Page 5 of Dragon Thief of New York
As we pass Midas, he stops Otto, whispering something too low for me to hear. There will be consequences for what he did tonight. I’m just grateful Midas isn’t taking immediate action. I’m not sure what the punishment will be, but for Kat’s sake I hope it’s lenient. She’s going to need her mate as she deals with all of this. Even if she doesn’t like him right now—and I don’tblame her—he’s still her mate. And ultimately, he’s a good man. He’ll take care of her.
“Would you like to ride or fly?” I ask once we reach the cliffs outside the temple.
“You mean…” She flaps one elbow like a wing, while the other hand grabs the blanket which comes dislodged from where she tucked it in at her chest. “Fuck, I’m not ready for that.”
The wind sweeps her bright curls across her face, and she sputters to get the hair out of her mouth, trying to wipe it away without letting go of her meager covering.
My hands flex as I let out a slow breath. I remember how it felt to wrap my fingers around those soft locks. She has the prettiest hair I’ve ever seen. It’s shorter now than it was when I knew her, but it still has the same shine, the same soft curls framing her face. I’ll never forget the way she responded when I pulled it.
“I’ll fly,” Otto volunteers. “You can ride on my back.”
“No way. I’m riding with him.” She steps closer to me.
Pride swells my chest, but the joy is short-lived when I see the forlorn look on Otto’s face. I want to pull him into a kiss, reassure him it’s all going to be alright, but newly bonded mates are possessive. He’ll only want her. And even if she hates him right now, as his mate, she still wouldn’t enjoy seeing someone else kiss him.
I settle for squeezing his arm.
He lets out an inaudible sigh. “Fine. You fly. I’ll ride with her.”
“Wait, you’re going to ride with me?” Kat’s eyes widen like he’s suggested the worst thing she’s ever heard. Her gaze drops briefly between his legs. He’s still naked and making no attempt to hide his attraction to her.
I’m glad I’m wearing clothes. The crushing weight of the circumstances has kept me mostly flaccid, apart from that first moment I saw Kat emerge from the pools and when I touched her back, but if she looked at me the way she’s looking at Otto right now, I’d be as hard as stone.
“It’ll be safer if someone rides with you,” Otto says. “Especially in your… emotional state.”
“Oh, fuck you.” She flips him off, all the desire in her gaze gone. “I’m fine. I’ll ride him.” She points at me before looking back at Otto. “You can fly by yourself. I’m a big girl.”
“You’re cold, you’ve been through an ordeal, and you’re not used to riding on a dragon. One of us will ride with you.” There’s a sternness in my voice I rarely use, but I won’t risk her falling off and not knowing how to transform quickly enough. “So, who will it be?”
She squares off with me, and I can practically see that beautiful mind trying to find a way out of this. She pinches her lips, then looks at Otto. “Okay, kid, transform. I want to get home.”
Otto scowls at her use of the word kid. He’s been the youngest in his horde for a long time, and he hates being reminded of it.
He stalks toward her with flames in his eyes. “I’m not akid, beauty. Want me to prove it to you?”
With his bare body fully on display, it’s clear he could make good on the offer. I’m not the only one whose gaze tracks down. Kat’s scent changes, thick with arousal even though she’s glaring like she wants to skin him alive.
Whatever her body might feel in response to Otto, she ignores it and juts her chin out. “Act like a spoiled child stealing the toy you want, and you have every right to be called a kid.”
Otto takes a step back, eyes never leaving Kat’s as he transforms, shifting his cock first. She gasps as it grows, lengthening, thickening. Then, the rest of him changes. He’s a stunning dragon. Green and silver scales pepper his lean body and long neck. His eyes burn with hungry orange flames as he looks from Kat to me.
Fuck, I’m not so flaccid anymore.
Kat blinks quickly with her mouth hanging open, her head slowly shaking from side to side. “Unbelievable.”
“You’ll get used to it,” I say, once again running numbers and thinking about spreadsheets to try to soften my dick. I clear my throat. “Can I help you up?”
Otto bends low and drops his head, lowering his long neck to make it easier for Kat to climb on. I offer my hand, and this time, she takes it. When our palms meet, she lets out an audible little noise of surprise. My muscles clench, skin tingling, prickling with sensations I haven’t felt in fourteen long years. The feeling is so much stronger then just brushing my fingers across her back. Having her hand in mine feels like coming home, and I never want to let go. Does she feel it too?
The attraction to a mate is unlike anything else. It’s overwhelming, all-consuming. Even though she rejected me, how I feel about her never changed.
Kat’s brow pulls down. This close, I can see the new wrinkles around her eyes, the few thin white hairs barely visible at the top of her head. They make her even lovelier, a reminder that she’s lived, laughed, and survived.
“Are you sure I don’t know you?” Her words are almost too soft to hear.
“You do, Kitty Kat. Or… you did.” I bring her hand to my lips, kissing the back of her knuckles in a move as natural as breathing. She blinks at me, eyes glassy and unfocused.
Otto’s nostrils flare, smoke puffing from between his sharp teeth. I step back. “I’ll explain everything soon.”
