Page 2 of To Ignite a Dragon's Desire

It was my fault. I’d dared to hope.

Seeing Ember fall in love when she’d always been the closet romantic of our group and watching Willow take her first relaxed breath in years had done something to me.

I foolishly thought we’d be safe.

But I should’ve known…

“Put me down,” I whispered one last time, holding back the burning tears that I wouldn’t let fall. I’d stopped crying years ago, and learned to go numb instead when I got this afraid.

This beast wasn’t going to listen to me. I knew better than anyone that when monsters wanted something, they’d take it.

I was powerless.

Weak.

Done.

I was so fucking done.

Leaning forward a bit, I peered over the edge of the dragon’s claws.

Okay, maybe I wasn’tthatdone yet.

The thought of falling from this height into the crystal blue lake below had chills wracking my body. We were so far above the water, flying fast toward another mountain range.

I was going to be sick.

The wind whipped my hair into my face as the dragon banked left, letting out a terrifying roar. I swung to the side like a rag doll clutched in its claws, screaming along with him.

Then he corrected, cradling me softly as a worried whine came from within his throat.

That, I might have hallucinated.

But there it was, the shred of hope niggling the back of my mind that this beast wasn’t planning on eating or crushing me. Kieran had been kind to Ember. Rational, even. Maybe this one could be reasoned with. He might let me go when he turned into a man.

The thought had me spiraling again. My breath came short and fast.

I’d almost prefer he stayed as a dragon.

A nice, non-kidnapping dragon.

I didn’t like people, and my current track record with men wasn’t anything worth bragging about.

Still, there was the hope. That stupid little flicker of hope that was always there even on the darkest days. The one that said wake up, try again, and see if today is the one day where things turn out okay.

And if it wasn’t…

I could always run away.

As soon as this thing—

“Put. Me. Down!”

2

Lucan

To the Nest

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