Page 69 of Oath of Rebellion

"A venom barbed tail."

She frowned. "It looks like a broom handle, not a barbed anything."

He arched a brow and crossed his arms. His vision sharpened as he concentrated, then a green sap began to secrete from the tip. Barbs shifted between the scales.

He tightened his stomach and grunted. The rounded end grew sharp points on the side as long as pine needles, and it lengthened to a dagger like point.

Two green drops fell to the ground. She reached out a hand as if to touch the tail, and he stepped back, holding a hand out.

"No, you can't touch it. It's dangerous, and I won't have you getting hurt or worse."

Her eyes softened and she smiled softly. "You won't hurt me, Knox."

"Not on purpose, but who knows what dragons are capable of anymore?"

She frowned. "Dragons have died out. Drakins are much tamer, even though Gastone will gladly argue that he's the best, most powerful mage in the land."

He shook his head and took a deep breath. "No, dragon's haven't all died out. Olive says I'm not a drakin, but a dragon."

She arched a brow and cocked a hip. "There's no way."

He shrugged. "I hatched out of an egg. Do any of the royal drakin's hatch out of eggs?"

Eirwyn's eyebrows rose in surprise, and she tapped her chin with one delicate finger as she thought. "Well, drakin's manifest all kinds of things. I have light and wind magic, plus some illusions. My brother has fire and dark magic. The Glathen royal family has ice, fire, and water. I can believe you're drakin, but no one hatched. We're all born like normal."

He winced, raking a hand over his scales. This was why he'd never wanted to show his face to anyone. He wasn't normal, and he never would be.

She tilted her head, walking slowly around him. He kept one hand on his tail to keep it as far away from her as possible. It seemed to have a mind of its own around Eirwyn.

But the way she kept looking at him made him start to crave more of her attention, more of her acceptance, love, and desire.

He wanted everything from her.

Would she want to make a home with him? Would Eirwyn live in the wild, waiting for him to come home from protecting the forest? He'd never thought having kids was an option, since he might kill anyone he tried to–

Her small hand on his arm brought him back from his dreams and worries. She had stepped directly in front of him, and his tail still hovered slightly behind his ear.

She looked up at him with those gorgeous eyes that shone in the shadows of the gloomy, misty day.

"Is this your curse?" she asked softly.

He shuddered a breath, holding it as he nodded once. He was prepared to have all his hopes and dreams dashed on the rocks.

But she reached up a hand and cupped his cheek. "I don't think you're cursed, Knox. I think there's more to this than either of us know. There are books in the palace that date back to our dragon ancestors. Surely one of those has something in it on how to live with your tail and breath."

Her fingers trailed softly over his scales to trace the tip of his small, triangular horn. A soft smile played on her lips. "As for the scales and horns... well, those are sexy as hell."

His brows rose, and he released his breath. "Truly?"

She nodded, pushing the hood back from his face. She ran both her hands over his head, and he growled, his eyes fluttering in ecstasy.

She'd said the same last night, but he was hesitant to trust her words. Words could change. But the way her hands felt on his body made him hope.

She pulled him down closer to her face, and his heart raced. Her lips tempted him like a shiny, red apple. He licked his own and tucked his chin to his chest as he breathed in the honeysuckle and jasmine that clung to her.

A faint line of green gas curled away from his nose and sank toward the ground, and he thanked the gods that he'd not blown it directly into her face.

His chest tightened. He couldn't do this. He would hurt her or kill her. She could be poisoned so easily, and his tail ached at her touch.

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