The last thing she needed now was for him to lecture her about why they would never work.
Without thinking, he moved in, his arm hooking her around the waist as he lifted her clear off the bed. As her eyes went wide, he tossed her back onto the mattress so she landed in the middle. “Sleep, princess. I’m not going anywhere.”
She used one hand to push her mass of hair out of her face, before she braced herself on her elbows, canting her head. “You look exhausted, too.”
No. No way in hell was he sleeping in the same bed with her. “I’ll crash on the couch.”
“Fine.” To his surprise, she pushed herself into a sitting position. She tried to climb off the bed. “Then I’m not sleeping here, either.”
He clenched his jaw so tight he heard something crack. “Fine,” he gritted out, “but stay on your side of the bed.”
The damn brat did a half-curtsey while kneeling on the bed. “As you wish, my Lord.”
He wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or strangle her. She really needed to learn his position as king of the dragons was serious. It was not to be taken lightly. But as he flopped onto the bed next to her, exhaustion won out, and before she’d even made herself comfortable, sleep had claimed him.
* * * *
Daniel no longer knew how many months had passed, the occasional drip of ice cold water onto his left wing, his only company in the damp darkness. The pain was driving him to madness, and yet the relentlessness was the only connection he had to the thin line between life and death. The only assurance he was still alive.
A rough, charmed stone band encircled his neck, forbidding him any movement–or any opportunity to escape or shift. The mad queen wasn’t stupid. She knew royalty or not, Daniel would tear out her throat and eat it if he ever got free.
He’d been enchanted by her in the beginning, but it had taken him too long to realize she held him bound by magic. It shouldn’t have been more powerful than his own, but she’d somehow gotten his blood. Dragon blood was the most powerful magic in the world, and Leanora had found a way to use his own against him, binding him. He growled, a low, violent rumbling that echoed in his head and reverberated in the miniscule enclosed room.
He should have known she belonged to the bastard, Alexi. Madness attracted madness.
“Daniel…” He jerked as her slender hand touched his shoulder. He hadn’t heard her approach. It meant his senses were starting to dull.
“Daniel, wake up. You’re scaring me!”
He snapped his head up. Instead of relief when he realized he wasn’t in the cave any longer, fury ignited like a firestorm within him.
He didn’t know how he got free. He didn’t care. He grabbed her, pinning her beneath him. As his claw encircled her throat, squeezing the life out of her, Daniel smiled.
* * * *
Shelby couldn’t breathe. Her body bucked up against Daniel’s, her hands shoving at his chest and the solid mass of cold, lifeless fury he had suddenly become. It was no use. He outweighed her by two hundred pounds of muscle. She didn’t have a chance against him.
“Speak, woman!” he roared, his pupils lengthening as his talon tightened around her throat. “What did you do to me?”
“Daniel.” As she gasped his name, his gaze suddenly focused, the terrifying, faraway look in his eyes fading. Reaching up, she grasped both sides of his face so he had to see her. “Can’t…breathe.”
His entire body went rigid as he stared down at her. Suddenly, in the space of a heartbeat, he was on the opposite side of the bed. He doubled over, sucking in huge gulps of air. “Shelby?”
“I’m here.” She didn’t know which one of them was shaking harder, but she was familiar with nightmares. Wherever his head had taken him, it had tormented him.
Moving as slowly as she could so as not to spook him, she stood up and closed the distance between them. Her heart was still pounding furiously as she
Without thinking, he moved in, his arm hooking her around the waist as he lifted her clear off the bed. As her eyes went wide, he tossed her back onto the mattress so she landed in the middle. “Sleep, princess. I’m not going anywhere.”
She used one hand to push her mass of hair out of her face, before she braced herself on her elbows, canting her head. “You look exhausted, too.”
No. No way in hell was he sleeping in the same bed with her. “I’ll crash on the couch.”
“Fine.” To his surprise, she pushed herself into a sitting position. She tried to climb off the bed. “Then I’m not sleeping here, either.”
He clenched his jaw so tight he heard something crack. “Fine,” he gritted out, “but stay on your side of the bed.”
The damn brat did a half-curtsey while kneeling on the bed. “As you wish, my Lord.”
He wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or strangle her. She really needed to learn his position as king of the dragons was serious. It was not to be taken lightly. But as he flopped onto the bed next to her, exhaustion won out, and before she’d even made herself comfortable, sleep had claimed him.
* * * *
Daniel no longer knew how many months had passed, the occasional drip of ice cold water onto his left wing, his only company in the damp darkness. The pain was driving him to madness, and yet the relentlessness was the only connection he had to the thin line between life and death. The only assurance he was still alive.
A rough, charmed stone band encircled his neck, forbidding him any movement–or any opportunity to escape or shift. The mad queen wasn’t stupid. She knew royalty or not, Daniel would tear out her throat and eat it if he ever got free.
He’d been enchanted by her in the beginning, but it had taken him too long to realize she held him bound by magic. It shouldn’t have been more powerful than his own, but she’d somehow gotten his blood. Dragon blood was the most powerful magic in the world, and Leanora had found a way to use his own against him, binding him. He growled, a low, violent rumbling that echoed in his head and reverberated in the miniscule enclosed room.
He should have known she belonged to the bastard, Alexi. Madness attracted madness.
“Daniel…” He jerked as her slender hand touched his shoulder. He hadn’t heard her approach. It meant his senses were starting to dull.
“Daniel, wake up. You’re scaring me!”
He snapped his head up. Instead of relief when he realized he wasn’t in the cave any longer, fury ignited like a firestorm within him.
He didn’t know how he got free. He didn’t care. He grabbed her, pinning her beneath him. As his claw encircled her throat, squeezing the life out of her, Daniel smiled.
* * * *
Shelby couldn’t breathe. Her body bucked up against Daniel’s, her hands shoving at his chest and the solid mass of cold, lifeless fury he had suddenly become. It was no use. He outweighed her by two hundred pounds of muscle. She didn’t have a chance against him.
“Speak, woman!” he roared, his pupils lengthening as his talon tightened around her throat. “What did you do to me?”
“Daniel.” As she gasped his name, his gaze suddenly focused, the terrifying, faraway look in his eyes fading. Reaching up, she grasped both sides of his face so he had to see her. “Can’t…breathe.”
His entire body went rigid as he stared down at her. Suddenly, in the space of a heartbeat, he was on the opposite side of the bed. He doubled over, sucking in huge gulps of air. “Shelby?”
“I’m here.” She didn’t know which one of them was shaking harder, but she was familiar with nightmares. Wherever his head had taken him, it had tormented him.
Moving as slowly as she could so as not to spook him, she stood up and closed the distance between them. Her heart was still pounding furiously as she
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