Page 31 of The Mating Claim

“Your file. It contains everything aboutyou.”

Glancing up, he saw blood drain from her face as she hugged herself. “Not a pretty story. Sure you wouldn’t rather read a romance novel? My book is pretty…grim.”

He hunted through the file, flipping through it by waving a hand. Drust read at lightning speed, absorbing details of her childhood, her foster home, her mother, her close relationship with Evie and her lifenow.

When he shut the file, his hands shook with rage. Needing to calm himself, he waved a hand so the filedisappeared.

“Excuse me a moment,” he said tightly. “I shall returnmomentarily.”

Then he walked into Lacey’s backyard, and shifted into dragon. Drust took to the skies, winging on the breeze, soaring higher and higher. When he achieved enough altitude, he released his anger androared.

Wispy clouds scattered and ice coated the air, crystals of pure cobalt blue. Drust dove into a headfirst dive, fury consuming him. He landed with a loud thud on her back lawn, the earth shuddering from theforce.

Shifting back, he clothed himself in his uniform of cobalt blue tunic, trousers and soft doeskin boots. With considerable effort, he controlled his still seethingrage.

Who would do that to an innocent child? He thought of Xavier’s mischievous Sonia, Tristan’s adorable twins and their parents turning into monsters, giving them nothing but abuse and cruelty instead of love andaffection.

Leaning over, he braced his hands on his knees, feeling his gorgerise.

After a few moments, the nausea passed. Taking a deep breath, he strode into the house through the kitchendoor.

Lacey still sat at the table, her gaze watching him. “It was that bad, huh? The list of all mymisdeeds?”

Stunned, he realized she thought her file was all her wrongdoings, not what had been done wrong toher.

Drust strode up to her, and gently clasped her shoulders, studying her worried green eyes, the slight sprinkle of freckles on her nose and cheeks. She was healthy and tan, though far too thin for a femaledragon.

He wondered how she’d endured all those years with a foster mother who should have loved her, and instead, treated her like a kickeddog.

Reading her aura, he saw her fears and worries about herself, and for her foster sister Evie. The one person who’d helped her endure and kept her screaming and alive andkicking.

Drust brushed back a lock of brown hair from her cheek. “Evie and Chase are doing well. They eloped to Scotland and they’re honeymooning on the Isle of Man. I thought you’d like to know that. They arehappy.”

Two lines dented her brow. “I was thinking about them, especially Evie. How did you know.. oh, you read mymind?”

“I read your aura. It is less intrusive. And I saw in your file, which is not a recording of your misdeeds…” he touched her nose, “as mischievous as you can be, Lacey, but a recording of your life. Your entirelife.”

Two big woebegone eyes met his gaze. “It wasn’t very pretty. Must have made for crappy readingmaterial.”

“I’ve read worse.” But never had he read words that infuriated him as much as the black ink on the parchment. As if he shared a special connection with this young, rebelliousdragon.

Her lips quirked in a slight smile. “I hope you skipped over the part where I ate the filling on all my foster mother’s Oreo cookies and then filled them with toothpaste. I did it before leaving for summer camp so she couldn’t punishme.”

“That part was most entertaining. You were a naughty girl,” he saidsoftly.

Her gaze finally cleared and sparked with the life he admired. “Still am. I have to keep up my rep. Whatcha gonna do about it,wizard?”

Drust’s gaze dropped to her mouth. Kissing her back at the bar had been impulsive, brought on by fury over that male taunting her and mishandling her. It was a kiss. Nothingmore.

So why did he have the urge to do it again? And again, coaxing her mouth to respond to him and drawing her into the dance of passion until she surrendered to what they both felt for eachother?

He inhaled deeply.Must control this. She’s your charge. Offlimits.

But he had to admit to himself he wanted her the way a man wants a woman in the night. Drust drew in another deep breath and took five steps back, away from the sweet temptation of her mouth as she licked herlips.

“It’s late and you require rest. You are run down for what faces you ahead. In the morning, we shalltalk.”

Lacey narrowed her eyes. “I suppose you’re right. I’m wiped out. But if you think I’m going to blab over bacon and eggs and hash browns you whip up for me, you’rewrong.”