Dragon's Fake Wedding Date - Riley Storm Page 0,61

in an arc.

Flames raced out in every direction, and the two male vampires recoiled with hisses that filled the night and sent shivers down his spine. There was no way he could let them go. People would be hurt.

Gayle could be hurt.

Rann had to take them all out. Here and now. He’d originally hoped to drive them off and track them back to their lair, but now his plans had to change. A public fight wasn’t ideal, but what choice did he have?

He went after the preacher. If he could put the other young vampire out of the fight early on, he could focus on the Hunter. One on one, the vampire wouldn’t stand a chance.

The fourth vampire came out of nowhere, and Rann’s world spun. He went down. Hard. Blood poured down the side of his face. Anger propelled him back to his feet, and he met the oncoming attacker with a fiery hug.

Skin bubbled and blistered and the vampire’s clothing went up in flames. It shrieked and howled, clawing at him frantically in an attempt to get away. Rann held on, but the creature managed to wiggle its way free and escape.

Snarling, he spun, looking for the next attacker, the next vampire. His own clothing was falling away in ash, incinerated by the brief but intense heat. The boots he’d worn had melted and now his bare feet left black impressions on the grass.

A light went on in a nearby house. He cursed. More would follow soon, and people would come outside. Past their thresholds. They would become vulnerable. The vampires could feed and heal.

He couldn’t.

“I’ll take you all on!” he roared, lunging for his closest target.

The vampire spun out of the way, dodging. Rann tried to stop and pivot back, but the female vampire came at him. A flap of skin was dangling down her face, though it didn’t bleed. Only Rann could bleed.

She hissed and came at him, fangs sprouting rapidly as she tried to feast upon him to heal herself. Rann greeted her with a fireball to the face, burning away her eyebrows and most of her hair as well. She shrieked and then wailed in pain as she inhaled some fire.

Rann booted her away with a firm kick to the midsection.

The first vampire came back in, and his fangs tore at Rann’s shoulder, ripping away a chunk of flesh. The dragon howled with pain and spun. His elbow connected with the vampire’s face, and the pressure on his neck vanished.

The preacher struck him in the knees, and they both went down. The lightning quick vampire was on him, lashing out with a fist that broke Rann’s nose.

He replied by grabbing the next punch aimed at his face, closing his fist over the vampire’s knuckles and turning, even as he squeezed with all his might. Bones cracked. Then, Rann drove the flat of his palm through the elbow, dislocating it. Finally, he thrust both hands straight out into the vampire’s chest and hurled him backward in a spray of fire.

Rann leapt to his feet just as the first vampire swung a wooden beam he’d found somewhere in the yard right into his chest. Ribs popped and broke, and Rann was flung back into the neighboring house. Brick cracked, and he slumped to the ground in a shower of mortar dust.

But he was Rann, a fire dragon of Clan Atrox, and he wasn’t out of the fight yet. Angrily, he got to his feet, dazed and hurt, but still ready to take them on.

He snarled and barreled straight in at the first vampire. They fought. Rann’s strength was waning, and the fight was far closer than even he would like. They exchanged a dozen blows in the span of seconds as Rann drove the vampire across the yard. Cuts opened on both of them. Rann bled profusely.

Lights were coming on everywhere, and he could hear shouts of confusion.

“Stay inside!” he bellowed. “It’s not safe!”

“You cannot win,” the vampire hissed.

“Neither can you,” Rann panted. “You’re going to die here. Now.”

Then he swung both hands down in an arc from over his head. Flames blossomed into a long blade, and Rann carved a horrific line down the vampire’s chest, the attack bursting through the creature’s defenses.

The Hunter howled an unholy wail of agony and slipped aside. Fleeing.

“Get back here!” Rann snarled. “I’m not done with you.”

But the vampires were done with him. He watched them flee into the night, the female vampire carrying the preacher.

Then, they were gone.