Page 53 of Dragon King’s Bullied Mate

Mikael looked away sharply. “That’s why you do so much for people.”

Lyra frowned slightly. “What?”

“The flowers for the elderly woman in the village. Feeding stray animals. Taking care of Beckett.” His gaze returned to her steadily. “You keep choosing kindness anyway.”

Her chest tightened unexpectedly. “No matter what happened to me, doing those things is the right thing to do.”

By then they had reached the edge of the cliffs, and Lyra slowed near the broken treeline before pointing below.

“You were down there,” she said quietly. “Mostly buried in the snow.”

Mikael stared toward the spot in silence.

The wind moved sharply across the mountain edge, carrying the faint scent of pine, and Lyra suddenly remembered the terror she had felt digging out his unconscious body that day. A solid chill ran up her body and made her shudder.

“You dragged me all the way back to your cottage. Alone.”

“I did what I had to do.” She tried to smile. “You are a heavy one, I’ll say that.”

Without warning Mikael turned and pulled her into his arms. The sudden warmth of him stole her breath. Lyra froze instinctively at first before slowly relaxing against his chest while his arms tightened around her with startling intensity.

“Thank you,” he said quietly against her hair as though he still could not fully accept that she had truly dragged him back from death itself.

The raw sincerity in his voice hurt.

“For saving my life,” he murmured. “For protecting my dragon when you didn’t even understand what you were protecting.” His hold tightened slightly. “I don’t know what happens after this, Lyra. I don’t know what the future looks like anymore.”

Neither did she.

“But I will remember your kindness for the rest of my life.”

Emotion rose so suddenly in her chest that it frightened her. Before she could think better of it, before fear or common sense could stop her, Lyra stepped back and cupped his face before she lifted herself onto her toes and kissed him.

Softly this time, not desperate like when he arrived at the cottage. Just a kiss full of honesty. Mikael went completely still beneath her hands for one stunned heartbeat.

Then he kissed her back.

Chapter 21

Mikael

The kiss stole what remained of Mikael’s restraint almost instantly.

One moment he was standing motionless in the snow with Lyra’s hands cupped his face and the cold mountain wind swept around them, and the next he was pulling her closer while something deep inside him surged to attention.

Mine.

The dragon’s possessiveness crashed through him with dangerous intensity now that she had chosen him willingly. Mikael felt the instinct spread like wildfire beneath his skin until every rational thought became tangled with the overwhelming need to keep her close.

Lyra made a soft sound against his mouth when his hand slid into her hair. It was a sound that nearly destroyed him.

Mikael kissed her harder before finally forcing himself to pull back just enough to breathe. His forehead rested against hers while both of them struggled for air beneath the drifting snow.

“You need to understand something,” he said roughly.

Lyra pulled back, her lips flushed from kissing him and her eyes wide and dazed as she stared up at him.

“If you keep doing this,” Mikael murmured, “you’re about to start something you may not actually want to finish.”