“He was with me,” Violet interjected firmly.

  Konrad focused on him again. He sniffed the air, but came up empty. He couldn’t place the dragon’s unfamiliar scent. His lip curled into a snarl. “Tell me who you are.”

  “Violet. I’m an alpha, too.” Violet crossed his arms. “And you know what? I don’t like the way you’ve treated Poppy since our conversation started.”

  The bottom of my stomach fell out. Was Viol actually standing up for me?

  Konrad threw his head back and released a harsh laugh. “You don’t know who I am, do you, outsider?”

  “I know,” Violet stated calmly. “You’re Konrad the polar bear. The so-called clan alpha. Apparently, that means you own Poppy. But that’s bullshit. He’s his own fucking person. He doesn’t belong to anybody.”

  As I listened to Violet, my jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe he was brave enough to confront Konrad like that. The words pouring assertively out of him were surreal to hear, like I was living in a dream.

  A wave of visible rage surged over Konrad. He reared onto his hind legs, towering at his full height of nine feet, and drew back a huge paw armed with five deadly claws.

  Fear sliced through me.

  “Violet!” I cried.

  But as Konrad took a nasty swipe at Violet, the air exploded with a split-second transformation.

  Konrad’s claws didn’t strike human flesh. They were stopped in place by Violet’s scaly forepaw, gripping the black blades and holding them steady. Those terrifying bear claws, able to shred through the thickest hide with ease, were meaningless against Violet’s strength.

  Violet’s dragon form towered over even Konrad’s full standing height. Clan members screamed in terror and shock, retreating backwards in a wave of fear. None of them had ever seen a dragon. I knew the sight of Violet’s large, unusual body spooked them. They were all afraid of what they didn’t know. But I wished they understood that he wasn’t scary at all. In fact, I felt even safer now that he’d assumed his dragon form, like a nestling chick beneath his wide leathery wings.

  Konrad heaved a sharp, disgruntled breath. As Violet released Konrad’s paw, the bear took a lumbering step back. It took a few moments to comprehend the great mystical beast in front of him. He must’ve understood the power difference immediately, because he roared to summon backup. My heart sank as his brother, Knox, and third clan alpha, Sheba, came bolting to his aid. But even as the three alpha polar bears stood off against the dragon, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that Violet could win. I just didn’t want him to get hurt in the process.

  “What the hell are you?” Konrad snarled.

  “Monster!” Knox spat.

  “Demon!” Sheba cried.

  The bears flanked Konrad, who stood tall on his hind legs. But Violet didn’t lunge or lash out. He stood his ground, four feet steady on the earth.

  “Heh. You wish. I’m a dragon,” Violet announced, spreading his wings wider. The bears balked momentarily, spooked by his wingspan, then returned to baring their yellowed fangs. “But this isn’t about me.” Violet arched his neck to glance at me. The eye contact sent a warm spark fizzing down my spine. It reminded me that Violet was on my side. That all of this was for my sake.

  Unlike Konrad’s insistence that his decisions were for my sake, I actually believed that Violet had my well-being in mind.

  The cold truth dawned on me.

  Coming back here was a mistake, I thought. I should’ve flown away with Violet. I should’ve let him take me wherever he may—to his home island, or somewhere else...

  But reality stabbed my chest like an icicle. There was one very important reason I couldn’t do that—and he’d just walked forward from the crowd.

  “Sorrel?” I whispered.

  My younger brother looked tidy and well-fed. But he wasn’t happy to see me. I didn’t think my heart could ache any more, but it did.

  “What are you doing, Poppy?” Sorrel demanded. “Why’d you bring that dragon here?”

  Konrad’s ear twitched. “You know this creature, Sorrel?”

  “Y-yes, sir.” Sorrel sat up straighter as the clan alpha addressed him. “My brother and I met him a couple weeks ago after he crashed into the fields outside your territory.”

  Konrad narrowed his beady black eyes. “And neither of you thought it was important enough to tell me?”

  Ears flicking back with guilt, Sorrel lowered his head. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve known better...”

  Konrad didn’t bother glaring at me. Strangely, he paid me little attention. Perhaps an alpha dragon was more urgent than a disobedient omega stray.

  But then Konrad did look.

  He fixed his hard stare on me with a vengeance, pinning me for a long, uncomfortable beat of silence. The air between us was thick and tense. His rage magnified like a growing storm cloud on the horizon, and he was about to unleash a torrential flood on my head. I withered beneath his gaze.

  Then Konrad snapped his glare back on Violet, sizing up the dragon.

  I don’t want them to fight, I thought desperately. But if they do, Violet won’t lose...

  Then Konrad fixed his gaze on Sorrel.

  A dreadful premonition rippled across my pelt. I felt a deep pit of despair open up within me, as if something horrible was about to happen.

  Konrad spoke in a menacing growl. “Knox. Sheba.” He paused for their attention. “Take Sorrel to my private quarters.”

  Absolute terror tore through me. A string of unspeakable images raced across my mind. Nothing good could possibly come from that.

  Nothing.

  As visceral fear catapulted me to my paws, my voice—raw and hoarse—came out louder than I’d ever yelled in my life: “NO!”

  I raced out from behind Violet, throwing myself at the ground beneath Konrad.

  “I’ll go,” I exclaimed. “Please. Let me go in his stead.”

  “Poppy!” Sorrel exclaimed, sounding almost offended.

  He didn’t understand. Why didn’t he understand that this was wrong?

  This wasn’t like before. I wouldn’t let Konrad sweet-talk his way out of my challenge because I had no more doubts. If I didn’t stop this, Konrad would hurt my brother.

  And I refused to let that happen.

  My body trembled and fear pierced my mind like thorns, but I wouldn’t back down. I stared directly into Konrad’s eyes.

  “Please, Konrad,” I begged. “Please take me in Sorrel’s stead.”

  Violet’s voice was shocked and furious as he cried out, “Poppy, what are you doing? Stop!”

  But as Konrad stared down at me, his expression slowly twisted into one of subtle satisfaction. As I groveled on the ground, he put a massive paw on top of my head, not holding back his strength.

  “Poppy!” Violet snarled. I felt the ground shake as he surged forward. “Get the fuck away from him or I’ll—”

  “You’ll what?” Konrad countered, letting his threat hang in the air. “Go ahead, dragon. Make your move.”

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Violet stare at the clan alpha in horror. He couldn’t move—if he did, Konrad would crush my skull. I didn’t doubt his threat, and neither did Violet.

  “Why are you doing this to him?” Violet snarled, fury gnarling his voice. “You’re supposed to protect omegas, not hurt them!”

  My heart ached with a deep pang of sympathy. I suddenly understood that Violet had never known cruelty. It never crossed his mind that a confrontation could end with subjugation and force instead of peace. This outcome was completely out of the realm of possibility for sweet Violet.

  The world he’d come from... it must’ve been a truly wonderful place. So different than mine. A home I could only dream of.

  Tears stung my eyes. Why didn’t I fly away with Violet when I had the chance...?

  “I would never hurt Poppy,” Konrad promised. “There’s no safer place than my private quarters.”

  “Fuck that!” Violet snapped, but I heard the fear creeping into his voice. “Enough of this shit. Get off of Poppy. Please.”

  Emboldened by Violet’s weakening threats, Konrad chuffed a cold laugh. “Didn’t you hear what I just said? Poppy is safe with me.” In a sharper tone, he added, “So get lost and find your own omega.”

  “What?” Violet cried. He sounded desperate now. “I don’t care about that! Poppy is my friend, asshole, and you’re hurting him!”

  Violet’s frightened gaze locked onto mine. They gleamed with a terrible betrayal, an unimaginable sadness.

  This is all my fault, I thought miserably. I never should’ve come back here. I never should’ve ruined Violet’s innocence like this...

  I swallowed a gasp as the weight of Konrad’s heavy paw bore down on me, pushing my chin deeper into the snow. But the discomfort was nothing compared to the despair eating me up.

  “It’s okay,” I said, trying to flash a reassuring smile at Violet that only made his troubled expression worse. “He won’t hurt me.”

  Was that true? I didn’t know. But Sorrel’s safety was more important than my own. If I could bear the brunt of whatever Konrad had planned, that was enough.

  Sheba and Knox lumbered in front of me, blocking Violet’s view. I could barely see his panicked expression over their muscular white bodies. But the alphas weren’t Konrad’s only backup. I saw Rorik edging closer to the scene, ready to join the fray on his clan alpha’s behalf. Other omega fighters lined up beside him. Polar bears and arctic wolves, all itching to be unleashed as soon as their clan alpha gave the word.

  My heart ached.

  Violet is strong, but he can’t fight off the entire clan... I don’t want him to get hurt because of my stupidity!

  “Please, Violet, go home,” I called.

  “What are you talking about, dumbass? I’m not leaving you here,” Violet screeched, anguish soaking his voice.

  In a final burst of desperation, Violet shot towards me. He shouldered Sheba and Knox out of his path with a snarl. He was barely a tail-length away from me when Konrad lowered his head, opened his jaws, and wrapped them around my skull.

  I didn’t even make a sound. I remained deathly still, afraid to even twitch. The tips of the bear’s thick fangs grazed my face fur, and the hot reek of his mouth flooded my nostrils. I heard my own pulse beating like a hammer in my ears.

  Violet skidded to a halt. Through Konrad’s front teeth, I saw the horror etched across Violet’s sweet face.

  It’s over now, I thought. There’s nothing he can do.

  Regret burned me up. I should’ve run away with Violet. I shouldn’t have subjected him to this.

  Sheba spoke on Konrad’s behalf, arrogant because she knew they’d won: “Try to harm our clan alpha and he’ll crush the omega’s head with a single bite. Now, get off our territory, you demon.”

  Violet’s eyes flashed with horror. Trembling, he backed up slowly, as if in physical pain. The only thing connecting us was his gaze locked onto mine.

  I could bear any pain Konrad inflicted. But I couldn’t bear the way Violet looked at me. It tore me up inside.

  Violet’s mouth opened as if he was going to speak, but then he snapped his fangs shut. With a gut-wrenching sound, he twisted around and ran off tundra clan territory. As I watched him go, relief clawed at my bruised heart.

  Violet would be safe now. That was all I could ask for.

  13

  Viol

  Furious tears streamed down my face as I raced away from Poppy.

  How could I be so stupid? How could I let this happen to him?

  Angry flames ignited in my throat, but I was forced to swallow them. My throat was hoarse from shouting, and the ashes stung bitterly as they went down.

  Why didn’t the alphas listen to anything I said? They weren’t like my brothers. This was no family. This clan was evil, rotten from the inside out.

  And I was too fucking naive to see the truth. I’d stood idly by and let those bastards put Poppy in danger.

  I choked back a sob as my final image of Poppy flashed in my mind. His sweet face trapped in a cage of polar bear fangs, an inch away from death.

  How could I be so useless?

  “Fuck!”

  I slashed the ground with my talons, sending a spray of snow into the air. I breathed in frantic bursts. I was crying too hard to catch my breath.

  “I’m so stupid!”

  I threw myself against the ground like a sack of trash, writhing and beating my paws against my head. If only my wings worked, I could’ve snatched Poppy and flown away from this wretched place.

  But even if my wings weren’t injured, I was too much of a damned coward. I’d balked at the idea of hurting his clan mates, and Poppy paid the price for my indecision.

  Grimacing, I stared down at my scaly palms. Hunting animals to eat was one thing... but inflicting harm on another person? Could I be capable of that? Was I supposed to be? Was that my fate as an alpha?

  My body slumped against the slope. I was drained to my core. But there was no time to brood. Poppy was in danger, and if I didn’t act fast...

  A shudder rippled across my scales. I wouldn’t allow my thoughts to go there, because it wasn’t going to happen.

  Pull yourself together, asshole! Poppy needs you!

  I shook myself and stood with fresh determination. There was no time to feel sorry for myself when Poppy was in danger. His safety came first. I had to get him out of the clan alpha’s private quarters, but how? Rushing in raring for a fight wouldn’t work. Even if I fought off every bear and wolf, Konrad would just threaten to hurt Poppy again.

  I needed to be stealthy. Preferably with the help of somebody on the inside. But none of those bastards stepped in to help Poppy when he was suffering.

  Then again, neither did I...

  I swore at myself under my breath. The only person I knew was Sorrel—and he was enamored with Konrad. Where was his deepest loyalty? To his loving brother, or the fucking tyrant?

  Dusk settled over the tundra. The sun was swallowed up, drenching the clan grounds in total darkness. It gave me enough cover to move. I shifted back to human form, thankful for my black clothes, and carefully shuffled towards the territory’s edge. My chest felt tight with unease. I’d never been so nervous. But I wasn’t worried about myself. Poppy was my only priority.

  Just thinking about him hurt my heart. Sweet, gentle Poppy. He didn’t fucking deserve this. And I’d stood there and let it happen.

  Gritting my teeth, I scanned the perimeter only to find it strangely empty. No wolf or bear patrolled the area. The clan was uncomfortably silent.

  Is it always like this? I thought.

  I took a tentative step closer to the nearest building, pressing against its shadow. The walls seemed thin and cheap, the opposite of soundproof, but I heard nothing. It was quiet inside. Almost like nobody was allowed to speak.

  My stomach fell. Every second I spent in this place disturbed me. I had to grab Poppy and get the hell out of here.

  When I still had the high ground, I’d spotted what I assumed was Konrad’s private quarters. It was the only building with a splash of red paint on its door, and it stood on an elevated ridge.

  My pulse quickened as I crept closer. For a control freak, Konrad’s security was oddly lax. But why? On one hand, it was difficult to imagine frequent outsiders in this barren place. But on the other, I was an intruder today. Didn’t Konrad think I’d be back?

  I stopped as a horrible thought struck me. I hadn’t stayed to fight. I’d turned tail and run. If Konrad assumed I wouldn’t return, what if Poppy thought that, too?

  My hand slapped over my chest, my fingers twisting into my leather jacket right over my heart. I couldn’t fucking handle the idea of Poppy thinking he was abandoned and alone. That I’d left him behind.

  Poppy, I swear I’m coming...!

  The sudden sound of approaching footsteps jarred me. I ducked low to the ground, staying out of sight behind the corner of a building.

  A young man walked up the steps to Konrad’s private quarters. His cheeks were full and pink with boyish youth, but his expression was steeled. His face looked vaguely familiar. I realized with a start that it was Sorrel’s human form.

  I bit my lip.

  Shit... Should I ask for his help to save Poppy? Is that why he’s here, to bargain for his brother’s release?

  But doubt wormed through me. Sorrel had looked disappointed and angry when Poppy made that big scene, even though it was for his sake.

  Feeling sick with pity, I ground my teeth. You idiot. You’re too young to know how fucked up this is!

  Konrad was a piece of shit for taking advantage of Sorrel’s naivete. And not just Sorrel. He took advantage of every other omega in this sorry excuse for a clan. He forced them to bend to his whims and orchestrated every aspect of their lives. He used them.

  But Konrad was especially evil for preying on Sorrel’s crush on him.

  The hair on the back of my neck bristled angrily, threatening to shift into dragon spines. I forced them to lie flat before I lost control. I couldn’t shift here—I’d draw too much attention to myself.

  But I should’ve trusted my dragon instincts... This place is rancid.

  I need to save Poppy... and Sorrel, too.

  As my thoughts raced, Sorrel took a deep breath and knocked on Konrad’s door. I had to admit, the kid was brave. It must’ve taken guts to confront his clan alpha.

  The door swung open. Konrad’s human form matched his bear. He was a towering wall of a man with a severe haircut and smug expression. It turned sickly sweet when he laid eyes on Sorrel, who instantly began to tremble.

  “Sorrel,” Konrad greeted. “What a surprise.”

  He stepped outside and shut the door promptly behind him, then leisurely descended the steps, almost as if leading Sorrel away from the house.

  My heart pounded. If they left, this would be the perfect opportunity to slip in and save Poppy. But watching Konrad interact with Sorrel sickened me. I didn’t want to leave Poppy’s younger brother alone with that man.

  Narrowing my eyes, still crouched low and out of sight, I felt intensely responsible for Sorrel’s safety. Sitting on the sidelines was not an option. If Konrad made one wrong move, I had to act.