She frowned. “And a cage.”

  “It is ideal protection,” he asserted. “I can see you from all angles and protect you from all sides.” His eyes narrowed. “How did you escape?”

  She shrugged, looking like she was trying to hide something but not very good at it. “We all have some secrets.”

  “Indeed.” He sighed. “Fine. No cage.” He grinned. “You can stay in my bed instead.”

  Her eyes widened with shock. “You arrogant—”

  “Your own room, then,” he said. “If you promise to stay. For your friends in this world, I recommend it.”

  She heaved a heavy breath. “I guess you haven’t hurt me, so I have no reason not to trust you.”

  He grinned. He had her. “Your own room, then,” he said. He put out a hand for them to seal their bargain, and after only a moment’s hesitation, she put her small, soft hand in his.

  Just that tiny touch sent electricity surging through him.

  “We have a deal,” she said softly. Then she pushed off the tree and began walking back to the castle, looking over her shoulder to see if he would follow.

  Which he did.

  He had a feeling he’d be following this woman around for a very long time.

  10

  It felt odd to walk back to the castle with a huge, half-naked man by her side.

  Not that she minded the half-naked part.

  He led the way, and she watched his huge shoulders swing confidently, wondering what it would be like to see the whole world at your mercy as this man did.

  All she wanted was to care about people. She’d never cared about power.

  She wondered what it was like to be driven by something so dark.

  When they reached the castle gates, the beautiful cherry blossoms greeted her again. As they walked into the courtyard, a wind blew through, causing the petals to blow past her like strawberry-milk-colored confetti.

  “Wait,” she said as he pulled open the heavy wooden door that led into the inner fortress. “What about my things? I need—”

  “I took your pack from your dwelling,” he said gruffly. “So you should have some things.” He eyed her clothing. “Do you have a change of clothes?”

  She nodded.

  “Then we’re fine,” he said. “If needed, the dragons can bring you more things.”

  “You’d let me call them?” she asked.

  He gave her a fierce look, a muscle in his hard jaw ticking with irritation. “You’re not my prisoner. Not anymore, now that you’ve agreed to let me protect you.”

  She swallowed. “I see.”

  Dammit, now that he wasn’t being a total jerk, it was even harder not to notice how beautiful he was.

  It really was at least a little noble that he was going so far to watch out for her.

  She looked down to her mark, wondering what powers she had inside that such powerful creatures would be battling for it.

  Her cheeks flushed as she thought about being pinned to the tree by his dragon. Oh gosh…

  He stood straighter. “I can sense your feelings,” he said. “Unlike other dragons, who can read minds, I read instincts, moods, and feelings.” He sent her a smirking glare. “So… well, if you want to explore something, I’m here, little one.”

  “I’m not little,” she said, walking down the hall in front of him stubbornly. “I’ve been called a ‘big girl’ all my life.”

  His brows furrowed. “By whom? You’re tiny.”

  She turned back to him, flustered, her hands on her waist, and then gestured to her body. “Because of this. You know, I’m—”

  “Unbelievably gorgeous? Curved for the gods? Softer than heaven?” He cocked his head as her mouth went slack at his words.

  “You like fat girls?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “I don’t understand how you mean it, but yes, if it means I like you. Just seeing you for the first time set my dragon on fire.” He looked over her slowly, making her heart race. “And not just for your power but your beauty.”

  She frowned. “In my world, women like me are overlooked. Human men—”

  “Are stupid,” he said. “If you want to see the truth of my statements, merely lie with me.” He ran his tongue over his lips. “I’d be harder than my ax if I saw you naked, I’m certain.”

  Her cheeks flamed, and she couldn’t help thinking about the sex scenes in her dragon books.

  Seeing her perturbation, he gave a small smirk and merely led the way back to the room where her cage had been. When she grimaced, he shook his head.

  “You won’t be going back there now that you’ve seen sense,” he said. Instead, he went in and came back out with her backpack, holding it in one hand as they moved down the hallway. “I’ll put you in the anterior chamber of my room,” he said.

  “No,” she said, folding her arms stubbornly. “My own room.”

  “Next to mine, then,” he said.

  “But my privacy—”

  “I need to know if something comes for you,” he said. His lips curved up, baring perfect white teeth and a smile that still looked almost as predatory as his dragon. “In fact, it would still be best if you stayed in my chambers.”

  She shook her head rapidly. “No. My own room.”

  He frowned in disappointment but led her past huge double doors that probably led to his room and then to the next door down the hall.

  He opened the door and strode in, setting her backpack on a small, old-fashioned table with ornate carving and gold leaf on the legs.

  The bed was huge with a canopy, made of the same deep brown wood with gold leaf.

  There was a gorgeous rug on the floor that reminded her of a medieval tapestry, handwoven and playing out scenes of battle.

  “Will this work?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said. “Do you have internet?”

  He cocked his head.

  She rummaged in her backpack and pulled out her phone, relieved to see she still had roaming data. “I need to call my friends, talk to them, and show them I’m okay. They’re probably beyond worried.”

  “That is fine,” he said. “I’ll be in the forest, finding your dinner.” He sent her a cutting look. “Don’t try to leave this time.”

  She nodded.

  When he was gone, his heavy footsteps echoing down the hall with thundering thuds, she sat on her bed and pulled her laptop out of her backpack. When she had connected using her phone as a hotspot, she opened Skype and started a call with Willow and Becky.

  She had their numbers because she often called them when new crystal shipments came in, and they were also members of a shifter reading group and liked to share recommendations.

  To her surprise, both picked up instantly, and she saw that they were at the counter of her store, crystals shining all around them.

  “Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you’re okay,” Becky said, leaning forward to look into the camera.

  Luckily, it was still an hour before opening, so there was time to chat.

  Willow leaned in, relief making her face relax as she sighed and leaned back so that Becky and she were both in the shot. “Glad you’re okay. We were worried.”

  “Thanks for holding down the fort,” Mara said.

  “So what happened? Are you with those dragons? What is the mark?” Willow asked excitedly.

  Becky wiggled her blond eyebrows. “Are dragons as sexy as in the books?”

  “Yes,” Mara said with no hesitation. “They’re all ridiculously tall and gorgeous, but…”

  “But what?” Becky asked. “Girl, you gotta hit that.”

  Mara snorted. “Their personalities are something else, though. Difficult, stubborn, overprotective, at least from what I’ve seen so far. I’ve only met three.”

  “Three dragons?” Willow practically shrieked. “Girl, you need to share!”

  “Well, I’m staying with one of them now,” Mara said. “Sort of a long story.”

  “Yeah, where are you?” Becky asked. “It looks like some kind of fortress. Are those stone walls?”

  Mara nodded. “Apparently, someone or something is after me. I’m staying here for my own protection.”

  “Wow,” Becky said, letting out a wistful sigh. “Your own dragon adventure. I’m so jealous.”

  “Don’t be,” Mara said. “The one I’m staying with is beyond difficult—”

  “I just want to meet a dragon,” Willow said. “See their dragon form, fly around with them…”

  “Yeah, me too,” Becky said. “What does the one you’re staying with look like?”

  Mara thought for a moment. “Tall, maybe 6’7” or 6’8”. Very muscular. Pretty face but hard, masculine jaw. Full lips. He’s stubborn and brutish, but I don’t think he’s as bad as I did at first.”

  “You like him,” Willow said, wiggling her eyebrows again. “Admit it.”

  “Go get you a taste of that dragon meat,” Becky said.

  Becky was ten years divorced and had no compunctions about enjoying everything she’d been denied during her long, stifling marriage. She was also good at encouraging others to do the same.

  “Yes,” Willow said. “Make him yours. And tell us more about him. Does he have a ring to give you?”

  Willow was the hopeless romantic of the group.

  Mara laughed. “All I’ve seen him have is an ax, which he carries practically everywhere when in human form.”

  “Oh,” Becky said. “Well, be careful around it, then.”

  “An ax,” Willow said. “I wonder what the significance of it is.”

  And suddenly, Mara did too. She wanted to know more about this mysterious dragon. Why he was trapped a hundred years if Troy and Jack were right.

  What he’d done to deserve it.

  Suddenly, a loud knock sounded on the door, and Mara’s heart jumped as she shot to her feet, only to see Konar at the door of the room.

  She didn’t think he’d appreciate being shown on her laptop, so she turned back to her friends and told them she’d have to go and would call them later, and to please take care of the shop.

  Which both Willow and Becky promised to do.

  “You better protect my friend!” Willow yelled just before the screen went black.

  Konar was standing there with a plate, dark brows furrowed over his golden-orange eyes. “When you next speak to them, you can tell them I will do so.”

  “Do what?”

  “Keep you safe,” he said, sitting on a wooden chair he’d pulled up to the bed and handing her a plate of food.

  “I’m sure they believe you,” she said. “They’d love to visit, you know. Meet a dragon.”

  “Absolutely not,” he said darkly. “I hate humans.”

  “Ah,” she said, dropping the subject quickly. She supposed she was lucky she seemed to be the exception to his hatred.

  Then she stared down at the charred lump of meat in the center of the plate. It looked both burned and still bleeding. “Uhhh…”

  “I hunted game in the woods,” he said, looking pleased with himself. “Is it adequate for a human?”

  “What do you eat?” she asked, picking up a fork and gently pulling off a piece of meat. She tasted it, and though charred, it wasn’t too bad.

  He didn’t answer her question.

  Still, she didn’t know what kind of animal he’d killed and flamed for her.

  “How did you cook it?” she asked.

  He grinned, showing long canines. “Dragon fire.”

  She gently pushed the plate away. “I, uh… don’t eat meat a lot.”

  His eyes went wide with confusion. Then his brows fell in disapproval. “How do you stay strong?”

  “I’ll show you,” she said, going to her backpack and pulling out a protein shake and some fruit snacks.

  “That isn’t adequate,” he said. “I will get in touch with the other dragons for supplies.” He frowned, looking displeased. “Since you don’t like what I served you.”

  “What is it exactly?”

  “Some animal that crossed my path. I do not know all the names of Earth creatures.”

  This man really was a barbarian.

  She handed him a fruit snack, which he looked at dubiously before setting it aside.

  “Where are you from exactly?” she asked.

  “Another realm,” he said. “And before that, another world. Though, I’m foggy about exactly what happened before I came here. I simply know where I’m from, but after sleeping a hundred years, I can’t remember my life.”

  “That sounds hard,” she said.

  He put his hands on his powerful thighs, and she tried not to look at his loincloth. But there was nowhere else to look other than powerful, bulging muscles.

  So she looked up at his eyes instead.

  His eyes were guarded, and he stared at her for a moment. “I do not think of life in terms of hard or not hard. I simply do what I want.”

  “And that means conquering the world.”

  “Conquering any world I can, yes,” he said. “It’s in my blood. My stone heart fires my warrior’s soul, powers my dragon fire, and—”

  “Stone heart?”

  He nodded. “Dragons like me are cold inside by nature. You would do well to remember it.” He glared at her. “Do not expect me to be like your tame Earth dragons.”

  “I never even met a dragon before yesterday,” Mara said. “I mean, I read books about them, but the world thought shifters were a myth until only a few months ago. Now they’re everywhere, supposedly, but I haven’t seen them—”

  “You talk a lot,” he said, squinting at her.

  “Oh,” she said softly. “I’m sorry if it—”

  “I like it,” he said, standing when she was done with her snack. “I haven’t had anyone to talk with in a very long time.”

  She felt oddly pleased by that.

  “I’ll show you the castle,” he said, opening the door and gesturing for her to join him. “Where do you want to go first? The den, the exercise area, the secret springs, or the library?”

  She gaped. “The library!”

  He nodded. “So be it.” As they walked down the hallway together, it was impossible not to be aware of his huge, solid presence. “Talk more, human,” he said gruffly. “Tell me about what you do in your world.”

  “I sell crystals,” she said. “I own a store.”

  He stopped to look at her. “Crystals have power. Is that where yours emanates from?”

  She shrugged. “I have no idea. I’ve always felt crystals held power, but I’ve been told I was ridiculous a lot.”

  “You aren’t ridiculous,” he said. “Elements that were formed over many years hold the powers of the planet they are unearthed from.” He nodded. “A noble profession, giving such power to others.”

  She laughed. “I don’t know if they really are powerful, but I do try to send good vibes.”

  “What are vibes?”

  “Like… the feel of something. If it feels good or bad. Like a sense you get about something, if that makes sense.”

  He stopped, glaring down at her. “What vibes do I have?”

  “Scary vibes,” she said, unable to resist teasing him a little and seeing that adorable furrow between his thick brows.

  “Good,” he said, surprising her. “Fear is a powerful motivator.” He looked down at her. “Though, you have nothing to fear from me.”

  She had to stifle a laugh at how serious he took everything.

  “Here,” he said as they reached huge, ornate doors with symbols she didn’t understand on them. “The library. Anything in this castle is open to you while you stay. I don’t want you to be miserable.”

  Her heart was just a little touched by that, and as he pulled open the heavy doors, she did wonder if she was in danger with this dragon after all.

  In danger of losing her heart to a dragon with a library.

  11

  Konar was surprised but pleased that the human wished to see his library.

  It was a sacred place and somewhere he wouldn’t take anyone but one of his dragon guards, usually.

  But this little human could ask anything of him, whether she knew it or not.

  He held open the door, waiting for her reaction.

  She walked in, looked up at the rows and rows of shelves, the stands, the displays, all around the room, which had a shining floor made of sparkling gray stone.

  Her hand clenched, and her eyes held bewilderment.

  His brows furrowed. What could possibly be wrong?

  “Uh, it’s, uh… beautiful,” she said, walking to a glass display holding a large great sword that Konar knew held some significance, though his memory was too foggy to remember why just now.

  He put a hand to his head, trying to jog his memory, wondering why it felt like he couldn’t access everything in his mind.

  Why it felt like certain things were hidden from him.

  “I, uh… I thought a library would hold books,” she said flatly, her green eyes flashing up at him in disappointment.

  “There are books,” he said, leading her between two high racks of weapons to a small set of shelves at the back where leather- and fabric-bound books sat. “Books on weapons.”

  She sighed, laughing slightly as she sat on a cushioned chair with rough-hewn arms and legs. He decided not to tell her that chair had been where a king was poisoned.

  At least he remembered something.

  She leaned back, looking all around her. A large, decorative stained-glass window at the front of the room looked out on the world before it.

  In the window’s ornate design, a huge black dragon was curled around an ornate ax with two blades.

  His ancestral ax.

  It was hung on decorative pegs over the room, its shining double blades a reminder of his shining duty to conquer.

  An ax he wouldn’t hold until he’d fulfilled his duty.

  “What is that?” she asked, pointing up to where he was looking.

  He turned to face her, not sure he should say. “A very important weapon. Handed down by my father.”

  “Your father was a dragon too?”

  “A king,” Konar said. “I remember his face, but my mother…” His brain went foggy. “There is much missing.” He stared up at the ax again. “Perhaps it is my fault. Perhaps my stone heart is faltering and I’m losing my warrior’s edge because I haven’t fulfilled my purpose.”