Page 69 of Daman

“Breathing ice can only be done in our full dragon form,” I explained. “Weather manipulation is another ability, though it burns through a lot of mana. Bringing about a sudden ice storm or blizzard can disorientate an enemy or obscure our location. The intense cold can affect their movements too, giving us the upper hand.”

“So you can’t breathe fire? Only ice?”

I nodded.

“What can you do in your hybrid form?”

“I’ll show you.”

My blood sang as I called forth the dragon that waited beneath my skin. Unlike when shifting into my full dragon form, the hybrid one took way less strength. And it felt as natural as my human one. Senses were heightened as that animalistic part of me awoke; the smell of snow filled my nostrils, along with Daman’s scent of earth and spring water, and my eyesight sharpened, allowing me to see farther. The energy in the air around me hummed in my veins.

“Fuck,” Daman said under his breath, gaze dancing across my face and then down my body.

Did he find me strange like this? Unsettling? He’d seen me like this once before, but I cared more now. I kept a human shape, though my skin was now covered in pale white scales, light blue horns sprouted from my head, and my nails were pointed into sharp claws. My eyes faintly glowed too and appeared more reptilian.

“You’re beautiful.” He smoothed his fingers across my cheek.

My heart squeezed. I’d never get used to him saying that. I removed my glove and held up my hand. “In this form, our senses are enhanced, as is our strength. We can’t breathe ice, but we can shoot it from our fingertips.”

“Like Jack Frost?” Daman smirked.

“Are you mocking me?” Ice crystals sparked in the air before I created an ice dagger. “Jack Frost has nothing on me.”

“There’s that competitive nature.” Daman grabbed the dagger, turning it in his hand. “This is too cool.”

“Literally.”

He snorted a laugh and examined the dagger. “I feel energy humming in the blade.”

“It was created from using my stored mana, so it’s stronger than any ordinary piece of ice.”

“Magical ice daggers. Fucking badass. You know. It can probably kill demons too. Using mana enhances the effectiveness.” Daman returned the weapon to my hand before touching my cheek again. “I want to fuck you like this.”

My face felt like a furnace as I broke eye contact. Sex in this form would be the ultimate intimacy, more so than what we’d already shared. For dragons, the hybrid form was celebrated, and when we took mates, sharing this part of ourselves was a great honor.

I wanted to share it with him.

Later.

For now? We needed to prepare for war.

Chapter Eleven

Daman

Lights danced along the evergreen tree and reflected in the windows behind it as Warrin and I strung popcorn and cranberries on the branches. I lightly bumped his arm, and he flashed one of his shy smiles that made my heart flutter.

Crazy to think that only two days ago, he’d been awkward to even touch me. And now, he pressed close to me and smiled a lot more. I was seeing who Warrin really was, the man beneath the battle-hardened soldier.

We hung wooden ornaments, the crackling fire keeping me toasty and warm despite the snowstorm raging outside the cottage.

Decorating the yule tree with him helped fill that void in my chest from missing my brothers. Christmas Eve was always a big affair at the mansion, filled with laughter, food, and them being total idiots.

“Are you okay?” Warrin asked, forehead scrunching.

“Yeah.” I hung another ornament. It was in the shape of a snowflake. “Just wondering what my dumbass brothers are doing.”

“What do you normally do on this night?”