Page 62 of Payne's Envy

All Payne’s life, he had been told it was wrong to feel the way he did for Joy. They treated him like he would have done something horrific as a child. It was laughable when the only instinct he had was to protect his mate—protect them both so they’d reach adulthood together.

I knew the truth in my blood because I was Payne. That boy was me and the man he became. Whatever he did, I didn’t care anymore. There was no reason to treat myself as the villain any longer. I wantedallmy memories. I needed to know what caused the rift between my mate and me. Was it my mom? Her brothers? Her father? Everyone?

Anger stretched, and it felt like a chasm sucking me in. From the memory alone, I knew I had much love for my mom. As I glared at her, though, all I had was disdain. She forced me to hide myself because she feared my affection for Joy.

“I know you’re my mother, but I have no desire to see you now,” I said as I transformed into my dragon form. If the witch Melinda spoke the truth, then the name that came to me was what I was. Deathraka.

Joy stepped back, and Mom’s eyes watered.

“Payne…” Joy murmured.

“You don’t want me to say anything to hurt her, so we must go,”I thought, knowing my mate would hear me.

With a nod, she glanced at Mom and waved goodbye.

“Payne!” my mom called out. I saw the hurt glistening in her eyes. “You deserve to remember. You’ve worked hard to be where you are standing now. No one knows that more than you.”

She was right. Despite the unease of what I might uncover, my struggles brought me to that moment. It seemed I’d been fighting to love Joy my whole life.

Holding my palm up, Joy stepped into it. Tucking my wings in, I lifted her to my side so she could climb atop my back. Then we took flight.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Joy

Payne was quiet during our flight to the castle. It felt natural to ride on his back. He soared so high. A pleasant purr had erupted from him when I stretched my arms out and let the wind slap against me.

For a moment, everything seemed okay. For a tiny second on his back, high in the sky, everything seemed so insignificant. Reality revealed itself as we descended. The dead dragons littered the woods, especially all around the castle.

My brothers lifted the creatures using their power. Blue, red, and yellow essences carried the bodies and tossed them on the burning pile of corpses.

“Harvest will attack again,” I said as Payne’s enormous feet hit the pavement. His muscles rippled beneath my fingertips.

“Harvest is the one that held you captive, right?”Payne turned his giant head around.

I jumped off, and his gaze followed me. “I’m so stuck on me and you. I forgot you’ve lost all your memories, including Harvest’s plan.”

In a blink, Payne shrank until he was a man. A very naked, veryerectmale.I stared at the orange veins covering his cock, setting off my arousal again. My nipples pebbled against my bra, and that tingle built at my clit. Payne inhaled sharply, and his dick bobbed.

“For Hade’s sake, you can’t stay like that forever,” I said and pointed at his crotch.

He smirked. “I’ve waited a long time to have you, mate. Smelling your desire only makes it worse. My cock will stay hard, more than soft in your presence. I won’t claim you until you’re ready, though.”

I huffed as my skin tingled. “That is not the point.”

I materialized a dark t-shirt and jeans on him. My pussy still throbbed, though, so I fanned myself as if that would help.

Payne sighed and adjusted his erection in his pants. “Tell me about this Harvest, so I can hunt him. It will please me to destroy your enemy.”

“It’s not that simple.” Sebastian faded in, and Payne scowled.

“I thought you were burning the dragons I’d slain?” Payne asked.

Barron scoffed as he and Gwendolyn walked down the steps, hand in hand. “Listen to him, thinking he took care of them all.”

“I saw you slaughter them. Don’t worry.” Gwendolyn patted his chest.

“And I didn’t even get mad to do it,” Barron said, making Sebastian smirk. “See how good you’ve made me? I still want to kill my brothers, though, but that has nothing to do with my wrath.”

---