Heart of a Fighter (Rocky River Fighters 1)

She didn’t know how to shoot a gun, and though the basics seemed simple, her aim would be shit. Plus, the noise of it firing was a factor. Still, she kept it with her as she continued down to the hall, heading toward the sunlight spilling from another hallway. Sunlight meant a way outside, and keeping the gun meant she had another option for incapacitating someone.

Coming to the corner of the hallway, she listened hard and nearly groaned as she heard people talking. Slowly easing her head around, she took a peek before jerking back, closing her eyes. There were only two men, and although both were armed, she knew she could take them. She just wouldn’t be able to do it quietly this time. They were standing between her and a door to the outside, which was both good and bad.

Good because, hello, her way out was just a few feet down that hall. Bad, because she could see a keypad for an alarm system next to it. It hadn’t looked like it was armed, but that didn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t. She had no choice but to take the risk. She had to get out of there.

Taking a steadying breath to calm her nerves, she slipped once again into fighter mode. Holding the gun tighter, she peeked around quickly, memorizing their positions. One was facing her, in front of the door, and the other stood with his back to her, laughing over something the other was saying. With one more breath, she rounded the corner with her speed, bringing the gun up and swinging it hard on top on the head of the man closest to her.

Not bothering to try to catch him to mute the noise of the fall, she dropped the gun and lunged toward the other man as he startled and raised his gun. Reaching him, she thrust the heel of her palm upward, smashing it into his nose. There was a loud crunching noise, blood instantly pouring from his nose. He let go of his gun with one hand to clutch it, howling.

“Oh, hush, you big baby,” she said as she kicked out, knocking his gun from his hand and sending it spinning to the floor.

Rage in his eyes, the man pulled his arm back to hit her, but she was faster. Using all of her shifter strength, she gave him two swift punches, one to his gut, the other to his kidney. He immediately doubled over, clutching his middle with one arm, the other hand still covering his nose, and she moved quickly. Snatching up his gun, she swung it at his head, watching in satisfaction as his eyes rolled back in his head.

Dusting her hands, she looked around her. She’d never hit so many people in the head, knocking them unconscious, in her life, but she had to admit, it felt good. And they all absolutely deserved it.

Get out of here.

Smart dragon, she thought. She studied the control panel next to the door for a moment before finally muttering, “Fuck it.” She had to open it, and to hell with an alarm.

She slowly turned the knob, and when it turned easily, she dropped the keys she hadn’t needed to

use. With one more deep breath, she shoved the door open and bolted outside, relief threatening to weaken her knees when no alarm sounded. She took a moment to look around before she employed her shifter gift, running for the tree line to her right.

She was almost there when out of nowhere, a figure appeared in front of her.

Panting from her burst of speed and the adrenaline coursing through her, she skidded to a stop, dismay filling her when she saw it was Ivan, holding a gun pointed at her chest.

“Did you really think you could escape, my princess? Though you were almost successful. Heads will roll for that. There was a silent alarm on the door, and you triggered it when you opened it. Luckily, I have a monitor I keep with me, so I was able to get here swiftly to stop you. Don’t even try to go any further. My men are coming as we speak.”

Exhaling, refusing to let panic overtake her, she tried to access her dragon and shift. His gun wouldn’t be able to penetrate her scales, unless he got lucky and a bullet hit her just right. But nothing happened, and the panic she was holding at bay threatened to overwhelm her.

“Let me guess. You’re trying to shift right now, aren’t you? Did I not mention after you were tranquilized, I injected a serum into your vein that suppresses your animal? No? What a shame I forgot to mention it. I guess I just wanted to see if you’d run. I really am disappointed in you, Camilla. I hoped you’d be different. That you would not only accept your fate, but embrace it. Now I’ll be forced to punish you. I hate that you’re making me do so.”

So that was why she hadn’t heard or felt her dragon at first. Squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, she accepted she’d been thwarted, trying to resign herself to her immediate future. She wouldn’t give up trying to escape. She’d never give up. But for now, she was trapped with no other option but giving in, though it chafed her to her soul.

Opening her eyes, she felt her eyebrows twitch minutely as she caught sight of movement by the treeline. Her breath caught and she swallowed hard as Alex melted out of the woods. His mouth was moving, and she squinted at him, even as she fought to not give him away. It looked like he was telling her not to worry, he had this.

Like hell he did. Furious as she was with him, she didn’t wish him dead, and trying to confront Ivan was a death wish. Alex might be a dragon, but he wasn’t a fighter in human form, and she seriously doubted he would be much of a fighter in dragon form, either. A vision of her father, quickly defeated and lying lifeless on the ground next to her mom flashed in front of her eyes, and she inwardly flinched.

Fuck that shit. She’d be damned if she sat by and watched as Alex fought and died for her. Anger and determination filled her veins, and when she looked back at Ivan, he was coated in red. She let the bloodthirst surge through her. Even without her dragon, she could take him. She knew she could.

But she never got the chance to find out.

Protect mate, her dragon roared.

With absolutely no warning, her dragon burst out of her, full of fury and the need to end Ivan. She didn’t even feel the transition, the pain of shifting, like she normally did. One moment she was human, the next she was dragon, and she didn’t hesitate to lift a lethally clawed hand and slash Ivan. He was thrown to the side, and he skidded a few feet before he surged to his feet, the shock in his eyes swiftly melting into bone-chilling fury. Moments later, he was in dragon form too, and it suited her just fine. She needed a good fight. She’d needed one for a long time, and another dragon would give it to her.

They crashed together, snarling and snapping. He was bigger and stronger than she was, but she had speed on her side, and she knew what she was doing. He almost got her by the neck, but she darted away, surging into the sky, betting he would be even slower while flying in his bulkier dragon form.

Glancing beneath her to make sure Alex wasn’t in danger, she froze in surprise as she saw him fighting Ivan’s men, side by side with her brothers. She hadn’t even realized they were here. A few clicks of warning were all she had to let her know Ivan was going to use his fire, and she quickly dodged to the side as he spewed a stream of fire her way.

That had been too close, and she focused on the huge yellow dragon in front of her with murder in its eyes. Knowing her brothers could take care of themselves, and Alex if it came to it, she put them from her mind, resolved to not look again until her fight was over. Wings flapping faster than the eye could see, she feigned going to the right and then darted to the left, going for his more vulnerable neck. He moved so that her razor sharp teeth only grazed him, but she knew her venom left its mark, because he roared in pain as he swiped a leg at her, a sharp claw slipping past her scales, nicking her.

Hissing in pain, she shot away and up, flying higher in the sky. He followed much slower, and seeing her opening while he was distracted with flying, she divebombed him, going for his neck again, and this time, managing to clamp her teeth around it. He shrieked and struggled, but her venom worked quickly, and soon his struggles were just a weak attempt to free himself. Not leaving anything to chance, she clamped down harder, and it wasn’t long until he went limp, his dead weight quickly dragging her down.

Opening her mouth, she let go, watching with satisfaction as he plummeted to the ground, changing to human form as they always did in death, moments before he hit the ground with a crash. She circled lower, needing to see him clearly, and when she was able to, she saw blood everywhere, his throat ripped open, almost completely separated from his body.

Staying in the sky, she quickly tore her gaze from him, looking around to see if her friends needed her. There were dead bodies, in human and animal form, littering the ground, and Ian and Seth were sitting on their haunches in animal form, the big cats casually cleaning themselves, licking the blood of the fight from their fur. In the sky below her, Jax was flying in eagle form, circling watchfully.