He turns, his bare feet pivoting on the crushed stone path. “Raine,” Evander says softly.
I unfold myself from the bush, but I don’t come out on the same side of the maze wall as him. He’s a shadow on the other side.
“I’m here,” I say.
“Stay there,” he says, and I expect him to turn and come around the end of the wall wherever it starts. He doesn’t. He pushes straight through the thick bush. Its branches bend and crack against the forceful thrust through. He wraps me in his arms. “You’re okay.” I’m not sure who he’s trying to convince—himself or me.
He’s warm, and it’s only then I realize how much I’m shivering. He pulls away, and I miss his heat. But he takes my chin in his hand and tilts my face to his. I push up onto my tiptoes. His lips on mine are the only thing I want. Rational thought is gone. I need this. I need him. Now.
His kiss is demanding. The hand on the middle of my back keeps me locked in place, and my shivers turn to quivers.The only thing I want now is for the kiss to never stop. Because any time will be too soon. My whole body is on fire. There’s an electrical charge racing from his mouth to my core. And I’m clenching my legs shut.
My fingers go to his hair. It’s soft, the softest hair I’ve ever felt.
18
EVANDER
Ishould stop. Pull away. This isn’t how this is supposed to happen. Not that we haven’t broken the rules before, but not like this. I’ve never kissed a candidate before the ceremony. Never. But right now, I want to do a whole hell of a lot more than just kiss her. My cock’s sandwiched between my stomach and her clothed pussy. That’s not stopping her from grinding herself against me. I’m sure she has no idea she’s doing it, but hell, I’m not telling her to stop.
I ran through half the maze, tracking her scent. It figures she found the exact middle. I had the urge to shift again and spy down from the top to find her but decided against it after the scare Kieren gave her.
Roark approaches first. Kieren next. What in the hell was he doing? I have no idea. His dragon has never done that with us before. But picking up a human with your talons? There’s only one reason you do that, and it doesn’tend well for the human and with a serious case of indigestion for the dragon.
I pushed him over the castle and into the car park. It’s hard to fight a thunder mate. Fire’s useless. I’ve got a long cut down my back. Kieren has a gash across his leg.
As much as I don’t want to break our kiss, I have to. I need to get her back to the castle and lock her in her room, away from Kieren. Until we understand how and why it happened, I’m not letting him shift without Roark or me by his side.
I pull back from the kiss and stare into her eyes. Our candidate is one smart girl, but right now, she’s clueless. I can see it in her blue eyes. They’re the same shade as Kieren’s, the same shade as Roark’s. How very Crest Wing of them.
“I’m okay. I... I’m sorry for kissing you. I don’t know what came over me.”
Normal me would laugh and make light to defuse the situation. But not now. “I kissed you first.” It’s good enough for now. I tuck her into my side. I don’t know if she’s heard Roark and Kieren appearing behind us, but they’ve been here for a while—long enough to see us kissing, that’s for sure.
“Was that you?”
“Which one?” I ask.
“It was me,” Kieren says, pushing close. He and Roark have on shifting cloaks that we keep by the doors. “I’m the blue dragon.”
Raine backs up until she bumps into me. I wrap a hand around her waist. Kieren is the prince. He’s my thunder mate. I’m bound to him, though, now that I’ve pledged to Crest Wing. And even more so since he’s my mate. But if hetakes another step forward, his week is going to be filled with pain.
“Back up,” I hiss.
His eyes glow. The man wearing skin might be calm, but the dragon inside is furious still. Not at her—at me. The one who pushed him away from his prey. “I’ve never?—”
“Careful,” Roark cuts him off. Because it’s not true. For a male so in control of himself, cautious and caring, his dragon can turn caustic with a wind change. Roark’s normally the feral one in human form. Kieren’s dragon is wild.
“I would never want to hurt you. I’m sorry. I will let you know before I shift again.”
“You didn’t do it on purpose?” She is shivering again, enough that I can pick it up standing behind her. I move forward until my knees tap the back of her thighs.
“We need to talk. There’s more to tell you,” Kieren says.
She nods. “I have questions. But not now. You’re right. I’m not... Tomorrow.”
“I can’t promise tomorrow. Soon.” Kieren turns and weaves his way out of the maze.
Raine’s shoulders drop when he moves out of sight.
