Mate of the Dragon Read Online Free PDF

right, he should go first: if they were attacked, he would be their best chance of defending themselves. She also understood his ego needed a real boost. The human side of Dòmhnall needed to know he was capable of standing up for himself. And of protecting his mate.
    She was going soft on him, worrying about the mental state of a dragon who had survived the changing face of humanity. But he wasn’t a dragon anymore .
    “We go together,” she said, and when he made to object, she lifted her hand to stop him, saying, “I am not staying here alone.”
    He puffed out his chest, his ego getting the desired boost at the thought of his scared mate who needed his protection. “Very well. But stay behind me.”
    “My favourite place,” she joked.
    “What? Why?” He frowned.
    “Nothing, you wouldn’t understand.” Or maybe he would understand how she fixated on his muscle-bound body. He knew how appealing he was to women; it fed his arrogance. How many times she had walked behind him as he went across the courtyard in the Stronghold. His toned thighs, so strong, so supple; she loved to see his butt in those tight breeches he wore…
    “This is no time to tease me,” he said haughtily.
    Normally she would have replied that it was always time to tease him, but she became sombre, remembering their predicament and the possible danger it brought.
    “Quietly,” he said and then set off through the undergrowth towards the small wooden cabin nestled in the trees.
    She followed, putting her foot exactly where his had been in the hope she wouldn’t make a sound. Even a twig snapping seemed loud, as all around them the forest was quiet, as though it was holding its breath. Tara began to feel the hairs on her neck standing on end, and an involuntary shiver ran down her spine. This whole thing was seriously creeping her out. For a woman who had seen so many bad things and endured so much, fear was an unusual feeling.
    Because you fear for Dòmhnall . That small incessant voice was right. If it was just her, and she had her powers, she would not be afraid. But the thought of losing him was more terrifying than anything that could happen to her. Her brain flicked back to the brief period when she arrived here without him, the sense of enormous loss that had nearly suffocated her. Some way she had to keep him safe, and get him to acknowledge the bond between them.
    “I’m going to go to the front door. Why don’t you wait here?” he whispered.
    She shook her head. “Together.”
    “What if I need to change…?” He paled as he remembered the thing he had always been able to do so naturally had gone from him. “Never mind.”
    Tara reached out a comforting hand, and he visibly jumped at her touch. Was it so unusual? Yes. Tara never spread comfort and love; she was too shut off from that side of herself. She had learned long ago that it was a sign of weakness. To show compassion left you open to hurt. Her whole life up until her arrival at the Stronghold had been filled with people wanting her power, trying to control her, or control her gift of predicting the future. A gift she no longer had.
    Normal. We are both normal . Those were her thoughts as she followed Dòmhnall towards the cabin.
     

Chapter Eight – Dòmhnall
    His heart didn’t usually beat so fast when he was about to go into battle. So why did it thump so loudly in his ears now? It was an old abandoned cabin; it didn’t look as though it had been used for years. There was no sign of anybody in the immediate area, so he could let the tension in his arms go. With a conscious effort, he unballed his fists.
    The first step onto the porch, which was around six feet wide and held only an old bench and some firewood, elicited a loud creak. If anyone was inside, they would know they were about to receive uninvited guests. It also told Dòmhnall that there was a good chance the cabin wasn’t safe, but as long as it was weather proof, they would have to make do. Tara