Page 39 of Brushed By Moonlight

I wasn’t going to get much sleep anyway. Not with one corner of my mind fixated on Mina and another on what might be lurking out there.

“Did you tell Mina?” Henrik asked.

“Tell Mina what?” she demanded, appearing in the doorway.

I glared at Henrik, though the bastard just looked amused.

“Tell Mina about what we found in the forest,” Bene said smoothly. “Biggest mushroom I’ve ever seen. You have some serious fungi out there.”

I rolled my eyes. No way would Mina buy that.

But somehow, Bene pulled it off by chuckling. “I was going to bring it back and ask Madame Picard to bake some magic cookies for us, but I figured she might not approve.”

Mina’s expression said she didn’t approve either, but whew. The comment had been enough to distract her.

“Should you even be up and around?” I asked, suddenly anxious. “Shouldn’t you be resting? Concussions are serious, you know…”

I knew because I’d spent an hour on my phone researching it. Shifters didn’t have to worry about such things, but humans did.

“I’m fine,” she insisted. “Really.”

“You do look better.” Bene leaned closer to her in surprise. “Wait. You actually look good.”

She stuck her hands on her hips. “Gee, thanks.”

“No, I mean…” Bene stepped closer. “Your eye. It looks better. Much better. Wow.”

I’d developed a habit of keeping my gaze glued to the floor around Mina, because anytime our eyes met, sparks flew. But now, I looked up — and did a double take.

Without thinking, I marched over and cupped her jaw, tilting her face gently to the light.

Her mouth fell open in a protest, but our eyes locked, and yep. Sparks. A whole Bastille Day’s worth — plus everything we Swiss ignited on August first — along with a burst of heat that raced through my veins.

Her features mirrored her grandmother’s fine porcelain, so my hand wrapped a long way around her face. And, hell. It took everything I had to fight the urge to kiss her.

“Wow. Much better.” Roux was just over my shoulder, but his murmur came from miles away.

Mina’s lips twitched, making my breath hitch.

Focus,I ordered myself.

Her eye was still bruised, but barely a shadow now rather than the bulging rainbow of ugly colors I’d expected. How was that possible?

Henrik leaned in and hooted. “Now I understand.”

Mina’s eyes cut from me to the vampire, making me hate him more than ever.

“Understand what?” Bene asked.

“She’s not human.” Henrik stabbed an accusing finger at Mina.

She jutted her chin defiantly. “Never said I was.”

“Wait a minute. Not human?” Bene came closer, wrinkling his nose to sniff.

Mina stepped back, out of my grip.

Dragons didn’t whimper, but man, did I come close.