Talk about depressing.

  Lucius stared at her, then turned his back and shuffled toward the cave entrance.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To get you out of here.”

  Chapter Four

  It was stupid to feel hurt by her determination to leave. He was nothing to her but an obstacle to overcome, a creature to manipulate to her advantage. She, on the other hand, had irrevocably changed his life. He was awake in the world, something that should’ve been impossible.

  Maybe it was fate or some dark magic that had brought her here. All he knew was the more time he spent with her, the more he didn’t want to let her go. Raine was affecting his good sense. It was better if they parted ways. There was no peace for him here, not with memories of her permeating every inch of the place. He’d find another mountain somewhere and go back to sleep. They’d never see each other again.

  Pain fisted his heart, squeezing it tight.

  It wasn’t an exaggeration to say the fate of the world was at stake. He was too unstable to be among humans, too volatile, too angry. There was no telling what he’d do if they attacked him.

  Only he didn’t feel that way around Raine. Amused, intrigued, and protective best described how she made him feel. He had to let her go. That could happen only if he helped her leave. Ignoring her plight or letting her die were no longer options.

  His blood grew cold at the thought of her exploring the cave system on her own. It was a lie that he’d never explored it. He was an earth drakon. The first thing he’d done when he’d arrived here all those centuries ago was map out every crevice and corner of the tunnels. That’s how he knew it was dangerous.

  “You’re really going to help?” He heard her scrambling up behind him, and then her hand pressed against his tail. The heat from her skin was slight, but it burned through him like a raging bonfire, warming his blood.

  “Yes.” It was a tight squeeze through the opening, but he’d fix that problem.

  “Why now? Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to get out of the cave. It’s a great one, as caves go, but I want to see the sky and breathe fresh air. Don’t you miss that?”

  “I was sleeping,” he said. Time was different in the Deep Sleep. Sometimes he was almost aware of the world. Mostly there was nothing.

  “Right. Sorry about that. Will you be able to get back to sleep? You broke your stone shell. Can you grow another?”

  “It seems I’m done with sleep.” Where he’d go, he had no idea, but that was a problem for later.

  “Oh. That’s my fault, isn’t it?” Her shoulders drooped and then perked right back up. “If you think about it, it’s really Mack’s fault. If he hadn’t blasted the entry shut, I would’ve looked at you and studied you while you were sleeping. You wouldn’t have known a thing.” The corners of her lips turned down. “That sounds kind of stalkerish, but it wouldn’t have been that way. I didn’t know you were real.”

  A throbbing began behind his eyes. Was he getting a headache or was it hunger? Probably the latter, but it was hard to tell. He studied the pile of rocks in front of him.

  “There are a lot of rocks to be moved.” She shifted her weight from one leg to the other.

  “Come here.”

  Suspicion clouded her golden-brown eyes. “Why?”

  “Do you want to get out of here or not?” Her sudden wariness baffled him. For someone who’d been in such a hurry, had been willing to risk the cave tunnels, it made no sense to waffle now.

  “Yes.”

  “Then come here.” He tapped one claw against the ground.

  “There? That’s really close. Why do you need me there?” Her fear was palpable. She closed her eyes and took a calming breath. “I’m sorry to doubt you. Do you call these arms or legs?” she asked as she walked around one, so she ended up between them.

  “Call them whatever you want.” He’d truly never thought about it.

  “What do you call them?”

  “Limbs.”

  “I like arms. You don’t have paws. They’re more like hands and fingers. You can move them, can’t you?”

  He flexed one before he thought, curling his claws toward his palm.

  “There you go, they’re hands.” Her smile made him want to chuckle. She looked so pleased with herself.

  He drew one of his arms closer, pulling her against his chest.

  “What are you doing? That’s awful close to your mouth. You remember I’m not very edible, right?” The slight teasing lilt to her voice caught him off guard. She bounced back and forth between fear and trust so fast it made his head spin.

  “If I’m going to tunnel through the debris, I’ll likely bring down the walls.”

  “Wait!” Before he could ask why, she scurried out from between his legs and ran back into the cavern. Not sure what the problem was now, he waited. Seconds later, she hurried back, tugging her pack on once again. “If we can’t get back in after, I want my stuff.” She planted her hand on top of his arm and vaulted over it, her butt skimming his scales. “I’m ready.”

  “You sure?”

  “Do I detect sarcasm?”

  Shaking his head at her banter, which was partly nerves, he urged her closer. “Stay under my jaw. That will give you protection. I’ll keep you safe.”

  “I know you will.” The solemn declaration penetrated his thick scales and made him want to stretch to his full size.

  “Hold on.” Moving slowly forward, he squeezed his body into the tunnel. Rock shattered, exploding upward, sending debris behind and in front of them.

  “We’re gonna die. We’re gonna die.” It was barely a whisper under her breath, but he heard it.

  This was taking too long. He scooped her up and held her to his chest, careful not to hurt her with his sharp claws. With one mighty heave, he surged forward and burst out into the night. The wind brushed against him for the first time in far too long, the gentle caress as soft as a mother’s kiss. The air was crisper than that inside the cave. He filled his lungs, enjoying the cold bite.

  He opened his hand, and Raine tumbled to the ground at his feet, looking stunned but perfectly fine. Standing to his full height, he stretched his neck and extended his wings. A groan of satisfaction rumbled up from deep inside. Tilting back his head, he roared at the moon and stars. His tail thrashed, taking down the trees in its path. Every muscle in his body flexed. Strength surged through him. All around him, the wildlife grew quiet, acknowledging the apex predator in their midst.

  “Holy crap, you’re big.” She shone her light on him, taking in the full breadth of his form. “You really are like something out of a legend.” She rolled to her side and pushed to her feet. “Looks like Mack didn’t stick around.”

  Mack, the man who’d lured her here, who’d trapped her in the cave, who was responsible for his waking. “I’m going to kill him.”

  Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. “You can’t do that.”

  “Why not?”

  …

  “Why not? What kind of a question is that? You can’t go around randomly killing people.” Everyone knew that. Although, as big as he was, who was going to stop him?

  Curled up inside the cave he’d been impressive. Outside, with his massive wings extended, the rosy gold of his scales glinting in the beam of her flashlight, he truly was spectacular. And humongous. If a T-Rex happened along, it would take one look, turn tail, and run.

  “Why not?” he repeated. He tilted his massive head to one side and peered at her like she was an interesting artifact, one he couldn’t quite decide if he should keep or bury back in the dirt. His pale pink eyes gleamed. They should’ve been out of place with the rest of him, but somehow they fit. Or maybe she was getting used to them. “He was willing to kill you.”

  That stopped her cold for a second, but she shook her head. “It’s against the law.”

  “Man’s law.”

  “Woman’s law too, buddy. No killing.” Just the thought of it was enough to make her queasy. Or maybe that was the lack of rest and proper food coupled with fear and more exercise than she’d had in months. The trees seemed to swirl around her, making her stomach sick. “I need to sit down.” She plopped down on the hard, cold ground and lowered her head, taking slow deep breaths.

  “What is wrong with you?” His voice sounded different, not quite as deep and guttural. Maybe it was the acoustics of the cave that had made it sound that way.

  “I’m fine.” She tilted her head back and screamed before scrambling away. A strange man was standing in front of her—a very naked and very huge one. Half his body, from neck to feet, was covered in swirling tattoos that were golden in color and outlined in the palest pink. She swallowed heavily as she looked down his broad chest, chiseled pecs, and washboard abs. The light in her hand wavered when it hit his groin. Holy shit, he was big, and half his shaft was tattooed. That had to have hurt when it was done. Since it wasn’t polite to gawk, she skimmed the flashlight lower. His thighs were like tree trunks.

  “Have you seen enough?”

  She jerked the light back up, illuminating the random tattoos on the other side of his body. There were many, but nothing like the cohesive one on his left side. He was biker gang meets ancient god.

  His jaw appeared to have been hewn from solid granite. Dark brown hair fell like silk to his wide shoulders. His cheekbones were high, his nose perfection, but it was the eyes that caught her. They were pink.

  “Lucius?”

  He gave a curt nod.

  “How is this possible?” He’d been a huge dragon, or drakon, only moments before.

  “I am the son of a dragon and human woman. Unlike my sire, who had to work to hold a human form for any length of time, I can hold either with ease.”

  “You’re gorgeous.” The words spilled out before she could stop them. The corners of his mouth lifted, not quite a smile, but almost. Her heart went pitter-patter, her mouth was dry. A real smile would be lethal. She fought the urge to fan herself as heat washed over and through her.

  Realizing she was sprawled on the ground—which seemed to happen a lot around him—she scrambled to her feet. It didn’t help. He was still a giant in comparison, his sheer presence dominating the space without effort.

  “You can shift.” That was like something out of a science fiction book or a paranormal romance. Or a horror novel, a little voice whispered. She silenced it with a shake of her head.

  Raine marched over to him and poked him in the chest. It was like hitting steel or stone—unmovable. At five ten, she was used to being eye to eye with most men. With him, she had to tilt her head back and look way up. He had to be about seven feet tall.

  “Are you telling me you could have shifted at any time while we were trapped in the cave?”

  “Yes.” A muscle twitched in his jaw.

  “Then why didn’t you?”

  “I didn’t want to.”

  “Right, you were happy being a stone dragon. Excuse me, drakon.” Ignoring the aches in her body and the growing headache throbbing in her temples, she oriented herself and found the path that had brought her here. It was time to leave. The flashlight, along with the stars, would be enough to guide her.

  She wanted to go home, crawl into bed, pull the covers over her head, and forget any of this had ever happened. Maybe not Lucius, but everything else. As soon as she was back within cell range, she’d call the police and tell them about Mack. She’d leave Lucius out of it. They’d doubt her sanity if she started talking about drakons.

  Her stomach clenched as she held out her hand. “Thank you for getting me out of there. I’m sorry you were caught in the middle of all this, whatever this is.” Her hand wavered in the air a few seconds before she dropped it and rubbed it over her pant leg. “Right. I guess I’ll be going.” The thought of a more than four-hour trek made her want to curl up in a ball and cry.

  She took the first step forward. “What will you do?” Curiosity wouldn’t allow her to leave without asking. Not that he needed her or anything. He was a powerful shapeshifter.

  He shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. Big and capable, he somehow seemed alone. It tugged at her heartstrings. She swung her pack down and untied her sleeping bag. “Here. You can wrap this around your waist, keep you from getting cold.”

  “I regulate my body temperature.”

  “Right.” That made sense, as much as any of this did. Her ordinary, ordered life had been blown to smithereens. “But you might need it if you encounter people. A naked man strolling out of the woods is bound to attract attention.”

  “I’ll shift and fly.”

  “Okay…wait, you can’t do that. No flying.”

  “Why not?” Again, he seemed more curious than concerned.

  “You don’t think a drakon flying through the sky will attract attention?”

  “It’s remote here.” He peered out into the dark woods. What did he see? How did he feel after so many years asleep?

  “Um, how long have you slept?”

  “What year is it?”

  “Two thousand twenty-two.”

  “About three hundred years, give or take a few decades.”

  Now her head was spinning for an entirely different reason. She’d known he’d been locked in stone a long time, but it hadn’t really registered until right now. “How old are you?”

  The corners of his mouth twitched again. She held her breath, but he didn’t smile. Probably better that way. “About four thousand years.”

  She staggered back a step before catching her balance. “The things you’ve seen.” He’d lived through history while she’d only read about it. How young and silly she must appear to him.

  “Much changes in the physical world, but people rarely do.”

  That was sad and cynical, even if it was correct. “A lot has happened while you’ve been sleeping.” She waved at the sky. “There’s radar that can track you if you fly. The military will call up fighter planes. God, you probably don’t even know what that is. They’re machines that can fly through the sky. They’ll find you and shoot you down.”

  He scoffed. “They’ll try, but I will crush them.”

  “What is it with you and killing?” Maybe it was his nature. Maybe she should shut her mouth and walk away, but she was responsible for him now, wasn’t she? After all, unintentional or not, she was the one who’d woken him. “You need to come with me.” Decision made, she held out the sleeping bag. “Wrap this around you.”

  “I’m not cold.”

  “Maybe not, but I don’t need to see you in all your naked glory.”

  “Glory?” His lips twitched and his eyes danced with amusement. Good thing one of them was finding this funny.

  Raine cleared her throat and plunged onward. “It’s my fault you’re awake. The least I can do is to help you get caught up on what’s happened in the world.” And it will keep him with me longer. She wasn’t ready for their time together to end, and it wasn’t only because he was a living, breathing mythical creature.

  His eyes narrowed and his brows lowered. “I don’t need help.”

  God save her from the male ego. “Maybe I need help.” When his frown eased, she carried on, warming to the idea. “Mack might be out there, and who knows what else. Maybe a bear.” The last thing she wanted was to run into anyone—human or animal.

  “I have it on good authority that you’re not good eating.”

  The teasing caught her off guard. Her toes curled in her boots and pleasure filled her, the warmth from it driving out the chill of the night air. “I’m really not, but a bear might not stop to listen to reason like you did.” She ignored his soft snort. “It’s a long walk back to my car.”

  “Car?”

  “It’s a vehicle, propelled by an engine. Mankind has made gigantic leaps forward in the past hundred and fifty years or so. We’ve visited the moon, sent probes into deep space, explored the oceans, and flown in the skies.”

  His frown was back with a vengeance.

  How could she make him understand? “You try to fly out of here, they’ll see you, and they’ll never stop looking for you.” As much as it pained her, she added, “And trying to kill you.”

  “Mankind never changes.” The hard determination in his voice sent a shiver down her spine. Best if mankind never discovered his presence. It might not survive. This was not a man who backed down from a fight. Who knew what skills and natural weapons he possessed beyond his huge size and the fire he’d released with ease? She had the sense that was only the tip of the iceberg.

  “But not everyone is like that. Some people are good and kind.” She tried to believe that, even though some days it wasn’t easy.

  “I know.” He ran his fingers down the curve of her cheek. The pads were slightly rough but his touch softer than a feather.

  She swallowed heavily. “Are there any more like you out there—drakons? Maybe we could find one that might help you.”

  “No.” The finality hit with a heavy thud. “Even among my own kind, I am considered a monster.”

  Chapter Five

  Lucius would never admit it aloud, but all the sights and sounds were overwhelming after so many years encased in stone. It was as though he could hear the very earth speak, the insects wiggling beneath the soil, the birds nested in the trees. The stars in the sky were more brilliant, the craters of the moon visible to his naked eyes. Every sense he possessed was sharper, more powerful than it had been before he’d slept.