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“No, you don’t. Not any more than I hate you.”

“I want to hate you,” she whispered. “I want to, but—”

“I know the feeling,” Arrik found himself saying, because it was true. He smoothed his fingers down Wren’s chin to her neck, tracing the line of the throbbing artery there. If it was anything to go by, then her heart was beating just as fast as his was. “And yet…I find that I need you.”

She released a bark of grim laughter. “You need me? You mean you need to use me?”

“We need each other.”

Wren’s attention snapped to his face. “What are we doing?”

“Nothing and everything.”

A long moment of silence passed as she stared up at him. What was she looking for?

“Why can’t I escape you?” she whispered.

“Because we’re inevitable,” he murmured back.

He blinked slowly as she lifted up on her toes and pressed closer. Wren gave Arrik a ghost of a smile, and he found himself captivated by the gleam that entered her eye. His attention moved to her lips that beckoned him as she pressed her chest against his. His body surged to life and Arrik stooped lower to meet her as unchecked desire filled him. What was it about this woman that temped him so?

To kiss her. To kiss his wife, the Dragon Princess.

He cocked his head to the side, finding a better angle. Just a little taste. He felt his own eyes closing as he lowered his lips to—

A violent knee to his manhood knocked Arrik to his knees. He grunted and glared up at his vile little dragon. She kicked him in the chest, toppling him onto his back. She then scrambled to snatch her fallen sword off the ground and took off running.

“Wait!” he growled, climbing to his feet as pain threatened to make him heave.

She never paused as she sprinted through the trees, disappearing like the nymph she was.

“You’re a fool.”

His father’s taunt echoed in Arrik’s mind. How could he be so stupid to believe she would kiss him willingly? The man she believed was responsible for her family’s deaths.

Don’t lose her.

He worked through the pain and recovered quickly, crashing through the trees after her. Arrik smiled as he caught sight of her cloak. He pushed himself faster and closed the distance between them in a manner of seconds.

Before Wren even made it to the forest proper, Arrik grabbed her hood and yanked hard. She cried as he threw her mercilessly to the ground, dropping down on her to hold her in place.

“Pretty little trick,” he breathed, wrapping his hands around Wren’s wrists, pinning them above her head to stop her from moving. He growled as she wiggled beneath him, making him want to act like the beast she accused him of. She was so petite compared to him. Wren was curvier than the elven women of his culture, and shorter, but he…loved it. Why was she so appealing?

His little dragon gnashed her teeth, squirming beneath him, and released a pitiful growl. Arrik found himself throwing his head back in laughter. “Was that supposed to be frightening, wife? It was tiny. Just like you.”

“I’m not tiny. I’m…” she trailed off as a shadow crossed overhead, along with a whip of air that snapped through Arrik’s hair.

Arrik yelled when a massive force slammed into his side, tossing him through the air. He rolled and landed on his back, breath knocked out of him. His eyes widened and he wheezed as a massive paw settled on his chest and held him in place.

A dragon.

A massive, glinting, midnight-colored dragon, its jewel eyes slits as they took in the sight of its prey.Him. He was the prey.

Was this how he died? All of his countless battles won, and kingdoms conquered, for what? For a creature of the isles to dig its claws into his flesh and rend him asunder.

Not today.

He bared his teeth, refusing to be cowed by the dragon. His mother had once told him that beasts always attacked when they sensed weakness. He’d give the dragon none.