Page 36 of The Mating Claim
They arranged to meet in this glen, where she lost her maidenhead to him. They had been lovers for six months. Always he was careful, for he did not desire to father any bastards, so she took the herbs he gave her to preventpregnancy.
The dragon lord was charming, handsome and as they tumbled together naked on the forest floor, he made her cry out in pleasure time and again, until she lost all hersenses.
She lovedhim.
With all herheart.
I am afool.
Finally she gazed at him, studying those incredible blue eyes that blazed with passion when he’d tutored her in the art of love, and softened with tenderness each time they first saw eachother.
“Are you certain I am your heart, Drust? Or tis it another organ that concerns you more? Perhaps one tucked into yourtrousers?”
His mouth twitched with good humor. “You are impudent, Minda. That other organ belongs to you as well, my love. I cannot imagine even desiring another woman after having you. You are my heart and mysoul.”
Pulling down the collar of his tunic, he pointed to the dragon-shaped birthmark, a mirror of the one on her chest. “From the first moment we kissed, I knew we were destined bondmates, true mates meant to be together forever. Nothing will ever part us. Not even death, for we shall find each otheragain.”
Minda shivered. “I like that kind of talk less than I like talk of how we must keep our feelings secret, Drust. Do not jinx us by mentioning death. Times are tooperilous.”
“Hush,” he soothed. “Nothing will happen to you, mysweet.”
He slid a hand around her neck, massaging the tension from her tired muscles. Desire shivered through her again, but she checked it, for this conversation was tooimportant.
“What do you hear of talk in the castle, Drust? Is the king willing to give more rights toshifters?”
He pulled her against him, and she breathed in his heady scent of wood smoke. “No. Emer is stubborn and will listen only to his Fae advisors. Tristan has a unique place at the king’s table, but even his position istenuous.”
Drust nuzzled his bearded cheek against hers. “This is the true reason why you and I must remain distant to each other in public. Every day the tensions grow stronger. Tristan and I are doing our best to be diplomatic and avoidwar.”
“You diplomatic?” Minda stole a peep at him. “That is rare. You are as diplomatic as Father’s old mule when he wishes it to workfaster.”
Drust threw back his head and laughed. Oh, she adored his laugh, so filled with life andhumor.
“Such insults from such a lovely mouth,” he murmured, his gaze turning heated. “I should kiss it and that would make youstop.”
But as he bent his head to kiss her, she drew back. “I need more, Drust. I can’t keep doing this. It isn’t fair to me, always having these snatched moments in the forest when I want us to be together forgood.”
Forever, if what he said was correct. She felt it deep inside her that they were meant to betogether.
“No, it isn’t fair.” Drust touched her mouth with his index finger. “Tis not fair for me as well, living without you close to my side. I never felt this way for a woman before. I would die if I lost you, and plead with the goddess to wipe all memory of you from me, for I fear I could not draw another breath without you in mylife.”
Now it was her turn to hush him. Deep inside she felt a growing feeling of dread, as if this were too good to be true and something terrible awaited them in the future. Maybe this was why she had a sense of urgency to gain a commitment fromhim.
Because she didn’t know how long they hadtogether.
“No more talk like that. I don’t like it. What is Emer’s latest plans for hunting in the forest? Will the moratorium belifted?”
Minda listened patiently as he revealed the king would not only lift the ban to hunt for food and game in his woods, but execute on the spot any shifter caught doingso.
When he finished, she shook her head. “You must convince the king that such actions will only cause the lower classes to rebel againsthim.”
“He will notlisten.”
She chewed her lower lip. He smiled. “You are thinking of a plan, for you always do that when you are engaged in deepthought.”
Minda nodded. “Then suggest to the king that he lifts the ban temporarily and enlists the help of shifters to put more fresh game on his table. Lupines are excellent hunters. Our people are dragon and can pinpoint game from the air. The peasants are often swifter than the fat nobles who have less need to pursue game. This will ease the peasant shifters need for fresh game, for we can hunt for the king and save a small portion forourselves.”
Drust kissed her hand. “An excellent solution. You are my helpmate, Minda. Your wisdom goes far beyond youryears.”
