She glanced at her mark again, a mistake because he quickly latched on to the movement.

  He walked forward, putting his hands on the bars again. The bars looked tiny in his huge fists and big in hers. “You feel it, don’t you? You feel the approaching doom. The way you will die without me.”

  She sat up stubbornly. “I feel no such thing.” But even as she insisted, a shiver of fear moved through her. Shit.

  “You do,” he said, folding his arms again and stepping back smugly. “So you see? You are lucky to be in my cage.” His smirk deepened, and he gave her a cocky look that was more attractive than it had any right to be. “And once you behave better, little one, I might just let you out of my cage to get to know me.”

  She was too shocked by his audacity to do anything but stutter.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  She nodded, hoping it would make him disappear, and then she could work on escaping because it was clear this despot dragon was never going to let her go.

  “Then I’ll go hunting,” he said with a nod, striding toward the door, his huge form making the stone floor rattle. He threw her a look over his shoulder. “Soon you’ll see that you should feel lucky you have even a chance at being mine.”

  Before she could scream at his sheer delusion, he was gone, shutting the door behind him.

  His? His? What the hell was that supposed to mean?

  One thing was certain: she had to get out of there. Find some way to escape and reach out to the other dragons to tell them what had happened.

  She touched the carnelian pendant on her neck and felt something fiery surge through her. Her magic energy, which had always been a soft glow, was suddenly burning.

  She looked down at the stone in her hand to see it was illuminated by some kind of light that also shone from her fingers.

  Putting the stone back inside her shirt, as it was on a necklace, she saw light still radiating from her hands, and she felt strong in a way she never had before.

  Knowing in some way that things would be different, she put her hands on the bars, feeling warmth pulsating through her palms.

  She grabbed the bars hard, then began to pull. To her shock, as if they were made of very hard taffy, they began to bend in her grip.

  So were the others right? Did she really have some mysterious powers along with her energy?

  It was ludicrous to think she’d be some kind of important chess piece on a board filled with shifters when she was just one little human.

  One little human who just wanted to help others and live a safe, normal life.

  Still, she had to acknowledge as she opened the bars that ever feeling truly normal again probably wasn’t happening.

  Her breaths were small and shaky as she carefully moved out of the cage, squeezing between the bars.

  She wanted to heave a sigh of relief at escaping but didn’t dare for fear he would hear her.

  Slowly, quietly, she moved to the window and looked down, mentally thanking her lucky stars when she saw that she was only on the ground floor.

  She eyed the door Konar had gone through. Since the window was too small and out of the question, she would probably have to go out the same way he had.

  She crept over, feeling her heart about to burst with nerves as she put her hand on the door handle and listened carefully.

  Hopefully the kitchen, or wherever he got food from, would be on the other side of the castle.

  Slowly, painstakingly, she pulled the old-fashioned handle to open the door, wincing when it creaked slightly.

  When she didn’t hear footsteps pounding over, indicating Konar had heard her, she sighed and sagged in relief.

  Time to escape.

  She was wearing only baggy black pajama pants and a gray sweater, but luckily, she’d been wearing slipper socks when abducted, so she should be fine moving out into the forest.

  The door she opened took her into a courtyard, where she stopped at the pure beauty before her.

  Dozens of bright-pink cherry trees were bursting with blossoms, and smaller plants were scattered between them, along with taller trees rising all around.

  Petals lost to the wind flew by her diagonally, light and beautiful and pink, like magic snow.

  Looking at the huge stone walls around the courtyard, there was a part of her that wanted to stay and explore things.

  But another part that knew she had to escape a controlling, kidnapping dragon was stronger.

  She moved toward a large open gate at the front of the castle. Perhaps Konar had gone out looking for food. He’d been able to escape this area to kidnap her, so perhaps the barrier wasn’t working like the oracle thought.

  She made a mental note to tell Troy and Jack that later.

  Leaving the castle, she moved into the darkness of the forest, trying to get her bearings. The tree branches overhead shaded her as she walked forward, though the morning light was shining in as the sun rose, making beams of light stream through like spotlights.

  She moved into a denser, darker part of the forest, hoping she could hide better there.

  Just as she was about to start running a bit faster, she accidentally stepped on a small twig she didn’t see and heard a snap that made her freeze in place.

  Please don’t have heard that. Please don’t have heard that.

  But then she heard a pounding sound, then another, as something huge shook the ground.

  The dragon had heard her, and now he would come for her.

  She took off, running as fast as she could, fear pulling at her shoulders, heart bursting with the need to escape.

  8

  She’d barely made it far at all before she heard his huge shape coming closer, trees and branches snapping out of his way as he came.

  She let out a small shriek as something huge and dark dove from behind her and wrapped around her waist, grabbing her and then pinning her to a nearby tree so she couldn’t move.

  To her shock, she was held by a giant dragon hand, complete with talons.

  Said dragon was moving toward her, where his hand was extended. Like he’d reached way out to catch her and now was coming to take a closer look.

  His grip surrounded her body, making her feel tiny and useless. She could still feel the heat of her powers, but she knew there was nothing she could do against this creature. He was a literal dragon.

  Her breasts were pressed up by his grip, and as his dragon head lowered to glare at her with his dinner-plate-sized eyes, glistening like black obsidian, she realized he was more pissed than she’d expected.

  In fact, he almost looked… scared?

  Of her? Of her being gone? Why?

  “How dare you?” he spat, keeping her pinned with his talons.

  A part of her couldn’t help seeing this as interesting, much to her chagrin. Being pinned to a tree by an ancient monster. Even though it was him, there was something about the power of it.

  About the way he was holding her, watching her, so huge compared to her tininess.

  Why did she have to have such a thing for monsters?

  He’s not truly trying to protect you or worried about your safety, she tried to remind herself.

  His glare was cold as black ice, and his dragon lip curled, baring white fangs. “You really are the stupidest human I’ve ever met.”

  She wriggled helplessly against his hold, wondering how it was possible to fit in his palm. “I am not. I’d be stupid if I didn’t escape.”

  “You’ll be dead in a matter of days if you escape,” he spat. “That thing on your wrist? It’s a countdown. Look at it today. You’ll see it’s changed.”

  He let her pull her hand free so she could bring it up to her face and look at it.

  To her shock, he was right. It did look different.

  “How do I know you didn’t put it there? You sure know a lot about it,” she said. “For all I know, you turned into someone else, came into my store, and—”

  “If it was me, then it wouldn’t be counting down still, would it? Because I’ve already caught you. Twice now.” His dragon grin was terrifying, yet for some reason, she didn’t feel scared.

  She felt… something.

  Maybe it was just the adrenaline. The thrill of the hunt. The fact that he was going after her more than any other male ever had.

  Maybe for the wrong reasons, but still.

  If he hadn’t put that mark… maybe he was telling the truth about all of this.

  Maybe she really was doomed out there without him.

  But it should be her choice.

  She wriggled against him again, stymied once again.

  He was just so strong, so big, so dominant…

  And he wouldn’t let her go.

  He was also a dragon, albeit an unruly one, and she had always loved dragons.

  She relaxed slightly in his hold, trying to think this out in a logical way. If she ran, he would surely come after her. Could Troy and Jack even protect her?

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked. “Why me? Why do you care if I get taken? If something eats me and hurts the world, then won’t you be happy?”

  He frowned as if he hadn’t even thought of that. Damn, even his dragon was handsome. His stern brows furrowed in concentration.

  “No, I wouldn’t be happy if something ate you.” He released his hold on her and moved back slightly. She sagged against the tree, and he reached out a claw for her to hold, then used it to press her back against the tree again for balance. “You haven’t eaten. We should go back inside.”

  “You’re crazy if you think I’m going with someone who would kidnap me.”

  He scratched his head scales with one long talon. “So you would go with me if I hadn’t?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “But you put me in a cage!”

  “So you wouldn’t do this! So you wouldn’t run and do something stupid and get killed!” Konar roared. “Don’t you get it? I’m doing you a favor. I want to protect you! I don’t want something to happen to you!”

  “Why?” she spat back, her hands in fists, his talon withdrawing as she found her balance. Clearly, he wasn’t worried about her running since he could just catch her.

  He studied her, such a beautiful creature that he took her breath away, and the way his eyes roved over her with heated intensity slightly turned her on this time.

  She shook her head. This couldn’t be happening.

  But then a wall of smoke went up, a glittering veil fell, covering his dragon body, and then she saw him walk out in human form, his ax over his shoulder.

  He walked toward her, a look in his eye she hadn’t ever quite seen before. His long legs closed the distance in only a few strides, and then he sank his ax in the tree above her and looked down at her with blazing orange eyes.

  He pressed his body closer, letting his heated muscles graze against her, and lord help her, she couldn’t manage to push him away.

  For just a split second, he felt so good.

  Almost against her will, her heart still pounding from the chase and being held by a dragon, she put her hands up to his chest, resting them on those huge muscles.

  He was so warm, and the scars on his skin were like tiny wrinkles in velvet.

  Damn, he felt good.

  She felt heady, caught up in the moment as he loomed over her, trapping her against the tree and continuing to study her.

  Even in human form, he was so impossibly big, so impossibly strong compared to her. Her heart was beating so hard she could feel her pendant heating against her chest.

  He leaned in, coming closer, closer.

  Then, when her stupid lips parted invitingly instead of shouting insults as she should, Konar moved his lips over hers in a hard kiss, and her entire body suddenly filled with fire.

  9

  Konar had heard something in his forest and gone to investigate, but he’d never thought it could be the frustrating little human who was supposed to be safe in a cage in his castle.

  He was sure that with some food, and some persuasion, she would accept that he was the best person to protect her.

  Now he knew she was even more reckless than he’d feared.

  Reckless, gorgeous, curvy, brave, in danger… and currently melting under his lips like he wasn’t a dragon warlord who had captured her.

  He’d sensed something different when his claws had pinned her gently to the tree. Instead of panic, instead of anger, he’d seen a growing heat in her eyes.

  It wasn’t new for females to be impressed with his strength; they were often seeking adequate protectors, after all.

  But no, it was more like she liked his dragon.

  And he liked that a lot.

  And when she’d asked why he was going so far for her, all he’d been able to do was look in her beautiful green eyes and think how boring this world would be without this little spitfire in it.

  Damn, she scrambled his thoughts.

  Like now, he felt in a haze of lust for her, sweeping his tongue in her willing mouth, catching her surprised little moans as he kissed her deeper, harder, pressing their bodies together.

  He knew his human form would appeal to her. Dragons had to be beautiful in both forms. But there was something else to this. A magnetic draw between them.

  Perhaps they were truly fated to be in this place together.

  So that he could benefit from her power.

  But right now, he just wanted her body, to feel more of her. His hand lifted to caress her cheek lightly as he plundered her mouth, and he pressed a knee between her legs to help her stay up as she began to writhe helplessly.

  He wanted to move that knee up between her legs, see this little human really worked up.

  But then she pulled away from the kiss, glaring up at him, lips swollen, face flushed from arousal, eyes burning with anger as she raised a hand to wipe her lips.

  “How dare you kiss me?”

  “You didn’t say no,” he shot back, his inner dragon still shaken by the force of their kiss. His body burned with need for her. He lifted his jaw. “You liked it. You’re wet as hell for me.” He smirked. “For my dragon.”

  “Ugh!” She tried to push him away, but he remained there like a wall. He looked down at her hands on his chest, grinning, and she pulled back as though she’d been burned. “You’re impossible.”

  “No, you are,” he said, keeping a hand over her head. “You refuse to stay with me, even though you want my dragon, even though you are attracted to me. Why?”

  She wrung her hands, her red hair damp with sweat and exertion. “Because you kidnapped me!”

  “Even before then,” he said. “What did I do to you to make you turn me down?”

  She frowned. “You hate people. You hate this world. I like helping people. We’re incompatible.”

  He leaned in, letting her feel his body again, noting her blush and the fact that she couldn’t seem to make herself pull away. “Oh, I think we’re extremely compatible. I think you should be mine.”

  She blinked. “Like… dating?”

  He snorted. “More like you live in my castle, give me your power, and we fuck.”

  She grimaced. “You really are awful. Not my type at all.”

  He grinned. “I think I’m just your type. But go on. Lie to me. Tell me what you think you want.”

  “I—you know, a man with manners. Who brings flowers. Who volunteers—”

  “I volunteered to fight your monster,” he retorted.

  “I want—I want something else,” she said desperately, looking around like she was trying to convince herself.

  He took a deep breath. Maybe he truly had been asleep too long. Maybe he shouldn’t have captured her. But he’d thought if they spoke too long, she’d have called the dragons, and they would leave her unprotected again.

  How did he tell her he had this odd feeling that he just didn’t want anything to happen to her, and he didn’t know why?

  When she was in danger, even his plan to get revenge and take over the world seemed minuscule.

  Perhaps he was thinking with the brain between his legs because she truly was so beautiful.

  Studying her flushed, freckled face, realizing she truly hated his hatred for her world, he realized the leverage he would need to use on her if he wanted to get her to let him protect her.

  Not that he’d take no for an answer, but this way, he didn’t have to deal with another cage escape.

  He faced her solemnly, stepping back to give her room to breathe as he pulled his ax from the tree and slung it over his shoulder. “This thing coming for you, nothing in this world can fight it. If you go out into your world, it will find you, consume you, and then kill everyone it can find. If you leave me, you will be responsible for the deaths of millions. I am not exaggerating.”

  Her eyes went wide with fear, which he hated, but this was important and true.

  “If you won’t stay with me, then take me with you. From the moment I met you, you intrigued me. I want to protect you, for whatever reason. Maybe it’s power; maybe it’s something else. If you stay with me, I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want, except to stay safe.”

  She let out a sigh of relief. “So you can sound normal.”

  “Sometimes.”

  She sucked in a breath, clearly torn still. “I… I don’t want anything bad to happen to anyone.”

  “I brought your stuff with me,” he said. “The syringe gun they gave you was inside. I will give you your things and give the gun back to you if you agree to stay, so you can feel safe.”

  She looked highly tempted by that, so he continued.

  “Staying with me, letting me protect you, will protect your world from that monster,” he said gravely, his hand at his side forming into a fist. “Because I will not fight it for them, but I would fight it for a chance with you.”

  She squeaked, looking genuinely shocked. “You want a chance with me? Why?”

  He looked her over. “As I said, you’re powerful. I seek that in a mate.”

  “So like… dating?”

  He simply stared at her. “For now, all I offer is my home and my protection.”