Lorcan slowly opened his eyes. The brutal pain in his head made him wish for death. Just the dim light from a close-by pit fire caused a moan to escape. He couldn’t remember what happened. Not clearly. But he knew from the sound of loud breathing in the room that something was terribly, terribly wrong.

“Ah, my lord. I am so glad to see that you are finally coming around.” The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. He tried to push himself up with his arms, but something powerful and large slapped flat across his back, forcing him back to the ground.

“No. No. Stay down. I want you to rest before you try getting up.” The voice sighed heavily. “I am so sorry, my lord, that it was necessary to be so harsh with you. But I think that it is time we made some things clear, mhmm?”

Lorcan didn’t try to rise again. Whatever pushed him down still rested against his back, holding him in place. But he slowly swiveled his head around to see what spoke to him.

On sight of it he immediately tried to pull away, but it wouldn’t let him go. “Now. Now. There is no reason to fear me. I am your ally. Just like I have always been.” Lorcan retched and his meal from several hours ago burst across the floor.

“Well, that is lovely. You humans. So quick to panic. It amazes me that any of you still live.”

Lorcan closed his eyes tight and refused to look at it anymore. He couldn’t. Not if he hoped to keep his sanity.

“This can be a very profitable relationship for us both, Lorcan. As long as you understand that you belong to me. Body. Soul. And what little bit there is of a mind. I will give you your sister, but, in return, you will give me what I want as well. As long as you agree to that, you will live a very long time. But if you do not . . .” It pushed against his back and he knew that at any moment his ribs would break. But it stopped itself before going that far. “Do you understand, Lorcan?”

For the first time since his father died, Lorcan shook in fear. “Yes. Yes. I understand.” Tears slid down his face and he realized he hadn’t done that either since the death of his father.

“Good. Good. I do like when things are clear and concise. It’s just in my nature.” It patted his back almost lovingly. “We have so many plans to make. There will be much bloodshed soon. But you just rest now, my pet. You will have your sister soon enough.”

Lorcan cried silently and prayed for oblivion.

Annwyl stared up at the cave ceiling, her hands behind her head. The dragon’s even breathing causing his scales to move gently beneath her. He’d let her climb up his back and lie there. He didn’t complain and she let herself enjoy the moment. His mane of hair spread across his scales and felt silky next to her bare skin. She wore nothing but her recently mended leather leggings and her bindings. She’d spent another day entangled with her knight. They had barely trained in days. Instead choosing to rut around the glen like two dogs in heat. But she couldn’t help herself. The man did things to her body; made her feel things; took her to heights she never thought possible. And every evening, as the shadows darkened, she’d leave him and return to her dragon. Shame she couldn’t live her life in this manner for the next thousand years or so.

“How was your training today?” His low voice rumbled through his body, vibrating against her flesh.

“Fine,” she lied. She hadn’t touched a sword—at least one made of metal—in two days.

“Good.”

“Dragon?”

“Yes?”

“Have you ever had a woman?”

“What?”

“I mean a female. Mate. Whatever your kind calls them?”

“Oh.” His body moved a little beneath her. “No, I’ve had no mate. Why?”

“Just wondering.”

“What is it, Annwyl? What’s bothering you?”

Nothing now. In fact, she felt relieved.

“Annwyl?”

She turned over, her head resting on her arms. “I’m fine, Dragon. Just curious.” She closed her eyes. She’d never felt so safe before in her life. So at peace. She realized now there was no man alive who could ever make her feel this way.

She smiled. Only I would fall in love with a dragon.

Fearghus loved the feel of her body against his. Loved the fact she felt safe enough with him to fall asleep while stretched out across his back. He didn’t realize how much that feeling would mean to him. How much this girl would mean to him.

He never realized that his feelings for Annwyl could get any stronger than they already were, but he was wrong. They were stronger and becoming stronger every day.

By day he lay with her as human, and every night she found him by the lake and they talked for hours. She still confused him, but he wouldn’t give up their time together for all the gold in the world.

But he still feared the day he would have to tell her the truth. Tell her that he’d been lying to her. Would she hate him? Would she ever forgive him? He didn’t know. And he didn’t want to think about it too much. Because his gut would twist up and a sudden sense of panic would set in. He thought only humans could experience panic. It annoyed him to discover he was wrong about that, too.

No, he thought as Annwyl tightened her grip in his mane of hair and sighed softly in her sleep, I’ll not give her up without a fight. Never.

Chapter 12

It had been a hard birth, but both baby and mother survived. Besides, Morfyd had needed to be away. Give her brother and his human some time alone. Of course, Gwenvael refused to leave until he got an answer from Fearghus, but she was able to bribe him to stay out of the lovers’way. She would have thought her baby brother would be too embarrassed to take money from his sister. She quickly discovered how wrong she was on that point.