By the timeAntony asked if she could playact as Cam’s potential mate, her mind whirred and her heart pounded. How had her life come to this? First, she’d lost Trahern, then she had a bounty put on her head, and now her only way to stay with dragon-shifters was to pretend to want to mate one? And not just any dragon-shifter, but a complete stranger?
She wasn’t prone to anxiety attacks, but as she struggled to breathe, she just thought she might be having one.
“Emily, look at me.” The command in Cam’s tone made her comply. “Take a deep breath, hold it for four seconds, let it out. Come on, we’ll do it together, aye? Breathe in.” She did. “Now out.” She exhaled. “Follow along with me.”
Cam’s dominant commands, along with him breathing in the same pattern, slowly made her heart slow and her head pound a little less. When she could finally breathe normally again, Cam asked, “Remember how it was between us this morning, with us talking and teasing?” She nodded. “It was easy enough, and that’s all we have to do—try to be friends. Since the ruse is for us to be potential mates and see if we suit, there’s no need for overdoing it or some grand play. Yes, we’ll have to at least seem interested in each other in public, but that should be easy.”
“Interested in what way?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Like what you’ve done in the past with dating—talking, occasional touching, and maybe even looking at me as if you like me.”
Emily’s track record with dating was sparse and not great. Could she really do all of that? She was a scientist, not a social butterfly.
And yet, she wasn’t about to reveal that and embarrass herself with a stranger. She would also do almost anything to finish her research here, so she muttered, “Um, I think I can do that.”
He studied her, his pupils flashing, and she resisted squirming. She knew it was impossible for dragon-shifters to read minds, and yet, she felt as if Cam knew what she was thinking.
He finally replied, “We can discuss more about how we’ll act later tonight, and maybe even practice a wee bit.”
“Practice? Like, as in holding hands?”
The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Aye, maybe. Just to make sure you don’t flinch with revulsion.”
“Never!”
She resisted covering her mouth. Why did she keep blurting things loudly at this man?
Thankfully, Cam spoke again and saved her from apologizing. “That’s good, at least. But the more immediate thing is our living situation. However, don’t worry—we’ll have separate rooms. And when we’re alone, we can act like we were this morning, being civil and maybe even friendly.”
She asked, “Can you do that?”
Damn.She really was on a roll with this man today.
His lips twitched. “Most of the time, aye, I can. I’m no saint, though, and can be a stubborn arsehole sometimes. But just know that when my faults come out, it’s not anything to do with you personally. I’ve never lived with a female, apart from my mum, and it’ll take some time to adjust.”
It was strange hearing normal things from Cam, like him talking about his past and faults. It was almost as if they had been friends for longer than a day.
If they were even friends to begin with.
But if he was going to be honest, she should be too. “I’ve never lived with just a man before, without other flatmates. And I keep odd hours, too, at times.”
“And you’re stubborn sometimes? Like with how you stayed in the car?”
She smiled. “I can be, although dragonmen are usually more so.”
Chuckles made her nearly jump. She’d forgotten they were in a room with three other people.
Iris spoke up. “Aye, it’s true. Human or dragon, males are stubborn.”
Antony snorted. “As if you aren’t stubborn, Iris. Maybe even more so than me, my dear.”
Iris’s pupils flashed a few times, but before she could reply, Euan said, “It’s a lot to take in, Emily, I know that. And you barely know Cam and are probably uncertain. However, I vow that you’ll be safe here. And you’ll not only have Seahaven but also Antony’s secret team backing you up, if the hunters try anything. You do understand that, aye?” She nodded, and he continued, “I wish I could give you more time to decide, but will you stay here and continue your research? Or will you leave and go back to Stonefire?”
Emily glanced around the room. Everyone looked at her intently, clearly not going to further persuade her one way or the other.
But what would she do? The hunters had always been an abstract threat, one she hadn’t thought about much since Stonefire had been protecting her for so long. And yet, she’dseen firsthand what they did to their prisoners and enemies—experimentation, abuse, and even murder.
Even if she accepted that Seahaven and Antony’s team could keep her safe, there was the added complication of pretending to be interested in Cam as a mate and living with him. Given their interactions so far, it was likely they’d nearly kill each other in the process.
