The Dragon Legion Collection(79)

Thad smiled, sure that he was making his case. “Forever.” He took a step closer, the sudden increase in the heat of the firestorm making him close his eyes against it. When he opened them, she’d retreated again.

“You’re immortal, like a god?”

“No, but we are long-lived. So, for a long lifetime together, maybe even beyond that.”

“No guarantees?”

“Only because I don’t know what happens then.” He offered one hand to her, but she simply stared at his outstretched fingers. “Spending all my days and nights with my destined mate is fine by me.”


“What if your destined mate doesn’t want to have a son?”

“She doesn’t have a choice.” Thad smiled and reached toward her. “I’ll try to make it worth your while.”

She looked indecisive. He could see the desire in her eyes but also that she was resistant to the idea. He knew she wanted him. She kept looking at his mouth, at his hands, then catching her breath. He eased closer, lifting a strand of her long hair. As he wound the curl around his fingertip, the firestorm blazed golden. The light touched her features, making her look like a gilded treasure, and Thad’s chest clenched. He watched as she parted her lips, then bent quickly to steal a kiss.

The way her lips clung to his told him that she wasn’t that resistant.

“My name is Thaddeus,” he whispered against her mouth. “My friends call me Thad.”

“Aura,” she whispered, her eyes were dark and wide. She studied him as he repeated her name softly, and Thad dared to steal another kiss. This one lasted longer and was more potent, making his heart pound and filling his body with a need for more. He felt her fingers in his hair, lightly first, and then when he slanted his mouth across hers and deepened his kiss, her grip tightened.

Pulling him closer. Thad caught her close and lifted her against himself, liking how she framed his head in her hands. Their kiss turned hungry and demanding, kindling to an inferno that demanded satisfaction. He wanted to feel his skin against hers and he slid his hand under the hem of her chiton.

As soon as his skin touched hers, she spun out of his embrace. She backed away, her lips swollen and her cheeks flushed, and eyed him warily. Thad could see the tight beads of her nipples making peaks in the soft fabric and the smell of her desire made his dragon roar. He took a deep breath in a bid for control, determined to let her set the pace.

Then he realized one good thing.

“You’re not disappearing this time,” he said. “How did you disappear like that, anyway?”

Her smile flashed, as if he’d given her an idea. “You think you’re the only one who isn’t human?” she asked, but Thad was confused.

She laughed, then lifted her arms and disappeared in a sparkle of falling light.

He spun in place, but she was gone again.

He had to find her!

Thad suddenly felt a wind ruffle his hair, like a woman’s fingers sliding through it, except the spark of the firestorm crackled there, too. The caress slid down the back of his neck, both a breath of wind and a flurry of sparks, swirled around to cross his chest, then danced down his arm. He stretched out his hand and felt as if fingers of wind interlaced with his own, or maybe a breeze slipped through his fingers. Sparks cascaded from his fingertips as the wind faded to nothing, and he turned in place, wondering where she was.

“You’re a nymph,” he exclaimed, remembering the stories he’d been told as a child.

A whirlwind spiraled to the ground right in front of them and he smiled as the firestorm touched it with gold. In a heartbeat, his mate stood before him again, her hair blowing as it settled over her shoulders. She was smiling at him, and her eyes shone with intent. “This is what I am, Pyr. Does the truth change your mind?”

Thad shook his head and saw her eyes sparkle. “It gives us more in common,” he said with resolve. He dropped to his knee before her. They caught their breath simultaneously as he took her hand in his and kissed its back, a potent stab of heat racing through Thad’s body at the contact. “Be with me, Aura,” he murmured, holding her gaze.

She inhaled sharply and her eyes were wide. “Catch me first,” she whispered, her eyes dancing with challenge. That shimmer returned as she disappeared into the whirlwind. It spun up toward the clouds, churning as it rose, the glint of the firestorm fading with distance.

Thad roared and shifted shape, leaping into the air in dragon form to pursue his mate. He knew he didn’t imagine that she laughed before the whirlwind disappeared into the clouds overhead. They swirled, sparks falling from them like strange rain. Thad plunged into the cloud to pursue her, following both her scent and the heat of the firestorm.





Chapter Two



It would have been too easy for Aura to surrender.

She hadn’t just been tempted: she’d been on the cusp of giving her all to Thad. But as willing as her body was, and as persuasive as his argument seemed to be, she couldn’t help thinking that he was saying what he needed to say, in order to seduce her.

She couldn’t help worrying that as soon as the firestorm was satisfied, he’d be gone, and she’d be left with the son of a dragon to bear and raise. She’d seen the same thing happen to nymphs over and over again. It had happened to her mother. Aura had been determined that it would never happen to her.