She wasn’t sure what she expected to find at the end of the tunnel, but nothing prepared her for the vision in front of her.
Wrath was standing on a pile of gold and jewels that was shaped into an enormous platform. He held out his hands and helped Jess up so she could stand on it with him.
“Every dragon hoards something that makes them feel secure. Some hoard information. Some hoard power and influence. My dragon is the old-fashioned kind, I hoard treasure,” Wrath said.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Jess said.
Wrath scanned the pile of riches and then smiled. He took a few steps and knelt down, picking up something that glittered in the low light. He brought it over and revealed a diamond choker. He gently slipped it around Jess’s neck and fastened it.
The heat in his eyes was well beyond any passion she’d seen from him before. She felt more wanted than ever and her body responded gleefully, preparing her for the most primal of activities. Logically, she knew she should be more reserved. She’d been dying and then he wanted to kill her. That would put anyone off.
It was hard to listen to her rational mind with him standing there like some kind of bronze god. Okay, demigod.
My treasure. He’s mine.
“It’s beautiful,” Jess said, tracing the star of Anu tattooed on his chest with her fingertips.
“My dragon wants you to wear part of my treasure. I need you to wear it. You marked me with a bite. I’m marking you with my treasure. There’s one more thing I need to do to seal the deal.”
“What’s that?” she said, so entranced by his body she barely heard him speak.
He bent down, lifted the hem of her dress, and pulled it over her head, his fingers leaving a hot trail on her skin.
She threw her arms around his neck, pressing her skin to his. Her strapless bra a hindrance that he dispatched quickly as he pressed his lips to hers. She’d thought his kisses were passionate before, but now there was something more. He was like an animal in the best way.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t appreciate it fully. She was feeling an uncomfortable tingling sensation and an inner tension like she was going to crawl out of her own skin. The unwelcome feeling was hindering her ability to lose herself in the moment.
She pulled back from the kiss.
“I’m sorry. I’m still not feeling well. I think I might need a little more time to recover,” Jess said.
“What’s it feel like?” Wrath asked, holding onto her upper arms.
“It’s hard to explain.”
Free me.
She didn’t just hear the words in her head, she felt them. There was something inside her that wanted out.
“Oh God,” she said. “I think I’m a shifter.”
Wrath reached around and removed the choker from her neck.
“It’s okay,” he said, stepping back. “I’m going to give you a little space. Don’t worry, I’m here for you.”
“What do I do?” Jess asked, panic building. Did changing hurt? What if she couldn’t change back? Would she have control of herself in her other form?
Wrath grinned. “You let it happen. Everything blinks out for a second and then you change. I wonder what you’ll look like. Will you be a firedrake or something a little different? Maybe we’re all wrong and you’re really a mongoose shifter.”
“Just let it happen?”
“Yep. As soon as you change, look at your feet. If they’re webbed, you’re a water dragon or a duck.”
“Or an otter.”
“That would be cool, actually.”
He was helping. Her tension eased as her curiosity grew. She wanted to know what kind of shifter she was.
She closed her eyes and took a breath, relaxing. Then it happened. For a fraction of a second she saw strange writing and then she was…different.
Wrath smiled broadly and said, “Firedrake,” before he changed into his dragon. The space was big, but it seemed smaller now that they’d both changed. She looked down at herself. She had black scales and claws on her feet. They weren’t webbed.
More important than what she saw was what she felt. All her emotions and instincts were in the foreground. She was shocked by how angry she was. Her mate had tried to hurt her. That wasn’t okay. He should have to face her displeasure.
Yes, she would show Wrath her own fury.
Chapter 23
Wrath had a feeling his mate might still be upset with him on a deeper level. Since she wasn’t used to controlling her dragon, the attack really shouldn’t have taken him by surprise. It didn’t, not really. It did sting a little bit. Not physically, though.
Damn her dragon was weak. It was just a baby. Full grown, but barely any magic.
He took the attack in stride. He let her knock him over and nip at him. She was trying to bite him, but her teeth slid harmlessly over his age hardened scales.
He forced his dragon to show submission. He lied down and sighed.
She even breathed fire at him. It was a relief that she could. Faith couldn’t breathe fire. Was she even a dragon if she couldn’t breathe fire? It was pathetic. Even big clumsy earth dragons could breathe fire. Alal could breathe fire and he was an ice dragon, a rare type of water dragon.
After about five minutes she was getting bored with beating up on him and maybe a little tired.
“I’m sorry, love,” he said in garbled English. “It won’t happen again. You’re my mate and I will protect you with my life.”
“Fight me,” she said.
“Ok, but no fire. I don’t want any of my treasures melted.”
“Fine.”
Quick as a flash, Wrath was on his feet and knocking Jess down. He pinned her and licked her face.
The fight was over just like that. It took her a second to realize it and quit struggling.
“When we change back into human form, I’m going to cover you with jewels and make you come until you forget your
