“No,” she shook her head, wiping her moist eyes, “not anymore. I used to believe that I was doing the right thing. That being a dragon slayer was humane, that it was a necessary evil against such ferocious beasts. How could a mere human defend himself from such an animal? It is almost impossible. And so, I tookit upon myself, believing that there was no other way.” He stroked her back, languidly tracing the slope of her spine. “There were times when I had my doubts, when reports that I was given by the Captain of the King’s Guard didn’t make much sense, but I ignored them, taking his word, trusting him to speak the truth. But then, on the last mission, something changed. It was as if something had broken in me.”
Raiden listened to her, not wanting to interrupt the precious moment where she was finally opening up to him. He felt it in his bones that it was something that he needed to guard at all costs.
“You should have seen him,” she said, gaze somewhere off, far away, as if reliving a long lost memory, awe replacing her sorrow stricken features. “He was magnificent. The biggest dragon that I have ever seen. Pure silver, with massive wings and flames so bright that it could blind a man.” She glanced at Raiden, inspecting him. “His eyes were so blue it was as if the sky was captured in them. As if he could see right through to my very soul.” A flicker of something flashed in her eyes, there and gone before Raiden could latch on to it. “Much like yours, actually,” she muttered, so low he almost missed it.
My bright little mate.“What happened to him?”
Silence, and then, “I thought I killed him.” Tears streamed down Nyra’s face as she stared at Raiden, never once breaking eye contact with him as they drenched her face. “But then I discovered that he had survived, and that I am to go back and finish the job that I was entrusted to do the first time. I must kill the beast to be pardoned for abandoning my military position, otherwise I’ll die.”
Raiden sucked in a strained breath. Would she betray him?
“The thing is,” she turned fully towards him, straddling his thighs, “I can’t do it, not even to save my own life. I don’t want to be the reason that beautiful creature never roams the world again.”
A sigh of relief escaped him, her willingness to sacrifice herself for him easing his fears, before awareness struck him.
“I’ll burn them all to the fucking ground before I let anyone touch you, Nyra. You’re mine, and I protect what’s mine.”
Sorrow and pain laced her features. “What is one man compared to an entire army?”
A satisfied smirk made its appearance on his face, relishing in the moment of Nyra’s complete ignorance before all hell broke loose.
“That may be true, wildling, had I been an ordinary male.” He leaned in, inhaling her apple and cinnamon scent. “As luck would have it, I’m a Raijin. Andyou,” his arms wound around her, “are my fated mate.”
CHAPTER
8
Loud laughter echoed around them, Nyra’s head thrown back with amusement before she suddenly schooled her features. “Unbelievable. Just how stupid do you think I really am?”
“What? Nyra–”
She frowned, pushing on his chest. “Please let me go, I wish to stand.”
He pulled her back. “No.”
“Yes,” shoving at him, fury making her see red as the infuriating male tightened his hold.
“Don’t fight me. I’m not letting you go.”
Clenching her teeth, she bellowed in frustration, “Where the fuck am I going to go?! I’m in a goddamn cave, for crying out loud!”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re staying in my lap, where I can hold you.”
“This is ridiculous!”
“I agree.” He grabbed her chin. “Look at me.”
Nyra ignored him, rubbing her face with the pads of her fingers, her skin itching as she tried to reign in her anger. A low, vicious sound had her sliding her gaze to the giant warrior beneath her.
“Did you just fucking growl at me?”
“Why do you have to make everything so difficult, woman!?” He cupped the globes of her ass, squeezing handfuls of it as Nyra tried to ignore the instant surge of heat to her core. “Had there been more time, I would have spanked your ass for disobeying me again. But seeing as the Sun is almost up, it’ll have to wait. There are more pressing matters that need to be discussed.”
“What is it with you and the Sun?” she poked him. “Are you going to turn to stone when the first rays of light hit you?”
“No, actually,” he chuckled, arching a brow as he massaged her flesh. “I will turn into a dragon. A very large,silverdragon.” His smoky voice swarmed around them, the underlying meaning in it hovering in the air like a silent threat.
Nyra went still as his words slowly settled in. “What are you saying?”
