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Now, his wings were folded against his frame but were huge and collapsed, so she could imagine how expansive they would be in flight.

She wanted to see him fly one day. There was a horn at the tip of his wing, and since she could not reach the others on top of his head, even with his head resting on the floor, she stepped closer to him and wrapped both her hands around the bulky extension and rubbed up and down feeling the smooth areas in between the roughened spots.

Suddenly, the dragon’s enormous body shook like a shiver had run through him. When she did it again, his mass quaked against her.

Kai laughed. “You like that, do you?”

A rumble sounded within his chest.

She’d take that as affirmative. She stepped around the beast’s big feet with onyx-colored talon-like nails.

She figured they could separate marrow from bone with one slice.

Kai allowed her fingers to dance over his wings.

She would have thought that because his hide was so impervious, perhaps his wings were thin or frail, but that wasn’t the case.

They were supple and had some give to them, but they were still highly durable.

She couldn’t go far since he took up so much of the space, but she continued to study him. When she turned and began the trip back toward his front, she became caught in the dragon’s gaze again. This time, his eyes were Aodh’s color once again.

She wasn’t sure when he’d inched his head around to stare at her, but he faced her.

“So, what’s it going to be?” She stepped to the side, no longer touching him. “You going to flambe me or accept me?”

The dragon seemed to respond to her words. All of a sudden, he rose and shifted around. Amazingly, he moved his body in the tight space like it was nothing.

She felt stalked. Kai wanted to stand her ground, but he kept advancing on her, causing her to step back so as not to be crushed under his heavy feet, knocked on her ass again by his head, or, even worse, gouged by his spear-like tail.

When her back was to the glass door of the patio, which she now understood why it was enormous, she stopped.

There wasn’t anywhere else to go unless she ran out to the balcony and leaped off the ledge.

She refused to do that. So, she waited for the beast’s next move.

The dragon whipped its head to the side toward the living room, and then, in a flash and without preamble, he shot a stream of fire into the grate. Turning back to her, he pulled his lips back into a creepy, sharp, toothy...grin.

Kai’s heart pounded, and she wondered for a moment if his docile persona had been all an act to draw her in and catch her unaware. “So, I guess you’ve opted for eating me instead.”

Aodh said he was there and he would be with her. But, right now, seeing canary-colored eyes surveying her, the man she was beginning to fall for seemed so far away.

When the beast didn’t snap her head off but continued to observe her, Kai dug deep for every ounce of bravery she had left after the day she’d had.

She took one step, then two, and finally, a third away from the glass, and said, “If you’re going to make me your snack, let’s get it over with.

” She placed her hands on her hips and stuck out her chest. “I know I’ve got some curves, but try and make it over in one bite. ”

The beast’s mouth opened wide, and more of his sharp, gruesome teeth appeared—too many teeth.

Kai went on, despite her apprehension and the stupidity in taunting something who could kill her in many ways, “Just remember, when Aodh claims his body back, you are going to have a lot of explaining to do.” She threw her hands up at her side.

“And who knows the next time he’ll let you out. ”

The curious color was gone In a bl”nk, ’nd violet took over.

Great, he thinks this is funny. Like I’m a joke. That pissed her off. She pointed a finger at him. “Look, dra-gon, either kill me or get Aodh out here.”

Kai wasn’t sure if browbeating a beast who could step on her and end her life in a flash was wise, but she refused to stand here and let him play with her like she was a ball of yarn and him a big cat.

Just as he did when he first came out, the beast raised its head, up, up and puffed out its chest. However, when she was going to mock him about being prideful, she realized a change had happened along his underbelly.

She gasped.

It was no longer the dense, orange color, but it was glowing bright reddish-orange as if a fire blazed inside, which wouldn’t be a stretch since he was a fire-breathing dragon.

First, it radiated from his throat to the underside of his tail, and then it began to condense.

It drew in from his tail and throat until nothing remained but a small area at the center of its chest.

“Gracious.”

The inner blaze seemed to pulse.

Kai couldn’t help the draw she felt to it. She glided her foot forward, but common sense halted her movement. She didn’t want to get taken in by him again and for him to harass her once more for his enjoyment.

Then he leaned his chest down gradually as if he didn’t want to startle her with any sudden moves. When his chest was a few feet away, the dragon stopped. He remained there, hovering above her, but still.

Kai glanced up at his head and saw his eyes had become emerald. Serene and composed, he seemed to wait her out. Unable to resist, she closed the distance between them. She raised one of her hands this time and pressed it directly over the illuminated area.

It was hot and not just warm, but it felt like she was placing her hand into a fire. The instinct to draw it away was heavy on her. But, some part of her assured her that he, the dragon, Aodh’s dragon, wouldn’t hurt her or burn her. Continuing on instinct, she pressed against it, firm.

Initially, the radiated area was as wide as a big platter they used to serve food on in the hall downstairs, but it began to shrink.

It was just a little larger than her hand when she started to feel the vibrations.

There was a rhythmic thrumming beneath her palm.

The tempo seemed erratic at first and way too fast, causing the tremors to travel up her arm through her chest and into her core.

When it began to match the cadence of her heartbeat, that same heat that scalded her palm grew and swelled inside her.

Kai felt overwhelmed with emotion. Her throat constricted, and her eyes blurred as they leaked hot rivers of tears down her cheeks.

They dripped onto the floor, sizzling on impact with the cold, stone surface.

She then realized he was transferring just a fraction of his commanding fire within her. That somehow, he had found her worthy enough to carry the tiny torch.

One thing became clear right then. “You are the God of Fire.” The words came of their own volition. “Mckenna.”

Kai understood it wasn’t the man Aodh, whom the people of the Thunder paid respect to with the honorific, but the Dragon King within him.

Without breaking contact with her, the beast lowered its massive head and blew out a long stream of snowy white smoke. It was opaque, and the more that surrounded her, the harder it was for her to see anything. The only thing she was aware of was the heated contact.

Then she felt his hands. Aodh’s hands cupped her face.

“Mckenna.” Her hand now lay on his bare chest as the incredible heat still coursed between them. Showing there was no difference between man and beast.

“Little flame,” he whispered her name before he dragged her into his arms and claimed her mouth as the God of Fire had claimed her soul.