“You're my mate, Alyx. I knew it as soon as I saw you. I know you can feel it, too. There's a connection between us.”
“I could feel you,” she said softly, feeling herself shivering as more heat seemed to flow into her. “When we were trying to escape, when you were wounded... It was as if I could feel your pain.”
Braeden nodded. “It's a connection that will deepen—if we want it to.”
His eyes were very wide, his voice awed—even though he was a powerful dragon, and she was just a human.
His hand was still cupping her cheek, and instinctively, she leaned into the touch.
His thumb trailed over her bottom lip. She reached up to catch hold of his hand with her own, holding it in place so that she could press a kiss to it.
She could almost see it again—that weird golden light that she'd thought she'd seen earlier.
At her touch, he groaned.
A moment later, she found herself pulled against his chest again as he kissed her hungrily. In encouragement, she grabbed hold of his shoulders, her nails digging into his muscles as she surrendered herself to the kiss until she felt dizzy and breathless.
From behind her closed eyes, she could see that golden light again. It wound all around them, like ribbons of silk.
“Are you doing that?” she gasped when they finally pulled apart. “Is that your fire dragon magic? That golden light?”
“It's the mate bond.” He sounded just as breathless as she did, his voice deliciously rough. “It's fragile—but it's there. If we're to mate, it'll become so strong that nothing in the world can ever destroy it. It'll be stronger than diamond. Stronger than the fire of the sun itself.”
“Wow,” she said again, dizzily shaking her head. “That's... a lot to take in. I still don't know anything about shifters, not really... I thought you were all evil, until you rescued me!”
“I know it's a lot. And I know this is not the right time.”
Despite his words, he seemed unable to let go of her, and that sent a wave of pleasure through her as well. It was good to be desired.
And it was absolutely, unbelievably great to have this guy especially want her.
“It's not something that's going to happen unless we both want it. So you don't have to worry about it now.” He hesitated a moment, then said, “Do you want to know more about shifters? I mean—the shifters who aren't out to kill you, or anyone else?”
She raised a brow, still feeling strangely giddy at the heat thrumming between them. “Oh? Those exist?”
“There are a lot of them. And they've lived among you humans for a long time, secretly and peacefully.”
The part of Alyx that was all journalist in constant search of headlines immediately perked up.
“Really? There are dragons living among us?” She shook her head, trying to imagine Josh from the IT department shifting into a dragon. “That's hard to believe. How'd you keep that a secret?”
“Humans can't see mythological shifters,” he explained. “And if there are reports of a bear or a wolf at large, you humans always find good explanations for that.”
“Tiger Escaped from Zoo,” she said promptly. That had been February’s top story. It had been a slow month.
But what if it was a tiger shifter...?
“Wait a minute,” she then said, straightening. “I've seen those fire dragons. They weren't invisible.”
“You're my mate,” he said, giving her another of those smiles that made her heart race. “You can see us.”
“Just my luck,” she said, grimacing. “Is that why they picked me?”
“I don't know.”
Braeden straightened, the heat gone from his gaze. All she could see was worry as his eyes went to the window again.
“It's a good point, actually. And a worrying one. We should leave. There's a place I know. A shifter town. You'll be safe.”