Page 6 of The Heart of the Dragon

It was a potent blend of wild and earthy, with just a touch of sweetness lingering beneath it all, enveloping me in an intensity that made it impossible to ignore. But it wasn't just her scent that caught my attention. There was also the way her heartbeat raced when she'd realized she wasn't alone in that graveyard.

I'd felt the pulse of her unease and tasted adrenalin in the air, as if it were a physical force. The scent of her anxiety tinged the space between us, crackling with energy and making me feel more aware of my surroundings than ever.

That moment had hung there for several long seconds as the possibility of danger and uncertainty had surrounded her.

I'd felt the desire to protect her as strongly as I'd thirsted for her fear.

Now. Here. She had relaxed into what looked like a routine, and her appearance seemed to brighten what had felt like a dreary place.

I didn't come here often. I usually preferred to stay hidden away. But some nights, when I couldn't sit still another second, I came in and picked a spot away from the others where I could observe alone and without questions.

As quickly as she froze when she spotted me, she shook her head and turned to the man calling her. "Yeah, I'm coming." She scooped up the serving spoon from the floor and with one long, hard look thrown over her shoulder in my direction, she disappeared through the double doors that led behind the serving counter.

Satisfied that she was safe for now, I turned my concentration back to the stew in front of me. I still couldn't understand why I couldn't get enough. I was already on my fourth bowl, and I fully expected the man to refuse me another.

However, I caught the scent of the fresh stew being ladled and I hurried through this one so I could take another. I glanced around the room at the men gathered. I generally preferred my own company to others. Tonight, however, I was interested in learning more about this world. And more importantly, finding the key to get back home.

Thoughts of blood and violence filled my head again as I imagined returning to the fae realm and murdering my uncle.The dragon wanted to tear his head from his body and I was inclined to let him.

My dragon stirred, his agitation still running high despite my attempts to appease him with another long and grueling flight.

"Excuse me."

I jerked at the sudden sound of the woman's voice, practically in my ear. She was close. Too close. How she'd managed that without my noticing astounded me. That never happened.

Ever.

"What?" I asked harshly, without looking up while pulling on my cloak to ensure I still had the hood covering most of my face.

"John said you might want more of the stew. I made a fresh batch."

"You made it?" I said, tilting my head just enough to see she did indeed have another bowl in her outstretched hands.

"I did. It's my mother's recipe, but I tweaked it to make it my own."

I examined her fingers, almost white knuckling the bowl. They were long and delicate, and I imagined them soft to the touch when they brushed my skin. I shook my head of that crazy notion. She did not look like the kind of woman to be trifled with, nor did I want to risk her finding out what I was.

If there was one message Isaac and Kitra kept pounding into my head, it was humans could not know our kind existed. There were many secrets in this world, and it was our job to keep them.

Meaning no intimate indiscretion with a human would go unnoticed. Not when she saw the differences in my anatomy to a human’s.

Fortunately, the beat of her heart distracted me. It was racing now, much like it had in the graveyard, and it took all my willpower not to look up at her. But the sound called to me.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. I breathed deep, trying to relax.Thump. Thump. Thump.

"I shouldn't have come," I said, dropping my spoon into my empty bowl and pushing it away.

"What? Of course you should. That's why we're here. You're welcome to eat as much as you like and stay as long as you need." She looked out the window, a soft wistful look on her face. "It's cold and wet out there."

"I don't need your charity." That was the truth. But when I first spied this place I'd been curious about an old castle on the top of a hill with a cemetery in its front yard.

And when I'd found its abandoned basement... It had become the perfect place to hide.

"It's not charity. It's kindness, and everyone deserves that."

I scoffed. "Don't be so sure about that. Some of the people you so carelessly invite in here are dangerous, and you should take more care who you consort with."

Her sharp inhale of breath signaled her annoyance, as did the equally sharp change in her scent. She was angry, and as far as I was concerned, that was a good way for her to be. She really did need to be more careful.

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