Free Fire Dragon's Baby (Dragon Shifter Scifi Alien Romance) (Elemental Dragons Book 1) by Juno Wells, Scarlett Grove Page A

jump, he propelled himself into the air.
    He shifted as he swept away from the balcony. His red-scaled body extended outward, and he flapped his wings in mid flight. The powerful fire dragon darted into the air and circled above the jungle. He then lurched toward the fortress, but Salvatt’s human mind pushed the dragon on.
    The fire prince flew over the dense jungle, his powerful wings as fast as any speeder. With every flap of his wings, the dragon rebelled. Soon, Salvatt was at the edge of the dried volcanic beds. The ashy red rock stretched out for miles below him before the bubbling lava fields came into view. The heat of the lava radiated over his scales as he approached the neon red magma. The volcano stood in the distance, spurting smoke and thin red lines of lava that flowed down the mountainside.
    Salvatt roared, his fire breath shooting out from the depths of his lungs and fire gland in his gut. He shot up and then darted down again. His flame breath spiraled around him as he dove. He shot sparks of flame into the cooled rock that floated above the lava bed. It ignited and a hot fire raged, melting the rocks into the lava below. He dove and burned, delighting in the intensity of the heat and the sparks of molten rock that popped in the air around him.
    The madness to mate returned in a sharp insight and the dragon bolted away from his art. The prince pushed back, and the dragon recoiled at the shock of the rebuke. His fury turned inward.
    As the crazed beast raged against himself, sharp claws sliced over his belly. They twisted away, a second too slowly. One of the lords of the south swooped up from below him and bit at Salvatt’s neck. Salvatt spun away and over the earl of the fire lands. This lord was strong, and had not yet entered the play for power. He’d been saving it for this chance.
    The earl’s eyes flashed in the blazing light of the lava flow as he whirled through the air to gash Salvatt’s belly again. The fire prince had been weakened by his own need. His mind was fragmented. How could he fight like this? Thoughts of his bride filled him with enraged longing. He would not let himself be beaten. He had to protect his mate and their dragonling. He drew on the strength of his ancestors and shot toward the earl’s back. The impact threw the earl off guard and Salvatt was able to sink his claws deep into the other dragon’s wings.
    The earl clawed and bit at him, but Salvatt ignored it. His powerful wings beat up and down, driving them both toward the ground. The earl screeched and twisted away. Salvatt still had a grasp of one wing but now they were spinning downward, out of control.
    Both dragons splashed into the lava bed. The molten rock consumed them both. Salvatt used the other dragon’s surprise to bite hard at his neck. The earl gasped, breathing in magma. Salvatt felt the earl’s life slip away under his teeth. But the heat of the burning rock was beginning to eat away at his skin.
    He pushed himself upward, ignoring the biting pain. With the last of his strength, he pulled himself onto a cooled rock ledge. The dragon flailed and then went still. Smoke puffing from his nostrils.
    Salvatt looked out through the hazy eyes of his beast. His rational mind had control. The dragon gave up his body and he shifted. The lava flowed away from his skin, but the searing heat began to scorch his human flesh. Salvatt flicked his neck, covering his body and head with his jumpsuit.
    Protected from the heat now, he moved his finger over his wrist to bring up the holocom built into his suit. Nothing happened. He took a ragged breath and flicked his fingers down his wrist several more times. Not good. He couldn't contact his staff or have his speeder come find him. Pain sliced through him. Salvatt screamed, his body contorting as he flailed on the lava stone.

                                   
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    C eleste abruptly stood from where she'd been sitting beside the baby. With