Page 34 of Dragon’s Rebel

Thorne hesitated. I’m not sure. I shaped the gold several months ago, when I was in human form. But my dragon put the scales in it tonight. I’m not sure exactly what he did.

Rebel looked at him sharply. “He can keep secrets from you?”

Apparently.He didn’t sound happy about that. Neither was she.

Thorne added, But I made him promise me it wouldn’t bind you in any way. He paused. It means a lot to him. That last came slowly, as if he had to force himself to say it.

Dragon scales. She tilted the bracelet, watching them catch the light. She’d seen—and stolen—a lot of beautiful objects in her time, jewelry included. But it was always a job; she never kept them for herself. And this was the most unique, most beautiful piece of jewelry she’d ever seen.

She wanted it desperately—and not because of its value. It was deeper than that—like it spoke to her soul.

Maybe this was how dragons felt about gold.

She didn’t realize how long she’d been silent until Thorne spoke. You don’t like it.

He sounded disappointed. Not the kind of disappointed where you try something and it doesn’t work, but the kind of disappointed when you try to please someone you care about, and they reject your efforts.

It doesn’t matter. I told him you’d just gamble it away, but who listens to me?

His attempt to deflect didn’t fool her.

“I do like it.” Thorne and his dragon had made it just for her. No one had ever given her anything this beautiful before. She added softly, “I love it.” Slowly, she slid it onto her wrist.

It seemed to mold itself to fit her exactly, snug without being tight or uncomfortable. It warmed to her touch, and she moved her arm at different angles, admiring the play of light over the gold and the dragon scales.

It was—almost like carrying a piece of Thorne with her. A piece of his dragon self.

“Thank you,” she said. “It’s… very beautiful.” That didn’t even begin to cover it, but she didn’t know what else to say.

There was a short silence, and then he said, like a whisper in her mind, You are beautiful too.

For some reason, that made Rebel’s chest grow tight. It wasn’t like she thought she was ugly; men had been attracted to her before. But she was athletic. Tough. They’d called her hot, or a babe.

No one had ever called her beautiful.

Damn dragon. Making her feel things. But she ran her fingers over the scales again. They felt good against her skin.

She said, “Are you going to hover outside my window all night?”

Do you want me to?

“Not especially,” she said. “Truthfully, the idea of you lurking out there like some kind of giant mutant hummingbird is kind of freaky.”

Good. Despite what my dragon would have you believe, my wings are getting tired.

She smiled at that. “I’ll pretend to be impressed anyway.”

She could have sworn she felt him smile too.

Goodnight, Rebel.

Goodnight, Thorne.

And he was gone.