She resisted the urge to smile. Arabella was starting to think she and her dragon were on their way to becoming great friends. Before much longer, Arabella might act like a real dragonwoman.
Arabella started walking. “Come on. We’re already late. We can talk some more later.”
Finn murmured, “Oh, I plan to do much more than talk, lass.”
Resisting a shiver, they walked the last stretch to the hall in silence. Her beast tried to speak up, but as they entered the hall, Arabella pushed her dragon back inside a mental cage and turned her attention to the packed room.
Long tables lined the sides of the large space, leaving an empty area in the middle for people to mingle. Quite a few were already sitting down at the tables and eating.
Everyone was dressed in the traditional style, although some were more decked out than others. Combining the array of colors with the material draping at intervals from the ceiling, Arabella felt as if she’d just walked into a fairy tale. She’d only been to a handful of gatherings back on Stonefire, which made this one all the more special, especially with her male at her side. Finn made her forget her past so she could tackle the present.
As they neared the raised dais at the front of the room, the chatter died down. Everyone’s eyes were on her.
For a second, Arabella’s heart pounded so fast she thought it might explode, but then Finn squeezed her side, giving her courage. Keeping her shoulders back and head high, Arabella forced herself to smile at some of the clan as they passed. Some of the return smiles were genuine, while others were forced. The eyes of the forced smiles ranged from pity to disgust to skepticism.
Her break down earlier, when she’d run naked through the clan, probably hadn’t helped things.
Her bloody dragon broke free again. Do you want to stay with Finn?
Of course, she stated without hesitation.
Then who cares if they pity you or not. It will be their loss.
We’re that great a catch then?
Yes, we are bloody brilliant.
Arabella smiled at her beast’s confidence. Taking a deep breath, she channeled her dragon and tried to exude the same amount of confidence. She was Arabella MacLeod and she’d survived being tortured by a gang of dragon hunters. Dealing with a few skeptical, Scottish dragon-shifters should be easy.
Chapter Three
Finn had nearly made it to the stage when Duncan stepped into his path. The older dragonman’s eyes were hard, but unreadable as they took in Finn and then moved to Arabella. It took every ounce of control Finn possessed to force a smile and keep his tone neutral. “Duncan.”
Duncan looked back to him. “I’ve heard the rumors. Is it true you’re going to mate the hideous female? That will reflect poorly on the clan.”
Finn took a deep breath to calm both man and beast. Before he could reply, Arabella did. “The hideous female, as you put it, is standing right here. Although, I do have a name. I’m Arabella. Who the bloody hell are you?”
Duncan blinked and Finn wanted to cheer. Then his rival’s eyes turned assessing before he answered, “Duncan Campbell, and you should watch your mouth, English dragonwoman. You may stand strong next to Finlay, but I saw you earlier. I could squash you with one hand tied behind my back.”
Finn narrowed his eyes. “That’s enough. If you can’t be civil, you can leave, Duncan. A gathering is no place for your petty bullshit.”
Duncan answered, “I’m not going anywhere. But if you mate the English and fuck up, I’ll call you out on it. We don’t need the alliance with Stonefire, nor do we need the humans coming and going on our land. Dragon-shifters need to shrug off humans and band together. Despite being English, at least Clan Skyhunter understands that.”
Clan Skyhunter was the dragon-shifter clan south of London. “Well, it’s a good thing you’re not in charge then, isn’t it?” Finn looked to the side and back, signaling he was done. “You’re in the way.”
Duncan stared for a few seconds before moving aside. As Finn walked past, Arabella said to Duncan, “And just to let you know, if you fuck with me, you’ll need both hands to survive.”
The older dragonman remained silent. As they walked away, the tension eased from the crowd. Finn lowered his voice and whispered, “You were bloody fantastic, Ara.”
She raised an eyebrow. “He’s just an arsehole. I’ve faced real monsters and survived. He, on the other hand, would run the other way at the sight of them.”
The corner of his mouth ticked up. “I feel the same way.” He lowered his voice further. “Fear only goes so far.”
She smiled. “Oh, and charm goes much further?”
“Aye, it does.” Putting out a hand, he bowed his head. “May I hold your hand, lovely?”
For a second, he thought she’d decline. He knew full well her dragon was on edge, but so was his.