are women, and we are stronger than you will ever know.”
I suck in a breath, pride at my mate filling me.
“Kelly, it’s your life, I will set you free. But you need to be strong enough to take it, can you?” she finishes, and I hold my breath with her. Her speech makes me want to kill all men. Everyone who ever told her to be quiet, who hurt and used her. Who made her afraid.
Maybe this is why I am here.
To help her, because my mate is a fighter. A fighter for everyone who has ever been wronged. She will set it right. She sees the pain and the underdog and understands them, feels for them. Protects them.
Because she was one.
We are just along for the ride.
“I-I want to be free, I want to live,” Kelly whispers, then her voice gets stronger. “I want to live!” she yells and then laughs, it sounds choked though. “Even if this baby is a monster, it’s mine. But first, how do we get out?”
“Hold on.” Dawn goes quiet then sighs. “My friend is coming, he can get you out, okay? I need you to trust me, he is a man, a bit surly, but I promise you he will never hurt you. He won’t even touch you, Kelly. Can you do that? You are your own hero here.”
“I can, I can do this,” she repeats, and then I hear them shuffling. Dawn appears in the door and I just stare at her.
I am beyond lost for words. I do not know how I got so lucky as to be a mate to such an amazing, strong, confident, and smart woman, but I will pray that I am enough to stay by her side. Because I want to be, I want to see where this world takes her, because for someone so strong, so fate touched, things are going to happen.
She must hear my thoughts, a side effect of her understanding the bonds she has weaved I would guess, because a smile covers her face. “You will always be by my side. Griffin is coming, but then he has to get back to work. We better go before he arrives and tries to kill you. I need to get to my minotaur.”
“He could try.” I shrug and she grins.
“You’re hot when you’re cocky.” She looks at the wolf then. “Stay and protect her? You can find me again, right?”
The wolf whines but nods and sits, looking at the woman whose hand is on her curved belly as she watches the wolf in confusion. Dawn turns to her and takes her hand. “Good luck. If you need anything, find a woman called Victoria, or Victor.” She reels off an address and the woman mumbles it back before tears fill her eyes.
“Stupid hormones, thank you,” she tells Dawn and takes her hand. “Thank you so much.”
“Give them hell.” Dawn winks and then takes my hand and leads us away. I glance back to see the woman staring after Dawn with a wondrous look in her eyes. Glancing down at my mate, I smile. She has that effect on people, she drives them to want to be more, to never give up even in the darkest of times. Because she is right there with you.
As are we. The monsters gathered behind her in the dark—horns, fangs, and wings hers to command. We will raze this world and rebuild it in her image. She doesn’t even realise it as she walks along next to me, but she is starting something here. Something that will change the world, that will change the fate of our people.
All because of one skinwalker.
Exiting the dragon’s car, I take in a deep breath of fresh air. It has been so long since I have been free, and now I have the world at my feet. I will find the woman who called to me, I will chain her by my side, and we will walk through this world together, my fire trailing in my wake. Chaos, war, and death blooming under my hooves.
She will want for nothing, she will be my very own pet.
Unlike the prideful dragon still arguing on the phone, I know the truth. Love isn’t real, it’s what humans and supernaturals tell each other to try and make sense in this world, to find someone to ride it out with. So when the darkness gets to be too much, they have something, someone to turn to. True love, mates,