Page 17 of Dragon Flames
FELICIA
I’ve learned many things over the years, and one of the most valuable is to be aware of my surroundings at all times. I listen to the men talk, and my heart sinks at what their conversation reveals.
It doesn’t take a genius to know who’s responsible for the missing mates.
All the tiny clues I’ve heard over the years begin to add up.
Starting with why Rupert thought he could take what he wanted from me without consequences.
Because he’d been doing it for years with other women.
It’s why Lord Gresky is so determined to have me killed.
While he might want me punished for killing his son, he can’t risk that I might figure out the truth and expose the house of lies he’s built.
So, he needs to make sure I’m eliminated.
And if what the three men in this room have been discussing is true, my mates are in just as much danger, thanks to me.
I open my eyes and can only gape at the most gorgeous creature I’ve ever seen in my life. He’s tall with broad shoulders and a dark complexion. His eyes are so black they’re almost obsidian, and I’d swear I could see something move in their depths.
It takes me a second to realize it’s his dragon staring back at me. Instead of being afraid, I find myself drawn toward the man, the smell of citrus making my mouth water. The attraction is instantaneous and so visceral that I can’t look at him without wanting to touch him.
Determined to break the connection, I tell him the one thing guaranteed to make him turn away from me. “If what you say is true, then it is much too late to save me. Gresky can’t afford to let me live. You see, not only did I kill his son, I know enough to bring down his empire.”
I brace myself for their reactions, waiting for them to kick me out on my ass.
I’m not the kind of delicate female who men crave for a mate. I’m a murderer. The sooner they understand that I’m not worth saving, the safer they’ll be.
As the silence stretches, I barely resist the urge to fidget when they scowl down at me. “If you turn me over, you can spare yourselves a lot of trouble. He won’t let me go, not until there’s nothing left.”
I’m barely hanging on to the ragged pieces of myself.
One blow and I will shatter.
I just hope I don’t take these men down with me when I ultimately crash and burn.
Though, why it matters baffles me, and it pisses me off that I even give a shit.
Maybe it has to do with the fact that two of them survived kissing me without my beast taking its pound of flesh.
I can still feel the touch of their lips on my skin, their erections against my body, and I repress the shiver that runs down my spine.
But what happened after the kiss left my brain foggy. I unobtrusively scan their forms, searching for injuries, but the men are untouched.
When I shift to sit up, my strained muscles protest, and I bite back a groan. “What the hell happened after I blacked out?”
It’s not the first time that my beast has taken me offline when she assumes command. That these men are still alive lets me know they didn’t try to take more than what was offered. When the blankets fall, I release a tiny breath when I discover I’m still wearing the beautiful red ball gown.
The two men who claim to be my mates finally tear their eyes away from me and look to the imposing man standing at the edge of my bed.
I reluctantly do the same.
Only to find him glowering down at me, fury darkening his face. I’d swear that I can actually see scales pressing against the underside of his skin, like his beast is trying to burst free.
I inhale subtly, curious at what creatures they harbor, and my eyes widen when I take in their fiery scents.
Dragons!
