god this type of dragon didn’t breathe fire. Bellowing its displeasure, the dragon turned on Dane and charged.
Dane ran for all he was worth toward the gatehouse. As he left the castle, he hoped the dragon would fly back over the walls. He grabbed an abandoned sword off the ground. The dragon took flight and came after him over the wall. Roaring its displeasure, the gargantuan female sailed downward toward the drawbridge with incredible speed. Dane knew he had one more chance.
Now or never.
Battle lust surged inside him again, as primitive as the feral desires that pumped inside his ancestors. He growled and hurled the sword with all his strength toward the beast’s vulnerable stomach. Howling with pain, the beast crumpled, weight coming down square on the drawbridge.
Incredibly, the drawbridge held.
The creature started to tumble into the water. As the dragon’s tail sailed by Dane’s head, the force of the wind blew him off the drawbridge into the water.
* * * * *
Ketera heard the horrible commotion outside the castle walls and people yelled in surprise. The woman, who’d almost been crushed underfoot by the dragon, ran toward Ketera and yanked the child from Ketera’s arms. She dashed away without even acknowledging that Ketera had saved the young one. Panting for breath, Ketera didn’t care. Satisfaction and relief at having rescued the tiny girl made everything else fade to the background.
As a tremendous rumbling came from outside the castle, people streamed toward the drawbridge.
Ketera rushed forward, eager to see how Dane fared. Her heart pounded so heatedly in her ears she could barely catch her breath and her hands shook. She muscled through the crowd, beseeching people to let her through.
“He must be dead,” a man whispered as she came to the drawbridge opening.
No.
The dragon floated in the moat, but only for a few moments before it started to sink. Near the massive body, a man swam toward the shoreline, his movements sure and strong. Ketera smiled as she recognized Dane sluicing through the water. Two other Daryk Ones tossed a rope over the edge of the moat and hauled him to the surface. As he crawled up and stood, water cascaded down his face, his hair and over his entire body. A great cheer went up from the crowd as they saluted his bravery and the kill. People chanted his name and pumped their fists in the air.
Ketera wanted to feel revulsion at the violence she’d seen, but when she couldn’t, she realized she felt relief that he’d made it out of the battle alive.
He smiled, his eyes bright with triumph as his friends pounded him on the back. Attraction swirled low inside her at his smile. Instantly the smile faded, and he searched the crowd. She knew, somehow, that he looked for her. She started forward, her legs still shaky. When his gaze caught hers, his nostrils flared. His eyes smoldered a startling red, filled by the pure hunger she gauged in his steady attention. He stalked toward her, steps assured, his powerful body enhanced by the water that dripped over each muscular angle. As his strides brought him close, alarm broke loose inside her. Trapped. She turned, careful not to venture too close to the drawbridge edge. She ran for the jungle.
Idiot. Idiot! She’d waited too long to escape.
She didn’t make it far before his hand clamped on her upper arm and swung her about. She slammed into his chest with a gasp. His arms bracketed around her with a strength that could be crushing but only steadied her. She looked up, way up into his face.
His eyes burned, his lips parted. “Are you hurt?”
She blinked, surprised by his concern and even more startled by those red eyes. Why did his eyes glow like that? “No.” She squirmed. “Let me go!”
He cupped her chin and tilted it upward. “There’s blood.”
“I’m fine.”
“Umph.” His grunt came out rough as his gaze continued to roam her, as probing and searching as a physical touch.
He drew his hands away
Dane ran for all he was worth toward the gatehouse. As he left the castle, he hoped the dragon would fly back over the walls. He grabbed an abandoned sword off the ground. The dragon took flight and came after him over the wall. Roaring its displeasure, the gargantuan female sailed downward toward the drawbridge with incredible speed. Dane knew he had one more chance.
Now or never.
Battle lust surged inside him again, as primitive as the feral desires that pumped inside his ancestors. He growled and hurled the sword with all his strength toward the beast’s vulnerable stomach. Howling with pain, the beast crumpled, weight coming down square on the drawbridge.
Incredibly, the drawbridge held.
The creature started to tumble into the water. As the dragon’s tail sailed by Dane’s head, the force of the wind blew him off the drawbridge into the water.
* * * * *
Ketera heard the horrible commotion outside the castle walls and people yelled in surprise. The woman, who’d almost been crushed underfoot by the dragon, ran toward Ketera and yanked the child from Ketera’s arms. She dashed away without even acknowledging that Ketera had saved the young one. Panting for breath, Ketera didn’t care. Satisfaction and relief at having rescued the tiny girl made everything else fade to the background.
As a tremendous rumbling came from outside the castle, people streamed toward the drawbridge.
Ketera rushed forward, eager to see how Dane fared. Her heart pounded so heatedly in her ears she could barely catch her breath and her hands shook. She muscled through the crowd, beseeching people to let her through.
“He must be dead,” a man whispered as she came to the drawbridge opening.
No.
The dragon floated in the moat, but only for a few moments before it started to sink. Near the massive body, a man swam toward the shoreline, his movements sure and strong. Ketera smiled as she recognized Dane sluicing through the water. Two other Daryk Ones tossed a rope over the edge of the moat and hauled him to the surface. As he crawled up and stood, water cascaded down his face, his hair and over his entire body. A great cheer went up from the crowd as they saluted his bravery and the kill. People chanted his name and pumped their fists in the air.
Ketera wanted to feel revulsion at the violence she’d seen, but when she couldn’t, she realized she felt relief that he’d made it out of the battle alive.
He smiled, his eyes bright with triumph as his friends pounded him on the back. Attraction swirled low inside her at his smile. Instantly the smile faded, and he searched the crowd. She knew, somehow, that he looked for her. She started forward, her legs still shaky. When his gaze caught hers, his nostrils flared. His eyes smoldered a startling red, filled by the pure hunger she gauged in his steady attention. He stalked toward her, steps assured, his powerful body enhanced by the water that dripped over each muscular angle. As his strides brought him close, alarm broke loose inside her. Trapped. She turned, careful not to venture too close to the drawbridge edge. She ran for the jungle.
Idiot. Idiot! She’d waited too long to escape.
She didn’t make it far before his hand clamped on her upper arm and swung her about. She slammed into his chest with a gasp. His arms bracketed around her with a strength that could be crushing but only steadied her. She looked up, way up into his face.
His eyes burned, his lips parted. “Are you hurt?”
She blinked, surprised by his concern and even more startled by those red eyes. Why did his eyes glow like that? “No.” She squirmed. “Let me go!”
He cupped her chin and tilted it upward. “There’s blood.”
“I’m fine.”
“Umph.” His grunt came out rough as his gaze continued to roam her, as probing and searching as a physical touch.
He drew his hands away
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