* * *

Briec was so bored. He thought he may have a challenge, but how much of a challenge could ten humans be to three dragons? Even dragons in human form.

Éibhear lifted one of the soldiers up in both his hands, then dropped him onto his knee, snapping the man’s back like kindling.

Briec rolled his eyes. His baby brother truly liked that move. What few knew, though, was their mother taught him that.

The three brothers stepped forward again, and again the remaining soldiers took several panicked steps back. That’s when Briec stopped. As they’d advanced, the soldiers continued to move back…and away. He looked over his shoulder and snarled.

“Where is she?” he yelled. It was a late hour and the streets deserted, his roar ricocheting off the surrounding buildings. The soldiers stared at him, unwilling and—at least a little—unable to answer.

No more games. “Burn them,” he snapped to his brothers.

He turned and traced his steps back while his brothers lit up the skies with their flames. He barely heard the screams of the dying men over the pounding thud of his heart.

If he’d lost her…if he’d stupidly allowed some trash to run off with his prize, he’d tear the land apart until he found her. Until he had her back right where she…

Briec stopped in his tracks. He watched Talaith walk out of a dark alley. She finger-combed her hair into place. Smoothed down her dress. Took a deep breath, and moved toward him.

In the darkness, it took her a moment to see him. But when she did he saw a myriad of human emotions pass over face. Relief. Concern. Annoyance. And panic. Especially when she glanced back at the alley. But she forced a smile on her face and headed toward him.

“Done then?”

“We’ll have to move quickly. The whole town will be out here soon.”

She nodded and hurried off toward his brothers while he took several quick steps back to the alley and looked in. He smelled human male.

He moved forward and found the body lying beside a pile of trash. An old warrior, with one eye long missing. Briec kneeled down and looked closely. The corpse’s one eye stared straight up. He appeared startled, but seemingly unharmed. Leaning closer, Briec stared hard at the man’s neck. Even in this darkness, his dragon eyes picked up the small pinholes dotting the soldier’s throat.

Briec raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Little witch, what skills you have.”

* * *

The town’s residents were so busy trying to put out the soldiers’ remains and to stop the fire that singed a few of their buildings; they didn’t even notice the four of them leaving. It took her a few moments once she caught up with Éibhear and Gwenvael to get her harried emotions under control. But by the time the dragons stopped blasting those soldiers with white flame, her breathing had returned to normal and she’d controlled her heart rate.

Not an easy skill, but one she’d learned well.

Now, with another storm moving on them quickly, they tromped through the forest toward a clearing so the brothers could return to their natural form and fly them back to the safety of Gwenvael’s cave. How she hated flying.

They were silent for most of the walk until Briec muttered something to his brothers. They both nodded and kept moving, but Briec stopped. She stopped, too. She had to; he stood right in front of her.

He watched his brothers for a few more moments until they vanished in the dark of the forest.

“What are we doing?”

That’s when he turned and grabbed her arms, forcing her up against a tree.

“Tell me what you did!”

Her eyes narrowed. If he’d asked her nicely she might have answered him. Not now, though. “There’s nothing to tell.”

“Don’t lie to me,” he growled low. His hands tightened on her arms and he pulled her up until she stood on her tiptoes.

And this…this was why she hated herself. She wanted him. More than she’d ever wanted him before. He yelled at her and all she could think about was having him take her, right there. Up against that tree.

Exactly what was wrong with her?

“Answer me, woman. Answer me right now!”

“Or what?” she snapped. “What exactly will you do to your prize?” she sneered the last bit and she knew she’d crossed the invisible line they’d been dancing around for days.

The black smoke curling from his nostrils really should have scared her more than it did…but it didn’t. It only managed to make the wetness between her legs triple in quantity.

And he knew it, too. Knew she wanted him. His nostrils—the ones with the black smoke still coming out of them—flared just the tiniest bit. And she knew he knew.

She only managed an “eep”, then he was kissing her. His tongue forcing its way past her lips and claiming her mouth.

She should cut his throat. She should yank her blade from her boot and cut his throat from ear to ear.

Snarling, she snatched her arms out of his grip, but only so she could wrap them around his neck and bury her hands in his hair. His big hands now gripped her ass, pulling her tight against him and they both groaned at the contact. She could feel his erection through her dress. She’d already seen the size of it, and knew exactly what it looked like. Her imagination soared with the damage that beauty could do to her body.

Their tongues tangled and she was seconds from reaching for his shaft in the hopes of releasing it out of his leggings and inside her. But before she could grab hold, he pried her hands off his neck. Then he dropped her. She stumbled back, thankful for the tree. It kept her butt from landing on the hard ground.