I pulled the reins back on my dragon and felt the color recede, my vision clearing as the blue reasserted itself. My voicecame out rough, scraped raw by the force of what had just torn through me.
“I would love nothing more than to take you there.”
Chapter 19
Liz
Ifollowed Lucan up the narrow path that hugged the shoreline, the sand gradually giving way to packed dirt and pine needles beneath our feet. My arms felt pleasantly tired from paddling, and I knew tomorrow I’d barely be able to lift them.
“You did well out there.” Lucan looked over at me, a smirk forming on his handsome face. “For someone who learned from YouTube videos.”
“Next time, I’ll add some tricks. Maybe a barrel roll or two.”
“I’d pay to see that.”
We fell into an easy silence as we walked. My mind kept replaying the moment in the cove when his eyes had shifted. The sheer intensity of his gaze had sent electricity crackling through my veins.
His hand swung close to mine as we rounded a curve in the path, our knuckles brushing together. I felt the contact like a current running up my arm. His fingers twitched, but he didn’t reach for me.
I hesitated for three full steps before I slid my hand into his, lacing our fingers together. His palm was warm against mine, and he squeezed gently, as if afraid I might change my mind andpull away. The contact sparked that now-familiar warmth in my chest, spreading outward until it reached my fingertips.
Was this my choice? Or was it the supernatural bond I had no control over?
I glanced at his profile as we walked. The fading light filtered through the trees, catching along his jaw and highlighting the curve of his mouth. His thumb traced a small circle against the side of my hand.
The warmth shifted, settling into something calm. If this was manipulation, it felt remarkably like peace.
I decided not to fight it, at least not tonight.
The trees thinned ahead, and a cabin came into view. A dock with a boat stretched from the shore into the water. Voices drifted toward us from a deck at the back of the cabin, followed by a burst of laughter that I recognized as Atlas.
“Is Atlas always the social coordinator?” I asked.
Lucan snorted. “Atlas thinks everyone should be friends with everyone. The man has never met a stranger he didn’t immediately adopt.”
“And Reese? She seems close to all of you.”
“She’s part of our family now.” His voice softened. “Kade’s dragon recognized her as his mate only about a month and a half ago.”
I was taken aback. “I would have thought she’d been here for years. The way they act together…” It was like they’d been together for a decade. There was an easy, wordless understanding between them. I’d seen couples married for years who didn’t have that kind of synchronicity. I certainly never had that with my ex.
If that strong of a connection could develop in such a short time, what did it say about whatever was happening between Lucan and me? We’d known each other for a week, and yet I was holding his hand like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Lucan stopped just before we would have emerged from the tree line, his hand tightening around mine. I looked up at him, questioning. “It’s still new for her, but she fits.”
I heard the unspoken comparison. I would fit too.
“Before we join them...” He took a breath. “I should warn you about Zarek. He wasn’t always like this.”
I frowned. “What happened?”
“His dragon thought he had found his mate once. Years ago.” Lucan’s gaze went to the cabin. “He was wrong, and the fallout was severe. Since then, he’s suspicious of everyone and is always looking for threats.”
“And I’m a threat?”
“You’re an unknown.” He turned to face me fully, still holding my hand. “There was someone near our hoard, and until you told me you were allergic to pistachios, we thought it was you. His dragon doesn’t like mysteries.”
“Pistachios? Wait, didn’t you say your hoard was only accessible by flying or a really skilled rock climber?”
