Resisting the urge to hug him and never let go, she gave a light push against his chest. “Before something bad happens, let’s get this party started. I want to watch you shift, then I’ll crawl into the basket.”
With a nod, Bram released his hold and walked ten feet away. She could barely make out his outline in the faint moonlight. Would she even be able to watch him shift? She’d only seen a dragon shift a handful of times, one of which had happened during her training. Disappointment flooded her at the thought she couldn’t give Bram’s dragon the proper attention he deserved. Later. I’ll fawn and swoon over his dragon form later.
As her dragonman unfastened the strap over his shoulder, she decided the darkness might be a good thing after all. Then she wouldn’t be distracted by his naked, toned, and lickable body.
The sound of his clothes falling to the ground filled the air right before his body gave off a soft blue glow. Admittedly, she’d never seen a dragonman shift at night. She had no idea their bodies glowed in the process; daylight masked that little secret.
Two seconds later, the glow intensified as Bram’s arms and legs grew into appendages with sharp-tipped talons, a tail and wings extended from his back, and his head morphed into the long, narrow snout of a dragon. The twenty-foot-tall dragon glowed for a few seconds before the light faded. Even with the brief glance, she itched to touch the bright blue of Bram’s dragonhide.
The dragon huffed and motioned his head toward the basket. “Right,” Evie said before rushing over to the contraption. Gawking would have to wait.
As soon as she crawled over the four-foot-high wall of the basket, Bram jumped into the air and beat his wings to hover in place. He slowly maneuvered to where she waited and delicately gripped the metal rings. The twenty-thousand pound plus dragon above her head had far more grace than she’d believe possible.
With precise movements, the bottom of the basket gave way to her weight as they rose into the air. Since peeping over the side of the basket would be useless in the dark, she tugged her cloak tight around her body and closed her eyes to enjoy the sound of dragon wings beating above her as the wind rushed through her hair.
Chapter Seven
The steady rhythm of his wings helped Bram to rein in his inner beast, just barely. He had a feeling once they arrived at the safe spot, his dragon would want to claim Evie to cover her in their scent before he had to leave again.
Under normal circumstances, he would love nothing more than to pull Evie close and devour every inch of her body. But his clan needed him. If his beast lost complete control, he would let them down. His actions might even kill them.
Maybe if he knew the reasons behind his dragon’s protectiveness of Evie, he could think of how to rein his beast back under his control later. Then he would be able to help his clan.
While he had a chance, Bram decided it was time to wrangle some answers out of his beast. Tell me why you are so possessive of Evie.
She is ours. That is all.
There is more you’re not telling me. I don’t understand why, either. You’ve always been open with me. We are one, and keeping secrets from one another is counterproductive.
To be happy, you must want her for her.
Bloody beast, I already do. What aren’t you telling me?
I will tell you when you’re ready. For now, I will protect her.
At the finality of his dragon’s tone, he growled inside his head. Deep down, he might know what his dragon was withholding, but it was dangerous to hope. True mate or not, he was keeping Evie Marshall.
His secret hideaway wasn’t too far from Stonefire’s land by dragonwing, and within ten minutes, he circled around the jagged peaks below a few times to ascertain if any humans were around. The land below him was part of the Lake District National Park, which technically belonged to the humans. However, the nearest village was miles away, and there were very few roads. Since it was only April, not many ramblers hiked the area either.
Bram had chosen this spot within months of taking over the clan. Every leader liked to have a safe haven. While no one wanted anything awful to happen, it was always good to prepare for the worst.
He was certain Evie would be safe here.
His inner dragon growled. I don’t want to leave her alone. We must protect our mate.
Trust me.
Maybe. I will make sure no one will doubt she is ours. She must carry our scent.
Bram had been afraid of this. We don’t have time for sex. We need to question Evie for answers.
No. We must make sure everyone knows she is ours. I will fight you to make it happen.
The urge to fuck his mate coursed through his body. His dragon roared inside their head. We are here. I will gain control before we land. We will fuck her and scent mark her. No male must come near her.
As his dragon pushed to take control, Bram pushed back. He might be strong, but he was aware of how this was a losing battle. Images of him and Evie from earlier, when he’d fucked her from behind, flashed inside his brain. The dragon-half wanted Evie. If Bram was decoding the dragon’s feelings correctly, he wanted to protect the mother of their children.
Impossible. Evie couldn’t be pregnant, nor would she ever be. She was incompatible.