Page 3 of Claimed By the Dragon

Silence.

Maybe she was worried about him trying to assault her or coerce her. So he blurted, “You also don’t have to worry about me wanting sexual intercourse. I’m a virgin and have no need of it.”

He ignored Sid and Gregor’s gasps—dragon-shifters were usually virile creatures—and dared a glance at Grace’s face.

She frowned at him. “Why are you telling me this?”

“To prove I’m the best solution to your problem. I can help you, your children will be safe, and if they ever need medical attention, I will be right there. We’re still trying to determine if your captors gave you anything to harm you or them.”

Gregor muttered, “Trahern,” but he ignored the Scottish doctor. “Will you mate me now?”

After a few beats, Grace replied, “All right. I’ll need a lot of help learning about dragon-shifters to help my boys. Plus, having a doctor always there for my babies is what tips me into mating you. So: no feelings, no sex, and no expectations beyond not hurting each other.” She put out a hand. “Deal?”

He stared at her outstretched arm. Touching others was not exactly pleasant, and yet he wondered what her skin felt like. As soon as he took her hand to shake, a jolt shot up his arm and ended at his cock.

Her eyes met his and widened again, but this time in surprise. She quickly dropped his hand, and he resisted rubbing his palm against his trousers. He’d learned a long time ago to wash his hands after leaving. Otherwise, people seemed to get upset.

“Then let’s do the mating vows. I’ll start.”

Grace tilted her head. “Now?”

“We only need witnesses and a declaration. Well, and to sign the paperwork. As soon as we do this, I’ll ensure the paperwork is completed.”

“Okay,” Grace replied. “What do we do?”

“Well, I, Trahern Lewis, claim you as my mate. Do you accept the claim?”

“Er, yes.”

“Now you say the same, but change the names.”

Grace’s brows drew together, but she said clearly, “I, Grace Butler, claim you as my mate. Do you accept the claim?”

“Yes, that’s it. I’ll talk to Bram now.”

He nodded at Grace, avoided looking at Sid and Gregor, and walked out of the room, ignoring a flicker of need to stay near her.

But Grace was his mate in name only. Whatever this feeling was, it’d fade soon enough. It was probably just the newness ofsome female talking to him about something other than science, or not trying to run away from him at the earliest opportunity.

Yes, that was it.

And as he walked toward Bram’s cottage, he went through his list of tasks to complete for the day, penciling in a few more to help prepare Grace and her children for their new lives on Stonefire.

Chapter Two

The next two days flew by in a blur as Grace filled out DDA paperwork, took care of her sons, and tried her best not to look at the door and wonder if Trahern would visit.

He’d signed the mating paperwork and provided his mobile number in case of emergencies, but had been busy with some sort of research. In other words, she hadn’t seen him since the mating vows.

Which only reminded Grace that she was in this alone, for the most part, and she could never forget it.

After finishing her discharge papers, she stood staring at her twins asleep in a double pram, and uncertainty crashed over her. She didn’t know who to ask for directions, let alone where she could go to buy a few necessities, or even where Trahern’s cottage was located.

Especially since she was human and didn’t know if anyone would even help her.

For the first time, she wondered if it’d been a mistake to say she didn’t want to see any of the human women who’d tried to visit her. They could’ve at least given her a few tips and maybe drawn a map.

Eddie stirred in his sleep, and she readjusted the tiny hat on his head and smiled. He was the fussier of her boys. They were identical, with the same light brown skin, dark eyes, and bald heads. And yet, their personalities were already starting to emerge.