Page 29 of Mates for the Rejected Wolf

I see some familiar wolves behind the building and soar a little higher to get a better look. I immediately recognize Jace, and it looks like he’s in a fight to the death.

Griffin flies up next to me, possibly sensing, like me, that one of our own is in trouble. As much as he’s worried about everything going horribly wrong, he wants to protect our little tribe as well. Our little family. Not the sort of family any of us expected to be in, but one none the less.

The moment Griffin spots what I see, he lowers himself, forgetting about his need to remain high in the sky. I don’t knowwhatthe hell he’s doing, but he’s alerting the Nightshade Hunters to our presence here.

He shoots me a look, one I completely understand. My panic subsides and I feel calm wash over me. I recall one night after a few drinks when we discussed what we would do if everything ever went really wrong. Griffin let me know what he believed I had to do to keep the Andredes bloodline going. Jace, Slane, and Fern are in danger. Which means he is going to save who he can, while I wait for the right moment to put an end to this fight once and for all.

It makes me sick to fly the opposite way, away from to the people who have become my family, and leave Griffin in a very vulnerable position. It’s scary to know that shit has gotten worse than any of us prepared for, even me when I sensed something was wrong. I could lose everything here, but it has to be done.

Thankfully, the gunshots follow me. These idiots are more interested in killing the dragon than anything else. Maybe to show off to other dragons around the world because they finally got rid of me when they couldn’t, or maybe they don’t even know who I am and they just want some dragon killing glory…either way they are easy to manipulate.

I get hit on the edge of my wing, but it’s the one that got injured before. The one that might not be fully recovered yet. but If I get hit again, I’m going to have to act fast.

Come on, Griffin,I think desperately.Give me the signal. Let me know you’re alright. Unless you save everyone, I can’t do this.

“Get it!”someone screams, the determination in their tone chilling me to the core. “Don’t let it get away again.”

There’s so much gunfire that I can’t even fly away safely. I could out run these idiots with their guns in a heartbeat, but I’m waiting for the signal. Until I get that I’m going to have to keep soaring in the air around these men and hoping that none of the bullets rip through me properly before I can help.

I see a small fire and wonder if it’s Griffin’s signal. I’m just not sure. It could just be something the Nightshade Hunters are doing, I don’t know. But there are more of them now and they are all shooting at me. I’m growing tired, and the nip in my wing really fucking hurts. My head is starting to get foggy because this is all so overwhelming.

This is what it must have been like to be in the war, when my family was first dethroned. I don’t know if any of my family members deserved to feel like this, even if they were tyrants. I only know that it must have been horrible. If it wasn’t for Destiny, the dragon who stole me from my crib and brought me to the cave in Iron Mountain, I would have been killed in all of that. If she hadn’t gone back for some other children later on, to only be able to save Griffin, I don’t know what my life would have become.

I think of her now, missing her, as stare at the fire in the midst of all the chaos. I don’t know if it’s because I’m thinking of her and imagining her, or if she really passes me on a message from beyond the grave, but I swear I hear her whispering to me,“Now, do it now, burn it all to the ground. End this while you can.”

As soon as I feel those words burning into my ears, I find the inner strength I thought I might have lost. I decide to take the fire as Griffin’s sign and suck in all the air I can before shooting a stream of fire from my mouth. Maybe the flames aren’t as powerful as I would like since I am still hurt, but it’s something I have to do.

I hear screams of pain coming from the mob who wanted me dead only moments before. The Nightshade Hunters need to pay for what they have done to my loved ones and my town. I will be the one to put an end to this.

My dragon fire burning the warehouse might be the thing that alerts all other dragons to my presence. This might be the thing that kills me, but the woman who saved me told me that this was the right thing to do. I trusted her with my life when she was alive, so if this is her telling me that it’s finally time to die, then I will trust her with my death.

18

GRIFFIN

The shrill sound of sirens cuts through the air as firetrucks and ambulances race to get to the burning warehouse before the fire spreads and causes more damage. While I’m the one who signaled for this fire to start, I’m happy for it to be put out now as well.

This building has been responsible for so much death. I don’t want it to be responsible for more. Some of the Nightshade Hunters perished in the flames, but I know some were able to run away. The battle has been won, but I’m not too convinced about the war.

“We need to get Jace out of here,” Fern screams in panic. “He’s really hurt. Slane isn’t doing so good either. That fight was really fucked up. Digby is such an asshole.”

“I know, I know. But I need to find Roddrur. I don’t know what happened to him. I lost sight of him in the flames.”

“Do you think he flew home after everything that happened?” she asks, desperation in her voice. “I’m sure he wouldn’t want to stick around…”

“No. His wing…it didn’t look good. I don’t know if he was hit again or if it’s still hurting from when he was hit before. I’m worried he fell.” I amnotleaving until I know that Roddrur isn’t here. Even if it kills me, I have to know that he is safe. If he is still here, I won’t let anything get in the way of me rescuing him.

“Go back,” I tell Fern sternly. I don’t want anything to happen to Fern or the wolves. I need to send them away so I can keep them safe too. “Go back to Jace’s. Try to heal him, try to help him. See if you can do anything for Slane as well. Can you do that?” Slane is hurt, but not badly. I’m sure he can help Fern get Jace back home. I just hope she will be alright.

“If he’s there, I will contact you,” Fern whispers, then kisses me lightly on the lips.

I swallow hard, hating that I have had to say goodbye. I rest my forehead against Fern’s, trying to convey exactly how I feel before we part. She heads off into the woods with the wolves, keeping as far away from the main road as possible, and I head right into the flames.

I can feel the fire on my skin, but it doesn’t burn me. I need to Roddrur. I don’t just protect him because he’s got royal blood or because Destiny asked me to before she passed away. I do so because I adore Roddrur. He’s my best friend. The fact that we now share a bond with Fern has only deepened our friendship. I need him in my life, and I’m sure he needs me in his as well.

“Roddrur?” I cry out through the roaring flames. “Roddrur, are you here?”

I hate trampling through death, this whole scene is unbearable, so I don’t spend too much time looking at the ones who have been burned. I know from the wolf smell that they aren’t Roddrur. I can’t sense him here, though, and that makes me very anxious.

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