“The mating ceremony is tonight,” Zane said, bending over to grab my hair again. “If you want me to pick you, you’d better decide to be nice.” He leaned his head in closer, closer, his lips coming in threateningly, slowly, as if he expected me to kiss him, opening his lips and letting his dog breath assault me.

  I head-butted him, using the hard part of my upper forehead to crush his nose the way my karate teacher had taught me.

  Before I’d been assigned my official omega status and was forced to quit, martial arts had been the best part of my life.

  Zane’s nose made a satisfying crack, and his blood spurted out on my shirt as he flew backward, landing on the ground but quickly pulled up by two of his lackeys.

  “You bitch!” he hissed, swiping the quickly flowing blood from his nose even as I watched, mesmerized, as his shifter healing slowly moved the crooked bones back into place with little popping sounds, like a tent being assembled, the blood flow slowing.

  In seconds, he looked normal again, except for the crust of blood around his nose.

  “Typical omega, can’t even hit that hard,” he said, and several of his goons laughed.

  The betas he ran with all looked the same to me. Handsome, built wolf shifters in their early twenties, with clean, expensive clothing and smiles built from other people’s pain.

  I smirked. “I’m not the one who called for backup.”

  His gaze darkened, and I knew I’d hit my mark.

  One of the betas near me slapped me across the face for my impertinence. My heart stung more than my cheek as my face swung to the side.

  I had grown up with these people. I wanted to be one of them. Ever since I’d been assigned to be an omega, I’d become nothing to them.

  Less than nothing. Something to squash under their feet.

  “How dare you talk to Alpha Zane that way?” Grayson, one of the betas, spat with a hiss.

  “He’s only alpha of the college,” I grumbled.

  I hadn’t been allowed to go to school past high school. Educating an omega was seen as a waste.

  I thought educating Zane was a waste when he could be perfectly suited to serving the community as firewood.

  “And I’ll tell your family alpha about what you did to him,” Allison said, another beta who licked Zane’s balls every chance she got.

  “Come on, Cleo,” Chris, a beta who never bullied omegas much despite hanging out with Zane, stepped forward, wringing his hands nervously. His red hair was damp with sweat as he looked between me and the angry alpha. His freckles stood out on his pale, wan face. “Just cooperate, please.”

  “Everyone else can accept their place here. Why can’t you?” Brittany, another beta, chimed in, throwing her perfect blond hair over her shoulder. “My little sister is a perfect omega. Pretty. Quiet. Seen but not heard.” Her lip curled in disgust as her green eyes raked me over. “Look at you. You aren’t even trying to catch an alpha.”

  She had that part right.

  I wanted nothing to do with any alphas. Not the alpha of school, the family alphas, the alpha of the entire village, or even his son.

  I’d be an old maid omega if I had any choice.

  “What’s so wrong with me?” Zane hissed, using his shirt to wipe away the rest of his blood as he lunged for me again, this time catching me around the waist and pulling me in against him. “I’m school alpha. The only one above me is the alpha of the entire village. You want to catch him?”

  I shook my head, though I didn’t owe him an answer. Any chance to reject an alpha was a good one.

  He lifted a tangled lock of my hair, keeping me locked against him with his other arm and his alpha strength. “If you don’t do something about this mess, you won’t even catch a family alpha.” He grinned, his leering eyes gleaming orange like a fall moon. “Then, after the mating ceremony, you’d be free game for anyone. Anyone’s little bitch—”

  I brought my knee up into his groin, but he jerked back, lifting his leg to guard against it while still keeping his hold on my hair.

  He pulled me in against him again, and I yelped. I couldn’t help it. I tried to never give these animals the satisfaction of seeing me bleed, but I had thick hair, and he jerked so hard he almost tore it out.

  Something snapped in me, and I started fighting him in earnest then, scratching at his face, kicking out at him, not caring if he pulled out my hair as long as I didn’t have to stand his touch for another moment. I let out a feral screech as I went straight for his eyes, wanting to tear them out.

  I just wanted all this bullying to stop. To escape this stupid world that wasn’t made for me.

  “What’s going on here?” A deep voice interrupted as a shadow fell over us from behind.

  I thought at first it was simply the sun going behind clouds as it set.

  But as I turned, I saw a radiant sunset blazing across the sky with burning oranges and pinks, cutting through mellow retro blues and hazy purple.

  Something was blocking my view of the sun, casting the shadows, and I had to raise my hand to shade my eyes to see what it was.

  “Shit, I’d forgotten archangels were coming for the ordination before the mating ceremony,” Chris muttered to Brittany as they both stepped back.

  Zane let go of me, dropping me to the ground on my butt, and stepped back also. My eyes went wide and my heart dropped what felt like hundreds of feet in a second as I looked up at the most powerful being I’d ever seen.

  His wings were huge, black, and extended from both sides of him in a threatening posture as he approached, the feathers on the end so long that the tips dragged on the ground, making an ominous swishing noise.

  I’d heard angels put their wings out to demonstrate their authority, but I’d never thought I’d see it.

  And those wings. Pure, abyssal black. What did that mean?

  Somehow I tore my eyes away from the wings to look at the actual man. There wasn’t anything too outlandish about the rest of him.

  He wore a white tee, which skimmed a perfectly muscled but lean build with wide shoulders and powerful arms, slim hips, and long, toned but muscular legs encased in dark jeans. He also wore work boots.

  He looked to be in his mid-twenties, though looks could be deceiving.

  Oddly enough, his arms were covered in tattoos, like humans sometimes had. I hadn’t expected an angel to have them.

  Shifters considered their human forms temples to house the animal god inside them. They didn’t defile them with piercings or tats.

  But looking at this guy, with his wings and tats and power, I just felt the sudden desire to be everything he was. To have everything he had.

  His eyes fell on me, and I took the moment to study his face.

  Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. Sheer masculine perfection hit me like a wall as I noted his strong brow ridge, thick brows, and piercing dark eyes with long lashes. His nose was long and straight. Not a small nose, but a beautiful one.

  It complemented his hard, masculine jawline and stubborn chin and contrasted his soft, full mouth that turned down at the corners in a permanent frown.

  A frown that deepened as he appraised all of us. His wings drew in to a semi-tucked position as he walked forward, and I saw that his hair was a golden brown, falling in rough, tousled curls over his forehead. He had the kind of highlights that came from days in the sun, rather than a salon.

  The idea of this harsh-looking person in a salon made me giggle despite the gravity of the situation and the fact that I was in the presence of an actual angel.

  Someone with far more authority than anyone in this stupid town.

  “Something funny, mortal?” The angel arched a thick brow, drawing to his full, much-taller-than-me height.

  I immediately sobered. “No.”

  His gaze lingered on me for a moment, and the dark, heated brown of his eyes reminded me of dark rum.

  It looked equally intoxicating.

  No. No way. I couldn’t have thoughts like that. I didn’t fall for alphas. And angels were like the alphas of alphas.

  I’d die before I perved on one.

  But his abs did look like they’d be so hard under that shirt…

  Fuck. I wanted him.

  I felt his eyes on me again. Then, as if he had to tear them away, he looked to Zane and folded his arms.

  “I asked you a question.”

  “I—I’m sorry, what? I forgot,” Zane said. Sweat dampened his forehead, and all of the betas around me didn’t look too reassured by the fact that their alpha wasn’t acting so alpha right now.

  The angel was deathly quiet, save for the slight rustle of his feathers as his wings moved slightly. They were upright and folded, arching out from behind him and falling in straight lines to the ground, making him look more like a classic biblical angel.

  He cocked his head, and the cracks in his neck punctuated the ominous silence. “I hate bullies.”

  The Demon’s Pet (Rise of the Morningstar Book 1)

  Alternate cover for Claimed by the Barbarian Dragon

  Also by Terry Bolryder

  Alpha Series

  Alpha Rogue

  Alpha Contender

  Bearstone Park Series

  Bearllionaire

  Bearlebrity

  Bearthlete

  Beary Sexy: A BBW Werebear Boxed Set

  Alpha Defender

  Alpha Defender

  Polar Heat Series

  Bear-Ever Yours

  Some Bear to Love

  One in a Bear-llion

  Remem-Bear Me

  Polar Heat Boxed Set

  Wolf Protectors Series

  Alpha Champion

  Alpha Hero

  Alpha Protector

  Wolf Protectors Boxed Set

  Dragons of New York Series

  Double Dragons

  Desired by Dragons

  Destined Dragons

  Double Dragons Boxed Set

  Soldier Bears Series

  Big Bad Bear

  Big Sexy Bear

  Big Strong Bear

  Soldier Bears Boxed Set

  Bear Haven Series

  Mountain Bear

  Rancher Bear

  Wild Bear

  Mountain Lion

  Bear Haven Boxed Set

  Tiger Protectors Series

  A Tiger’s Bounty

  A Tiger’s Treasure

  A Tiger’s Destiny

  A Dragon’s Heart

  Tiger Protectors Boxed Set

  Bear Claw Security Series

  Bear to the Bone

  Bear-ly a Hero

  Bear to the Rescue

  Bear-ly Human

  Bear to the End

  Bear Claw Boxed Set

  Lions of Pride Island Series

  King of Rock

  Prince of Fate

  Protector of the Pride

  Lions of Pride Island Boxed Set

  Awakened Dragons Series

  Onyx Dragon

  Sapphire Dragon

  Ruby Dragon

  Diamond Dragon

  Amethyst Dragon

  Emerald Dragon

  Awakened Dragons Boxed Set

  Trapped in Bear Canyon Series

  Sheltered by the Bear

  Craved by the Bear

  Redeeming the Bear

  Secrets of the Bear

  Trapped in Bear Canyon Boxed Set

  Rent-A-Dragon Series

  Steel

  Iron

  Titanium

  Rent-A-Dragon Boxed Set

  Date-A-Dragon Series

  Gold

  Silver

  Platinum

  Citrine

  Date-A-Dragon Boxed Set

  Awakened Sea Dragon Series

  Zircon

  Tourmaline

  Aquamarine

  Awakened Sea Dragons Boxed Set

  Dragon Guard of Drakkaris Series

  Lead Dragon

  Cadmium Dragon

  Arsenic Dragon

  Zinc Dragon

  Cobalt Dragon

  Chromium Dragon

  Dragon Guard of Drakkaris Boxed Set

  Nightmare Dragons Series

  Midnight

  Nightfall

  Starlight

  Built Fur Love Series

  Love at Furst Sight

  Mine Furever

  Purrfect For Me

  Built Fur Love Boxed Set

  Frozen Dragons Series

  Lord of Winter

  Master of Frost

  Prince of Ice

  Club Crimson Series

  Max

  Lock

  Benny

  Felix

  Bad Dragons Series

  Kiss of the Dragons

  Heart of the Dragons

  Soul of the Dragons

  Forgotten Dragons Series

  Dragon Next Door

  Dragon Meets Girl

  Dragon to the Rescue

  Dragon with Benefits

  Dragon in Love

  Wings, Wands and Magic Bonds (Fae)

  Found by Frost

  Defended by Darkness

  Held by Heat

  Loved by Light

  Reclaimed Dragons

  Dragon Released

  Dragon Redeemed

  Dragon Reformed

  Rogue Dream Fae

  Sweet Dreams

  In Her Dreams

  Wildest Dreams

  Texas Dragons

  Cowboy Dragon

  Rancher Dragon

  Wrangler Dragon

  Outlaw Tiger

  Rogue Wolf

  Big Bad Basilisks

  Apex Basilisk

  Primal Basilisk

  Savage Basilisk

 

 

  Terry Bolryder, Claimed by the Barbarian Dragon (Crystals, Curves and Castles Book 1)

 

 

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