“Can’t anyone ever start a fight without all the posturing and cheesy Bond villain threats? It’s not that hard. Here, let me demonstrate.”

And he smashed a fist into Colin’s nose.

Colin flew back with a yell, both hands going to his face, as the rest of the group lunged forward. I leaped away, clenching my fists, as an all-out brawl erupted in the front yard. Riley, Garret, and Dante disappeared in a chaotic whirlwind of fists, feet, elbows, and knees.

Shouts, grunts of pain, and the sounds of fists on flesh rang out, over-shadowed by the cheers and screams of the crowd.

My dragon roared, frustrated that she couldn’t get in there and rip the humans to pieces, but I wasn’t going to stand back and watch this time. When a bulky frat boy swung at Dante, I stepped up behind the human and kicked him in the calf, sweeping his leg out.

He staggered, and Dante slugged him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

“Ow,” he muttered, shaking his hand as if stung. “Damn, it’s like hitting a cement block.”

I shot a quick glance at Riley and Garret who, though surrounded by thugs and flying fists, seemed to be holding their own. Riley was grinning demonically as he faced his opponents, taking the blows that landed and swinging back viciously, slamming them into hoods and car windows. Beside him, Garret spun and blocked with his near-inhuman grace, slipping inside an opponent’s guard and striking quickly before they knew what happened.

The human Dante had knocked over lurched to his feet and lunged at him again. Dante sidestepped, and the drunk human crashed headfirst into a car door. I grinned, but while we were both distracted Colin appeared out of nowhere, shoving me aside. I stumbled, caught myself, and whirled around to see him lash out with a fist and strike Dante in the temple. My brother crumpled to the ground, and my vision went red.

As Colin raised his foot to kick Dante, I jumped between them with a snarl, baring my teeth. The color drained from the human’s face, and he stumbled back, mouth dropping open. I felt the beginnings of the change ripple through me, the dragon rising to the surface, and tensed to pounce.

Something grabbed my wrist, yanking me back, just as Garret slammed into Colin, tackling him. I spun to face Riley, a breath away from Shifting and pouncing on him, too.

“Stop it!” he ordered, his firm voice slicing through me. It pierced the rage and the heat, the wild snarling of the dragon, and brought everything into focus again. I shivered and drew back, appalled at what I’d almost done. Pulling me away, he maneuvered us to the edge of the driveway, letting me go with a hard look.

“Stay out of this, Firebrand,” he ordered, and I took a breath to snarl at him, to tell him I could handle myself just fine. But Dante’s gaze met mine across the yard as he pulled himself to his feet, rubbing his head. My brother’s gaze was angry and horrified, but not at Riley. At me. As if he, too, knew how close I’d been to exposing us all.

Sirens echoed through the night, and everyone’s attention jerked to the distant wailing. Almost instantly, the crowd scattered toward cars and vehicles, some or even running off into the darkness. I tensed, more annoyed then anything. Stupid cops. Of course, their timing was perfect.

Riley’s dark head lifted, gold eyes narrowing as the sirens drew steadily closer, than looked back at me. “Whoops, looks like that’s my cue,” he said, backing away. “Firebrand, remember what I told you. If you need to talk, you know where to find me.”

With a wink, the rogue turned and vanished into the darkness as swiftly as he’d appeared. A motorcycle roared to life somewhere in the sea of cars, and tore off into the night.

“Ember!” Dante’s voice rang out. Glaring at me, my twin stalked to the edge of the driveway, keys in hand. “Let’s go!” he ordered, pointing to the vehicle we’d arrived in. “Get in the car, right now!

We’re going home.”

I bristled at his demanding tone. Who was he to order me around?

He wasn’t my boss. And I wasn’t looking forward to the conversation on the ride home, either. He’d seen me talking with Riley and would probably demand to know how I knew the rogue, something I wasn’t about to confess, especially now.

The sirens got louder. Most of the crowd had disappeared, or were in the process of driving off. Unable to stop myself, I looked at Garret, standing alone in the shadows several yards away, his metallic eyes on me. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t step forward, either to defend me or offer a ride, and hurt flared up to join the anger, confusion, and disappointment.

“You know what?” I growled, backing away from Dante and Garret, back toward the house. Blue and red lights flashed in the distance, coming up the road, as I made my decision. “Screw you both.

I don’t need any of this. I’ll find my own way home.”

“Ember!” Dante yelled, but I turned and ran, sprinting around the house, down toward the shore and into the darkness. Leaving them all behind.

Maybe a hundred yards down the beach, I slowed, kicking up sand as I stalked along the edge of the water, thinking. Small waves rumbled as they rolled onto shore, then hissed as they returned to the sea. Overhead, a full white moon blazed down, turning the beach into a fantasyland of silver and black. I could still hear the sirens from the squad cars, probably at the party right now, breaking it up.

Hopefully, everyone got out okay, though I didn’t know why I should be concerned. I did feel guilty for running out on Dante, who would call my phone every ten minutes, but who also knew me well enough to know I could get home by myself. I wasn’t worried about him. at least he cared. The other boys could fling themselves off a cliff.

I sighed. Riley, Dante, Garret. Three impossible boys who, for different reasons, were making my life very difficult. Dante for being a paranoid jerk sometimes. Who said I could trust him but then agreed with everything Talon said. Who was a perfect model student, didn’t bend the rules, and expected me to do the same. Riley, a rogue dragon who encouraged me to do the exact opposite. who flaunted Talon’s laws and tempted me with the secrets he possessed, and the freedom he represented. Who called to my dragon and was impossible to ignore.

And Garret. A human. Enough said right there.

I sighed again, tipping my head back. My skin was still flushed, whether from anger or adrenaline or both, and my dragon crackled and snapped in myriad different directions. I needed to calm down.

I wished I had my board. It was impossible to stay tense while floating on the surface of the ocean, its cold, dark depths lulling you to sleep. The sea was fascinating. It always amazed me, how calm and peaceful it was one moment, only to bear down on you a moment later with the power and savagery of a hurricane.