Page 37 of Beautiful Beast

“Then do it.” I looked at each of them one at a time. “Do it or kill me, but stop the sham of pretending I have any control in this situation.”

Endre stood so close now, the others merely steps away, like they couldn’t stand to be far from each other or from me. Any one of them could cross the distance to me in a second, and my traitorous heart wanted them to.

If I admitted the truth, I wanted to say yes. I wanted to surrender to whatever it was that sprang to life when they looked at me. The impossible heat that slid down my spine and made me imagine things that weren’t permitted.

But here, if I were free, maybe they would be permitted. Because nothing else would matter. If I was simply Lena and no one else.

I wanted.

And I’d learned a long time ago that wanting was dangerous.

Sirrus stepped forward and put a hand on Endre’s shoulder. The dark-eyed dragon growled low in warning, still staring at me like he might kiss me or eat me. I wasn’t sure if he’d decided. But Sirrus squeezed his shoulder, and Endre threw him off, putting a roomful of distance between us.

It should have been easier to breathe, and wasn’t. Not with the two of them still so close. Sirrus came to me, holding up a hand. There was nothing to see, but I felt power pulsing there. His fingers brushed the side of my neck, tracing the spot just behind my ear. “Though I cannot command you as I would a dragon, the magic I place on you will tell us if you leave Skalisméra without our permission, harm yourself, or anyone in this city.”

The magic he spoke took hold of me like invisible claws, there and gone. Hard and fast. A brush of silver clouds and dawn breaking.

His fingers lingered before they pulled away. I could have sworn longing filled those cold blue eyes, but it was gone as fast as the brush of magic. “And what is your decision?”

“Despite what you might think, we are just as bound as you,” he said. “We must speak to the Elders. As of now, they have not been informed of your… survival. But you will be given a measure of freedom until that time.”

I supposed I couldn’t push for more than that, so I nodded once.

Endre approached once more, and with all three dragons in close proximity, I felt—I didn’t know what I felt. Only that whatever it was, it was never meant to be. And I couldn’t want it. Wanting it made weakness. Wanting made it hurt when it didn’t come to pass.

“You will join us for the evening meal,” he said, darkness lacing his tone. No room for argument.

“Will I be on the menu?” It would be one way to kill me.

Zovai laughed, but it contained the same velvet darkness of Endre’s voice. “We do not consume humans, Lena. But I would take great pleasure in eating one.”

I looked at him, unsure. It didn’t sound like he was talking about killing me, and the way he looked at me now only set my skin aflame.

Pressing my lips together, I resisted asking the question. I already had so little power, I did not want my lack of knowledge or experience to make it worse. So I simply walked to the door, feeling their eyes on me with every step.

At the last moment, I looked back. “I have one more question.”

“Ask it.”

“Why did you do it? Spare my life.”

Zovai shook his head, staring out at the mountains before finally speaking. “I wish I knew.”

I didn’t wait to see if his expression contained relief or regret.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

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ZOVAI

We watched Lena disappear from our chambers and I blew out a breath, covering my face with my hands and collapsing back into my seat. My whole body sang with the need to chase her. Follow her and scent her closer than I’d been able to. Touch her again.

“Well?” I snarled at Sirrus. “Do you finally understand?”

I couldn’t figure out what the hell it was about the woman that made my dragon pause. Pause. Like the word had any bearing on the roaring in my chest. That feeling made the idea of her death unbearable, ripping my dragon to the surface and threatening to unleash ten kinds of hell.

“Yes,” he said. “I do.”

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