Page 39 of Brutal Alpha Dragon

When I open my eyes again, the outside world of Aurora Island becomes visible. The starlit night is beautiful outside the window, and I stand back with a self-satisfied grin.

“You can see outside now,” I announce as I gesture with one hand toward the window.

“I can…?” she asks hesitantly as she steps forward. She squints her eyes at the window, turning to me with a frown. “It’s a door?”

“Yes,” I say with a frown, only realizing that she didn’t know that when she shrugs. Of course, she didn’t—the glass window had been shielded entirely.

Shaking my head, I reach out and pull the sliding door open. A gust of cool air billows in, and it’s unpleasant. It’s a wind that amplifies the scent swirling the air. Intoxicating in its sweetness, frightening in how foreign it is.

I shiver from recognizing the scent even though I barely understand why it’s present. While Lily steps out onto the balcony, I take a moment to regain my composure.

“Wow…” she gasps in awe as she stares into the sky and plants her hands on the rail. “... It’s beautiful out here.”

“Sorry,” I say as I rub my nape nervously.

“What for?” she asks as she turns to me with a frown.

“For keeping you locked up,” I admit. “You wanna be free, here it is.”

Lily’s eyes narrow at me. “You call this freedom?” she scoffs, gesturing to the sky. “It’s not like this makes any difference.”

“What do you expect me to do?” I shrug.

“Let. Me. Go.”

“No,” I say quickly, as if I’m riding on instinct. Like the single word of refusal comes from somewhere deep inside. Even though my mind tells me the human is no good as a mate, I can’t let her leave.

Refusing to remain there and argue with her again, I turn on my heels and go back into the room. But a fistful of my sweater is grabbed from behind to stop me.

“No!” Lily yells with rage. “You’re not locking me up in here again!”

I snap back around, grabbing her wrist to get her off me. But as soon as my fingers make contact with her soft flesh, I’m stunned again. It’s like an electric spark rushes through me, keeping me prisoner to the grip of my hand. Stuck there, I can’t do anything but look into her face.

Only to see horror flash in her eyes.

She gasps, abruptly snatching her hand back. I’m momentarily disarmed by the shock of what I just felt. Not because the electric feeling was intense.

But because it was there at all.

While Lily wrings her wrist with one hand, she stares warily at me. Gone is her determination to fight me, I can see that much.

Which allows me to flee.

It’s a flight or fight response, of which I’ve chosen the former. Everything I’ve experienced tonight only seems to point in one direction. A direction I refuse to accept. But even then, it seems impossible that the human girl could ignite a feeling like this.

After all, the fated mate bond was only ever meant to be shared between dragon-shifters. It’s something that hasn’t been heard of for millennia. Not even my parents have shared such a sacred bond—only my great-grandfather and great-grandmother shared the fated mate bond in their time.

Panic rises like bile in my throat as I navigate my way downstairs. A million thoughts race through my mind as I try to understand what I feel.

I’ve only ever heard about it. Read about it in past manuscripts, passed down from our forefathers. Journals I need to consult now.

“Draco! Where are you going?!” Kairo’s voice follows me as I hurry through the corridor.

“Not now, Kai!” I call out without looking behind me. I know she isn’t following me when the walls only echo my pair of rushing footsteps.

But when I enter the study, I’m not alone.

“Hello, Brother,” I’m greeted by Felix, who lounges behind the desk, his feet kicked up on the table.

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