“Dragon fire can’t hurt us in human form.” She was trembling, and he caressed her back. “I’m sorry, I should have told you.”
Eva sniffed and wiped a hand across her face. “Yeah, you big idiot, you should have.”
“Shh,” he whispered, and kissed the corner of her mouth. “I’m here, right?”
She melded her lips to his, dragging her fingers through his hair. He had taken a huge step by entrusting her with his secret. Did he sense something within her that even maybe she wasn’t aware of? Legends stated that dragons were a good judge of character.
He growled into her mouth as he deepened the kiss, his tongue flicking gently against her lips. She sighed, opening her mouth, and he delved inside, tangling his tongue with hers. He pushed his weight against her, and she reclined on the couch with him on top of her. His hands slipped down and pulled her sweatshirt up over her breasts. He explored every exposed inch while she squirmed beneath him, her nails lightly scratching his back. He hissed when she grabbed his ass and molded her hips to his. “You little minx,” he said, his voice rough with desire.
She kissed him again, then nipped his bottom lip with her teeth.
Balthazar dragged his mouth from hers to bury it against her neck, teasing her ear lobe and returning the favor, gently biting the sensitive skin near her collarbone.
Eva gasped, and when she tugged his hair near the nape of his neck, he almost lost it. He kissed her again and ground his hips against hers, letting her know he was more than willing to go further.
But her hands were on his chest, pushing him away. “Sorry, that was only supposed to be a thank you.”
Bal growled in appreciation, and he knew he smiled. “That’s one hell of a thank you.”
He heard Lancelot’s and Thorsson’s voices in the hallway. Eva tried to push him off, but he wasn’t prepared to move. “Balthazar, get up!” she whispered fiercely. “I don’t want your brother seeing us like this.”
“Why not? Lancelot said you were my girlfriend.”
“Come on!” She pushed again, harder, and he finally rose, dragging her with him.
“Coward.” He tugged Eva’s sweatshirt down, grazing his knuckles against her warm skin.
Eva opened her mouth to say something when Lancelot came in with four mugs, followed by Thorsson with his hands wrapped around a tray. “Thought we should also eat—it’s been a long day.” Lancelot glanced from him to her and back again. “You haven’t told her yet, have you?”
“Nope. I thought it best we talk about this together.”
“Yeah, right.” Lancelot snorted, placing the mugs down.
“Talk about what?” she asked.
He stalled while grabbing a coffee and biting into a sandwich. “It involves Ti.” Thinking about his brother made him antsy, and Balthazar got up and paced the length of the room. “Dad talked to us about a rumor. That a dragon shifter can die if he lost a scale.” His shoulder ached as if mirroring his thoughts. “I didn’t take it seriously because there wasn’t any proof.”
“What’s the rumor exactly?” she asked.
“A shifter had one hundred years to find his missing scale. I’m surprised that our dragon souls were willing to wait that long. Dragon souls can’t be contained indefinitely—they need to be released, to enjoy their freedom as much as their human souls.”
“Well, that makes sense, I guess.”
“If a shifter isn’t whole when the hundred years have passed, the dragon soul will assert its right to shift about every ten years. That means excruciating pain for the human, and increasing frustration for the dragon. If the dragon soul overcomes its human counterpart and transforms…” He paused. “It will kill the shifter.”
Eva sat up at that bit of news. “Even though the dragon soul knows it’s missing a scale?”
He nodded.
“Why would it do that?”
“You know the fairy tale about the genie in the lamp?” Lancelot said. “It’s something like that. If you keep someone locked up for too long, they get annoyed.”
“The other problem is the Summer and Winter Equinoxes,” Balthazar added. “During the transition of the seasons, it’s easier for us to shift into dragons, but in my case, it’s more dangerous for me. My dragon soul has more strength during that time, and fighting Bal can be excruciating.”
Eva nodded. “How long have you been fighting Bal?”
“This will be my one hundred and tenth year.”
She closed her eyes, and he swore he saw the wheels turning in her head. “You mentioned a rumor, earlier. Did your Dad mention any dragon shifters he knew of that survived the loss of their scale?”