As long as he existed, he would never understand the girl.

“Fearghus. I wondered where you’d gotten to.”

“Is everything all right?”

She sighed. “I guess.”

The woman was killing him. Slowly. Bit by bit.

He settled down next to her and she immediately grasped a handful of his hair. “All right, Annwyl. What is it?”

“The knight.”

Fearghus tensed. “Yes?”

“I lost my virginity to him today.”

Fearghus’s head snapped around so fast he dragged the girl off the rock, her hand still gripping his hair. “Oi!”

“Oh. Sorry.” He never expected her to tell him. Never expected her to tell anyone. The way she walked away a mere hour before led him to believe she’d go to the grave with that secret. “Are you all right?”

“My butt hurts.”

“What?”

“From dragging on the rock. And do get your mind out of the gutter, dragon.”

Fearghus chuckled at that. “Sorry.”

She lowered herself to the ground but still had a firm grip on his hair. She leaned into him and Fearghus couldn’t believe how warm her body felt against his.

“What do I need to do to mount you?”

“What?”

“For battle! Honestly, Fearghus.”

“Oh. That. Just catch hold of my hair and climb.”

“Won’t that hurt you?”

“No.”

She seized two handfuls of his hair and pulled herself up until she placed herself on his back. She sat low on his shoulders, her legs straddling him at his neck.

“No saddle?”

“I’m not a horse.”

“No need to get testy. Just asking.”

She squeezed her thighs tight around his neck and he wondered how much more the gods would make him endure before he lost all reason.

“Did he . . . hurt you?” Fearghus had to know. Had to know what she was feeling, thinking. And she wouldn’t tell the knight. So maybe she would tell the dragon.

“No.”

“I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me, Annwyl.” Yes. He would go to hell and this girl would be the one to send him there. A special hell for evil dragons that lied to beautiful women.

She gave a great sigh as she combed her strong fingers through his mane. He fought the desire to purr like a cat. “I don’t know what I want.”

“Do you want him?”

“Oh, yes. I want him. I really want him. But . . .”

“But . . . ?”

Annwyl could easily spend the rest of her life right here. Right on top of this enormous beast. Her legs straddling his neck. Her hands buried in his mane of black hair. She wondered what it would be like to ride with him into battle. To feel his strong body soar through the deep blue skies of Dark Plains.

But would she be happy? Could she give up her life as a leader and a woman to spend the remainder of her days in this cave with this dragon? Her dragon?

The knight had opened a new door for her. She never trusted anyone enough to let them get that close to her. He hadn’t made love to her, as she’d heard the kitchen maids call it. What they had was much more primal. Much deeper.

Could she give that up to stay with her dragon and be no more than a friend? That’s all the dragon could really offer her and there would be no guarantee he wanted to give her even that much.

And although the knight gave her insurmountable pleasure, it was the dragon that she wanted to talk to when she awoke in the knight’s arms.

Perhaps her father had been right. Maybe she did go out of her way to make things difficult.

“Annwyl?”

She realized that the dragon waited for her answer, but she really had none to give.

Annwyl stood on the dragon’s back and stretched. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

“Then what do you want to talk about?”

Annwyl, on a whim, did a handstand.

“What are you doing back there?”

“Nothing to worry yourself about, dragon.” She balanced her body and proceeded to move across the dragon’s back, inch by inch using only her hands. “Tell me more about your family.”

Fearghus stretched out and Annwyl let out a squeal of surprise as she lost her balance and landed heavily against his back. Ignoring her, the dragon rested his enormous head on his arms. “I cut the tip of my brother’s tail off once.”

Annwyl sat up with a laugh and wondered what the hell she was going to do.

Chapter 11

Hysterical laughter. Why did he keep hearing hysterical laughter? Fearghus opened one eye to stare at his two siblings. They were practically falling over each other they were laughing so hard. They woke him up from a sound sleep for this?

“What?” His current mood wouldn’t allow for this. And definitely wouldn’t allow for him.

Gwenvael choked out an answer. “She braided your hair, brother.”

“Like a horse’s mane,” his sister added.

He growled and watched Gwenvael snatch their sister out of the way before the stream of white flame hit them both.

Of course, that didn’t stop the laughter.

“If that’s how you feel, you should tell him.” Morfyd tossed two apples to Annwyl. “But you can’t hide in here all day.”

“I know.” Annwyl looked at her friend. “I’m just not sure what I should say.”

“Whatever feels right.”