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“Let them go. It’s not their fault you look like a male model. Most men would appreciate that women found them attractive.” She hated the waspish tone in her voice. It wasn’t his fault he was good-looking, but there had to be more to it than that. Devlin needed adoration and had influenced those around him. She didn’t need to go down that road again.
There was a whirling sound, and she heard footsteps before Camilla started chatting with Nancy. They were whispering, but it was obvious what they were talking about Rhadan.
“I have done as you asked, but we should move upstairs. Controlling them will become more difficult in time,” Rhadan said.
“Then don’t control them. Is that a dragon’s answer to everything? Just control the humans around them like sheep?”
“You do not understand that which you speak.”
“Oh, I think I do,” she said.
“You are my mate, Tempest, and I am here to protect you. The humans are being affected by me, but it is not a power I can turn off. You may as well ask me to stop breathing.”
Her heart stuttered. It wasn’t what he said about his power. Her mind blanked after the word mate. “You did not just come in here and declare me yours. Tell me you are kidding.”
“I would never joke about such a thing.”
“You are not walking into my store asking me for anything, let alone to sleep with you.”
“You are too young to bond with. Sex is inappropriate at this time. That does not mean you will not do as I ask.”
“I will not obey you. I’m not a damn animal.”
Rhadan’s lips moved to rest over hers. He didn’t touch her, but she felt his breath as he spoke. “The fact that you are immune to radiance confirms you are my mate. I never considered such a boon, but druids and dragons maintain a balance. This is as it should be.”
She poked a finger in his chest and acknowledged it was a mistake to touch him. Heat bloomed in her blood, but she wouldn’t back down. “I realize you think you are a god or something, but I have news for you. Not to me.”
“You are mine, Tempest.”
She leaned back. “Get out.”
CHAPTER 3
Tempest’s entire body shook. She tried to appear composed, but she couldn’t believe this dragon’s audacity. She had never been this mad in her life. How could this pompous jerk be her mate? Had she done something wrong in a former life?
Rhadan sighed. “Adara warned me that this would not go as I expected.”
“Of course, it didn’t. You waltzed in here, expecting me to fawn all over you. What kind of man wants a servant for a mate?” Her anger warped the surrounding air. She could feel the waves of energy as they exited her body. The darkness hummed with electricity, and Rhadan grunted.
“Stop this. I may not be the mate you hoped for, but the humans in the store are not your target. If you continue this tantrum, one of them is bound to get hurt.” The shield formed around her, but it felt like a noose, and she pushed against it.
The shelves shook, and several items fell to the floor. When she heard the shatter of glass, she reined in her power. What was she thinking? As much as she hated to admit it, Rhadan was right. The patrons were exposed, and she was flexing her power like a toddler with a new toy. “What did you do to me?” she whispered.
“I cannot control you, Tempest. I am simply shielding the store and the innocents within it.”
“I have hurt no one or even displayed an ounce of magic before you walked in here.”
“That power is yours and it will surface with or without me here. You are a druid. Your emergence was inevitable. This display will draw the darks to you like a moth to a flame. I assume this is why Adara sent me to you.”
Tempest stilled. “Adara sent you?” The temple had been a savior to her when she was young and struggling with losing her father and her sight. She didn’t know what Adara was until later, but she had always been thankful for the camp where she met Alana and Mara.
Her power settled around her like a shield, but it continued to reach for the man who sat across from her. What was it about him that drew those around him? Why was she exempt? He called it radiance, but that seemed too celestial for a dragon. Was it ego? As she wondered about the dragon in the room, her power snaked out and caressed him in a seductive manner. He groaned lightly.
“Tempest, please. It is too soon. I will give you anything you ask for, but we must wait until your twenty-third birthday. It is a vow I cannot break.”
She sucked in a breath. It was her. She was magically assaulting him. She wasn’t sure exactly what she was doing, but she could tell he was trying to shield himself... from her. What was wrong with her? “I’m sorry. I don’t know what... I didn’t mean to.”
Rhadan cleared his throat, and she heard him reposition himself on the chair. “It is not your fault. Emergence is a difficult time for a druid, and it appears your magic has matured early. I suspect this is a result of Adara’s need for you. Legion was worried she would not survive the next year, waiting for you to mature... magically. It appears Adara has gifted you your powers early.”
