In a Dragon’s Dream by Riley Storm Page 0,68

Cado!” Cratom shouted, cutting off anything Brun was going to say. “They do as I command.”

“It doesn’t look like they’re ready to,” Warren observed.

“Yes, well, they will, if they know what’s good for them,” Cratom said ominously. “They know the real power here.”

Many of the Cado shifted uncomfortably at that. Rakell frowned. They hadn’t been acting afraid until then. What changed?

“When we’re done here, they will all want to stay anyway,” Anzer said.

Rakell was laser focused on him again. Of all the others, Anzer had been the one who seemed most in line with Cratom the entire way. The two were in lockstep, the purest of evils.

“Nobody wants to stay and die,” Rakell spat.

“No, but they will want to stay and party. After today, the women of Five Peaks will be wide open for business,” Anzer said. “Especially your little real-estate bitch.”

Rakell’s fireball took Anzer square in the face.

The room dissolved into chaos as both sides flung attacks at one another and closed in a rush, coming to blows. Rakell was cut off by a headstrong fire dragon as he charged at Anzer, but he barely noticed. A scaled fist took the pre-emptive Cado in the face and leveled him, the strike powered by sheer fury.

Rakell rolled onward, his dragon all but ignoring the massive brawl raging all around him as he headed straight for Anzer. The Cado third-in-command grinned and beckoned him on with blue eyes that glittered with flame.

Launching a fireball square at Anzer’s feet, Rakell forced the other shifter to move aside, then he launched another one at his new spot. The constant attacks kept Anzer off balance while Rakell closed. He stayed on the offensive, delivering a series of punches that had the Cado shifter ducking and dodging wildly to avoid being hit.

There was a tremendous crash from somewhere in the room. Rakell looked up to see a huge chunk of the rear wall come crashing in. He received a right hook to the face courtesy of Anzer.

Blasted wall, he thought to himself as the floor came up hard to greet him. The expected follow-up blows never materialized however, and when Rakell looked up, he saw that it was because the Cado were in full-fledged retreat. Several had already fallen victim to the clan dragons, but most were in the process of making a getaway, including the trio of leaders.

Not today.

Surging to his feet Rakell went after his target. Anzer looked over his shoulder on hearing the mighty growl that erupted from Rakell’s throat and filled the underground chamber. Terror entered his eyes at the sight of the Five Peaks shifter coming after him.

Rakell was beyond all reasoning at this point. He was a berserk, with only one focus. One priority.

Kill anyone that presented a threat to Laura.

He landed on Anzer’s back, the two of them tumbling to the ground. Rakell’s head smashed off a chunk of wall. Faintly he felt blood pour down his face, but he felt no pain. Anzer rolled, trying to dislodge Rakell, but he hung on. The entire time he was working to snake an arm around Anzer’s neck.

“She’s mine,” he snarled, using his other hand to yank Anzer’s head back violently.

His powerful arm lodged deep in Anzer’s neck and Rakell squeezed, the muscles of his bicep cutting off blood and airflow to his enemy. Anzer reached behind him and started landing hammer blows to Rakell’s sides. He bruised ribs, perhaps even broke a pair, but Rakell didn’t relent. He squeezed down harder, and harder.

Anzer’s blows grew weaker.

“Nobody touches my mate,” Rakell hissed as they sank back to the ground.

With a fiery yell he wrenched his arm around hard. Anzer’s neck snapped, and the Cado went limp in Rakell’s arms. He dropped the useless corpse and jumped to his feet, looking for others, full battle lust overtaking him at that point.

But it was over.

“It’s okay,” Warren said, standing calmly in front of him, frost dissipating as the head of Clan Valen let his powers fade. “It’s done.”

Rakell stood still, chest heaving from exertion. He could feel the steady drip-drip-drip of blood falling from his chin onto his chest. Others were looking at him with closed glances, but he ignored them. The floor rumbled under him. The shifters looked around in concern.

A second later the roof started to fall in on them.

“Everyone out!” Warren bellowed.

The shifters scattered, half going out the same way the Cado had, the others making a break for the way they’d come in. Chunks of ceiling plunged downward.