the ground while he watched his unarmed brother scramble back to his feet, his movements growing more labored under the constant assault.

“If he isn’t successful mounting the beast soon, he won’t have the strength to end him,” Dio murmured, tension apparent in his voice. “Even I find this barbaric.”

“End him with what?” he demanded tersely, tearing his eyes off the battle long enough to watch Lachesis sashay over the terrace, her eyes bright with excitement. “In hound form, he would have a fighting chance. But this…?” He trailed off, stepping closer to the edge when Bo was thrown across the field by the dragon’s tail.

Dio leaned across him and looked to Atropos. “Bo was correct. Your sister is a vindictive bitch. A desperate one at that.”

Atropos merely nodded, her attention on the woman squealing with delight below them.

*

Bo rolled ontohis stomach, coughing as he fought to regain the breath knocked from him. When a stream of fire shot toward him, he lunged forward out of range, skidding his bloodied arms across the grass and jumping to his feet before the next surge blew past him.

Steadying himself, he braced for the impact of the dragon’s tail as it swung, his eyes locked on the plates protruding from the end.

One more shot.

The hit was clean, catching him across the ribs and carrying him high into the air as his arms locked on for the ride. He grappled for a better hold, wrapping his legs around the scales when his grip faltered, slippery with the rivulets of blood on his skin from his previous failed attempts.

The dragon’s self-preservation kicked in and the waves of fire came to an end, the beast unwilling to set itself aflame in its quest to end him. As the tail snapped through the air, he crept along it and braced himself for the impending jolt when the tail slammed against the earth, kicking dust and grass up in a flurry.

Lachesis’s laughter rang in his ears while he shimmied closer to the dragon’s back, booting his foot against the heads swinging at him with their teeth bared. Pausing to wipe his hand on his destroyed jeans while his ride flew back into the sky, he continued to ascend to the small of the dragon’s back where the snapping teeth could no longer reach.

What the hell was he going to do from here?

The dragon became more agitated as he resumed his climb and flattened himself to the scales, tightening his hold on the bony plates when a flush of fire breezed past him.

Muscles twitching from the strain, he hefted himself higher to the sound of Lachesis’s gleeful squeals.

*

Sage met Nixon’seyes across the room and she scurried back to the table, exhaling slowly when he placed his hand on her bouncing knee.

“What is wrong with you?” he hissed as the caterer disappeared into the kitchen to bring out another selection of samples. “You’re embarrassing me.”

Biting back the snarky response barreling to the forefront of her thoughts, she clasped her hands in her lap and shook her head, suppressing the rising urge to fight back. “Nothing. Just restless.”

Restless and pushing against the invisible restraints clamping down on her chest tighter than ever.

His look harshened before he turned his attention back to the swinging doors. “Well, get it under control. You’re acting like a toddler.” He pushed a stack of papers at her. “These are the colors I’ve put forth for the decorations. Once we have confirmation on the cake style, you’ll need these to coordinate the dresses of the bridesmaids.”

The bridesmaids she’d met in passing at a function the week prior.

Glancing down at the paper, she wrinkled her nose at his increasingly controlling behavior. “Aren’t those your company colors? I don’t even like yellow.”

“Considering my work is funding most of this event, your preference of color is moot, wouldn’t you say?” he retorted, a smile on his face as the caterer emerged. “Now be civil.”

Plastering on her own fake smile, she eased her leg from under his increasingly tight hold and forced herself to listen to the description of each sample, furious with herself for heeling to him but unable to summon the strength to leave.

*

Bo dug hisheel into the lightly scaled neck of the dragon, using the slight give to propel himself higher before swinging his other leg out to land a well-placed kick to the snout of the other head.

The beast reared up, the violent shaking nearly knocking him loose as he reached the top of one head and the other smacked down on him, breaking at least one rib.

He lined up his shot before he released his grip, pain shooting through his lungs. He drew his fist back and lunged, squeezing his eyes and mouth shut when he hit his target, his arms sinking deep through the eye of the beast and into its brain. Grasping what he could, he pulled back, the dying head bucking and twitching as it fell to the ground, bringing him along with it while the other lunged, teeth bared.

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