Danil’s Mate(51)

Amos understood what she was saying but it made his stomach drop. She still believed she had the option of a different fate. He had to get her to understand. “The King usually gets what he wants, hatchling.”

“This is too much.” She flopped backwards on the bed, arms outspread and Amos jammed his hands in his pockets. Let his eyes rove hungrily across her curvy body. Let himself look all he wanted, considering she was staring at the ceiling. She sat halfway up and he averted his eyes. “You’re right,” she said. “I need water. And food. And sleep.” She stood up abruptly. “And to pee.”

Amos raised his eyebrows at her and gestured toward a small room off of her chambers.

She closed the door behind her and Amos sat down in her place on the bed. Felt the warmth her body had left behind.

“Are we alone in the fortress?” she called out from behind the closed bathroom door.

For a second Amos thought she meant just the two of them. But she continued on. “Shouldn’t there be servants, or courtiers, or something?” She opened the bathroom door, wiping her hands on a hand towel that she tossed back toward the sink.

Crossing the room back toward Amos, she toed out of one high heel then the other.

Amos cleared his throat and stood up to fill a goblet of water for her. Handing it over, he sat next to her on the bed, his weight creating a valley she couldn’t help but slip into.

“Just the King and I are allowed to know you’re here. The men who captured you have no idea… what you’re for. We’ve forbidden anyone from this part of the fortress for now. And it’s impossible for anyone to enter without me knowing. Or for anyone to exit.” His eyes narrowed meaningfully.

“Don’t worry. I’m too tired to try and escape tonight.” He almost believed her.

She looked him up and down. “Why all the security to keep me a big secret?”

“Because no one can know about you. Ever.” He found he had trouble looking in her face as he told her the shameful truth.

“Because then it might get out that the King and his offspring are weak?” she asked.

Amos nodded. “Yes. But also,” he paused. “Dragon shifters don’t breed with humans. It’s taboo.”

Lucy cocked her head to one side. “Let me guess. Dragon shifters think humans are disgusting?”

“No,” he shook his head. “Not disgusting. Just… less.”

Lucy nodded and ran a hand through her long hair. It had gotten messy through all the events of the evening, but Amos found he liked it that way.

“In a weird way, I kind of get that,” she said. “I mean, in terms of supernatural stuff I offer zilch. I’m not even good at sports. All I can do is jog.” She grinned at him and he felt completely disabled. As if she’d just stabbed him in the stomach.

God, she was so beautiful. Disturbingly beautiful. Inconveniently beautiful. Disastrously beautiful.

“And it was pretty impressive,” she continued. “Watching the King hulk out like that.”

She put her water on the ground and turned to face him, crossing her legs on the bed. “Can you do that?”

“Shift?”

She nodded. “As fast as that?”

Amos scoffed. “Much faster than that.” He snapped his fingers to show just how fast.

“Can I see your dragon?”

The question was asked innocently enough but Amos found he had to shift his elbows onto his knees to hide his enormous erection. It was already too much having her warm and smelling so good and sitting so close. But now she wanted to see his dragon form. God.

He shook his head.

“Why not?”

He gestured around to her chambers, spacious enough for a human, he supposed. The King had made sure she’d be comfortable there. “I wouldn’t fit.”

Lucy’s eyes widened as she looked around her. “The King would fit in here in dragon form. Easily.”

He looked down at her. “I’m bigger than the King. Much bigger.”

Amos realized that her eyes had dropped to his lips. And, fuck, was she leaning toward him? He froze.

Her ice blue eyes went back up to his. “Can you show me just a little? Like, shift just a little bit?”

“Fuck,” Amos said. He was so screwed. He was going to do it. Anything she asked.

She smiled. She knew she was getting what she wanted. Not breaking eye contact with her, Amos allowed his eyes to shift. He knew the pupils would turn to slits, they’d go iridescent, like a cat’s.

Lucy gasped and leaned in for a closer look. “More,” she whispered.

Thinking of what other minor shift he could do, Amos held one of his arms out in between them and let his scales cover it. They were a glittering amber green in the flickering candlelight.