Page 57 of Dragon Unleashed
The wind is delicious against my scales.
My own weightlessness and sense of freedom up here in the wide open is heightened after days of confinement. Finally. My dragon can breathe up here.
And yet, with every mile I soar farther from Paige, the ache in my chest grows more painful.
I force myself to keep going, knowing the flight will do me good in the end. Besides, it’s not like I can force my way into her workspace and have my way with her...
Though, the mental images of doing just that nearly send me into a head-on collision with a flock of geese.
Their cries alert me, and at the last second, I swerve wildly to avoid hitting the group, each one spread out from the other so that they form a “V” formation.
Speaking of V...
Knowing Paige’s body has never belonged to anyone but me is something I can’t forget. That she gave herself to me first—my dragon is way too fucking satisfied with himself over that one.
No matter how hard I try to distract myself, Paige consumes my thoughts. Her beauty, her responsiveness, her passion—everything about her is pure pleasure. I’ve wanted her since the moment I laid eyes on her that first night. And while my interest in her is not ideal for the situation, it’s nothing compared to the recognition my dragon felt for her last night.
Despite the impossibility of it, my dragon is certain.
Paige Murphy is my true mate.
Not any of the women my mother has paraded before me. And not the maidens my brother has suggested I “sample” just to be sure.
It's Paige.
The absurdity of being yanked out of my own world and into this one only to find the woman I’ve searched my realms to find is almost humorous. Almost.
If I weren’t faced with only two futures to choose from, neither of which offers a happy one.
My dragon balks at the thought.
To appease it, I swoop low, angling so that my wing trails over the surface of a pristine lake below. I’ve flown far from the city with only mountains and grassy valleys between them as far as my eye can see.
It’s beautiful. But the ache in my chest is unbearable now, so I turn back again, climbing higher until the clouds swallow me up. If this is what it’s like to be mere miles from my mate, stepping through a portal to another land without her beside me isn’t even an option to consider.
I have to find another way.
* * *
Paige arriveshome looking more tired than usual. I hand her the wine I’ve already poured in anticipation of her arrival, and the smile she flashes me stirs my cock instantly.Fuck, this is not the time.
“You clearly know the way to my heart,” she declares, sipping generously before making her way to the couch.
If only I did.
Instead of answering, I lower myself into the chair beside her and wait, trying to come up with the right words to test my plan.
Paige sips her drink, oblivious to my struggle. “Oh, hey, you cleaned up,” she remarks, glancing around the room. “Thank you.”
I grunt an acknowledgment of her words, distracted. Finally, she notices my silence and peers at me over the rim of her glass.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, worry pinching her features as she glances toward the closet. “Did you find another stalker tunnel?” She leans forward, suddenly stricken. “Did that shadow asshole return?”
“No,” I assure her, “Nothing like that.
“Then what is it?”
“My dragon has been tense,” I admit.
