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Fuck a damn duck. This is an absolute nightmare.

When I woke up this morning, if I’d thought to myself, I’m going to die today, I would have gone back to bed. But, honestly, who in their right mind thinks something that morbid?

Definitely not me.

But now that I’m standing here, facing down my imminent demise, I can’t help but wonder who I fucked over in a previous life to be staring my own death right in the face.

It’s crazy to think that after a few months at Stonewell, rose-colored glasses dropped over my eyes, concealing the truth of this world to me. Now, though? They’ve been brutally ripped off, leaving me with a view of the real world. The real supernatural world.

All the glitz and glamour that captivated me when we first arrived at the gala now seems dull and lifeless.

Kind of like I’ll be by the end of the night.

Lifeless.

Fuck.

How can this be happening?

Axel and I were gliding across the floor as romantic music immersed us in our own little world and I decided I was finally ready to tell my mate—my vampire—that I love him. Now, though, I’m standing alone in the middle of a death circle as someone decrees my death. A death that is wholly unwarranted because I didn’t do anything wrong. But how do you tell that to someone who sees you as nothing but a threat?

You don’t, because they won’t listen anyway.

As the head councilman’s words repeat in my head, drowning out the mob of super pissed-off supernaturals, it hits me square in the chest that this is probably how every other of my kind felt when the rest of the world turned on them.

And it’s not a feeling I like.

But you know what? I won’t let them take me down that easily. I have two incredible mates to live for and a legacy to learn about.

It’s just… not my time. Not now. Not like this.

So, you know what? Fuck the head councilman’s decree and the dragon he rode in on. Pun intended.

I refuse to allow my life to be cut short because he’s afraid of someone who was born to hold more power than he was. Because that’s what this whole display boils down to.

Fear.

He’s not stronger than me, and he knows it. Just like all those that came before me.

Like my birth mother and father.

Hell, I don’t even know what kind of super he is under that robe, but it’s blatantly clear that he’s a weak little man with a superiority complex.

Steeling my resolve, my eyes dart around the amassed supernaturals, all calling for my head. Anger and rage unlike I’ve ever seen rests in their eyes as they stare me down like I’m the scum of the paranormal world. And I guess, in their minds, I am. But I can’t let that bother me. I can think about that when my life isn’t hanging in the balance. Right now, I need to focus on getting out of here before one of them decides to take the head councilman up on his words.

What’s that saying? Oh, right. I’m too young to die.

My life practically just started, and there’s still so much more to live for.

So, no. I won’t let this coward sentence me to death.

One problem, though. I have no clue how the heck to get out of here relatively unscathed.

My gaze scans in every direction, looking for someone—anyone—sympathetic to my plight. But there’s no one. Not Thaddeus nor Miss Izzicle. Heck, I don’t even know if Headmaster Stonewell is here. Even worse, though, I don’t even see my guys. A smidgen of fear races down my spine that they left me to the growing mob, but I squash it down. There’s no way they would do that. Not after everything we’ve been through.

Something must be keeping them from getting to me.

“Titus, apprehend the curiomancer and bring her to the dais. Everyone here will bear witness to her law-sanctioned death.”

What the fuck?

How is it that every time the head councilman opens his mouth, things just keep getting worse for me.

This is some bullshit. What I wouldn’t give to be back in the human sectors with my parents again. Dammit. Tears gather in my eyes as my thoughts drift to them. I haven’t been fair to the people who raised me. The ones that loved me when my birth parents were unable to. The ones who opened their home to raise a baby as their own.

I never got to apologize for being a shit daughter there at the end.

Tremors overtake my body as the crowded supernaturals start to part, giving way for whoever the hell this Titus person is. But I don’t know what’s scarier. The anticipation of my first view of this person, or the fact that he’s going to drag me up there to die.

“Don’t fucking touch her, Titus!” My breath catches. Luka. I’d know his voice anywhere. My head snaps in the direction his voice projected from, and what I see makes me stumble. There, on the floor, five large men hold him down, with more waiting to help. My demi-god bucks and fights, but there’s just too many keeping him contained for him to help me.

“Luka!”

His eyes connect with mine, and the fire resting in those navy orbs tells me all I need to know.

He’ll save me.

Somehow.

Out of nowhere, a large brown wolf jumps in front of me, breaking our eye contact and tearing a cry from my throat. I start to back away, but I don’t get far before giant arms wrap around me from behind, holding me immobile. A scream bursts free this time, and I flail in their arms, my magic roiling under my skin at the unknown attacker. But before I can think to light the fucker on fire, a growl hits my ears.

“Relax, Bailey. It’s me—Hudson.” Yeah, like that quashes the fear. I struggle more, needing to get away before he feeds me to the dragon. “Dammit, Bailey. Stop. We need to get you out of here. Marion is going to try and hold them off.”

Marion?

His words immediately cause the fight to flee, leaving me drained and sagging in his arms. He’s the last person I should find any type of solace in, but he’s… helping me. And while it won’t change what he did, I at least have a better chance of getting out of here before the mob gets what they want.

My head on a silver platter.

My eyes find the wolf again; this time, I look at her in a new light. Marion isn’t even looking at me like before. Now I see her arched back as she hunkers low, growling menacingly at the surrounding supernaturals. Four more wolves jump into the circle, two standing on each side of her, helping her keep the enraged crowd from getting any closer. They must be the guys I always see watching her every move.

“How are we going to get out of here?” I ask, unable to stop the tremble in my words as the surrounding voices reach a new crescendo.

Logically, I know I can create a portal and escape, but I need to relax and concentrate to do that. And this environment doesn’t exactly scream relaxation. Quite the opposite in fact. Plus, there’s no telling how many people will be able to follow me before I can get it closed.

“We have to fight.” The words rumble in my ear, but they’re not making any sense. Fight? There’s too many of them and not enough of us. They’ll kill Marion, her guys, Hudson, and me before we even make it to the main doors.

Little wisps of hair fly around as I adamantly shake my head, rebuffing his idea. His plan is a death sentence of its own. If I’m going to die, then it’ll be just me. I can’t let them all go down with me.

“Are you fucking nuts? I can’t fight.” My words come out in an embarrassing high-pitched squeak, showcasing my fear for all those who can hear.

Which is all of them.

“Yes, you can.” The rumble of his voice sends a shiver down my spine, but it’s hard to tell if it’s a good shiver or a bad one.

Bad. Definitely bad after what he did to me.

A dangerous growl starts to build low in his chest, slowly getting louder until the sound reverberates around the large space. The scent of fear is sharp in the air as the surrounding supernaturals figure out where the noise is emanating from. My eyes snap up, colliding with a green so vivid, I could swear they’re glowing. Wait. They are freaking glowing.

It’s him. The dragon that came into the gala and announced the council’s arrival. No longer does his gaze hold the aloofness as it did when he first arrived. Now disgust rests heavily in those brightly lit emerald orbs, all of it directed at me.

The feeling is mutual, lizard boy.

Cause let’s get real. Why wouldn’t I be disgusted that he’s actually okay with dragging me up there to be what… Beheaded? Stabbed through the heart? Lit on fire? So many different ideas flit through my mind of how I can be ended.

“Bailey.”

Shit. Focus.

Now is the absolute worst time to get stuck in my head pondering this.

The circle closes once again with every step Titus takes in my direction, each footfall matching the thudding of my heart. Marion and her guys back up further toward Hudson and me, their growls growing sharper as the distance decreases.

As much as I want to check on Luka and find Axel, the biggest threat in the room looms closer, undeterred by the snarling pack of wolves in front of him.

Marion’s hackles rise, and it’s not hard to know what she’s planning to do.

“Marion! Don’t!” But my scream goes unheard as she pounces on the dragon. Or at least tries to. Titus swats her away like a pesky bug, her yelp loud in the silence of the room. A whine slips through her muzzle, but not one supernatural moves to help her off the floor. The four other wolves abandon their protective stance in front of me, darting over to my fallen friend.

My eyes track their movements, watching on as two of the guys shift back to their human forms, no one batting an eye at the naked flesh on display. I avert my gaze out of respect and startle, jumping in Hudson’s arms. But I don’t go far; I barely move an inch. That’s how tight Hudson’s holding me.

This close to the dragon—Titus—I can see just how truly terrifying he is. His eyes still emit an otherworldly green glow, but all it does is highlight his other monstrous attributes. His size is comparable to Hudson’s when he’s in Lycan form, like right now, but he’s jacked with muscles. Even his neck is bulging, the dark veins standing out prominently against scaly skin. Two large wings protrude from his back, rising into the air like a death omen. Those alone make me feel so much smaller than I already am.

Sharp cheekbones and a pointed chin are dusted in scales, while long black hair flows over his hulking shoulders. But none of that distracts from the two sharp horns jutting out from his head. If I didn’t already know he was a dragon, my first thought would be demon.

He’s sizing me up from where I tremble against Hudson’s chest, his head tilting to the side as he probably decides if he should just snatch me up and eat me—and not in the good way—in front of every patron here.

“You don’t want to do this, Titus.” Hudson’s voice comes out in a half snarl, half growl, as his sharp claws flex against my hips.

A sneer curls Titus’ lips, but that’s all the reaction he has to Hudson’s words.

Quick as a flash, Titus makes his decision and darts forward, latching painfully onto my shoulders. The moment Titus tries to pry me from Hudson’s grip, a blur slams into him, taking him to the ground, his sharp dragon claws raking across my bare flesh. My cries of pain are drowned out by the furious hissing and deathly growls erupting from the grappling pair. Their bodies slow, and it’s then I notice the hissing is coming from my mate—Axel.

My breath whooshes out at the sight of him, but I don’t dare call out. That’s a surefire way to distract him from the fight at hand. And if he dies because of me… I might as well join him. Without my mates, I’m nothing. I know that now. Luka and Axel have shown in every way possible what I mean to them, and if I lose either one of them, there’s no reason to keep living.

Vivid red blood sprays across the once-pristine marble floor, Axel’s claws ensuring damage against the dragon. Others try to intervene, but they’re sent sprawling across the hall as Titus shoves them back.

Another fight not far off catches my attention, my breath hitching at the fierce glower on Luka’s face as he fights harder against the ones holding him at bay. Pressure builds in the gala hall, and thunder rattles the walls. A perfect omen that Luka is about to unleash hell upon those keeping him from his mate.

Supernaturals push and shove against each other, whether it’s to join in the two separate fights or to get away from the power building around the space, I’m not sure. But others aren’t having it.

Hudson pulls me flush against his warm body, curling over the top of me protectively as bodies slam into his back from the numerous confrontations. Marion and her guys haven’t made another appearance for which I’m grateful. My hope is that they got her as far from here as possible, so she doesn’t get hurt. Again.

My friend. The one person who stood by my side, even as I lied to her face, got hurt. Because of me. Because of what I am. It’s official. I’m a horrible friend. I should have told her. Opened up to her about who and what I am. But fear held me immobile, much like it is right now. I have to hope that she’ll let me explain if I make it out of this alive.

A hot, viscous liquid hits me square in the face, but before I can lift a finger to find out what it is, a loud voice rings out above the pandemonium.

“Stop!”

One booming word. That’s all it takes.