Transforming Snowridge (Stonefire Dragons Universe 2) - Page 8

"It means that you're here on a trial basis, Delaney. Whether you stay or not depends on how you act."

She sighed dramatically. "Please don't tell me that means you'll give me a series of tests."

His dragon chimed in. That's a good idea. A lot of one-on-one tests. Yes, I like that.

He didn't dignify his beast with a response. "No worse than what dragons are put through by the Department of Dragon Affairs. As much as I'd like to believe sharing DNA with Rian makes you an innocent human who'd never do me or my clan harm, I can't. As you well know from what happened with your sister and her mate, dragon-shifters—and those associated with them—have to be cautious."

With that, Delaney fell silent, and Rhydian was content to not talk further.

Because if she shared more about herself, he might be tempted to ask for more and more again. And that would lead to what would most likely divide his clan—Rhydian once again wanting a human as his own.

Chapter Three

Delaney hadn't been able to sleep more than a few minutes the night before, so she was dressed and pacing as she waited for her escort to arrive.

To be honest, it probably was better that she hadn't slept. It'd been hard enough keeping the dragon leader out of her mind while awake. Who knew what would've happened if she'd been asleep.

And considering his strong, firm hand easily restraining her, combined with his heat at her back, had made her want to relax and lean against him, she didn't want naked dreams of Rhydian Griffiths tempting her with something she couldn't have.

Rian was her priority. She would live up to her sister's request to look after him like her own. And while Delaney didn't know a lot about being a parent, she knew that a child's needs came first.

Even a one-night fling would overly complicate things, especially if Rian had formed any sort of attachment to Rhydian. And considering how the Welsh leader had been taking care of the lad for three months, it was possible he already saw Rhydian as a father figure.

In other words, Rhydian Griffiths was off-limits.

It wasn't as if he were unique among dragon-shifters. Any of the security forces they called Protectors probably could've done the same thing and deflected her blow, which was something few human men could do unless they were well-trained. And she'd always craved a man who didn't balk at her strength or skill.

Rhydian was strong, yes, but he'd been her first true interaction with a dragon-shifter, nothing more.

A knock on the door made her jump. Taking a deep breath, she walked over and opened it.

A small flicker of disappointment flared when it wasn't Rhydian she found but rather the dark-haired female from the day before. The woman had been one of the two people who'd first escorted her inside the mountain.

The dragonwoman motioned with her head toward the corridor. "Follow me."

By nature, Delaney wasn't a follower. As a boxer, she'd always looked for the best opening, the perfect way to hit and bring down her opponent. She was used to attacking and taking charge.

But for Rian's sake, she'd have to follow orders for who knew how long. The trick would be in not making a misstep that could threaten her chances of staying on Snowridge and looking after Rian. While she could remind Rhydian of her option to live with another dragon clan, she didn’t want to move Rian unnecessarily. She needed to give Snowridge a chance for his sake.

So she needed to avoid any trouble, like the kind that could brew from sleeping with the clan leader. Aye, she'd fucked up a bit with Rhydian the night before, possibly encouraging him with her honesty and how her heart had raced when he’d had her in a hold against his body. Delaney just needed to ensure something similar didn't happen again.

Focusing on her surroundings to cleanse her mind of Rhydian Griffiths, Delaney noticed that much like the earlier corridors she'd seen inside Snowridge, the current ones were also lined with tapestries. Maybe she could find out the stories behind them and share them with Rian. After all, kids were supposed to like stories, right?

Not wanting to dwell on how much more she needed to learn as a parent, Delaney pushed all doubts out of her head. Rian seeing her for the first time wouldn't be easy, especially since Delaney looked a lot like her sister. And she needed to prepare for the boy's reaction in case it triggered some sort of painful memory.

Even if it did, she would find a way to help him. She had to, for both her sister and nephew's sake.

The dragonwoman finally stopped in front of a door set a little apart from all the rest. She knocked, and Rhydian opened the door. He nodded at the dragon-shifter. "Thanks, Carys. I can take it from here."

The woman named Carys didn't budge. "Are you sure, Rhydian? I'd feel better if you'd let me at least stand guard at the door."

"Wren is a few doors down, ready to help if I call. I need you to work on the project I gave you."

Delaney expected Carys to protest as Protectors were supposed to guard their leaders’ lives above all else according to something she’d read, but the dragonwoman merely bobbed her head. "Of course."

With that, the female left. Rhydian's blue-eyed gaze finally met hers.

And damn it, his piercing eyes made her insides flip. No man should be as sexy as this one.

Tags: Jessie Donovan Stonefire Dragons Universe Fantasy
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