Rancher Dragon, Terry Bolryder [acx book reading TXT] 📗

He said he’d die defending his mate.

Maybe he really would.

23

Sierra was shaking from head to toe as she watched the terrifying, gargantuan fight before her.

But in spite of the rain, the elements, and the ground shaking like the earth was going to split in two at any moment, she wasn’t going to run from Beck’s side no matter what.

She was grateful that TJ wasn’t touching her anymore. But now the coward was attacking Beck in the back while he had to fight that colossal… thing that had sprouted from the ground like some horned, spiked daisy out for murder.

Sierra frowned, noting the blood covering Beck’s hide, the way he was limping on one leg. The basilisk seemed to note this, and it was taking its time closing in for the kill. Either out of hesitation or desire to enjoy itself, she had no clue.

“You have no idea how much fun I’m having right now.” TJ appeared, ducking out of the clouds before spreading his wings and flying back up into them again. The rain was still pouring, but she didn’t care.

Her whole world was fighting for his life right now. And even though she wished she could turn into some big beast and join his side, she was just human.

But that didn’t mean she had to stand back and simply let Beck take a beating from a backstabber like TJ. Someone who had been pretending to be Beck’s friend while breaking him down his entire life and making him feel guilty for something that was never his fault.

“Don’t listen to that butthead, Beck!” she shouted at the top of her lungs, praying he could hear her over the rain.

Beck glanced over at her, worry in his beautiful silver eyes. His dragon was so cool, so big, the colors of granite and sandstone glittering across his scales. She wished she had more time to tell him that, tell him all the things she wanted to say since their argument, but she couldn’t.

“You know why that guy hates you?” She cupped her hands to her mouth even as the wind blew so hard it nearly bowled her over. “Because you’re powerful. Because you’re strong. So much stronger than he’ll ever be.”

“Shut up and watch while I bury this fool once and for all, pathetic human.” TJ’s voice was unhinged, but he stayed concealed in the clouds, probably waiting for the basilisk to attack so he could hit Beck in the back like a bully.

But she didn’t stop even though forces much older, much stronger, much deadlier surrounded her on all sides. “You see? He wants you to be afraid of your power and not use it. Because he knows he could never win in a fair fight. So he’s had to cheat all these years. Lied to your face and made you feel like you didn’t have control when you really did.”

The basilisk’s red eyes darted between the sky, Beck, and her, pausing as if confused by all the sudden talking. But even though the thing was clearly a horrible beast that had no business walking the face of the earth, Sierra wondered if there wasn’t something almost human about the way it looked down at her.

Lightning cracked, close enough the rumble of it shook her to her toes, but she didn’t back down from a fight. It was something her grandpa had always taught her, and it was a lesson she didn’t aim to forget, especially now.

“You can win. You can beat him. And not just because you’re a mountain dragon—which honestly sounds like the coolest dragon in the world—but because you’re all the things he isn’t, Beck.”

Beck’s eyes looked over at her again, widening slightly as if surprised at her words.

“You’re honest, kind, loyal—”

“Shut up. Shut up!” TJ screeched as she saw his dragon darting between clouds, getting closer.

She ignored him and focused on Beck. “Thoughtful, a good friend, an even better lover. You stood up for me when no one else would. You’ve never ever hurt a person unless they were going to hurt someone you loved first. Since the moment I met you, I’ve just been amazed at your strength and integrity. And if we make it out of this alive, I’m going to make sure you know I feel this way about you every day.”

Beck finally smiled at her, and she saw resoluteness in his eyes she’d never seen before. A determined, peaceful look that made her sad for how long Beck had had to carry all these burdens alone.

No longer.

“So fight, Beck. Fight him! Fight for us.” She took in a breath so she could say the last part loudest. “Kick. His. Ass!”

Beck’s grin was everything as she swore for the first time, and he turned to face the basilisk, who was starting to charge again, this time looking like it was ready to finish the job.

But to Sierra’s utter surprise, Beck raised his head high in the air and roared so loud she clapped her hands over her ears as the earth shook.

And then, by some unknown magic, she watched as his dragon started to get bigger. Taller. Out of his back, huge plates of stone started to grow like armor, covering his sides and legs and tail. More horns grew from his forehead until there were six long, gnarled spikes where there had been two. Meanwhile, his tail got larger and heavier, the end of it growing into the shape of a spiky wrecking ball made out of granite that was bigger than her house.

In the back of her head, this somehow felt right. Like Beck’s dragon had been held back all along, hidden by the shame and doubt that TJ had planted there.

Now his dragon was humongous, standing practically shoulder to shoulder with the basilisk. Not just larger, but better.

“A giga dragon,” TJ uttered from somewhere, his voice lost on the wind.

Now Beck was huge, ferocious, and looked like he was utterly unstoppable.

Her Beck.

Beck growled, the rumbling from