Page 9 of Dragon Flames
So, as much as I would love to get closer to the enchanting creature on display, I cannot allow myself the distraction, and I tell my contact as much.
“You’re making a mistake, Elias.” The old man shakes his head, pity and frustration darkening his wolf-green eyes. “At least meet the girl. She’s different, and you say you’re looking for oddities. They don’t come any odder than the girl they actually named Odd.”
The coincidence leaves me at a loss for words, and I glance toward the girl once more, irresistibly drawn to her. Something about her awakens the primitive part of my brain, which makes me even more suspicious.
The chit is dangerous on a level I can’t begin to explain.
Every instinct warns me that getting tangled in her mess will only lead to trouble.
But, despite knowing better, I can’t resist my curiosity and the almost overwhelming need to know more about her. “You say she was in prison?”
“Dante’s Penitentiary.” The old man grimaces at mentioning the brutal place that boasts being the deadliest prison on the planet. “There’s something hinky about her incarceration. I tried to dig into her files, but everything was sealed. I can’t even find a record of the trial.”
The mystery of it piques my interest.
From across the room, I watch when Preston first catches sight of the girl, and my dragon growls possessively. I grit my teeth, struggling not to step in his path and stake my claim before he has a chance.
Not trusting these wild emotions, I keep my feet locked to the floor.
I will not be controlled by my baser instincts.
When Preston notices her, it’s as though the rest of the world ceases to exist. I bite back a sigh as he strolls toward her with such single-minded focus that he barges through small clusters of people without even being aware of them.
Then he almost tramples a waiter.
It’s like he’s in a trance.
When another man speaks to the girl, I can’t stop myself from taking a single step toward her.
Wanting to protect her.
Claim her.
Fuck.
I quickly turn away, my fists clenched, my dragon blinking open a sleepy eye, and my breath stalls in my lungs.
No.
Not possible.
Over the past decade, my beast has retreated farther and farther from the human world. That he would wake because of some girl—I can’t decide if I want to run as far away from her as possible or figure out the mystery.
My dragon has been slumbering for the past three hundred years. I still feel muted emotions every once in a while—annoyance, mostly. The last time the beast was awake, he went on a rampage and slaughtered countless people.
I’ve done everything in my power to keep him calm, never allowing anything to disturb his slumber.
Because the next time my beast rises, I very much fear he will need to be put down or risk him spreading his reign of terror throughout the rest of the world.
* * *
FELICIA
Iwatch the girls being paraded onto the dance floor, grateful I’m being spared that nonsense. Most of the men look at my shackles with disgust. The few who look upon me with interest are soon dissuaded by Lord Gresky.
As much as I hate the asshole, I’m thankful for his interference.
I shudder at the thought of a male touching me, even during something as innocent as a dance.
