Page 16 of Burned

He pauses, meeting my gaze face to face. We’re nearly the same height, barely an inch between us, and while my presence is due to my muscles, his is all vibes. Must be a dragon thing. Truth be told, I’ve never met one in human form before. At least not to my knowledge. Obviously they can blend in with the rest of us. Though with a face like that, I doubt Lord blends in anywhere he goes.

Wordlessly, he continues past me and walks toward the stairs. I settle into an armchair in his office, filled with curiosity about the man. He seems very cultured and educated, not at all like the dumb, lumbering beasts I’ve been told about. But I’m not exactly like the Viking lore commonly spread around Hollywood either. We’ve never pillaged a village for example, and we’re not exceedingly violent or uncouth. Maybe we’re a little rough around the edges, but we’re mostly like everyone else.

Except my family. Hundreds of years spent hunting dragons for sport has made us different. I’ve never fit in entirely, but I’ve done my best to live up to my dad’s expectations. I can only imagine the talk at the dinner table about me. To them, I diedafter being attacked by a dragon, without ever earning my own kill. I’m a disgrace. I’m not sure whether they’ll be happy to know I lived or not. Is there honor in being a prisoner? Would they ever believe a dragon saved my life simply because he wanted to? Can I believe that?

Lord returns almost silently, startling me from my thoughts.

“Apologies,” he says, offering a soft smile. “I think these might work.”

He hands me a pile of neatly folded clothing. When I shake them out, I find a pair of thick cargo pants in a strange brown-green color and a long-sleeved shirt in the same color. They’re worn with age but in solid shape just the same.

“You keep random outfits around in case you kidnap wounded men in the forest?”

Lord’s eyes flicker with heat and maybe even a tinge of anger. “I didn’t kidnap you.”

“That was my bad attempt at teasing. Sorry.”

He offers a curt nod. “Those clothes belonged to an uncle of mine. I tend to be the nostalgic sort, so I took some of his items when he passed.”

The explanation leaves me a little stunned. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to ruin them.”

“It’s fine. I’d rather they be used than sit in a room on a shelf.”

“Thank you.”

I pull the shirt over my head, aware of Lord’s watchful gaze. Maybe I should show some modesty, but the man undressed me and cared for my broken body. I assume he’s seen all there is to see.

He makes no attempt to look away as I kick off the sweatpants either, tugging the rough pants over my naked ass. I’m not about to ask Lord for underwear, so commando it is.

As I dress, my mind wanders to what Lord looks like naked. Are there signs of his hidden beast? Does he have hair on his body or are dragon shifters smooth? Is his touch soft or rough?

I shake my head slightly to rid my mind of thoughts I shouldn’t have. None of it matters. We need to get to wherever we’re going, get the antidote to this medicine, and part ways. I’ll forget he’s a dragon, and he’ll forget I’m a hunter. It’ll be like none of this happened. As long as he and his never encounter my family, we’ll both be safe.

I cringe at the idea of anyone, even my brothers, harming Lord. Does that make me a traitor to my own kind?

“I’ll pack some food.” Lord interrupts my thoughts.

I nod. “I’ll get my boots.”

I return to the bedroom and locate my boots, pulling them on as I sit on the bench at the foot of the bed. The tugging sensation in my chest returns, wrapping around my heart and lungs like a lasso. Why does that happen whenever there’s distance between us? It’s always better when we’re close. The medicine he gave me must have something in it that connects us, which is all the more reason to get it out of my system.

When I make my way downstairs, Lord is standing in the foyer. I finally notice his clothing—a pair of black slacks and a button-down shirt. He looks ready for dinner or a business meeting instead of wherever it is we’re going.

He pats the bag at his feet. “I have a change of clothes,” he says, as if reading my thoughts.

“Okay.”

“The plane is being refueled now, and I have a car waiting. We’ll go out the back.”

“The plane?”

“My family owns a plane. It makes traveling easier.”

“Uh-huh.” A fucking plane? Why would dragons need a plane when they can sprout wings whenever they want? The questionis on the tip of my tongue, but I swallow my curiosity since it would mean admitting I know what he is. “Where are we going that we need a plane to get there?”

Lord shifts his weight to the other foot, his brow creasing as he moves just slightly backward. “Scotland.”

My jaw drops.

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