Page 33 of Claimed By the Dragon

“No. Not until you understand.”

She swallowed. “I understand. I’ll talk to Bram and see what can be done.”

Confusion tinged his voice. “About what?”

“About freeing you from the burdens you don’t want.”

With a growl, he tugged and turned her to face him.

At the flashing eyes, filled with something dangerous, her voice died in her throat.

He quickly stated, “What I want is not good for you, Grace.”

Frowning, she blurted, “What are you talking about?”

He stepped closer, to the point she could feel the heat of his body. His grip gentled before he strummed his thumb against her inner wrist. Back and forth, slowly, making her skin heat and her heart pound.

And she waited, hoping for the impossible but trying her best to tamp down her expectations.

Trahern had tried to enforce distance and walls, he really had.

No matter how much harder it’d become to leave her each day, he’d tried to protect Grace. From him. From his possible obsession.

From his dragon’s yearnings and cravings.

It had seemed the only rational option, to spend as little time as possible with her. And yet, this morning, when she’d thought he didn’t want her as his mate, something had snapped.

And now his dragon growled and paced as he said,Don’t you bloody dare let her leave us. She’s ours. Stop fighting it. Stop fighting me.

Over the past weeks, he’d managed to convince his beast to drop the matter. To let him focus on work and research and anything but Grace and the boys.

It’d grown a little harder each day, but Trahern had remained in control.

Now, however, he sensed his dragon’s uneasiness, as if he might snap and go rogue.

He said to his beast,Don’t do this.

She is our mate. Whilst I can wait to claim her completely, I need her. She must remain ours. Don’t push her away again.

What can I do? I’m not like other people. If I allow her too close and she decides to leave, I will not survive it.

His dragon’s voice gentled a little, but was still gruff as he said,If you don’t let her in and push her away, I won’t survive it.

Trahern’s dragon had never been dramatic or said things he didn’t mean, which made the words all the more serious.

Despite their fractious relationship over the years, Trahern had taken secret comfort in the second presence inside his head. Even if they hadn’t spoken much since the incident years ago, it’d helped him feel a little less alone.

He couldn’t fail his beast.

And yet, he didn’t want to hurt Grace, either.

His dragon spoke up again.You won’t. I’ve noticed how she looks at us with longing, and even rare glimpses of desire. She is already our mate by law. Why won’t you try to woo her in truth?

Trahern’s brain focused on the desire part of his dragon’s words.

Normally, the thought of his skin touching another’s, being dirtied by sweat and other bodily fluids, made him shudder and want to take a shower.

However, as Grace stared up at him with her dark brown eyes, her pulse beating under his thumb on her inner wrist, all he could think about was getting closer to her. Feeling more of her skin. Breathing in her scent. His eyes dropped to her mouth, wondering what she tasted like.