Page 38 of Payne's Envy

“No,”I said.

He might be bigger and stronger, but I was longer and more lithe. I wrapped around him like a snake. I tightened, squeezed until his hold on my shoulders loosened, and he pulled back slightly. Then, I released him from my hold and kicked him.

As he growled and stumbled, I did what I should have done to begin with. I faded. The in-between looked the same, even with my new vision. Everything was black, but as I left, sparks of light burst around me. All I saw was orange colors. But I swore right before the bridge closed to the in-between I saw a flash of bright red. The dragon. But that would be impossible unless...

I landed in Grim’s woods. The colors—oranges, grays, and blacks—were no longer out of a fairy tale book. The hotter something was, like the dragons flying above me, the more they seemed red, like Deathraka. If I focused too long on a tree, my vision zoomed in on it, and I could even see the ants crawling.

I was still a dragon, but at least I got away. My family would surely recognize—

An intense wave of desire crashed over me. The ground vibrated beneath my feet when the dragon landed. I stiffened, then slowly turned. How? No one could fade like our families besides the marked mates of my siblings.

The reality of the dragon being my marked mate became more apparent.No.

“Where did you learn to do that?”I screamed. “I refuse! You hear me? You are not mine.”

Deathraka must have grabbed onto me as I faded. That was it. Even if he was my mate, he shouldn’t know how to fade.

“You are very much mine. And I am yours. The pull at your chest, you feel it, don’t you? It’s what guides me to you. To protect, conquer, and claim.” His claws dug into the soil beneath us as he crouched forward and prepared to chase.

I bolted around a tree but climbed the next. It was easy. My claws dug into the bark, and I was so long, I wrapped myself as I ascended at a speed that became easier since I was becoming used to my newfound form.

I tightened my grip when I heard the flapping of wings. The massive dragon placed his legs and arms around my body, caging me in the leaves. The tree swayed under his weight. He growled in my ear as he pressed into me. I panted as lust swirled in my lower half. I let go of the tree and wrapped myself around him instead.

He purred and asked,“You give in, mate?”

Was that what he thought?

A delightful shiver ran down my spine when I continued to wrap around him until I saw nothing more than his head. I twisted my tail around his neck and squeezed.

His slitted eyes dilated as realization dawned. With a roar, he bit right below my face where my neck might have been if I wasn’t so snake-like. I squawked as pain turned into pleasure. There was a weird tingling in my lower half. Even stranger, I sensed muscles down there moving,pulsating, as the dragon bucked against my restraint. It felt good, wrong, and every new instinct within me begged to open myself to him. I whimpered as the delicious ache throbbed at my slit… My slit? Yes, that pleasurable spot continued to undulate so intensely that my scales parted. Hades. I didn’t want those reactions, but even the ache of it wassogood.

No.I shook my face. I couldn’t take the dragon into my body, even if it wasn’t my body I recognized.

I didn’t relent. I squeezed his neck until his hold on the tree slackened. If he didn’t drop us soon, he’d suffocate. I refused to mate with him!

We toppled over and descended. The fall wasn’t far, but painful. A huge bolder bit into my scales, and I cried out. Deathraka’s hands were at my tail, unwinding me from his neck despite how hard I tried not to release.

He stopped, his claws dragging down my body instead. Alarm shook as he pressed beneath the top edge of my tail—a part of me he shouldn’t have. A zing of lust shot through me, and I screeched.He dared touch my lady bits?I scrambled to get away, which was just what he wanted. Once I loosened my grip, he grabbed me and twisted my body around. Realization hit and I bit into his neck. He groaned in my thoughts.

Our bodies finally aligned correctly.

I jerked when something hard and foreign slapped against my body. That was definitely not another leg or his tail!

“Don’t you dare!”I warned.

Deathraka bit into my neck as I clawed at his chest.

“Payne!” Dad’s voice boomed. “Release her.”

With Deathraka focusing on Dad, I kicked my legs out and pushed him away.

I hurried toward Dad, searching for Payne as I did. Where was he? Then I remembered the biggest part of all.Release her.Did my dad recognize me? Was my essence still present around me? I couldn’t tell with those eyes. But why did he say Payne’s name?

My insides twisted as Fear called out, “Son!”

I whipped my head around. He looked at Deathraka as he spoke.Why?Why did they get it wrong like I did?

“Him again?”Deathraka growled before roaring.

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