gravity of the situation has dropped like a bomb over our group. “You don’t remember being ambushed by Jacques or his followers?” I ask.
“No. But my mind feels like it has been messed with.” She rubs her forehead.
Karl puts his hands on his hips, staring at the carnage. “This was clearly a setup. Someone wants to start a turf war between King Raphael and the dragons. Cheryl and I have been dealing with unrest in the Salem pack too.”
Ronan narrows his gaze. “What kind of unrest? And how come this is the first time I’m hearing of it?”
“Don’t let your ego go to your head,” Cheryl sneers at Ronan. “This is wolf’s business.”
“Everything that pertains to supernaturals affects the entire community,” Ronan growls.
“King Raphael is aware,” Karl replies calmly.
“What is the problem with the wolves?” Lucca asks, stepping in between the wolf siblings and Ronan.
“A new pack has arrived in town. Wolves, as you know, are very territorial. There’s been some confrontations already. Marcus Novak, the Salem Pack’s alpha, demanded the newcomers leave immediately. He was challenged instead.”
“And why are you involved? I mean, you and Cheryl left wolf pack life many years ago,” I say.
“Because this new pack has pledged allegiance to Tatiana. If they gain ground here in Salem, it tips the scale in her favor.”
This situation sounds all too familiar. That’s how my father used to conquer villages that supported King Raphael. He weakened them from the inside, created doubt and animosity, turned friends against each other. I glance at the dead dragon again, finally understanding the reason behind his murder.
“Jacques is trying to weaken the king by making him lose all his allies.”
“The dragons never picked a side,” Ronan says.
“Not officially, but Larsson and my uncle have an understanding,” Lucca replies.
“That will go up in flames if they believe Manu killed one of their own,” I chime in.
No sooner do the words leave my mouth than the ground trembles and a roar as loud as thunder echoes in the forest.
“What the hell was that?” I ask, looking into the distance.
“A very pissed-off dragon,” Cheryl replies, getting into a defensive stance.
A bright orange flame erupts not too far from us, illuminating the sky. A few seconds later, a huge gray beast breaks through the trees, feral and deadly. Its ember eyes are glowing, and smoke is pouring out of its nostrils and mouth.
“Holy shit. When was the last time we saw one of them in their dragon form?” I ask no one in particular, walking backward slowly.
My friends do the same because no matter how fast and strong we are, we can’t beat a fucking dragon.
“I didn’t know they could still shift,” Cheryl mumbles.
The dragon opens its wings to their full span, and glances at the body. I don’t dare to breathe or move as I watch the monster step forward. Lowering its huge head, it nudges the corpse with its snout. When its friend doesn’t wake up, the dragon lets out another terrifying roar, louder than the previous one, and then turns its attention to Manu. It can smell the dragon’s blood on her.
“It’s going to attack!” I yell, a second before a jet of fire shoots from the dragon’s mouth.
Lucca leaps just in time, shoving Manu out of range. They roll together on the ground, but Lucca’s sleeve still gets singed by the fire. The dragon’s chest expands again as it draws air in. It’s going to fire another deadly assault. There’s no way Lucca and Manu can escape a second time.
I draw my katana, then let out a battle cry and charge the beast. The dragon turns, directing its flames toward me. With a power jump, I leap above them with my katana poised high above my head. As I drop, I swing the blade against the dragon’s shoulder. It pierces through the thick skin, eliciting another deafening rumble from deep in its throat.
I fall into a crouch, but I didn’t plan my move with precision, and end up not taking into account the dragon’s spiked tail. The hit comes too fast for me to move or protect my upper body. The impact sends me flying back, and when I land roughly a few feet from its talons, I know there’s something terribly wrong with me. I can’t breathe. It feels like I’m drowning in dry land.
“Saxon!” Ronan yells from somewhere.
With difficulty, I lean on my elbows and stare at the massive hole in my chest, which is spewing blood. Fuck. Blood also slowly