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  She flipped over onto her hands and knees. Offered him a sight no man, or dragon, could resist.

  Nestled in the small of her back was her Order of the Dragon tattoo. The graceful water dragon was etched in all shades of blue, wings spread out toward her hips. It glowed a brilliant blue. His gaze dropped lower.

  “I need you to love me, Rordan.”

  “Kira.” He shaped her smooth buttocks with his hands. Covering her, he fit their bodies together.

  Chapter Seven

  An ominous rumble woke Rordan. He looked at his watch, but the Rolex hadn’t survived the rockfall. His dragon senses told him they’d only been asleep for an hour. He didn’t need to nudge Kira—she came awake in an instant.

  They were both dressed. At least he’d had the sense to suggest they get dressed in the clean clothes he’d fashioned for them before they’d fallen into an exhausted sleep. The knight in him was appalled he’d taken her again and again with the threat of the wild hanging over them. The man and his dragon, however, couldn’t have cared less and were satiated and happy.

  Side by side, they watched the rocks roll away from the entrance. The wild was coming.

  Rordan grabbed Kira to him, kissed her roughly. “Stay safe.”

  Her hand cupped his cheek. “You, too.”

  They summoned their weapons, staff and crossbow ready. Then there was silence.

  Ander sauntered into the cavern. “Well, hello.” He frowned at Rordan. “Damn, I hoped you were dead.”

  “You’ll have to do better than a few rocks.”

  Anger flared in the boy’s brown eyes. Rordan noticed Ander looked taller, had filled out more in the scant hours since they’d last seen him. The scales had multiplied, leaving only a small circular patch of skin around one eye. He was turning more beast than man.

  Ander circled closer. “I smell sex.” He sneered. “Is she as good as she looks?”

  The blue water bolt flew through the air and lodged deep in Ander’s shoulder. Rordan smiled. His mate didn’t need him to defend her honor; she was more than capable of doing it herself.

  The wild dragon howled, the sound echoing through the cave. As Ander began to twist and scream, Rordan realized what was happening. His smile dissolved. This was the final step in the transformation to a full wild dragon.

  “Get back,” he warned Kira. He had to kill Ander before he changed into the beast. Rordan surged forward, his staff ready.

  But it was too late.

  Ander’s body swelled, his limbs extended, and giant wings popped out of his back with a crunch of bone. The wild’s scream was long and horrible, dripping with pain.

  The scales covering his body burgeoned, thickened, multiplied. A long, pointed tail emerged. His head morphed, enlarged, his face lengthening into a wicked snout.

  And finally before them was a full-grown wild dragon.

  Rordan leaped into the air, using his enhanced speed and strength to aim straight at the beast’s heart. He held the staff aimed in front of him.

  The wild’s large tail whipped around, battered rocks off the wall, then smacked into Rordan. The breath rushed out of him and the world tumbled. He heard Kira yell before he crashed to the ground, pain riding him hard.

  He leaped back onto his feet, already moving to avoid the wild’s next swing. His battered body ached, but nothing was broken.

  When he looked up, his heart froze. Kira was racing toward the wild, firing bolt after bolt from her crossbow. Trying to draw the creature away from him.

  Damn, she was too close. He ran. Earth absorbed water. The little fool was in terrible danger.

  What was once Ander swung out with razor-sharp claws. Kira ducked one, agile on her feet, but the dragon swung his other claw close behind and hit her.

  She flew through the air, slammed into the rock wall and fell to the ground. She didn’t get up.

  Rordan’s stomach plunged, black spots danced in front of his eyes. Had the dragon’s claws pierced her skin? She looked like a doll, broken and discarded. The dragon stepped dangerously close to her. Watching her motionless form, her tawny hair spilling around her, Rordan’s dragon exploded inside him.

  He put his weight behind his staff, and with all his strength drove for the wild. The staff hit, the sharp end piercing the thick scales of its chest. He knew he’d missed the heart, but his wood magic would wound the beast. Would burn him like acid.

  As the dragon screamed, it whirled away, trying to dislodge the weapon.

  Rordan skidded to a halt beside Kira. Please let her be okay. He dropped to his knees. She had to be okay. He couldn’t survive without her.

  “Kira, baby.” He turned her over. A nasty scrape scored her cheek, but she was breathing. Reaching out with his magic, he felt the heart beating in her chest, the air filling her lungs.

  Thank God. His shaky hand pushed her hair off her face. Rordan knew that without her, he’d turn. His dragon would rule and he’d follow the dark, twisted road to the beast.

  She was alive. And he planned to end this fight once and for all.

  “Rordan?” Her voice was weak.

  “You’re okay. Stay back, baby, while I end this.”

  Her hand clutched at his arm. “Come back to me.”

  With a nod, he gently helped her sit up. Then he turned back to the wild dragon.

  It had managed to knock aside the staff. Rordan summoned it to him. In a blink, it vanished from the ground and rematerialized in his hands.

  He stalked toward the beast. “This is the end, Ander.”

  The beast paused, tilted its head to look at him. It roared, the sound reverberating off the walls.

  Rordan jumped, soared through the air and landed on the dragon’s scaled back, feet straddling the sharp ridge of scales along its spine.

  The creature twirled, its body undulating in an effort to buck him off. But Rordan was too experienced, and the strength of his need to protect his mate surged in him. He raised the staff over his head, then plunged it down, aiming for the base of the dragon’s neck.

  It skidded over the tough scales. Gritting his teeth, he raised the staff again, knowing the wood was deadly if he could pierce the weak spot.

  Without warning, he was filled with power. It poured into him like a flood, a raging river. His head snapped up. He saw Kira, arms held toward him, her water magic flowing to him. Into him.

  He brought the staff down.

  With a wild scream, the dragon’s wings extended, filling the cavern. The creature writhed, twisted and slowly shrank in size.

  Rordan jumped, landed with a roll and was back on his feet. As he watched, the dragon collapsed on the floor, thrashing like a fish desperate for the water.

  The animal screams started to sound more human and the dragon changed. The scales disappeared. The wings, tail and claws gave way to skin, slender limbs and golden hair.

  “Rordan? Rordan, where am I?”

  His heart heavy, Rordan made his way to the boy’s side. He crouched down, clasped the young man’s shoulder. “I’m here, Ander.”

  Ander’s eyes were wide, fear reflecting in their velvet-brown depths. “Wh-what’s happening?”

  Rordan’s throat tightened, and his chest hollowed out. “It’s okay. I’ll look after you.”

  Ander’s hand clasped his, the boy’s fingers clenching tight. “It hurts.”

  “Just let go, Ander. I’ve got you.” He watched the brown eyes glaze over, sensed the boy’s final breath.

  Deep sorrow carved through Rordan like a sword. Such a waste, a terrible waste of a young life. Too many times he’d suffered this moment, the flash of humanity at death. That was what weighed on his soul.

  Arms wrapped around him from behind. Kira’s warmth seeped into him and he inhaled her fresh scent.

  “I’m sorry, Rordan.”

  Her words soothed. She was his salvation. He loved her more than he ever thought possible.

  Love. His heart beat against his ribs. Love was the one thing he thought he
didn’t deserve and would never have. Kira was his chance to live for more than duty, sorrow and death.

  But she hadn’t said how she felt. Could she truly have feelings for the man who’d taken the life of her brother?

  Rordan didn’t know what would happen when they left this cave.

  Would she stay with him? Or would she leave?

  Rordan’s grief inundated Kira. She tightened her arms around him, hoping to give him some comfort.

  He spun, cupped her face in his hands. She gasped at the intensity of what shimmered in his grass-green eyes.

  “I love you, Kira.”

  A rush of overwhelming emotion poured in. She smiled at him, tears welling up in her eyes. She swallowed and tried to get her voice to work.

  He pressed his forehead to hers. “I don’t know if you can ever forgive me for killing Marek. But I want you to know, with his last breath, he said he loved you.”

  “Thank you.” Her words were thick, her throat tight. “Thank you for telling me.”

  She’d always miss her brother, but she’d laid him to rest now. Just as Rordan had done with Ander.

  Now, when she looked at this strong, tough knight in her arms, she didn’t see her brother’s killer—she saw only her dragonmate. The man she loved.

  His hands tightened on her face. “I shouldn’t have forced you to meld with me, but I can’t live without you in my life. Can you…do you think…” The breath shuddered out of him. “Can you ever learn to love me?”

  “No.” He flinched at her answer, but she slid her hand up his cheek. “Because I already love you, Rordan. I think I always have.”

  He crushed her to him and she was startled to realize he was shaking.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he whispered.

  When Kira stepped outside, the brilliant morning sunlight made her blink. The new day had dawned clear and bright with promise.

  “My car’s at the bottom of the mountain.” Rordan scanned the cloudless sky. “If we get going, we can reach it by midday.”

  She nodded at him. As Rordan laced his fingers with hers, she felt the tingle of their merged magic and realized she’d done the one thing she hadn’t thought possible. She’d tamed the Savage Dragon.

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  ISBN: 978-1-4268-3639-8

  Savage Dragon

  Copyright © 2009 by Anna Hackett

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