“Ash and I will wait at the outskirts for you once you’re done,” Race said. “I don’t want to draw attention?—”
“It’s going to happen, no matter the passing millennia,” Attor pointed out. “Someone’s bound to remember, even though you do look different, grown from who you were, and there are black streaks in the front of your hair now. No one has silver hair here, well, except for your lineage…”
“I’ll cut it, shave it off—whatever. Let’s go.”
The others melted into the forest, leaving them alone.
Ash’s pull continued to tug at him like gravity, and his edginess grew. If he didn’t move, he’d succumb, because it wouldn’t stop with just a kiss, and more would be disastrous.
Ours. Claim her,his dragon rumbled.
She’s marked, and it’s enough for now!
His beast’s ire crashed against his mind.
Race ignored him and kept his expression cool, though his voice came out rougher than he intended. “You want to go to the stream first?”
She didn’t answer, gripping the strap of her backpack. “What’s going on, Race?”
He frowned. “We’re leaving for Duskscale.”
“Not that. I meant earlier. You nearly bit Koal’s head off when he was only trying to help. I was exhausted—I dozed off. He carried me inside before I fell into the fire. Now we’re alone, and you’ve mentally switched off.”
“You’re imagining things that aren’t there.”
“I’m imagining things?” She narrowed her eyes. “Is that your fallback? Ever since you marked me, you’ve been this-this icicle, so out of reach…” Her breath hitched. “Ohhh,stupid me. I get it. You think because you marked me, I will demand more?”
Her features tightened. “Don’t fret, dragon-man. After being abandoned by my spineless excuse for a fiancé, who couldn’t even stand up to his own mother, I assure you, the last thing I want is to be discarded again.”
“This has nothing to do with anything except your safety,” he ground out, while everything within him wanted to hunt down the human blight and tear his head off. “I’ll be a minute.”
He stalked back into the cave, grabbed the dark cloak from the boulder, and threw it over his shoulders. Back outside, he found Ash sitting on the log by the firepit, rubbing her temples. Her despair punched him straight in the chest, but he couldn’t give in to the temptation to comfort her.
She rose, swiping her sweaty face.
“What’s wrong?” Her heart pounded so loudly, he could actually hear its frantic beat.
“It’s nothing, just a bit hot. Do you mind if we stop at the lake first?”
His nose flared at her faintmuskysmell—fuck! His bite was affecting her.
He nodded and drew her to him, wanting to press his nose against the mark, lick it, lick her?—
Reeling in his choking need, he dematerialized them to the valley. The place was quiet and tranquil, as always.
Ash stepped back, as if she couldn’t wait to distance herself from him. She dropped her backpack onto the rocks and rubbed her palms down her tunic. “I need a-a bath. I’ll be quick.”
Her stare burned between his shoulder blades as he shrugged out of his cloak and let it fall onto the boulder. He settled on arock a foot away, his attention fixed on the sky for intruders. “I’ll keep watch. Use the little inlet behind the rocks.”
“Okay.”
A soft rustle of clothes reached him as she undressed, and he shut his eyes. A light patter of feet, then a splash of water, and he finally released the breath he held.Hell.He pinched the bridge of his nose. All he could think of was joining her, putting them both out of his misery?—
A soft curse followed.
“Er-hmm, Race?”
He glanced back, unable to see her with the huge rocks in the way. “Yeah?”
