Page 53 of Payne's Envy

“You don’t understand. These dragons aren’t like me.They smell foul.”

"Where are you? Most likely, Harvest created these dragons with my blood. They’re like you.”

My head snapped around at a menacing squawk. Even with my precise vision, all I saw were trees upon trees. Above me came two more distinct roars. One sounded victorious. The other sounded surprised. Something fell through the clouds.

I moved my tail right before a dragon’s head smacked against the tower. As it descended, the beast hit every corner of the castle. Black blood oozed in a trail down the sides.

When Deathraka swooped down, I nearly fell. The shingles cracked under his feet. I feared the tower would collapse from his weight when he leaned over me, breathing his dragon fumes against my snout. Flames were taking over his form.

“These creatures are pathetic and can’t be compared to my form, but that’s not what angers me.”

“What angers you, then?” I asked as I rolled my eyes.

“You are in heat,” he said.

It didn’t bother me so badly when I used the term, then Deathraka pointed out my dilemma. I truly realized I wasinheat… Well, that made it terrible.

“Ugh. That makes me sound like a dog. Can we call it something else?”

“The other dragons can smell you, and they’ll try to claim you.”

I cocked my head. “We are mates, so why would they attempt it?”

“That doesn’t matter. I haven’t claimed you yet.”

I’d saw my snake mark on Deathraka. We went beyond what was commonly thought of as mates.

He roared. His flames grew around him as if they were his anger in a form. The rotted-skinned dragon rumbled back as its wings stretched out, spreading the claws on its feet and hands. Deathraka jumped.

I heard the flapping of its wings too late. I pitched forward as a dragon rammed into my back. The breath whooshed out of me when my belly smacked the tower. I clawed at the shingles to find purchase, but my attacker loomed over me. When his breath fanned the side of my face, my stomach churned.Oh, it stank so bad!

Then the decaying beast bit me. There was a thunderous roar that had me wailing in response. The dragon’s teeth were torn from my scales as its weight left my back. I stood as Deathraka’s mouth opened wide. He bit the creature’s neck completely off. Bones crunched and blooded squirted everywhere, basking Deathraka in the stench. Deathraka didn’t stop there. With the meaty chunks of its neck still in his mouth, Deathraka whipped the creature’s head back and forth as he shook his head. The creature’s body toppled over and Deathraka attacked it again too, stomping his legs into its body was of mush.

Deathraka’s aggression made my skin tingle. Was he reacting in such a violet way because the creature attacked me?

“Where’s the other one?”I asked.

Deathraka must not have heard. With alarming quickness, Deathraka pinned me down. When he bit into my neck, pain slammed into me, and I growled. I wrapped my body around his massive one, squeezing and pushing at him. Anything to get away from the hurt he inflicted until the raging sting became liquid fire rushing into my bloodstream. Lust swept through me, and my cries turned to whining.

“Payne!” Mom shouted. “You’re going to hurt her.”

I didn’t know where she was. Nor did I care to know, but I was getting so tired of my parents catching me in such a state. Deathraka pulled his canines out of my neck, and his tongue swiped over the wound. I shuddered. He nuzzled me, a pleasant purr erupting from his chest.

“Mine,”he said.

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the fog clouding my mind. It didn’t help. So, I got angry, especially at Deathraka for causing the arousal. I was exhausted, never getting relief.

“Are the dragons gone?”I asked.

His head cocked. “Your brothers are killing the last one this very second.”

I froze. “You remember my brothers?”

I hated the hope that soared through me.

Steam escaped his snout. “I am not Payne. I will never hide around a corner and let you think I don’t care for you, no matter the hurt in my heart!”

What? Hide?

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