I glanced ahead to find a light at the end of the tunnel. Cliché, right? But this light would actually be heaven, my salvation from the past few weeks behind bars. I lengthened my strides and caught up to Talon.
As we neared the end of the passageway, a brisk chill swept over my polyester jumpsuit. I tugged on the collar pulling it up higher around my neck. The archway loomed ever closer, pristine white snow blotting the opening.
“Hold on a sec.” Talon stopped and pivoted toward a small alcove entrenched within the obsidian rock. He dropped to the floor and dug at the hard-packed dirt. A moment later, a duffle bag appeared from the hole in the ground. He unzipped it and pulled out two thick winter coats and a neatly folded stack of clothes. “Here you go.”
I accepted the items and scanned my new apparel. I didn’t know why I was being picky after living in a prison jumpsuit for weeks. Maybe it was the mystery of to whom they belonged that was getting to me.
“Are you going to put the clothes on or just stare at them?” Talon threw me a sidelong glance as he began to strip out of his jumpsuit.
Do not look up, Azara. I kept my gaze trained on the warm outfit to keep from ogling his sculpted perfection. “I was just looking for a size.”
“They’ll fit. You’re about the same build as Ella.”
My eyes shot up before I could stop them. “Who’s Ella?”
“One of the females on the team, like I told you before.”
I bit down on my lip to keep from asking more about this girl. Instead, my eyes focused on Talon’s half naked body. Dammit. Even in the dim light, his silver dragon shimmered, dancing along the cut dips and valleys of his torso.
Fire surged through my veins, ignited by the sight of his glimmering beast. Had to be the bond.
He pulled the slate gray jumpsuit down over his hips, revealing tight black boxer briefs, and I swallowed hard. Sure, I’d seen him in his underwear before but never at this close distance. Heat blossomed across my cheeks, and I lowered my gaze to the clothes in my arms. Right, get dressed, Azara.
I shimmied out of my jumpsuit, letting the material hang from my waist. Luckily, I could keep my tank top underneath. I pulled the long-sleeve shirt and sweater over my head and the soft wool caressed my skin. After that horrible prison garb this was heaven.
A faint rumble diverted my attention back to Talon. His eyes were glued to the inch of skin peeking out between the sweater and sagging jumpsuit. His tongue snaked out, he swept it over his bottom lip and another soft groan filled the silence.
My insides clenched, heat swelling in my lower half. I spun around refusing to give into my lusty urges. “Do you mind turning around?” I muttered over my shoulder.
“Um, yeah, sure.”
The awkward tone of his voice split my lips into a smile. I didn’t think I’d ever heard the great leader of the Triad embarrassed before. I tugged the bottom half of my jumpsuit off and slipped into the skinny jeans. They were like second skin, fitting perfectly. How had Talon been so spot on?
Once I had everything on, I gave Talon the okay to turn around. His eyes raked over me appreciatively. In his defense, the saggy prison attire did nothing for my curves. Now they were in full view. “Good, I’m glad they fit.” The surprisingly gruff tone caught me off guard.
“Yup.” I slid my hands over the soft woolen sleeves, soaking the warmth in. Talon stood there still wearing only boxers, his hand palming the back of his neck. “Aren’t you getting dressed?”
“No point. I’ll just destroy my clothes when my dragon comes out.”
“Oh, right.” I’d forgotten about that. I hadn’t spent much time with shifters growing up. Even though my uncle was the Brotherhood of Dragon’s Alpha, we didn’t see them often since we lived in the human world.
He ticked his head toward the opening of the tunnel. “Ready?”
To ride your dragon? Again, I had to stifle an inappropriate giggle. Pressing my lips together, I nodded.
We reached the archway, and the towering crags of Draeko loomed over us. Pristine snow blanketed the monstrous summits, the rising sun bathing the sky in a brilliant rainbow. The crisp, clean air after weeks of the dank prison filled my lungs, reminding me of Talon’s mountain fresh scent.
The moment I left the