I stare at him.
“You’re right,” I say flatly. “Idon’tbelieve you.”
He nods. “That’s fair.”
I clench my jaw. “Stop being so fucking reasonable.”
His lip twitches. “Would you prefer me to be unreasonable?”
“Yes, actually.”
“You’ve been around the wolves too long.”
I blow a puff of air through my nostrils.
“Alright, I’ll bite.” I lean forward. “How exactly does you forcing a bond protect me?”
“For one thing,” he begins thoughtfully, “the bond was already present.”
“What?”
“Not a shifter, remember?” He tilts his head slightly. “Mate bonds work differently where dragons are concerned.”
I freeze. The wordmatefeels like a guillotine blade that just sliced down. “I’m listening.”
Villeneuve moves to sit on the opposite end of the bench, leaving a respectable distance between us. “I may not be a true shifter, but dragons also imprint on a mate the moment we see her. However, that is where the similarities end.” He pauses again. “I knew the moment I saw you, Regina. You were my fated mate.”
I struggle to process that. My brain feels like it’s short-circuiting. Of all the excuses I expected him to give, that wasn’t one of them.
Neverthat.
“That night in the woods?” I manage, my voice coming out cracked. “When I was hiding in the frat house?”
“The very same.”
“Why didn’t you say anything then?”
“You clearly had enough on your plate. A stalker ex, a coven trying to reclaim you, four wolves circling you like a wounded deer.” He gives a rueful smile. “I thought it best to keep my distance.”
I actually believe him, in spite of not wanting to.
“How do a dragon and a wolf pack end up imprinting on the same mate?” I ask, since that’s the one question all the others are orbiting around.
“Now that is a question I can’t answer,” he says, leaning back to stare off at nothing in particular. “I’ve had a long time to wonder the same thing myself.”
I think I believe that, too, if only because Villeneuve doesn’t seem like the type to enjoy admitting there’s anything he doesn’t know.
“You still haven’t explained the bond part.”
“Shifter bonds are similar in that they start with imprinting, but in order to be solidified, they require agreement. Consent.” A hint of fondness enters his voice. “Wolves are noble if simple creatures.”
“And dragons?”
His eyes go dark and cold.
“Surely you know the myths.” His voice drops lower. “Dragons are selfish, vicious beasts. They take what they wish, and they hoard it.”
A shiver runs down my spine. But even though I get the feeling he’stryingto be menacing, I’m not afraid.
