There were a lot of them—at least a battalion—and they had two large catapults equipped with long, thick spears. Perfect for taking down a dragon. This wasn’t the first time humans came to his parent’s home in the hopes of capturing or killing one of his kind for sport. Nor would it be the last.

Leaning into Rhiannon, he whispered in her ear, “They’ve come to hunt us. You need to get back to the castle. Get my father. My brothers and sisters.”

Again, she didn’t argue. Merely nodded her head and brushed her hand against his jaw.

“Wait until I challenge them . . . then run. Understand?”

She nodded once more.

He kissed her forehead and stood up. He moved away from her and shifted, knocking down trees and startling the soldiers.

They attacked immediately, but he still took a quick moment to make sure she’d followed his orders. She had. He could see her long body darting through the trees. Knowing his family would protect her, he turned his attentions back to the soldiers moving on him.

Rhiannon had barely cleared the trees when big arms wrapped around her and yanked her back into a large, armored body.

“Gotcha!”

There were four of them and she was naked and unable to change. Nay. Not good.

“Willing to whore yourself out to a dragon. So I guess you’ll be willing to take us on as well, eh?”

The one holding her threw her to the ground. She kicked out, nailing one in the groin. When he doubled over, she slammed her fist into his jaw. She felt bone shatter under her knuckles. Her father would be proud.

The soldier stumbled away, staring at her as Rhiannon scrambled to her feet.

“Gods, she broke his jaw,” one of them said in awe.

She truly did detest them. Humans. Vile, horrid creatures that smelled awful and seemed averse to general bathing.

The three still-undamaged men, stood around her now. Surrounded her. But before they moved a roar from the river’s edge caught all of their attention.

Rhiannon turned in time to see some human twisting a broadsword into Bercelak’s back. Others had ropes around his snout and neck.

“No.” She didn’t know she said it out loud until she screamed, “No!”

But before she could run back to the castle for help, the men surrounding her attacked. One slamming his fist into her stomach, another grabbing hold of her hair. Yet it was the one who slapped her face that caused her the most anger. The rage swept through her and she roared.

Humans. Humans were treating her like this!

“Look at her!” one of those insipid little humans yelled, and Rhiannon turned toward them. It took her several moments to realize she now glared down at them. And with a quick glance at herself, she saw that she was dragon again.

Grinning, she watched the men who had been so ready to beat and rape her run for their lives. She snapped one up, biting him in half. Another one she backhanded into the trees, loving the sound of his spine snapping as he hit a sturdy trunk. But the one who slapped her . . . him she picked up in her claw and bathed in his screams as she ground him to pulp.

Once done, she headed back toward Bercelak, determined to help him now that she actually could. But as soon as she burst from the trees, they screamed warnings and suddenly ropes wrapped around her throat.

“A pair,” one of them screamed. “A breeding pair! Bring ’em back alive.”

Chapter 9

Bring them back alive?Well that was unacceptable. No one was bringing her or Bercelak anywhere.

But the ropes around her neck cut into her throat in such a way she couldn’t breathe fire. Whoever sent them knew how to hunt dragons.

Still, Rhiannon had other talents.

The power buried inside her for so long now soared through her body, and she used it to full advantage.

She flicked the talons on her right claw and the line of men beside her flew back. With a flip of her claw, she set another line of soldiers on fire without even needing to open her jaw or speak a chant out loud.

Her ability to harm them without doing much more than think in their direction confused the men, which allowed her to pull on the ropes holding her. She dragged the soldiers over to her in the process and as they got close she stepped on them, enjoying the little squishy sounds they made.

While she finished off the few who’d targeted her, Bercelak destroyed the others. The broadsword still protruded from his back, but he no longer seemed to notice or care.

Yanking the rope off her throat, Rhiannon finished off the few soldiers running from her with a blast of her flame. Showing off for Bercelak, she let it whip out and around trees. Circling around until it leaped out in front of them, enveloping them in fire.

She looked at Bercelak and smiled. “Not bad, eh?”

“I thought I told you to go back to the castle? Was I not clear?”

He was angry, which made her defensive. “I did what I had to do. I’d do it again. And I don’t owe you, Low Born, an explanation for anything I do!”

“So,” he barked while struggling to reach the broadsword sticking out of his back, “I cannot rely on you to follow simple instructions? That’s what you’re telling me.”

“What I’m telling you . . . oh!” She stormed around him and, without an ounce of mercy, yanked the steel from his back.

His pained roar rang out over the valley.

She tossed the weapon down. “What I’m telling you is I did what I thought was right. I’ll always do what I think is right. Including protecting you if I deem it necessary!”