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I couldn’t imagine such a thing. Captured, tortured, and held for years.
I shook my head, but the image of them doing . . . this to him stabbed through me.
“Do I look familiar to you at all?” I lowered my voice.
“I’m sorry, but no. Do we know each other?”
My sigh leaked out. All this time I’d been angry with him, believing he’d ditched me as soon as he left my bed. I’d mourned his loss even though I’d barely known him. I’d told myself the connection I felt to him that night was one-sided, that I had to forget it ever happened.
Until I discovered I was pregnant.
“We only knew each other briefly,” I said carefully. “My name’s Mazie.”
“Gravor. I’m sorry I don’t remember you.” He said stiffly. “At least I know my name. And that for a long time, too long, they hurt me.” His chin lifted, and a steely look filled his blue-gray eyes, reminding me that he may have been knocked down over and over again, tortured even, but that he’d done all he could to rise above it.
It also sounded like he’d defeated those who’d hurt him.
His gorgeous body was covered with scars. Only his face had been spared, though I couldn’t determine why. Maybe to mock him with what he’d been but no longer was?
“I heard there used to be a commune out here somewhere, preppers determined to start World War III,” I said.
He bowed his head and nodded. “They took me. Held me. Stabbed me. Over and over until . . .” His gaze met mine. “I cracked. Then I escaped and ended it.”
“The fire chief said bad wiring caught the place on fire.” He might think he’d done it, but he couldn’t have. “Since it was the middle of the night, the guys living in the building died. They probably didn’t feel a thing.”
A grim smile rose on his face. “Oh, they did. I made sure of it.”
His memory appeared faulty. Maybe he thought he’d done it, and who could blame him for wanting to kill those who made him suffer over and over?
“This was months ago.” Where had he been since?
“I flew away. Hid. And I started to heal.”
“The fire chief would’ve noticed if someone had burned the place to the ground. I’m not sure you were responsible.” I patted his arm.
His skin twitched beneath my fingertips, and my heart sunk all the way to the center of the Earth. Did this simple gesture remind him of others delivering pain?
He was obviously confused about what had happened. Maybe he’d hit his head or something like that. Instead of trying to figure this out on my own, I should call the sheriff. The police would get him checked out.
Or I could call Kuunik and tell him I’d found his brother. But he and Zara were on their honeymoon, and they deserved this time together. I’ll text them about Gravor tomorrow.
I wouldn’t call the police until after I spoke with Kuunik. Everything inside me ached to protect Gravor. To shelter him in my arms and tell him this would turn out all right.
I needed to help him finish healing.
“You flew quite a ways from the road,” I said. “Do you think you could shift back and take us closer to town?”
He shrugged, and with a heavy sigh, he hunched forward.
“Wait. Before you do, will you give me your word that you won’t . . . hurt me or anything while you’re in dragon form?”
“You’re my mate,” he said simply. “I could no more hurt you than destroy the world.”
Okay, well, I wasn’t sure that was reassuring, but I’d take it.
At my nod, he curled his spine once again. His body flexed, his muscles bulging and stretching, his bones grinding along with them. Scales peppered across his skin, and I marveled at how beautiful they were. So perfect. They solidified and remained, while his jaw snapped forward and his neck elongated. He groaned as the shift completed, and with the snap of fingers, he was a dragon once more.
He arched his spine and his wings flapped while he stretched his neck back and shot fire at the sky.
