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“So…if you were hungry, I wouldn’t look like a juicy steak or anything, would I?”
“Steak? No. Juicy…? That’s debatable because you constantly make my mouth water. I am always hungry for you.”
Her eyes went wide for a moment, then she laughed. “I see you’re turning on the charm tonight.” Though her smile lingered, he could tell she was still anxious.
“You are safe with me, not matter what form I’m in.”
Her expression became serious. “Promise?”
“Will all my heart.” He leaned down to place a tender kiss on her lips. “So what do you think? Are you up for an adventure?”
That sweet smile returned. “Let’s do it.”
* * *
June couldn’t believe she was about to mount a friggin’ dragon.WhoamI?
Putting some distance between them for his transformation, Tristan’s skin began to shimmer the same way it had back at the Faieara castle. And just as it had then, his bones began to deform in a way that her conscious mind couldn’t reconcile. It was like her mind discarded one unfathomable image after the next, as quickly as her brain could process them, and then suddenly a great dragon stood before her, proud and glorious, rearing up on hind legs with his wings spread out wide.
As gravity took hold, his front end crashed down with a loud thud and he shook out his whole body like a massive canine. Reptilian green eyes snapped to her, pupils slitting.
She froze.This is how I die.
Snaking his head low to the ground, he put them nose to nose. The dragon chuffed and puffed out hot, smoky air through his snout, then he took in a long breath, drawing strands of her hair toward him. Everything in her understood that she was prey, he the predator. Her mind screamedDanger, Will Robinson!and all the molecules that made up her being desperately wanted to vamoose. But she fought the fear, tamped it down with all her might, because—slitted pupils aside—those were Tristan’s eyes.
With the help of the evening sun, she could make out his coloring more clearly than before. He was a pleasing mix of forest greens and golden highlights. She expected him to have scales, which he did, but most were covered in soft baby fuzz save his chin chest and belly, which were comprised of large armor-like segments.
She glanced down at his giant feet, or rather paws, and the urge to run returned tenfold. One dewclaw and three raptor-like talons tipped each toe. She imagined how easily those claws could tear open flesh. Like hot butter.
As if sensing her fear, Tristan laid his whole body down on his belly, gazing up at her, and actually made a purring sound, as if instead of a mammoth lizard with wings he was simply a harmless feline—except this feline was the size of a house and could swallow her in a single chomp.
Still, she couldn’t prevent a small laugh. “No fair acting adorable.”
Lifting his head slightly, he prodded her with his snout and then put his head back down. When she made no move, he did it again. She realized he wanted her to get on.
“Hold your horses, buster. I need to get used to you first. I’m going to…uh…just touch you now. Okay?” His eyes followed her as she stepped around to his right side. She knelt down and reached out to pet his chin, but she hesitated. “Don’t snap at me, okay?”
His eye-roll was such a human reaction that she instantly felt more comfortable and stroked his fur. He was so much softer than she imagined, and when she massaged the tip of his ears, his eyes rolled back in his head as if in pleasure.
“Oh my god, you’re so cute!”
He chuffed and reared his head back to glare at her, baring his teeth a little. Though her heart raced at his fearsome reaction, she stood and faced him. “It’s a compliment. You put those teeth away right now. Do you want me to be comfortable around you or not?”
He closed his mouth, actually managing to appear contrite. Well, as contrite as a dragoncouldappear. Then he lowered his head to nuzzle her.A dragon’s way of apologizing?
“All right. You’re forgiven. Can I get on you now?”
Once more, he put his head all the way to the ground and she straddled his neck. When he lifted his head, she slipped down with a small yelp and settled where his neck met his shoulders. In a small way, it reminded her of riding a horse without a saddle. She would need to use her leg muscles to hold herself up.
Grabbing a handful of his fur tightly in her fists, she called down to him, “Is this okay?”
He made a noise that sounded like yes, and then walked around a bit, letting her get used to his gait. Then, without warning, he planted his front legs on the banister and gazed out over the horizon before glancing back at her in question.
Putting her fingers to her forehead, she mumbled to herself, “I must be crazy.” Then louder, she said, “All right. Let’s do this!”
15
The second June had spoken, a freight train of regret rode through her stomach, fast and fierce and nauseatingly ticklish, but it was too late to renege. Tristan stepped his might paw over the edge of the banister and then they were falling, falling, falling! Her stomach executed several flips and then lurched into her throat. Wind whipped past her head, the sound deafening. She plastered herself to his body, white-knuckling his fur and squeezing her thighs as tight as she could around his neck.
