town. I’ll send someone for you, someone who can help you with this.”
Cora’s stomach lurched. This was it. It was all over.
She swallowed hard and nodded. “All right.”
There was no time to pack. The sun already dipped along the horizon. Cora threw some things into her backpack and grabbed her purse. She couldn’t meet Stig’s wounded gaze as she passed him in the hallway. His familiar scent ignited something so primal in her core. She fought the urge to throw down her things and launch herself at him.
Walking out of the house was one of the hardest things she’d ever done, almost as hard as burying her brother and grandmother within weeks of one another. She tossed her things into the backseat of her car and then lingered behind her open driver’s side door. Her gaze moved to Stig, who stood on the porch, arms crossed, face hard as stone. She desperately wanted to feel the warmth of his embrace one last time but she couldn’t tempt fate. If he held her again, she might never leave his side.
With a gut-wrenching sob, Cora slid into the driver’s seat and slammed her door. She turned the ignition and buckled her seat belt. By the time she looked up, Stig had already disappeared into his house. He was probably running down the basement stairs as she backed out of the driveway and headed for the main road. The thought of Stig spending yet another night alone in the cold, dank cell made her positively sick.
Cora stomped the gas. She had to put as much distance between Stig and herself as quickly as possible. The knowledge she’d hurt Stig soured her belly. The guilt and shame were almost too much to bear. That she’d allowed fear to rule her actions was disheartening.
The longer Cora drove, the more she regretted her decision. She desperately loved Stig, loved him so much it hurt. Yet what was she doing? She was racing at breakneck speed away from the man who had given her the security for which she’d yearned for so long.
She spotted a highway sign. She was halfway to town. The prospect of spending a night alone in a hotel made her feel so empty. She wanted to be with Stig. She needed to be with him.
“What the fuck am I doing?” Cora’s foot lifted off the gas pedal. The car slowed a bit as she realized the full ramifications of her choices. If she kept driving, if she spent the night in town, the bond she shared with Stig would shatter. There would be no second chance.
She hit the brakes and brought the car down to a manageable speed. She checked her rearview mirror and the road ahead before whipping a U-turn. Her foot depressed the accelerator and she raced to meet highway speed again. She had to get to Stig.
Would he take her back? Her heart fell at the thought he might not want her anymore. She’d betrayed his trust and love. He’d told her his darkest secret. He’d been willing to go against the Brotherhood to have her, his human lover, and she’d stomped on his heart because she’d sprouted a few scales.
Cora wiped her wet cheeks and sniffed loudly. If Stig turned her away, she’d die. Deep down inside, she knew without a doubt their bond was special. When she’d touched him, when she’d turned him into something awesome and exceptional, they’d created a unique bond. Cora could only speculate as to the depths of the mating bond between dragons. She sensed Stig didn’t truly understand it either but instinct told her it was powerful.
The sight of headlights in the rearview mirror startled her. This wasn’t a busy road, so the beams took her by surprise. After the initial sighting, she didn’t pay them much attention until they seemed to be getting closer and closer, faster and faster.
Cora’s eyebrows drew together. Why was that SUV driving so fast? She considered pulling onto the shoulder to let it pass but it was already dark and she feared hitting a deer. At any rate, the shoulder was incredibly narrow and there was a short bridge up ahead. It would be far too dangerous to attempt.
She gripped the steering wheel as the speeding SUV drew incredibly close. She expected a turn signal to pop on any second to alert her to the car’s intention to pass but it never came. The SUV got closer and then, without warning, slammed into the back of her car.
Cora let loose a string of expletives as her body lurched forward and snapped back. She barely kept her car on the road. Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. Adrenaline spilled into her bloodstream, igniting her fight-or-flight response. It took her a millisecond to realize what was happening.
The men who held her brother’s debts and burned down her bakery had caught up with her.
Fear struck her heart. Cora floored the gas but it was no use. The SUV revved up again and crashed into her bumper. Her head flung forward and almost whacked the steering wheel. The seat belt tightened and snapped her back again. Her neck stung painfully from the wild movement. She managed to straighten the wheel and keep her car in its lane.
Could she do it again? Cora sincerely doubted it.
There was no time to think. The SUV clipped the side of her car and sent her spinning. She hit the brakes but it was no use. Everything happened so fast. She couldn’t see a damn thing. She spun out of control before slamming into something. A guardrail? She couldn’t be sure. Whatever it was, the impact launched her car into the air.
Cora shrieked and held tight to the wheel. Suddenly she was upside down. The backpack in the backseat flew forward and whacked her headrest. The contents of her purse exploded and splattered her face. Makeup, a cell phone, her wallet, emergency tampons—they were like confetti in the front seat.
And then the car smashed into the ground. It rolled down some kind of embankment. Glass shattered in her face. Metal crunched. There was intense pressure along her left arm and leg.
Then everything stopped. The seat belt snapped tight against her body and cut into her neck. Cora dangled upside down in her seat. Excruciating pain ripped through her arm and thigh. It was so dark she couldn’t see what had happened to her limbs. Had they been broken by the rolling? Probably.
Cora tried to release her seat belt with her good hand but it wouldn’t let loose. She was stuck and fading fast. Her head throbbed fiercely. Unconsciousness was only seconds away.
And there were shouting voices drawing close.
Chained in his cell, Stig experienced a roller coaster of emotions. He switched from a sensation of utter despondence to self-loathing and then pure fear. His dragon body vibrated with panic. It took him a moment to realize the wild emotions weren’t his own. They belonged to Cora.
And she was terrified.
He closed his eyes and embraced the alien feelings coursing through him. Their burgeoning mate bond transmitted her emotions straight to him. There was no doubt. Cora was in extreme danger.
Stig cried out as searing pain tore through his arm and leg. Cora was hurt and afraid. Something had happened to her. A car accident? Or something worse.
As he tugged at his restraining chains, Cora’s problems with the debts and the drug running burst to the forefront of his mind. They’d been so wrapped up in the newness of their love and overwhelming lust that her problems had completely escaped him. Disgusted with himself, Stig jerked on the chains again. Even in his dragon form, he couldn’t muster the strength to bust them.
Cora’s questions about his lack of claviger sprang to mind. She’d asked about his backup plans. Talk about prophetic…
His inner beast still considered Cora his one and only mate. Stig’s human mind tried to deny her but it was impossible. She’d walked out on him and yet he still loved her. No matter how far Cora ran, they were two halves of a whole. He’d die for her. In this, his beast was in complete agreement.
Stig snorted violently. His wings ached for release. He had to get free of his bonds. He had to save Cora.
Without a second thought, Stig called forth his fire-breathing ability and torched the chain attached to his left wrist. They superheated in an instant and scalded his leathery skin. The hide blistered around his wrist. He bit back against the pain. It was a small price to pay for Cora’s life.
By the time he reached the final chain, Stig’s limbs ached painfully. He didn’t want to think about how long it would take for the wounds to heal. He hoped they wouldn’t prove a vulnerability if he had to fight.
Finally, the last chain snapped free. The hot cuffs still burned his skin. A few links dangled from them like some kind of bizarre jewelry. Stig sucked in a cooling breath. As his lungs inflated, the acrid smoke cleared his nasal passages and throat. The taste would linger in his mouth for hours.
Stig raced upstairs, knocking his wings and tail on the staircase and ceiling. He crashed through his kitchen
