“Truthfully?”
“Always.”
Some of the color returned to her cheeks.“Zoey’s parents died in a plane crash, you said?”
“Arranged by Wallis.”
“And he threw Ben McGregor out of his helicopter?”
“Yes.”
Her lips thinned.“Then I believe he ought to meet the same fate as his three victims and should plunge to his death from a great height.Preferably after being released from the talons of one of the dragons he’s been searching for all these years.He would never be able to tell anyone else about them or even see their treasure, let alone steal any of it.”
“You truly are magnificent,” Ranulf admired warmly.
She grimaced.“I probably sound a bit bloodthirsty, but he really does deserve to die a painful death rather than live out the rest of his life being taken care of in a mental hospital.”
He inclined his head.“I will put your proposal to my brothers and their mates.But I think I can already say that they will heartily agree with your suggestion.”
“Good.”She nodded abruptly.“What happened in the church earlier?You asked me to close my eyes.I heard Wallis gasp and then a gurgling sound.When I opened my eyes again, he was gone, but I could smell blood.”
“Ah.”Ranulf winced.“I severed his hand, the one holding the detonator, with my talons.He screamed and then went into shock.”
“You…cut off his hand…with your talons?”she repeated incredulously.
He lifted his hand, revealing the six-inch talons that had now taken the place of his fingers.
“Oh my God!”she gasped, staring at those lethal weapons.“You really are a dragon.”
“I really am.”
She took a hesitant step forward.“Can I—can I touch them?”
“You can touch any part of me whenever you wish.”
She gave a choked laugh.“I want to touch you all the time, so I’d be careful about giving me carte blanche if I were you.”
“Whenever you wish, my Sephie,” he stated again, heat burning in his eyes.
She stepped forward to reach out and tentatively touch the tips of his talons.“Ooh, sharp!”She quickly drew her hand back.
“I didn’t cut you?”Ranulf frowned as he withdrew his talons to take her hand in his and check for himself that she was unharmed.The last thing he or his dragon ever wished to do was to hurt his mate in any way.
“I’m fine,” she dismissed.
Ranulf released her hand to look up at her.“What will happen between us now?”
“I don’t— Oh.Yes.”She nodded, smiling slightly.“First, let me assure you I’m not shocked or in the least distressed at learning you and your brothers are dragon shifters.Or that I’m your fated mate.The first’s a bit of a surprise, but the second part I’m absolutely thrilled about.If I’m being completely honest, it’s pretty bloody amazing.”
Ranulf could see by her glowing smile that she really wasn’t freaked out by that knowledge.Which was…slightly worrying.
Perhaps, inwardly, Sephiewasfreaking out, and the moment she and her parents left the castle she was going to insist on them calling the local police to report Wallis for having held them all prisoner the previous day, and also to inform them that that man was now locked up in Drake House.
“Don’t look so worried, Ranulf,” she said with a chuckle.“I’m really okay with what you’ve told me.More than okay at the thought of being your mate.”A blush flooded her cheeks.“Please, don’t worry,” she pleaded again.“I’m just going to need a little time to explain the situation to my parents.”
“About that… We have homes all over the globe and move every twenty to thirty years or so.Because of not aging.We’re coming up to that stage of things now.Sometimes we just fall asleep with our treasure for those years.Other times, we live in one of our other homes.With the advent of Belle and Zoey into our lives, we will be moving in the next year or so.If you agree to become my mate, you would need to leave with me and necessarily part from your parents.”
“Maybe,” she returned enigmatically.
