Dante purred in my ear. “Oh, trust me. It’s much prettier. Although nothing is as prettyasyou.”
I gazed at him wide-eyed, then looked around. “Are you talking to me?” I asked in a voice that was higher pitched than Iintended.
Dante grinned. “Of course. Is anyone else here,Gabriel?”
There wasn’t a sound around us. Only rushing water and chirpingcrickets.
“I guess not,” Iadmitted.
A noise between a purr and a growl rose in his throat as he stepped closer to me. We stood only inches apart, and I could feel his body heat radiating off his bare chest. I swallowed hard and felt my whole face burn. Why was I so attracted to this stranger I onlyjustmet?
It’s because he’s hotter than the fire he breathes,I told myself. And it was true. Hewasjust about the hottest guy I’d ever seen in mydamnlife.
Overcome by embarrassment, I blurted out, “Do all dragons stand this close to people they’retalkingto?”
Dante grinned. “No.Justme.”
Suddenly his face became serious. He took my hands in his, and my breath caught in my throat. He washoldingmyhands.My blush crept further, making my ears flush. I’d never even held hands with anyone besides my parents. I must have looked like a stupid, embarrassing virgin. He probably wasn’t even interested in me like that - maybe holding hands was just a dragon-y form of respect orsomething.
Dantegrowled, “Stay.”
“Huh?”
He squeezed my hands, and it sent a shiver down myspine.
“Stay with me,” he repeated, his burning amethyst gaze never leaving mine. “I know it’s your decision whether or not you wish to come with us to Cinderhollow, but I couldn’t bear it if we left youbehind.”
Oh,right.That.
“Um.” I was delightfully aware of how dry my throat suddenly was. “I mean… It’s not like I have a pack to return to oranything.”
I let out a humorless laugh, but Dante wasn’t smiling. He looked just about as serious as he did when he was fighting off the humanraiders.
“Gabriel,” he murmured. “Please staywithme.”
His eyes flashed with desperation and need. I blinked, making sure I was seeing thingscorrectly.
This sexy dragon shifter was askingmeto staywithhim?
“Dante,” I began, and for a moment he seemed fearful, as if I would turn him down. “I no longer have a home, or people. I’m a wolf without a pack. Even if you and Ruby didn’t offer me a place to stay, I’d probably be on my hands and knees begging for you to take mewithyou.”
That made Dante smile again. “On your hands andknees,hm?”
If I wasn’t already blushing, I certainlywasnow.
“But Gabriel,” Dante said, “what you said wasn’tentirelytrue.”
“Huh?”
“You called yourself a wolf without a pack,” he said, a slow knowing grin spreading across his lips. “A wolf needs another wolf to be considered apack,yes?”
I wasn’t quite sure what he was getting at. I nodded inconfusion.
“Well, then…” Dante stepped back, and then something miraculoushappened.
Before my eyes, the giant fire-breathing dragon shifter, the sexy black-haired man with deep purple eyes, transformed intoawolf.
He was huge - much larger than a normal wolf, and definitely bigger than my own wolf form - and covered in thick black fur that soaked upstarlight.
