back to her begging for more time in her bed? If he’d crawled to her on his belly, professing a never-ending love? Or would she have tossed him aside like quite a few others?
But Ailean had done none of those things. He’d run from her bed as though the gods of despair and loathing chased him, and he never came back. In fact, he never came back to Devenallt Mountain again. And every day Shalin prayed to any god who would listen that this would be the day when Adienna would stop talking about him, thinking about him, living for him. But, invariably, at some point, Adienna would find something that would bring her back to that point. Back to Ailean.
Even worse, Adienna blamed Shalin. Especially once the rumors spread that Ailean had left Adienna’s bed specifically to search out Shalin.
Shalin almost snorted. If only that were true. But she knew better. That night, when Ailean had found her alone in the royal archives deep in the bowels of Devenallt Mountain, that had been nothing more than pure luck. He’d been looking for a quiet escape from Adienna and Shalin had been looking for much needed time alone.
If Adienna hadn’t come looking for him, who knows where things would have led. But the bitch had come looking for him. Shalin scented her before Ailean, who’d been quite intent on convincing Shalin to come with him to a human town to find a pub and a meal. “We can spend a bit of time together,” he’d said. “Get to know one another.”
Looking into those silver eyes, all Shalin had wanted to do was push him to the ground and have her way with him. But that couldn’t happen, not with Adienna coming ever closer. Yet Ailean wouldn’t listen to her when she tried to explain. He kept cutting Shalin off, trying to convince her he was worth her time. And the more he cut her off, the more frustrated she became.
Her temper was a rarely seen thing. But when she’d heard the flap of Adienna’s wings and knew Ailean wouldn’t stop talking, proving once again how everyone had a tendency to ignore her, she let a bit of that temper take control and she did the only thing she could think of…
She threw his battle ax at him.
In retrospect, perhaps she could have thought of something better. She felt especially bad when it grazed his temple and the blood began to spurt.
Then the rumors took hold.
At first, Adienna paid little attention to them, although her teasing toward Shalin became a little crueler, her venomous tongue a little more pointed. The more time that passed, however, the more Adienna began to turn on her. “You are the reason he has not returned,” she’d finally accused. “You are the reason he stays away from me.” Soon the situation had gotten so unstable, Shalin’s father met with the Elders and the decision was made to send Shalin out among the humans sooner rather than later. She’d been studying in Kyffin for five years now and not once had she missed the hallowed stone halls of Devenallt Mountain.
Now, nearly thirty winters later, she had the one dragon she could never stop thinking about, dreaming about, or lusting over standing right in front of her—naked.
Of course, he was also the one dragon who could get her killed.
“Ailean,” she somehow managed to squeak out. “Good morn to you.”
“And to you, Shalin. You look awfully beautiful today.”
The fact he could say that and sound like he meant it was probably why so many females fell under his spell. Yet Shalin couldn’t be fooled. She had mirrors, did she not?
“Thank you. So why are you—”
“Och!” he cut in as he always did. The dragon rarely took a breath, it seemed. “You won’t believe my morning, Shalin. You truly won’t. Mind if I sit?”
“Uh—”
“Good. Thanks.” He dropped down beside her. All that dragon as naked human male. It took every ounce of her strength not to reach out and touch him. Like that solid thigh brushing against her robe-covered leg, to see how it felt under her human hands. She’d never been with a male as human. She’d heard it could be…entertaining.
“So there I am, taking a bath, as she said I could, when suddenly her father comes in.”
“Oh, that must have been—”
“Horrible, right. Because she told me that we were alone in that house. But apparently not. I think she wanted me to Claim her or marry her or whatever they call it.”
“Even though you’re—”
“A dragon, right. She doesn’t know that bit, you see. Best to keep her in the dark about that, don’t you think?”
“Well—”
“Especially for just a night of entertainment. Why she’d want me as a mate, I have no idea. So what are you reading?”
It took her a moment to realize he’d asked her a question he expected her to answer. “Alchemic Formulas from the Nolwenn Witches of Alsandair.”
“Is it interesting?”
“A—”
“I don’t know how you can read so many books. I get bored after a few pages.”
“So,” Shalin found the courage to ask, “you’ve never read the books about yourself?”
Ailean groaned, rested his elbows on his raised knees, and dropped his head in his hands. “Tell me you haven’t read those.”
Read them? She’d devoured them.
“Well—”
“Because I didn’t authorize those to be written.”
The books had begun to show up among humans and dragons nearly ten years before. She’d only just finished reading volume three the previous night and word of volume four being available soon had her nearly breathless. Each volume had two editions. One for humans and one for dragons written in the ancient language of their people. A language the humans of this world could never hope to learn with their much weaker minds, ensuring the fact dragons roamed among them freely remained a well-kept secret.
“The books aren’t true, then?”
Based on his wince, she knew they were as true as they could be. “I never said those things didn’t happen. I just said I never authorized them being written about.” He turned his head and looked at her, those silver eyes hot on her face. “I don’t want you to think I run around telling tales about my relationships, Shalin. I can keep a secret quite well.”
And how tempted she was to take him up on his unspoken offer, but that would be cutting her own throat. She’d officially be an enemy of Adienna then, and she simply wouldn’t risk her life for any male.
“I—”
“Perhaps I could tempt you away from your interesting book with promise of a delicious meal at one of the nearby taverns?”
Shocked, Shalin gripped the book in her lap tightly. He wanted to take her out? In public?
What should she say? I’d love to? How about dinner in my room? Forget that, let’s go for it right here, right
