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I have to admit, the second I landed, a small part of me worried.

Not for myself.

For her.

And not because of him. But rather, because of what I was about to do to him.

Casey. My sweet, brave, human mate.

What would she think of me like this?

In my true form, ancient and terrifying, more beast than man.

Would she be afraid?

Would she run?

But then I see her.

Bruised. Bloodied. Bound.

And the doubt burns away like dry kindling.

There are no ifs, ands, or buts about what needs to happen next.

My magic pulses outward in a blast of gold and violet energy, ripping the last of the cloaking glamour from my Dragon’s body.

I flicker into view with a snarl that rumbles from the depths of my chest and shakes the ground beneath me.

The piece of shit holding my mate stumbles backward like he’s seen the devil himself.

Spoiler alert: He has.

His knife clatters to the asphalt, his eyes going wide, jaw slack with terror.

“Wh—what the fuck?”

I huff a breath, long and deliberate, and thick gray smoke coils from my nostrils like a promise.

The smell of his fear hits me instantly.

Sharp, sour, and unfiltered.

Good.

I want him afraid.

Because I’m not here to talk. I’m not here to negotiate.

I’m here to end him.

My claws scrape the pavement as I take a step forward, each talon sparking against the concrete.

Gold-tipped wings flare wide, casting my shadow like a blanket over the entire lot.

My teeth—serrated and made to shred—flash as I open my jaws, and a low growl builds into something guttural. Primordial.

He tries to scramble back toward the car, slipping on the wet pavement, shoes skidding uselessly as the first fat drops of a fresh storm hit the ground.

Too late.

My Dragon is in control now.

Lethal. Righteous. Pissed.

You don’t hurt a Dragon’s mate and walk away.

You definitely don’t touch what’s mine and live to tell the story.

This isn’t vengeance.

This is law.

My chest glows, gold cracks of heat building beneath my scales, and I let out a warning roar that makes the very air ripple.

It shakes the trees. Rattles the buildings. Shudders the earth.

Run , I think to him. Make it fun.

But he doesn’t. He freezes.

And that’s the last mistake he ever makes.