Dead Sexy Dragon

Dragon Heat - 1

by

Lolita Lopez

Chapter One

Stig Wyvern dried the last of his dishes and placed them in the cabinet. His gaze moved to the bay window across the kitchen. The setting sun splashed the sky with brilliant streaks of orange and fiery pink. His stomach tightened at the sight. With the darkness came the forced change, and tonight it would be beyond his control. This night and those of the following eight days he would spend at the complete mercy of his inner beast.

Already his skin tingled, his nerves set alight with a prickling heat. Even though he’d just ingested a pile of rare steaks for dinner, his stomach growled with emptiness. There wasn’t enough water to slake his thirst. And his libido raged. He wanted nothing more than to find a willing woman to sink into again and again.

But he couldn’t do that. He mustn’t do that. When in heat, Stig’s scent changed, grew more potent, and made it easier for the Knights to find him. So he would retreat to the cavernous lair beneath his home and lock himself in irons for the duration of the night.

He did a final check of the kitchen and headed upstairs to make sure the house was sealed tight. He’d barely reached the top of the stairs when he heard the frantic knock at his front door. It momentarily stunned him. No one ever knocked on his door. His closest neighbor was five miles away—and he liked it that way.

He wanted to ignore the pounding, pretend he’d never heard it and go about his business, but he just couldn’t. If someone was there, it had to be serious. Maybe a car wreck on one of the nearby roads or an accident in the woods surrounding his home. Local teenagers had a habit of staging wild parties out there. Underage kids and drinking was a nasty mix.

As he hurried downstairs, Stig couldn’t help but wonder if the person on the other side was safer braving the elements of the night than facing him so close to the sunset. When in heat, his inner beast was difficult to control. The primal drive and desires that would soon overtake him put all humans at risk. He unlatched and unlocked the various dead bolts on the door and quickly drew it open.

Stig’s gruff greeting died on his lips the second he spied the petite black-haired beauty standing on his doorstep. Her scent, sweet and spicy, wafted up to meet him. His body zinged with recognition. “Cora?”

“Hey, Stig.” Cora Cardenas greeted him with a sad smile. Her puffy and red-rimmed eyes betrayed her. She’d been crying. An uneasy feeling twisted Stig’s gut at the sight of the luggage surrounding her. He stuck his head out the door and saw her compact car caked in grime from the long drive. There were more boxes and suitcases visible through the windows.

Shit. Of all the times for his dead friend’s sister to show up on his doorstep, it had to be tonight, the one night when he feared he wouldn’t be able to withstand his already-brewing attraction to her.

“Cora, look, this isn’t a good time for me. I—”

“You promised!” she interrupted with a sob. “When Hector died, you promised I could come to you.”

Guilt gripped him. “I know and I meant it. It’s just that things are complicated right now.” He nervously eyed the skyline. “There’s a hotel in town. It’s a forty-minute drive. You shouldn’t have a problem getting a room.”

“Stig,” she said pleadingly.

Cora’s begging tore at his heart. Stig fought the urge to gather her in his arms and offer the security of his home—and his bed. Only the knowledge that she was forbidden and that his secret world could put her in grave danger stopped him from grabbing and dragging her across his threshold.

“Cora, you need to go.” His muscles twitched and jaws ached. The change was coming soon. Too soon for his liking. “Cora, please—”

“The key!” she practically screamed at him as she dug in the front pocket of her jeans. “I still have the key!”

Stig’s gaze moved to her now-upturned palm. The key he’d given her a little more than a year ago rested there. He was haunted by his words. As long as you have the key to my home, you’ll always have a place to stay.

“Please.” Tears dripped down her cheeks. Fear radiated from her shaking frame. She was scared. Of what, he didn’t know but it worried him.

Stig swallowed hard and stepped aside. “All right.”

Her shoulders sagged with relief. As she brushed past him, her suitcase wheels bumping over the threshold, Stig caught a whiff of her scent again. It curled around him, the sweet-scented tendrils squeezing his chest and filling him with need. His cock stiffened and pressed painfully against his zipper. The urge to stroke her olive skin was overwhelming but he somehow managed to master it.

Stig had to get away from her. His questions could wait until the morning and the safety of the sun.

“I’m sorry I was so short with you just now. I have a horrible headache. I…I need to lie down.” Stig gestured around him. “The guest bedroom is the first room on the left at the top of the stairs. The bathroom is the room on the right. Make yourself at home. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Oh.” Cora was clearly confused by his abruptness. “All right.”

Stig nodded and headed out of the living room. He paused in the doorway and glanced over his shoulder. “Cora?”

“Yes?”

“There’s a door in the kitchen. It leads down to the cellar. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave it alone. I’m having an issue with infestation.”

Cora’s eyes widened. “Infestation?”

He shrugged. “The house is so close to the woods. It was bound to happen sooner or later.” He held her gaze. “You’ll keep out?”

Cora nodded dutifully. “Of course.”

“Thank you.” A painful quiver of blazing heat pierced his abdomen. He needed to get downstairs—fast.

“I’ll go ahead and get the rest of my things.” She started toward the front door. “Go get some sleep. I’ll be fine tonight. We can talk in the morning.”

Stig sensed the shift in her emotions. She’d arrived distraught and afraid and now seemed calmed. That the simple act of stepping into his home gave her such a sense of security tugged at his heart. Suddenly, he remembered why he’d made that offer to her at Hector’s funeral. Even then he’d been drawn to her, had wanted to gather her close to his chest and caress her silky black hair.

But those feelings were wrong then and were still wrong now. There was an unspoken code among friends. As Hector’s baby sister, Cora was off-limits.

“Good night, Cora.”

“Night, Stig.”

He didn’t linger but took advantage of her short trip outside to rush into the kitchen. He made sure to lock the basement door behind him before running down the stairs. His bones ached and muscles burned as his inner beast struggled for freedom.

Slowly his eyes adjusted to the darkness. His night vision allowed him to move swiftly and safely down the corridor. With each descending footstep, the temperature dropped and the musty dankness grew stronger. The stairs ended on a wet slab of stone blocked by a heavy steel door. He punched in the code and yanked open the door that led into a stunningly beautiful cavern.

Decades earlier, he’d discovered the secluded cave during a solo spelunking trip. Building a house over what he intended as his subterranean lair only made sense. The layers of rock and dirt filtered his enhanced scent, cloaking him from those who would do him harm. It provided a secure place for him to hide out during these episodes of uncontrollable animalistic lust and blood thirst that plagued him every three years. Until he found a mate, a proper non-human mate, Stig wouldn’t be able to shake his mating heat.

He ducked beneath a tricky little stalactite he hadn’t had the heart to rip down while outfitting the cavern for his needs. There was no time to dally tonight. Stig quickly undressed. He walked over to the far wall and grabbed the titanium chains. They rattled in his trembling hands as he secured them around his ankles and wrists. The time-activated lock beeped and began the countdown to sunrise and safety.

Secure in his bonds, Stig relaxed his shoulders and welcomed the change. Scaly green patches transformed his tanned skin. The bones of his face elongated into a kind of snout. His short nails lengthened and sharpened into acid-green talons. Stig groaned in pain as his back snapped and realigned itself into a curved shape. With a rending of skin and a scream from his throat, pterodactyl-like wings sprouted from his back, the black reptilian membrane wet and stretched thin between the joints.

And just like that, his inner dragon was free. The primal urges of his beast suppressed Stig’s humanity. For now, he could only think with the primitive parts of his brain. Hunt. Food. Sex. Sleep. Those were his strongest desires.

He jerked at his bonds, desperate for freedom and yearning for a taste of the young woman whose tantalizing smell still teased him despite the depths he’d descended. His mouth watered and his erection twitched at the vision of parting her thighs and lapping at her honeyed sex. He could just imagine the sensation of tight, wet heat that would envelope his cock if he thrust deep inside her.

Burning up with lust, Stig shuddered and pressed back against the cool stone. He didn’t dare look at the blinking hours and seconds on the locks. Thankful for the strength of his chains, he closed his eyes and tried unsuccessfully to subjugate his dragon’s needs.

This was going to be one very long night indeed.

* * *

Cora dragged the last of her suitcases into the guest bedroom. It was small and sparsely furnished. She’d expected nothing less from Stig. He wasn’t the warm and cozy type. Actually, Cora was pleasantly surprised not to find a military-style rack complete with itchy wool blanket and paper-thin sheets. The full-sized bed offered a comfy pillow-top mattress and nice fluffy white comforter. Pale blue walls added a soothing effect she desperately needed.

Her tummy clenched at the thought of having to tell Stig about the mess she’d created. Heat flooded her cheeks. She could imagine the disapproving expression he’d wear. She’d often seen a similar look on Hector’s face. Neither man had been programmed to take risks or take the plunge into the unknown in pursuit of a dream. Cora, on the other hand, thrived on uncertainty. She liked taking chances. Sometimes they turned out fine and sometimes…well…they didn’t.

Hunger pangs twisted her belly. When had she last eaten? Oh right. That gross drive-through burger joint about five hours ago.

Cora left her room and carefully tiptoed past the door she assumed led to Stig’s room. The last thing she wanted to do was disturb him. For a second there, she’d thought he was really going to refuse her entrance to his house. Her gut told her there was something more than a headache causing his weird behavior.

Her first instinct? That he had a lover in the house. The very thought of another woman, naked and sated in Stig’s bed, had soured her stomach. From the first time she’d spied Stig Wyvern six years earlier, she’d been smitten with her older brother’s friend. A college freshman, she’d been smart enough to realize a war-hardened marine like Stig wouldn’t be interested in her. It hadn’t been easy to ignore her raging crush but she’d done it. The last thing she’d wanted to do was embarrass herself or him or Hector. Even though she’d managed to suppress her strong feelings toward Stig, there was no denying the spark of jealousy that had burned her at the thought of him with another woman in his secluded cabin. Realizing her first instinct was wrong had been quite a relief.

So what the hell was his problem? Clearly he wasn’t comfortable with her in the house. Hopefully it really was a headache and not something else. If Stig put her out, she’d be on the streets by the end of the week. The cash in her wallet was running low and there was no one else she trusted to keep her safe.

Down in the kitchen, Cora took a few moments to investigate the cabinets and fridge contents. The pantry shelves were well stocked and her mind raced with possibilities for the morning. Her grandmother had always preached the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. If there was one thing Stig had always loved, it was Cora’s baking and cooking skills. Considering she desperately needed his help, she’d bake, sauté, fricassee, braise, and roast every recipe in her mental cookbook.

But for tonight a sandwich would suffice. Cora made quick work of assembling her dinner, grabbed a chilled can of fizzy soda from the fridge, and sat at the sturdy wooden table. Her fingertips brushed over the smooth grained tabletop. She marveled at the exquisite craftsmanship.

Stig’s skill as a woodworker was well known. When he’d retired from the Marine Corps, he’d turned his hobby into a thriving business. Cora had seen the adjacent workshop as she’d pulled into the gravel driveway. From what she understood, almost all of his business came from online orders. It seemed client interaction was low on his list of priorities.

Apparently Stig was quite content with his loner status. That was something she’d never understood about him. He’d enjoyed spending a day or two with them in San Antonio whenever Hector invited him down but he always seemed so restless and uneasy, as if he couldn’t wait to escape. He thrived on the solitude of his woodsy fortress. The city seemed to sap him of his vitality.

Cora mused on his oddness as she cleaned up her dishes and swept away the crumbs on the counter and table. There was something about Stig that wasn’t quite right. She used to think it was the effect of all those tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, maybe some post-traumatic stress disorder, but the more she was around him, the less she thought that was the answer.

Clearly he had some lingering issues from his time at war. Hector had been the same way. The nightmares of those days in the violence-fueled desert had driven her brother toward the alcohol and drugs that had eventually led to his demise. Stig, on the other hand, seemed able to master the horrors of war in a way Hector simply never could.

Cora often thought she glimpsed the tiniest bit of guilt reflected in Stig’s eyes whenever they spoke of her brother. No matter how many times she assured Stig he hadn’t failed Hector, she could tell he didn’t believe it. Stig had taken Hector’s car accident incredibly hard. As far as Cora could tell, Hector had been Stig’s only real friend, so the loss must have been as unbearable for him as it had been for her.

But they had each other to lean on for support.

There had been a time in those initial weeks following Hector’s death when Cora had thought maybe, just maybe, Stig felt more for her than friendship, that they weren’t only united in grief but in other, more intimate ways. She’d quickly realized her hopes in that area would never come to fruition. Perhaps it was the age difference or the sibling connection but Stig never gave her any indication that he was interested in anything beyond friendship.

And it killed her.

There was no denying her intense attraction to him. Who wouldn’t have the hots for such a deliciously sexy former marine? With that square jaw and that heart-melting grin, Stig set her on fire every time he was near. The thought of being embraced by those thick, muscular arms or having those broad shoulders rippling as he thrust into her welcoming body was almost too much. Her knees weakened at the mere thought of Stig kissing her neck or nibbling her lower lip.

As much as it embarrassed her, Cora still nurtured a secret hope Stig would one day see her not just as his best friend’s sister but as the sexually confident young woman she’d become. Maybe this would be the visit that changed things between them? She’d never been around Stig on his home turf. Whether or not that improved her odds of success, she couldn’t say, but it was worth a try.

Cora flicked off the light and started to leave the kitchen. The strangest noise, a mix between a growl and a moan, stopped her dead in her tracks. She turned back to the kitchen and fixed her gaze on the basement door. The sound had most definitely come from beneath the house.

What kind of animal made a noise like that? Not a raccoon or skunk, owl or bat. Were there coyotes and wolves in the woods? Yes, probably, but how would they get into the basement? Maybe there was outside access to the cellar? A door or vent of some kind?

Her chest constricted with nervousness. She slowly crossed the kitchen and pressed her ear to the door. There was nothing to be heard but her shaky breaths. Whatever she’d heard was quiet now.

A moment later another lonesome howl penetrated the door. Cora’s breath caught in her throat. The fine hairs along her nape stood on edge. So close to the basement entrance, she heard the sound more clearly, a mix of an elephant’s trumpet and a lion’s roar. No, that definitely didn’t belong to any animal she’d ever heard of. What the hell was that?

Cora backed away and left the kitchen in a hurry. Despite the growing distance from the possible threat, she couldn’t shake the eerie sensation. When Stig woke in the morning, she’d ask him to go down there and check it out. Maybe whatever had gotten in there was hurt and needed help.

Or maybe it wanted to break free and eat her face.

Shuddering at that frightening thought, Cora rushed into her room, located her toiletry bag, and skittered across the hall into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Back in her room, she locked the door, slipped into her pajamas, switched off the lights, and slid under the covers.

Wrapped in the warmth of the comforter, Cora felt her fear melt and exhaustion take hold. The last four days had been incredibly long. Sleep, she needed lots of sleep.

Cloaked in the welcoming arms of Morpheus, Cora experienced the most vivid dreams of her life. She was asleep and yet so incredibly aware. Her synapses fired rapidly and amplified every sensation. Touch, smell, taste—they were so very strong.

In her dreams, Cora became aware of a male presence. His scent, a potent mixture of cedar and earth and sweat, teased her nose. Like an aphrodisiac, the smell provoked an aroused state. Her nipples tightened into hard peaks pressing against the simple cotton of her camisole. Her sex pulsed as desire blossomed in her belly and spread its warm tendrils of electric current through her lower half.

There was no stopping the downward movement of her hands. They outlined her curves, taking time to tweak her nipples beneath the thin fabric before sliding even lower. Her fingers slipped beneath the elastic waistband of her pajama bottoms and panties and slowly drew them free.

Undressed from the waist down, Cora sat up against her pillows and opened her thighs. Cool air met the blazing hot skin of her most intimate region. Wet and slick, the tender folds of her pussy yielded to the gentle parting of her fingers. Her throbbing clit begged for attention. With the tip of her forefinger, Cora stimulated the swollen nub in lazy circles.

Big and burly, the man loomed naked in the doorway and bathed in shadows. The sight should have terrified Cora but she found it oddly thrilling. There was something so sexy about a little exhibitionism. Moonlight spilled through the window and splashed across his lower half. His magnificent cock, so thick and erect, betrayed his obvious interest. Although she couldn’t see his eyes through the darkness, she could feel his heated gaze locked on her. It swept along her body, leaving a prickly sensation of awareness.

Cora watched in fascination as the naked man fisted his meaty hand over his stiff length. Wanting to give him quite a naughty show, she licked her upper lip and moaned loudly. She arched into the tantalizing touch of her circling finger. The fingers of her other hand found their way between her lips and into her mouth. She ran her tongue over the skin, slicking it with her saliva, and then slipped them inside her tight, hot channel.

A gasp sounded from the doorway. So he liked that, did he?

She moaned and swiveled her hips. Her finger thrusts felt so good, the slick cream of her cunt coating her digits. Little sparks of pleasure flickered through her lower belly. Cora’s toes curled against the sheets. Her wrist moved faster as she strummed her clit with more fervor. Mouth agape, Cora pursued her climax.

Still standing in the doorway, her mystery dream lover breathed hard and loud. His forearm rippled as he stroked his cock. Their competing pants echoed in the stillness of the room. Cora wasn’t sure who would come first. It was almost a race to the precipice of ecstasy.

In the end, she cried out a few seconds before the shadow man. Her pussy contracted and clenched around her fingers as she rode out the waves of her orgasm. He grunted as if in pain and spilled his cum in ropy bursts.

Separated from her partner in exhibition, Cora was suddenly gripped by the desire to touch his sweat-slicked skin, to taste the salty cream now dripping from the blunt head of his cock. She wanted to be held close and caressed like some soft creature. She wanted to feel his soothing breaths against her forehead and hear the reassuring beat of his heart as she slept against his chest.

But none of those desires were to materialize.

As quickly as her dream lover had appeared, he vanished. In the next instant, Cora woke and shot up off her pillow. Trembling and sweating, she sucked in a sharp breath. She wiped a shaky hand down her face. Her thighs clenched with the last tremors of her fading orgasm.

Cora’s cheeks flamed with embarrassment. She’d just had a wet dream in the room next to Stig’s. As a former marine, he was bound to be keenly aware of his surroundings. Had she cried out in her sleep? Oh God. Had he heard her?

Groaning in humiliation, Cora flopped back against her pillow and buried her face in the crook of her arm. How the hell was she going to face him at the breakfast table in the morning?

Chapter Two

Stig woke with a start. The built-in alarms on the locks beeped incessantly and annoyingly. He smacked the buttons in irritation and rubbed his face. The skin was smooth, his scales banished by the rising sun. From the ache along his left shoulder and hip, he surmised he’d fallen asleep slumped on that side against the cold, wet stone. Stig hissed in pain as he slowly climbed to his feet and stretched the stiffness from his muscles and joints. He yawned and reached high overhead. He’d survived one night without complication. Only eight more to go.

As Stig gathered the lengths of chain and hung them on their wall pegs, he was troubled by the vivid dream snippets now flashing through his mind. He was a little ashamed he’d conjured up such a dirty vision of Cora touching herself. Despite the shame, Stig started to get hard at the images of Cora sliding tongue-slicked fingers into her tight cunt. Her breathless moans as she came rang in his ears. The urge to work the head of his cock overwhelmed him.

God! What kind of a pervert was he?

Stig shook his head, got dressed, and left the unlocked chamber. He climbed the stairs slowly, his body still sore from its night of punishment. He hesitated on the top step and listened carefully. His highly acute dragon senses picked up on the faint sound of Cora’s deep and relaxed breaths.

Certain she still slept, Stig cautiously entered the kitchen and quietly crept up to his bedroom. His gaze hovered on Cora’s door. Standing in such close proximity, Stig was overwhelmed by her scent. The light, bright smell of freshly cut grass and some kind of citrus tickled his nostrils. And there, even more powerful, was the musk of sex.

That was a scent he hadn’t expected. Stig inhaled deeply and confirmed his initial identification. The smell of her arousal filtered through him, setting his body on edge. He could practically taste her sweet pussy. His tongue slipped out to wet his lips in anticipation. He took a step toward her door before stopping abruptly.

“What the fuck are you doing?” His harsh whisper sounded incredibly loud in the quiet house. It was enough to shake him from his lust-induced stupor.

With a gulp, Stig took a step back and tried to make sense of his primal urge. He remembered his dreams. The sight of Cora writhing atop her bed spurred his desire. A troubling thought entered his mind. What if that hadn’t been a dream after all? What if he’d connected with Cora on a much more intimate level?

“Shit.” Stig turned on his heel and shut himself away in the bathroom. He started a hot shower and peeled out of his clothing. A quick glimpse in the mirror and he caught the flash of his dragon’s reptilian eyes. The beast was subdued during daylight but lurked and waited for his chance to strike. If Cora’s smell made him ravenous with need, how the hell was he supposed to control himself in the same room with her?

With a groan of frustration, Stig stepped into the shower and stuck his face in the bracing spray. The blast of hot water cleared his foggy head. After a night forced into dragon form, he always woke a little groggy and confused. Hopefully a shower and some breakfast would allow him enough time to get his dragon instincts under control. He couldn’t risk behaving inappropriately with Cora—or revealing his true identity.

Shit. Cora. What the hell was he going to do about her? She couldn’t stay here—that was for damn sure. Until his mating period ended, it was too dangerous to keep her nearby. She spurred his arousal into dizzying heights. He couldn’t imagine how strong his scent must have been last night. Were it not for the safety of his lair, he’d have been a bright shining beacon for the Knights who hunted his kind.

Thankfully his human form produced very little dragon scent of any kind. The sunlight burned away whatever excess might have clung to him. In the old days, dragons had used the precious daylight hours to move from hiding place to hiding place, their scent signature masked. Shunning—the practice of separating males about to go into heat—had been common among the small tribes. Separate one to save many.

By the dawning of the twentieth century, new compounds were discovered by the alchemists among the dragon communities that suppressed the heat phases. The side effects were mostly intolerable and often dangerous. Stig had requested the drugs to suppress his phases during his military service. Because the Brotherhood of the Green Hide—the dragons charged with protecting their species from the slayers of the Knights of St. George—needed intel and artifacts from areas like Afghanistan and the old buried sites in Iraq, he’d been given permission to obtain and use the compounds.

They’d very nearly killed him. After leaving the service, he’d spent four months at Nico’s manor in a sort of rehab. He’d sworn then that he’d never take the drugs again. Locking himself up in the cell was better than going through that.

Stig wrapped a towel around his waist and crossed the hall to his bedroom. He paused in the doorway. The smell of bacon and brewing coffee made his stomach growl. He backed out and craned his neck at Cora’s door. It stood open and revealed a neatly made bed and stacks of luggage. He fought the urge to go inside and snoop. The odds of finding anything in her bags to tell him why she’d shown up on his doorstep were low. He’d rather not risk being discovered rifling through her things.

The ring of his cell phone startled him. He snatched it off the dresser and glanced at the display. It was Ignatius, the oldest dragon of their cobbled-together tribe and the head of the Brotherhood.

“Yeah?” Stig didn’t bother with the usual “good morning.”

“Any problems last night?” Ignatius was gruff and all business.

“No.” Stig didn’t hesitate. Mentioning Cora’s presence would just piss Ignatius off, and that was the last thing he needed right now. There was no reason for his very, very old friend to get bent out of shape. Cora would be gone by lunch.

“Good. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

The line went dead. Stig tossed his phone onto the bed and made quick work of pulling on some jeans and a navy blue tee. His work boots and belt completed his laid-back ensemble. Finding out what had brought Cora to his doorstep last night, complete with her entire apartment in boxes, remained his top priority. If she was in real trouble, he’d move heaven and hell to protect her, but if it was something less pressing, she had to get out of his cabin until his phase ended. As he dressed, Stig tried to think of how to approach the subject of evicting Cora from the guest bedroom. It sure as hell wouldn’t be easy.

Downstairs the delicious scents of a home-cooked breakfast nearly knocked him off his feet. His mouth watered with anticipation as he entered the kitchen and swept his gaze over the table near the bay window. Plates laden with his favorites took center stage: biscuits fresh out of the oven, scrambled eggs, and crispy bacon strips. Apparently she intended to butter him up with food. Frankly that was a-okay with him.

“Morning.” Cora smiled at him from behind the butcher block island. Seeing her in the same light blue camisole and striped cotton drawstring bottoms from the dream hit him like a punch to the gut. She alternated scoops of vanilla yogurt and berries into rocks glasses. “You don’t have parfait cups,” she explained, and placed the glasses on the table.

“Never needed them.” Stig poured a cup of coffee from the steaming carafe and sat in his usual chair. He grabbed a plate and piled food onto it. Across the table, Cora served herself and sipped apple juice. Bringing up the dreams seemed best done while they were occupied with food. “You sleep okay?”

“Yes.”

Her clipped reply caught his attention. Despite her downward gaze, the stain of a blush was evident on her cheeks. His belly clenched. So that hadn’t been a simple dream. His dragon had preyed on Cora’s psychic energy. That type of thing had happened before but never in such a sexual manner. In the close, cramped quarters at war, Stig often found it impossible to keep from feeding off the dream energy of his comrades. He’d joined his friends on fishing excursions and football games and the like but this thing with Cora? That was all new.

Cora held up a glass jar. “Where did you get these raspberry preserves?”

Clearly she wanted to change the subject. “Farmer’s market in town. They get together every Saturday morning on the courthouse lawn.”

“I’ll have to check it out.” She painted a thin layer of the deep red spread over a halved biscuit.

Her comment reminded him of the real issue at hand. Best to approach the situation delicately. “How long are you planning to stay?”

“Awhile?” She glanced at him as if to gauge his response. “Maybe. Possibly.” She bit her plump lower lip before continuing. Stig tried not to focus on the soft pink flesh compressed between her teeth. If he did, things might get a bit more heated than necessary. “I…um…the thing is…I’m sort of in trouble.”

Stig’s ears perked. All thoughts of a lustful nature fled. “Sort of?” He frowned. “You either are or you aren’t. Which is it?”

“In,” she said quietly. “I’m really in the shit.”

“Money trouble?”

“Kind of.” Her sheepish expression told him there was more to this story than he probably wanted to know.

Stig sighed and sat back in his chair. “No more ‘kind of’ or ‘sort of,’ Cora. Just tell me what’s going on, okay?”

“Okay.” She exhaled heavily and launched into her tale. “So you know how after Grams died, I inherited the bakery, right? Well it turns out Hector was in a lot of debt after he died. He’d started gambling, I guess. Underground stuff.”

“Shit.” Stig shook his head and rubbed his jaw. Hector had always been a little too fond of card games, races, and dice but Stig had never imagined he’d get himself in that kind of trouble. Then again, Stig hadn’t ever expected Hector to plow his truck into a telephone pole either.

“Yeah. Deep shit,” Cora clarified. “A few weeks after he died, these guys showed up at the bakery. They were so scary.”

Stig heard the fear in her voice. It rattled his core. He could just imagine what kind of lowlifes had shown up on her doorstep. “What did they want?”

“Money. Lots of it. And I didn’t have it, Stig. The bakery was barely in the black. All of the companies that we depended on for business were closing down or laying off their workers. My breakfast rush was hardly a trickle through the door. Lunch was even worse. Catering orders nosedived. And birthday cakes?” She shook her head. “When families make cuts, businesses like mine are the first to go.”

Cora went silent. Shame flickered across her face. Stig sensed her reluctance. “Cora?” he prodded gently.

“You have to understand, Stig. I’d just lost my grandmother and my brother within three weeks. I was so confused and swimming in grief. I was desperate. I just wanted them to leave me alone.” She blinked rapidly. A glimmer of tears obscured her soft green eyes. “They told me they wanted me to make some deliveries. They’d drop a box with an address at my back door. I’d hide their box in one of my bigger boxes of cookies or pastries and send my deliveryman on his way.”

Stig tried not to let the disappointment show on his face. Inside was a different matter. He wanted to shout at her, chastise her for such stupidity. He counted backward from ten to get a handle on his frustration. “What was in the boxes?”

“Drugs. Money. Guns.” Cora shrugged. “I don’t know. I was too afraid to look. What if the person on the other end of the shipment reported tampering?”

He could appreciate that fear. “I suppose something went haywire at some point.”

“My delivery guy was T-boned at an intersection during a rainstorm. The boxes of cakes and pastries and cookies went flying all over the damn road. One of them just happened to spill out a brick of cocaine.”

“For fuck’s sake!” Stig kneaded his temples. “Were you arrested?”

“No. But the story hit the evening news. At that point, I had, like, nine employees I hadn’t let go because of finances. All but four of them quit. My regulars were canceling orders left and right.” She gave a sad little shrug. “At that point, I figured my ass was already toast, so I told the cops the truth.” Cora issued a sarcastic laugh. “Needless to say, the people I’d been ferrying boxes for were none too pleased.”

More tears welled in her eyes. She sniffled loudly. “I went ahead and opened for breakfast the next morning. You know, burritos and pastries and all that. Right before eight, some jerk in a white cargo van drove by and tossed two Molotov cocktails through the front windows. We barely made it out alive. After the police were done questioning me yesterday morning, I grabbed my stuff and I ran.”

“To me,” Stig murmured.

“To you.” Cora dabbed at her face with a napkin. “You were the first person to pop into my head. I knew you’d find a way to help me, but that eight-hour drive here was the longest of my life. ”

Stig reeled with shock at Cora’s revelation of criminal misdeeds. “We’ll have to get you a lawyer.”

She nodded. “A friend of mine is an intern in the public defender’s office. Her boss was able to keep me out of cuffs but he thinks the district attorney will probably hold jail over my head in exchange for testimony.”

Stig cursed softly and wiped a hand down his face. “Why didn’t you come to me before, Cora?” He didn’t even bother to hide the aggravation in his voice. “I would have helped you! I would have given you the money to cover Hector’s debts.”

“There’s no way you have the kind of cash on hand these people wanted, Stig. You were a marine just like Hector. I’m sure your furniture business does well, but there’s no way you’re pulling in those kinds of profits.”

Of course, Stig thought with some sadness. Cora had no idea what kind of wealth he’d amassed over the centuries. To her, he was nothing more than a former marine and woodworker. She had no way of knowing the truth—that he was an immortal dragon. During his lifetime, he’d bought and sold property, invested in new technologies and pharmaceuticals and more. He wasn’t as wealthy as, say, Ignatius or Reynard, but his bank account showed a very healthy balance.

“I would have found a way, Cora.” He should let it go but he couldn’t. He fumed over the situation she’d gotten herself into because she’d been too proud—and silly—to ask for help.

“I know,” she whispered. “I just didn’t want to involve you in something so ugly.”

“I would have gladly mired myself in it. You’re very important to me, Cora.”

Her head snapped up at that revelation. Their gazes locked across the table. Stig couldn’t believe he’d said that aloud, yet he had no urge to take it back. It was the truth, plain and simple. Cora meant a great deal to him.

Other than the handful of marines he still kept in touch with via e-mail or phone, Cora was his last connection to humanity. She was something sweet and sassy and beautiful he wanted to protect. Her genuine love of life kept him tethered to reality. It would be so easy to shut himself away in his isolated fortress and live as many of his Brothers preferred: in solitude. Embracing the loner lifestyle had proven useful over the years. It kept him safe and his life free from complications. It allowed him to keep his mind on his duty and on protecting the dragon community from the Knights who wanted them extinct.

For Stig, it had always been easy to separate himself from the outside world. He liked living alone in the middle of nowhere.

Until Cora.

Sitting here in his kitchen, sharing a home-cooked breakfast, made him painfully aware of all the simple pleasures he’d been missing. There was something alluring about the idea of coming down to a kitchen filled with the smells of breakfast cooked by the woman sharing his life. He hadn’t realized just how lonely his solitary lifestyle was until then.

But those types of ideas were dangerous. Cora wasn’t the girl for him. The rules of the Brotherhood of the Green Hide were painfully clear. Other dragons in the general population might stray across species lines but it wasn’t allowed among the Brothers. The very act that had made the Brotherhood necessary and that had put the Knights of St. George on the hunt for them had been caused by a human woman and a dragon. It simply wasn’t done.

Even if Stig’s blood oath to the Brotherhood hadn’t stood in his way, Cora belonged to another world and deserved things he could never give her. To protect her from the danger that always surrounded him, he should send her away. His dragon was already sniffing around and trespassing into her dreams. It was only going to get worse.

Unfortunately, a very real threat to her existed outside the safety of his home. Until it was sorted out, he had to keep her close.

“You can stay until we sort this out.” Stig rose quickly and cleaned off his plate. “You’ll be safe here.”

Cora stood and caught his hand as he turned to leave. Her touch branded him and sent electric arcs up his arm and across his chest. His breath arrested in his lungs as Cora slid her arms around him and hugged him. Stig didn’t know what to do. His arms dangled uselessly at his sides. Her curvaceous body pressed against him in all the wrong—and right—places. He could so easily cup her cheek and tilt back her head, finally claim that pink pout for his own.

Arms still around his waist, Cora smiled up at him. “Thank you, Stig.”

“Anything for Hector’s sister.” He quickly pecked her forehead and stepped back. “I’ll be in the shop if you need me.”

Lips on fire and pulse sprinting, Stig spun on his heel and left the house. He had to get away from her before he made a colossal mistake.

* * *

Anything for Hector’s sister. The words echoed in her mind, rubbing a raw spot as they bounced around. She gulped back her disappointment and started to clean up the kitchen. For a second there, Cora had been sure Stig was debating whether or not to kiss her. She’d heard the uptick in his heartbeat as she’d hugged him. There was no mistaking his body’s response to her closeness. He wanted her.

But he was afraid. She’d sensed that clearly. Of what, she couldn’t say. There was some line he wasn’t prepared to cross. Cora’s mischievous side wondered what it would take to get him to throw caution to the wind and take the leap. She supposed a little aggressiveness on her part might work.

Was that a good strategy? Probably not, she admitted. Stig didn’t seem like the type to be led into anything he didn’t want. He was principled like that. She mentally crossed off any plans to strut naked around the house or display any sort of seductive behavior. The last thing she wanted to do was alienate or annoy him. She needed to stay in Stig’s good graces. He was the only thing between her, the streets, and some very bad men.

Disappointment seemed to be Cora’s default setting as of late.

She cleaned up the kitchen and headed upstairs to change out of her pajamas. A pair of jeans and a simple yellow tank top were the first things she spotted when she opened her suitcase. Once dressed, Cora found her laptop and cell phone and moved downstairs. A comfy brown leather couch in the living room called to her. She nabbed the corner seat, stretched out her legs, and started making phone calls and typing notes.

The detective in charge of her case gave her an update. There were no leads on the arson at the bakery, nor were there likely to be any in the future. None of the witnesses were talking.

“Where are you staying?” he asked.

“I’d rather not say.” Cora didn’t want to risk anyone finding out where she was. The kind of people who would burn down her bakery were the kind of people who probably had someone on the inside. “You can reach me on my cell.”

“Sure.”

The call ended and Cora returned a message from her insurance agent. There was some question as to whether the policy would pay for the total loss since Cora had technically been engaged in illegal activities, albeit under duress. That piece of information left her even angrier at herself. What the hell had she been thinking? Why hadn’t she been braver and told those punks to go to hell? Why hadn’t she been smarter and reported their sorry asses to the police?

But what was done was done and there was no changing it. She’d made her bed. At least she’d be able to start over in a new city. Where or how she’d build her new bakery, she had no idea. She’d find the right place eventually. She had to because the thought of never again waking up early to knead dough or decorate cupcakes or mix up some of her grandmother’s famous pastries was unimaginable. Baking was in her blood.

Her business dealt with, Cora called and texted a few friends to let them know she was okay. She hedged on the location with them as well. She couldn’t be too careful.

With her to-do list complete, Cora set aside her phone and laptop and wondered how to spend the rest of her day. Used to the hustle and bustle of the bakery, she found the house incredibly quiet, almost unnervingly so. How could Stig bear the solitude? Perhaps he found the animal residents of the surrounding woods company enough. The thought of said animals goosed her memory. She eyed the kitchen and shoved off the couch. Last night, she’d heard something odd down in his basement. She’d meant to tell Stig about it but he’d left in such a hurry. The thought of bothering him now wasn’t all that appealing. His abrupt departure had made it fairly clear he wasn’t in the mood for chitchat.

Cora stood in front of the forbidden door. There could be something down there, something hurt and in need of help. Curiosity triumphed over sense and Cora twisted the handle. The unlocked door creaked ominously as she drew it open and stepped through the doorway. Steps led down into darkness. She cautiously felt the wall on either side of the staircase but detected no light switch.

She retreated from the darkness into the safety of the kitchen and located a flashlight in one of the drawers. She flicked it on and carefully descended the stairs. Moist, pungent air engulfed her. She listened intently for any noises but heard only the faint drip of water. A plumbing leak?

The light beam bounced side to side. She expected to see a basement of some kind, four walls and shelves, but there was nothing. As far as she could tell, there was only the stairwell leading down to a cement floor.

Her internal alarm clanged loudly. This wasn’t right. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, her worst fears were realized. The staircase dead-ended at a large metal door with a keypad.

Cora’s blood went cold. This wasn’t a basement. This was a holding cell.

As if the fires of hell nipped at her heels, she rushed up the steps. Panting and shaking, Cora slammed the basement door. She dropped the flashlight back in the drawer and ran back into the living room where she promptly flopped down on the sofa and tried to reconcile what she’d seen.

What was Stig keeping down in that basement? Was it something illegal? He obviously didn’t want anyone to know about it. Oh God! What if he found out she’d been down there?

“Calm down.” Cora spoke sternly to calm her nerves. Stig was a standup guy. He’d been a marine, for crying out loud. Surely there was some other explanation for what she’d uncovered. It was likely to be simple and not in the least bit sinister.

Of course, she couldn’t ask him because he’d pretty much forbidden her to go down there. What was that saying about curiosity and cats?

Her gaze fell on the limestone mantel. There were pictures of Stig with similarly burly men she’d never met. Framed photos of Stig and Hector and other marines took center stage. They’d been taken on various deployments and during their downtime stateside. In most of them, Hector and Stig were side by side, arms slung over one another’s shoulders as they grinned.

The sight calmed her. Whatever was going on down in that basement, in that holding cell, she had to trust him. Hector had trusted him implicitly. She had to believe her brother’s judgment of Stig’s character was true. Those men had fought in the fiercest of battles and had depended upon one another for their very lives. Surely Hector would have seen Stig’s malicious side if he had one. And yet, she still had to know what was going on.

Cora took a steadying breath and made her decision. Tonight she’d ask Stig about the basement.

Chapter Three

Stig gathered the last pile of sawdust with his broom, scooped it up, and deposited it into the large can in the corner. He made a quick sweep of his shop, ensuring everything was in its place, and switched off the lights. He yanked on the nylon cord attached to the overhang door and brought it firmly down into place. During the day the open garage-style door allowed the swift breezes to cool the otherwise-sweltering shop.

He left out the side door, locking it behind him, and headed toward his house. The scent of freshly baked bread greeted him, reminding Stig he hadn’t eaten since that amazing breakfast Cora had prepared for him. He’d been so preoccupied with his thoughts that lunch had skipped his mind. Helping Cora out of the shitstorm she’d created and figuring out how to live through the next week with her in the house had proven more important.

“Cora?” Stig expected to find her in the kitchen but she was nowhere to be seen. He’d come through the living room and had seen her laptop and cell phone but not her. Maybe she was upstairs.

Stig washed his hands and cut a slice off one of the loaves of honey wheat bread resting on the counter. On the way to the fridge for butter, he peeked into the oven and discovered a bubbling pan of lasagna. She’d raided his garden for fresh veggies to make the salad sitting on the top shelf in the fridge. Dinner was going to be quite the feast.

After gulping down the butter-slathered bread, Stig started upstairs. He needed a shower, a change of clothes, and a plausible lie to explain why he’d be unavailable to entertain her this evening. That was bound to be difficult. Cora was the curious type. She’d start asking questions, and what the hell was he going to tell her?

Stig darted into his room and grabbed clean clothes. Having one bathroom and a guest in the house proved more inconvenient than he’d imagined when building his home. He should have sacrificed the extra space in the bedrooms for that second small bathroom.

Without thinking, Stig barged into the bathroom. The steamy interior and Cora’s gasp of surprise registered at the same time. She stood mere inches from him, naked as the day she’d been born. Water droplets followed the sloping curves of her perky breasts and the smooth plane of her belly. She moved a delicate hand in front of her sex, shielding the smooth skin from his view. It didn’t matter. He’d seen it all last night.

“Stig?” Cora stared at him questioningly. Black hair hung in loose, damp curls around her beautiful face. On impulse, Stig reached out to touch her hair. He wound the locks around his forefinger and brought them close to his nose. The scent was bright and sweet and one he would forever associate with her.

There was no controlling his beast once her scent filtered through him. Fire poured through his veins and blazed straight to his lower belly. His groin tightened as his cock awakened and sprang to life. In that hazy, lust-filled moment, Stig thought only of tasting those full pink lips.

“Come here.” His voice was thick and rough. Cora obeyed without a moment’s hesitation. He hauled her tight against his chest and cupped her face. He wasted no time tilting back her head and claiming her mouth. Pliable and sweet, her lips parted and welcomed his searching tongue. His hand slid to the back of her neck as he devoured her soft mouth. She mewled like a kitten and grasped at him.

Stig’s hands roamed the silky skin of her back. He trailed a finger along her spine and clasped a plump cheek. His hand slid along her hip and dipped between their bodies. He palmed her bare mons and elicited a shudder. Cora pressed against him and kissed him hungrily.

It would be so easy to haul her off the ground and place her on the bathroom counter. All he had to do was unzip his jeans and sink into her wet sheath. He could have her, hard and fast, right there, right now.

With a painful groan, Stig tore free and pushed her gently to arm’s length. “We have to stop.”

Almost instantly Cora transformed from a woman confident in her sexuality to a woman embarrassed. She reached for the nearest towel and quickly covered herself. Stig’s gut clenched. That was the last thing he’d wanted.

“Cora…wait.” He reached for her as she tried to shove past him.

“Let go.” She shook free and glared up at him. “I’m not interested in whatever lame-ass excuse you’re about to lay on me.”

Taken aback by the fire in her eyes, he tried to reason with her. “It’s not like that, Cora. I just…hell…I don’t know what I’m saying.” He wiped his face and tried to find the words. “You make me feel, Cora, feel things I haven’t felt in a long time.”

Cora blinked, clearly stunned by his emotional statement. She frowned in confusion. “Then what the hell is the problem?”

“It’s complicated.” How could he explain he was afraid his dragon’s need to mate might be clouding his judgment? How could he tell her about the bloody feud ignited centuries ago because a dragon male had fallen in love with a human woman and gotten her killed?

“Because I’m Hector’s little sister?”

Although her guess wasn’t quite the problem, it gave him a good out. “Yes.”

Cora sighed with frustration. “Then you need to sort that out. I know boys have weird ideas about what’s okay and what’s not when it comes to sisters. The problem is you guys never stop to ask those sisters what the hell they want.”

She spun on her heel and left. He winced at the sharply slammed door. Well he’d completely fucked that up, hadn’t he?

Shaking his head, Stig shut the door to the bathroom and shed his dirty clothes. A shower did little to clear his mind. He couldn’t argue with Cora’s points. She was right on all counts. He was stuck in the worst of places. Coming to terms with his feelings for a best friend’s sister was one thing. Telling that little sister he was actually an immortal dragon shifter? Not so easy.

As if about to brave the lion’s den, Stig cautiously entered the kitchen. Cora radiated anger. She slammed down plates and silverware and hefted the steaming dish of lasagna over to the table. The dish thumped loudly against the pot holders she’d placed to protect the tabletop.

He’d have to be an idiot to take a step farther. And yet…and yet there was something so incredibly alluring about Cora in her current mood. A pink flush colored her face and highlighted her cheekbones and lips. Her eyes seemed to sparkle. Every huff thrust her breasts against the low neckline of her green tank top.

The urge to pull her close and apologize overwhelmed him. Stig questioned whether that would smooth over their tiff or cause more problems.

“Are you just going to stand there?” Cora snapped at him from behind the island.

Stig stiffened at her biting tone. He squashed the snippy reply on the tip of his tongue. “Look, I’m sorry about what happened upstairs. You’re right. You should have a say in whatever this is that’s happening between us.”

Cora noticeably relaxed. “Thank you.”

Stig took a guarded step forward. “Cora, it’s not just about Hector and my feelings about becoming involved with a friend’s sister. There are a lot of things you don’t know about me. Serious things. Dangerous things.”

“Like the holding cell in your basement?”

Stunned by her question, Stig gaped at her. His stomach lurched. He was torn between anger and fear. “You’ve been down in the basement?”

Cora tipped her chin up as if to show him she wasn’t scared. “I heard weird noises last night. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a wounded animal.” She swallowed and braced her hands against the counter. “What’s going on, Stig?”

Realizing this was a pivotal moment in their relationship, Stig ran a hand through his hair and gestured to the table. “Sit.”

“All right.” Cora took her seat at the table. She sat with hands folded and waited patiently.

Stig sat across from her and reached for a serving spoon. It was easier to talk when his hands were busy. She followed his lead and filled her plate. He waited until they’d had a few bites before breaking the silence.

“My last name isn’t Wyvern. It’s just a name I picked years ago.” He got up for a glass of water and brought Cora a can of soda and a glass. The tab snapped and the soda fizzed as it spilled into her cup. He returned to his seat and took a sip. “Do you know what a wyvern is?”

“It’s one of those things on those old family flags, right? Like a snake with wings,” she said uncertainly.

He nodded. “Close enough.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“More than you probably want to know,” he grumbled. “Every three years, I go through a phase. It’s violent and dangerous and I lose control. That cell in the basement is the only thing that keeps me from harming others.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Every three years?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve gone through this before?”

“Yes. Hundreds of times.”

“That would mean you’re—”

“Substantially older than I look.” Stig picked up his fork and tucked into his dinner. “If you want proof, I’ll show you later.”

“I do.”

Stig sensed Cora was trying to wrap her mind around his brief yet cryptic explanation. She hadn’t accused him of being crazy or run from the house. So far, so good. He figured breaking the news about his immortality was the best way to ease her into the truth. The dragon business could wait.

He decided a change of topic was needed and gestured to his plate. “This is good. Not that I’m surprised,” he added with a smile. “You should think about opening a restaurant.”

Cora snorted. “Really, Stig? How do we go from you trying to convince me that you’re, like, some immortal Jekyll and Hyde to talking about me opening a restaurant?” She twirled her fork between her fingers. “Besides, restaurants are hard work.”

He grinned at her willingness to go with it. “And a bakery isn’t?”

“It’s different. I know the ins and outs of running a bakery. A restaurant? Not so much.”

“You will reopen your bakery, right?”

“Yes, but I’m not sure how or where.” A look of shame clouded her face. “My insurance agent isn’t sure the policy will pay since I’m kind of a criminal. I mean, that’s if I don’t end up in the pen.”

“You’re not going to prison, Cora. I won’t let that happen.” Stig hadn’t considered the effect her poor choices would have on her ability to rebuild. She’d made a mistake but didn’t deserve to be punished forever. “I’ll loan you the money to start over if the policy doesn’t pay.”

She squirmed in her seat. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Stig. Money between friends has a way of turning ugly.”

“We’ll make it work.”

Cora didn’t fight him on the issue. She ate in silence. He could almost hear the turning gears as she processed their bizarre conversation. Whether she believed him was still to be determined.

They finished dinner and cleaned up the kitchen together. Tense silence stretched between them. Stig eyed the window and gauged how much time he had until the change. Knowing the time was coming, he reached for Cora’s hand. She stiffened at his touch but he kept hold. “Come with me.”

Her fingers relaxed in his. “Okay.”

Stig led her upstairs to his bedroom. He’d imagined taking Cora to his room before but never under these circumstances. It seemed almost anticlimactic to sit her down on the side of his bed. She looked so young and fragile with her hands clamped between her knees. He hated himself for what he was about to do. In just a few moments, he’d shatter everything she’d ever believed to be true.

“I don’t know why I’ve kept all of these things.” Stig removed a keychain from his bedside drawer and unlocked the door to the corner closet. He dragged a large trunk to the edge of the bed. He handed Cora the keychain. “The skeleton key opens this trunk.”

She took the keychain and stared at it. “What’s inside the trunk?”

“My history.” Stig cupped her cheek as he bent down and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. “I’m going to lock myself in the basement. Promise me you’ll stay out of there tonight.”

She gulped and bobbed her chin. “I will.”

“When you’re done, close the lid on the trunk. I’ll put it back tomorrow.”

“And the key?” She lifted the keychain he’d never let anyone else but himself touch until now.

“You keep it. I trusted you with my house key. I trust you with this one, too.” His fingertips trailed along her jaw. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Stig cast one lingering glance at Cora before leaving his room and rushing downstairs. The sooner he was in chains tonight the better.

* * *

Cora turned the keychain over in her hand. Everything Stig had told her at dinner seemed so implausible. He’d insinuated he’d been alive for quite a long time. And what was all that business about going through violent phases?

Apparently the answers to those questions rested within the antique trunk. With great trepidation, she stuck the skeleton key in the lock. It clicked loudly as the tumblers spun. She lifted the heavy lid and gazed down at the contents.

There were yellowing photos and official-looking papers on the top. Layer by layer, she dug through his mementos. Cora uncovered military commendations and medals from Vietnam and World War II. Immigration paperwork from Ellis Island in 1893 showed him as a Norwegian male aged thirty-four under the name of Stigandr Wyvern. There were photos and daguerreotypes of Stig throughout various eras. He looked so strange in fashions of the Edwardian and Victorian ages. Farther down, Cora uncovered painted portraits and pamphlets from the Regency era.

Cora stopped when she found bits and pieces from the sixteenth century. The more she dug, the more bewildered she grew. Her brain screamed that all of this was impossible. There was no way a person could live for six or seven centuries and yet the proof was there in black and white.

Surrounded by Stig’s history, Cora tried to reconcile all this evidence with the reality she’d lived in her entire life. It wasn’t possible for a human being to live for hundreds of years. Cora had always been a big fan of paranormal romances and urban fantasy novels. The heroines of those stories always seemed to deal with the discovery of their lover’s supernatural existence with such grace. But she felt like running out to her car and racing away from the house as fast as the car would go. She’d stepped into some bizarre reality where suddenly things that were fantastic and fictional were a possibility.

So what did that make Stig? Vampire? Werewolf? Some other kind of creature she’d never heard of in her entire life? And what about the dream last night? Was that Stig’s doing? Was he the shadowed man?

Cora rubbed her face in both hands. This was all so complicated. Had Hector known about Stig’s secret? Would he have told her? She didn’t know. The bond they’d forged at war had seemed unbreakable. Perhaps these kinds of secrets fell within the purview of that bond.

What did she do now? Cora took a good look at the trunk and its contents. Everything had changed between them. It wasn’t as if they could just pretend none of this had ever happened. She would never forget what she’d seen. Where did they go from here?

She sensed the ball was in her court. If she packed up her things and left right now, Cora felt certain Stig would understand.

But she didn’t want to leave.

The realization that she really didn’t care what Stig was knocked her for a loop. Whatever his secrets, Cora wanted to uncover them, bring them into the light. Once everything was on the table, they could move forward. Whether they’d move forward as friends or lovers she didn’t know. Her hopes were pinned on the latter.

Cora carefully returned the antique items to the trunk and locked it. She gripped the keychain tightly and left his room.

Out in the hall she wavered uncertainly. It was too early to sleep but she wasn’t sure if she’d feel comfortable watching television in the living room while Stig was locked up in a holding cell beneath her. But if they were going to make this work—and she had to believe Stig wouldn’t have told her about his immortality if he didn’t want her in his life—she needed to learn to deal with these “phases,” as he put it.

Her mind settled, Cora traipsed downstairs, got a drink of water, and found a cushy spot on the couch. She switched on the television and found an amusing reality show following a train-wreck celebrity as she navigated the dating waters. Although Cora tried to relax, it proved impossible. She kept listening for strange sounds and imagining all kinds of frightening scenarios.

Since Stig hadn’t fully explained what exactly these phases did to him, she imagined the very worst. Was this a Jekyll and Hyde kind of thing or something else entirely? She honestly didn’t know and that made it all the more difficult. Was the hell he endured down in that holding cell the price he paid for immortal life? Was it worth it?

Her mind swam. She couldn’t think straight. A headache started along the back of her head. She supposed her tight jaw didn’t help matters any. Maybe television wasn’t such a good idea tonight.

Cora switched off the flat screen and turned off all the lights downstairs. She trudged up to the guest room and changed into pajamas before heading across the hall to the bathroom for her nightly routine. Back in her room, she slipped into bed and hugged a pillow. She tried in vain to shut down her racing thoughts for the better part of an hour before exhaustion finally set in and dragged her into the depths of sleep.

Just as the night before, Cora experienced brilliantly vivid dreams. She swam in water so blue and so warm. She ran barefoot through the greenest, softest grass. She fell back onto a plush lavender-scented bed. The silken sheets were so smooth against her naked skin.

Warm hands grasped her ankles. Lips pressed kisses along her calves and traveled along the inner curve of her legs. She shivered as the mouth of her phantom lover inched closer to her sex. Hands grasped her inner thighs and shoved them wide. The tip of a pointed tongue probed her folds. She gasped at the delicious invasion.

Cora tried to reach down and touch her mystery lover’s head only to be stopped by the sudden appearance of silken bonds capturing her wrists and pinning them overhead. Excitement rippled along her spine. This was new and forbidden. The forced position of her arms thrust her breasts forward. Her nipples pulled tight and pebbled.

Warmth spread across her skin. Arousal coiled low and tight in her core. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the talented tongue flicking over her clitoris. The slow swirls sent tingling frissons through her belly. Her mystery lover sucked the swollen bud between his lips. Moaning, Cora arched her back and pulled against the silken bonds.

He released her clit and slid his tongue between her folds. It dipped into her opening and teased the sensitive skin there. One finger and then two followed his tongue. With the gentlest of thrusts, he worked Cora into a frenzy. His mouth settled over her clitoris again, that wonderful tongue giving her quite a lashing. Cora’s fingers curled into a tight fist as she pumped her hips and surrendered to the double stimulation of her nocturnal lover.

She hovered on the brink of explosion. Her limbs trembled. She inhaled in short gasps. The fingers thrusting in and out of her wet sheath moved faster. The tongue gliding over her inflamed clitoris did so with a little more pressure but the pace never wavered. Each stroke of the slippery tongue was just right.

Oh yes. Right there. Just a little more.

“Unnnhhhh!” Cora cried out as she shattered in climax. She undulated atop the plush bed, her movements jerky and restricted by the silk ties. Her phantom lover took her to the heights of orgasm again with that fabulous tongue and only let up when she begged for mercy. His tongue licked gently at her hot pussy as she panted for air and slowly returned to earth. Her mind fuzzy from the intense orgasms, Cora tried to touch her lover’s head and succeeded.

Her head shot off the pillow as she realized her arms were free. Just as quickly as the bonds had appeared, they’d vanished—and so had her mystery man.

Annoyed, Cora frowned and touched the still warm sheets. Any second now she would wake from the delicious dream.

“Come to me.”

Her heart stuttered at the unexpected man’s voice. It sounded like Stig but more raspy and oscillating, almost dreamlike. She clutched at her throat with a nervous hand and felt her thudding pulse beneath her fingertips. “Stig?”

“Come to me, Cora.”

She considered the request. Stig’s warning raced to the forefront of her mind. “But you said—”

“I need you.” There was no mistaking the pain and need in his voice. “Come, Cora. Please.”

And then he was gone.

Cora woke with a start and sucked in a shaky breath. She ran a hand through her hair and tried to reconcile her dream with reality. After Stig’s shocking revelations, she couldn’t immediately discount the possibility this was all real.

Stig needed her. Deep down inside, Cora knew it to be true. Ignoring the inner voice shrieking for caution, she slipped from the bed, left her room, and descended the stairs. Not bothering to turn on the lights, she wound her way through the living room and across the kitchen. Enough moonlight spilled through the windows to guide her way. She found the flashlight and clenched it tightly.

Cora paused outside the door leading down to the basement. Her instinct told her to go back upstairs. Stig had ordered her to stay out of there.

But the dream…

She opened the door and flicked on the flashlight. Trembling with trepidation, Cora took that first ominous step. Each progressive one came easier and easier as her bravery increased. The closer she got to the door, the more she wanted to see what was on the other side. She needed to know what Stig really was.

The flashlight beam settled on the keypad. The right numbers somehow popped into her head. Had her dream lover—Stig, she felt sure—planted them there during their rendezvous? Her fingers moved over the keys, punching in the correct number combination. A satisfying series of beeps and clicks echoed in the darkness.

Cora’s hand grasped the door handle. Once she opened this door, it would all be over. She would know everything. There would be no turning back, no forgetting.

It was now or never.

Cora yanked on the door and prepared to face her destiny.

Chapter Four

Cora stood just outside the door to Stig’s holding cell, and he vibrated with awareness. It seemed with each dream rendezvous their connection grew stronger. He had actually felt her moving through the house, drawing closer with each step. It terrified him. The last thing he’d ever wanted was to form such an attachment to her. Cora couldn’t possibly understand what was happening to her through the dreams. Honestly, Stig wasn’t quite sure himself. In the past, he’d shared dreams with other humans but the connection had never been this strong or vibrant.

How much control did he now have over Cora? While Stig wouldn’t dare manipulate the growing bond for his benefit, his inner beast was a different story. Even though he fought the dragon’s control, the beast coaxed Cora through the door. Her scent slammed into him, a mixture of breezy summer scents and the musk of sex. Apparently his dream self had done quite a job arousing her. Cora’s cries of ecstasy still rang in his ears.

Though her bare feet touched the cold wet stone with such softness there was hardly a whisper of sound, the footsteps echoed like hammer falls in Stig’s dragon ears. His heart raced with anxiety and fear. Any second now she’d catch sight of him. Would she scream with revulsion? Run away in disgust?

A sharp gasp marked her first glimpse. Humiliation soured his stomach. He kept his gaze locked on the floor. He couldn’t bear to see the expression of horror surely fixed on her sweet face.

“Stig?” Cora’s gentle voice seemed so out of place in the damp, dank cell. She belonged in the beauty of the sunlight, not hidden here in the darkness.

“Go away.” His words were garbled and thick, his tongue moving awkwardly in his mouth. He rarely spoke while in dragon form. “Please.”

“No.” She spoke firmly and took a bold step forward. “I’m not afraid.”

Her voice never wavered. She meant it. She truly wasn’t afraid of him.

Stig reluctantly lifted his head and met her curious gaze. She studied his new form. He could only imagine what a shock it must have been for her to come down here and discover a dragon chained to the wall. Cora slowly bent and put down the flashlight, flicking off the beam before placing it on the floor. There was no need for the handheld torch in the lighted cell. The hem of her thin cotton nightgown bunched around her thighs and revealed a swath of tantalizing skin.

Lust flared in his lower belly. His groin tightened. Stig swallowed hard and tried to get a grip. In his mind, he was all human at the moment. In reality, he was a dragon with the wings, scales, and talons of a beast. Cora lacked the ability to shift, so there would be no mating tonight or any other during his phase.

“You’ve seen what you came to see, Cora. You need to go back upstairs.” He had to get her out of here. His control over his baser instincts threatened to break at any moment. He hoped the chains he’d designed really were as strong as he’d intended.

Cora shook her head. She guardedly crossed the distance between them. Her scent and heat filtered through him in waves. The memory of her taste blossomed on his tongue, the potent mix of salty and sweet filling him with the need to lick that delicious pussy again, only for real this time. He wanted to hear his name spill from her lips as he sucked and lapped her into climax after climax.

Stig’s cock hardened and he shifted with embarrassment. What would she think of him? One look at his penis in its current state and she’d run screaming from the room, probably calling him a pervert.

“May I touch you?” Before he could say no, Cora brushed her fingertips over his scaled chest. His breath seized in his throat. He watched her carefully, waiting for any sign of repulsion on her face but there was only curiosity and awe. “You feel like leather and metal and— Oh! Look!”

Stig glanced down to where her fingers rested against his scales. Quite unexpectedly, the greenish black hue of his dragon hide slowly transformed to a reddish orange color. The texture seemed to change too.

“It’s smooth like normal skin.” Cora petted him. “I wonder….” She placed a second hand on his chest and the same thing happened. Her surprised gaze moved to his face. “Does this always happen?”

“No.” Stig’s voice had changed too. No longer was it garbled by the forced transformation of his throat and vocal cords. As he tried to process what was happening, a tremor of pain rolled along his back. Snapping and crunching ensued as his dragon characteristics, the snout and curved spine, talons and more, melted away as they normally did at sunrise.

When it was all done, Stig stood in his human body with the bizarre orange and red mottled skin. His black wings remained folded against his back. His head spun. What had Cora done? How had she done it? Could it be that they were bound?

“Did…did I do this?” Cora kept her hands firmly planted on his chest, seemingly afraid she’d hurt him if she took them away.

He nodded, still in shock from the transformation to this new form. “How do I look?”

“You’re you, the human you, but with an orange tint and yellow eyes. Oh and wings.” She lifted a hand and started to touch them but stopped. She turned questioning eyes toward him. “May I?”

Stig flexed his shoulders. His wings exploded in a burst of black with brilliant orange streaks. That was also new. They used to be acid green and black.

“Wow,” Cora breathed in wonder. “They’re gorgeous.”

“Thank you.”

With one hand firmly on his chest, she stroked the reptilian membranes stretched between the bony supports. Her head moved from side to side in absolute fascination. “This is wild.”

Stig couldn’t hold back the laugh her remark elicited. It came out on a wave of relief. All this time he’d feared her reaction, feared she’d run away from him in horror, when in reality she was fascinated and accepting of him. Perhaps all along she’d been destined to be his.

“So you’re what? A dragon?” She sought confirmation for her deduction.

Stig nodded. “Yes.”

“And you’re immortal.”

“Yes.”

“How did you hide this while you were in the military?”

“I only experience this uncontrollable and forced transformation when I’m in heat. The rest of the time I’m in complete control of my beast. I can shift fully into dragon form or I can tap into his—our—power whenever I need it in human form.”

Her fingers traced the orange in his wings. “What kind of powers?”

“As a dragon, I can fly and breathe fire. In my human form, I can use my night vision, enhanced hearing, and healing capabilities.”

“Fire?” She seemed impressed.

“My breed is known for fire breathing.”

“There are other breeds?”

He nodded. “Among the Brothers, we have fire breathers, thunder clappers, and lightning strikers. Some of them fly at supersonic speeds or spit acid. We’re all different colors in our dragon form. I’m a Norwegian Greenback but there are Welsh Reds who have brilliant crimson scales and there are Orange Gauls, to name a few. ”

Her forehead creased with confusion. “Brothers?”

“The Brotherhood of the Green Hide,” he clarified. “We’re an elite group of dragons who protect various allied tribes against the Knights.”

“Knights?”

“The Knights of St. George. The slayers of our kind. It’s an old blood feud.” He sensed she was having a hard time taking it all in and smiled down at her. “I can explain all of this tomorrow in more detail.”

“Okay.” Cora traced a scar on his chest. “Bullet?”

“Yes. From Kandahar.”

A thoughtful look came over her face. “Did Hector know you were a dragon?”

Remorse darkened his mood. “No.”

“Did you ever want to tell him?”

“Every day,” Stig admitted. “We were like brothers and I hated keeping it from him.”

She ventured a guess. “But you were afraid?”

He nodded. “This isn’t the kind of thing people react well to hearing.”

“I’d imagine not.”

Stig studied her beautiful face. “You actually don’t seem all that shocked by what you’re seeing, Cora.”

“I know. It’s strange but I was actually envisioning something much worse. This”—she caressed his chest—“I can handle.”

Wondering at the extent of Cora’s effect on him, Stig tested his wings. They fluttered up and down before retracting fully. He rolled his neck and arched his back slightly as the rippling pain of ending the change swamped him. Taking control of his inner beast, Stig willed the dragon to leave him completely. By slow degrees, his skin faded back to its normal color.

“Your eyes,” Cora said. “They’re still, you know, dragony.”

He snorted with amusement. “Dragony? Is that even a word?”

“It is now.”

Cora cupped his jaw and stood on tiptoes to kiss him. He couldn’t resist the temptation and lowered his mouth to meet hers. He enjoyed the sensation of her full lips pressed against his. There was something to be said for such a chaste kiss. It only heightened the anticipation factor. Just where would this kiss lead?

Stig surrendered to the insistent push of Cora’s searching tongue. He shouldn’t have but he did. Their tongues touched timidly at first and then grew bolder. She tasted of minty toothpaste and he wanted more. His hands slid along the curve of her back and outlined her pert ass. He grasped the fleshy cheeks and hauled her closer to his heaving chest. Chains scraped against stone with his movement. Cora wound her arms around his neck and thrust her breasts against him.

Soon they’d reach the point of no return. They were playing with fire and someone was bound to get burned.

With a pained groan, Stig ended their kiss and tore free. He hid his mouth in the loose waves of her hair. Her scent tantalized and threatened to smash what little control he maintained. “We have to stop.”

“No,” Cora growled with frustration and attacked his neck with her lips and teeth. She nibbled a particularly sensitive spot that sent shock waves straight to his cock.

“Cora!” Stig tried to push her away but she wouldn’t be moved. She planted her feet and held tight to his waist. He frowned down at her in utter consternation. “Why?”

She kissed his jaw. “Why not?”

“Did you get a good look at me earlier?”

“Yes. Right now, I see the same sexy Stig that I’ve craved for years. So you were green and then orange and had dragon wings and were kind of scary. Big fucking deal. You should see some of the guys who hit on me.”

Stig snorted. “I’m flattered, really, but we shouldn’t.”

“Shouldn’t?” Cora smirked and licked her initials onto his pec. “I think you’re folding.”

She was right. He’d gone from can’t to shouldn’t in only a few moments. A little more of that sexy tongue flicking over his skin and he’d melt in submission. Judging by the mischievous gleam in her eyes, Cora knew it, too, and seemed determined to get exactly what she wanted.

She maintained contact with one hand and then the other as she wiggled out of her nightgown. His appreciative gaze raked her naked curves. She had such gorgeous tanned skin and breasts that bounced full and heavy. He couldn’t wait to get his mouth on them. A little teasing and she’d purr with satisfaction.

Cora tossed aside her nightgown before licking, nipping, and kissing her way down his  torso. Stig’s mouth went dry as she dropped to her knees. So many times he’d fantasized about exactly this moment. She looked so damn sexy kneeling like that. He gazed down into her dazzling green eyes and trembled with the depth of desire reflected in them.

Yet it wasn’t just lust shining there. It was the promise of so much more—and it scared him. Cora couldn’t possibly understand what she was doing. She couldn’t fathom the kind of consequences the simple act of sex would incur.

“Wait, Cora. We can’t do this. You don’t want to— Oh God!” Stig’s exclamation echoed in the holding cell. Cora’s pink tongue flicked the crown of his rock-hard cock and shattered his control. She playfully nibbled the head of his penis and lightly stroked his stiff shaft.

Whatever chance they may have had of averting disaster imploded in that moment. Stig’s lust ignited with a fury he’d never imagined possible. His primal instincts took hold and all troubling thoughts of consequences disappeared. He wanted Cora, needed her, and that was all that mattered now.

“Suck me harder.” Stig sifted his thick fingers through her silky hair. Cora was only too happy to comply with his order. Her plump lips closed around him and pulled the length of his cock deep into the hot, wet recess of her mouth. He let loose a low moan to let her know how fucking amazing it felt.

Cora seemed to enjoy his encouragement and hummed around his shaft. The vibrations traveled the length of his erection and shook his taut sac. He sucked in a long breath and watched Cora’s bobbing head. The sight of his cock sliding in and out of her slippery mouth made him so hot. Electric sparks arced through his lower belly. He stroked her hair and whispered dirty things in her ear.

His groin pulled tight. A quiver of ecstasy rattled him like a warning shot. His body went rigid in preparation for an orgasm. He’d dreamed of this moment, of spilling inside her mouth, for so long but his inner beast revolted at the thought. The dragon side of him panicked and took control. He yanked back from Cora’s mouth with just seconds to spare. A little more stimulation and he would have been gone.

With deep breaths and clenched fists, he managed to keep his orgasm in check but his balls ached something fierce at the abrupt interruption. Cora slid her hands up and down his thighs and gazed up at him questioningly. He caressed her face and brushed his thumb over her swollen lower lip. A flush of exertion tinged her cheeks the prettiest shade of pink. Desire darkened her irises.

Wordlessly, Stig reached down and lifted her off the floor. He cupped her backside with one hand and the back of a thigh with another as she wound her legs around his waist. She grasped his twitching cock and guided it to the slick entrance of her sex. He held her in place, hovering mere centimeters from penetration as she teased the sensitive head of his penis against her wet folds. She nuzzled her mouth against his. Their noses touched briefly as she flicked her tongue against his upper lip.

Stig shifted Cora slightly to press the head of his cock between those slick, swollen pussy lips. He rocked his hips and impaled her on his shaft. She exhaled with pure ecstasy. Stig’s eyelids lowered as Cora gently stroked his cheek and kissed him tenderly. The sweet, gentle purity of it stole his breath. He swept a loving hand along the smooth curve of her back.

Cora wound her arms behind his neck and braced her feet on the stone wall. She pushed against it to aid her rhythmic up and down movements. Stig’s arms flexed as he bore her weight, enabling her to bounce as fast or as slow as she desired. She made love to his mouth, her tongue sensually sliding against his.

There was something so incredibly erotic about the rattling chains punctuating their languid movements. They scraped against the stone and jangled loudly. Stig had never played the part of the bound lover. The novelty of being completely at Cora’s mercy heightened the illicit nature of their tryst. Visions of someday securing her to a wall and ravishing her flitted through his mind.

Cora pressed her cheek to his. Staccato breaths tickled his ear. Her thighs tightened around his waist. Fingernails bit into his skin. Recognizing all the signs of impending orgasm, Stig grasped her ass and pounded into her. He wanted to hear her screams ricochet throughout the cavern. He wanted to feel her sweet cunt milking his cock.

“Stig!” Cora shouted his name a fraction of a second before she came. She undulated wildly and clawed at him. He didn’t dare slow the pace of his thrusts. Head thrown back, she yelled his name over and over. He lowered his mouth to a pebbled nipple and sucked it between his lips, rolling his tongue over the peak, torturing her with the sensual movement. She cried out shrilly at the unexpected suckling and came again.

The pulsing sheath clasping at his cock drove him mad. There was no holding back the climax rushing through him. His entire body went rigid as he slammed deep inside her tight pussy and shot jets of hot cum. His body hummed with the strangest vibrations, vibrations that seemed to emanate from the very stones beneath his bare feet. It was as if they’d come from the Earth herself. A sense of completeness saturated every fiber of his being.

Stig slowly crumpled to the ground and carefully took Cora with him. She shifted until she sat sideways across his lap. Her head rested against his shoulder. He caressed her soft hair and kissed her temple.

“Do you have to stay here all night?”

“Yes. The locks won’t open until morning.” Even if he could have unlocked them, Stig wouldn’t have. Although he felt less feral under Cora’s constant touch, he couldn’t take the risk. If she stopped touching him…

“Then I’ll stay.” Cora snuggled closer and smiled contentedly.

He started to tell her she didn’t need to make such a grand gesture but stopped himself. Honestly he liked her company. He’d been so lonely. Her warm, nubile body cradled in his arm presented a stark contrast to his normal solitude.

Cora’s startling effect on him in his dragon state proved what he’d always suspected. She was special and precious. He began to suspect that the way her body called to him was about more than just simple attraction. This little human had tempted him to break the covenants of his blood oath to the Brotherhood and he didn’t regret the rash decision one bit.

He claimed her mouth with a grateful kiss. “Thank you. It won’t be comfortable, though. Probably going to be a long night.”

She grinned up at him and ran her finger along his jaw. “Oh, I can think of a few ways to pass the time.”

His brow arched as he smiled amusedly. “Care to elaborate?”

Cora’s sneaky little fingers meandered down his stomach and eventually found their way to his already stiffening erection. He hissed as they brushed against the sensitive crown of his cock. Her eyes glinted mischievously.

It was going to be one very long night indeed.

Chapter Five

Cora woke to the annoying beep of an alarm. She squinted at her unusual surroundings. The chainsaw snore of the man draped along her back cleared her fuzzy mind. She glanced down at the tanned arm curled around her waist. The bizarre orange coloring had fled with daylight. She swept her fingers over the skin and tried to reconcile the unreal experience of the night prior.

Stig was a dragon.

The statement was no less surreal now. The man she’d loved from afar for so long was a creature of myth and fantasy. It should have freaked her out, but she found it oddly fascinating and exciting. More importantly it was a secret Stig had shared with her and no other human. That he trusted her enough to tell her such a thing spoke volumes. It was a confidence she wouldn’t dare break.

He stirred behind her. His deep inhale ruffled the fine hairs along her neck. She shivered as his soft lips trailed gentle kisses along the curve of her shoulder. His hand slid around and tenderly clasped her breast. He caressed the nipple with the pad of his thumb until the peak stood at attention. When he nibbled her earlobe, Cora moaned and pressed back against the erection jutting between the cheeks of her bottom. An illicit thrill shook her core. They hadn’t done that yet but it was definitely something she wanted to try.

Stig chuckled low, his voice still a bit raspy, and nipped at her shoulder. “Let’s go upstairs. Do this someplace a bit more comfortable.”

Cora wholeheartedly agreed with his suggestion. A night on the cold stone floor left her body stiff and a bit sore. It was nothing a nice hot shower with Stig wouldn’t cure, though.

Stig shed his cuffs and helped her stand. Hand in hand, they made their way upstairs, Cora one step behind him. She wished it wasn’t so damn dark. The view of his flexing backside would have been unbelievable from that angle. She didn’t hold back the urge to reach out and pinch him as they stepped into the kitchen. Stig yelped, spun around with superhuman speed, and tossed her over his shoulder. He playfully swatted her derriere, eliciting a squeal from her. She tried to wiggle free but it was no use. Once Stig clamped that big hand across her ass, she was his prisoner. There was nothing to do but allow him to cart her upstairs.

He carefully set her down in the bathroom. Cora looped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a long kiss that led to another and things got heated quickly. Amid the groping hands and sighs of pleasure, Cora managed to squirm free long enough to turn on the water and adjust the temperature.

Stig scooped her up again and placed her in the shower. The hot water felt so good pounding against her sore muscles and joints. Stig’s big hands felt even better as they kneaded her shoulders. His lips skimmed her neck and cheek. She turned into his searching mouth and found his kiss. He seemed gentler and less aggressive this morning as he sensually devoured her lips. Apparently his dragon form affected his libido and demeanor. Cora liked that he could be animalistic and wild one night and sweet and tender the next morning.

They spread soapy suds along one another’s bodies. She enjoyed running her lathered mitts over his muscled chest and arms. Last night had seemed so fantastical and otherworldly. This hot, steamy shared shower seemed much more real. No wings, no scales, no snout, and no chains. They were a normal couple enjoying a morning tryst.

She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of Stig’s fingertips gliding over her skin. His hand probed between her thighs. His slick fingers slid between the folds and teased over her clit. She pushed back against him in encouragement of his exploration. He strummed just enough to get her worked up and then carefully directed her beneath the shower spray.

Cora protested with an annoyed groan. Stig pressed a kiss to her pout. “Patience.”

She didn’t much care for that answer but she rather liked being toweled off by him. Stig blotted her skin with one of his super-soft bath towels and made sure to trail his warm lips over the areas he’d just dried. He ghosted a kiss over her bare mound. She leaned back against the counter and widened her thighs, allowing him better access. His tongue swiped the length of her pussy before slowly circling her sensitive clitoris. He sucked and licked until the little pink button distended.

Cora gripped the counter and rose on tippy toes to press her pulsing sex against his tantalizing mouth. He slid a pair of fingers into her and pumped them in a steady rhythm. Flutters of ecstasy rocked her core. Every lick drove her nearer to the edge. Every thrust of his thick fingers in her slippery channel sent shock waves straight to her clit. “Stig. Oh, God. Please. Please!”

Stig’s firm tongue flicked faster. Coupled with his thrusting hand, it sent her rocketing over the precipice. Head thrown back, Cora came with a scream. Her bottom bounced on the countertop as she tried to wring every last second of pleasure from his mouth and hand. When she could take no more, she collapsed back against the mirror, her head bumping a little too hard. She winced. Stig chuckled and kissed the inside of her thighs. Annoyed at his amusement, she lightly tugged his earlobe.

“Ow.” Stig playfully nipped the side of her knee. He rose to his feet and wrapped his big, strong arms around her waist. He nuzzled close to her ear. “Your pussy tastes so fucking good.”

Cora shivered with wicked delight at his dirty words. She melted into his dizzying kisses. It was such a naughty turn-on to taste herself on his lips. She pressed her breasts to his chest. The crisp hairs rasped her sensitive nipples and made her groan with need. “Take me to bed.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. He swept her up and with a few long strides deposited her in the center of his bed. Stig crawled onto the mattress and hovered over her naked body. She was struck by his similarity to a sleek, prowling cat. He stared down at her, his eyes dark and hungry. She blushed beneath his intense gaze.

“You’re so pretty when you go pink like that.” He smiled and brushed a soft kiss over her mouth. “Don’t move.”

Cora watched as Stig slid from the bed and walked over to the closet. His pert ass looked absolutely yummy, the muscles flexing with each step. He disappeared into the closet and reappeared a few moments later with a handful of ties. Cora’s eyebrows lifted in curiosity. “Ties?”

Stig smiled wickedly as he climbed back onto the bed. “Last night I was in chains.”

“So this morning I’m in silk ties?”

“Exactly.”

Cora’s tummy did a wild flip at the prospect of being bound and at his mercy. She happily lay back and waited for the whisper-soft fabric to touch her skin. Stig started with her ankles and bound them to the corners of the slotted wooden footboard. Her thighs were wide open but not uncomfortably so. He captured her wrists in one strong hand and expertly wrapped them in the silken lengths. With a few quick knots, he bound her to the headboard.

She gave a little tug to test the bonds. They were tight but if she tried hard enough, Cora figured she could get loose. The knowledge she could free herself if necessary gave her the sense of security she needed to enjoy the experience in full.

Cora’s eyelids lowered. She enjoyed the wonderful sensations Stig evoked with his mouth and hands. His lips skimmed her collarbone and rode the curve of her full breasts. He sucked the taut peak between his lips and lightly bit down. She shuddered at the quicksilver bite of pleasure and pain. Stig’s fingers found her clit. She bucked against his stimulating hand. He continued his sensual torment of her breasts. The biting and licking and suckling inflamed her aroused body and made her wild with need.

Stig released her nipple with a noisy pop and nuzzled his mouth between her breasts. Cora wanted to touch him but the silk ties kept her wrists firmly above her head. She arched her back in an attempt to press closer to his southward-venturing mouth. He set her body on fire with his teasing, ticklish kisses and caresses. Her toes curled as Stig’s tongue outlined the lips of her sex, flicking over her clit but not lingering. He continued moving farther south, nibbling her thighs, knees, and calves.

“Oh!” Cora yelped with surprise when Stig sucked her big toe into his mouth. She’d never been particularly keen on the idea but the real-world experience was much different than she’d imagined. It felt a bit kinky and thrilling. She giggled and squirmed as he continued to tease her. He seemed to sense when she’d had enough and kissed his way back up her legs. She still shook with laughter as he nibbled her calves.

Stig pressed his soft lips to her lower belly. His warm hands caressed her thighs and stomach with long sweeping strokes. The sensation of his rough palms moving over her skin felt so incredibly relaxing. Stig worked magic with his fingers and made her sigh with pleasure.

He sat back on his heels between her legs and slid his hands a little lower. He massaged her inner thighs, lightly petting her pussy. His thumb stroked between the slick lips of her cunt, brushing over her highly sensitized clitoris. She inhaled a sharp breath and lifted her hips. She wanted more of that, right there, and he knew it.

Stig licked his fingers and carefully penetrated her. His thumb continued to manipulate her clit in lazy circles. He seemed to know just how much pressure and just the right pace she needed. Cora pumped her hips and rode his hand as she chased the promise of a shattering climax.

It seemed Stig had other plans. As Cora crested the first wave of the buildup to an orgasm, he slowed the thrusting fingers and massaging thumb. Cora cried out with frustration. She dug her toes into the mattress and lifted her hips. “Stig!”

“What?” She could hear the smile in his voice as he rubbed his lips over her belly button.

“I’m close.” She squeezed the inner walls of her pussy in a desperate attempt to find the little bit of stimulation she needed, but it wasn’t enough.

“Patience.” Stig gently removed his fingers and she whimpered at the loss of fullness. Her eyes widened with lust at the sight of her lover licking the glistening juices from his fingers. He fisted his cock with the other hand and rubbed his balls. His thick penis stood erect, ready. She simply couldn’t wait to have him inside her mouth or pussy—she didn’t care. She just wanted him.

“Let me suck you.” Cora licked her lips in anticipation. Stig groaned at her husky request. He carefully moved over her until his knees were planted right below her arms. The ruddy crown of his cock traced the fullness of her pout, and she greedily accepted his penis into her mouth. The submissive nature of their pose made her so hot. She practically vibrated with excitement and arousal.

His penis slid along her velvet tongue. Cora relaxed her jaw and allowed his rock-hard cock deeper with each stroke. Stig’s fingers sifted through her still-damp locks. They tightened a bit and tugged at her scalp. It sent a wild shiver down her spine. This was something she could get used to, a little rough loving.

Stig’s breathing increased and he pulled back suddenly. His chest heaved as he fought for control. She wished she could reach out and touch him, to run her hands over his muscled chest or stroke his quivering cock. He was still close enough to torment with her mouth. She flicked her tongue along the head of his penis, which elicited a hiss of surprise.

With a low chuckle, Stig moved back a little farther and then shimmied down her body. He knelt between her thighs and took hold of his cock. He used the blunt tip to draw circles around her clit. The hot, hard head felt so good against the stiff little nub. In no time at all, Cora begged Stig to take her.

When he finally slid between her legs, Cora let loose a nearly feral growl of desire. He clutched his throbbing cock and brought it to her sopping entrance. Her swollen sex glistened with readiness. Stig thrust deep and hard, knocking the breath from her lungs. She pulled at the silken bonds holding her hostage and wished her hands were free to roam, touch, squeeze.

Stig took her with fast, rough thrusts and she loved every minute of it. He held tight to her hips and snapped his pelvis. The bed shook with the force of their mating. Cora’s cries and moans ricocheted off the walls and ceilings. Stig panted and growled as he went wild with lust.

“Stig! Oh, God. Harder. Harder!” He did exactly as she asked. It took only one touch of his thumb against her clit to send her reeling into the stratosphere of orgasm. Her pussy clenched with spasms of ecstasy and clutched at Stig’s jackhammering cock. He couldn’t hold off a second longer and thrust deep. His cock pulsed as he came and spilled his hot seed.

They shuddered with the enormity of their coupling. Stig collapsed atop her, his forehead resting on her shoulder. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, to hold him close, but couldn’t. She settled on turning her face and pressing her lips to his stubbled cheek.

“I love you, Cora.”

The words were muffled and soft but there was no mistaking them. Cora went still at his stunning revelation. He loved her. Stig, her shape-shifting dragon, loved her.

She nuzzled close to his cheek and whispered against his ear, “I love you, too.”

The tension melted from his body. He turned and claimed her mouth in the sweetest, gentlest kiss they’d shared. Holding his tender gaze, she asked, “How long?”

“Have I wanted you?” Stig nuzzled his nose against hers. “Since the first moment I laid eyes on you.”

His words filled her with bubbling warmth. “That long, huh?”

He chuckled and let his fingertip outline her jaw. “I think I felt the first spark the first time I heard you laugh. Hector’s story had you laughing so hard you snorted and had tears running down your face. I remember thinking it had been a long time since I’d seen someone so alive.”

She marveled at Stig’s ability to make the simplest retelling sound so romantic. He proceeded to untie her wrists and ankles, massaging them before cuddling up beside her. Cora placed her head against his chest and listened to the steady thump of his heartbeat. In a moment of wonder, she realized that heart had been beating strong for hundreds of years.

And now it belonged to her.

* * *

Stig held Cora close as she dozed. Although he felt more settled and happy than he ever had in his life, Stig worried he’d made a big mistake. He’d succumbed to his lust, desire, and his forbidden love for Cora without a second thought for the consequences. Ignatius would be furious when he learned Stig had found his mate and that she was human. It simply wasn’t done. There were rules about that kind of thing, rules he’d agreed to follow when he’d pledged his allegiance to the Brotherhood. Dabbling with human females was at the top of that list.

Farther down that list? Taking a mate, period. Ignatius wouldn’t allow mated males to remain in the Brotherhood. A man shouldn’t be torn between his duties to his wife and family and his duties to his Brothers. Ignatius had drilled that into his head. Cutting ties with the men he considered family wouldn’t be easy but one glance at Cora’s sweet face and he was ready to make that call to confess.

But it wasn’t just the very real possibility he’d be discharged from his duties as a Brother of the Green Hide for taking a mate that troubled him. He was worried about Cora.

The fact that her touch had provoked such a profound change in his dragon form convinced Stig she was meant to be his mate, but what did that mean exactly? It wasn’t natural. If she’d been a human of the witch variety, he wouldn’t have been so spooked, but he’d never heard of anything like this happening with other men and their mates. And what would the others say when they saw the effect her touch had on him? Would it be viewed positively or seen as a scourge?

Stig didn’t know and it terrified him. He had to protect Cora. He’d been rash in his decision to introduce her to his secret world. He’d been cavalier in surrendering to his primitive needs last night. He’d put Cora in a position with consequences she likely couldn’t fathom.

So what to do now?

Stig still pondered that question when Cora woke a little while later. He didn’t want to upset her, so he pushed aside his worries and kissed her tenderly. They eventually got dressed and made their way downstairs for a very, very late breakfast. He hung back long enough to send a quick text to Ignatius, who had called numerous times and left half a dozen messages. His belly twisted with guilt as he typed the message assuring Ignatius he was fine. He’d broken their covenants and now lied about it. Love and lust were doing strange things to him.

“What did you do before building the holding cell down there?” Cora wondered as they noshed on her delicious food a little while later. “I mean, that’s relatively new, right?”

Stig nodded, glad for the discussion, since it gave him something to think about other than his betrayal of the Brothers. “I’ve made modifications over the last fifty years in terms of security. Before the cell, we built cages in one of the caves at a training camp and kept watch over one another. If we were away from the camps, we had clavigers to keep an eye on us during the mating phases.”

“Clavigers?”

“Human caretakers and servants.”

“Weren’t they vulnerable? I mean, these Knights you talk about seem pretty evil.”

“There are old laws that kept them safe. This house and the land it sits on, for instance, are unapproachable. My perimeter is marked by old magic, painful magic, to keep the Knights at bay. Their homes are much the same.”

“Why are they after you, Stig? Why do these Knights want to hurt dragons?”

Stig inhaled slowly and sat back in his chair. “A long time ago, a young male dragon fell in love with a woman and got her pregnant.”

“Oh! Scandalous.” Cora smiled mischievously and sipped her coffee. “How long ago? Like Jesus times?”

Stig shook his head at her choice of description. “Before Jesus, so, yes, a long time ago.”

“So, what? She had a dragon baby and all hell broke loose?”

“No. She never had the child. She was killed.”

Cora’s smile faded. “That’s awful.”

“Someone saw a winged creature with red scales hanging around her home. When the news hit that she was with child, the hysteria started. Her village became convinced she’d been impregnated by the devil or some other demon. They accused her of witchcraft and murdered her.” Stig drew lazy shapes on the tabletop. “That’s how the war began.”

“Her family…?”

He nodded. “Her brother, a blacksmith, forged a sword that he prayed over and imbued with the blood of his murdered sister and his own tears. He used that sword to kill the dragon.”

She hesitated. “Did you know that dragon?”

“No.” Stig picked up his coffee mug and took a long drink. “That was before my time even. That dragon, Sixtus, had an older brother, Ignatius, who founded the Brotherhood of the Green Hide to avenge his brother.”

“Avenge what?” she dared to ask. “Both families were in pain and hurting. Why not just let it go?”

Stig shrugged. “Why did the Hatfields and McCoys let the theft of a pig lead to the ugliest blood feud in the history of this country? It was a different time, Cora.”

“And now you’re all locked in this vicious war? The rules you talked about, the ones about where you can fight, is that why this feud keeps going? I mean, if you can’t attack them when they’re vulnerable and vice versa…”

“It’s part of the problem.” He paused and wondered if he should continue. “I’d considered asking Hector to accept a position as my claviger.”

“But?”

“I waited too long.” There was no hiding the sadness in his voice. For the rest of his life, he’d always wonder if taking Hector under his wing, so to speak, might have saved his friend’s life. “I wasn’t sure whether I wanted another claviger. I haven’t had one in such a long time.”

“Do the other Brothers have them?” Cora started gathering up their dirty dishes, so he rose to help her.

“Some do. It’s one of the traditions falling by the wayside. Now that we have the benefit of technology, we don’t really need someone standing outside our cells keeping guard.”

“So the death of a human woman started your war but you relied on humans for protection in your weakest times?”

Stig smiled. “Our fight isn’t with all humans. We’re just concerned with descendants of the original family. They’re the only ones who can wield the swords that can slay us.”

“Swords?”

“Yes. We’re incredibly strong and impervious to most other weapons. At one time, there were nearly fifty of them. We’ve found and destroyed all but seven. We know a handful of other swords were melted down to make other weapons. My time in Afghanistan and Iraq actually allowed me to hunt down two swords and some useful first-person accounts of battles between dragons and Knights that had been lost to history.”

“A gun won’t hurt you?”

“Not in dragon form, no. In this human form?” He ran a hand down his chest. “I can be severely wounded but that’s about it.”

With a pensive expression on her face, Cora rinsed off the plates. “You know the story of St. George that they teach in Sunday school?”

“I’m somewhat familiar with it.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be a smart-ass.”

He laughed. “What about it, Cora?”

“Was he one of the descendants?”

“He was,” Stig confirmed. “The sword he used, Ascalon, is still missing. It’s the first sword and the most powerful and dangerous.”

“Um, speaking of dangerous things, what about me?”

Stig frowned. “You?”

“I’m human, Stig. Is that…is it a problem?”

He wanted to lie but couldn’t. He couldn’t keep any more secrets between them. “It might be.”

“Might be?”

“When I swore my oath to the Brotherhood, I also swore to stay away from human women. Other dragons have taken human brides but never the Brothers.”

“So we—”

“Are fine,” Stig said firmly. “We’ll figure it out, Cora.”

She looked like she wanted to argue with him but didn’t. On the way back to the table, she dragged her fingers across the basement door. “Without a claviger, you’re all alone, Stig. What if something goes wrong down there? You’d be stuck until morning.” Concern clouded her eyes. “Do you have some kind of backup plan when you’re in the chains?” She chewed her lower lip. “Maybe I could be your claviger.”

Stig’s heart soared at her suggestion but he let her down easily. “I’m touched you’d offer but I don’t think it’s the right job for you.”

“I just want you to be safe, Stig.”

“I am, Cora. Always. And anyway I have other ideas about a certain position you might be right for.”

“Oh?”

“Later,” he said, and kissed her forehead. “Come out to the workshop with me. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“All right.”

Stig took her hand and led her outside. He gave her a tour of the shop and explained how the various saws, drills, and planes worked. She soaked up the information like a sponge. Her eyes lit up as she explored her creative side with a piece of scrap wood and a jigsaw. He left her to her own devices and picked up where he’d left off on his current project.

Cora appeared at his worktable some time later. He sensed she wanted to help and decided she could be trusted with the sanding and some of the more simple cuts. It had been so long since he’d shared his workspace with anyone. He found he enjoyed her company immensely. Teaching her various woodworking techniques and tricks proved to be even more fun. She approached learning with such gusto.

Hours passed as they worked side by side. It was a little before five when Cora glanced at his watch and exclaimed at the late hour. They discovered they were both starving, so they cleaned up their workspaces and headed back into the house. After a quick shared shower—and a little frisky play—they made their way to the kitchen. Side by side, they started a simple dinner of pasta and salad.

As Cora stood at the island slicing the crisp veggies, Stig noticed she rolled her shoulders and made an annoyed face. Had she hurt herself out in the workshop? Some of those pieces of wood were bulky and difficult to maneuver. “You pull something?”

She shook her head. “I think it’s the tag in my T-shirt. Sometimes they irritate my skin.” Cora reached back and tried to scratch the offending area. “It itches something fierce.”

“Let me see.” Stig put down his slotted spoon and crossed to her side. She presented her back for his inspection. He lifted the thin cotton tee out of the way for a better look.

The bottom dropped out of his stomach. His mouth went dry and his head spun. He blinked a few times to try to reconcile what was right there in front of his eyes.

Scales. Bright orange with black edges formed a diamond-shaped pattern between her shoulder blades.

Cora was actually growing scales.

“What’s wrong?” Trepidation colored her voice. Had she sensed his fear? Had she experienced the quiver of panic piercing his belly? With the uncertainty of the depth of the bond they’d forged last night, he couldn’t be sure. Had she been a dragon, she’d feel everything he felt but she wasn’t a dragon.

At least not yet.

There was no other way to say it. “You’re growing scales, Cora.”

Chapter Six

WHAT?” The knife fell from her hand and clattered onto the butcher block. Cora tried to touch her back but couldn’t get her fingers into the right position. She silently cursed her decision to give up on yoga all those years ago. Flexibility would have been a plus right about now.

Desperate to see the scales, she rushed out of the kitchen and took the stairs two at a time, using the banister for balance. She skidded into the bathroom and ripped off her shirt. Craning her neck to see over her shoulder, Cora screamed at the horror reflected in the mirror.

Large, orange, diamond-shaped scales looked to be spreading across her shoulder. The skin surrounding the scaly patch was red and irritated. How long before her entire back was covered in the leathery hide?

“Calm down.” Stig’s voice carried his fear and uncertainty even as he tried to help her.

“Calm down?” Cora shrieked in panic. “There’s no calming down, Stig. I am freaking the fuck out right now. I have scales on my back!”

He took a step forward and engulfed her in his embrace. She collapsed against his solid chest and held tight. His heart raced, the thumping pulse beating wildly against her ear. The fact that he was also scared terrified her.

“What’s happening to me, Stig?”

“I don’t know,” he reluctantly admitted. With a heavy sigh, he released her and put a little distance between them. He rubbed his face the way he did when he was upset and uncertain. “I never thought something like this would happen to you. Had I known, I never would have let you stay last night.”

Cora’s thoughts shifted to the prior evening. She remembered his discomfort at her presence and the way he kept trying to get her to leave. She’d flirted with danger and this was the consequence.

“It never crossed my mind that mating with a mortal woman during the phase would cause her to change.” Worry lines creased his face. He grimaced and kneaded his temples. “God, Cora, I am so sorry.”

Her stomach knotted and her worst fear took hold. “Am I going to die?”

Her voice was barely a whisper but it got Stig’s attention. “No!” He rushed to haul her close again. “You’re not going to die but you’re going to change. It’s happened to clavigers throughout the ages. They start to show dragon signs during a mating watch and eventually make the transformation.” He grew quiet for a moment. “It never occurred to me they made the change because of love.”

Soon she’d sprout wings, a tail, and talons to go with the scales. What would happen to her old life? Would she live forever? What if something happened to Stig? She’d seen the scars on his body. The work he did with the Brotherhood was dangerous. What if he was killed by one of those Knights? The idea of facing an eternity as a dragon without Stig at her side sent her into a panic.

Her mind raced with questions. She loved Stig, of that she was absolutely sure, but the thought of becoming a dragon terrified her. What else would happen to her body? If she became immortal, would she lose the ability to have children? Her heart sank at the thought. She’d always wanted to have lots and lots of chubby little babies.

And no doubt she’d be forced to leave behind her friends. She’d seen Stig’s mementos. All those different places and different faces. He never stayed anyplace very long. She supposed people became suspicious when he failed to age. The same would happen to her.

Panic took an even stronger hold. She fought to breathe. Her throat tightened. Sweat poured from her skin. She couldn’t see straight.

“Cora!” Stig took hold of her shoulders and gave her a firm shake.

Through teary eyes, she met his pained gaze. She gulped and shook her head. “I don’t think I can do this.”

His expression crumpled into one of agony and sadness. Her heart broke at the sight. She wanted to say everything was going to be okay, that becoming a dragon was just fabulous, but she couldn’t lie to Stig, especially about something this important.

“I’m not ready for eternity, Stig.” She spoke so softly the words barely registered in her own ears. By the way Stig’s jaw clenched, Cora knew he’d heard her very clearly.

“Then you need to go. Now.” There was no anger or hostility in his voice. It was even and almost void of emotion. “I’ll make the change soon and you can’t be here. My dragon will never let you leave. Go to the hotel in town. I’ll send someone for you, someone who can help you with this.”

Cora’s stomach lurched. This was it. It was all over.

She swallowed hard and nodded. “All right.”

There was no time to pack. The sun already dipped along the horizon. Cora threw some things into her backpack and grabbed her purse. She couldn’t meet Stig’s wounded gaze as she passed him in the hallway. His familiar scent ignited something so primal in her core. She fought the urge to throw down her things and launch herself at him.

Walking out of the house was one of the hardest things she’d ever done, almost as hard as burying her brother and grandmother within weeks of one another. She tossed her things into the backseat of her car and then lingered behind her open driver’s side door. Her gaze moved to Stig, who stood on the porch, arms crossed, face hard as stone. She desperately wanted to feel the warmth of his embrace one last time but she couldn’t tempt fate. If he held her again, she might never leave his side.

With a gut-wrenching sob, Cora slid into the driver’s seat and slammed her door. She turned the ignition and buckled her seat belt. By the time she looked up, Stig had already disappeared into his house. He was probably running down the basement stairs as she backed out of the driveway and headed for the main road. The thought of Stig spending yet another night alone in the cold, dank cell made her positively sick.

Cora stomped the gas. She had to put as much distance between Stig and herself as quickly as possible. The knowledge she’d hurt Stig soured her belly. The guilt and shame were almost too much to bear. That she’d allowed fear to rule her actions was disheartening.

The longer Cora drove, the more she regretted her decision. She desperately loved Stig, loved him so much it hurt. Yet what was she doing? She was racing at breakneck speed away from the man who had given her the security for which she’d yearned for so long.

She spotted a highway sign. She was halfway to town. The prospect of spending a night alone in a hotel made her feel so empty. She wanted to be with Stig. She needed to be with him.

“What the fuck am I doing?” Cora’s foot lifted off the gas pedal. The car slowed a bit as she realized the full ramifications of her choices. If she kept driving, if she spent the night in town, the bond she shared with Stig would shatter. There would be no second chance.

She hit the brakes and brought the car down to a manageable speed. She checked her rearview mirror and the road ahead before whipping a U-turn. Her foot depressed the accelerator and she raced to meet highway speed again. She had to get to Stig.

Would he take her back? Her heart fell at the thought he might not want her anymore. She’d betrayed his trust and love. He’d told her his darkest secret. He’d been willing to go against the Brotherhood to have her, his human lover, and she’d stomped on his heart because she’d sprouted a few scales.

Cora wiped her wet cheeks and sniffed loudly. If Stig turned her away, she’d die. Deep down inside, she knew without a doubt their bond was special. When she’d touched him, when she’d turned him into something awesome and exceptional, they’d created a unique bond. Cora could only speculate as to the depths of the mating bond between dragons. She sensed Stig didn’t truly understand it either but instinct told her it was powerful.

The sight of headlights in the rearview mirror startled her. This wasn’t a busy road, so the beams took her by surprise. After the initial sighting, she didn’t pay them much attention until they seemed to be getting closer and closer, faster and faster.

Cora’s eyebrows drew together. Why was that SUV driving so fast? She considered pulling onto the shoulder to let it pass but it was already dark and she feared hitting a deer. At any rate, the shoulder was incredibly narrow and there was a short bridge up ahead. It would be far too dangerous to attempt.

She gripped the steering wheel as the speeding SUV drew incredibly close. She expected a turn signal to pop on any second to alert her to the car’s intention to pass but it never came. The SUV got closer and then, without warning, slammed into the back of her car.

Cora let loose a string of expletives as her body lurched forward and snapped back. She barely kept her car on the road. Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. Adrenaline spilled into her bloodstream, igniting her fight-or-flight response. It took her a millisecond to realize what was happening.

The men who held her brother’s debts and burned down her bakery had caught up with her.

Fear struck her heart. Cora floored the gas but it was no use. The SUV revved up again and crashed into her bumper. Her head flung forward and almost whacked the steering wheel. The seat belt tightened and snapped her back again. Her neck stung painfully from the wild movement. She managed to straighten the wheel and keep her car in its lane.

Could she do it again? Cora sincerely doubted it.

There was no time to think. The SUV clipped the side of her car and sent her spinning. She hit the brakes but it was no use. Everything happened so fast. She couldn’t see a damn thing. She spun out of control before slamming into something. A guardrail? She couldn’t be sure. Whatever it was, the impact launched her car into the air.

Cora shrieked and held tight to the wheel. Suddenly she was upside down. The backpack in the backseat flew forward and whacked her headrest. The contents of her purse exploded and splattered her face. Makeup, a cell phone, her wallet, emergency tampons—they were like confetti in the front seat.

And then the car smashed into the ground. It rolled down some kind of embankment. Glass shattered in her face. Metal crunched. There was intense pressure along her left arm and leg.

Then everything stopped. The seat belt snapped tight against her body and cut into her neck. Cora dangled upside down in her seat. Excruciating pain ripped through her arm and thigh. It was so dark she couldn’t see what had happened to her limbs. Had they been broken by the rolling? Probably.

Cora tried to release her seat belt with her good hand but it wouldn’t let loose. She was stuck and fading fast. Her head throbbed fiercely. Unconsciousness was only seconds away.

And there were shouting voices drawing close.

* * *

Chained in his cell, Stig experienced a roller coaster of emotions. He switched from a sensation of utter despondence to self-loathing and then pure fear. His dragon body vibrated with panic. It took him a moment to realize the wild emotions weren’t his own. They belonged to Cora.

And she was terrified.

He closed his eyes and embraced the alien feelings coursing through him. Their burgeoning mate bond transmitted her emotions straight to him. There was no doubt. Cora was in extreme danger.

Stig cried out as searing pain tore through his arm and leg. Cora was hurt and afraid. Something had happened to her. A car accident? Or something worse.

As he tugged at his restraining chains, Cora’s problems with the debts and the drug running burst to the forefront of his mind. They’d been so wrapped up in the newness of their love and overwhelming lust that her problems had completely escaped him. Disgusted with himself, Stig jerked on the chains again. Even in his dragon form, he couldn’t muster the strength to bust them.

Cora’s questions about his lack of claviger sprang to mind. She’d asked about his backup plans. Talk about prophetic…

His inner beast still considered Cora his one and only mate. Stig’s human mind tried to deny her but it was impossible. She’d walked out on him and yet he still loved her. No matter how far Cora ran, they were two halves of a whole. He’d die for her. In this, his beast was in complete agreement.

Stig snorted violently. His wings ached for release. He had to get free of his bonds. He had to save Cora.

Without a second thought, Stig called forth his fire-breathing ability and torched the chain attached to his left wrist. They superheated in an instant and scalded his leathery skin. The hide blistered around his wrist. He bit back against the pain. It was a small price to pay for Cora’s life.

By the time he reached the final chain, Stig’s limbs ached painfully. He didn’t want to think about how long it would take for the wounds to heal. He hoped they wouldn’t prove a vulnerability if he had to fight.

Finally, the last chain snapped free. The hot cuffs still burned his skin. A few links dangled from them like some kind of bizarre jewelry. Stig sucked in a cooling breath. As his lungs inflated, the acrid smoke cleared his nasal passages and throat. The taste would linger in his mouth for hours.

Stig raced upstairs, knocking his wings and tail on the staircase and ceiling. He crashed through his kitchen and living room. Whatever was broken could be replaced or fixed. He didn’t even bother with the front door. He turned his face and slammed into it. Wood and glass splintered in all directions.

He ran down the front steps and sprinted across the driveway. With a flex of his shoulders, Stig’s wings burst forth. They immediately caught the wind. As he ran, Stig flapped his wings and in no time at all lifted from the ground. The cool night air whistled against his ears as he gained height and speed.

Zeroing in on the pulse of Cora’s fear, Stig altered his course. The longer he was in the air, the fainter Cora’s radiating emotions felt. It stirred a primal fear in him. Was she dying?

The thought made him sick. He flapped faster, pulling his body tight and aerodynamic. Shaving off a few seconds of flight time could mean the difference between Cora’s life or her death. The glow of headlights came into view. He dropped altitude and swerved toward what looked to be a parked SUV. His hawklike gaze zeroed in on another set of beams pointing at an awkward angle.

Cora’s car was upside down in a ditch.

There were two men standing outside the car. One of them had something thrown over his shoulder—a body, Cora’s body.

Enraged, Stig rocketed toward the ground. The sound of his incoming landing ripped through the stillness of the night. There would be no stealth in his attack. Head down, he embraced his primal side and unleashed his inner beast with a terrible shriek.

Down below, the bastards trying to kill Cora snapped to attention. Their faces contorted in pure horror. Stig got a twisted sense of pleasure from that sight. The goon holding Cora got smart and tried to bolt. He threw her on the ground like a sack of trash and took off toward the embankment. Stig careened to the right and swiped the fleeing man with his taloned feet. A scream erupted from his throat and he tumbled back down the embankment.

With one goon rolling on the ground in pain and bleeding profusely, Stig switched his attention to the other man. To his surprise, the man pulled a gleaming dao sword from within the folds of his long black coat. He stepped into the moonlight and Stig got an even better look at the single-edged blade. There were very familiar markings on the metal. A memory of a drawing of that sword in one of the books Reynard kept in the Archives sprang to mind.

Stig’s stomach clenched. A Knight. How the hell had Cora gotten mixed up with the Knights? Or was it something else? Was she just a pawn? And Hector too?

He’d sort out the specifics later. Right now, he had to save Cora.

Stig hovered at a distance. If he hit the ground, he’d lose that edge on his opponent. His gaze swept over the sword-wielding man. This Knight clearly knew what he was doing.

The slayer made a break for Cora, who was still slumped unconscious on the grass. Stig didn’t waste a second. He snorted a violent burst of fire. The slayer skidded to a halt mere inches from the roiling flames. The wall of fire pushed him away from Cora. Stig considered rushing down and snatching her up but couldn’t be sure how her touch might affect his ability to defend them. He’d lost his dragon hide last night, which would come in handy facing off with a well-armed Knight.

The sound of gunshots snapped in the darkness. Stig had been so wrapped up in making sure Cora was safe that he’d taken his eyes off the dragon slayer long enough for the man to pull his weapon. A silver harpoon sliced through Stig’s left wing. Metal teeth exploded from the head of the lance, ripping through the thin membranes and hooking onto one of the bony veins supporting his wings.

Stig tried to grasp the offending projectile but the slayer yanked hard on the trailing line and tore through the length of Stig’s wing. The burning pain ripped a hideous scream from his throat. Try as he might, Stig couldn’t stay airborne. His good wing flapped futilely. He turned his focus to making the best landing possible.

With a thunderous boom, Stig slammed into the unyielding ground. The air rushed from his lungs and left him dizzy. But he couldn’t nurse his wounds. He had to get up. He had to fight to protect Cora.

Stig clambered to his feet. The slayer struck just as he rose on shaky limbs. The tip of his blade slashed through Stig’s chest and punctured the gas sac that allowed his breed to breathe fire. Stig choked as the noxious fumes bubbled into his throat and out his nose and mouth. He fought the instinctive urge to ignite them with a click of his throat but that much gas in such a small space would cause a fatal explosion in his mouth and one that would easily engulf Cora.

He threw out his arm and struck the slayer hard enough to knock him flat on his ass. Stig sucked in short, painful breaths to try to clear his nasal passages and throat of the gas. His broken and mutilated wing hung limp at his side. The other snapped angrily. He flexed his talons and prepared to engage his enemy with the only weapon he had left: brute force.

Stig and the Knight rushed one another. In a flash of talons and sword, they crashed. Both drew blood and both refused to give even an inch. Stig knew this would be a fight to the death. For Cora’s sake, he hoped he was the one limping away from the battle.

The Knight struck another victorious blow with the sword. Stig hissed as the blade sliced through his forearm. Blood splattered the slayer’s face. With every beat of his heart, the nicked artery spurted blood. Stig didn’t have to be a doctor to know that was probably a fatal wound. He didn’t have much time.

Gathering all his strength, Stig lashed out at the Knight. He raked his razor-sharp talons across the slayer’s chest and followed with a quick swipe of the man’s throat. The Knight’s sword hit the ground. He stumbled forward, a look of shock etched on his face. Clutching his bloody throat, the slayer gurgled and collapsed to his knees. A few moments later, he fell on his face and expired.

Stig clamped a hand over his wounded arm and panted from exertion. Taking another being’s life still affected him. He’d done it more times than he cared to think about over the centuries but it never got any easier. Perhaps that was a good thing. He liked to think it was the best of his humanity that allowed him to feel sadness at the loss of life, even if that life belonged to an enemy.

“AARRGH!” Stig cried out in surprise and pain. Something sharp pierced his back and belly. He glanced down and spotted the tip of a similar dao blade poking through his abdomen. In a moment of horrific pain, the sword was withdrawn.

Stig fell to his knees. His insides burned. Blood poured from the wound. He didn’t have to look over his shoulder. He knew what had happened. The goon he’d thought he’d finished clearly had a little life left in him, enough to strike a final, deadly blow.

“Cora.” His whispered words would likely never reach her ears. Somewhere behind him she lay unconscious and possibly close to death herself from blood loss. There was no way she’d escaped that rollover without sustaining major injury. In a last desperate attempt to protect her, Stig hoped her passing was quick and painless, so the Knights wouldn’t be able to take her as a prisoner.

His, on the other hand, was sure to be gruesome.

Stig’s ears perked to the sound of the sword cutting through the air as it lifted for one last swing. He braced for the bite of the blade against his neck but it never came.

There was a loud snap and then a wet gurgle. Seconds later, the goon fell onto Stig’s back. Stig rolled his shoulders, sending the man’s body to the ground next to him. A harpoon impaled his chest and throat. The upward angle affirmed Stig’s suspicion—the speargun had been fired from the ground.

“Stig?” Cora’s weak voice filled him with hope and a renewed strength.

“Cora?” He turned slowly, his arm pressed to his oozing gut, and found her half crawling, half dragging herself toward him. She held a broken arm to her chest and dragged her misshapen and bloody leg. A speargun rested not far from her.

Stig was struck by the irony of the moment. He’d come to save Cora’s life and she’d saved his.

“Oh, God, Stig.” Cora wept at the sight of his mangled wing and bleeding stomach. Cringing in pain, she removed her shirt and pressed the cloth to the deep wound. She caressed his bloody face with her free hand. The change took place more slowly this time. The pain was nearly unbearable. “We have to get you to the hospital. I think their SUV is still running. I can probably drive.”

He knew she couldn’t drive in her state. She’d kill them both.

Through gritted teeth, Stig gave his final instructions. “Find your cell phone and call nine-one-one. After you make the call, you can help me into those bushes over there. I’ll hide until the ambulance leaves.”

Cora shook her head. “I’m not going to leave you here to die.”

“You have to, Cora. I can’t go to a hospital looking like this.”

“No.” She gripped his hand tightly and refused to let go. “I’m not leaving you again.” Cora pressed her lips to his in a passionate kiss. “I love you.”

Her words soothed the still-raw wound of her earlier rejection. He’d seen the orientation of the vehicles. Cora had been coming back to him. He couldn’t fault her for being afraid of changing into a scaled beast. Had he been in her shoes, he might have done the same thing.

“Cora, I love you.” He swallowed a painful lump. He tasted blood and wondered how long it would take for the internal bleeding to finish him. “I love you so much. I want you to live.”

Her protest was interrupted by the unmistakable rumble of approaching dragons. Stig’s core vibrated with awareness of his kind, of his Brothers. Relief saturated his weary muscles. He’d come to their aid in situations hairier than this. Their shared senses of danger were much like those of the mate bond. He should have known they’d come for him.

The ground trembled as Madoc and Griff landed with very little finesse. In such a stressful situation, Stig wasn’t surprised they came in heavy and loud. The Welsh Reds panted noisily as they appraised the scene, the crimson scales on their chests expanding powerfully with each breath. In dragon form, it was often difficult to gauge their emotions, but when their gazes fell on Stig and Cora’s entwined bodies, the shock was evident.

Stig could only imagine how bizarre they looked. Cora, his mortal lover, held pressure on his orange and red mottled abdomen—his decidedly not dragonlike abdomen.

Cora stiffened with fear. Stig used the last of his energy to take her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s all right, Cora. They’re friends. They’ll take care of us.”

Certain Cora was in good hands, Stig finally relaxed. His eyelids drooped and he slipped into unconsciousness. He hoped he’d wake again to the sight of Cora’s sweet face.

Chapter Seven

Cora woke with a start. Her strained neck immediately protested the jerky movement. Wincing, she rubbed her aching muscles and glanced toward the open bedroom door for the source of the sound that woke her. There was an ungodly ruckus down in the kitchen. Apparently Griff or Madoc were trying to make lunch. Trying being the operative word.

She stretched her sore back and sat up a bit straighter. Falling asleep in the chair next to Stig’s bed had put her back and neck in a weird position. She gingerly moved her leg, the cast still heavy and unfamiliar. Her broken arm rested in a sling.

It had been four days since that nightmare of a night but she seemed to be healing surprisingly fast. The perks of becoming a dragon, she supposed. There was little pain, only infrequent bouts of throbbing when she moved too quickly or bumped into something.

Madoc and Griff, the shockingly red dragons who had come to their rescue, had taken very good care of them. They’d been whisked away to the closest Brotherhood safe house where a very scary, very intimidating dragon named Ignatius, their leader, saw to their medical care. She’d been so weak and in so much pain those first few hours were mostly a blur. She remembered snippets. Madoc starting an IV in her good arm. Griff steadying her as Ignatius worked to straighten her leg. The prickling heat of their dragon magic enhancing the human-made pharmaceuticals.

Cora had slipped into a deep sleep at some point and had woken up late the next afternoon. Stig still remained in an almost comatose state. All that regeneration to heal his extensive injuries required a lot of energy. His breathing was slow and deep, his eyelids hardly moving.

The sight of his motionless body in that bed left her aching with fear and guilt. She’d watched her grandmother slip away in a hospice bed and had been the one to ID Hector after he’d wrapped his truck around a tree. Realizing how close she’d come to losing Stig made her never want to leave his side again, not even for the briefest of moments.

The sound of approaching footsteps caught her attention. Moments later, Ignatius appeared in the doorway. He cast a glance at Stig’s motionless form. His scarred face showed no emotion. “He will wake soon.”

Cora sensed Ignatius knew the exact moment when Stig would wake. There was something about his bond with the rest of the Brotherhood that was different. He’d been the one to send Madoc and Griff, the two closest Brothers, to their rescue that night. Ignatius had felt her terror and Stig’s pain.

He lifted the lunch tray clasped in his big hands. “I brought you some lunch.”

Her hungry gaze swept over the sandwich and chips as Ignatius settled the tray over her lap. A glass of iced tea and a few celery sticks slathered with peanut butter and sprinkled with raisins rounded out the simple lunch. “Thank you.”

He allowed the tiniest of smiles to curve his mouth before moving toward Stig’s bed. Ignatius closed his right eye, his only eye, and swept his fingertips over Stig’s forehead. Could he see what Stig dreamed? After a few seconds, he removed his hand and crossed to the empty chair on the other side of Stig’s bed.

Cora felt a little weird eating by herself. She picked up a celery stick. “Hungry?”

He shook his head. “I ate earlier, but thank you. I should tell you that I spoke to a friend and we’ve dealt with that legal issue of yours. You can’t go back to San Antonio but I think it’s a small price to pay for escaping that mess you created.”

Cora blinked at him. “I didn’t ask you to do that.”

“Stig considers you part of our family now. I take care of my family.”

She wasn’t sure what to say to that so she ate. The room fell into an awkward silence punctuated only by the crunch of the celery sticks. When Madoc or Griff sat vigil at Stig’s bedside, Cora found it easy to talk with them. Ignatius was a different story. He was so distant. Not mean, exactly, just…aloof.

“Do you like me?” Cora figured the worst he could do was say no and thought he probably would. His opinion of her shouldn’t matter, but she’d seen the way the other dragons looked up to Ignatius. She didn’t want Stig to suffer because Ignatius disliked her. If there was some way she could make friends with him, she’d damn sure try.

Ignatius seemed a little surprised. “Why would you ask me that?”

She remembered the tale Stig had told her in the kitchen about the deaths that had started the war. “Your brother died because he fell in love with a human girl.” She gestured to a motionless Stig. “You almost lost one of your Brothers because he fell in love me, another human girl. You see where I’m going with this?”

“I do but you’re not Cornelia and he isn’t Sixtus.” He exhaled slowly. “I like you…”

“But?”

He was quiet, as if considering his words carefully. “You make Stig vulnerable and his love for you makes us all vulnerable. His loyalties are torn between you, the woman he loves, and us, the Brothers he’d bled with on the battlefield for centuries.”

Guilt twisted Cora’s belly. “I didn’t know what would happen when I left San Antonio that night and sought refuge with Stig.”

Ignatius’s face softened. “No one blames you. What happened to the two of you was terrible but we managed to recover and destroy two swords, so some good came out of it. Unfortunately, you were just a pawn. The Knights found a way to use you in their nasty little game.”

Anger zipped through Cora. Within hours of waking from her deep sleep, she’d learned the whole ugly truth about the Knights buying her brother’s debts from those loan sharks and using her to draw Stig from the safety of his home. “I still can’t believe they set this whole thing up.”

Ignatius sighed and stretched out his legs. “They’re a treacherous lot. Their seer is particularly skilled. I can’t help but wonder how long she’s known about you, how long she’s been plotting Stig’s demise.”

Cora frowned. “You think Stig’s attack was in the works for some time?”

Ignatius shrugged. “You were meant for him. That’s clear enough.”

“Because my touch makes him humanlike?”

Ignatius nodded. “I suspect there’s a touch of the dragon in you. It’s not common but we’ve come across human descendants of dragons in the past. Human women with supernatural abilities seem to have the easiest time conceiving with us. Back in the old days, when persecution was high, witches and their kind were offered sanctuary in our communities. Interbreeding was inevitable. A large number of those offspring became clavigers.”

“Stig said some of those clavigers also became dragons.”

“When two people love, when two dragons love, it’s impossible to separate them.”

“And I’m part dragon?”

“A very small part,” he clarified. “We’ll have Reynard research your family line in his archives and then we’ll know for sure. The signs”—he gestured to his own back—“are clear enough. Diluted dragon blood explains why your mating with Stig caused the scaling on your back. His touch, his love, the magic between you, awakened those sparks of dragon inside you.”

“And that’s why the Knights used me.”

“It’s no coincidence your brother and Stig fought together during the war. I suspect the Knights were involved then and again after your brother left the Marines. They likely pushed him toward their loan sharks. The rest, of course, you know.”

Cora took a small bite of her celery as visions of her brother danced in her mind. “You know what I don’t get? Why didn’t the Knights go after Stig when he was in Afghanistan or Iraq?”

“There are rules. Human wars supersede our blood feud. Places of conflict, churches, and homes are strictly out of bounds. We don’t trespass on the Knights at their homes and they don’t come to ours.”

Cora frowned. “All these rules are confusing.”

“You’ll learn them in time.” He caught her gaze. “If you intend to stay, that is.”

“I’m staying with Stig.” Whether you like it or not, she added silently.

“I’m glad.”

Cora scoffed. “I find that hard to believe. I make you vulnerable, remember.”

Ignatius nodded. “You do, but you also make Stig happy. And he deserves some happiness after all these many years of solitude and war.” His voice grew soft. “We all do.” He angled his head a bit to the left. “Perhaps it’s time to reconsider some of our older, more draconian regulations. Maybe we all need something to fight for, something more than our Brothers.”

Cora sensed his sadness. From the scars on their bodies, it was clear the Brotherhood had seen some truly awful times. They’d fought to protect their species from Knights and sacrificed so much. How lonely it must have been all those years for all of them.

She stared at Stig, his face relaxed and calm. “I wonder if I’ll ever understand what he’s been through.”

“I don’t think you can,” Ignatius said bluntly. “Your life experience is so miniscule compared to his.”

Cora’s stomach pitched at his frank reminder. He must have seen her fallen face because he quickly added, “Don’t let that discourage you. The very fact that you care enough to want to understand him is what matters.” Ignatius’s gaze landed on Stig. “And he knows that.”

Ignatius stood and walked around the bed. “In six months, Stig will go through his heat phase again as a completion of this cycle. This time you’ll be with him through it all. You can have a proper mating ceremony. I suspect the binding magic will force your body to make the full change. Once you make your final transformation, your new life with Stig is all that really matters. Everything in the past is just that: the past.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“Your new life will have hardships, I’m sure. The Knights will always be out there lurking, waiting. But there will be love and laughter, children and grandchildren.”

Cora bubbled with happiness at the vision Ignatius painted. She laughed and playfully slapped Ignatius’s arm. “You had me convinced you were some mean hard-ass but listen to you! What a softie,” she teased. “You’re just a big old dragon-shaped marshmallow.”

His jaw twitched. “Hardly.”

Giggling, Cora sat back and watched Ignatius leave. He paused in the doorway. “He’s waking.”

“Oh.” Cora set aside the tray, leaned forward, and touched Stig’s hand as Ignatius disappeared. Energy sizzled between them, a tingling static arcing between her fingertips and the top of his hand. She caressed his jaw. The thick stubble covering his face pricked her fingertips. “Stig?”

His fingers flexed. It was the first positive sign she’d had from him in days. His eyelids flickered and parted briefly before closing again. Cora tried to temper her excitement. It might be too soon. He could still be too tired or in too much pain. The deep sleep of regeneration spared him from most of it, though.

If it came down to a choice between his comfort and feeding her need to hear him speak, she’d happily choose the former.

Stig’s breaths grew shallow and quick. His limbs twitched as a grimace contorted his face. Cora’s heart twinged at the obvious sign of his discomfort. She gently stroked his face and whispered encouragingly, softly.

Finally, Stig woke. He jerked wildly and sucked in a noisy breath. Cora placed her arm across his chest to prevent him from bolting upright. Her touch seemed to startle him. Stig’s face whipped toward her. For a moment, he looked confused and fearful. In the next instant, his muscles relaxed as he seemed to realize they were safe and alive.

Cora pressed a gentle kiss to Stig’s lips. She nuzzled their noses together and swept her fingertips along his forehead. “Hey there, sleepyhead.”

Stig gripped her hand in his strong fingers. A broad smile curved his sexy mouth. His eyes brightened. The heat of his adoring gaze warmed Cora. They needed no words. She read the depth of his love in his face. Not that she had any doubts. He’d nearly died for her, had thought only of her safety in what might have been the final moments of his life, and hers would never be the same again.

And that was okay.

She’d found her happily-ever-after.

A Preview of RED HOT DRAGON

Chapter One

Awash in adrenaline, Griffin Cadogan eyed his opponent across the sparring cage. He danced from foot to foot as he waited for Mad to make his move. The springy mat was cool beneath his bare soles. Though he and Mad had been at this for nearly half an hour, it wasn’t the physical exertion making him so hot. No, tonight his mating phase would begin. Already his body was beginning to show the subtle signs as his forced shifting approached.

Like a raging bull, Mad charged him. Griff stepped into the oncoming assault but twisted his upper body just enough to escape the brunt of Mad’s impact. He kneed his cousin right in the stomach and slammed his elbow into the other man’s back. It wasn’t enough to slow Mad down and he wrapped his arms around Griffin’s waist. They fell to the mat with so much force they bounced.

Limbs entangled, they grappled and slapped. Anyone who caught a glimpse of them fighting would have assumed they were engaged in a death match. Without gloves or protective headgear, they were breaking the rules of the mixed-martial arts training facility they owned, but since they had the place to themselves for the afternoon, no one would be the wiser.

Griff tried to get Mad in a headlock but the other man twisted and arched his back to avoid being pinned in a bad position. His inner beast snapped to be set free. The primal urge to destroy threatened to overwhelm him but he wasn’t worried about hurting Madoc. They’d been fighting this way for centuries. If anyone had the strength and skill to beat his ass when he was on the verge of going into heat and unleashing his dragon, it was Mad.

But today his cousin seemed off his game. Quite out of character, Mad let Griff get the upper hand. It was only a fractional slip but enough for Griff to wrap his legs around Mad’s waist and clamp his arm around the other man’s neck. Though Mad kicked and smacked, it wasn’t enough. With a frustrated howl, Mad slapped Griff’s forearm three times and tapped out.

Griff let go immediately and rolled Mad onto his back. “You okay, man?”

Mad shot him the finger and dragged a long, shuddery breath into his lungs.

Laughing, Griff plopped down on his backside and stretched out his aching legs. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Leaning back on his hands, he studied his cousin. There was no mistaking the tiredness in him and it wasn’t just from this fight. “Are you still having those dreams?”

Mad threw an arm over his eyes and breathed slow and deep. “Yes.”

Concern rippled through him. “Have you talked to Ignatius?”

“I did.”

“And?”

“And he told me sometimes we have to slay the beast.”

Griff rolled his eyes at their leader’s cryptic reply. “What the hell does that mean?”

“I don’t know,” Mad said, his voice filled with resignation. “Maybe he means I’m literally supposed to go out and hunt down whoever is filling my head with all these crazy images.”

Griff grumbled softly, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. You could be walking into a trap. It wouldn’t be the first time the Knights used a seer or someone with empathic abilities to screw with a dragon’s mind.”

Mad let his arm fall back to the mat. He met Griff’s gaze. “I can’t go on like this. I may not have a choice.”

“Will you at least wait until I’ve finished this mating phase so I can come with you?”

“Sure.”

Griff opened his mouth to ask him where they would start their search but the wild vibration of an approaching dragon gripped his gut. Every dragon of his acquaintance had a specific feeling but this one he didn’t recognize. The vibrations in his gut filled him with a bright, trembling sensation of excitement. The alien sensation unsettled him.

Griff pushed off the mat and rose to his full height. Mad was a little slower getting off the floor. They climbed out of the ring and crossed the gym to the main entrance. The vibrations in Griff’s stomach pushed into his chest. A pulsing heat burned him. He rubbed the spot just over his heart and glanced at Mad. His cousin didn’t seem to be the least bit affected.

The double doors burst open and a woman appeared. Her scent hit him like a ton of bricks. Swaying on his feet, Griff backed up a step and tried to clear his hazy mind. Alluringly sweet and spicy, the smell invaded his lungs. His inner beast snapped with lust and need. This woman, whoever she was, had ignited his desire.

Griff let his hungry gaze roam her petite frame. He’d never seen a skirt look so good. The hip-hugging fabric outlined her body in all the rights ways. A fitted blouse with the top buttons popped open displayed her curves. She wore her jet-black hair coiled at the back of her head. Emeralds dangled from her earlobes. The glimmering green jewels accentuated her silky brown skin. His fingertips buzzed as he wondered what it would be like to stroke her face.

She turned her dark eyes on him. Something about her was so familiar. When she waved her hand up and down, he spotted the white handkerchief. What in the hell?

“Griffin Cadogan?”

Her gentle voice spilled over him like sunshine. “Yes?”

“I’d like to request we put our family’s little blood feud aside for the duration of my visit.”

Blood feud? The shock of her identity smacked him right in the face. “Avani Monroe?”

Her lips curved in a teasing smile. “They told me you were the smart one.”

Trying to ignore the needful pull tugging at him, Griff narrowed his eyes. “You’re either very brave or very stupid to come into our gym.”

“I assure you I’m neither stupid nor brave. It’s desperation that brought me to my enemy’s door.”

Her somber tone struck a chord in him. Against his better judgment, he asked, “What do you want?”

Her sexy, sinful grin knocked the air right out of his lungs. “You.”

* * *

Feeling anything but confident, Avani ignored the nervousness wobbling low in her belly and tried to maintain the cool, controlled façade that had served her so well in business. Her gaze skipped to Ian Madoc. Griffin’s cousin stared at her with amusement and interest. She glanced back to the man she desperately needed to help her.

Surprise filtered across Griffin’s face. She spotted the briefest flare of crimson in his pale blue irises as that beastly Welsh Red tried to surface. Like her, he was only hours away from going into heat. She figured that was the reason the two cousins had been knocking the crap out of each other in here. She preferred the more enlightened methods of fasting and meditation to ease her transition but apparently these two dragons still clung to the more barbaric old customs.

She examined Griffin more closely. His size still made her nervous. She’d heard he was a big man but hadn’t been expecting this. Nearly seven feet tall, he sported the broadest shoulders she’d ever seen and muscular arms emblazoned with heavy tattoos. She didn’t recognize any of the symbols or markings but they were probably significant to his old tribe or his Welsh homeland.

Griffin lifted one huge hand and crooked a finger. His deep, rumbling voice made her heart race. “Come with me.”

Gulping down the anxiety clogging her throat, Avani followed him across the gym to an office. She glanced over her shoulder and found Ian making his way to an arched doorway on the other side of the gym. The realization that she would have a few moments of privacy to plead her case with Griffin bolstered her courage.

He entered the office and kept one hand on the door for her. Fearful that inhaling his scent would make her brain fuzzy, she held her breath as she passed him. Soothing heat radiated from him in strong, penetrating waves. Her breasts ached and her core pulsed with need. Attraction and lust weren’t emotions she allowed herself to experience very often. Right now, she didn’t have a choice. Griffin’s nearness had inflamed her.

The door shut with a soft click. Hands trembling, she gripped the handkerchief tighter. Coming into a closed space with him had been a terrible idea. His delicious scent curled around her. She eyed him warily as he walked to the desk and leaned back against it. Even in that slight sitting position, he towered over her. Refusing to sit or give him the upper hand, she lifted her chin.

“You realize that I’m about to go into heat. The risk you’ve taken—”

“It’s acceptable to me,” she interrupted. “In fact, our synced heat cycles are exactly why I need you.”

His jaw visibly clenching, he said, “If you’re suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, you are out of your damned mind. I’m not in the market for a mate and certainly not one whose great-aunt stabbed my great-uncle to death.” He pointed to the door. “You should leave. Now.”

“No.” She stood her ground. “And, for the record, my father’s family tells a slightly different version of the altercation that started this feud.”

He snorted. “I’m sure they did. Now why are you here?”

“You’re a member of the Brotherhood of the Green Hide. You’re charged with protecting our species from extinction. You know what the Knights of St. George did to my mother’s family?”

His harsh expression softened. “Yes.”

“Then you also know that after the massacre last fall, I’m the last of my mother’s line.” Her eyes prickled with bitter tears as the memories of the vicious and brutal battle flooded her mind. “My mother’s family had invited us home for reconciliation. It was supposed to be a beautiful family reunion but those bastards…”

She couldn’t finish the thought. Swallowing hard, she touched her chest. “I’m the last of the Naga. I’ve been combing the family trees of my people looking for someone, anyone, with the right genes, but the Knights have snuffed us out.”

Griffin exhaled slowly. “The Knights are frighteningly efficient when it comes to targeting specific bloodlines. Your mother’s line was one of the most fragile and unique of our kind.”

“Centuries of arranged marriages and a closed society didn’t help.” She thought of the horror her mother and father had caused with their scandalous love affair and elopement. Her Indian mother had chosen to marry a Western man from a little-known branch of a British dragon tribe. Both sets of parents had decried the match and ostracized the pair. Avani had grown up as an outcast, never quite belonging in the dragon commune that had accepted her parents as members.

“I don’t know why you think I can help you. My people are lightning makers and thunder clappers.”

“Not all of them,” she said. “Your archivist, Reynard, helped me identify dragons with suitable bloodlines. Your great-grandmother was a water serpent. Like me, she was the last of her kind but she came from a pure and uninterrupted bloodline.”

He let loose an annoyed grunt. “So what?”

Gathering her courage, she said, “It means that our baby would have a high chance of inheriting my Naga gifts.”

Taken aback, Griffin stared at her. “Are you insane? Did you really just propose that we have a child? In case you’ve forgotten, our families are involved in a blood feud.”

Irritated, she snapped back at him. “No, I haven’t forgotten. If you’re not going to help me, you may as well go ahead and finish me off right here. Satisfy your family’s honor, Griffin. Who knows? Maybe the Knights will send you a thank-you card and a nice flower arrangement for tying up a loose end.”

He growled angrily and shot to his feet. “Comparing me to a Knight isn’t a very persuasive tactic, Avani.”

She rubbed her face and sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m on edge and I’m desperate.”

“Why are you in such a rush to have children? You’re only, what, thirty? You haven’t even hit your first centenary!”

“When you’re the last member of a nearly extinct race of dragon, you can stand there and lecture me on biological clocks!”

He studied her intently. “Do you have any idea what you’re asking? I’ve gone nearly one thousand years without taking a mate or fathering a child. There’s a reason for that. My work is very dangerous. My loyalty to the Brotherhood comes first.”

She understood his hesitancy and embraced it. She’d been relieved when she’d researched him and realized how unlikely he was to want a role as an active parent. “I’m not looking for a husband or even a partner in parenting. Don’t worry. I don’t want your money either. My jewelry business is quite successful. I can handle motherhood on my own.”

“Is that so?” An expression she couldn’t place filtered across his face. “It seems as if you have this all planned out. I suppose all you want from me is a sperm donation.”

She winced at how cold it sounded. “It wouldn’t be like that. You’re in heat. I’m in heat. I’m sure our time together will be pleasurable.”

“And when the phase ends?”

“You leave. I’ll contact you if we’re successful.”

“And that’s that?” He didn’t sound happy.

“Well, I mean, what more do you want?”

He made a disgusted noise. “What the hell kind of man do you think I am? You think I would make a child with a stranger and then walk away from him or her?”

His fury stunned her. Stammering, she said, “I…I thought—”

“No,” he interjected roughly. “You didn’t think. You assumed you could waltz in here smelling like heaven, ensnare me, and convince me to do whatever you wanted. Well I’ve got news for you, Avani. I’m not the kind of man who can be led around by his dick.”

His crass remark made her flinch. “You’re wrong, Griffin. I didn’t come here hoping to ensnare you with my mating scent.” Embarrassment burned her neck and cheeks. “Do you think it was easy for me to come in here and beg a stranger to sleep with me? And not just any stranger, Griffin! You’re my enemy.”

“I am not your enemy.” He spoke the words with such passion it set her back on her feet. “What happened centuries ago is of little consequence to me. No dragon is my enemy.” Looking pained, he rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re asking me to do the impossible.”

“No,” she replied insistently. “I’m asking you to uphold the oath you took when you joined the Brotherhood. I’m asking you to save my family line. I need you, Griffin. You’re the only one who can help me.”

His intense stare unnerved her. Her breath hitched in her throat when he took a step toward her. Instinct took hold. For every one of his steps forward, she scurried back two. Her back hit the door and stalled her flight.

He planted both hands against the door, pinning her smaller body between his and the wooden plank at her back. Her shuddery breaths buffeted his naked chest. His tanned skin tempted her like no other. She fisted her hands at her sides and closed her eyes. When his face lowered, she turned her head.

“Don’t,” he warned gently. Nuzzling her cheek with his nose, he coaxed her to face him. Their breaths mingled as he gazed into her eyes. His mouth brushed hers with such softness. The spark of contact arced between them, setting her skin alight.

With a low groan, Griffin finally captured her lips. He was easy at first, his lips pliable and soft against hers. Taking control, he deepened the kiss. His tongue swiped hers. She whimpered as he plundered her mouth. Her hands flew to his chest. The searing heat of his skin set her afire.

Whether it was the mating scent or their natural chemistry, Avani couldn’t say. In that moment, she didn’t really care. She’d never felt anything like this. Her whole body pulsed and ached. She didn’t fight him when he grasped the backs of her thighs and lifted her off the floor. The fabric of her skirt bunched and pulled taut when she wrapped her legs around his waist. She gasped at the sensation of his rock-hard cock pressing against her. Only a few pieces of thin cloth separated their overheated bodies.

A guttural sound emanated from his throat. He tore his mouth away from hers. Forehead to forehead, they panted and shuddered. Finally, Griffin spoke. “We do this my way.”

She licked her lips and stared into the eyes of the man who had awoken such need within her. “What way is that?”

“I’ll help you save your line but I will not bond with you. I don’t want or need a mate.”

His words shouldn’t have hurt her. She hadn’t come here looking for a mate, after all. Still, they struck a raw nerve. She’d always been the unwanted one. It wouldn’t be any different now. It’s only sex, she reminded herself.

“I won’t bite you,” she promised. At the confused look on his face, she explained, “Among the Naga, a bite and exchange of venom is required to seal a true mate bond.”

“You have fangs?” He tilted his head for a better look at her mouth. “I didn’t feel them.”

She shook her head. “I only have them in my serpent form.”

“I see.” His fingertip trailed her jaw. “As to the other thing you proposed, the answer is absolutely no. I will not play the role of absentee father.”

His assertion troubled her. She hadn’t been kidding earlier. She didn’t want the interference of another parent in her life. Single motherhood appealed to her for a few very personal reasons. “But I don’t want—”

He silenced her with a kiss. Leaving her breathless, he said, “This isn’t up for debate, Avani. These are my terms. Take them or leave them. Now…do we have a deal?”

Overwhelmed by his commanding heat and strength, Avani was powerless to say no. She found unexpected reassurance in his penetrating, unwavering gaze. His offer wasn’t the most palatable but there was plenty of time to convince him to give her exactly what she wanted. “All right. We have a deal.”

But as Griffin carefully lowered her to the ground, Avani couldn’t shake the feeling her well-laid plans were about to be shot to hell by this ridiculously sexy beast of a man.

About the Author

While browsing bookstore shelves as a teenager, Lolita Lopez discovered the erotic writings of Anaïs Nin and A. N. Roquelaure. Certain her mother would not approve, Lo smuggled the books home and squirreled them away in the most likely of places: under her bed. Late at night, she delved into the sensual worlds both writers created.

As a coed studying biochemistry and genetics at Texas A&M University, Lo dabbled in creating naughty tales to entertain her friends. Study for a midterm or pen a deliciously dirty story to delight her small band of fans? Not surprisingly, Lo is now on an extended sabbatical from college.

Luckily, Lo stumbled into the world of erotic romance publishers. She realized there were other readers and writers who loved and craved breathtaking romance with the spiciest of love scenes. She took a chance and submitted her first novella. The rest is history.

Lo lives in Texas with her husband, daughter, and a Great Dane with mommy issues.

Content

Dead Sexy Dragon
Dragon Heat - 1
by
Lolita Lopez

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

A Preview of RED HOT DRAGON Chapter One

About the Author