Page 52 of Flame it Up

Richard roared as he released his flame. The blaze crept up on him, the golden light racing him as it sped along the walls. Mazie jumped out from behind the crates and ran toward him. Pyrus increased his speed, desperate to reach her.

Just as the first waves of fire caught his tail, Pyrus reached Mazie. He dropped down on her, covering her with his body and wrapping his wings around her. The firestorm passed over them both, barely singeing Pyrus’s scales. As the fire died down, Pyrus let Mazie up, and the sight of her soot-smudged cheeks was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

He only looked into her eyes for a few seconds before he turned to charge Richard. Even though the other dragon was coming at him with force and purpose, Pyrus knew the spurt of flame had taken it out of him. This time when they clashed, Richard had no strength left.

Pyrus ripped his throat out in one swift move. He watched his old friend fall to the floor, blood spraying out around him in a massive pool. Nothing but relief filled him now that the threat of Richard was finally gone from his life.

Pyrus shifted, running to Mazie, where she sat on the floor. He threw his arms around her, patting her all over as he frantically looked for injuries. Mazie looked shocked, her eyes wide and her face a frightening shade of chalk white.

“Mazie,” Pyrus cried, stroking her cheek. “Are you okay? Please, say something.”

“I’m okay,” she whispered, tears shining in her eyes. Pyrus wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, letting the throb of her heart soothe him.

“I love you,” he whispered against her ear. “I’ve tried to be patient. I’ve tried not to push you. I wanted to give you space to leave if that’s what you want. But I can’t pretend anymore.”

Pyrus pulled back, cupping her jaw as he looked into her eyes.

“I love you,” he said. “And I always will. I will wait for mountains to crumble into dust if that’s what it takes. I’ll wait till the end of the world … until every river runs dry. Every moment for the rest of my life, I will be waiting for you, waiting for you to stay with me and be mine.”

Pyrus held her shoulders gently, keeping his eyes on hers. His heart and soul now rested in her hands, and his fate would be decided by her answer.

NINETEEN

MAZIE

Mazie knew she was in shock. It had been bad enough to be thrown into a van and driven away by Richard and his toughs, then lugged into the basement like a sack of garbage. Seeing an all-out shifter fight, as well as almost being incinerated on top of that, had left her in a state of numb, horrified panic.

As Pyrus’s arms went around her, Mazie knew she was safe. No matter how bad things were, he would always come for her and protect her from harm.

Mazie finally understood what it meant to have a home, and that home was Pyrus.

She looked into his wide, worried eyes. There was so much fear and relief in his voice that it struck her to the bone, a chord of pure harmony in a cacophony of chaos. She could see how vulnerable he was, how afraid he’d been to show her his heart.

Now it was exposed, and he couldn’t shield it from her, even if he wanted to. Mazie broke through the haze of emotion, putting a hand on his cheek. The warmth of him was so very real that tears sprang to her eyes.

“You don’t have to wait that long, Pyrus,” she said softly. “I’m right here, and I love you, and I’m never leaving you.”

The vulnerability that showed on his face almost undid her completely. Pyrus’s eyes widened, and his lips trembled as he leaned in to kiss her. Mazie turned her mouth up, closing her eyes as she fell into his embrace. His strong arms went around her, and for a few moments, the entire world disappeared under the force of his kiss.

When he pulled back, he held her face gently in both hands. His eyes darted across hers as if he were trying to burn the moment into his memory. Mazie laughed softly, then leaned in to kiss him again.

They stayed there for a few moments, tangled together on the concrete floor. They shared deep, brief kisses and muttered nonsense to each other, the words all lovers expressed when they were overcome by emotions that could not be defined.

Before long, though, Mazie’s butt started to go numb from the cold hard concrete, and she shifted uncomfortably against the floor.

“So, are we getting out of here?” she asked.

“Yes, we damn well are,” Pyrus said, putting his arms around her and standing while holding her as if she weighed nothing at all. Mazie curled against him, loving the feel of his strong chest against her cheek.

“What about the dead dragon?” she muttered.

Pyrus shrugged. “It’s not the first shifter incident to ever go bad. The mob won’t want any ties to Richard, and they’ll be fucking terrified of me. I think they’ll clean it up just to prove they weren’t connected to this shit show.”

Pyrus turned and walked determinedly to the stairs. Mazie cleared her throat. “Ah, Pyrus?”

“Yes, my love?”

“Do you need the ten mil?”

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