“I’ve been worried about you, Angel. You’ve been unconscious for two days. How are you feeling?” he said softly.
I opened my mouth to speak, then snapped it shut.What if I stutter?I thought.
Closing my eyes, I realized he’d find out about it, anyway. I had to give him a chance. If he didn’t want me because of it, I would just have to deal with it.
“I f-feel okay,” I said roughly. My voice and throat were as dry as the desert.
“I think I have some water here,” he said, looking around the room.
His eyes must have spotted the water. He walked toward the chair and bent over.Holy shit! His ass is fantastic!He turned back, and I blushed at my thoughts.
He kneeled beside the bed. “Here, this should help with your dry throat,” he said, holding the bottle to my mouth.
I took a small sip and another. The cold, refreshing liquid soothed my throat. I realized then that I felt no pain. I knew Tom had broken bones; I’d heard them snap. Even as fast as a shifter healed, there was no way I could have recovered from broken bones in two days.
“My name is Angus. I’m so glad to have found you, Angel. I know you probably have questions, but before I answer them, I want you to know something. I’m thrilled that you are my mate. I’ll never hurt you. I know I’m as large as an ox, but I’d never torment those smaller than me. In fact, I love your small size; I just want to wrap you in my arms, and I know I’ll fall in love with you in no time,” Angus said softly.
My eyes misted over. Could I believe him? Could this really be real?I pinched myself again.Yep, I still could feel it. Definitely not dreaming.
“What are you doing?” he asked, amusement filling his voice.
I looked back up into his beautiful emerald-green eyes and felt myself blush. I sighed. I’d have to trust him. Fortifying myself with strength I didn’t feel, I decided to be honest.
“Thank you. I was worried that you would find me l-lacking. I was also scared of your size. I haven’t had the b-best experience with large alpha-type males…and as you can see, I stutter. A lot of p-people make fun of me because of it,” I said, opening to him, hoping that he wasn’t put off by my speech.
“Oh, Angel, I promise you no one will make fun of you anymore, and anyone that does will answer to me,” he said with certainty.
I smiled. I liked he called me Angel. I’d never had someone use a term of endearment for me. Well, my mom called me sweetheart or baby sometimes, but she didn’t count. She was my mom.
“How did I get here? This is James’s guest room, right? Do m-my parents know I’m here? How am I healed?” I asked, sitting up. Yep, definitely healed—no pain. I realized I’d never told him my name. So, I quickly added, “My name’s Embry.”
He smiled again. “I know, Angel. James told me. And yes, this is James’s guest room. They found you in an alley, left for dead.” He paused.
My eyes widened, and I jerked back as I saw deep blue scales emerge from under his light skin. But as quickly as they had appeared, they began to disappear.
“Sorry, Angel. My dragon gets agitated when thinking of you being hurt, let alone dying,” he explained, confirming my suspicions that he was, in fact, a dragon.
I took a chance. Gulping, I reached out and touched his hand. I understood. Sometimes my wolf nature would erupt with certain emotions.
He turned his hand palm side up and intertwined his fingers in mine. I’d never held anyone’s hand. It felt nice. I looked at his face, and he had a small, contented smile.
“As to your other questions, yes, your parents know you’re here. In fact, they’ve been staying with you,” he continued.
I felt panic rising within me as I realized they knew who Angus was—or more specifically, who he was to me. His next words confirmed it.
“Easy. It’s okay, Angel. I feel your distress. They know who I am to you. They love you, Embry. According to your mom, they ‘don’t care if you’re gay, straight, or purple.’ They just want you happy.”
“I was scared. I didn’t w-want to lose them,” I said.
“You will never lose us, baby,” my mom’s voice said from behind Angus.
I turned my head; my mom and dad stood in the doorway. I smiled, and they raced forward.
“I was so worried!” my mom said, hugging me, not seeming to care about Angus’s and my clasped hands. I felt a squeeze on my shoulder.
“I’m glad you’re all right, son,” my dad said, his voice rough.
We stayed like that for a moment in silence, not saying a thing. James’s voice broke the silence. “Can we get in on the hugging action?”
