Page 15 of Hunter

Hunter realizedwithin seconds that he had made a mistake in allowing his dragon to justappearin front of Zoey.

Her face had instantly gone deathly white, and she’d fallen back onto the sand before using her feet and hands to scramble away from him. Her eyes were no longer that joyful and clear green, but the color of bruised leaves in spring. Her mouth was slightly agape. Her chest was barely moving up and down as she obviously had a problem drawing air into her lungs.

Everything about her said she was seconds away from either fainting away completely or jumping to her feet and running to her car before driving away from here, and him, as if the devil himself was snapping at her heels.

Or a dragon.

The dragon he now knew he shouldn’t have so suddenly revealed to her.

“Could you stay calm and just breathe for me, Zoey?” he encouraged gruffly.

“You know my name? Of course you know my name,” she answered herself with obvious disgust. “I’m in the parallel universe where a thirty-foot-tall silver dragon has suddenly appeared in front of me. No surprise it’s now talking to me andcalling me by my name.” Her voice was rising higher and higher in her distress. “And now it’s asking me to remain calm. I don’t— Oh. My. God…” she gasped incredulously.

Because Hunter had decided the best way to defuse the situation was to reverse the process that had so alarmed her, and he was now shifted back to his human form.

Zoey’s eyes widened even further, and her chest stopped moving as she completely stopped breathing. Her eyelids fluttered as she gave a low groan before collapsing back onto the sand in a dead faint.

At least, Hunter hoped she had only fainted.

Perhaps less melodrama next time?The voice of his brother, Ranulf, sounded clearly inside his head through their fraternal mental link.

Fuck off, Hunter mentally shot back at him, even as he hurried to kneel beside Zoey.

Her chest was moving rhythmically up and down, so she was at least breathing now. But her face was still deathly pale, even her lips no longer having that natural cherry-red color.

Wait until this happens to you,he warned Ranulf.

I can’t wait, his brother assured wistfully.

Hunter instantly felt guilty.I know you can’t. I apologize.

No need. I’m happy for you. I also look forward to meeting your mate very soon, brother, Ranulf approved before ending the mental link.

Hunter put one of his arms beneath Zoey’s shoulders so that he could drape her across his knees and cradle the warmth of her torso against his chest.

Compared to his solid muscle, Zoey weighed virtually nothing at all, and yet Hunter had absolutely no doubt that he was holding his whole world in his arms.

She felt so soft. So warm.

Ours, his dragon purred in satisfaction.

Yes, that was exactly who Zoey was to them.

Because of that, he could no longer resist the longing he felt to lower his head and place a gentle kiss on her brow. Her skin was smooth and soft as velvet against his lips. Her scent was so deep inside him, it pervaded and claimed every inch of him.

Asshewould claim every inch of him.

Mate, his dragon purred again.

Hunter’s arms tightened about Zoey when she gave a low groan and began to move, indicating she was coming out of her faint.

Hunter could only hope, once she had, that she would give him enough time to explain before she followed her initial instinct to run to her car screaming and drive away from him.

He could follow her, of course. Easily. But he would rather she accepted his dragon than have her run away from him. Not just for his sake, but because of the danger Wallis represented to anyone who stood in the way of him obtaining the knowledge that dragons were real.

The next few minutes after Zoey came out of her faint were going to be vital to the future of both of them.

Zoey could feelthere was something, some thought that was urgent and desperate for acknowledgment as it pressed for her attention as the layers of darkness began to part, then evaporated completely, before she came back to full consciousness.

---