Page 46 of To Match A Dragon's Fire

I had much to do to set her at ease here, and I wasn’t sure where to begin. Filling her cabin with food was a start, but I’d help with her garden and cleaning up the property.

I should’ve done that anyway.

“Master Kieran.” Fredrick beat his fist at my door.

“I hate it when you call me that,” I grumbled. It was a childhood nickname. A joke that I’d be more of a scholar than I was, but I’d given up that life when I saw how much my cousins needed help.

Besides, there weren’t any brooding dragon youth left to be taught in recent centuries.

“Hurry,” Fredrick pleaded.

The tone of his voice yanked on my protective instincts. I reached out quickly, using my dragon’s senses I’d been ignoring to get a read on my territory and flock.

Damn him.“What is he doing here?”

I threw open the door, causing Fred to wheel backwards to get out of my way.

“Keep the women inside and away from the windows,” I commanded as I marched down the hall.

“About that…” Fredrick’s wheels squeaked as he kept pace behind me.

I sniffed the air, listening to the house. “What is she doing out of bed?”

I took off running. Panic threaded itself around my heart and squeezed.

Human female screams came from the back veranda as I flew outside.

“Move slowly. Get to the cabin.” Ember stood with her arms raised, keeping the women and child behind her, as she stared down the massive dragon with black and blue scales.

Lucan’s barbed tail swished from side to side. He lowered his snout to the ground and sniffed, cataloging Ember’s scent.

Rage filled me at the sight.

I roared my fury in human form, drawing his attention.Fuck.It wasn’t as if I’d planned to keep our identity a secret, but I figured I’d give it a few days at least to let them get used to the idea of dragons instead of… dinosaurs.

“Get back to the cabin,” Ember commanded again, turning her terror-filled eyes my way.

Something shot through me then. A fear I’d never known. It buried deep inside, twisting and churning in places that made me sick.

I scare her.

No.My beast’s temper filled my veins again as I marched toward my cousin.He frightens my mate.

Lucan bared his fangs and roared at me, causing hot wind to blow across the veranda.

Grace stood on the back porch shaking her head. Centuries ago, she might have broken this up before it started. But now all she could do was sigh. Fredrick and Catherine moved to her side, watching with amusement as I stalked forward.

I was going toslaughterhim.

Smoke billowed from my nostrils as the dispersed molecules gathered at my back, stretching to rearrange into my true form.

My wings unfurled as shadows tinged blood-red burst like an angry sun.

“It was you,” Ember gasped, walking backward as she herded the women along with her.

I stepped to the edge of the patio, blocking them from view.

“You’re trespassing,” I growled at the beast before me.

---