“Hush.” Gregory raised his hand to tenderly press a finger to her lips. “I’m so sorry I scared you. I’m so sorry this happened to you. But you were strong. You—”
Naomi laughed through her tears. “I dragged you here, all the way. Half of those bruises are probably my fault. Sorry. But I thought you were—that you would die...”
“Takes more than that to kill a dragon.” Very gently, Gregory leaned forward until he could press his lips to hers.
At the touch, Naomi sighed against his lips, her eyes falling shut for a moment as she relaxed. Her lips were soft, and at the kiss, more warmth rushed through his veins, the pain receding as his dragon’s power was kindled to new heights by the sensation of his mate here in his arms.
“We should get you cleaned up,” she said at last when she drew back, a reluctant smile on her lips. “Since it seems that it takes more than this to kill a dragon, getting that dirt and soot off you probably won’t kill you either.”
Gregory winced again as he tried to shift. “We heal fast,” he said apologetically, “but I don’t think I’m quite up for a shower yet.”
“No, don’t move. You’ve been through enough for a day.” With obvious reluctance, Naomi disentangled herself from his arms.
When she returned a few minutes later, she triumphantly waved a bar of soap and a wet cloth at him. “This’ll do for a start. Now hold still. And tell me something about dragons while I try to get you cleaned up.”
Gregory had to suppress another wince when she carefully pressed the cloth to his chest.
Naomi was very careful not to put pressure on the burns, but even so his fall had left him with large bruises. His entire chest felt sore. He supposed that he’d cracked a few ribs. The pain of that was familiar. But those would heal overnight. He just had to hope that the fire dragon wouldn’t return before...
“Dragons,” he said to distract himself from the pain. “There aren’t a lot of us. As you’ve seen, it would get dangerous if there are too many of us around.”
“Mm,” Naomi murmured in agreement. Gently, she dabbed at a scratch that ran across his biceps. “Does that happen often? Fights between dragons?”
Gregory shook his head. “No. There’s been peace for centuries. That’s how humans forgot we even exist. We have a council—the council of elements. All disagreements and squabbles are brought before the council. No fights where humans could be involved in any way. All of us have sworn to uphold the secret of our existence with our lives.”
Startled, Naomi looked up. “But—you told me! And that other dragon—”
“That’s what makes this so dangerous,” Gregory said. “That fire dragon—he shouldn’t even exist. No fire dragon has ever been on the council. We thought the fire element was extinct.”
Gregory took a deep breath, wondering what the council would make of this. “As for you—you’re my mate, Naomi. I won’t have secrets from you. I couldn’t. My heart will always be open to you.”
Slowly, Gregory reached out. He took hold of Naomi’s hand, then pulled it forward until it rested on his chest, right over where his heart was beating.
“I’m your mate, as you are mine. You soul called to me. My dragon has been yearning for you for so long.”
Slowly, Naomi’s hand relaxed, her fingers splaying over his heart. “None of this makes sense,” she murmured. “But it’s true. I don’t understand—but I can feel you. Here, in my own heart.”
She pulled her hand back to rest it against her own chest. Even without the touch a gentle warmth rushed through Gregory’s heart.
“I’ll keep you safe,” Gregory promised. He was still ashamed that he’d lost the fight. With his mate in danger, he hadn’t been able to think. Protecting his mate was the only thing on his mind, and he hadn’t been able to spare a single thought for any humans who might end up in danger.
He’d probably get in trouble with the council for this. The council had already been suspicious because of the painting of his dragon, on view in a gallery to every human interested in art. This wouldn’t help his case much.
But still. He’d found his mate now. He wouldn’t go insane; surely it wasn’t too late yet. His power had swelled to a dangerous amount—but at the same time, he’d found his mate.
Now that she was here with him, his mind felt calm and clear. It wasn’t too late yet. Surely the council would see that too, because he couldn’t allow anyone to part him from his mate ever again.
Chapter Seven: Naomi
Naomi thought that she was too restless for sleep, but she must’ve fallen asleep in Gregory’s arms right there on the floor. When she woke, he was already awake again, still looking tired, but at the same time more at ease.
When she yawned and sat up, she quickly saw why.
Just as he’d promised her, the worst of the burns had healed during the nap. His chest was still reddened, but now it looked more like a sunburn than wounds left by dragon fire.
As if he’d become aware of her worries, Gregory sat up as well, making a show of stretching and flexing his powerful muscles for her.
Her mouth dry, Naomi watched the ripples of the incredible abs. What would it feel like to press her fingers to his stomach and feel those ridges and valleys for herself?