Page 8 of Flame it Up

He then roared in the man’s face, drool mixed with a tiny wildfire that lit his eyebrows ablaze.

The man instantly let go of the woman, squealing like a pig, who took the opportunity to fling her elbow and slam it into his testicles. The man leaned forward in agony, using the other hand to wipe at the destruction of his brows.

The woman pushed the man over, who immediately curled into a pathetic fetal position. That was all these types of men really were. Sad little children looking for attention.

“Fuck you, you piece of shit!” the woman yelled.

Pyrus snarled in agreement, which caused the woman to gaze up at him.

Her eyes swam with apprehension, which made Pyrus a little sad. He took a step back, bowing his head in submission.

“I … I guess you’re here for the party?” the woman asked.

Pyrus nodded, his massive head causing a gust of wind within the small space.

He wanted to shift back, to talk to her and comfort her, but he needed to make sure the other corps members were okay first. So he moved his head around the woman, lightly grazing her hips, and took the man by his pants with his teeth.

He saw the woman cover her mouth, shielding a tiny smile of glee. That made something beyond the fire of his dragon nature glow in his stomach.

Pyrus made sure the influencers had all left the venue, lining them up along the curb like a police raid. It was only then that Gerri had arrived, along with the local authorities she had called along the way.

Pyrus stayed apart from the woman intentionally. He was feeling nervous, which was something he wasn’t used to. He maintained his dragon form until the men were taken away, and the venue was cleaned up by the other corps workers who had arrived later.

She was standing along the edge of the tent with her hands crossed, her brow furrowed as she watched the men being taken away. Pyrus felt a little creepy, standing there by the car watching a woman he had just met. But she was just so fucking beautiful, he couldn’t keep his eyes away from her.

She wore jeans and a loose T-shirt, her dark brown hair tied up into a bun. Her breathing was rapid, which caused her generous breasts to rise and fall hypnotically. Her jeans hugged her waist and hips in all the right, tasty places. Pyrus began to fantasize about comforting her, using his fingers to trace the outline of her body until she couldn’t take it anymore.

He had been physically drawn to women before, of course, but this woman was like a fucking magnet. Already, he would crawl on his hands and knees for her and give her the pleasure she had never experienced in her entire lifetime.

It was odd, arousing, and a bit disturbing. He wondered if that was what it felt like to find your mate … out of this world and slightly upsetting.

He had heard from his dragon ancestors about love and finding your mate being like some kind of madness. He had scoffed at it, thinking it was for someone else, for romance novels, even for humans.

But when she gazed at him with a curious look, and one side of his face grew into a smile, Pyrus knew the woman was going to either define him or destroy him.

FOUR

MAZIE

The smoke and sparks were still clearing, the heat and light giving way to a pleasant, charcoal smell like a campfire on a quiet fall night.

Mazie waved her hand in front of her face, trying to clear the air. Everything had happened so fast. She still wasn’t sure she’d seen everything properly. She was being menaced by one of those noisy influencer guys when she was rescued by … a dragon.

A dragon?

A cool breeze stirred the air, making the curls of smoke drift around her face. Shafts of late sunlight split the hazy cloud, and a solid, huge dark shape was revealed.

Mazie stepped forward to get a better look at the dragon when he suddenly shrank. The massive wings folded and disappeared. His giant, dark form dissipated toward the ground in a flow of dark specks too fast for her eyes to follow.

Mazie blinked, and standing in front of her was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen.

Naked. Most gorgeous naked man I’ve ever seen. And he’s NAKED!

There didn’t seem to be an accepted socially contrived response to this situation. Still, Mazie was pretty sure it wasn’t correct etiquette to just stare at him. She couldn’t help herself, though.

A few stray strands of light wove through the curling smoke clouds, illuminating the man’s strong, broad chest. His shoulders were huge, and his arms thick with sculpted, defined muscle. Mazie’s eyes were drawn down his washboard abs, and she couldn’t help a long pause when she laid eyes on his lower attributes.

He cleared his throat lightly, and Mazie almost jumped. He didn’t seem embarrassed at all …why would he be?… and he was standing relaxed with his feet set apart and his hands on his hips.

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