I hear her gasp, and it burns. Her hands pull away from me, and I miss their touch immediately.
What I would do if I could move… Take her hands and place them back on me. No… I would do more than that. I would pull her into my arms, bury my nose to her neck, and cover her body with mine.
I practically pant at the thought.
Her breathing labors to match my thundering heart, and I know she is as affected by the bond as I am. I can feel her want for me echo back.
Thankfully, her hands return to my body to probe at my chest. Pleasure jolts me, but her fingers do not remain there long. They are moving down, down, down… They reach my pelvis, and I hold my breath. My shaft rests hard and ready on my thigh. Her fingers slow but stay away from my root, frustrating me. They brush against it—stars fill my vision—but they jerk away and move down my thighs.
And then they are gone, down my legs, searching for wounds I know are not there. Torture and bliss all at once. I vow to make her feel the same once I am free of this poisonous trap… A growl escapes my lips, though it comes out as another groan.
Her perusal ends at my feet, but then grows strangely wild when she finds one of my tails. She finds the other one soon after.
They are limp in her hand.
She finally lifts her hands from me, and this time, does not return them, but at least she moves back up that I may view her again. She gazes into the void, unseeing. She brings her hands to her lips, where she cups them together.
I wait for her next move, curious what she will do.
“I’m going to try and find something to start a fire with,” she whispers. Her hands drop to her sides. “Don’t… don’t move. I’ll be back soon.”
Fire? Unease niggles me. I should be the one to take care of my mate. That is the dragon’s way. Not this.
But she is already gone, removed from my sight.
I want to tell her not to go, that I will not be down long, but the words do not come out.
And I am left with the unsettling scent of her blood in my nostrils and the quiet noises she makes as she moves through my cave… farther and farther away from me.
8
Trapped
It doesn’t take me long to find what I need for a fire. Luckily, I discovered broken roots that had fallen with the cave’s roof. I don’t expect they’ll burn well, but I’m excited to have light again soon.
Because I need to see the dragon male. There’s an image in my mind of a fiend, and it frightens me. A creature with multiple tails and horns. I don’t know what to make of his forehead. I know he’s a human male, but my imagination runs wild…
Gathering a cluster of roots, I pick one out to light and set the remainder aside. I pull off my satchel and search for my fire moss and flint. After rubbing the fire moss on the end of the root, I take out my dagger and cut off a little bit of my hair for kindling. It takes several tries, but I manage to start a small flame. Wrinkling my nose, I grab the root and stick it into my kindling. It blazes to life.
Golden light casts around me. I can see again! I could cry for such a small miracle.
Blinking several times, my eyes adjust, and I hold up my makeshift torch and peer around me. All I see is rocks, debris, and darkness.
Not wanting to waste time, I gather my things and look for the dragon man again.
When I hear a raspy moan. I head in that direction. Thank the waters I don’t have to stumble about in search of him…
He’s hurt. He has to be. Why else hasn’t he risen? I didn’t find a wound, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t one. It reminds me of my wound. My fingers twitch to check on it. I’ll need another dose of Mermaid’s Breath soon. I’m weakening.
The dragon male’s body comes into view. He sparkles where my light reaches him, purple and glassy black. Brilliant and breathtaking. My eyes widen. My jaw drops. If I didn’t already know he was once the giant dragon, I would now. His scales are unmistakable.
I move to him and drop to my knees. A blush rises to my cheeks. My head clouds when I scent him.
He’s… I swallow. He’s beautiful.
Dark and—I lick my lips as my eyes trail over his body—unlike anything in Venys.
I see his hard prick and quickly glance away. And naked. He’s naked and primed. I suck in my stomach. I will my lust away, but it builds instead. Closing my eyes hard, I force myself to remember the situation we’re in. That we’re both hurt. That we don’t even know each other. It doesn’t work—I’m still lustful—but I reopen my eyes and manage to focus on creating a fire anyway.
I don’t know how hurt he is. I can’t waste time.
Piling the roots I gathered, I sprinkle fire moss over them and ignite them. The cave opens to my view as the flames roar upward. Soothing heat blankets my skin, and I sigh in satisfaction.
“I hope this helps,” I say, turning to the male. I don’t know if he’s awake enough to hear me or if he even understands, but I say it anyway. Pulling off my satchel, I shuffle to his side. Now with more light, I can see him clearly.
He’s got two sets of horns, that’s for sure, and a jewel embedded on his brow. Frowning, I notice wisps of black smoke rising from it, like it had when he was still in his true form. I recall the glassy feel from when I’d searched him
