Page 26 of The Dragon's Mate Proposal

Though perhaps not as much as I should have been, considering I had considered trying to do just that. But now I didn’t have to. That was all before the discovery of my family ‘fortune.’ Once I unearthed that, then the deal with the Sovereign was off. I wouldn’t owe anything to anyone. I would be free.

“The Sovereign is well aware that you have spent the past decades in the company of humans,” the agent said. “She knows that you would do anything for money, just as they would. Up to and including faking it, or forcing yourself on her.”

Fire flared in me as I advanced on the agent, until smoke poured from my nostrils, a portent of things to come.

“I meant the bond,” the agent said hastily, raising his voice and backing up this time, until he was basically pressed against the door to outside. “Your scale. Not physically.”

I stopped. They were afraid I would try to trap Samantha, by coming up with an excuse to slap a scale on her, and force the bond between us. I snarled. Mostly because I had thought of doing just that as well, though I’d mostly discarded the idea after meeting her. The thought of hurting Samantha was not a pleasant one.

My dragon bellowed in agreement.

“This must be done properly, Cade,” the Sovereign’s agent continued, not lowering his voice. “You can’t cut corners. There is a process. Follow it. And don’t forget the deal.”

“Whatever,” I growled. “Get out of my sight.”

The agent just smiled, still not intimidated. “I’ll be in touch,” he said, pushing out the door and disappearing from sight.

I glared at where he had stood, imagining something heavy falling from the sky right onto the arrogant prick.

The door opened again.

“Who was that?” Samantha asked, standing in the opening, looking back outside.

Chapter Fourteen

Samantha

“Don’t forget the deal.”

Deal? What deal? I hesitated outside the store, listening to the two dragons, but nothing more was said, other than that he would be in touch. Then I had to scramble back as another dragon man came out of the trader’s store, nearly bowling me over.

He didn’t apologize.

I stepped around him, holding the door open, glancing at Cade inside.

“Who was that?” I asked, looking down the street at the fancily dressed shifter.

“Nobody,” Cade growled with a shake of his head, obviously in a mood now. “Just someone sticking their head where they shouldn’t.”

“Don’t make me do it,” I warned, hoping the smile on my face would show I wasn’t being serious.

“Do what?”

“If you won’t elaborate, I’m going to have to do it.”

Cade blinked several times. “I’m lost.”

So I gave him my ‘one-eyebrow raised’ look.

The irritation washed off his face as he laughed. “All right, all right, you win,” he said, lifting his hands in mock surrender.

“So tell me, who was that?”

I didn’t mention that I’d heard the last of their conversation. Something about a process, and the deal. What deal had he made?

“Someone from the sovereign,” he said. “I guess they’re just checking up on all the mated women or whatever.”

“Or whatever?”

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