“Yes. I am immortal. As is my mate, now that we have bonded.” Kaspian met my stare. “Do not fear, Mate. We will be free shortly.”
“What the fuck?” I shook my head. “I'm immortal?Immortal?!Then why are you worried about her cutting me?”
“You can still feel pain. You can bleed. You can be hurt. And I will not allow that! It is my duty as your mate to protect you.”
“How romantic,” Shin drawled. “Now, let's get back to your race, Your Majesty. You say that you're a dragon.”
“That's Dragon with a capital D, bitch,” I said. “I can hear the lowercase in your tone. Show some damn respect for your betters.”
Shin ignored me.
Kas chuckled. “You're finally seeing things from my perspective.” And then he winked at me.
Oh, shit. Here comes dragon!
“Yes, let's talk about my race,” Kaspian's voice lowered as he grinned. “There's something you need to know about Dragons. Mated Dragons, in particular.”
“What's that?” the General demanded.
“Nothing can stop a Dragon from saving his mate!”
Chapter Nineteen
Metal creaked, the sound ominous in the silence that followed Kaspian's declaration.
We soon learned it wasn't just a declaration—it was a battle cry. The General stepped back as my alien lover bulged, his body shifting. Nails lengthened into claws, scales replaced skin, and muscles reformed. Kaspian lowered his head as steel links as thick as my fingers popped open. When he looked up, his eyes were glowing and his teeth bared. He was still a man, but just barely.
It was the most awesome thing I'd ever seen.
Gunfire came seconds after Kas leveled that vicious stare at the General. I cried out as the bullets hit. But only a few wounded him. Those that hit scales, bounced off and struck other targets. People shouted, hit by friendly fire.
I just whispered, “Holy shit.”
Kaspian kept growing—no haze to conceal his bulging form. It was a little gross, but I couldn't look away. Especially when his chest expelled the bullets that had struck their mark. They hit the floor, the tiny plinks drowned out by gunfire. Even as his wounded skin healed, impenetrable scales covered it. Chains broke, pinging off the walls, and Kaspian fell forward onto his talons.
Ms. Shin pulled the General's gun from its holster and aimed it at my head. “Stop! Cease or I'll—”
A single claw the size of my forearm and growing, flicked out, cutting off her words and her head. It wasn't exactly tearing out her throat, but it was close enough. Kas had kept his promise.
“Holy fuck!” I gaped at the body and head falling to the floor separately.
People ran for the door, the soldiers elbowing aside the scientists in their haste to escape. Even the General got shoved aside, his old ass falling right onto Shin's corpse. He cried out and tried to push himself up. But by then, it was too late.
Kaspian had gone dragon—little D, big body. Oh, that sounded insulting. You know what I mean.
That dragon body, although fully formed, kept growing and growing. Walls crumbled to dust in seconds, the supporting metal foundations bent like blades of grass. The whole building shook as a dragon exploded from it like a baby bird breaking free of its shell. I should have been worried. Terrified, even. But as Kaspian transformed, he closed a massive talon around me and protected me from the debris.
I found myself lifted off the floor in a cage of claws, and I had never been happier in all my life. It was as if my very cells sang to be closer to Kas. Shit, maybe they did. He had changed me. My fucking DNA. And I wasn't sure what that meant yet. Beyond being immortal. But at that moment, I didn't give a fuck.
Kas crawled up from the wreckage, cradling me to his glossy chest as floor after floor gave way. It all collapsed around him, leaving him to scramble over the pile that had once been a military compound. I realized then that he hadn't shown me his full dragon form in my yard. He'd gotten big, but not like this. Kas had held back for me. He had even blurred the transformation so I wouldn't be scared.
He wasn't holding back anymore.
“Kaspian! Are you all right?” I shouted, still bound to that metal chair.
Kas lifted me and brought his head down, meeting me halfway. “I am well, Mate. Are you hurt?”
“No, I'm—”
