Page 76 of To Match A Dragon's Fire

“What makes sense?” Ember pressed.

I had questions too. But mostly I wanted to know more about this side of my mate that I hadn’t gotten to explore yet.

“I figured it had to be more than insta-lust.” Willow waved her hand, motioning between the two of us. “The coincidence was too strong. Him being here when we arrived and the way you two just clicked. It was meant to be.”

Fear laced through me as I glanced at Ember from the corner of my eye, wondering how she’d take that. Willow had somehow stumbled very close to the truth.

Ember just smiled with a wistful shake of her head. “Fate is for fairy tales. Not for women like me.”

My dragon wanted to soar across the sky.

She didn’t deny it.

She just didn’t think she deserved it.

I was going to—

“The others who live with you,” Riley interrupted my train of thought, “the elders. Iassumed you were running a retirement home. Are they a part of your knowledge hoard?”

“They are.” I nodded.

“Gross.” Harper scrunched her little nose. “You collect old people?”

I laughed louder than I had since I was a hatchling, causing the women to join in.

“I can’t take you guys anywhere,” Ember groaned as she put her forehead on the table.

“You love us.” Willow patted the top of her head. “Anyway, what’s your story, Kieran? Why did you move to this spot?”

“The runes are here,” I started to explain once I caught my breath, sobering as I wondered how much to divulge. It would take time for them to trust me—to agree to my plan.

Time we didn’t have.

“Wait?” Ember turned her head, peeking up at me as her cheek rested on the table. “Runes? What runes?”

“You’ve gone and done it now.” Riley sighed as she reached for another sandwich. “This is Ember’s fantasy.”

“Fantasy?” I arched a brow.

Ember sat straight up. “I majored in English with a minor in linguistics and an emphasis on lost languages.”

I…

I was shocked silent.

Not because I didn’t believe her, but because the fire in her eyes was so much like my own that I cursed myself for not noticing before.

“My ex-husband, Tony, he told me it was a stupid degree,” Ember began to speak faster. I noticed she did that when she was nervous.

A protective growl rumbled in my chest.

She placed her hand on my shoulder, soothing my beast without even realizing it as she continued, “Technically, he was right. I haven’t been able to use my degree since I graduated. And even if I could’ve, I couldn’t afford to take low-paying positions while trying to pay off the debt I got saddled with in the divorce. Waitressing and bartending had better tips so I chased the money instead.”

My face fell as I felt the weight on her shoulders she shouldn’t have had to carry.

And he stole from her, even after that? It made the taste of his blood that much sweeter.

“There’s something I want to show you,” I said. It wouldn’t make up for what he’d done, but I hoped she’d feel some justice in it.

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