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Somewhere in front of me, a broken, wrenching cry filled the air. It was the sound a wounded animal would make—sorrowful and gutting.

Pain engulfed me. Vaguely, I was aware of Armand releasing his bite. He shoved me away, and the ground reared up. I hit hard, striking my elbow, but the pain didn’t register. The fire in my neck was too searing to make room for any other kind of discomfort.

Armand stepped around me, facing Einar across the warehouse with the gun in his hand. Everyone on both sides of the battle stilled, all eyes on Armand.

“I took her finger, Rothkilde!” Armand shouted. “Now I’ve taken her life. And you’ll watch her die in agony.”

Einar threw his head back and roared. His body contorted, the gruesome transformation overtaking him.

Pain and sorrow punched through me. We’d lost. Everything was lost. Blood spread in a pool under my bent legs. With an odd sort of detachment, I realized it was mine.

Goliath sprinted from behind Leander. He skidded to a halt halfway between Einar and Armand.

“You won’t touch her!” he yelled, his shoulders heaving. The markings on his face glittered like emeralds. Beautiful. Goliath was beautiful. I should have told him when I had the chance.

Armand gave a cruel laugh. “I already did, runt. The bitch is dead. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

High overhead, a giant crow wheeled over the crowd, its wings spread as it wove in and out of the rafters. No one appeared to notice.

Tears streamed down Goliath’s face. He balled his fists at his sides as he glared at Armand. “You should have killed me when you had the chance.”

The werewolves ranged around the warehouse laughed.

Armand aimed the gun at Goliath. “Good point. But better late than never, right? I’ll do it now.”

A crow’s screech split the air.

Armand looked up as the crow plunged downward, plucking the gun from his hand.

Goliath exploded into a ball of fire. Around the warehouse, people cried out, ducking as the inferno roared twenty feet into the air. An enormous, green dragon rose from the flames. It flapped its wings, sending gusts of wind over the crowd. Rows of serrated teeth glittered like diamonds as the dragon opened its jaws and roared. The creature was glorious, from his emerald eyes to his lashing tail, which ended in a tuft of white, cotton candy fur.

Goliath. My heart lifted as the draft from his wings blew my hair back. His name fit better than I could have ever imagined.

He hovered in the air, his wings flapping and his narrowed eyes pinned on Armand. The werewolf staggered backward and almost fell.

“No!” he shouted, his voice high-pitched and frightened. “No, please!”

With a swift intake of oxygen, Goliath opened his jaws wide and spewed a stream of fire over Armand.

The crow screeched again, swooping from the sky. Myrna shifted in the air and stepped to the warehouse floor on two feet.

Armand screamed, his arms flailing as the fire consumed him. He staggered around, facing me. Skin melted down his face. His eyes went wide with terror. Then he dropped to the ground. Dead.

Goliath shot into the air, his wings spread wide and his talons tucked close to his body. With terror-filled cries, wolves ran toward the daylight that spilled through the broken metal doors. Fire streaked through the air and roasted the wolves before they could escape.

The battle resumed. Leander jumped from behind the crates, pumping his fist and grinning as he watched Goliath decimate the werewolves. The tide had turned.

But Einar was out of control. Stuck in his monstrous half form, he struck out at his own people, sending a centaur crashing to the ground. Arlo grabbed at him, but Einar shook him off.

Arlo’s words flowed through my memory. “Fated mates are rare among lycans, but the histories tell of such matches occurring.”

Pain consumed me. It spread from my neck through the rest of my body, every beat of my heart a new chapter in agony. As Einar continued to rage, I tried to stand. But my legs buckled, and I went back down.

So I crawled, memories of Einar flooding my mind.

“No one challenges me like you do. No one dares. Every time we argue, I walk away wondering if I should have kissed you instead.”

“I don’t hate humans. In fact, I find myself utterly entranced by this one.”