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“Deal,” I squeal just as they both lunge for me. I close my eyes, waiting to be thrown in the snow. Only Matitus moves so quickly, gripping my waist and I feel my feet leave the ground. Opening my eyes, I find we are on the roof. On the ledge. I stare down and swallow.

“How?” I go to ask when he grabs me tighter, bending his knees and jumping to the next ledge, answering my question. I can see Dragus and Silas gazing up at us and I flip them the bird before sticking my tongue out.

“I wouldn’t get too cheeky; we still have to go back inside,” Matitus murmurs next to my ear before kissing my cheek.

“Now pay up,” Matitus says, wiggling his eyebrows and I smile deviously at him.

“And if I don’t?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

Matitus lets my arms go and I fall backward making me scream before his arm snakes out pulling me back.

“Okay, okay,” I scream, clutching his shirt. Matitus chuckles and steps off from the ledge, pulling me with him. Matitus waits expectantly, and I stand on my tippy toes and peck his lips quickly.

“Ah, that’s not what I had in mind,” he said.

“You said a kiss, next time say what sort,” I tell him before turning and running toward the edge. I hear him curse and chase after me as I throw myself off the roof. I scream as air rushes past me. Just as I am halfway down, I suddenly see something huge and gold rush under me before I land on its back. I close my eyes, expecting the impact to hurt. It doesn’t. The scales smooth under my hands as he lands on the ground. The Dragon is huge, his scales shine bright, they remind me of snake scales only hard like steel and smooth.

“Are you nuts?” I hear Dragus scream up to me.

“No, I knew he wouldn’t let me die. I must say I didn’t expect him to shift, though.” I try to figure out how to get down. In his Dragon form, he is magnificent and so much larger. His breathing makes me go up and down on his back.

“How do I get down?” I call out, staring at the ground, making me gulp. It would hurt falling from this height. I stroke his large bat-like wings, and they move, flapping. When I hear movement behind me, I look over my shoulder. I’m shocked to see Matitus walking along the back of the Dragon.

“If you’re here…?” I ask.

“Yes, you are sitting on Silas,” he says, a grin on his face at my shock. He holds out his hand to me and I grab it. Instead of showing me how to get down, though, he moves me up higher before sitting between the Dragon’s wings draping his leg over each side of his neck. Suddenly Silas moves before lifting off, and I close my eyes at the speed in which he takes off.

“Open your eyes, Elora,” Matitus says, kissing the side of my face. Opening my eyes, I see vast lands covered in snow. The dim lights of the city below us look like fairy lights, and I gasp at the pretty display. Running my hands over his scales, I forget it is even Silas; it’s hard to believe a man could turn into such a huge beast, yet I think I prefer him in this form rather than his human skin. Hearing him growl and rumble underneath us as I run my hands over his scales.

“Be careful, they don’t look it, but they are sharp,” Matitus says a little too late as I feel his scales slice into the palm of my left hand. I hiss at the pain and blood drips onto his gold scales.

“I’m getting blood all over him” I shriek, and I am not sure Matitus even heard over the wind as Silas flies down toward the castle ground. I shiver from the snow coating the cloak. When I glance back at Matitus, his eyes are glazed over and his jaw clenched.

“What is it?” His eyes dart to my hand. I look at it confused. When suddenly I hear Silas’s voice in my head making me jump.

“Vampires aren’t the only things that drink blood. We are usually fine, your scent is becoming stronger the more you are around us.”

I stare at Matitus in shock, my eyes widening. And I fist my hand, trying to stop the blood from running down my arm and dripping over Silas’s back. When we land, Matitus gets up, walking swiftly off Silas’s back. Dragus is nowhere to be seen.

“Ah, Silas, how do I get down?” I ask, peering down at the ground.

His voice echoes in my head as he moves to the brick wall. He moves close enough before extending his wing creating a bridge for me to walk over to the wall. “Walk to the wall, then I will help you down.” I look at his large wing, hesitating.

“You won’t hurt me, Lora” he says, and I actually like my new nickname. I walk to the wall before stepping off. I sit and watch as he shifts back, blushing when I see he is completely naked.

“You didn’t expect my clothes to stay on, did you?” he says, staring up at me. I notice all the Vampires who were on the wall are long gone. Leaving only Silas and me outside.

“Jump,” he says, and I look at the ground knowing if I hit it, I will definitely break something. Deciding he won’t let me fall, I grit my teeth to stop from screaming and I jump.

Silas catches me.

He places me on my feet before examining my hand.

“Why doesn’t my blood affect you?” I ask.

“I am a lot older than they are, and like I said, we are usually fine around blood. They haven’t had problems with it, you went into the first heat. It makes it harder for them, makes the urge to mark you stronger,” he says simply like that explains everything. Silas bites his wrist and holds it out to me. I quickly let his blood rush into my mouth, pulling back and watching my hand heal.

“Come on, you’re shivering. Let’s get inside, you’ll catch your death.” He tugs me toward the castle. He is right, I haven’t actually noticed how cold the journey made me, I can hear my teeth chattering as we make our way inside.

Once inside, Silas removes my now saturated hood, and I keep my eyes on him as he moves around me to do the belt. My face warms, seeing him so close to me naked.

“You get embarrassed too easily,” Silas states, a smile on his lips. Once the cloak is off, he hangs it on a hook by the door. Silas grabs my hand and leading me toward the stairs. I stop at the bottom, making him stop.

“Can I stay in my room, please?” I ask, glancing down the corridor that runs up the side of the stairs.

“Why must you be difficult, always one step forward and ten back with you,” he says annoyed.

“Please,” I say, moving closer and placing my hand on his chest. He stares down at my hand, shocked, placing his own over it. His hand is warm over mine and large as it completely engulfs mine.

“Why?” he asks, making me confused. I look toward the corridor. “If I let you sleep in your room…” Silas says, pausing his words. I know what he is going to ask as his eyes light up. The same way Matitus did. I stand on my toes and pull his face toward mine. He seems amused, and I let my lips smash into his; I go to pull back when the hand on my lower back tightens, holding me in place. I feel his tongue run along my bottom lip and I freeze when he pulls me closer, his cock on my leg making me gasp.

He chuckles, plunging his tongue into my mouth, his scent mingling with mine and I moan into his mouth making his grip tighten. His other hand goes into my hair, grabbing a handful. I hiss at the pain before his tongue skillfully plays with mine and I press myself into him. When he pulls away, I am left gasping for air.

What is wrong with me? One minute I want to kill him, the next I want to touch him. My own feelings are so confusing I’m giving myself whiplash. “Go, I will send Abigail in with your dinner. But one night only,” he says. I nod, kissing his cheek and running toward my room.

Once back in my familiar surroundings, I head straight to the shower to warm myself. I am so cold my muscles are aching.