Red Hot Dragon (Dragon Heat)

wash in adrenaline, Griffin Cadogan eyed his opponent across the sparring cage. He danced from

foot to foot as he waited for Mad to make his move. The springy mat was cool beneath his bare soles.
Though they’d been at this for nearly half an hour, it wasn’t the physical exertion making him so hot.
No, tonight his mating phase would begin. Already his body was beginning to show the subtle signs as
his forced shifting approached.

Like a raging bull, Mad charged him. Griff stepped into the oncoming assault but twisted his upper

body just enough to escape the brunt of his cousin’s impact. Griff kneed him right in the stomach and
slammed his elbow into the other man’s back. But it wasn’t enough to slow Mad down, and he
wrapped his arms around Griffin’s waist. They fell to the mat with so much force they bounced.

Limbs entangled, they grappled and slapped. Anyone who caught a glimpse of them fighting would

have assumed they were engaged in a death match. In fighting without gloves or protective head gear,
they were breaking the rules of the mixed-martial-arts training facility they owned, but since they had
the place to themselves for the afternoon no one would be the wiser.

Griff tried to get Mad in a headlock, but the other man twisted and arched his back to avoid being

pinned in a bad position. Griff’s inner beast struggled to be set free. The primal urge to destroy
threatened to overwhelm him, but he wasn’t worried about hurting Madoc. They’d been fighting this
way for centuries. If anyone had the strength and skill to beat his ass when he was on the verge of
going into heat and unleashing his dragon, it was Mad.

But today his cousin seemed off his game. Quite out of character, Mad let Griff get the upper hand.

It was only a fractional slip, but it was enough for Griff to wrap his legs around Mad’s waist and
clamp his arm around the other man’s neck. Though Mad kicked and smacked, he couldn’t break free.
With a frustrated howl, Mad slapped Griff’s forearm three times and tapped out.

Griff let go immediately and rolled Mad onto his back. “You okay, man?’
Mad shot him the finger and dragged a long, shuddery breath into his lungs.
Laughing, Griff plopped down on his backside and stretched out his aching legs. “I’ll take that as a

yes.” Leaning back on his hands, he studied his cousin. There was no mistaking the tiredness in him,
and it wasn’t just from this fight. “Are you still having those dreams?”

Mad threw an arm over his eyes and breathed slow and deep. “Yes.”
For the last three weeks, Mad had been experiencing vivid dreams. At first, they had been fairly

innocuous. He’d dreamed of beautiful beaches, tequila-fueled nights, and even a wild foam party in a
warehouse-style nightclub. They’d both assumed Mad was tapping into the dream energy of a
neighbor. It wasn’t uncommon for their dragonkind to trespass into dreams.

But then the dreams had taken a darker, worrying turn.
“What did you dream last night?”

Mad didn’t answer straight away. Finally, he said, “I was in a cage or a cell.”
“Like a prison?”
“Maybe,” he said uncertainly. “It was definitely underground. I could feel the dampness on my skin

and smelled its musty wetness. And I was hungry, Griff. So damn hungry. I woke up, stumbled
downstairs, and tore through all of the food in my refrigerator. I ate so much I got sick,” he admitted
softly. “But I couldn’t shake that gnawing hunger clawing at my stomach.”

Concern rippled through him. “Have you talked to Ignatius?”
“I did.”
“And?”
“And he told me sometimes we have to slay the beast.”
Griff rolled his eyes at their leader’s cryptic reply. “What the hell does that mean?”
“I don’t know,” Mad said, his voice filled with resignation. “Maybe he means I’m literally

supposed to go out and hunt down whoever is filling my head with all these crazy images.”

Griff grumbled softly. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. You could be walking into a trap. It

wouldn’t be the first time the Knights used a seer or someone with empathic abilities to screw with a
dragon’s head.”

“It doesn’t feel malicious.” He rubbed his chest. “It feels desperate.” Mad let his arm fall back to

the mat. He met Griff’s gaze. “I can’t go on like this. I may not have a choice.”

Griff could see what these dreams were doing to Mad, and he agreed that they had to be stopped.

Who would be powerful enough to project dreams as a call for help? The possibilities worried him,
especially if Mad struck out on his own. “Will you at least wait until I’ve finished this mating phase?
I’ll come with you.”

“Sure.”
He opened his mouth to ask him where they would start their search but the wild vibration of an

approaching dragon gripped his gut. Every dragon of his acquaintance had a specific feeling, but this
one he didn’t recognize. The vibrations filled him with a bright, trembling sensation of excitement.
The alien sensation was unsettling.

Griff pushed off the mat and rose to his full height. Mad was a little slower getting off the floor.

They climbed out of the ring and crossed the gym to the main entrance. The vibrations in Griff’s
stomach pushed into his chest. A pulsing heat burned him. He rubbed the spot just over his heart and
glanced at Mad. His cousin didn’t seem to be the least bit affected.

The double doors burst open and a woman appeared. Her scent hit him like a ton of bricks.

Swaying on his feet, Griff backed up a step and tried to clear his hazy mind. Alluringly sweet and
spicy, the smell invaded his lungs. His inner beast snapped with lust and need. This woman, whoever
she was, had ignited his desire.

Griff let his hungry gaze roam her petite frame. He’d never seen a skirt look so good. The hip-

hugging  fabric  outlined  her  body  in  all  the  right  ways. A  fitted  blouse  with  the  top  buttons  popped
open  displayed  her  curves.  She  wore  her  jet-black  hair  coiled  at  the  back  of  her  head.  Emeralds
dangled  from  her  earlobes.  The  glimmering  green  jewels  accentuated  her  silky  brown  skin.  His
fingertips buzzed as he wondered what it would be like to stroke her face.

She turned her dark eyes on him. Something about her was so familiar. When she waved her hand

up and down, he spotted the white handkerchief. What in the hell?

“Griffin Cadogan?”

Her gentle voice spilled over him like sunshine. “Yes?”
“I’d like to request we put our family’s little blood feud aside for the duration of my visit.”
Blood feud? The shock of her identity smacked him right in the face. “Avani Monroe?”
Her lips curved in a teasing smile. “They told me you were the smart one.”
Trying to ignore the needful pull tugging at him, Griff narrowed his eyes. “You’re either very brave

or very stupid to come into our gym.”

“I assure you I’m neither stupid nor brave.” She took a hesitant step closer. “No, it’s desperation

that brought me to my enemy’s door.”

Her somber tone struck a chord with him. Against his better judgment, he asked, “What do you

want?”

Her sexy, sinful grin knocked the air right out of his lungs. “You.”

* * *

Feeling anything but confident, Avani ignored the nervousness wobbling in her lower belly and tried
to maintain the cool, controlled façade that had served her so well in business. Her gaze skipped to
Ian Madoc. Griffin’s cousin stared at her with amusement and interest. She glanced back to the man
she desperately needed to help her.

Surprise spread across Griffin’s face. She spotted the briefest flare of crimson in his pale blue

irises as that beastly Welsh Red tried to surface. Like her, he was only hours away from going into
heat. She figured that was the reason the two cousins had been knocking the crap out of one another.
She preferred the more enlightened methods of fasting and meditation to ease her transition, but
apparently these two dragons still clung to the older, more barbaric customs.

She examined Griffin more closely. His size made her nervous. She’d heard he was a big man, but

she hadn’t been expecting this. Nearly seven feet tall, he sported the broadest shoulders she’d ever
seen and muscular arms emblazoned with heavy tattoos. She didn’t recognize any of the symbols or
markings, but they were probably significant to his old tribe or his Welsh homeland.

Griffin lifted one huge hand and crooked a finger. His deep, rumbling voice made her heart race.

“Come with me.”

Gulping down the anxiety clogging her throat, Avani followed him across the gym to an office. She

glanced over her shoulder and found Madoc making his way to an arched doorway on the other side
of the gym. The realization she would have a few moments of privacy to plead her case with Griffin
bolstered her courage.

He entered the office and kept one hand on the door for her. Fearful that inhaling his scent would

make her brain fuzzy, she held her breath as she passed him. Soothing heat radiated from him in
strong, penetrating waves. Her breasts ached and her core pulsed with need. Attraction and lust
weren’t emotions she allowed herself to experience very often. Right now, she didn’t have a choice.
Griffin’s nearness had inflamed her.

The door shut with a soft click. Hands trembling, she gripped the handkerchief tighter. Coming into

a closed space with him had been a terrible idea. His delicious scent curled around her. She eyed him
warily as he walked to the desk and leaned back against it. Even in that slight sitting position, he
towered over her. Refusing to sit or give him the upper hand, she lifted her chin.

“You realize that I’m about to go into heat. The risk you’ve taken—”
“It’s acceptable to me,” she interrupted. “In fact, our synced heat cycles are exactly why I need

you.”

His jaw visibly clenched. “If you’re suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, you are out of your

damned mind. I’m not in the market for a mate and certainly not one whose great-aunt stabbed my
great-uncle to death.” He pointed to the door. “You should leave. Now.”

“No.” She stood her ground. “And, for the record, my father’s family tells a slightly different

version of that altercation that started off our feud.”

He snorted. “I’m sure they do. Now why are you here?”
“You’re a member of the Brotherhood of the Green Hide. You’re charged with protecting our

species from extinction. You know what the Knights of St. George did to my mother’s family?”

His harsh expression softened. “Yes.”
“Then you also know that after the massacre last fall, I’m the last of my mother’s line.” Her eyes

prickled with bitter tears as the memories of the vicious and brutal battle flooded her mind. “My
mother’s family had invited us home for reconciliation. It was supposed to be a beautiful family
reunion, but those bastards…”

She couldn’t finish the thought. Swallowing hard, she touched her chest. “I’m the last of the Naga.

I’ve been combing the family trees of my people looking for someone, anyone, with the right genes,
but the Knights have snuffed us out.”

Griffin exhaled slowly. “The Knights are frighteningly efficient when it comes to targeting specific

bloodlines. Your mother’s line was one of the most fragile and unique of our kind.”

“Centuries of arranged marriages and a closed society didn’t help.” She thought of the horror her

mother and father had caused with their scandalous love affair and elopement. Her Indian mother had
chosen to marry a Western man from a little-known branch of a British dragon tribe. Both sets of
parents had decried the match and ostracized the pair. Avani had grown up as an outcast, never quite
belonging in the dragon commune that had accepted her parents as members.

“I don’t know why you think I can help you. My people are lightning makers and thunder clappers.”
“Not all of them,” she said. “Your archivist, Reynard, helped me identify dragons with suitable

bloodlines. Your great-grandmother was a water serpent. Like me, she was the last of her kind, but
she came from a pure and uninterrupted bloodline.”

He let loose an annoyed grunt. “So what?”
Gathering her courage, she said, “It means that our baby would have a high chance of inheriting my

Naga gifts.”

Taken aback, Griffin stared at her. “Are you insane? Did you really just propose that we have a

child? In case you’ve forgotten, our families are involved in a blood feud.”

Irritated, she snapped back at him. “No, I haven’t forgotten. If you’re not going to help me, you may

as well go ahead and finish me off right here. Satisfy your family’s honor, Griffin. Who knows?
Maybe the Knights will send you a thank-you card and a nice flower arrangement for tying up a loose
end.”

He growled angrily and shot to his feet. “Comparing me to a Knight isn’t a very persuasive tactic,

Avani.”

She rubbed her face and sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m on edge and I’m desperate.”
“Why are you in such a rush to have children? You’re only, what, thirty? You haven’t even hit your

first centenary!”

“When you’re the last member of a nearly extinct race of dragon, you can stand there and lecture

me on biological clocks!”

He studied her intently. “Do you have any idea what you’re asking? I’ve gone nearly one thousand

years without taking a mate or fathering a child. There’s a reason for that. My work is very dangerous.
My loyalty to the Brotherhood comes first.”

She understood his hesitancy and embraced it. She’d been relieved when she’d researched him and

realized how unlikely he was to want a role as an active parent. “I’m not looking for a husband or
even a partner in parenting. Don’t worry. I don’t want your money, either. My jewelry business is
quite successful. I can handle motherhood on my own.”

“Is that so?” An expression she couldn’t place filtered across his face. “It seems as if you have this

all planned out. I suppose all you want from me is a sperm donation.”

She winced at how cold it sounded. “It wouldn’t be like that. You’re in heat. I’m in heat. I’m sure

our time together will be pleasurable.”

“And when the phase ends?”
“You leave. I’ll contact you if we’re successful.”
“And that’s that?” He didn’t sound happy.
“Well, I mean, what more do you want?”
He made a disgusted noise. “What the hell kind of man do you think I am? You think I would make

a child and then walk away from him or her?”

His fury stunned her. Stammering, she said, “I thought—”
“No,” he interjected roughly. “You didn’t think. You assumed you could waltz in here smelling like

heaven, then ensnare me and convince me to do whatever you wanted. Well, I’ve got news for you,
Avani. I’m not the kind of man who can be led around by his dick.”

His crass remark made her flinch. “You’re wrong, Griffin. I didn’t come here hoping to ensnare

you with my mating scent.” Embarrassment burned her neck and cheeks. “Do you think it was easy for
me to come in here and beg a stranger to sleep with me? And not just any stranger, Griffin! You’re my
enemy.”

“I am not your enemy.” He spoke the words with such passion it set her back on her feet. “What

happened centuries ago is of little consequence to me. No dragon is my enemy.” Looking pained, he
rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re asking me to do the impossible.”

“No,” she replied insistently. “I’m asking you to uphold the oath you took when you joined the

Brotherhood. I’m asking you to save my family line. I need you, Griffin. You’re the only one who can
help me.”

His intense stare unnerved her. Her breath hitched in her throat when he took a step toward her.

Instinct took hold. For every one of his steps forward, she scurried back two. Her back hit the door
and stalled her flight.

He planted both hands against the door, pinning her smaller body between his and the wooden

plank at her back. Her shuddery breaths buffeted his naked chest. His tanned skin tempted her like no
other. She fisted her hands at her sides and closed her eyes. When his face lowered, she turned her
head.

“Don’t,” he warned gently. Nuzzling her cheek with his nose, he coaxed her to face him. Their

breaths mingled as he gazed into her eyes. His mouth brushed hers with such softness. The spark of
contact arced between them, setting her skin alight.

With a low groan, Griffin finally captured her lips. He was easy at first, his lips pliable and soft

against hers. Taking control, he deepened the kiss. His tongue swiped hers. She whimpered as he
plundered her mouth. Her hands flew to his chest. The searing heat of his skin set her afire.

Whether it was the mating scent or their natural chemistry, Avani couldn’t say. In that moment, she

didn’t really care. She’d never felt anything like this. Her whole body pulsed and ached. She didn’t
fight him when he grasped the backs of her thighs and lifted her off the floor. The fabric of her skirt
bunched and pulled taut when she wrapped her legs around his waist. She gasped at the sensation of
his rock-hard cock pressing against her. Only a few pieces of thin cloth separated their overheated
bodies.

A guttural sound emanated from his throat. He tore his mouth away from hers. Forehead to

forehead, they panted and shuddered. Finally, Griffin spoke: “We do this my way.”

She licked her lips and stared into the eyes of the man who had awoken such need within her.

“What way is that?”

“I’ll help you save your line, but I will not bond with you. I don’t want or need a mate.”
His words shouldn’t have hurt her. She hadn’t come here looking for a mate, after all. Still, they

struck a raw nerve. She’d always been the unwanted one. It wouldn’t be any different now. It’s only
sex, she reminded herself.

“I won’t bite you,” she promised. At the confused look on his face, she explained, “Among the

Naga, a bite and exchange of venom is required to seal a true mate bond.”

“You have fangs?” He tilted his head for a better look at her mouth. “I didn’t feel them.”
She shook her head. “I only have them in my serpent form.”
“I see.” His fingertip trailed her jaw. “If this works, I’m not walking away from my child. There is

no way in hell I’m playing the role of absentee father.”

His assertion troubled her. She wasn’t kidding earlier. She didn’t want the interference of another

parent in her life. Single motherhood appealed to her for a few very personal reasons. “But I don’t
want—”

He silenced her with a kiss. Leaving her breathless, he said, “This isn’t up for debate, Avani.

These are my terms. Take them or leave them. Now—do we have a deal?”

Overwhelmed by his commanding heat and strength, Avani was powerless to say no. She found

unexpected reassurance in his penetrating, unwavering gaze. His offer wasn’t the most palatable, but
there was plenty of time to convince him to give her exactly what she wanted. “All right. We have a
deal.”

But as Griffin carefully lowered her to the ground, Avani couldn’t shake the feeling her well-laid

plans were about to be shot to hell by this ridiculously sexy beast of a man.

Chapter Two

ou are out of your mind.”

Griff stopped repacking his gym bag long enough to glance at Mad. His cousin leaned against the

wall of lockers and shook his head in disbelief. Griff didn’t blame him. Away from Avani’s enticing
scent, he was starting to have second thoughts, too. His gaze skipped to the closed door as he thought
of her waiting for him. Was she feeling the same uncertainty about her brazen plan? “She made a good
case.”

“A good case?” Mad scoffed. “She asked you to give her a baby. That’s not a little favor done

between friends, Griff. That’s a lifelong commitment.”

“She doesn’t want a commitment. She just wants the baby.”
Mad’s appalled face mirrored Griff’s feelings on the subject. “Please tell me you didn’t agree to

that.”

“No. I reacted in much the same way as you. I made it clear that if this plan of hers works, if we’re

able to keep her line alive, I will be involved.”

Mad rubbed the back of his neck. “A baby, Griff? Have you really thought this all the way through?

Have you considered what Ignatius will say?”

Griff grunted. “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. It’s likely this won’t even work. We’re not

exactly a species known for high fertility rates.”

“But you’re still going to give it that old college try.”
Griff ignored Mad’s juvenile gesture. “Don’t be crude.” He considered what kind of courage it had

taken for Avani to come into the gym of her family’s sworn enemy and ask for this kind of help.
“She’s trying to save something precious. What she’s attempting is no different than what you or I or
any of the Brothers do any time we’re called on to protect dragons from the Knights.”

Mad looked properly chastised. He touched his chest and lowered his gaze in the way of their

tribe. “My apologies.”

Griff accepted the apology with a nod. He finished packing his bag but hesitated before finally

admitting, “I’ve been thinking about children for some time.”

Shock filtered across Mad’s face. “You never said—”
“I know,” Griff interrupted. “It’s not the kind of thing I felt comfortable discussing, but seeing

Stig’s happiness with Cora has made me rethink some of my priorities. Now that Ignatius is opening
the floor to debate on some of our stricter laws and covenants, I’m hopeful we’ll see some softening
of the restrictions on families for membership in the Brotherhood. Think of all we’ve survived over
these many years, Mad. Can you imagine being killed tomorrow without the knowledge that some part
of you lives on?”

“I’ll admit to thinking of our line dying out with you and me or the handful of cousins who belong

to the tribe. It’s a…difficult fate to accept.”

“Maybe we don’t have to accept it,” Griff countered. He glanced at the door and thought of the

dark-eyed woman nervously awaiting his return. In his long life he’d come across numerous female
dragons, but never once had he experienced this powerful attraction toward one of them. “I never
expected that my chance to father a child would come to me like this, but I’m not about to throw away
the only chance fate may grant me. I’m grabbing this with both hands and not letting go.”

Mad shoved off the lockers. He squeezed Griff’s shoulder. “You know you always have my

support.”

“Thank you.” Griffin lifted his bag onto his shoulder. He remembered the conversation they’d been

having when Avani arrived. “Mad, promise me you won’t go looking for the source of these dreams
alone. You’ll need backup, and that’s me.”

“I promise.” Mad spoke without hesitation or obfuscation. “I won’t do anything stupid until you’re

free of your mating heat.” Looking a bit conspiratorial, he lowered his voice. “Did the rumor about
the sword she possesses factor into your decision to say yes?”

Griff didn’t even try to deny it. They were at war with the Knights, and destroying the swords they

possessed was the ultimate goal. “Partly.”

“If it’s true that she got her hands on one of the swords that killed her family, we’re one step closer

to destroying all of the swords that give the Knights power.” Mad let his voice drop to barely a
whisper, just in case Avani had an acute sense of hearing. “Perhaps you could make it a condition of
this trade.”

Griff’s jaw tightened at the idea of such a cold, nasty thing. “I’m not going to trade a child for a

sword.”

“We’re at war, Griff. We’ve done uglier things than this.”
“A child—my child—is worth more to me than some damn sword!”
Mad put up both hands. “Don’t bite my head off! I was simply pointing out the realities of the

situation.”

“They aren’t the realities to me. You can be damned sure I’m going to ask her about the sword, but

I’m not going to horse-trade. If she wants to give it to the Brotherhood for disposal, fine. If not, at
least we’ll know where it is and we can keep it secure.”

“Understood.” Mad eased back and tilted his head. He gestured to his eyes. “Your control is

starting to slip. I swear your hackles raised just now.”

Griff stretched his neck, the muscles in his back and shoulders starting to pull tight. “I think it’s

Avani’s scent. She’s tempting my primal side. I feel on edge already, and it’s still two hours to
sunset.”

“You should go. Get underground.” A trace of anxiety colored Mad’s voice. “With the two of you

in heat, your combined scents will be overpowering at night. It won’t take much for the Knights to get
one of their trackers on you. I worry that even sunlight won’t burn the smell off you.”

Griff shared that concern. “Avani assured me her underground facilities are secure and well-

stocked.”

“Text me when you get there. Let me know if you’re going to need supplies or manpower. I don’t

mind standing guard.”

“The Knights wouldn’t dare break the rules and attack us at her home. They consider that rule

sacrosanct.”

“Maybe,” Mad replied, unconvinced. “This new generation of Knights is different than the ones

we’ve faced in the past. They aren’t afraid to massage the rules a little.”

Griff grunted in agreement. He left the locker room with Mad a few steps behind. Out in the gym,

he caught sight of Avani near the entrance. Her skittish gaze met his. There was no mistaking her
nervous gulp. Just as quickly as that bit of anxiety showed, she schooled her features and became the
cool, collected woman who had first walked through that door. She slipped her sunglasses into place
and pivoted on her heel, presenting her fine backside as she left the gym.

Mad laughed and slapped Griff’s back. “Good luck, cousin. You’re going to need it.”

* * *

Sitting across from Griff sometime later, Avani tried to get a handle on her wildly vacillating
emotions. Even seated, he seemed impossibly huge. Her dining room was so big and spacious, but
Griff somehow made the space seem claustrophobic.

His enticing scent grew stronger with every passing minute. It filled the room and invaded her

senses, leaving her knees weak and her belly trembling. She could feel the pulsing heat radiating from
him, and she tried to deny her body’s reaction to his closeness.

Looking a bit self-conscious, Griff swallowed his final bite of the dinner she’d prepared. She’d

never seen any man consume a pile of rare steaks so quickly. He dabbed at his mouth with one of her
perfectly pressed napkins. “Sorry.”

“For?” She picked up her wineglass and took another sip.
“Eating so much and so ravenously,” he explained with a sheepish smile. “I promise you I’m not

usually so beastly.”

“It’s the forced change coming upon you. We all have our quirks when our inner beast threatens to

overwhelm us.”

He eyed her plate and the remnants of her light dinner. “I can see that gorging yourself on red meat

isn’t one of them.”

“I never eat red meat. My mother might have strayed a bit from her family’s Hindu beliefs, but she

maintained the traditions and customs.”

A bright flush painted his neck and the tips of his ears. “Sorry. I should have remembered about

your mother’s roots in India.” He paused and stared down at his empty plate. “You didn’t have to go
to the trouble of buying me special food.”

“It’s fine.” Amused, she waved her hand. “Finding a good butcher who could stock my freezer on

such short notice turned into a nice little adventure.”

A flash of guilt crossed his handsome face. “Don’t let me inconvenience you, Avani.”
Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. “If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me. I’m the one who

propositioned you, remember?”

His eyes glinted with hunger. “Oh, I remember.”
Dropping her gaze, she tried to pull their conversation back to a lighter topic. “Lotion,” she said

finally. “My quirk is slathering my skin in lotion and oils. I tend to have issues with peeling when I
shift back and forth. It’s not exactly the most glamorous thing in the world, but there it is.”

Griff shot her a sinfully sexy grin. “I’d be more than happy to rub down your naked skin tonight.”
Avani choked on the wine she’d just sipped. Griffin’s laughter didn’t win him any points. She set

down her glass and glared at him. “Maybe you could wait until I’ve swallowed to make cracks like

that.”

He parted his lips to make another teasing remark, but she stopped him with her raised hand the

second she realized what she’d said. “Don’t even think about it!”

“Oh come on!” He smiled mischievously. “You walked right into that one.”
She couldn’t deny it. “Does everything have to be a dirty joke with you? What are you? Twelve?”
“I’m only trying to lighten the mood.” He leaned back in his chair. “You look tense. I know this

was your idea and you’ve got it all planned out, but it will probably go easier on both of us if you let
me take the lead.”

A wicked heat flared to life within her at the idea of surrendering control to Griffin. She’d never

been the kind of girl who let men have the upper hand. Her lower belly clenching with need, she
shook her head and rose from her seat. “We’ll see.”

Griffin’s burning gaze followed her as she left the dining room with her dishes. He gathered up his

and joined her in the kitchen. As if trying to set her on edge, he purposely brushed against her body as
she loaded her things into the dishwasher. She gritted her teeth and tried to slow her racing heart.

“Thank you for dinner. I appreciate it.” He slipped his plate and silverware into the rack and

basket.

Avani saw the sincerity in his face. “You’re welcome.”
“It’s usually the man that does the wining and dining, but I enjoyed this role reversal.”
Letting his easygoing smile infect her with some of his silliness, she replied, “Well I am the one

trying to get into your pants.”

“I don’t think there’s going to be much trying involved.”
He closed the dishwasher and took a step closer. As she did back in his gym office, Avani

retreated. His mouth curved with amusement as he walked her backward. The lip of the marble
countertop bit into her back. There was nowhere else to go.

“Griffin, I think—”
“You have a beautiful home.”
She blinked. His statement surprised her, since she’d been expecting another blatant come-on from

him. “Thank you.”

“No staff?” He glanced around the kitchen. “With a place this big, I doubt you do all the upkeep.”
“I don’t. I have two housekeepers and a cook. I hire a service for all of the landscaping needs.”
He placed both of his hands on the counter, trapping her in place. “You’ve done very well for

yourself.”

“My parents found poverty romantic, but I didn’t. I knew I was going to rise above my humble

beginnings.” She bit her lip with instant regret. Always so guarded and careful, she rarely spoke
about her embarrassingly poor childhood. What was it about Griffin that made her want to be so
open?

“Drive is a good thing. You’re clearly very talented.” He touched her earring. “I like these.”
She quirked a smile. “Wear a lot of women’s earrings, do you?”
He chuckled and let his fingertips follow the outline of her jaw. “Are we going to be interrupted?”
She shook her head. “I sent my staff away on paid vacation. I thought it would be safer.”
“Good.” He looked to the window over the sink. “Your neighborhood seems safe, even if it is a bit

heavy on the human population for my taste.”

“I’ve spent most of my life with humans. My best friends are mortals. Besides, this is one of the

most sought-after addresses in Houston.”

He made a face. “It’s on a golf course.”
“It’s quiet and pretty.”
“I suppose. At least the security guards and gates make it less likely that the Knights would try to

ambush us outside of your home.” He straightened up and glanced down at her. “Show me your lair.”

“Lair?” She hated the word. “It’s not a stone dungeon, Griffin.”
He held out his hand. “Show me.”
Avani grasped his massive paw. She tugged him along behind her through the butler’s pantry and

into the wine cellar. Her fingertips slid along the edge of a wine shelf until she found the springy spot.
She pushed it hard and stepped aside. The heavy shelf popped free from the wall.

“It’s a nice design.” He shoved the shelf to the right.
“My father helped me with it.” She touched the wood and let the good memories come. “It was one

of our last projects together.”

He stepped onto the landing with her and tugged the shelf back into place, sealing them inside the

entrance. She flipped on the lights in the stairwell and led him down the long metal staircase to the
bunker beneath her home. With the rising popularity of survivalist websites and books, her request to
have a bunker installed during the building of her home hadn’t raised the eyebrows of her contractor
or architect. After meeting some of her neighbors, Avani was certain her home wasn’t the only one
equipped to outlast Armageddon.

Griffin whistled as he stepped into the living area. “Hell, Avani, this is nicer than most people’s

homes!”

“We may be forced into our primal states, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some creature

comforts.” She swept her hand along the plush upholstery of a reading chair. “I don’t often endure the
forced change. For me, staying underground during my mating phase is more about safety than the
practicality of hiding my dragon state.”

“You don’t change?” His interest piqued, he studied her. “How?”
“Fasting and meditation,” she replied. “The first few nights, my body undergoes the shift, but by the

third or fourth night I’m weak enough that it’s impossible.”

Griffin didn’t look happy. “That’s dangerous.”
She shrugged. “I don’t enjoy being a serpent. I try to avoid it at all costs.”
He frowned. “It’s who you are, Avani. Your Naga form is simply another extension of you. You

should embrace her and learn to use her skills and instincts to your advantage.”

“I’m not a member of the Brotherhood, Griffin. I have no desire to hunt down or slay Knights. I just

want to live my quiet life and design jewelry. This thing inside me?” She gestured to her chest. “It’s
something I’d rather subdue than encourage.”

“You may very well be a mother soon, Avani. You can’t expect your child to understand how to

control and manage his or her Naga form if you can’t control yours.”

A quiver of embarrassment pierced her belly. “Maybe.”
“There’s no maybe to it. You know I’m right.”
She ignored his assertion and turned her attention to the area she used as the bedroom. “There’s a

locked cell across the bunker, but from what I understand we won’t actually shift tonight.” A blazing
heat invaded her cheeks. “If we’re touching, I mean.”

Griffin’s gaze fell on the big bed. “My friend, Stig, recently took a mate. Cora’s dragon blood is

very diluted, but her touch affected Stig in the way you’ve described. Actually, he seems to have
drawn her dragon essence to the surface, so to speak. She began to undergo the change.” He reached
back and touched his shoulder. “She grew scales.”

Avani’s eyes widened. “Really? That’s amazing.”
He nodded. “Quite unexpected, I assure you. They both freaked out when it happened.”
“Understandable,” she murmured. “They’re happy now?”
“Very,” he said. “It turns out she’s a type of chameleonlike dragon. We thought they were all but

extinct until she and Stig became mated. It’s another month before Stig goes into heat again. We think
she’ll probably sync up with his cycle and complete her transformation to a dragon. It will be
interesting to see how it all works out in the end.”

“I bet.” Starting to lose her nerve and questioning her plan, Avani fidgeted with the cuff of her

shirt. “So, um…”

“There’s no rush. We have nine nights of heat.” Griff closed the distance between them. He put his

hands on her shoulders and then cupped her neck. His thumbs rubbed slow circles on her skin. “We’ll
take it nice and easy.”

Avani nodded in agreement but doubted that was possible. Already, she felt her control slipping.

His warm hands made her insides quiver. Her body ached as fiery lust consumed her.

Nice and easy? Hell, she’d be lucky if she made it to midnight without begging him to rip her

clothes off and ravish her!

Chapter Three

icked back in a comfortable club chair, Griff watched Avani with interest. Like him, she’d

changed into nightclothes. Where he’d thrown on only pajama bottoms, she’d chosen to cover up a bit
more. He liked the emerald green top and matching shorts. They highlighted her gorgeous skin and
made her look sexy as hell.

Right now, she moved around the bunker, lighting a few scented candles and adjusting throw

pillows. Her home looked like something out of a design magazine, all sleek lines and muted tones of
gray and white with pops of color here and there. Upstairs, he’d marveled at her home’s neatness.
Everything in its place and a space for everything…

His first impression of her started to fade. He’d pegged her as cold and aloof, but now he realized

he’d been dead wrong. It was all a defense mechanism. She put on that calm, controlled façade, but
underneath she was uncertain and wavering. He easily read the conflicting emotions flashing across
her face. She carried the heavy burden of saving her species with such cool grace, but he sensed she
was struggling with it.

She came close enough that he was able to grasp her wrist. The sizzling snap that accompanied

their touch burned through his chest. His inner beast snarled at the chance to be set free to claim her.
Griff muscled down those baser urges and concentrated on her beautiful face. He caught the shortest
glimpse of her Naga as her dark eyes shifted to a yellowish hue. Her pupil elongated to a reptilian
sliver before flattening back out to the typical round human shape.

Avani rolled her neck and licked her lips. The decidedly serpentlike movement enthralled him.

There was something darkly erotic about her. She exhaled slowly. “I think it’s best we stay in contact
from this point forward. I’m losing control.”

“So am I.” He pulled her down on his lap. Her lips parted in a shocked gasp. “What? This is

contact.”

She tried to wiggle free, but he held her tight. “I was thinking more along the lines of holding

hands.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”
She shot him a frown but stayed put. “Fine.”
Griff enjoyed the sensation of her small body curled on his lap. Her pleasing scent and gentle heat

soothed his frayed nerves. Calmed by her presence, his mind cleared. His dragon side heightened his
body’s response to Avani and inflamed his desires, but he didn’t act on them.

“I was thinking that maybe in the morning when we’re more clear-headed we could discuss a

contract.”

“No.”
Her gaze snapped to his. She searched his face. “Why are you fighting me on this? I told you what I

wanted.”

“And you’re not getting it,” he replied matter-of-factly. “I’m not signing away my parental rights.”

He tilted his head to study her. “I don’t think that’s really what you want.”

“How would you know? You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough to know that your insistence on single motherhood isn’t about protecting the baby.

It’s about protecting you. From what?” He shrugged. “I couldn’t say.”

“Protecting me?” She glared at him. “You don’t have any idea what it’s like to be the afterthought

in a family. My child will never know what it feels like to be a mistake. My child will be cherished
and loved by me.”

“Our child,” he corrected. Refusing to indulge her desire for single parenthood even in the

hypothetical he added, “Our child will be cherished and loved by both of us. Considering we’re
attempting to save a species, he or she will always know they were very much desired.”

“She,” Avani interjected. “She’ll know.”
His eyes narrowed at her certainty of the gender. “You sound very sure.”
“When I was digging through Reynard’s archives, I noticed my species tends to produce more

females than males. It’s just a feeling.”

He decided not to tell her that his line leaned heavily toward male offspring. When he’d let himself

daydream about the possibility of fathering children, he’d always imagined himself surrounded by
sons, but his heart did a funny little skip at the idea of a bright-eyed girl with her mother’s dark hair
and eyes smiling up at him.

Ignoring the strange pang invading his chest, he studied Avani more closely. He began to form an

idea of why she was so dead set on single parenthood and cutting him out of their child’s life. It
wasn’t a cruel motivation but one of self-preservation.

“Why are you so insistent on being the only source of love and support for your child?”
She avoided his gaze. “I’ll never allow my child to know what it’s like to compete for affection

from her mother or father.”

Suddenly, everything became clear. Griffin’s heart ached at the pain written on Avani’s sweet face.

He placed his hand on her cheek and carefully turned her toward him. “Your parents didn’t want
you?”

She wiped at the tear that escaped her right eye. “I think they wanted me eventually, but not at first.

They were alone together for nearly two hundred years before I was conceived. That’s a long time for
two people to get comfortable with one another. Their love? It was like something from a romance
novel—all-powerful, all-consuming. I couldn’t compete with that.”

His gut clenched and he stroked her soft skin. “I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t tell you that so you’d feel sorry for me. I need you to understand why

it has to be done my way.”

“I don’t see that at all. It’s not like I love you.”
Even though he hadn’t said it harshly, she still flinched. Instantly, he hated himself for the stupid

slip. “I’m so sorry, Avani. I didn’t mean that—”

“It’s okay. I understood what you meant, even if it was said rather inelegantly.”
“I really am sorry.” His face grew superhot as the embarrassment of his vocal misstep played on a

loop in his head. “I’m not usually such an asshole.”

She touched his chest, her fingertips searing him through the thin cotton of his shirt. “I don’t think

you’re an asshole.”

“Give me time. If I keep putting my foot in my mouth, you might end up locking me in that cell after

all.”

She smiled. “We’ll see.”
“Look, Avani, we’re already flirting with danger. Let’s not make things more complicated by trying

to hash out custody agreements before we’ve even succeeded in conceiving a child.”

The look on her face told him that she didn’t share his outlook. Was she afraid that if their child

became a reality instead of a possibility, then he would be more difficult to convince to walk away?

“I could pay you.”
He narrowed his eyes and steeled his jaw. “Don’t insult me like that.”
“I’m not trying to insult you. I’m being practical.”
“The answer is no.”
Not ready to give up, she said, “What if I could give you something priceless?”
Mad’s remark about the missing Knight sword came to mind. “You mean like one of the swords

used to kill your family?”

She reeled back in shock. “You know about that?”
“Ignatius sends around reports after every confirmed Knight attack. He mentioned that you behaved

suspiciously. He figured you’d taken the sword from the Knight killed during the attack on your
family.” He held her gaze and dared her to lie to him. “I see he was right.”

She nodded reluctantly. “It was just lying there next to my father’s body.”
“So you took it? Why didn’t you let Ignatius or one of the other Brothers who responded to that

massacre have it? They would have seen it properly destroyed.”

“It wouldn’t have been much use to me destroyed. At the time, I didn’t know who was my enemy or

my friend. I needed leverage.”

“And now you think I’ll just sign away the rights to my child in exchange for that sword?”
“Why not? You Brothers hunt down those swords at all costs. I’m willing to give you this one

without the need for bloodshed.”

He tried not to be angry with her. She wasn’t being cruel or nasty, just pragmatic in her approach.

Even though he found her offer cold and insulting, he sensed she didn’t mean it that way. She was
bumbling but not mean.

“My answer is no.”
“But—”
“No, Avani.” He spoke firmly and let some of the primitive snarl of his dragon edge into his voice.

Her eyes widened and she gulped. Not wanting her to be scared, he caressed her bare arm. “I’m not
angry with you.”

“You’re annoyed with me.”
“Very,” he agreed. Wanting her to feel some of that annoyance, he said, “Now that you’ve

confirmed the sword is in your possession, it will only be a matter of time before Ignatius or Reynard
or one of the other Brothers finds out where you’ve hidden it.”

Irritation flashed in her eyes. She realized she’d been outmaneuvered by him and huffed with anger.

“Why do you have to be so damned complicated?”

“It’s in my nature.” He found her consternation rather amusing. “Your skin turns the loveliest shade

when you’re angry.”

“Oh, please!” Avani rolled her eyes. “You’re not going to try to seduce me now.”
“Why not?” He nuzzled her throat and felt the uptick in her pulse as his lips brushed her skin. The

vein there throbbed wildly as her heart raced. “I can’t help but wonder what it will be like to feel you
shattering beneath me.”

She inhaled a sharp breath. “Fat chance.”
He pulled back just enough to stare into her dark eyes. His mouth curved with a playful grin. “Is

that a dare?”

* * *

Avani realized her mistake the second he smiled so sexily. White-hot need arced through her core.
His rough palms glided up and down her arms and set her skin alight. She spotted the crimson flecks
coloring his irises now. Though their constant touch seemed to prevent a fully forced shift into their
dragon forms, there was no stopping the more primal urges or the tiniest hints of their beastly natures
from peeking through. Her mind was filled with such primitive thoughts—hunger and lust paramount
among them.

Griffin shifted her until she straddled his lap. His hands explored her curves as if she belonged to

him and her body existed only for his pleasure. His domineering moves should have annoyed her—
and in some small way they did—but another part of her, the primal dragon she tried to keep buried,
responded to his possessive touch.

The serpent that lived within her craved a powerful male to serve as her partner and mate. For

Avani’s more dominant human side, it wasn’t that simple. She wanted love, passion, and security, not
simply to find good chemistry that would appease her Naga.

But all those thoughts were much too serious to be considered now. Griffin’s big hands did crazy

things to her blood pressure. The silky fabric shielding her body did little to inhibit his roaming
palms. He cupped her breast and brushed his thumb over her nipple. A tight peak formed and pressed
against the green silk.

“Griffin,” she whispered his name, while he traced the bud through her top.
“Strip for me.” Need filled his hoarse voice.
Anxiety gripped her. The lights were so bright in here. “Maybe we could move to the bed and turn

off some of these lamps.”

He made a low, hungry sound. “I want to see you.”
“But—”
“All of you,” he interrupted gruffly and grabbed a handful of her shirt. “Take this off.”
She shivered at his commanding tone. There was no denying him. She started to flick through the

buttons but he growled. “Too slow!”

He ripped the fabric with his strong hand. She whimpered at his display of strength but he calmed

her with a sensual kiss. His tongue danced with hers. When he nibbled her lower lip, she rocked
against him.

Rather insistently, he shoved the torn shirt off her shoulders. Breasts bared to him, she cried out as

his mouth touched her there. He cupped her hot flesh and let his lips move from peak to peak. She
clasped his shoulders and arched into his tormenting mouth. “Griffin!”

Seemingly overcome with lust, he slipped his arm around her waist and stood. She expected him to

carry her to the bed, but he flipped their positions and placed her in the low, wide chair. The leather

retained his body heat and made her want to snuggle into its comforting depths.

Griffin took hold of her sleeping shorts and jerked them down her hips and legs. He tossed them

over his shoulders. Naked and nervous, she squeezed her knees together. He shot her a look before
grasping her thighs and prying them wide apart.

Pulsing and aching with desire, Avani blushed as he peered intently at her sex. “What are you

doing?”

“What I wanted to do back at the gym,” he answered. She hissed as he gently parted her folds with

his thumbs. “I can’t wait to taste you.”

A second later, his mouth dropped between her thighs. She cried out as he swiped her clitoris with

his soft, pliable tongue. He suckled the tiny bud before unleashing a sensual assault on her most tender
place. “Ah!”

His fingertips bit into her legs as he held her firmly in place and wickedly tormented her. Awash

with lust, Avani felt the last of her inhibitions slip. Griffin’s scent spilled over her like a smoky
aphrodisiac, ridding her of the final traces of uncertainty. For the first time in her life, she felt
completely at ease with a man.

Clearly a master at seduction, Griffin used his wicked tongue to do the wildest things. She gasped

and moaned as he fluttered and flicked and suckled her throbbing flesh. None of her lovers had ever
come close to matching his skill. She clawed at the chair and lifted her hips, pressing her pulsing sex
to his mouth.

Griffin groaned and continued to lash her pussy. The first tremor of ecstasy invaded her lower

belly. Thighs tensing, she ran her fingers through his short hair and focused on the sight of this sexy
beast of a man between her legs. The knowledge that this powerful, commanding warrior of a dragon
knelt at her feet and gave her pleasure sent Avani hurtling over the edge.

“Griffin!” Screaming his name, she climaxed hard. Her muscles clenched and released as bursts of

pure bliss exploded in her core. When she tried to pull away from his slowly circling tongue, Griffin
refused to allow her retreat. He gripped her hips and kept her right there until she thought she really
would die from sheer delight. Only then, when she was limp and panting, did he finally drag his
mouth from between her thighs.

He sat back on his heels and caressed her trembling limbs. His sinful smile made her tummy do

somersaults. Grasping her hand, he pulled her into a sitting position. He dragged her hand down his
chest and abdomen to the tented front of his sleeping pants. She swallowed hard as he ran her palm
over his thick erection. “Can you feel what you do to me?”

Their gazes clashed. His irises were almost totally red now. She had no doubt the strange green

hue of her dragon form had overtaken her usual brown eyes. Their human sides remained in control,
but their desires and actions were driven by the primitive beasts within them.

“I realize I said we had nine nights and there was no need to rush—”
“Take me to bed.” She cut him off before he could cool her raging lust with some chivalrous offer

to take it slow.

Chuckling, he captured her lips. “I thought you’d never ask.”
She squealed with surprise as Griffin grasped her by the waist and tossed her over his shoulder.

Like a caveman, he carried her to the bed and dropped her onto the mattress. In an instant, he was on
top of her, crawling over her naked body and nuzzling her neck. Overwhelmed by his heat and
strength, she surrendered totally to his dominating ways.

Chapter Four

riff tried to get a grip on his out-of-control lust. Avani’s intoxicating scent had taken hold, and his

cock throbbed mercilessly. He’d been a fool to think he could walk away from her at the end of their
mating heat. She’d imprinted on him. It could be her smell, her taste, and her soft body that he would
crave like a drug.

The honeyed taste of her still clung to his lips. Worshipping between her thighs had truly tested his

resolve. He couldn’t get enough of her. Listening to her scream his name and feeling her clitoris
pulsing against his tongue drove him wild. Even though she’d been wracked with ecstasy, he hadn’t
truly succeeded in making her come undone or shatter—yet.

Wanting to kiss and caress every last inch of her luscious brown skin, Griff pressed his lips to her

collarbone. She shivered and bucked beneath him as his mouth danced down her body. There was so
much passion bottled up inside her. He wanted to set it all free and unleash the wanton sex kitten
hiding behind that calm, controlled mask she constantly wore.

He gazed down into her strangely hued eyes. Like exotic jewels, they glimmered with the oddest

shade of yellow-green. Her pupils remained round but seemed more oval in shape. No doubt his red
eyes betrayed the beast within him too. Primal thoughts consumed Griff. Take. Claim. Fuck. Mate.

But the last one he couldn’t do. Even though they’d clearly connected in a way neither had

expected, Avani would never consider bonding with him. If he even tried to take her as his mate,
she’d probably kick him out of bed and right into that locked cell across the bunker. He remembered
what she’d said about having to bite him to seal the deal on her end. She’d wire her jaw shut before
that happened.

Not wanting to push his luck, Griff decided to be content with what had been offered to him.

Though her request to father a child had come from left field, he considered it the greatest honor
imaginable. In time, the issue of bonding and mating might even become something she wanted with
him.

Her sharp gasp of desire broke through his troubled thoughts. Focusing only on Avani, Griff

cleared his mind and lowered his face to hers. He breathed in her erotic scent and brushed his lips
against her silken pout. She mewled softly and ran her hands up and down his sides. He enjoyed the
ticklish sensation of her fingers gliding over his rib cage.

Palming her breast, he used his mouth on the dusky brown peak to elicit a moan of pleasure from

her throat. She responded so sweetly to the tugging pull of his lips. He ran his finger around her wet
nipple, coaxing the puckered skin into the tightest point before suckling her gently. Her toes curled
against his thighs as her fingernails scratched at his shoulders.

Still teasing her breasts with a graze of his teeth and light sucking, Griff let his hand slide down her

body. He shifted his weight to one side and freed more of her sexy curves for his exploration. His

hand dipped between her thighs. She inhaled a shuddery breath as his fingers delved into her slick
wetness. He swirled his thumb over the swollen kernel hidden there before plunging two curved
fingers into her hot depths. She cried out but widened her thighs, inviting him to stimulate her even
more.

Griff happily accepted the invitation. Glad that he had big hands to match his hulking frame, he took

advantage of the long span of his fingers to bring her to rapture. While his thumb strummed her clit,
two of his digits thrust into her at an increasingly fast pace. She clutched at his arms and bared her
neck. Her throat called to him, and he nibbled and nipped the curving slope.

“Griffin! Please. I need…” Her hips rocked against his, but she couldn’t find the right words.
“Tell me,” he urged, his cock aching so badly now. He moved the curved fingers buried in her

pussy and rubbed her clit a little faster. “Tell me what you need, Avani. Tell me and it’s yours.”

“Make me come,” she begged breathlessly.
He captured her mouth and found the right rhythm. He swallowed the rapturous cries of her climax.

The feeling of her body thrashing beneath his made him growl with hunger. The raging inferno within
him would be quieted only once his cock was fully sheathed inside her tight, wet pussy.

Flushed and shaking, she panted for air and squeezed her legs together, trapping his hand. “I

can’t…” She gulped. “Oh God, Griffin! No more.”

Laughing, he nuzzled her cheek. “Oh, sweetheart, we’re just getting started.”

* * *

Limp and boneless, Avani gazed in wondrous awe at Griff. He gently withdrew his hand from its
trapped position and licked her shiny nectar from his fingertips. The erotic sight of it made her belly
clench. She’d never met a man who so completely embodied raw sexuality. There was nothing about
sex that he seemed to consider taboo.

He rolled away from her long enough to shed his pajama bottoms. A few times since meeting him,

she’d seen his cock outlined in his pants but nothing had prepared her for the sight of it now. Thick
and long, his erection jutted into the air. A quiver of anxiety pierced her belly. Could she take him?

“I know what you’re thinking,” he said and carefully moved closer to her. “We’ll take our time and

ease into it.”

She eyed his huge cock with some uncertainty. “Let’s put some emphasis on ease, okay?”
He laughed and brushed his fingertips along her face and down her neck. “I promise I’ll never hurt

you.” His lips touched her cheek. “I’ll make it good for you.”

She peered into his ruby-red eyes and caressed his nape. “You already have.”
Wanting to show him her appreciation, Avani reached between their bodies and grasped his shaft.

Griff’s eyes closed, and a grumbling rumble of a noise left his throat. She’d never heard anything like
it, and it momentarily stunned her.

“Sorry,” he apologized quickly. “It’s my thunder.”
“Your…what?” She blinked a few times. “Your thunder?”
“That’s my gift. One smack of my wings together and I could make a thunderous clap of noise that

would deafen you. Two or three smacks and I could bring down a wall of your house.” His fingers
moved along his neck. “I’m able to make a similar noise in my throat. It’s enough to daze opponents,
especially if I’m in close quarters where I can’t unfurl my wings for maximum reverberation.”

“That’s amazing,” she whispered. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she said, “All I do is make venom.

Being a Naga is pretty much the most useless form of dragon.”

Griffin’s brow furrowed. “Don’t say that. You may not be able to fly, but you’ve got other talents

that are worth preserving.” He covered her small hand with his and coaxed her palm to move up and
down his erection. “Or have you forgotten what we’re trying to accomplish here?” His cock pulsed in
her hand.

“No, I haven’t forgotten.” She tightened her grip and stroked him from the wide base toward the

blunt tip. His nostrils flared, and she took it as an encouraging sign. Feeling braver, Avani pressed
her mouth to his chest and then his nipple. She wasn’t sure if it would feel as good to him as it had for
her, but his groan confirmed her suspicion. Grasping his cock, she massaged him harder and faster.

With a shocking growl, Griffin threw his leg over hers and pushed up onto all fours. His massive

body covered and warmed her nakedness. When he sought a kiss, she willingly lifted up to meet his
descending mouth. His tongue stabbed between her lips and dueled with hers. This was another battle
she wouldn’t win.

Surrendering, she closed her eyes and relished his commanding kiss. The orgasms he’d given

Avani had done little to douse the wildfire threatening to consume her. If anything, the pleasure he had
shown her was like throwing gasoline to flame.

Burning up and desperate to be taken by him, she stroked his muscled arms and tried to wiggle her

legs free. Griffin must have guessed what she was trying to do. He slid one leg between her thighs and
then the other. The weeping tip of his cock pressed against her soft belly, leaving a trail of precome
before nudging her entrance.

A quicksilver flash of uncertainty constricted her chest. This was the last chance to stop her crazy

plan. Griffin seemed to sense her hesitation. He searched her face. “Avani?”

Gazing up into his eyes, she expected to feel nervousness or fear, but there was none of that. Being

pinned beneath Griffin and waiting to receive his seed filled her with the strongest sensation of
rightness. It was as if this was the way it was always meant to be.

Avani wrapped her legs around his waist and caressed his jaw. “Make love to me.”
Griffin claimed her mouth with a sensual kiss and thrust forward. She cried out against his cheek as

he breached and entered her a few inches. Ever the gentle lover, he retreated until just the thick crown
of him remained inside her. Over and over, he repeated the movements, his pace leisurely. That
wicked tongue danced with hers as he let her grow accustomed to the sensation of his big cock
plunging into her snug passage again and again.

She’d never been so aroused. Her wet pussy welcomed his intruding cock as he stroked all the

right places. She gasped and moaned with every sensual rock of his hips. Loving the feel of his hard
body, she ran her hands over his shoulders and arms. His muscles rippled under her fingertips,
reminding her just how much power and strength he possessed.

When Griffin clasped both of her wrists in one huge hand, she experienced a flutter of panic. He

tugged her hands overhead and held them there. Trapped and held captive by him, Avani’s breaths
grew shaky and her core clenched. Griffin’s daring gaze told her there would be no escape. To her
shock, she found his dominating move exciting.

Holding her gaze, Griffin snapped his hips a bit faster. He lowered his mouth and teasingly ghosted

his lips across hers. She tried to kiss him, but he pulled back just enough to make it impossible.
Without words, he showed her who was in control. It should have annoyed or infuriated her to be
held down like this and denied a kiss, but instead she experienced the wildest thrill of delight.

Breasts aching and nipples tingling, Avani moaned with desire. Griffin took her faster and harder.

Soon the bed shook beneath their writhing bodies. His grip tightened on her wrists. One look at his
face and she knew he was fighting his building climax. She whimpered when he shifted his hips and
reached down to the spot where their bodies were joined. His fingertips tapped her clit.

“Come with me,” he urged thickly. “I want to feel you milking my cock, Avani.”
She gasped at his blunt request. No man had ever spoken like that to her, but she liked it. The

burning need coloring his husky voice left her feeling so incredibly sexy and wanted.

His fingers circled her clit with more pressure even as his massive shaft slammed into her harder

and harder, deeper and deeper. Bliss tightened like a fist in her lower belly, pulsing and throbbing
until finally she exploded. The power of her climax made her scream.

Head thrown back, she shouted his name and let the violent waves of ecstasy drown her. Griffin

slammed into her one last time. She felt his cock swell inside her before a warm heat spread through
her. Shuddering with orgasmic aftershocks, Avani clung to him.

Surprisingly gentle, he kissed her tenderly and caressed her face. He stayed buried inside her even

when he fell to the side, dragging her smaller body along with his. She didn’t have the energy to
separate herself from him, nor did she want to leave him. There was something incredibly intimate
about remaining connected even after they’d come together.

Those big, rough hands of his roamed over her naked skin. She’d never done this with any man.

The handful of times she’d been with a lover, she’d fled his bed as soon as the deed was done. To be
held in Griffin’s muscled arms showed her what she’d been missing

She wondered if it would have felt like this with any other dragon male. No one had ever looked at

her or caressed her body the way Griffin did right now. He touched her like she was something
beautiful and precious.

Avani wouldn’t admit it aloud, but she was beginning to feel something toward Griffin. She tried to

convince herself it was simply the effects of the mating heat, but deep down inside she knew it
wasn’t. It was all Griffin. There was simply something about this beastly giant of a man that coaxed
her to let down her guard. She began to crave his heat and scent and the secure feeling of his arms
wrapped around her.

Griffin tipped her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. He didn’t need to speak to tell her that he

was feeling similarly conflicted. Whatever was happening between them, Avani understood that her
plan to walk away from him at the end of their nine nights of heat had been shattered.

His loving kiss drove that point home. She closed her eyes and reveled in the sensual moment. He

brushed his knuckles along her cheek and down her jaw before cupping her face. Avani whimpered
against his lips and clutched at his shoulders. She couldn’t get close enough for her satisfaction.

Her eyes flew open at the sensation of his cock twitching to life inside her. Tearing her mouth

away from his, she gasped with disbelief. “You’re hard again! So soon?”

His raucous laugh made her smile. “Can you blame me?” He swept his hands down her back to

grasp her bottom. “You’re very naked, very tempting, and absolutely gorgeous.”

“Oh!” Avani sucked in a surprised breath when he dragged her on top of him. Straddling his lap,

she felt his cock growing longer and harder inside her.

“Pace yourself, sweetheart.” He thrust up into her, and she cried out softly. Griffin grasped her

waist and bucked his hips again, making her shiver with desire. “The night is young…”

Chapter Five

vani leaned closer to the mirror in the small bunker bathroom and rubbed the rich facial

moisturizer into her skin. Even though she’d managed to avoid shifting into her serpent form over the
last three nights, she still experienced such skin dryness. She suspected this time it was due to
dehydration. Griffin was proving insatiable!

Not that she was complaining, of course. She’d expected that their time together would be

pleasurable, but she’d never dreamed it would be like this. She blushed furiously as she thought of
some of the antics they’d gotten up to last night. Her sex throbbed and grew damp as the erotic visions
tormented her.

He’d worn them both out last night, leaving them both trembling and panting when it was all over.

It had been noon before they’d dragged themselves from bed and into a shower. He’d tried to get
frisky again in the small stall, but she’d managed to fend off his amorous advances. Always
easygoing, he’d taken it in stride and left her in the shower after a quick smack on her backside and a
noisy smooch on her cheek.

Shaking her head and smiling, Avani combed out her damp hair and reached for the hair dryer

attached to the wall. She pushed the door to the bathroom shut with her foot. Griffin’s hearing was
much more sensitive than hers, and she’d given him a headache yesterday.

Brushing out her hair, she blasted the black strands with heat to dry and straighten them to the sleek

silkiness she preferred before styling it in a simple chignon. She almost left the long tresses loose,
because she knew how much Griffin enjoyed running his fingers through it, but she planned to work on
some new jewelry designs today, and it would only get in her way.

Avani rubbed a little lip balm on her pout and peered at her reflection. Had she ever considered

wearing her hair a special way for a man? The answer came swiftly—no. But Griffin wasn’t just any
other man, was he? No, he was special to her.

The awkwardness of their first afternoon and evening together had vanished. Sure, there were

small things he did that she found utterly annoying. Her gaze fell to the damp towel he’d left on the
floor. Like that, she thought dourly and snatched it up off the tile.

Yet those little things Griffin did that left her rolling her eyes were easily overlooked when

compared to all the wonderfully amazing things he did. The man cooked a mean breakfast and gave a
neck massage so good her toes curled. He had the wickedest sense of humor, and he made her laugh
like no one else ever had. Despite his intimidating size, Griffin showed her such gentleness and
kindness.

His patience with her seemed endless. Heaven only knew how much she’d tried his nerves since

their first meeting, but he never spoke a cruel or harsh word to her. He seemed constantly in control
of his emotions, even when frustrated. It was something she admired about him.

By now, Avani had been expecting to find Griffin’s constant presence tiresome, but her feelings

were quite the opposite. They were nearing the halfway point in their mating heat, and the idea that he
would be leaving in a few days set her heart racing with panic.

Waking up in his arms had started to feel like the most natural thing in the world. To wake up alone

in a cold bed and face the day knowing she wouldn’t see his handsome face across the dinner table?
She didn’t think she could face it after her torrid affair with Griffin ended.

So what would she do about it? After all her single motherhood demands, it seemed rather

hypocritical to change her mind and ask him to stick around. Griffin had made it clear he wouldn’t be
walking away from the child they hoped to create, but what if they weren’t successful? Would he still
want to hang around and give a real relationship a try?

That day in his office he’d told her he had no interest in bonding or mating with her. He had his

reasons and she respected them. He’d sacrificed and shown such loyalty to the Brotherhood of the
Green Hide. Even though their rules seemed to be changing, it wasn’t likely Griffin would ever take a
mate.

In their time together, Griffin had given her no indication that he was reconsidering his stance on a

mate. The few times the discussions about the end of their tryst had arisen, he’d been careful in
forming his responses, but it was very clear he wasn’t making her any promises.

She, on the other hand, had promised not to bite and claim him. It was a promise she had no

intention of breaking—even if it broke her heart to watch him walk away from her.

She gulped and stared at the closed door. Her stomach soured at the thought of him rejecting her.

Could she find the courage to bring up her changing feelings toward him?

* * *

Griff  drummed  his  fingertips  on  the  wooden  tabletop  of  the  bunker  kitchen  and  stared  at  his  cell
phone’s  screen.  It  had  been  nearly  thirty  hours  since  he’d  last  spoken  to  Mad.  Their  phone
conversation  yesterday  morning  had  been  short  and  left  Griffin  feeling  anxious.  Mad  was  hiding
something from him.

His stomach suddenly clenched. Frowning, he rubbed his hand over his naked belly. Instantly, his

concerned gaze jumped to the closed bathroom door across the bunker. He recognized that the pain he
felt emanated from Avani.

Their growing connection both concerned and settled him. On one hand, he found her presence so

calming. She left him feeling centered and grounded. Waking up with his nose buried in the silky,
fragrant strands of her hair brought him such a sense of peace. Right now, the short distance that
separated them filled him with an intense longing.

But even though he welcomed the burgeoning bond between them, he knew only too well that

Avani had no interest in remaining with him. She’d been painstakingly clear about that on their first
day together. Even though she probably experienced the same pull toward him, she’d yet to say
anything about it. He couldn’t tell if it was fear or stubbornness on her part.

Of course, he wasn’t totally blameless in this complicated mess. He’d been cold with her that first

day. Hadn’t he said that he wasn’t looking for a mate? His jaw tightened with the realization that what
he wanted and what he needed weren’t always the same thing.

His chest vibrated with warm frissons of excitement as Avani drew near. She swept into the living

area of her underground lair in a flutter of vibrant purple silk. He enjoyed the sight of her in only that

robe, especially the way the thin fabric parted to reveal her naked thighs. She looked beautiful with
her hair twisted up in that elegant arrangement, but he liked her just as much when the long black
strands fell around her shoulders.

“Are you all right?” She rubbed her hand across his bare back and down his arm. “You look

worried.”

“It’s Mad. He hasn’t called me today.” He slid the steaming mug of hot tea toward her. “Two

scoops of sugar and no milk, right?”

Her eyes brightened and she nodded. “Thank you.”
He tried not to feel such pride in making her happy. Fixing a cup of tea was such a simple thing—

except when it wasn’t.

She took a slow sip. “Mmm. Very good.” Her hand swept up and down his arm. “Do you think he’s

busy?”

His thoughts turned back to Mad and away from the wonderful sensation of her fingertips moving

across his skin. “No. He’s always been nearby when I’ve gone into heat, just as I’ve always been
there for him.” Griff hesitated but then decided he could trust her. “He’s been having dreams.”

She placed her mug back on the table. “Dreams? You mean prophetic dreams or nightmares?”
“A little of both,” he said. “Mad’s never been very open to the shared-dream experience. Even

though the two of us have occupied the same living space for hundreds of years, we’ve shared a
dream only on a handful of occasions.”

“He must have incredible control on his psyche. I understood that dragons in close quarters have

always hopped between one another’s dreams.”

“That’s definitely been my experience.” He glanced at her. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we start

dreaming together soon.”

She shook her head. “We probably won’t.”
Her reply surprised him. “Why wouldn’t we?”
“My parents weren’t very hands-on with me, but they did teach me to meditate. I’ve had incredible

control over my thoughts and my sleeping mind since a very young age. After the Knight’s seer tried
to get into my head—”

“What?” Griff cut her off midsentence. Fear punched him in the gut. “When was this?”
“I was a teenager and it scared me to death. Her mind was strong, but I got the sense she was

dying.” Avani visibly shivered. “Her presence felt so cold and black in my mind. I didn’t sleep for
days after that experience. That’ was when my parents decided it was time for me to truly focus on
meditation and fasting as a means of controlling my mind.”

“And suppressing your dragon,” he said a bit testily. “You may have gained control over your

thoughts and your dreams, but you sacrificed the greater knowledge of your inner beast, Avani. Can’t
you see how dangerous that is? How vulnerable it’s made you?”

“Well I can’t exactly change it, can I?” She snapped back at him in frustration. “For better or

worse, I am who I am, Griffin. I’m not like you. I don’t know what it’s like to unleash my dragon and
surrender to the primal side of my brain. It…frightens me.”

“To be out of control,” he guessed.
“Yes.”
“You wouldn’t be,” he assured her. “You’re so headstrong. I suspect, once unleashed, your Naga

form would be totally under your control.”

She narrowed her eyes at his description of her as headstrong. Then, a little curiously, she asked,

“Is it like that for you?”

“Yes. When I let my inner beast free, my human thoughts and logic are totally clear. It wasn’t

always like that in my very early days, but you learn to be more confident in trusting when it’s time to
rely on your beast’s instincts and when it’s time to think as a human.”

He wondered about the time the Knight’s seer had touched Avani’s mind. “What do you think she

wanted?”

Avani shrugged. “I don’t know. Information, I think. She steered my dream toward my childhood. It

was all very strange. She populated the dream with people I’d never met but had seen in photographs.
Estranged family,” she clarified. “The dream got weird after that. I was in a dark hole but I wasn’t
me. I was a serpent. I slithered out along a dark corridor. I came upon a man—and I struck him in the
neck.”

Griffin sensed the chill coursing through her. He grasped her hand so she wouldn’t feel afraid. “It

was just a dream. It wasn’t real.”

“It felt real. It felt…vile.” She stretched her neck in that snakelike way and licked her lips. He

wondered if she even realized how much of her Naga bled through when she was upset. With a heavy
sigh, she said, “It was a long time ago. I haven’t had a dream so vivid since, and I don’t plan to ever
again.”

Avani tried to move away from him, but he caught her around the waist and prevented her from

escaping. He craved her heat and closeness. Nuzzling her neck, he inhaled her freshly showered
scent. The lotion she’d put on her face smelled different from what she’d used yesterday, and he liked
it. “What is that? Vetiver? Sandalwood?”

She turned to better see his face. “You recognize those scents?”
He shrugged. “You pick up a lot of skills in a thousand years.”‘
Looking a bit wistful, she asked, “What’s that like?”
He tugged her down onto his lap and enjoyed the feel of her in his arms. He sighed as he tried to

find the right words to describe it. Finally, he said, “It can be tedious. There are stretches of years
where life was unimaginably difficult. Mad and I survived famine and plague all while hiding from
the Knights. It was different then. There were more of them and more of us, and the fighting was brutal
and bloody. Barbaric,” he added as long-buried memories resurfaced. “What you know of the war
today is almost child’s play compared to what we endured back then.”

She seemed to sense he didn’t want to talk about those ugly times. Sliding her arms around his

shoulders, she leaned her head against him and kissed his neck. The searing burn of her lips against
his skin made his blood boil with desire. Three nights with her and Griff’s arousal had yet to cool. He
wanted her even more now than when he’d first laid eyes upon her.

Cupping her face, he captured her mouth. Slight sweetness and the biting snap of mint tantalized his

taste buds. He kissed her more insistently and nuzzled their noses together. “A thousand years seems
like the blink of an eye when I consider how long I’ve waited to feel this.”

Her dark eyes widened. He expected her to protest and slam down that icy wall she used to protect

herself, but he was pleasantly surprised. Instead, she pressed her forehead to his. With such
vulnerability in her expression, she whispered, “Griffin, I want you to stay.”

Happiness blossomed in his chest. The bright warmth of it made him smile. “I want to stay, too.”
“Really?” She looked frightened to even think it true.

“Yes.” He caressed her back through the silky fabric. “I know what I said when you came to me at

the gym, but I’m rethinking all of that. You make me want different things in my life.”

She relaxed against him. “You make me want all kinds of things I never imagined desiring, too.”
“Like?” He had to know.
“A family,” she confessed finally. “You make me want to know what it’s like to belong to one

person.”

Knowing her history, he could only imagine how difficult it had been for her to admit that to him.

Cradling her close, Griffin kissed her with such loving tenderness. “I think we already belong to one
another. We may have blundered into this relationship, but I don’t want it to end. You’ve awakened
such intense feelings within me.”

“I feel the same way.” She chewed her lip and glanced up at him with such apprehension. “You’re

not angry with me for putting you in this position, are you?” He started to protest but she put a finger
to his lips. “Look, I basically blackmailed you into this whole thing. I came to you knowing you were
in heat and knowing your honor would never let you turn me away even though my request was
insane. You told me you didn’t want a mate and now look at us.”

Griff nibbled her fingertip and brought a smile to her worried face. “Yes, look at us. Look at how

good things are between us. That’s not an accident, Avani.”

She looked happier and calmer than he’d ever seen her. “So what happens now?”
“Right now?” He gave the belt of her robe a tug and watched the long swaths of fabric part to

reveal her gorgeous body. His hand slipped under the whisper-soft panels to touch her hot skin. “Well
right now I’m going to make love to you. After that, I’m going to indulge your need to plan everything
down to the tiniest detail by letting you tell me how this relationship of ours is going to work.”

Avani laughed but still playfully pinched him. “I’m not that controlling.”
Now he was the one laughing. “Woman, you iron your kitchen towels!”
“And they look very nice,” she replied hotly. Even though she pretended to be annoyed, Avani

failed to keep the amusement from glinting in her dark eyes.

Brushing his mouth against hers, he agreed. “Yes, they do.”
The rush of desire that accompanied their mating mouths left Griffin dizzy. His cock throbbed to

life and pushed against the front of his loose-fitting pajama bottoms. With his help, Avani shifted on
his lap and straddled him. Her soft hands slid between their bodies to grasp him through the cotton of
his pants. He growled against her mouth, the rumbling and thunderous sound making her gasp.

Griff tangled his fingers in her hair and plundered her mouth. The sleek chignon she wore stood no

chance against him. In seconds, pins were flying and long tendrils of her coal-black hair were
tumbling around her shoulders. Lips swollen from his kisses, she gazed at him with such adoration
and need. He wanted to memorize that moment and imprint the vision of her mussed hair and heavy-
lidded eyes forever in his mind.

She pushed down the waistband of his bottoms and clasped his erection. Stroking him, she teased

her tongue against his lips. He groaned and pumped his hips, shoving his aching dick against her hot
palm. His own hands moved to her luscious breasts. He pinched her dark nipples and cupped her
supple flesh while kissing her.

The spicy musk of her arousal filled the air. He abandoned her breast and let his hand ride the

gentle slope of her belly to the vee between her thighs. He encountered her slick wetness and
carefully separated the petals of her sex. He swirled his fingertip around the pink pearl hidden there

and coaxed a desperate moan from her throat.

Wanting to feel his cock sheathed in her slick-wet depths, Griff grasped her bottom and lifted her

into position. She clutched at his shoulders as he lowered her onto his rock-hard shaft. Inch by inch,
she accepted him inside of her. The snug fit left him groaning and struggling to maintain control. She
rocked on his lap and wiggled her tight ass until she found just the right angle and sighed with
pleasure.

Grasping her backside, he guided her movements. His mouth outlined the curve of her throat while

she rode his cock. He sucked hard on her flushed skin and nipped the area he’d turned bright red. She
hissed at the love bite but didn’t try to stop him from marking her a second time.

Although he loved having Avani bouncing on his lap, his long legs and the chair’s height made it

almost impossible for her to move without a great deal of effort. Wanting her to experience more
pleasure, he wrapped an arm around her waist and stood up with her cradled tight to his chest. He
placed her flat on her back atop the table and drove into her. She gasped and arched her back, rising
up to meet his powerful thrusts.

With her hair fanning around her face and the purple robe twisted around her arms and waist, she

looked like an erotic tableau. He gripped the table and pounded into her welcoming heat. Head
thrown back, she cried out and scratched at his sides. Her pussy grew wetter and wetter as he pushed
her closer to the climax.

Licking the rough pad of his thumb, he lowered it to her clitoris and began to massage the little

bundle of nerves. She moaned his name and slid her legs around his waist, drawing him in tighter.
Their bodies slapped together noisily as the table shook beneath her. Out of the corner of his eye, he
spotted her mug of tea jumping toward the table’s edge. There was no stopping its rattling movements.

Just as Avani found her release, the mug fell. Like her, it shattered loudly. Her pussy clenched and

released him in rhythmic bursts that wrung out his own orgasm. He shoved balls deep and grunted her
name as his seed spilled inside her.

Legs like jelly now, he fell backward into the chair and dragged her along with him. As he went

soft still buried inside her snug passage, she ran her hands up and down his back and along his
shoulders. Even though he couldn’t hear her thoughts, he sensed she was thinking about something
serious. Finally, she spoke.

“We should go check on Mad.”
He drew back to look into her eyes. Of all the things he’d expected her to say, that hadn’t been

among them. “We can’t.”

“We can. We probably shouldn’t,” she corrected. “But he’s your family. I can tell this is eating you

up with worry.”

“It is, but he’s probably tied up with something at the gym.”
She eyed him with suspicion. “You don’t believe that. You’re trying to convince yourself he’s

okay. Why?”

“I won’t put you at risk.” His protective instincts flared and he embraced her. “The mating scent is

strong on both of us. I’m not sure even sunlight can burn this amount off. If we leave the bunker, we’ll
be inviting trouble.”

“We have at least four hours of daylight left. The Knights wouldn’t dare attack in broad daylight,

not in a busy place like Houston where they would be easily seen.”

Griffin felt so torn. On one hand, he was desperately worried about Mad. It wasn’t like him to be

incommunicado. On the other hand, he needed to protect Avani and keep her safe. He considered
leaving her in the underground lair where he could be reasonably assured of her security, but the idea
of being parted from her for even a few hours made him sick. He’d never be able to concentrate on
finding Mad if he was separated from her.

With a slow exhale, he said, “We’ll leave but we’re going to be fast about it. We go to his house

and then we’re coming right back. I’ll put in a call to Stig. He’s the closest Brother. If we can’t find
Mad, he’ll have to gather the others and head out after him.”

Avani caressed his jaw and kissed him. “It’ll be all right, Griffin. I’m sure it’s something silly

that’s kept him away from his phone.”

Griffin hoped with every fiber of his being that was true.

Chapter Six

vani’s core trembled with uneasiness as they approached Ian Madoc’s front door. It wasn’t her

own discomfort but Griffin’s that she experienced so strongly. Since they’d revealed their need for
one another in her bunker’s kitchen, the mate bond seemed to be growing between them. Even though
the prospect of being mated to this hulking giant of a dragon had petrified her only a few days ago, she
now found it the most calming idea in the world. She belonged with Griffin. Period. Full stop.

When Mad didn’t answer the loud knocks or the incessant ringing of his doorbell, Griffin fished a

key ring from the pocket of his jeans. He unlocked the front door but motioned for her to stay back.
She remained on the porch while Griffin entered the house.

She could feel him moving around inside the modest home. It sat on a large lot on the outskirts of

one of the smaller towns just outside the Houston city limits. The closest neighbors were hundreds of
yards away. Their homes were blocked by the thick walls of trees Mad had running the perimeter of
his home. Clearly, the guy liked his privacy.

Griffin appeared in the open doorway and reached for her hand. His gaze jumped to the skyline and

his jaw tightened with wariness. They’d been caught in heavy traffic after a nasty wreck, so the drive
to Mad’s place had taken much longer than expected. “We need to hurry.”

She squeezed his hand and hoped to reassure him. “We have plenty of time.” She caressed his

chest and felt some of the tension leave him. “We’re fine.”

His jaw visibly relaxed. He raised her fingertips to his lips and kissed them. “I’m glad you came

with me. You’re bolstering my control.”

She’d suspected as much. Already on edge from the rush of hormones accompanying the mating

heat, Griffin’s concern for his best friend threatened his usual coolness. She’d noticed the white-
knuckled grip on his steering wheel and the way he’d nervously worked that cinnamon-flavored gum
between his teeth during the drive. A few times, his irises had even taken on that deep crimson shade
of his dragon.

“Come.” Still holding her hand, he tugged her along behind him. Being inside another man’s home

without his consent made her nervous. She’d never had very heightened senses like other dragons, but
today she had no problem picking out Madoc’s scent. She shuddered as the awful scent of him filled
her nose. It stunned her. When she’d been close to him at the gym, she’d found his smell rather
pleasant. Now it made her sick.

“What’s wrong?” Griffin glanced back at her as he led her upstairs. “You’re wrinkling your nose.”
She put a hand to her face. Mad’s smell grew stronger as they neared his bedroom. “His smell is

bad.”

Griffin laughed. “I keep telling him to lay off the body spray.”
She rolled her eyes and thumped his big arm. “I don’t mean like that. I mean, it makes me feel

weird when I breathe it into my lungs.”

“It’s probably our mate bond. I suspect we’ve totally imprinted on one another. One whiff of Stig’s

Cora and I bet I’ll be making a beeline for the door.”

Glad to learn her reaction to another male dragon’s scent was normal even if bizarre, Avani

glanced around Mad’s bedroom. Griffin dropped her hand to search the place. Her gaze lingered on
the dream catchers and crystals dangling above his bed and in all of his bedroom windows. She found
a pen on the bedside table and guessed a dream journal had sat next to it at some point. Obviously the
man was trying to decipher his dreams.

“Griffin?” She spotted his cousin’s phone on the floor, only barely visible under the quilt, and bent

down to retrieve it.

Griffin swore. “His wallet and keys were gone from the bowl by the door where he usually keeps

them. He left in a hurry if he forgot his phone.”

She hesitated before asking, “Do you think it was the dreams? Maybe he figured out who was

causing them and went to find him or her.”

“Unfortunately, I think you’re right.” His fingers tightened around the phone. “He promised he

wouldn’t do anything stupid. He promised me he’d wait for me.”

“The dreams might have been from someone who needed help. What if he couldn’t wait for you?”
Griffin growled. “I should have been with him! I should have been available to help him.”
She flinched as his words washed over her. He wasn’t blaming her directly, but it was her

outrageous request that had separated him from his family.

“No,” he said quickly and slipped his arms around her waist. “I’m not blaming you or upset with

you. I’m upset with the situation.” He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. “Whatever happens with
Mad, I don’t regret locking myself away with you.”

She believed him. Resting her head against his chest, she listened to the reassuring beat of his

heart. “What are you going to do about him?”

“I’ll call Stig and Ignatius. They’ll get a team together and start looking for him.”
“Do you think he’s gone far?”
Griffin shrugged. “I’m not sure. I can’t…I can’t feel him. Usually, I’m aware of his presence. It’s

like a beacon in the back of my mind. Right now, there’s nothing.”

She felt his arms tighten around her. Neither of them dared to voice aloud what they both feared. If

Griffin couldn’t feel Mad, maybe the man was already dead. She closed her eyes and silently prayed
for his safety. The two dragons were like brothers. Griffin would never forgive himself if something
terrible had happened to his best friend.

While Griff made the necessary phone calls, Avani poked around downstairs. She found a stack of

books on meditation and dreaming next to his laptop on the couch. Plopping down on the well-worn
leather cushions, she flipped through the books and noted the places he’d highlighted or tagged with
sticky notes.

She opened his laptop and waited for the screen to awaken. There were a dozen tabs open on his

Internet browser. All but the last two were sites dedicated to interpreting dreams. When she opened a
tab that revealed a poster for a missing college student and another for a resort in Cozumel, she began
to piece together Mad’s sudden disappearance. “Griffin, I think I found something.”

In a flash, her dragon mate bounded down the stairs and slid onto the couch. “What is it?”
“It’s a poster that’s been circulated online for a coed named Ivy Morales who went missing on

spring break in Cozumel.” She turned the laptop screen toward him. “Does she look familiar? Do you
guys know her?”

Griffin visibly jerked as his gaze registered the young woman’s face. He paled and practically

jumped off the couch. “I need to call Stig back.”

Avani’s chest constricted. “What’s wrong, Griffin? Who is this girl?”
He rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced. “You were probably only nine or ten when it

happened, but there was a couple—a mixed couple—who had a child.”

“Wait.” She held up her hand. “A dragon and a Knight?”
“Yes. The woman was a dragon and her lover was a Knight. They had to be madly in love with

each other to risk everything to be together.”

Suddenly her crazy plan to seduce Griffin to save her species didn’t seem so wild. “That must have

taken some serious courage.”

“It did.”
“Did you know the dragon woman?”
He shook his head. “She belonged to Niko’s tribe, but I wasn’t very familiar with her.”
“And the Knight?”
“He belonged to the Seer’s line.”
Her eyes widened slightly. The Knight blood was the oldest, purest, and strongest in that line. It

was the reason they could see glimpses of the future.

“When their pregnancy was discovered, all hell broke loose. Ignatius had ordered us to remain

neutral when it came to the couple, but when it became clear they would have a child, we took them
into protective custody.”

“Why?”
“We feared the child would be gifted. We needed to make sure she was on our side, not theirs.”
“But?” Griffin’s tone told her there was something very ugly about to be said.
“They managed to escape when the baby was a few weeks old. The mother was weak from birth

and the Knights were able to close in on the couple.” He wiped his hand down his face. “By the time
we reached them, they’d already killed the mother and were in the process of torturing the Knight who
had fathered the child. He didn’t survive the night.”

“And the baby?”
A faraway expression crossed his face. “Ignatius wanted her to have a chance at a normal life.

Niko treated her with some concoction he’d cooked up in his lab to suppress the Seer blood within
her. When it was safe, Ignatius had her adopted by a human couple so she would be raised away from
the war, away from all the blood and madness.”

Avani looked back at the laptop screen. “You think this girl is her?”
He stared at the image on the screen. “She looks just like her mother, and the baby’s name was

Ivy.” He sighed heavily. “Niko used some of Mad’s blood in the treatment he devised for the baby.
What if that’s why she’s connected with him now?”

Avani didn’t have an answer for that one. “You need to find out if Ignatius or Niko kept in touch

with her adoptive family. If this is her and she went missing on vacation, it wasn’t simple foul play,
Griffin. You know it was them.”

“And Mad has probably walked right into a damn trap.” Growling with frustration, he gazed at the

window and cursed softly before handing her his keys. “Go get your purse out of my truck and lock it

up. We’re staying here tonight.”

“Here?” She glanced around Mad’s home. “Is it safe?”
“We don’t know how powerful this girl is, and if she’s under the control of the Knights, she could

be mining Mad for information if he’s been caught. I won’t risk driving back to your place this close
to sunset. We’d be out in the open. I have to know you’re well-protected.” His expression softened
and he caressed her cheek. “Mad has an underground cell. It won’t be as comfortable as your place,
but we’ll make do. Once I inform Stig and Ignatius of our plans, they’ll do their best to get here as
quickly as possible to stand guard over us, just in case.”

Though not thrilled by the idea of roughing it in Mad’s underground bunker, she recognized that

Griffin was trying to keep them both safe. Knowing how upset he was about Mad’s disappearance,
she didn’t argue with him. Instead, Avani hurried out to Griffin’s truck to grab her purse and lock the
doors. Back in the house, she found him lugging a twin-sized mattress downstairs. As if reading her
mind, he explained, “I won’t have you sleeping on cold, hard cement. No one needs the guest room
anyway.”

“Thank you.”
He stopped just long enough to peck her cheek. “See what you can find in the fridge for a quick

dinner but don’t get your hopes up. Mad’s the kind of guy who only knows how to barbecue or make
sandwiches.”

She watched him disappear into a hallway closet that had a false back before heading into the

kitchen. The water rings on the countertop made her fingers itch, but the refrigerator was
immaculately clean. Griffin hadn’t been joking about the food situation. There were stacks of frozen
steaks, pork loin chops, and other heavy meat cuts in the freezer, and she’d found deli meat and other
sandwich necessities in the fridge.

Her stomach growled with hunger as she fixed a stack of sandwiches for him and a smaller,

normal-sized portion for herself. Those long sultry nights with Griffin were revving up her
metabolism. She didn’t think she’d eaten in a month what she’d devoured already in the last few days.

Wondering if that was a positive sign, Avani allowed her hand to drift to her belly. It seemed too

much to hope that they’d managed to succeed already. There were still five nights including tonight in
her mating phase. From her research, ovulation usually occurred around the fifth or sixth night.

“Are you all right?” Griffin filled up the doorway of the kitchen. Even in Mad’s home where care

had been taken to make the rooms bigger and the doors taller, he seemed to dwarf everything.

“Perfectly all right,” she said with a smile. “Here.”
He took his plate and hers and placed them on the small kitchen table. Clasping her hand, he

dragged her close and threaded his hands through her loose hair. After their impromptu tryst, she’d
left it down for him. He teased his mouth across hers before letting his hand glide down her front. His
hand curved along her flat stomach and he smiled. “You worry too much.”

“This is a big deal. Shouldn’t I be worried?”
“Avani,” he said her name so gently, “even if it doesn’t work this time, there’s always the next

time.”

“And if that one fails?” She gnawed her lower lip. “It will be three years before I ovulate again.”
His sexy grin threw her off-kilter. “Then we’ll have three years of practice under our belts.”
Despite her fear of failing at conceiving, she couldn’t help but smile at him. “You make it sound so

easy.”

“It’s not easy. But that doesn’t mean we have to stress ourselves out, Avani.” He nuzzled her neck

before kissing her again. “We’re in this for the long haul. I have faith that it will happen when it’s the
right time.”

Surrendering to his warm embrace, she let Griffin’s calm, practical outlook settle her mind. Safe in

his strong arms, she knew there was nothing she couldn’t face with him in her corner.

* * *

Griff checked the house one last time before ducking into the closet and sliding into the hidden
compartment there. Earlier, fitting the mattress down the narrow vertical chute had been a tight
squeeze. The metal ladder was slippery under his hands and the wet, metallic scent made him want to
sneeze. Getting Avani to go down the ladder hadn’t been easy. To call her reaction displeased was
the understatement of the century.

He found her pacing the small space lit by harsh halogen lights. The cell was only twenty feet by

twenty feet and lacked all comforts. The only modern conveniences were a toilet and sink in one
corner. He caught her eyeing them with disdain.

“Where did this guy shop for his building supplies? A prison surplus store?”
He started to chuckle but then wondered if she was right. The stainless steel throne and sink looked

awfully similar to the types installed in prison cells. “Hell, knowing Mad, anything is possible.”

She rubbed the back of her neck and made a strange hissing noise. His eyes widened at the animal-

like sound. She glanced at him and licked her lips. Already her irises were that odd shade of yellow-
green. “I need you to touch me. I’m finding it much harder to hold back tonight.”

Griff rushed to her. The sun hadn’t even fully set yet, and already she was displaying the more

serpentlike characteristics of the Naga species. The erotic scent of her arousal swirled around him.
Her skin burned beneath his hands. He suspected that she was beginning the hormonal surge to cause
ovulation. Not wanting to get her hopes up or make her any more anxious, he kept that suspicion to
himself.

“You smell like heaven.” He peppered light kisses along her cheek and jaw and the side of her

neck. “I can’t wait to get you naked so I can feast on you.”

She shivered in his arms and rose up on tiptoes to press their lips together. He could spend an

eternity like this, holding her in his arms and plundering her mouth. Carefully, he guided her down
onto the makeshift bed. They tore at one another’s clothing until their naked bodies touched.

When Avani pushed on his shoulders, he got the message and rolled onto his back. In an instant, she

was on top of him. Though he’d typically been the aggressor, tonight she embraced the more dominant
role. He was more than happy to indulge her desire, and he groaned as she nibbled her way down his
chest.

Kneeling between his legs, she grasped his cock in one hand and cupped his balls. Her small hands

felt so damn good on him. She stroked up and down with just the right amount of pressure and speed
while massaging his sac. When she wrapped her wet lips around his shaft, Griff growled and fisted
the sheets in his hands. The urge to thrust up into her mouth nearly toppled him but he managed to
muscle it into submission.

The hand curled around his erection accompanied the movements of her mouth. He was much too

thick and long for her to take all of him, but she found a workaround by using her fingers and palm to
stimulate him. Whispering her name like a prayer, he sifted his fingers through her hair and rose up on

one elbow to watch her. He burned the image of her sucking his cock into his brain.

The suction of her hot, moist mouth pushed him too close to the edge, and he pulled away from her.

That swollen pout called to him. He made sure to claim her with a sensual kiss, darting his tongue
between her lips until she panted with need.

Desperate to get between her thighs, he turned her onto her back and shoved her legs wide apart.

He descended upon that juicy pink berry of a clit and lavished it with oral attention. Honey dripped
from her core and eased the penetration of his fingers. He thrust into her slowly and rubbed against
the spot along her inner wall that made her toes curl.

Gasping, she clawed at his shoulders while he ate her pussy. He hummed hungrily against her

clitoris and fluttered his tongue over the little nub. Settling into a steady rhythm, he licked circles
around it until he felt her thighs tensing. Certain she was close, he sped up his flicking and worked his
fingers in and out of her soaking channel a bit faster.

With a howl of delight, she came hard. He relished the feel of her going wild under his mouth. His

cock throbbed and became hard as titanium as he imagined her pussy gripping his shaft the same way
it now gripped his fingers.

Overwhelmed by the desire to hear her shrieking with ecstasy, he tore his mouth away from her

delicious sex and roughly flipped Avani onto her belly. She cried out with surprise but quickly rose
up on her knees. The sight of her sexy, wiggling ass enticed him like no other. He dropped ticklish
kisses along her spine before gripping her hips and driving home with one punishing thrust.

“Griffin!” She shouted his name and pushed back against him. “Be rough with me,” she begged, her

voice so husky with need. “Fuck me. Fuck me hard.”

In all their time together, she’d never been so brazen. Hearing such dirty words from her did

wicked things to him. He gave her exactly what she wanted. Jackhammering her tight passage, he
unleashed the side of him he’d kept hidden away from her and let her feel the full extent of his lust for
her. “Take me,” he urged. “Take all of me, Vonny.”

She whimpered at his use of a nickname. It was the first time he’d spoken it aloud, but he’d been

thinking of her as his Vonny for some time now.

“Griffin.” She groaned his name and reached back to scratch at his thigh. “Please. Please!”
“Touch your clit. Come for me.” He snapped his hips and pounded her even deeper and faster now.

“Come for me, Vonny.”

She couldn’t deny him any request. Her hand slipped between her thighs. The vixen stretched her

hand back far enough to run her fingers over his sac. He growled like a feral beast at the unexpected
sensation of her soft hand moving over his balls. A second later, her fingers were gone. She rubbed
her clit and chased another climax while he drove into her again and again.

Her shriek of pleasure nearly shattered his eardrums this time. He had to bite his lip and stare at

the ceiling to keep from coming with her. She threatened his control, but he managed to hold his
orgasm at bay for a little while longer.

She still trembled and panted for air when he slid out of her and gently rolled her onto her back.

Settling between her thighs, he sheathed himself with a slow, easy thrust. Her head tipped back and
her lips parted on a rapturous sigh. He kissed her neck, running his lips over the spot where her pulse
beat rapidly before pushing up onto his knees.

With a hand on her lower belly, he fucked her with long, leisurely strokes. He marveled at the sight

of his paler skin against hers. Together like this, they made such a strikingly beautiful image. Like

some luscious goddess, she gazed up at him with reddened lips and eyes the color of peridot. In that
moment, he realized how much he’d come to love her.

Falling forward, he pinned her body beneath his and smothered her with kisses. She arched into

him, pressing her breasts against his chest. The dusky peaks grazed his skin as their tongues danced.
Cupping her face, he held her gaze as he made love to her. He wanted her to see the depth of his
affection toward her.

As they chased the dizzying heights of pleasure together, their mouths met again. Cheek to cheek

and hand in hand, they climaxed with such force. The rippling waves of her orgasmic contractions
milked his seed.

Still awash in the euphoria of his climax, he jerked at the painful piercing sensation suddenly

gripping his neck. A millisecond later, Griff realized Avani had bitten him. He didn’t dare move a
muscle in fear of tearing his throat.

Immediately, he experienced a gut-wrenching burst of shame and guilt as he shared her horrified

emotions. Her mouth yanked away from him and she turned her head, burying her face in her hands.
“I’m sorry. Oh, God! I’m so sorry.”

Hissing with discomfort, he put a hand to his bleeding neck. The area had gone numb. A quiver of

panic coursed through him. “Is your venom deadly to dragons?”

Sobbing now, she cried from behind her hands. “No.”
Comforted by the thought that he wasn’t about to die, Griff gently pried her hands from her face.

She refused to meet his gaze until he carefully grasped her chin and forced her. The sight of two razor
sharp fangs peeking out from her upper lip stunned him. His blood stained her pout but he pushed
down the shock rolling through him so she wouldn’t feel it. Shame still radiated from her in such
brutal waves of embarrassment.

Wanting to soothe her, he kissed her forehead. “Sweetheart, it’s okay. I’m fine. It’s just a little

blood.”

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bite you. I couldn’t control it.”
“Honey,” he whispered tenderly and dared to press his lips to her fanged mouth. “I know you

didn’t do it on purpose.” He swept a fingertip down her cheek. “Your eyes have gone completely
serpentine. I think this”—he touched one of her fangs—“is a side effect of some type of hormonal
surge.”

“You’re not mad at me?” She looked terrified.
“No. Never.” He let his lips touch hers again, reassuring her that he had no problem kissing her

even with two venomous fangs protruding from her upper jaw. “We’re fine.”

Avani’s fingers moved to his neck. She ran them over the puncture wounds in his skin. “I wanted to

taste you so badly. My throat burned with the need to drink from you.”

Her description of wanting his blood freaked him out a little, but he’d never let her know that. He

made sure to keep his emotions in check rather than hurt her for something she couldn’t control.

“You did say that biting and swapping blood were part of the Naga mating ritual.” Steeling himself

for the pain to come, he suggested, “You should probably finish it. Bite me again and drink from me.”

She hesitated. “Are you sure? It’s going to hurt.”
He swept his hands up and down her arms. “I’m sure.” Baring his neck, he ordered, “Bite me.”
As her fanged mouth moved closer to his neck, Griff experienced a surge of panic—but it wasn’t

the fear of being bit that hit him right in the solar plexus. “Stop!”

Chapter Seven

vani realized that Griffin wasn’t angry with her. Something was terribly wrong. She clambered to

her feet and grasped his strong hand. He ran to the ladder and hoisted her up high onto the rungs.
Naked and scared, she didn’t dare waste time asking what was coming. Deep down inside, she
already knew that answer.

Only the Knights with their bloodlust for slaying dragons could have put that look on Griffin’s face.
She climbed quickly. Griffin kept his hand on her lower back as they moved up the ladder. With the

mating heat on them, the forced shifting would be disastrous in this shaft. Up in the closet, he picked
her up and moved her behind him. He opened the door and cautiously crept into the hallway. Avani
gripped his hand and silently prayed they’d make it out of this alive.

“Dragon! We know you’re in there. Give us the girl and we’ll be on our way.”
Despite the darkness, Avani could see Griffin’s face clearly with her snakelike eyes. His confused

expression didn’t bode well. Did they mean her? Or was this something to do with Madoc and Ivy
Morales?

Clearing his throat, Griffin bellowed at the Knight outside the front door. “There is no girl here.

Leave or I will be forced to defend my home.”

She eyed Griffin with some surprise. He’d made it sound like he was home alone and he’d taken

ownership of Mad’s place. She wasn’t proficient in the various intricacies of the rules governing the
war between Knights and dragons, but she did know that they respected the protection of a domicile
only if it belonged to the dragon they chased. She and Griffin didn’t live here and had no claim on this
home’s protection.

It was a mistake she feared they would soon regret.
A low, menacing laugh came from the front porch. “Funny thing, dragon, but the truck out here in

the driveway is registered to Griffin Cadogan and not Ian Madoc, the owner of this home.”

Griffin stiffened. He started to push her back into the closet. One look at his determined face and

she knew what he planned. Squeezing his hand, she whispered, “No.”

He kissed her with such passion and love. “Stay hidden. They don’t know you’re here.”
“Griffin!” She clutched at him, refusing to be separated from him.
“It’s the only way, sweetheart.”
Shoved into the closet, she crouched down like a coward. The door was cracked open enough for

her to see Griff. He shifted with such finesse and ease. His giant frame expanded a foot and his
muscular chest and arms increased as another hundred or so pounds of brutally strong flesh swelled
on his limbs. She couldn’t see the bright red color of the scales now covering his skin, but she could
imagine how beautiful and awesome he looked.

Wings shot free from his back, slamming into the house’s interior and tearing the drywall. As a

teenager, she’d seen other dragons testing out their wings but she’d never seen any like Griffin’s.
Unlike the bony, reptilian types she’d seen, his were thicker and heavier with reinforced webbing. No
doubt the loud thunder he’d spoken of creating required those genetic differences.

As glass shattered upstairs and downstairs, Avani felt the searing pain of her change begin.

Swallowing the cries of agony, she snapped flat onto her belly in the closet. Her feet slammed
together and her arms fused to her sides. Her bones cracked and realigned themselves, joining
together in spots and dissolving in others.

Like Griffin who became absolutely gigantic in his dragon form, she also gained bulk. Avani’s

average-sized frame elongated and expanded as the supernatural change overcame her. In her shifted
state, Avani resembled a frightfully large anaconda, with all the strength and speed of the slithery
beast.

Rolling her neck, she experienced the frightful trauma of her tongue splitting and forking to become

more serpentine. Her skin grew clammy and slimy as she became hairless and then sprouted scales.
The fangs in her mouth protruded even more now. They throbbed and ached as venom filled her
cheeks and the sacs located there.

Now fully a serpent, Avani refused to let the feral side of her take control. Griffin’s words circled

round and round in her head. She was strong enough. She could do this.

Coiled into a striking position, her gaze darted to the crack between the door and its frame. Unable

to hear in this form, she relied on her acute vision and the pitted sensors in her face that allowed her
to read heat signals. Sound waves bounced around the house and ricocheted off her skull, allowing
her to feel Griffin’s movements. His heat signal flared bright orange in her brain. The smaller,
yellower signals belonged to the human Knights attacking the house.

Counting seven of them, Avani realized they were terribly outnumbered. Griffin didn’t let the

obvious disadvantage stop him. He slapped his wings together. The force of his thunderous vibrations
rattled her and made the walls shake. The closest Knight, the one creeping in through the front door,
dropped instantly. No doubt he’d been rendered unconscious by the sound waves.

Upstairs, three Knights made their way to the stairs. Two came in from the kitchen and another

dared the front door. That one didn’t make it far. Griffin whacked the Knight with his wing, throwing
the man through a wall. She’d never seen anything like it in her life. In her snake form, the display of
dominance caused a flare of interest and desire.

Certain Griffin could hold his own with the two slayers coming from the kitchen, Avani turned her

attention to the trio coming downstairs. The primal instincts of her snake took hold. The love she felt
for Griffin empowered her and drove her to defend him. She’d die before she let anyone harm her
mate.

Embracing her reptilian instincts, Avani bided her time. She didn’t dare strike at the first man or

the  second.  No,  she  waited  for  the  third  to  walk  just  beyond  the  closet  before  moving  in  a  flash  of
violent  speed.  Undaunted  by  the  human  logic  that  would  have  left  her  feeling  remorse  or  guilt,  she
struck the man right in his neck, locking her jaw around his soft flesh and sinking her fangs deep into
his  neck.  Venom  spilled  into  his  bloodstream.  He  gasped  and  clawed  at  her,  but  it  was  futile.  The
moment she felt the venom take hold, she relaxed her jaw and let him drop.

The second man heard the commotion and turned toward her. His eyes widened with fear as she

rose up to peer in his face. With a hiss, she attacked him. Unable to lock onto his neck, she bit his
cheeks and forehead and finally his nose. He screamed and fell to his knees, but she paid him no

mind.

The first Knight to come down the stairs aimed his weapon at her. In her human form, she would

have hesitated and been hit fatally. As a serpent, she reacted with maximum speed, dropping to the
floor and slithering out of the way. The bullets tore through the wall and then into the hardwood
planks, but she managed to evade most of them. Two grazed her scaly flesh, but the wounds weren’t
deep or life threatening.

She struck his calf and then bit his thigh twice. Screaming, he dropped to his knees. The weapon

fell from his hand as he clutched at his numb limbs. She slammed her fangs into his chest and released
a dose of venom. He made a choking sound before dropping onto his face and seizing.

Vibrations rippled through her skull. Gunshots? Slithering along the wall, she came into the living

room. Griffin staggered on his feet as he faced his opponent. There were three Knights facedown on
the floor surrounding him.

But the Knight standing across from Griffin filled her with such fury. It was the man he’d thrown

through the wall earlier. Though clearly injured, he fired his weapon again, hitting Griffin with a
series of darts. The poison in them left him lurching and unsteady on his feet.

Across the dark living room, their gazes met. As if in slow motion, Griffin fell to the floor. His

body bounced as it impacted the wood, cracking the planks and shaking the house. His hand moved
toward her, his fingers twitching wildly before his eyes closed.

Enraged, Avani reacted with lightning speed. She flew at the Knight who had shot her mate, lunging

toward him with enough speed to knock him onto his back. He kicked her in the face and scurried
away but she was quicker. She wound around his legs and jerked hard.

Back on the ground, he grabbed his weapon and fired at her. The poisonous dart hit its mark but

had no immediate effect. He realized his mistake a moment too soon and reached for the handgun
holster on his thigh. She bit his hand and injected enough venom to render him useless. With a cry of
pain, he clutched his hand to his chest and dropped back to the floor.

The threat of the Knights neutralized, Avani slithered across the living room floor to reach Griffin.

Nuzzling his neck, she felt the life draining out of him. The poison in the darts slowed his heartbeat
and made it difficult for him to breathe. She could still feel the dart embedded along her scaly back.
The poison had no effect on her. Apparently, she was immune to whatever it was.

Seeing no other choice, Avani knocked away the first dart with a swipe of her nose. She opened

her jaw wide and rose up to bite Griffin in the spot he’d been shot. His nearly lifeless body didn’t
even jerk when she sank her fangs into his hot, red dragon flesh. With long pulls, she sucked the
poison from him, taking his rich blood into her mouth along with it.

As she moved to the next dart wound, she prayed this would work. Please live. I need you.

* * *

Griffin tried to surface from beneath the heavy, oppressive weight of drug-induced sleep. In the back
of his mind, he knew he’d taken too many tranquilizer darts. The overdose of the medication the
Knights used to subdue dragons for capture and interrogation made his lungs burn and his heart stutter
as it fought to beat.

The vision of Avani as a serpent danced before him. As if conjured from thin air, she’d suddenly

appeared from around the corner in a flash of milky white and mossy green. He’d never seen such
coloring on a snake in the wild.

He’d been momentarily taken aback by her size and strength. She wasn’t nearly as big in her shifted

form as he was in his, but she’d started from a smaller human frame. The way she’d moved with such
striking finesse had stunned him. For all her talk of fighting her Naga side, she seemed so natural and
at ease in that form. Or maybe she’d simply given in to animal instincts in her desperate need to
protect him.

Even facing certain death, he’d been too taken with her exotic serpentine beauty to think of anything

else. The darts hitting his chest and arms had dragged him back to reality.

She’d depended on him to protect her, but he’d failed her.
Refusing to let her die at the hands of the Knights, he fought against the poison coursing through his

veins. Slowly, he became aware of a shocking, burning pain on the right side of his belly. He
twitched as incredible suction tugged on his injured tissues. His vision morphed from the black sea of
unconsciousness to spotty blurs of movement.

Blinking rapidly, he finally regained his eyesight but couldn’t move his limbs. The aching suction

on his belly eased but a moment later the agony returned as two sharp fangs punctured the left side of
his chest. The painful pulling sensation made his heart race. He gulped air into his oxygen-starved
lungs and finally managed to move his fingers.

His hand moved with aggravating slowness. When he touched the scaly flesh laid across him,

Griffin realized Avani was biting him—and taking the poison from his body. Panic punched him in the
gut. What if it killed her? What if she was just as vulnerable to the powerful drugs used by the
Knights? What if it hurt the child they might have already conceived?

Terrified that she would die or harm their possible child, he pushed at her, but she clamped down

on his hand. She surprised him with her strength. He fought harder this time, shoving at her body and
trying to dislodge the mouth fixed tightly to his skin. Her tail slithered closer and smacked at his free
hand, but he wouldn’t be swayed. She had to stop before she’d taken too much of the poison into her.

As they grappled on the floor, Griffin grew aware of the pulsing dragon signatures drawing closer

and closer. He recognized Stig and Ignatius approaching Mad’s house in a blast of speed. After his
earlier phone call, they’d promised to stand guard. No doubt they’d felt his pain and panic as the
Knights had descended and had rushed to reach them.

Like two planes coming in for a crash landing, the pair of dragons slammed into the front porch.

Wood splintered and drywall exploded as the two burst into the living room. A moment too late,
Griffin recognized how the scene must have looked as a Naga, his blood enemy, sank her fangs into
his flesh. Before he could stop Stig, the fire-breathing dragon let loose a burst of wicked flames that
skimmed Avani.

Hissing with pain, she jerked off him and reared up into a frightful striking stance. Fangs extended

and dripping with his blood, she snapped forward to bite Stig but the other dragon whacked her with
his wing. The impact knocked her across the room.

“No!” With a surge of anger, Griffin regained control of much of his body. He rolled onto his belly

and pushed up on shaking arms. Stumbling toward Avani, he shielded her from Stig. “No!”

Shock filtered across Stig’s face as Avani coiled around Griffin’s leg and nuzzled her serpentine

face  against  his  bleeding  belly.  He  protectively  curled  his  wing  around  her  body,  simultaneously
shielding  and  reassuring  her.  Her  forked  tongue  flicked  against  his  skin.  Unable  to  speak,  she
communicated  with  him  in  the  only  way  possible.  He  understood  her  message  loud  and  clear  and
placed his hand along her side.

Chapter Eight

ripping Avani’s hand tightly, Griff led her down into the bunker beneath her home. Ignatius had

remained behind at Mad’s place to clean up the mess and wait for reinforcements. Stig had
accompanied them, but Griff’s Scandinavian friend remained upstairs to stand guard, giving the
couple some much-needed privacy.

He tugged her along behind him and straight into the bathroom. Dazed from the violence she’d

witnessed and her first—and hopefully only—kills in her shifted form, she didn’t protest when he
began to strip her. He dragged her soiled clothing from her shaking, shivering body and dropped it on
the floor.

When they’d returned to human form, they’d hastily dressed and left the ransacked and badly

demolished house. She’d gathered so much blood and debris on her skin and clothing during their
hurried escape. Getting her clean and washing away the evidence of the horrific attack they’d barely
survived topped his priorities.

She didn’t fight him as he pulled her into the small shower stall and into his arms. Clinging to his

solid form, she burrowed tightly against him. Only then did she finally break down and begin to sob
hysterically.

Guilt gripped his heart like a vise. This whole mess was his fault. He should never have put her at

risk by taking her to Mad’s house. If she hadn’t been able to shift or dig deep to unleash her primal
instincts, she would have been slaughtered alongside him in Mad’s living room. The thought of losing
her cut him to the very core.

Suddenly, he was reminded of the way she’d wanted to be a single mother. Her motives at the time

had been to protect their offspring from the painful childhood she’d experienced. He’d considered it a
selfish move at first, before he’d gained an understanding of her fears and the strong maternal instinct
to love and cherish that she already displayed. Now he had to wonder if he was the selfish one.

Was it selfish to want to keep her in his life even though his work with the Brotherhood would

always be so dangerous? Was it selfish to mark the family they were trying to create with a massive
target for retribution?

His gut churned as he faced an impossible choice. The desire to love and bind Vonny to him

forever was too strong to deny—but his desperate need to protect her threatened to force them apart.
If anything happened to her because of him, he would never forgive himself. She was the last of her
kind and very precious.

“Griffin, please don’t pull away from me. Not now,” she whispered. “I couldn’t bear it.”
The anguish filling her voice slashed at his heart. Embracing her even tighter, he dipped his head

and buried his nose in the soft, wet strands of her hair. “If I stay, you’ll always be in danger, Vonny.”

“I’m already in danger,” she murmured. “Your membership in the Brotherhood adds some

additional risk, but let’s be real. The Knights nearly annihilated my entire species before I met you. It
was only a matter of time until they tried to finish me off.”

“If they find out what we’re attempting to do—”
She pulled back just far enough to meet his worried gaze. The love reflected in her dark eyes

radiated through him. Caressing his jaw, she said, “You’ll be here to protect us.”

Us. The word filled him with such hope. For so long, he’d been alone. Yes, he’d had his Brothers

and Mad—but it wasn’t the same as what he’d shared with Avani during their short time together. He
couldn’t imagine never again waking up with her cuddled in his arms and burrowing into his heat.

For the first time since joining the Brotherhood, he dreamed of a life that had seemed almost too

far-fetched to exist—a family of his own. The family he already belonged to, the Brotherhood, came
to mind.

“I can’t walk away from Ignatius and the others, Vonny.”
“I’m not asking you to do that.” She brushed her fingertip around one of the bruised bite marks

she’d left on his body. “I know they come as part of a package deal. I’m okay with that.”

He studied her beautiful face to see if she truly meant what she’d said. She seemed wholly honest.

“And what happens if I’m not here to protect you against the Knights because I’m off with the
Brotherhood?”

She quietly traced shapes on his skin. “Tonight helped me understand that I’m not so weak after all.

I intend to train more and hone my skills so I’ll never be at a disadvantage ever again.”

“You were so brave tonight.” He bent down to capture her mouth in a lingering kiss. “You saved us

both, and I’ll never forget it.”

A playful smile slanted her mouth. “No, I’ll make sure of that.”
He chuckled softly and gently applied pressure to her shoulders to turn her. The shower stall was a

tight fit with the two of them, but they made the best of it. Lathering his hands, he spread soapy foam
across her skin before tackling the long strands of dark hair clinging to her wet back.

When he’d finished washing her, she returned the favor. He delighted in the feel of her slick hands

gliding over his skin. Though it aroused him, he wasn’t chasing sexual release at the moment. After
coming so close to losing their lives, he wanted to reconnect with her. The way she touched him, her
hands sliding across his chest almost reverently, showed that she shared his desperate need: to
remind themselves they were alive.

The familiar vibrations of Ignatius’s imprint rumbled through his chest. He glanced toward the

ceiling and decided they only had a few minutes of privacy left before their ancient leader would
want to question them. Back at Mad’s place, Ignatius had been much too concerned with cleaning up
the scene and keeping any humans out of the crossfire. Now, he would want to know all about this
arrangement ’Griffin had made with Avani.

Taking full advantage of their last few minutes alone, he trapped Avani between his chest and the

tile wall. He nuzzled her neck and kissed a slow, teasing line along her jaw before finally claiming
her silken pout. Their mouths mated in a long, erotic dance that he was loathe to end. Touching his
forehead to hers, he murmured, “Ignatius is here. He’ll want to talk.”

She sighed heavily. “Let’s get it over with, Griffin.”
He tipped her chin and peered down into her dark eyes. “He might be annoyed that I didn’t tell him

I was coming here with you, but he won’t try to separate us. He supported Stig and Cora.”

“That’s a slightly different case.” She stepped out of the shower and onto the mat. “Their families

weren’t engaged in a centuries-old blood feud.”

He’d all but forgotten about that ridiculous spat between their families. It seemed so trivial now.

Grunting with frustration, he wrapped a towel around his waist and pressed his lips to the top of her
head. “Wait here. I’ll get you something to wear.”

Out in the living area of the bunker, he discovered Stig and Ignatius waiting patiently at the small

dining table. He shot them an annoyed frown. “No, please, make yourselves at home.”

Stig snorted but had the decency to look chagrined. “We didn’t want to interrupt you—just in

case.”

Griff narrowed his eyes at the pair before grabbing some shorts for himself and a nightgown and

robe for Avani. “We’ll be out in a few minutes. Make yourselves useful and put on a pot of tea.”

“Sure.” Stig headed for the small kitchen, but Ignatius still hadn’t moved or said anything. He

seemed deep in thought. Griff doubted he was going to like what their leader had to say.

Back in the bathroom, he found Avani combing out her hair. She reached for a hair tie from her

toiletry case but he stopped her. “Leave it down for me.”

She eyed his reflection in the mirror. An indulgent smile curved her lips. “All right.”
He kissed her bare shoulder. “Thank you.”
When the two were dressed, they emerged from the bathroom holding hands. She slid close to his

side, almost as if seeking his protection. He unlaced their fingers and curled his arm around her
shoulders. Tucking her smaller body against his, he sent a daring look Ignatius’s way.

Hands up, Ignatius gave a slight shake of his head. His one good eye remained fixed on Avani. “I

have no intention of driving a wedge between the two of you, so lower your guards.” He hesitated.
“The issue of the blood feud, however…”

Griff pulled out one of the chairs at the table and sat. He dragged Avani between his open knees

and tugged her down onto his right thigh. She happily perched on his lap and gripped his hand, as if
still mistrusting Ignatius. He couldn’t blame her. The ancient dragon had quite a reputation among
their kind for being a serious hard-ass.

Exhaling loudly, Griff asked, “Has Mad been located?”
“Not yet,” Ignatius answered, while Stig steeped tea at the counter behind him. “Niko and Reynard

are on their way. They’ll find him—and Ivy.”

“So it is her.” He eyed Ignatius carefully. “You didn’t know she was missing?”
“Neither did Niko,” Ignatius replied reluctantly. “We tried to give her a normal life, and that meant

staying far away from her so as not to rouse the suspicions of the Knights. Clearly, somewhere along
the way, we made a mistake, and they were able to track her down and take her.” Regret and guilt
darkened Ignatius’s voice. “We won’t fail her again.”

“What about her connection with Mad?” Avani nervously interjected. She swallowed and glanced

at Griff. “Back at the house, you said that Niko gave her some kind of treatment that included your
cousin’s blood.” She self-consciously touched her lips. “Blood magic is strong magic. It’s the reason
my species seals a mate bond with a bite. If she has his blood in her, maybe it’s more than dreams
connecting them. What if…what if she’s about to go into heat for the first time? She’s the right age. I
was a junior in college when I first experienced it. What if it’s—I don’t know—awakened something
within her?”

Griff’s concerned gaze skipped to Ignatius. The one-eyed dragon looked rather impressed with

Avani. “I suspect you’re correct. It’s something we feared might happen, back when Niko devised the

therapy, but it was a risk we agreed to take.”

“Why Madoc’s blood?” she wondered.
“Chemistry,” Ignatius answered with an uncertain shrug. “Niko had his reasons for choosing Mad

as the donor, and I trusted them.”

Griff wasn’t so sure Mad had been fully apprised of the possibilities associated with giving his

blood for Niko’s experimental treatment. It was the type of thing Mad would have told him and
something they would have discussed at length. He hoped for Niko’s sake that he’d been honest with
Mad up front about the side effects, because if Mad discovered he’d been lied to, there would be hell
to pay.

Stig brought the mugs of tea to the table along with spoons and some milk. “Avani, I need to

apologize for what happened at Mad’s house. I shouldn’t have attacked you.”

She shrugged. “It was chaos. I can only imagine what it must have looked like when you two broke

down the door to find me biting him.”

“I should have taken a moment to assess the situation more calmly.”
“We’re fine,” Avani assured him.
Ignatius’ stomach made a loud growling noise. He cleared his throat. “Excuse me. I missed

dinner.”

Stig pushed the sugar bowl toward him. “You’ll have to make do with tea. Cora doesn’t trust me

with her scone recipe yet.”

Taking his seat next to Ignatius, Stig said, “Cora will be thrilled to learn she’s no longer the only

mate in the group.” Laughing, he added, “Expect a big basket of baked goods to drop onto your
doorstep very soon.”

The mention of Stig’s pretty mate left Griff questioning the blood feud issue. It wouldn’t be as

simple as declaring it over and done. Affairs like this were governed by archaic rules. “So, Ignatius,
what happens with the feud between our families?”

Ignatius sat back and sighed. “Well—it was a blood feud. You can’t simply shake hands and call a

truce.”

Griff bristled at the idea of causing Avani harm to satisfy the feud or vice versa. “If you think

we’re going to fight and draw blood just to satisfy some stupid old feud, you are out of your damn
mind.”

Ignatius tilted his head and pointed to Griff’s neck. “She’s already drawn blood. I doubt those

marks are from the poison darts.”

Griff touched the mating bite that had been interrupted back in Mad’s bunker. He looked down at

Avani who had fixed her attention on her mug of tea. There was no mistaking the blush of
embarrassment on her cheeks. “It’s part of the Naga mating ritual,” he explained. “They bite to cement
the bond.”

“Biting?” Stig’s eyebrows waggled suggestively. “Kinky.”
Griff picked up the nearest spoon and flicked it at his friend’s chest. “Grow up.”
Ignatius ignored Stig’s dramatic protest of pain as the other dragon rubbed his chest. “Perhaps

Avani could make a peace offering to your tribe.”

Avani exchanged a look with the Brotherhood’s leader. “You want me to give him the sword, don’t

you?”

“You could always call it an engagement gift.” Ignatius smoothly maneuvered her into a corner.

Griff shifted uncomfortably. “We haven’t discussed that far into the future.”
She gripped his hand more tightly and winked at him. “But we will.”
His chest threatened to burst as his heart swelled. Not wanting her to feel pressured to give up the

sword she’d taken from the Knights who had slaughtered her family, he said, “You don’t have to give
up the sword. It’s yours to do with as you please.”

“It needs to be destroyed. I don’t need the leverage anymore.”
Because you’ve got me, he thought.
She turned her attention to Ignatius. “Will handing over the sword to Griffin as a peace offering

satisfy the feud?”

“Only a handful of Griffin’s tribe remains. As long as no one files a grievance with Reynard, I’m

sure he’ll put an official end to this tiresome matter.” Ignatius sat forward, grabbed his mug of
steaming hot tea, and downed it all in one big gulp. He rose from the table and carried his mug to the
sink. Turning back to face them, he said, “It’s time we pulled together. This war is ramping up again,
and our numbers are dwindling while theirs remain steady.”

He gripped Stig’s shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “On that note, Stig and I really should leave

the two of you. I’m sure you have more important things to discuss than blood feuds and missing
cousins.”

Taking the hint, Stig finished off his tea and headed for the sink. “I’ll be staying upstairs until

morning. If you need me to stay another few nights, I’m happy to do it.”

“No, I think we’ll be fine.” Griff didn’t think the Knights would be stupid enough to come after

them again, not so soon after losing an entire team. He strongly suspected Stig was anxious to get
home to Cora anyway.

“If you change your mind…” Stig trailed Ignatius to the door. He paused long enough to shoot them

an encouraging smile. “Good luck.”

Finally alone, Griff shifted Avani’s position and threaded his fingers through her damp hair. He

touched his lips to hers ever so briefly. “That went well.”

“Better than I’d expected,” she confessed. Her gaze skipped to the closed door. “Ignatius wasn’t

nearly as intense as I’d expected him to be.”

“He’s mellowing a bit. I think some of that is Cora’s doing. She actually called him a marshmallow

once.”

Avani’s eyes widened. “She’s a brave woman.”
He traced her pout. “So are you, Vonny. You blew me away tonight. I’ll admit that I worried you

wouldn’t be able to look after yourself, especially after all that talk of fasting and denying your inner
beast. Imagine how powerful you could be with some training.”

Excitement glinted in her eyes. “Would you teach me?”
“Yes.” He liked the idea of helping her become more skilled in protecting herself.
“But none of that sweaty brawling I caught you and Mad doing,” she said with a wag of her finger.
“Sweetheart, if we’re getting sweaty, I can guarantee you we won’t be brawling.”
“Oh?” Her eyes began to shift to that peridot color he found so incredibly beautiful. The enticing

scent of her overwhelmed him. Remembering what they’d been up to when the Knights had attacked,
Griff decided it was time to pick up right where they’d left off in the bunker.

“In fact, I think I’ll give you that first lesson right now…”

Chapter Nine

Nineteen Days Later

vani stepped out of the shower and onto the plush bathmat. She dabbed at the wetness clinging to

her skin and draped her towel on the bar. When she reached for her silk dressing gown, her fingers
brushed the heavier fabric of Griffin’s robe. After their mating heat had ended, he’d decided to move
most of his things to her home rather than travel back and forth between their living spaces. Even so,
she still experienced the occasional moment of surprise at seeing his things around her home.

She grabbed the robe and pushed her face into the soft fabric around the neck. Inhaling his scent,

she closed her eyes and imagined his handsome face. She wanted to trace the crinkly lines that
appeared around his mouth when he smiled and brush her lips to his. Instead she found some comfort
in his familiar scent.

He’d been gone for six days. The initial search for Madoc had been unsuccessful, but Griffin

refused to give up looking for his cousin. ’ Mad was the closest thing Griffin had to a brother. He
wouldn’t be able to rest until he’d found him. For her own part, Avani had prayed every night that
Niko and Reynard would find Madoc and Ivy. She didn’t know if Griffin would ever recover from
losing his best friend.

Thankfully she didn’t have to find out. The moment their mating heat had ended and it was safe for

him to travel, Griffin had headed for Mexico. He’d been able to lock in on Madoc and Ivy within two
days of his arrival. They’d mounted a rescue of the pair and had managed to get them to Niko’s estate,
where Madoc and Ivy were now recuperating from their terrible ordeal. Griffin wouldn’t say what
the two had endured, but the tension and anguish in his voice when he called told her it was something
truly awful.

Though she wanted him home with her, Avani understood that Madoc needed Griffin. She’d

encouraged him to stay with his cousin as long as he needed—even if she ached for her mate’s touch
and scent.

With a sigh of longing, she released Griffin’s robe and slipped into her own. She made her way to

the marble counter and let her gaze fall onto the pregnancy test she’d taken before hopping into her
morning shower. The test sat on top of its box at the far end of the counter. She didn’t have the
courage to look at it yet. If the digital display had two words instead of one, she’d collapse into tears.

Studying her reflection, Avani tried to decide if she looked pregnant. She hadn’t been able to stay

away from the Internet forums and websites catering to women trying to conceive. She knew all the
very early pregnancy symptoms but wasn’t sure she exhibited any of them.

Untying the belt of her robe, she pushed aside the fabric and bared her breasts. She cupped her

flesh. Did they feel heavier? Were they more sensitive? Her nipples looked darker, but it could have
been her mind playing tricks on her.

She ran her hands down her abdomen and rested them on her belly. Why couldn’t she sense

whether she was pregnant or not? What was the use in being a part of the dragon species and having
so many strange gifts if she couldn’t even tell whether another life existed within her?

A strong pulse of heat and need streaked through her chest and into her core. She might not be able

to tell whether she was pregnant, but she most certainly recognized that familiar beacon of energy.
Griffin!

Desperate to see him, she rushed out of the master suite, down the hall, and onto the second-floor

landing. She heard the door close a moment before he came into view. Standing there in his jeans and
T-shirt with those rugged boots, he looked out of place in the upscale interior of her home. He grinned
up at her, his sexy, mischievous smile making her belly flip-flop. “Hey, sweetheart.”

“Griffin!” She started down the stairs but he hurried up them. He swept her into his big, strong

arms and crushed his mouth to hers. She surrendered to his insistent, passionate kisses and wound her
arms around his neck. When he finally let her breathe again, she dragged air into her lungs and smiled
up at him. “I missed you.”

“Not as much as I missed you,” he replied, his eyes dark with yearning. “I couldn’t stay away a

moment longer.” He pressed his lips to her neck. “Wrap your legs around my waist.”

She happily did as instructed and let him carry her into their bedroom. His eyes widened with

surprise as he took in the small changes she’d made while he’d been away. “You repainted and
changed the bedcovers?”

Toying with the front of his shirt, she said, “I could tell how much you hated the dark walls and

silky sheets.”

“I felt like I was going to slide out of bed every time I moved.”
“I know.” She pecked his cheek. “It was time for a change in here, anyway. I thought you’d prefer

this paler gray-blue on the walls and the all-white cotton sheets.”

He caressed her cheek. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I wanted to, Griffin. This is our home now. It should be a reflection of both of us.”
“I don’t think you’ll care for my decorating sense. You’ve seen my place.”
She wrinkled her nose at the memory of the messy apartment above his gym. It was a mishmash of

styles and the stereotypical man cave. “Well…”

Chuckling with amusement, he tossed her onto the bed and crawled over her. He made quick work

of dragging the robe from her body and leaving her naked beneath him. He gazed down at her with
much hunger in his eyes. “I think this is the way you should greet me every time I come home.”

She couldn’t disagree with that idea. Grasping the hem of his shirt, she silently urged him to

remove it. Sitting back on his heels, he peeled it off and revealed every inch of that ridiculously sexy
and sculpted chest she loved so much.

But something was different. Her gaze flicked to the freshly applied tattoo now covering the left

side of his chest. Just above his heart, he’d added a new piece. The intricate design complemented the
heavier, darker markings common among his tribe. There was no mistaking the meaning behind the
serpent coiled around a dragon’s wing.

Teary-eyed, she asked, “For me?”
Griffin clasped her hand and brought it to the space just below the place he’d tattooed. “I belong to

you. I want everyone to know it.”

He claimed her mouth in a sensual kiss before she became a crying, sobbing mess. Pinned beneath

her mate, Avani submitted totally to his masterful hands. She clutched his shoulders and relished his
heat and weight atop her. His lips skimmed her neck and then danced along the swell of each breast.
When he traced her nipple with his tongue and gently suckled the tight peak, she gasped. He ran his
fingertip over the wet, puckered flesh and moved his mouth to the other nipple. She shivered as the
wild sensations he evoked raced through her.

Her pussy ached for his cock. Throbbing almost painfully, her clit begged for attention. She tried to

squeeze her thighs together to lessen the pulsing, but Griffin’s leg prevented it. Never one to
disappoint her, he shifted his weight and playfully walked his fingers down her belly to her mound.
Their gazes clashed as he teasingly moved closer and closer to her sex.

“Griffin.” She moaned his name and lifted her hips. “Please!”
Smiling devilishly, he nipped at her breast. “Patience, Vonny.”
“I’ve been patiently waiting for you for six days. I need you now.”
After a wickedly naughty kiss, he stopped tormenting her. His thick fingers explored her tender

folds. He moved down a little in the bed before penetrating her with one finger and then another. His
thumb brushed across her clit, causing her hips to lift off the bed. She cried out and reached for him,
refusing to let him go as he worked her into a frenzied state.

Those skillful fingers manipulated her pussy in the way she loved most. He pumped her slick

channel and swirled his thumb over her clitoris until she thought she would die from sheer pleasure.
He swallowed her delighted cries as she climaxed in his arms. Her hips rocked and she clawed at his
shoulders as the bright bursts exploded in her core.

Limp and shaking, she sagged against the mattress as Griffin quickly shed his clothing. When he

climbed back onto the bed, he rolled onto his back and grabbed her. As if she weighed nothing, he
dragged her onto his lap and into a sitting position. His nose moved along the line of her neck.
“Vonny, you smell so fucking good. I can’t wait to get my dick inside you.”

Her pussy clenched at his rough language. Soaking wet and just as desperate for him, she

maneuvered into place, squirming a little to the right and then to the left until their bodies perfectly
aligned. Grasping his big cock, she guided him into place and sank down, taking every last inch of his
massive shaft into her. “Oh!’

Stretched to the hilt, she rocked back and forth, finding the perfect rhythm. Griffin’s hands roamed

her body. He massaged her sensitive breasts and cupped her backside before clasping both of her
hands to provide the support she needed to go wild atop him. Like a belly dancer, she swayed and
rolled her hips until they were both gasping and groaning.

But it wasn’t enough, and Griffin knew it.
In one swift movement, he flipped their positions, taking her down and trapping her between his

hot, hard body and the sumptuous softness of their bed. He planted his hands on either side of her face
and plundered her mouth, stabbing his tongue between her lips in the same way his cock thrust into
her. Her heels bounced off the rippling muscles of his thighs as he drove into her with feral intensity.

“Griffin! Griffin! Ah!” She shattered into a million pieces. Ecstasy punched the air right out of her

lungs. Clinging to him, she rode the seemingly endless waves of pleasure while he pounded away at
her in search of his own climax. With a guttural groan, he slammed deep and jerked as his blazing
seed spilled inside her.

Totally relaxed now, she rubbed his back until he stopped shuddering. When he fell off her and

opened his arms, she happily moved into his embrace. She rested her cheek to his chest, careful to

keep her hair away from the healing tattoo, and listened to his heartbeat. After nearly losing him to the
overdose of tranquilizers, she would never tire of the reassuring thudding sound.

“Did you change your soap?”
She frowned. “No. Why?”
He sifted his fingers through her hair. “You smell different.”
“Like bad different?”
He laughed. “No. You smell…spicier, but a little sweeter.”
“Maybe you just remember me differently because we’ve been apart,” she reasoned.
“Maybe,” he replied, unconvinced. “Did you decide whether you wanted to spend a weekend with

Stig and Cora?”

“I hadn’t even really thought about it,” she admitted. “I suppose we should. That’s what couples

do, right? They spend time with other couples.”

He snorted with amusement. “So I hear. I think you’ll like Cora. She’s a damn good cook. Not as

good as you,” he added quickly.

“Nice save,” she said and patted his chest. Uncertain whether he wanted to talk about his cousin,

she carefully asked, “How’s Mad?”

Griffin’s fingertips trailed along her jaw. He traced her lower lip with his thumb. “He’s weak but

he’ll recover. Ivy is in worse shape. They were starving her to force visions upon her. If Mad hadn’t
gotten to her when he did, she would have died.”

Avani shivered. “That’s terrible. What will happen to them now?
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Mad seems to be very protective of her, but Niko has claimed her as

his kin. It’s…tense.” He inhaled a slow breath. “Ignatius was headed to Niko’s estate this morning.
He’ll want to interrogate her to learn everything about the Knights holding her and what she might
have inadvertently revealed to them during her mind link with Mad.”

“He won’t be harsh with her, will he?” She worried about the young woman’s state of mind after

the ordeal she’d survived.

“Ignatius had better watch his step. Mad won’t hesitate to knock him flat on his ancient ass if he

upsets her.”

Avani was suddenly very glad Griffin had decided to return to her. She didn’t want him embroiled

in whatever mess was certain to erupt at Niko’s home.

“I worry those two have other plans for Ivy that they haven’t told Mad about yet.”
Avani grimaced. “Well, that’s not going to go over well if Mad is feeling protective of her.”
“I wanted to stay, just in case, but Mad told me to go. He said he had it under control.” Griffin

kissed her hand. “I have to trust that he knows what he’s doing. I got the feeling he didn’t want to
involve me in whatever is happening, because it might be dangerous.”

“Has the possibility of danger ever stopped him from dragging you into trouble?”
He smiled. “No, but I didn’t have you back then. Now I do—and Mad understands what that

means.”

“You’re not upset that he’s closing you out to protect us?”
“No.” Griffin kissed her tenderly. “He’s doing the same thing I would do for him if he had a mate

that he loved.” He held her gaze. “I do love you, Avani. I love you more than I ever imagined
possible.”

His sweet words warmed her heart. “I wish I could show you how much you’ve changed my life

for the better. Before you, I was so lonely and so…cold. Now I know what it means to be truly loved
by someone and to love them right back without fear or hesitation.”

With a teasing grin, Griffin gave her bottom a little smack. “I can think of one way you could show

me.”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her throat. “You’re really terrible, you

know that?”

“You know you love it.”
“I do.”
Griffin picked up her left hand and interlaced their fingers. “Actually, I was thinking that it’s time

for me to get you something to show you how much you mean to me and how excited I am to spend the
rest of my life with you.”

Her belly trembled. “Are you talking about an engagement ring?”
“I’m talking about asking you to marry me and making our mate bond official.” Griffin lovingly

claimed her mouth. “If you’ll have me, of course.”

“I’ll have you,” she whispered and blinked back tears. “I’ll marry you.”
“Excellent.” He embraced her tightly as they sealed their engagement with soft words and even

softer kisses. “Now,” he said quietly, “I’m going to shower and change. Then I’m going to cook us a
celebratory breakfast while you sketch a design for the ring.”

She grinned. “I like that plan.”
He reluctantly slipped away from her and out of bed. He shot her a teasing look. “Let’s try to cap

the diamond size at five carats, okay?”

Laughing, she fell back against the pillows. Instead of telling him about all the loose jewels she’d

inherited from family, she decided to let him squirm at the idea of plunking down that kind of cash on
a gaudy diamond. Even though Griffin lived like a pauper in that cramped gym apartment decorated in
thrift store finds, Avani knew he’d done very well for himself over his many years of life. Her own
successful business provided enough of a cushion that they would enjoy an easy life together.

She hadn’t heard the shower come on, and she sat up to ask him if something was wrong. A moment

later, he appeared in the open doorway of the bathroom with the strangest look on his face. “What is
it, Griffin?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“That we’re going to have a shotgun wedding,” he said while wearing the goofiest grin.
“We…what?” Her mouth went dry as his meaning took hold. Her hands fell to her naked belly.

“I’m pregnant?”

He frowned at her. “There’s a test in the bathroom. I thought—”
“I hadn’t looked at it. I took it before my shower, but I was too afraid to read the result. Then you

came home and I forgot all about it.” She gulped nervously. “You’re sure?”

He ducked into the bathroom and returned with the digital test. “It’s clear as day. I should have

recognized that your changing scent was a sign.”

She took the test from him with shaking hands. The word PREGNANT stared back at her. It seemed

too good to be true.

Griffin knelt next to the bed and dragged her to the edge. He cupped her face and gazed intently into

her eyes. “Are we having second thoughts?”

“No,” she whispered quickly. “I didn’t dare dream we’d be this lucky. I’m just…stunned.”
“What’s that saying? ‘Luck favors the bold’? Sweetheart, you were bold as brass when you barged

into my gym and propositioned me.”

Anxiety rocked her. She peered into the face she’d come to love so much. “How do you feel about

this?”

“I’m a little scared,” he admitted, “but more excited than anything. Thrilled, really”. “I’ve wanted

children for some time now. To have those children with you? I’m the luckiest man on earth, Avani.”

Overcome with joy, she melted into his reassuring embrace. “I love you, Griffin.”
“And I love you, Vonny.”
Safe in Griffin’s loving arms, Avani smiled with the realization that she’d been right from the start.

This big, sexy Welsh Red had stumbled into her neatly arranged life and turned the whole thing upside
down.

And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Chapter One

tig Wyvern dried the last of his dishes and placed them in the cabinet. His gaze moved to the bay

window across the kitchen. The setting sun splashed the sky with brilliant streaks of orange and fiery
pink. His stomach tightened at the sight. With the darkness came the forced change, and tonight it
would be beyond his control. For this night and those of the following eight days, he would spend at
the complete mercy of his inner beast.

Already his skin tingled, his nerves set alight with a prickling heat. Even though he’d just ingested

a pile of rare steaks for dinner, his stomach growled with emptiness. There wasn’t enough water to
slake his thirst. And his libido raged. He wanted nothing more than to find a willing woman to sink
into again and again.

But he couldn’t do that. He mustn’t do that. When in heat, Stig’s scent changed, grew more potent,

and made it easier for the Knights to find him. So he would retreat to the cavernous lair beneath his
home and lock himself in irons for the duration of the night.

Stig did a final check of the kitchen and headed upstairs to make sure the house was sealed tight.

He’d barely reached the top of the stairs before he heard the frantic knock at his front door. It
momentarily stunned him. No one ever knocked on his door. His closest neighbor was five miles
away—and he liked it that way.

He wanted to ignore the pounding, pretend he’d never heard it and go about his business, but he

just couldn’t. If someone was there, it had to be serious. Maybe a car wreck on one of the nearby
roads or an accident in the woods surrounding his home. Local teenagers had a habit of staging wild
parties out there. Underage kids and drinking was a nasty mix.

As he hurried downstairs Stig couldn’t help but wonder if the person on the other side was safer

braving the elements of the night than facing him so close to the sunset. When in heat, his inner beast
was difficult to control. The primal drive and desires that would soon overtake him put all humans at
risk. He unlatched and unlocked the various deadbolts on the door and quickly drew it open.

Stig’s gruff greeting died on his lips the second he spied the petite black-haired beauty standing on

his doorstep. Her scent, sweet and spicy, wafted up to meet him. His body zinged with recognition.
“Cora?”

“Hey, Stig.” Cora Cardenas greeted him with a sad smile. Her puffy and red-rimmed eyes betrayed

her. She’d been crying hard. An uneasy feeling twisted Stig’s gut at the sight of the luggage
surrounding her. He stuck his head out the door and saw her compact car caked in grime from the long
drive. There were more boxes and suitcases visible through the windows.

Shit. Of all the times for his dead friend’s sister to show up on his doorstep, it had to be tonight, the

one night when he feared he wouldn’t be able to withstand his already-brewing attraction to her.

“Cora, look, this isn’t a good time for me. I—”

“You promised!” She interrupted with a sob. “When Hector died, you promised I could come to

you.”

Guilt gripped him. “I know and I meant it. It’s just that things are complicated right now.” He

nervously eyed the skyline. “There’s a hotel in town. It’s a forty-minute drive. You shouldn’t have a
problem getting a room.”

“Stig,” she said pleadingly.
Cora’s begging tore at his heart. Stig fought the urge to gather her in his arms and offer the security

of his home—and his bed. Only the knowledge that she was forbidden and that his secret world could
put her in grave danger stopped him from grabbing and dragging her across his threshold.

“Cora, you need to go.” His muscles twitched and jaws ached. The change was coming soon. Too

soon for his liking. “Cora, please—”

“The key!” She practically screamed at him as she dug in the front pocket of her jeans. “I still have

the key!”

Stig’s gaze moved to her now upturned palm. The key he’d given her a little more than a year ago

rested there. He was haunted by his words. As long as you have the key to my home, you’ll always
have a place to stay.

“Please.” Tears dripped down her cheek. Fear radiated from her shaking frame. She was scared.

Of what, he didn’t know but it worried him.

Stig swallowed hard and stepped aside. “All right.”
Her shoulders sagged with relief. As she brushed past him, her suitcase wheels bumping over the

raised threshold, Stig caught a whiff of her scent again. It curled around him, the sweet-scented
tendrils squeezing his chest and filling him with need. His cock stiffened and pressed painfully
against his zipper. The urge to stroke her olive skin was overwhelming, but he somehow managed to
master it.

Stig had to get away from her. His questions could wait until the morning and the safety of the sun.
“I’m sorry I was so short with you just now. I have a horrible headache. I…I need to lay down.”

Stig gestured around him. “The guest bedroom is the first room on the left at the top of the stairs. The
bathroom is the room on the right. Make yourself at home. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Oh.” Cora was clearly confused by his abruptness. “All right.”
Stig nodded and headed out of the living room. He paused in the doorway and glanced over his

shoulder. “Cora?”

“Yes?”
“There’s a door in the kitchen. It leads down to the cellar. I’d appreciate it if you’d leave it alone.

I’m having an issue with infestation.”

Cora’s eyes widened. “Infestation?”
He shrugged. “The house is so close to the woods. It was bound to happen sooner or later.” He

held her gaze. “You’ll keep out?”

Cora nodded dutifully. “Of course.”
“Thank you.” A painful quiver of blazing heat pierced his abdomen. He needed to get downstairs—

fast.

“I’ll go ahead and get the rest of my things.” She started toward the front door. “Go get some sleep.

I’ll be fine tonight. We can talk in the morning.”

Stig sensed the shift in her emotions. She’d arrived distraught and afraid and now seemed calmed.

That the simple act of stepping into his home gave her such a sense of security tugged at his heart.
Suddenly, he remembered why he’d made that offer to her at Hector’s funeral. Even then he’d been
drawn to her, had wanted to gather her close to his chest and caress her silky black hair.

But those feelings were wrong then and still wrong now. There was an unspoken code amongst

friends. As Hector’s baby sister, Cora was off limits.

“Good night, Cora.”
“Night, Stig.”
He didn’t linger but took advantage of her short trip outside to rush into the kitchen. He made sure

to lock the basement door behind him before running down the stairs. His bones ached and muscles
burned as his inner beast struggled for freedom.

Slowly his eyes adjusted to the darkness. His night vision allowed him to move swiftly and safely

down the corridor. With each descending footstep, the temperature dropped and the musty dankness
grew stronger. The stairs ended on a wet slab of stone blocked by a heavy steel door. He punched in
the code and yanked open the door that led into a stunningly beautiful cavern.

Decades earlier, he’d discovered the secluded cave during a solo spelunking trip. Building a house

over what he intended as his subterranean lair only made sense. The layers of rock and dirt filtered
his enhanced scent, cloaking him from those who would do him harm. It provided a secure place for
him to hide out during these episodes of uncontrollable, animalistic lust and blood thirst that plagued
him every three years. Until he found a mate, a proper nonhuman mate, Stig wouldn’t be able to shake
his mating heat.

He ducked beneath a tricky little stalactite he hadn’t had the heart to rip down while outfitting the

cavern for his needs. There was no time to dally tonight. Stig quickly undressed. He walked over to
the far wall and grabbed the titanium chains. They rattled in his trembling hands as he secured them
around his ankles and wrists. The time activated lock beeped and began the countdown to sunrise and
safety.

Secure in his bonds, Stig relaxed his shoulders and welcomed the change. Scaly green patches

transformed his tanned skin. The bones of his face elongated into a kind of snout. His short nails
lengthened and sharpened into acid green talons. Stig groaned in pain as his back snapped and
realigned itself into a curved shape. With a rending of skin and a scream from his throat, pterodactyl-
like wings sprouted from his back, the black reptilian membrane wet and stretched thin between the
joints.

And just like that his inner dragon was free. The primal urges of his beast suppressed Stig’s

humanity. For now, he could only think with the primitive parts of his brain. Hunt. Food. Sex. Sleep.
Those were his strongest desires.

He jerked at his bonds, desperate for freedom and yearning for a taste of the young woman whose

tantalizing smell still teased him despite the depths he’d descended to. His mouth watered and his
erection twitched at the vision of parting her thighs and lapping at her honeyed sex. He could just
imagine the sensation of tight, wet heat that would envelop his cock if he thrust deep inside her.

Burning up with lust, Stig shuddered and pressed back against the cool stone. He didn’t dare look

at the blinking hours and seconds on the locks. Thankful for the strength of his chains, he closed his
eyes and tried unsuccessfully to subjugate his dragon’s needs.

This was going to be one very long night indeed.

* * *

Cora  dragged  the  last  of  her  suitcases  into  the  guest  bedroom.  It  was  small  and  sparsely  furnished.
She’d  expected  nothing  less  from  Stig.  He  wasn’t  the  warm  and  cozy  type.  Actually,  Cora  was
pleasantly surprised not to find a military-style rack complete with itchy wool blanket and paper thin
sheets.  The  full-sized  bed  offered  a  comfy  pillow-top  mattress  and  a  nice,  fluffy  white  comforter.
Pale blue walls added a soothing effect she desperately needed.

Her tummy clenched at the thought of having to tell Stig about the mess she’d created. Heat flooded

her cheeks. She could imagine the disapproving expression he’d wear. She’d often seen a similar
look on Hector’s face. Neither man had been programmed to take risks or plunge into the unknown in
pursuit of a dream. Cora, on the other hand, thrived on uncertainty. She liked taking chances.
Sometimes they turned out fine and sometimes…well…they didn’t.

Hunger pangs twisted her belly. When had she last eaten? Oh, right. That gross drive-thru burger

joint about five hours ago.

Cora left her room and carefully tiptoed past the door she assumed led to Stig’s room. The last

thing she wanted to do was disturb him. For a second there, she’d thought he was really going to
refuse her entrance to his house. Her gut told her there was something more than a headache causing
his weird behavior.

Her first instinct? He’d had a lover in the house. The very thought of another woman, naked and

sated  in  Stig’s  bed,  had  soured  her  stomach.  From  the  first  time  she’d  spied  Stig  Wyvern  six  years
earlier,  she’d  been  smitten  with  her  older  brother’s  friend.  A  college  freshman,  she’d  been  smart
enough to realize a war-hardened Marine like Stig wouldn’t be interested in her. It hadn’t been easy
to ignore her raging crush, but she’d done it. The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass herself or
him or Hector. Even though she’d managed to suppress her strong feelings toward Stig, there was no
denying  the  spark  of  jealousy  that  had  burned  her  at  the  thought  of  him  with  another  woman  in  his
secluded cabin. Realizing her first instinct was wrong had been quite a relief.

So what the hell was his problem? Clearly he wasn’t comfortable with her in the house. Hopefully

it really was a headache and not something else. If Stig put her out, she’d be on the streets by the end
of the week. The cash in her wallet ran low, and there was no one else she trusted to keep her safe.

Down in the kitchen, Cora took a few moments to investigate the cabinets and fridge contents. The

pantry shelves were well stocked, and her mind raced with possibilities for the morning. Her
grandmother had always preached the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. If there was one
thing Stig had always loved, it was Cora’s baking and cooking skills. Considering she desperately
needed his help, she’d bake, sauté, fricassee, braise, and roast every recipe in her mental cookbook.

But for tonight a sandwich would suffice. Cora made quick work of assembling her dinner,

grabbed a chilled can of fizzy soda from the fridge and sat at the sturdy wooden table. Her fingertips
brushed over the smooth grained tabletop. She marveled at the exquisite craftsmanship.

Stig’s skill as a woodworker was well known. When he’d retired from the Marine Corps, he’d

turned his hobby into a thriving business. Cora had seen the adjacent workshop as she pulled onto the
gravel driveway. From what she understood, almost all of his business came from online orders. It
seemed client interaction was low on his list of priorities.

Apparently Stig was quite content with his loner status. That was something she’d never

understood about him. He’d enjoyed spending a day or two with them in San Antonio whenever
Hector invited him down, but he always seemed so restless and uneasy, as if he couldn’t wait to
escape. He thrived on the solitude of his woodsy fortress. The city seemed to sap him of his vitality.

Cora mused on his oddness as she cleaned up her dishes and swept away the crumbs on the counter

and table. There was something about Stig that wasn’t quite right. She used to think it was the effect of
all those tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, maybe some posttraumatic stress disorder, but the more she
was around him, the less she thought that was the answer.

Clearly he had some lingering issues from his time at war. Hector had been the same way. The

nightmares of those days in the violence-fueled desert had driven her brother toward the alcohol and
drugs that had eventually led to his demise. Stig, on the other hand, seemed able to master the horrors
of war in a way Hector simply never could.

Cora often thought she glimpsed the tiniest bit of guilt reflected in Stig’s eyes whenever they spoke

of her brother. No matter how many times she assured Stig he hadn’t failed Hector, she could tell he
didn’t believe it. Stig had taken Hector’s car accident incredibly hard. As far as Cora could tell,
Hector had been Stig’s only real friend, so the loss must have been as unbearable for him as it had
been for her.

But they had each other to lean on for support.
There had been a time in those initial weeks following Hector’s death when Cora had thought

maybe, just maybe, Stig felt more for her than friendship, that they weren’t united only in grief but in
other, more intimate ways. She’d quickly realized her hopes in that area would never come to
fruition. Perhaps it was the age difference or the sibling connection, but Stig never gave her any
indication that he was interested in anything beyond friendship.

And it killed her.
There was no denying her intense attraction to Stig. Who wouldn’t have the hots for such a

deliciously sexy ex-Marine? With that square jaw and that heart-melting grin, Stig set her on fire
every time he was near. The thought of being embraced by those thick, muscular arms or watching
those broad shoulders ripple as he thrust into her welcoming body was almost too much. Her knees
weakened at the mere thought of Stig kissing her neck or nibbling her lower lip.

As much as it embarrassed her, Cora still nurtured a secret hope Stig would one day see her not

just as his best friend’s sister but as the sexually confident young woman she’d become. Maybe this
would be the visit that changed things between them. She’d never been around Stig on his home turf.
Whether or not that improved her odds of success she couldn’t say, but it was worth a try.

Cora flicked off the light and started to leave the kitchen. The strangest noise, a mix between a

growl and moan, stopped her dead in her tracks. She turned back to the kitchen and fixed her gaze on
the basement door. The sound had most definitely come from beneath the house.

What kind of animal made a noise like that? Not a raccoon or a skunk, an owl or a bat. Were there

coyotes and wolves in the woods? Yes, probably, but how would they get into the basement? Maybe
there was outside access to the cellar? A door or vent of some kind?

Her chest constricted with nervousness. She slowly crossed the kitchen and pressed her ear to the

door. There was nothing to be heard but her shaky breaths. Whatever she’d heard was quiet now.

A moment later another lonesome howl penetrated the door. Cora’s breath caught in her throat. The

fine hairs along her nape stood on edge. So close to the basement entrance, she heard the sound more
clearly, a mix of an elephant’s trumpet and a lion’s roar. No, that definitely didn’t belong to any
animal she’d ever heard of. What the hell was that?

Cora backed away and left the kitchen in a hurry. Despite the growing distance from the possible

threat, Cora couldn’t shake the eerie sensation. When Stig woke in the morning, she’d ask him to go

down there and check it out. Maybe whatever had gotten in there was hurt and needed help.

Or maybe it wanted to break free and eat her face.
Shuddering at that frightening thought, Cora rushed into her room, located her toiletry bag and

skittered across the hall into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Back in her room, she
locked the door, slipped into her pajamas, switched off the lights and slid under the covers.

Wrapped in the warmth of the comforter, Cora’s fear melted and exhaustion took hold. The last

four days had been incredibly long. Sleep, she needed lots of sleep.

Cloaked in the welcoming arms of Morpheus, Cora experienced the most vivid dreams of her life.

She was asleep and yet so incredibly aware. Her synapses fired rapidly and amplified every
sensation. Touch, smell, taste—they were so very strong.

In her dreams, Cora became aware of a male presence. His scent, a potent mixture of cedar and

earth and sweat, teased her nose. Like an aphrodisiac, the smell provoked an aroused state. Her
nipples tightened into hard peaks and pressed against the simple cotton of her camisole. Her sex
pulsed as desire blossomed in her belly and spread its warm tendrils of electric current through her
lower half.

There was no stopping the downward movement of her hands. They outlined her curves, taking

time to tweak her nipples beneath the thin fabric, before sliding even lower. Her fingers slipped
beneath the elastic waistbands of her pajama bottoms and panties and slowly drew them free.

Undressed from the waist down, Cora sat up against her pillows and opened her thighs. Cool air

met the blazing hot skin of her most intimate region. Wet and slick, the tender folds of her pussy
yielded to the gentle parting of her fingers. Her throbbing clit begged for attention. With the tip of her
forefinger, Cora stimulated the swollen nub in lazy circles.

Big and burly, the man loomed naked in the doorway and bathed in shadows. The sight should have

terrified Cora, but she found it oddly thrilling. There was something so sexy about a little
exhibitionism. Moonlight spilled through the window and splashed across his lower half. His
magnificent cock, so thick and erect, betrayed his obvious interest. Although she couldn’t see his eyes
through the darkness, she could feel his heated gaze locked on her. It swept along her body, leaving a
prickly sensation of awareness.

Cora watched in fascination as the naked man fisted his meaty hand over his stiff length. Wanting to

give him quite a naughty show, she licked her upper lip and moaned loudly. She arched into the
tantalizing touch of her circling finger. The fingers of her other hand found their way between her lips
and into her mouth. She ran her tongue over the skin, slicking it with her saliva, and then slipped them
inside her tight, hot channel.

A gasp sounded from the doorway. So he liked that, did he?
She moaned and swiveled her hips. Her finger thrusts felt so good, the slick cream of her cunt

coating her digits. Little sparks of pleasure flickered through her lower belly. Cora’s toes curled
against the sheets. Her wrist moved faster as she strummed her clit with more fervor. Mouth agape,
Cora pursued her climax.

Still standing in the doorway, her mystery dream lover breathed hard and loud. His forearm

rippled as he stroked his cock. Their competing pants echoed in the stillness of the room. Cora wasn’t
sure who would come first. It was almost a race to the precipice of ecstasy.

In the end, she cried out a few seconds before the shadow man. Her pussy contracted and clenched

around her fingers as she rode out the waves of her orgasm. He grunted as if in pain and spilled his

cum in ropy bursts.

Separated from her partner in exhibition, Cora was suddenly gripped by the desire to touch his

sweat-slicked skin, to taste the salty cream now dripping from the blunt head of his cock. She wanted
to be held close and caressed like some soft creature. She wanted to feel his soothing breaths against
her forehead and hear the reassuring beat of her heart as she slept against his chest.

But none of those desires were to materialize.
As quickly as her dream lover had appeared, he vanished. In the next instant, Cora woke and shot

up off her pillow. Trembling and sweating, she sucked in a sharp breath. She wiped a shaky hand
down her face. Her thighs clenched with the last tremors of her fading orgasm.

Cora’s cheeks flamed with embarrassment. She’d just had a wet dream in the room next to Stig’s.

As a former Marine, he was bound to be keenly aware of his surroundings. Had she cried out in her
sleep? Oh God. Had he heard her?

Groaning in humiliation, Cora flopped back against her pillow and buried her face in the crook of

her arm. How the hell was she going to face him at the breakfast table in the morning?

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keep her safe. But will it be enough?

* * *

Col. Ian Ferguson may be a rake, but he’s no traitor. Accused of a murder he didn’t commit, he’s now
a  fugitive—from  the  law.  Wounded  and  miles  from  his  allies,  Ian  finds  himself  at  the  mercy  of  a
spirited woman who is achingly beautiful and hiding some dangerous secrets of her own. Lady Sarah
Clarke  is  holding  on  to  her  vanished  husband’s  crumbling  estate  as  her  final  chance  to  earn
respectability. She knows that hiding the devastatingly handsome Ferguson will jeopardize her home.
Common  sense  demands  that  she  turn  him  in.  But  a  single,  delirious  kiss  shatters  her  resolve…and
awakens a passion that neither of them can escape.

* * *

The risqué painting owned by Benjamin Elliot, the earl of Foxburn, features a stunning beauty with
sapphire eyes, golden hair, and creamy skin. Ben recognizes this particular English rose the instant he

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the
author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons,
living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2013 by Lolita Lopez
Excerpt from Dead Sexy Dragon copyright © 2013 by Lolita Lopez
Cover design by Christine Foltzer
Cover art by Craig White
Cover copyright © 2013 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and
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ISBN 978-1-4555-4705-0

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