Dragonfury 02 - Fury of Ice

know.”
    “Forge will keep us cloaked and hidden, so worry about yourself, not me.” Her grip on him tightened as she whispered, “Please, Rikar. I want you one hundred percent focused out there. If you’re distracted by me, you won’t look after yourself or be able to protect the other Nightfuries.”
    Good advice. Too bad he couldn’t follow it. Not that he wouldn’t try, but he was a bonded male now. He could no more ignore Angela’s presence than his own fingers and toes. She was in his blood and a breath away from danger. His dragon would never allow him to forget about her, no matter how intense the fighting became.
    Pulling back a little, she met his gaze. Her hands moved over him, caressing the tops of his shoulders and down his spine, bringing him comfort as she said, “I’m sorry. I know you’re worried, but I can’t let it go. I need—”
    “Closure.” He sighed, relaxing beneath the pleasure of her touch.
    “Exactly.” Fisting her hands in his jacket, she shook him a little. “So let me do what I’m good at. Trust me to do my job, okay?”
    Rikar nodded, giving her what she wanted as he shifted focus. His gaze landed on the males standing less than six feet away. Shitkickers planted in the stone dust, not even trying to pretend disinterest, the newest members of the Nightfury pack stared at him.
    Nosy fuckers. He needed a private moment with his female, and what was he getting? A curious pair of idiots with personal boundary issues.
    Mac raised a brow, amusement all over his puss. Forge wasn’t as easy to read. The warrior was stoic, without expression, but Rikar caught the wicked glint in his eyes. His gaze narrowed on them, Rikar mind-spoke to the pair, “You leave her side for even a second, I’ll rip your hearts out and feed them to you.”
    “Well, now…” Forge’s mouth curved up at the corners. “That’s more like it.”
    “I’ll say.” Smirking, Mac jostled Forge with his elbow. “Thought we were losing him there for a second.”
    “Fuck off,” Rikar said, trying not to laugh. But Christ, it was hard. In less than a week, the males had wormed their way into his heart. “And be careful. They spot you—”
    “We’ll move to the secondary location.” Forge cracked his knuckles, looking as lethal as a coiled cobra.
    “Don’t sweat it, man , ” Mac said. “We’ll keep her hidden.”
    Rikar nodded, trusting the males to do their jobs. No easy feat. Leaving his female in their care was tantamount to gutting himself with a dull blade. And just as painful. The sense of foreboding wouldn’t let go. Was digging a hole at the back of his brain, stirring up a load of mental debris—the kind he always listened to before a firefight.
    But with her asking for his trust—sounding so sensible and strong—Rikar ignored instinct and let it go, giving her a gentle squeeze as he kissed her. Raised on her tiptoes, Angela gave as good as she got, returning the hard press of his mouth.
    Uncurling her fingers from his leather jacket, she stepped back, widening the distance between them, her gaze clinging to his. “Be safe.”
    Unable to look away, he walked backward toward the cliff edge.
    “Go,” she said, a slight hitch in her voice. “See you on the other side.”
    “Aim true, angel,” he murmured, memorizing the contours of her face, praying he’d see it again before he dove over the ledge and into thin air.

     
    Angela checked the M25 for the third time in less than a minute. She didn’t want it to jam. Rikar was counting on her. All right, so she wasn’t the only one on point. The Nightfury warriors were staked out too, poised to explode out of cover the instant Rikar came around the bend in the coastline and the enemy came into range.
    Still, she couldn’t bear the thought of not being ready.
    Yes, her mate was a warrior: strong, lethal, and smart. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t be hurt, or worse.
    Lying belly down on the lip of the ridge, Angela clenched her hand around the cloth ball full of chalk dust. Her palms were sweaty. Not a good sign. Especially since nerves had never been a part of the equation before. She’d always been rock-steady behind a scope. Tonight, though, was different. There was too much at stake, and as she checked her weapon again, she wondered what the hell she was doing. No matter how much she’d argued with Rikar to the contrary, she knew she shouldn’t be in the Nightfury mix.
    Her presence made them all uneasy. She