Page 20 of The Mating Claim
“I get it,” he saiddryly.
Drust shook his head, deeply amused. This dragon irked him, frustrated him, and challenged him, and yet she made him feel more alive than he could everrecall.
And he had a duty to compel her into destroying the book, whether he did it through cajoling her or through force. Because the book was his overridingconcern.
He splayed his fingers over her face, wishing he could drill sense into her thick skull. “I have another call. A dragon has great need of my presence. You have two hours to come to your senses about the book. Do not use any spells from it or there will be bitter consequences for you. I’ll be back. You will do as Isay.”
But just before he vanished, he heard her mutter, “Not on your immortal life,wizard.”
Chapter 6
Although she was dragon,Lacey had the instinct of a hunted animal. When there was something that marked you as prey, you did not bring it out in the open and flauntit.
Especially not with the powerful Coldfire Wizard hunting you down. A wizard who now had embellished her with a tattoo that could track her at all times. She felt like a prisoner with an anklebracelet.
So while Drust was gone, hopefully preoccupied with another dragon, she went home and tucked the Book of Shadows into a safe hiding place. The spells within it would make a nice profit for her shop, but right now it proved too risky. Lacey shuddered as she remembered Drust turning Turbo Wizard on her. Not only had the temperature dropped thirty degrees, but the blue glow surrounding him resembled an electrical field. She knew if she dared touch him, she’ddie.
Never before had she seen such immense power before. Another shudder raced down her spine.Not that I wish to see itagain.
And yet he’d flirted with her, and she flirted back.Stupid me. Having sex with Drust would be more dangerous than getting near a nuclear reactor meltingdown.
Because a nuclear reactor would only killher.
Drust could cripple her emotionally forlife.
Why she felt this zany attraction for him, she did not know. Men had held little interest for her over the years, though she had dated a few. Once or twice she wondered if she was gay, but women held no interest, either. She just had no interest in having sex and thought herself asasexual.
Until meeting Drust. Then it was like someone flipped on a switch and all her lady parts sat up and said.Hello! You’ve been neglectingus!
Troubled, she pushed the idea of sex from her thoughts and went to her part-time job at a local restaurant. The bar bustled tonight with locals, all shifters, for it was a restaurant catering to Others. Mostly dragons and Lupines and few scraggly cougar shifters frequented The BurningTaco.
The food was not the only thing that burned. Tommy, the owner, kept several fire extinguishers handy. It was the only way he could insure theplace.
Tonight she’d been assigned to the patio. Lacey cringed as she belted on her apron over the jeans. Her white blouse was old, but clean and pressed, though a little too tight for her liking. At least the weather outside was cool, with the hint of a breeze that kept the cigar smoke at bay. Her nose wrinkled as she stepped onto the shaded wood deck. Dragons who smoked. It really made no sense toher.
For two hours she bustled, carrying plates of the nightly special to tables filled with hungry Others. Six dragon shifters crowded into the coveted corner table with its pristine view of the Intracoastal Waterway. They drank too much beer and were getting far too boisterous. One tried to cop a feel, but she danced aroundhim.
If she didn’t need the tips so badly, she would have kicked him where the sun didn’t shine, but as it was, she had to settle smiles and staying out ofreach.
As the sky darkened with the setting sun, she felt an odd shift in the air, a bump of pure energy that made her spine straight. Gooseflesh broke out on her forearms. Lacey set down a heavy tray of fish tacos and two bottles of scorching sauce. This table, filled with dragon shifters who only wanted to party, promised to be a good one tonight, with the food rolling in until closing, and the liquor aswell.
Thunder rumbled in the distance. Lacey squinted at the cloudless sky, streaked with orange and pink colors ofsunset.
Several dragons glanced upward as well, looking uneasy. A few dug out bills from their wallets, tossed them on the tables and scurriedaway.
As she started to set down the food plates, the dragon sitting at the head of the table shook his head. “Sorry sweetheart. We’ll pay next time, but we’re not sticking around for the fireshow.”
Her heart sank, but there was little she could do except watch them leave as if demons from hell pursued them. With a weary sigh, she sat on a chair vacated by thedragons.
Damn. There went her chance to make decent tips tonight. She wanted to bang her head against the woodpost.
Instead, she stood, and carried the heavy tray back to the kitchen. The cook was far from pleased, but again, it wasn’t herfault.
“This comes out of your check,” hegrowled.
Lacey blinked. “I wasn’t the one driving themoff.”
“Doesn’t matter!” Scowling, he turned his attention to theorders.
