Page 16 of Into the Dawn (The Arcadians #4)

Layla was still there, busy cooking in the kitchen.

That wasn’t surprising. But what Kylie found slightly alarming was that she could also hear Abby and Buddy’s voices as they spoke to Dominic.

While Layla’s parents were both pretty open minded, Kylie felt weird about them meeting her alien dragon shifter mates while she was in a coma.

The loud volume hurt her head and made her ears ring just like it did after performing at a concert with her in-ear monitors on. She really wished everything outside of the bathroom would just quiet down, then was surprised when it actually happened.

Before she could dwell on her hearing issues, Ronan moved onto using the handheld shower head to rinse the shampoo from her hair. When he began working a handful of conditioner through her hair, she realized someone had obviously given him some tips since the last time they had bathed her.

“Your friend, Layla, informed us that there is protocol we must follow to wash your hair properly. Forgive us for not knowing better until now,” he said, sounding remorseful.

“We have no need for soap or shampoo on Arcadia. The water back on our home world is different than yours. It is a pink, thick, gel-like substance that has healing and cleaning properties, so all we have to do is soak in it for a while to get clean.”

He’d mentioned that before, but she couldn’t tell him that. The water on his home world sounded fascinating to her, and she couldn’t wait to see it for herself.

Especially the sacred lake by the palace.

The way they had described it to her sounded magical. Although she enjoyed her beauty routines, she couldn’t imagine how much money she would save on bath and hair care products in the future.

“Once we have magic, you will not even have to bathe if you do not wish to. Nor will you have to style your hair or have clothing made. I do not know exactly how it works, but our friends use their magic to clean and dress themselves with a thought. It will be exciting to try it for ourselves, yet I feel it will take time to get used to.”

Kylie thought that sounded amazing.

Creating whatever she wanted to wear with a thought would be a dream come true, though that was not as fantastical as shifting into a fire-breathing dragon on a whim. Becoming an Arcadian was going to be lit, but it was also going to be a culture shock of epic proportions.

As Ronan’s fingers carefully slid through the thick strands of her hair, he continued to talk about his home world. When he shifted position on the bench, her head rolled on his shoulder until her lips brushed against the base of his neck.

She was momentarily distracted when her enhanced hearing picked up the rhythmic sound of his heartbeat. Each beat was like a beacon, drawing her inexorably closer. She felt her own pulse quicken, as if trying to synchronize with his.

The connection she felt toward him was magnetic.

Suddenly, a fierce hunger surged through her, frightening her with its intensity. It was a primal urge. A compulsion she couldn’t deny. Without thinking, she leaned forward until her lips were pressed against the side of his throat.

She couldn’t even open her eyes, but she hit the mark unerringly.

Before she could muster the will to resist, she used every ounce of energy she had to bite down on his neck.

The taste of his blood was both exhilarating and horrifying.

She was immediately repulsed by her actions, yet strangely satisfied as well.

The hunger was relentless. She only managed to hold on a few seconds before the energy drained from her body, leaving her weak and disoriented.

The realization of what she had done struck her, leaving her in a state of shock.

She had just attacked one of her mates.

What the hell?

Was the magical tonic turning her into a freaking vampire?

No, not a vampire. She was becoming a magic-wielding, dragon shifter.

Or not quite yet.

She hadn’t completed the bonding ritual with her mates. The magical tonic was clearly doing something besides healing her, though.

That thought was swept away as Kylie was flooded with a sense of raw satisfaction coming from Ronan.

As soon as her teeth released him, he shifted her in his arms. She didn’t even have the strength to gasp when he bit her.

It wasn’t just a normal bite, though. Shock skittered through her when she felt his teeth sink deep into her neck.

When the darkness tried to drag her under, she fought to stay awake. She had a million questions she wanted to ask him. Or better yet, she needed a peek inside his head to figure out what the hell was going on. Before she could freak out more, he let out a rumbling purr that instantly soothed her.

“You did not attack me. You just had an urge to complete the blood bond. Rest now, mate. We will have time for all your questions later,” Ronan promised.

No choice but to comply, she started to succumb to sleep again. Right before she did, the realization struck that he hadn’t spoken out loud. Somehow, he had spoken to her directly in her mind. That was going to either make things a whole lot easier or way more complicated.

Either way, she would have to deal with the fallout the next time she woke.