Page 91 of Payne's Envy

“Wondering when the next batch of dragons will be sent out?”

Nadine stepped to the side, and I mirrored her movement.

“You realize they’ll always come,” she said. “They will never stop.”

I knew,but we didn’t know how to give up.

“Your mate is extremely powerful.”

I glared as she spoke. Why bring up Payne?

“It took Harvest so many tries, but he couldn’t perfect your dragon’s skin. His ability to withstand any amount of damage mesmerized Harvest. He doesn’t stop when he wants something. I admire that about him, and it’s why I’ll always choose to follow him.”

“Your point?” I asked.

“He won’t stop until he finds the missing puzzle piece.”

Nadine must be talking about the dragons my brothers and I struggled with. Harvest perfected their scales. None of our weapons could break through their flesh. That wasn’t the case for Payne. One lay in pieces near us, and it had to be Payne’s doing. I refused to believe anything else. I guessed Payne was fighting the other.

“I’m afraid you’re wrong. We’re disposing of them right now.” I would never allow her to know we couldn’t penetrate their scales with our weapons.

She cackled, and the sound made the hairs on my arms stand on end. “Oh, no. You’re wrong. I’m not talking about those dragons.”

Nadine ripped off her mask, and it was the first time I saw her face. She was a beautiful blonde with brown eyes. Those eyes changed. A flicker within them that caused me to grip my weapon tighter. The diamond-like shape of an ember burned bright as she grinned.

“I don’t know who I should be more thankful for,” she began as she yanked at her cloak. “Harvest or your lovely Payne for making me sostrong.”

Chapter Forty-Three

Joy

I rushed Nadine as she transformed into a massive dragon. Her dragon form was bigger than me. She might be as huge as Payne. And she had wings, unlike me, andflames. I didn’t like that she had two traits of a Deathraka I didn’t.

I jumped, raised my blade, and rammed it into the top of her head. My blade rattled in my hold and slid right down her scales. Just like with the other two dragons, I’d tried to attack before her.

My arms shook, and I gritted my teeth. I didn’t know why my dragon form took a different shape than Payne’s. Harvest stole from me and created something so close to Payne that seeing Nadine as a dragon rattled me to the core. I didn’t like Nadine being so like him. I didn’t like her being a Deathraka.

The heat inside me, the ever constant need was rising, and I wasn’t sure why.

She’s a threat.

“You can’t hurt me.”There was a purr in her voice before she laughed.

Her words rang in my head, and I wished to claw the sound from my brain.

I faded, then re-faded, swinging my blade at her neck even though I knew it would bounce off. As soon as she lifted her hand to swipe, I faded again and moved into the trees above her.

“I sense you. Hades, I can smell you. Your stench. Like a bitch in heat.”She raised her head to look up. “Incredible. Is this how you and your family always feel? To feel safe in your own skin because you’re immortal? Look at what your mate has done for me!”

“Payne didn’t give you anything,” I shouted. "You stole it, and will pay the price for it.”

“Come and try.” She beckoned. “Or better yet, I’ll come for you.”

She ran, and her giant footballs shook the ground. Jumping, she dove for me. Fading to a tree above her, I threw myself atop her back and swung my sword. The blade bounced off her scales and her evil laugh filled my head. I felt my temples throb as my anger spiked. When she threw her body against the tree beside us, my feet slipped, so I faded onto the branch opposite of her.

My chest rose and fell. Anger and lust raged within me. A part of me needed to end Nadine. She couldn’t exist. Not when she was so much like my mate. Lust was swimming around in my stomach, making my skin heat even as I fought her. I need Payne more than ever. My clit throbbed and my pussy tingled so intensely, I bent over and panted. The appearance of the female was triggering something primal in me. If I didn’t want to kill her so badly, I would have hunted down my mate instead.

Finally screwing Payne would have to come after.

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