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CHAPTER TWELVE

SAMUEL

The moment I stepped out of the truck, the cold wind whipped against my skin, but I barely felt it.

My focus was sharp, my senses on fire with one thing only: Blake.

With each passing second, his fear intensified through the bond, tugging at me, faint but unmistakable.

He was out there, in danger, and I was wasting time.

My hands fumbled as I tore off my clothes, casting them aside without care.

No human eyes were around to witness what came next.

No one would see the brutal, agonizing shift as my bones cracked and elongated, muscles tearing and reforming beneath the surface.

The pain was searing, white-hot, but I welcomed it. I needed it. The faster the change, the sooner I could get to him.

I gritted my teeth as the familiar searing heat took over, my skin rippling as scales burst forth, thick and impenetrable, the sound of my body transforming echoed through the silent woods.

Wings unfurled from my back, massive and powerful, casting shadows in the moonlight.

My claws dug into the earth, leaving deep gouges as I finally stood, fully in my dragon form.

The pain had already faded, replaced by a fierce urgency.

I stretched my wings, feeling the tension in every muscle, every fiber of my being. I was ready.

Blake’s fear spiked again, a sharp, agonizing pulse through the bond. He was hurting, and I could feel it like a dagger in my chest.

My heart raced, panic building alongside the rage. If I didn’t find him in time…

I launched myself into the air. The wind howled in my ears, but I could still sense him.

The bond between us was stronger than anything, a beacon that grew brighter the closer I got.

I latched onto it, letting it guide me through the dark, over the treetops, my massive body slicing through the sky.

The stars overhead blurred as I sped faster, my heart thundering in my chest.

Then, beneath the trees, a figure came into view. Not Blake. Finn.

“Samuel!” he shouted, waving his arms wildly, his face pale with panic. “Hey, is that you? Blake’s that way!”

Finn pointed to the dense part of the forest, his voice trembling with desperation.

“He’s in deep trouble. Please—save him!”

I barely acknowledged him, my entire being zeroing in on the direction Finn pointed.

The bond throbbed again, harder this time, and pain flared across my chest. It wasn’t mine. It was Blake’s.

My heart stuttered. The rogue had caught up to him.

With a furious roar that tore through the sky, I surged ahead, flying faster than I ever had before. Every second counted now.

The pain through the bond grew sharper, more intense, and it pushed me to the brink.

My mate, my treasure, was out there suffering, and if I didn’t get to him in time…

I spotted them in the clearing below. My heart stopped.

Blake was on the ground, writhing in agony as the rogue dragon loomed over him.

Its claws, long and wicked, slashed across his chest, ripping through his flesh.

Blake screamed, the sound cutting through me like a blade. Blood stained the ground, and my vision went red with fury.

The rogue could’ve incinerated him in seconds, used its dragon fire to end him—but it didn’t.

It wanted Blake to suffer. To draw me out. To taunt me.

It worked.

A bellow of rage erupted from me as I dove, descending on the rogue with all the fury in my soul. But it was waiting for me.

Just as my claws stretched out to tear it apart, the rogue spun, faster than I anticipated, and its own claws met mine.

We collided with a bone-shaking force, teeth bared and claws slashing.

The rogue snarled, and we tangled in midair, our massive bodies crashing through trees and tearing up the earth beneath us.

Its claws raked across my side, searing pain shooting through me, but I ignored it.

Blake’s agony fueled my rage, pushing me harder, faster.

I sunk my teeth into the rogue’s shoulder, and it let out a guttural roar, thrashing wildly to dislodge me.

We twisted and spiraled, wings beating against each other as we fought for dominance in the sky.

The rogue’s tail whipped around, slamming into my side with brutal force.

I grunted, momentarily losing my grip as we both plummeted to the ground.

The impact shook the earth, sending shockwaves through the forest.

I scrambled to my feet just as the rogue lunged at me, its jaws snapping dangerously close to my throat.

I dodged, but barely. My claws slashed at its side, drawing blood, but the rogue barely seemed to notice.

It roared again, flames licking at the edges of its maw as it prepared to incinerate me. I wasn’t giving it the chance.

With a powerful sweep of my wings, I launched myself at it again, this time driving it back with a flurry of attacks.

My claws tore at its wings, ripping through the leathery membrane, and it screeched in pain.

But the rogue was relentless, matching me blow for blow, its eyes burning with fury and hatred.

We crashed into each other again, the force of our battle sending tremors through the ground.

I had to end this. Fast. Blake was still on the ground, bleeding out. If I didn’t finish the rogue soon, he wouldn’t make it.

The rogue lashed out with its tail again, but this time I was ready. I caught it mid-swing, twisting and yanking it off balance.

With a furious roar, I slammed the rogue into the ground, pinning it beneath me.

My claws dug into its throat, and for a moment, it struggled, thrashing beneath me.

Then, with a final burst of strength, the rogue lashed out, its claws raking across my side.

I felt the sharp tips tear through scales and skin, sinking deep into my flesh.

Pain exploded through me, white-hot and searing, but I didn’t let go. I couldn’t. Blake was counting on me.

I dug my claws deeper into the rogue’s throat, my grip tightening like a vice, driven by the sheer desperation to end this once and for all.

My vision blurred, the world narrowing down to just the rogue and the sound of its labored breathing beneath me.

I could feel my blood dripping onto the ground, mixing with the rogue's as we battled for dominance.

The pain in my side throbbed, every movement sending fresh waves of agony coursing through me, but I shoved it down.

I focused everything on finishing the fight.

The rogue let out a thunderous roar, its voice echoing through the trees like a challenge.

At first, I thought it was just its final act of defiance, but then I heard it—a chilling, guttural howl in response.

My heart sank. Wolves.

I tore my gaze away from the rogue just in time to see dark shapes emerging from the shadows, eyes glowing as they advanced.

One by one, wolves poured from the trees, their fur bristling as they encircled the clearing.

There were too many of them, more than I could count, each one snarling and baring their teeth.

The rogue dragon’s call had summoned reinforcements, and they were coming straight for me.

“Damn it,” I thought to myself, tightening my grip on the rogue.

I couldn’t finish it off with the wolves closing in. I was running out of time, and Blake was still lying helpless on the ground.

The rogue dragon sensed the shift in the fight, its eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction.

It was playing the long game, biding its time until reinforcements arrived.

The realization sent a fresh surge of anger through me, fueling my already burning rage.

This was its plan all along—to wear me down, to drag the fight out until it had the upper hand.

The wolves advanced in a tight circle, growling as they approached.

I could hear their snarls getting louder, could see the gleam of their sharp fangs as they got closer.

The rogue, emboldened by the arrival of its pack, bucked beneath me, thrashing harder.

I struggled to maintain my grip, my muscles straining as the rogue fought back with renewed ferocity.

Another wolf howled, and suddenly the pack surged forward, teeth snapping and claws slashing.

I was forced to release the rogue to defend myself, swinging my tail in a wide arc, knocking a few wolves aside.

But more kept coming, their glowing eyes fixed on me, their jaws snapping hungrily.

The rogue dragon took advantage of the distraction, wrenching itself free from my grasp and rolling to the side, bloodied but still very much alive.

I growled in frustration, my mind racing. This was bad. Very bad.

I was already injured, and now I had a pack of wolves to deal with on top of a rogue dragon.

My strength was fading, and the wolves weren’t going to stop until I was torn apart. But I couldn’t let them win.

I couldn’t let them get to Blake. I roared, spinning to face the wolves head-on.

My wings flared out, casting a massive shadow across the clearing.

I bared my fangs, my entire body radiating defiance. If they wanted a fight, I’d give them one.

The first wolf lunged, teeth bared as it went for my throat.

I caught it mid-leap, my claws slashing through fur and muscle as I tossed it aside.

Another wolf came at me from the left, its jaws snapping at my wing.

I spun, my tail slamming into its side with a sickening crunch. But for every wolf I knocked down, two more took its place.

They swarmed me, biting and slashing, their claws ripping into my scales.

I lashed out with everything I had, swiping at them with my claws, breathing fire in desperate bursts to drive them back.

But the rogue dragon wasn’t finished with me either.

It lunged at me from behind, claws outstretched, and I barely had time to block the attack before it sent me crashing into the ground.

Pain radiated through my body as I hit the dirt, my wings pinned beneath me.

The wolves were on me in seconds, their teeth sinking into my tail, my limbs, anywhere they could reach.

I roared, thrashing wildly, but the weight of the pack was overwhelming.

I could feel their teeth tearing into me, their claws raking across my skin. I couldn’t hold them off much longer.

My heart raced, panic clawing at the edges of my mind. Blake. I couldn’t let him down. I couldn’t let him die because of me.

But I was running out of strength.

The rogue dragon stood over me, triumphant, its eyes glowing with malice as it prepared to deliver the final blow.

Then, through the haze of pain and chaos, I felt it—the bond. Blake.

His fear, his desperation, it cut through the fog of the fight like a beacon. He was still alive.

Blake was still fighting, even though he was wounded. And that gave me strength.

With a furious roar, I summoned every last ounce of power I had left.

My muscles burned as I surged to my feet, throwing the wolves off me in a whirlwind of fury.

I launched myself at the rogue dragon, claws extended, teeth bared.

It didn’t expect the sudden attack, and I used that moment to drive my claws deep into its chest.

The rogue let out a high-pitched scream, its wings flailing as I drove it back, away from Blake.

It fought back with everything it had, but I was fueled by something stronger now.

I was fighting for my mate, for the one person who meant everything to me. And I wasn’t going to lose him.

With a final, savage twist, I wrenched my claws free and slashed across the rogue’s throat.

Blood sprayed into the air, and the rogue staggered, its eyes wide with shock.

It collapsed to the ground, convulsing, before finally going still.

The wolves hesitated, their snarls faltering as their leader fell. I bared my teeth, daring them to come closer. But they didn’t.

Without the rogue to guide them, they scattered, retreating back into the trees.

I collapsed to my knees, breathing heavily, blood dripping from my wounds.

The pain was excruciating, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was Blake.

I shifted back to my human form, ignoring the agony of the transformation as I crawled to his side.

He was still breathing, but barely. His chest was a mess of blood and torn flesh, and his face was pale. Too pale.

“Blake,” I whispered, my voice shaking as I gathered him into my arms.

His eyes fluttered open, just barely, and he looked up at me, weak but alive.

“I’m here,” I whispered, pressing my forehead to his. "I'm not leaving you."