Page 72 of Shifter King

It wasn’t her.

No.

He ripped the woman out of the water just as a croc lunged up. This wasn’t Amelia. Where was she?

The silver crocodile with the green eyes slammed back into the water, gurgling and hissing when he pulled the woman out of its reach.

AaQar landed on the boulder beside him. Spluttering and choking, the woman grabbed at her throat. "Help—" A coughing fit seized her.

"It's all right," AaQar said. "We've got you." He seized the woman and then leaped away.

The snapping silver croc jumped up the rock at him. Snarling, Naatos lunged at it, seizing it by the jaws. A flash of awareness snapped through him.

Blood in the water meant a feeding frenzy.

He’d almost killed the croc. What kind of idiot was he?

The creature continued to struggle, lashing its tail around and tossing its head to break his grip. He nearly slipped off the slick rock before he braced himself and flung it into the forest.

Amelia had to be in these waters. She'd been clear.

He leaped in, transforming into a green river dragon. The waters became clear despite the bubbles and chaos, warmth shining brighter than cold with his heat-based vision. Another large croc charged him. He easily dodged it, tucked below it, and reared up, flinging it out of the waters to the opposite bank.

Where was Amelia? That woman's face was familiar. Amelia had shown him her face in his mind. But why?

But no trace of Amelia reached him. Not a hair. Not a scent. Not even a rag.

The waters frothed and splashed as someone else leaped in. AaQar. He knifed through the water with ease, shooting ahead of him. The bright red scales of an unusually colored water dragon confirmed WroOth was searching as well.

With all of them searching, they'd find her. They had to.

He shot along the floor of the river, searching for any sign.

How had that Vawtrian woman survived in her weakened state and yet Amelia wasn't here?

The river broadened, becoming too large for him to see across in a single sweep. A river barracuda darted in at him. He slammed it back, claws slicing through it. A parnassa monster shot up from the bottom, scaly jaws gaping wide. It seized the barracuda and then dove back down as another silver predator shot up.

The waters surged red.

He leaped out onto the slick muddy bank. Some few feet away, a croc roared at him. He bellowed back.

It recoiled, sliding back into the chopping waters with its grey-green jaws agape.

He had to find her. She was out here. She had to be.

Fatigue gnawed at the edges of his consciousness and flared through his muscles. He summoned the black storm dragon form into his mind once more. The form ripped through him slower this time, separating and regrowing bones, muscles, and sinews. The scales hesitated more, taking seconds longer than usual, warning him of his flagging strength and need for food and rest.

It didn't matter. She had to be close.

Had to be.

With a powerful leap, he returned to flight.

He scaled the heights, searching for some point where she might have been able to leap safely into the river. The answer was out here. Somehow—

Crespa.

HIs heart clenched, sending electrical pain through his body as his blood heated.