“Dragons,” Naomi whispered as she stared at him in disbelief. “Dragons! It should be impossible...”
Gregory smiled, his thumb tracing along her cheekbone. “Shall I shift and show you? I can carry you on my back as we soar above the clouds and—ouch!”
With a grimace, Gregory was forced to settle back down onto the soft carpet.
The movement had agitated the wounds the fire dragon had left. Even though his mate’s presence was speeding up his healing, it probably wouldn’t be a smart idea to shift for another day.
“You shouldn’t move, you’ll only make it worse. I saw him burn you!” Naomi shuddered with sympathy. “And then you plummeted from the sky. I should call a doctor—”
“No,” Gregory said. “I’ll be as good as new tomorrow. We heal very quickly. And the fire dragon might still be around. Don’t go outside, not until I’m strong enough to protect you.”
At the reminder, Naomi scowled at him. “What was all that about anyway? Leaving me tied up to a rock like a damsel in distress! Like I was—wait, that’s exactly what I was. I was bait. Bait... for you!”
Swallowing painfully, Gregory nodded. “I’m sorry. He must’ve been after me. I’ve never encountered that dragon before. There hasn’t been a fire dragon in centuries. He must’ve known that you were my mate. He knew that I’d do anything—anything at all—to protect you. I’d die for you, Naomi.”
“You don’t even know me.” Naomi shifted in his arms. After a moment, she added, “And I’d much rather you live for me. Promise me you won’t do anything crazy. No more dragon fights.”
“I’d much rather live for you as well,” Gregory murmured. “And I promise you that no matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”
“Hmpf.” Naomi made a doubtful sound. “Shouldn’t knights protect a damsel from dragons?”
“I’m afraid we ran out of knights several centuries ago,” Gregory said apologetically.
Naomi gave him an arch look. “In that case, I guess I’ll just have to accept a dragon protector. Or, you know. Not get myself kidnapped by dragons again. I think on the whole, I’d prefer that.”
Gregory laughed softly, his ribs aching a little as his body continued to heal. “I’d prefer that myself.”
“So. You’re a dragon. For how long? I’m sorry, or is that a stupid question? I just... dragons!” Naomi shook her head as she looked at him. “I don’t understand anything about this. You know that this really doesn’t make sense? You shouldn’t exist.”
“But we do,” Gregory said gently. “You’ve seen it. It’s all real. We’ve been hiding from humans for centuries. If you remember the knights and the dragons, that didn’t go so well for us. Keeping it a secret works much better for everyone in the long run.”
“How many of you are there?” she asked curiously.
“Dragons are rare. But... there’s more, Naomi. More shifters. Wolf shifters.”
Naomi made a little squeak. “Werewolves? Seriously?”
Gregory nodded earnestly, trying not to laugh. “They’re real. As are lion shifters, bear shifters... There’s so much more than you know.”
“Frog shifters? Fly shifters?” Naomi gave him a suspicious look. “You’re not just making me fun of me now, are you?”
“I’ve heard of a frog shifter,” Gregory said. “Never of a fly shifter. That’s, ah... not really an evolutionary advantage.”
“You mean they got—ugh, you know what, I really don’t want to think about it. Dragons are more than enough for a start.” Naomi’s nose crinkled in disgust.
With a soft laugh, Gregory leaned forward to press a kiss to it. “Sorry. It’s a lot to take in. I’ll explain anything you want to know.”
As Gregory watched, Naomi reached out to lightly run her fingertips over his arm. Her touch was very gentle, as though she was afraid of hurting him. But all the same, a reassuring
warmth flowed through him at feeling her skin to skin.
It was how it was meant to be. And the dragon within him felt at once more powerful and more peaceful than he’d ever felt before.
Naomi’s fingers traveled up along his shoulder, and then she carefully cupped his cheek, the pad of her thumb stroking along his jaw. “Does this hurt?” she asked quietly. “You’ve got a mean bruise here.”
“Not at all.” Gregory had to swallow at the heat her touch sent through him even now. “It’ll be gone tomorrow. And the wounds you see will just be bruises tomorrow.”
Naomi released a shuddering breath. “I was... so afraid. When I found you on the ground, unmoving, covered in burns... I was, I thought—”