Dragon's Second Chance Romance - Riley Storm Page 0,67

bleeding, and blackened flesh, but otherwise it looked to be in decent condition.

Behind the vampire, Claire gave up her struggle with the bonds and, with an ear-piercing shriek, collided with the preacher as he came at her. She was scratching, kicking, and punching like a whirling demon, all the while howling at the top of her lungs as she tried to overpower the Church leader.

This time, it was Pietro who was distracted. While he was busy watching his mate fight like a madwoman, his vampire rushed him and bore him to the ground, trying to overpower him and go for his neck with its razor-sharp fangs. Even his dragon scales wouldn’t protect him from their bite.

“Bad move,” he grunted, wrapping his own arms around the vampire. “Flame on!”

Fire erupted from all over Pietro’s body and the pair were immolated in flames within a heartbeat. Seconds later, the remnants of his clothes, those that had survived the change to his half-dragon form, went up in ash as did those of the vampire.

Then, its skin began to burn.

Pietro squeezed harder, keeping his grip as the vampire shrieked in pain, the sound suddenly cut off as flames found their way down its throat.

Tossing the melting corpse away, Pietro got to his feet, a living avatar of flame, just in time to see the preacher turn and flee as he tore himself free from Claire’s vicious assault.

Pietro went after him, but a sagging, half-melted mass came hurtling out of the shadows and distracted him as it landed a punch on his broken ribs. Shrieking in agony, he went down, his flame-covered fists immediately starting to melt away the tile as he crouched on all fours.

“Ro, get up!” Claire shouted. “Please. I can’t stop him.”

He twisted his head to see the vampire advancing on Claire. She held the wand out in front of her, but the vampire seemed immune to its powers now.

No, not immune. Uncaring. It knows it’s dead. It just wants to inflict as much damage as possible on the way out.

“Down!” he bellowed.

Claire glanced at him as he lifted a hand, then she dropped to the floor, covering her head with her hands.

The vampire paused in surprise, then its head whipped around, the drooping mass of flesh that had been its face twisting in anger.

Pietro thrust a hand in its direction, and a blinding lance of flame struck it square in the chest. The white-hot flame burned so bright, it actually seared right through the vampire and out the other side, hitting the wall and not stopping.

The vampire corpse wobbled and fell to the side, the stream of fire burning its way free from the body before it went out. Pietro slumped to the floor, exhausted.

Safe. Everyone was safe now.

The fire went out, and he slowly began to pull himself together. The agony in his side both hindered and helped him. There was enough pain to make sure he stayed awake, though it wasn’t enough to make him pass out. Nor could he breathe easily, leaving Pietro constantly short of breath.

It would be a long few hours until his wounds healed. Hours he was not looking forward to. But they would heal, and everyone else was okay.

He thought.

“You good?” he asked, looking up.

Claire had just finished freeing her father and was being wrapped up in a hug, even as her head turned so she could look at him. He could read the expression on her face. She wanted to be at his side. To check on him.

Pietro waved it off, doing his best to give her a smile.

Nearby, Rann groaned and began to stir.

Pietro grinned. He wasn’t going to let his friend live this one down anytime soon.

“Okay, everyone,” he said. “Including you, lazy bones. On your feet.”

Rann glared up at him and then winced and lowered his head. “I don’t like you right now.”

Pietro laughed and then immediately regretted it, hissing in pain as he bent over at the side.

“Serves you right,” Rann said.

“Don’t make me flick your forehead,” Pietro threatened.

“Are you two done yet?” Claire asked, interrupting as she came up to them, helping support her father, who was massaging his legs, not having used them in several hours, the blood flow reduced by the bonds. “I’d like to get out of here.”

Pietro nodded. “Yeah, come on. Let’s go. I know a safe place.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Claire

“You’re sure you’re okay, honey?” her mother asked, smothering her in yet another hug.

Claire weathered the storm with stoic calm.

“You know that I wasn’t the one