Page 70 of His Greatest Treasure

“Wait,” he said.

He slipped his coat off, the one I’d given him so long ago. I didn’t like to see him taking it off because it was something of mine that he kept with him all the time, and I liked that.

He held it out to me.

“Here, you can borrow my coat. So you’re not… naked.”

The way he phrased that made me feel good. It washiscoat. He’d liked my gift so much, it washisnow.

Then I processed the rest of that sentence and looked down at myself. Yep, I was naked. I guess I’d burst out of my sleep clothes when I’d shifted.

I knew that none of my family were particularlyshy because dragons needed to shift in and out of their dragon form, which meant being naked, but also I’d never done that and it made me flush red with embarrassment. I took Blaze’s coat and slipped it on, glad it was long enough to cover my ass.

Blaze’s fingers worked at the fastenings to make sure it was done up, and I smiled to myself that he was taking care of me. Or maybe he was just trying to get my junk out of sight.

The flash of memory of the last time Blaze had put his hands near my dick sent a wave of lust through me, and I backed away from him quickly, hoping I could stop that thought before I got hard.

I gave him a quick smile and then walked over to the dais where my father was standing, looking angry and cold.

“You know it is your duty to report any trespassers to me.”

I nodded. It wasn’t as though I could deny that. We all learned that before we could crawl.

“You have nothing to say?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about him because I know I should have reported him, but I- I’m not sorry I let him stay and I’m not sorry I didn’t tell you about him because you’d have sent him away.”

I paused. I’d just said two completely contradictory things there.

My father’s lips pressed together in a thin line and I felt his power gather to him, cold and angry. For the first time, I felt that clearly, whereas before I’d always just got a vague impression of it. He was drawing power to him.

Fascinated, I watched the power being drawn through his bonds. They were icy and brittle, and no wonder Father’s power always felt cold – he was taking the power from me, taking the heat and the fire.

I just stood there and stared at it. All those bonds. He drew the magic along the bonds from every member of the clan.

“You- you—”

I couldn’t think what to say. Which was a first.

I didn’t even realise I was backing away from him. My instinct was to get closer to Blaze. He needed me to protect him. Or maybe I needed him to protect me?

My father said, clearly and slowly, “All trespassers must be killed. It is your duty as a Somerville to protect this territory.”

I didn’t know what I would have said to that. I wasn’t sure what my dragon would do, either. It didn’t seem to want to talk, not the dragons could.It wanted to… do something else. Move in some way. I could feel its restlessness inside me.

I just couldn’t work out what it wanted.

Before I could try and respond to my father, though, Blaze stepped forward.

“Lord Somerville? I have protected your territory.”

My father turned his cold eyes on Blaze and, although he kept his face neutral, I saw the pulse of uncertainty in Blaze’s bond with me. I went to stand beside him and held his hand.

Lord Somerville looked down at the two of us and considered. He was still gathering power to himself and the chill in the air made me want to shiver.

“How have you guarded my territory, fire spirit?”

“The hag was laying spells at the borders that were destroying the protective spells. Each spell she put down grew and rotted the spells it touched.”

---