“It’s not about want, little wolf. Our kind is different than other shifters. We have needs that become…out of control if they aren’t slaked. Males who cannot find a suitable mate sometimes need to look for human females and, unfortunately, one isn’t enough.”
“Do these women have a choice?”
“Most do, yes. But like men and wolves, there are evil dragons who commit all sorts of atrocities. In the normal course of things, though, there are plenty of women who are happy to sign on for a life of sex, luxury and leisure, even if it means giving up the life they once knew.”
She set down her half-eaten sandwich. “So, is that what you were prepping Raina for before I got here? Was she going to be part of your future harem?”
He eyed her curiously and answered the question with one of his own. “Why do you ask? Feeling territorial?”
Her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink that reminded him of the flush on her face the night by the fire.
“No!” She swiped her napkin over her mouth and tossed it onto the coffee table. “I was just trying to make conversation. She was pretty cute. And she clearly wants you.”
“Aye, she thinks she does. But she couldn’t handle me.”
“You keep saying stuff like that, but I don’t know what you mean. You were gentle. With me, I mean.” She looked away and fingered the yellowing pages of the book.
“I was gentle, yes. That doesn’t mean I am gentle,” he corrected softly. “It’s a choice, most of the time. And then other times?” He shrugged and faced her, letting her see the naked need in his gaze. “I can’t control myself and things get…wild.”
Her breath caught and her eyes went glassy, which sent a bolt of lust rocketing through him.
“W-What do you mean, wild?”
“I mean, there are times that my dragon takes the reins and I can’t be gentle anymore. Humans are fragile, both mentally and physically. It’s exhausting and unsatisfying to have to be in constant check or risk injuring or terrifying someone. I’m not interested in doing that. I need someone who can match me physically. Push back when I push, go toe to toe with me.”
So far, her reaction was exactly what he’d hoped for. Whether or not she would admit it, he could tell the thought of getting wild with him intrigued her.
More progress.
“Which is why I aim to keep you, little wolf. I’ve never met a woman I want as much as I want you. A woman who can also take everything I have to offer.”
She gnawed on her full lower lip before jutting it out mulishly. “And what if I don’t want what you have to offer?”
“Ah. That would be a different tale, then.”
His body vibrated with the need to leap over the table separating them and drag her into his arms. Let her feel how much he wanted her. Instead, he waited, tense and at the ready in case she finally admitted the truth to herself and him.
“Well, don’t hold your breath,” she murmured and pushed herself to her feet. “Now you said you have a library with more books like this one?”
He squashed his disappointment and silenced the roar of despair from the beast inside him, a task that grew more difficult with every passing day. Then, he smiled and nodded.
One step forward, half a step back.
He’d live with it. For now.
“Follow me,” he said as he led her into the hallway and then down another long corridor to the library.
The room was huge, second in size only to the great room. The ceilings were thirty feet high, and the books went nearly to the top. As his species’ chosen Master of Artifacts, he was the keeper of all the ancient tomes, and there were a lot of them. Partly because dragons were proud creatures and often felt the need to commit their deeds to paper, but also because history mattered to a dragon. They were taught about their ancestors from the time they were young. Willa’s interest in learning about his kind thrilled him, but it also made him wary.
The whole harem thing was nothing compared to some of the other stuff she would find.
“Are you immortal?” Willa asked as she strolled the perimeter of the room, stopping to run her fingers over the embossed spine of one of his most-cherished titles.
He stepped over to the mahogany bar in the corner and poured them both a glass of scotch before moving to stand beside her.
“I’m not, no. Thank god.”
He handed her the glass and she took it with a nod of thanks.
“Why do you say that? Immortality is a pretty sought after trait.”
“It is. And, like most shifters, we’re hearty, even in our human forms. That, combined with the fact that we have no natural predators, allows most of us very long lives. Especially now, since humans stopped believing we exist and ceased hunting us. When you have that kind of time, you realize that forever would be far too long.”