But I couldn’t control the dream. Not like he could.
Exhaustion dragged at my limbs, but that didn’t matter. I couldn’t let him hurt my pack.
I reached for my daggers.
They disappeared as soon as my fingers touched the hilts.
What the hell?
The bastard smirked. His icy eyes finally met mine, and my breath caught. Something fluttered in my stomach. It had to be a combination of anger and humiliation.
I swayed on my feet, my strength waning from… from… something I couldn’t remember. He grabbed my arm, steadying me. I almost thanked him out of habit, but I caught myself. He was the enemy, and this was the second time he’d seen me drained.
I ripped my arm out of his chilly fingers. “What do I have to do to get you to go away?”
Some emotion I didn’t even want to decipher darkened his eyes as he chuckled, the sound so dark and melodic it made me want to run and hide. I only straightened, refusing to cower.
He slid closer, dropping his head to look me in the eye, until only a frosty breath separated us. His dark pupils were still mostly round, but elongating into vertical slits, warning me that all hell would break loose when his patience wore out. He might look less imposing in this form, but he was still an apex predator. His laughter abruptly cut off, sending a shudder up my spine. I was on thin ice.
The smart move would be to surrender, but this blowhard wasn’t pack. He was stalking my brain; his presence was a slap in the face of my inner peace. I didn’t drop my gaze.
“How much insolence shall I suffer before I remind you of your place?” he asked.
“My place? Are you… sexist? In this day and age?”
“I am a dragon. No gender could ever elevate you above me.”
I stared at the man, speechless. His audacity was unreal, and Iwould have kneed him in the balls if I’d had the energy. And a slightly weaker survival instinct.
“Are you prepared to surrender with my treasure?”
My throat forgot how to work. He was especially terrifying this close. And beautiful. And maybe I could get him to see reason. I forced a swallow and found my voice. “My people need it.”
His eyes narrowed. “For what purpose?”
It was a good question, and one I wasn’t sure I should answer. The alpha wouldn’t want me sharing secrets; however, now that I had his attention for an actual conversation, maybe all wasn’t lost. Maybe we could find some common ground.
“S-s-survival.”
Stuttering hadn’t been the best start to my spiel, but he was so close. And still shirtless. The sheer mass of him was intimidating enough, but his eyes remained locked on me, making me squirm.
“Elaborate.”
I stepped back, putting some much-needed space between us so I could focus. “How do you feel about the Mondeine?”
“They exist on the other side of an impenetrable barrier, so their presence claims no effect on me.”
“Impervious to magic. They are free to come and go as they please.”
“No, they are not. The Mondeine have regulations on who can leave their territories.
I scoffed. “You can’t possibly know that.”
The enigmatic smile he gave me reminded me how little I knew about the dragon.
He stared at me, and I stared right back.
“Why do you ask about the Mondeine?” he said finally.
