Highland Dragon (The Treasure of Paragon #6) - Genevieve Jack Page 0,73
awed she could inspect them up close. She trailed her fingers along the edge that extended beyond his shoulder. The scales were coppery with a blue undertone that came from fine, almost invisible feathers between the scales. They blended down into a fleshy web similar to a bat’s wings. At the apex of the arc, at the front of each wing, a talon as large as a bear claw extended toward her.
She hooked her hand in one. “These are intimidating.”
He stretched and flapped the wing gently against her hold. “They should be. We use them to fight.”
“Each other?” The thought of Xavier using the massive claws to fight another dragon made her stomach clench.
“Aye.”
“Donna be afraid. I won’t hurt ye.” Xavier had seen darkness in Avery’s expression when he’d mentioned using his talons to fight. He hadn’t meant to frighten her, merely to answer her question. Stretched out on the floor, he rolled off her and propped himself on his elbow beside her.
“I’m not afraid,” she said quickly.
“These talons”—he flexed his wings—“have a purpose. You hook them into yer opponent’s to hold him fast so he canna get away, and then ye pummel him bloody with yer fists.”
“Sounds unpleasant.” She stroked a finger along the shell of his ear. “Especially considering what you told me before.”
Memories of the pit filled his brain and distracted him from their intimate moment. The earthy stench of spilled dragon’s blood filled his nose, and the pain of his father, Killian, resetting his bones so that he’d heal faster filled his memory.
“We did it because we had to, not because we wanted to.”
“What I don’t understand is the why of it?” She frowned. “Was it to make a soldier out of you? To protect Paragon in case of war?”
“That’s what they told us, but our kingdom hadn’t seen war in over a thousand years. I believe it was for sport. Entertainment for the Highborn Court and those who wanted to be seen with them. They would often bet on our matches.” He sighed heavily.
“Brutal.”
“Aye.”
She examined his face, and understanding sparked in her eyes. “Was that why you created this place? To avoid unnecessary violence?”
It had been a long time since he’d thought about why he’d created the builgean. “As a dragon, I could have annihilated the Jacobites or changed the destiny of their cause.”
“You chose door number three.”
“Aye. I’m not above fighting, ye ken, but it wasna ma war.”
“It wasn’t your war, and you refused to be used as a weapon.”
“Aye.”
“Last night… you said what was happening in Paragon wasn’t your war either. Is that why? Do you feel like if you join your siblings to battle Eleanor, you’re just being used again? Only Gabriel can sit on the throne, and you’ve already spilled enough blood in the pits?”
He gazed at her, his heart swelling with affection. “It’s as if ye know ma very soul, Avery.”
She blinked. “I… I think I get it. You and I are so much alike.” She shook her head. “I came here because I was sick of living my life for someone else. And you built this place for the same reason.”
He rubbed a lock of her silky hair between his fingers. “Aye.”
“Only, if I hadn’t made myself vulnerable and stayed here to help you, I would never have understood my own power or fallen in love with you.”
His heart skipped in his chest as his eyes bored into hers, seeking the truth. “You love me?”
“Yes, I do.”
Xavier’s heart pounded anew when she raised a hand to tease the talon of his right wing, then scraped her nails along the inside webbing. He shivered and closed his eyes. “Ye canna imagine how good that feels or how much I love ye in return.”
“It must be incredible to be able to fly.”
He opened his eyes and smiled wide. “I can take ye for a ride if ye wish.”
She seemed to roll the offer over in her mind. “Okay. After.”
Her fingers dug into his hair, and she drew him on top of her. He was more than happy to lose himself again in her sweet lips. It was the most natural thing in the world to lower his weight between her thighs. Propped on his elbows above her, he’d never experienced anything like her. She was a goddess, a formidable fortress, a fellow warrior. She wrapped her legs easily around his hips. All he had to do was reposition himself and he’d be inside her. His dragon surged beneath his skin, desperate