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Simon was enraged when he saw the blade of a knife pressed to Yael's throat. Eryn appeared frantic, as if he was one second away from defending Yael, even if it meant his own life.

No one could mistake the three of them as anything other than brothers. Eryn was nearly Andre's carbon copy. The only difference was Eryn appeared younger and far more innocent than Andre.

Andre couldn't pull off sane. Not under any circumstances, including the threat of death. In fact, he was so far down the psychopath trail he would probably laugh in the face of death.

As soon as Skippy got off his bike, the others arrived. All in dragon form. Smoke billowed out of Landry's nostrils. Daruss growled. Enzo stayed close to Landry. None of them shifted.

So many dragons around him forced Skippy's dragon to the surface. It was as if he'd come out to play.

Can you move, baby?

Not without him cutting me. Yael didn't move a muscle. He was tense. He radiated fear. He wants to take Eryn. Keep him away.

Andre grinned. "Looks like I have something you want."

Skippy chuckled. "You don't know enough about me to know what I want."

"You think you're going to save Yael. Do you not?"

"I don’t think anything. I will kill you for touching him." To Yael, he said, when I tell you, force him backward with your body. Slam into him hard. Can you do that, baby?

Yes.

"Can you kill someone? Are you capable?" It was clear Andre had no idea who Skippy was.

Skippy chuckled. "Well, let's find out, shall we?"

"Go to Simon, Eryn." Yael said.

Eryn shook his head. "I'm not leaving you."

"Come here, kid." Skippy needed Eryn out of the way. As it was, Andre could slit Yael's throat in the same second he grabbed Eryn. Eryn was entirely too close.

Sirens blared in the distance.

Eryn backed away before walking to Skippy. When he got to him, he whispered, "I hope to the gods you have a plan."

"Nope." His only plan was to make sure Yael stayed alive. After that, he'd play it by ear. "Get behind Daruss and the others."

Eryn patted Skippy on the shoulder before he jogged to where Daruss waited for Skippy to make a move.

Yael sighed. The relief was palpable. I'm ready.

That was great because Skippy wasn't. The next few seconds would be the scariest of Skippy's life. Push hard, baby. And then loosen your muscles.

Yael nodded ever so slightly.

It was clear Yael caught Andre off guard. Yael pushed into him hard. He didn't know Yael had that in him. Andre stumbled back. The knife cut Yael's neck as Andre tried to stop the momentum. Yael instinctively pushed Andre's hand away. Andre's only goal was to gain his footing again, so he didn't stop Yael.

And then Yael did something Skippy didn't expect. He grabbed the knife from Andre's hand and turned it on him. By then, Andre had gained his balance. He held up his hands as if surrendering, but his grin returned.

"You little shit."

Yael pointed the knife at Andre. "Stay away from me and Eryn."

"You've had him for long enough. He’s mine now." Andre made as if he were going after the knife, attacking Yael. Even Skippy expected him to back down, but instead, Yael lashed out, cutting Andre across his stomach.

"I'll kill you. I'll fucking kill you if you hurt him." Yael lashed out again, cutting Andre on the arm this time.

The sirens grew closer. The sheriff's SUV came around the corner.

That's when Andre panicked. He tried to search for an exit route, but there wasn't one. They were out in the open. Yael must have expected Andre to take off. Yael stepped into him, pressing the knife point to Andre's chest.

Andre shifted his hands, and that's when Skippy decided to take over. He'd let Yael have his moment. Since Yael had the upper hand, it hadn't been very dangerous for him. Especially since he was the one with the weapon and Skippy could step in quickly if necessary.

Skippy slid in behind Yael. "I've got it from here, Mama Bear."

The tension in Yael's body hadn't disappeared entirely, but some of it did. He leaned against Skippy.

Andre lunged for the knife. He grabbed the blade. Blood dripped from his hand, but Yael didn't let go.

Skippy grabbed it at the same time Andre did.

Yael finally released it. He moved behind Skippy.

Since Skippy had the handle, he had the advantage, and Andre knew it. Andre let go and held up his hands again, giving up.

Skippy threw the knife to the ground.

"Simon." Yael's voice warned him. "Don't get hurt."

Andre grinned as if he thought he had the upper hand again. "I won't make your little boyfriend suffer for long. One last kill before they send me back to jail."

The sheriff cursed. "Come on, Skip. Just let me arrest him."

Skippy lost all his humor. "Not yet."

Skippy threw the first punch. It landed on Andre's jaw, sending him a step back. But Skippy didn't stop. He got two more punches in before Andre finally gave as good as he got.

Skippy tasted blood in his mouth.

Yael cried out, yelling his name. When he said, "Andre's hurting him. Let me go." Skippy turned to see if he was okay. Daruss had shifted and had an arm around Yael, holding him back from running in front of Skippy and defending him.

Andre took advantage of Skippy's distraction and went at him with partially shifted clawed hands. He sliced Skippy’s chest open, not stopping, making the wound bigger with each swipe of his knife-like claws.

Yael went nuts behind him, but Skippy had to ignore him.

Skippy grabbed Andre's arm with both hands and twisted. He moved behind Andre, twisting his arm behind his back. He lifted until the bone snapped.

When Andre cried out in pain, Skippy let him go.

Andre shifted in seconds. Doing so healed the break, and it also gave him an advantage.

Skippy hadn't shifted completely yet, but he knew he needed to do it quickly if he wanted to live.

He heard Daruss curse and then a pretty green dragon landed between him and Andre.

Yael bit at the air, growling in an attempt at keeping Andre back.

Skippy panicked. The only way he would save his mate was by shifting.

Landry blew fire at Andre and even the sheriff shifted, coming to Yael's defense.

Skippy gave in to his dragon, letting him come to the surface. The shift hurt, his bones popped, and his skin itched as his body changed from his human body into his dragon.

As soon as Skippy shifted, so did Daruss. The sheriff flew above them. He'd be able to keep Andre from flying by simply hovering above him.

Andre went after who he perceived to be the weakest link, which happened to be Yael. Attacking him was a death sentence. Andre just didn't know it yet.

Andre’s position left his neck open. Daruss and Skippy worked together to take Andre down, biting him on his neck in two different places until they felt his life force leave him. His lifeless body lay on the road with his wings spread out.

Yael shifted again. Skippy wasn't far behind him.

As soon as Skippy shifted, he got an arm full of Yael, and then Eryn came over. He had tears in his eyes.

Skippy pulled him in for a hug. "You're safe now."

"Thanks to you and Mama Bear."

"I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt you and Simon. Anyone. I don't care who they are."

"Ditto, baby. And for you too, Eryn. You're just as much my kid as Yael’s."

The sheriff huffed. "Well, that's job security for me at least."

Yael shook his head, but he was too enveloped in a three-way hug for the sheriff to see it. "Eryn will not be in and out of jail. I promise."

Skippy and Eryn chuckled. "I'll teach him how to run from the law."

“Not that you’ve ever run. You brazenly do shit and then I have to arrest you. It wastes my gads damned time.” Sheriff sighed as he looked down at Andre's body. "What the fuck am I supposed to do with him in dragon form. He's been all over the news."

"He killed someone else." Eryn pointed at the yellow house.

"The state police are on the way. They'll work with the council's team to process all of Andre's crimes. It's up to me to write the report, though." The sheriff sighed again. "I'm not sure how I'm going to lie about the fighting happening between dragons."

Skippy kissed Yael's temple and then Eryn's. “Let's go home."

"Like home, home?" Eryn asked.

"Either my house or yours. I don't care which one as long as we're together."

"Your house." Yael and Eryn said at the same time.

And then they each gave the reason. Eryn said, "Pretty sure Casper's still there." Yael said, "I want the Zen Garden experience."

Yeah, Skippy knew exactly what Yael wanted to do in the garden, and it wasn't getting Zen.

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