Page 20 of Wynter and the Stone Dragon

She stroked the long silky strands of hair near his ear that his headdress didn’t hide. Time seemed to slow as she studied him.

Why did she feel such a connection to him? Her young heart beat heavily at the idea of leaving him, but what choice did she have? She and Pow-pow could not remain on this world. She knew from her father’s notes and illustrations that she and Pow-pow would be in danger themselves, but they would also imperil anyone who associated with them.

Memories of the world she was born in flashed through her mind. The devastation left by the hoard of aliens still affected the survivors nearly two decades later. While she and Pow-pow would never intentionally harm another, there could still be long-term damaging effects if they stayed here.

“Don’t leave me.” Khalid slid his hand against her nape and tugged her closer. She gasped when he captured her lips.

Wynter had never been kissed before. The sensation startled and intrigued her. Her lips parted under the pressure of his, and he swept his tongue inside. Her eyes fluttered closed as a pulsing need spread through her.

This is right,she thought.

Her heart hammered against her chest, and her hands pressed over his pounding heart. Blood swooshed in her ears. All she could hear or feel was him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body closer to his in utter abandon.

Two hearts, one heartbeat. As if two halves of a soul have found each other across the universe… and become one.

* * *

The next afternoon, Khalid strode down the corridor that led to his living quarters. They were his rooms when he originally lived here. Already, work was underway to repair the palace and the country. It would take years, but resources, manpower, and hope were powerful driving forces.

Hope,he thought.

His thoughts should have been on his early morning meeting with Adham and his other military advisors. He should have been thinking about the many meetings that would fill the next few weeks as the new government was established and his place as Ruler of Aethon was sealed. There were a million and one things to think about that didn’t involve a platinum-blonde woman from another world.

Don’t forget her dragon!he reminded himself with a slight shudder.

Khalid shook his head at the thought. After he kissed her last night….

I don’t care if she has a hundred dragons, trolls, fairies, or other mythical creatures. She is mine.

That knowledge gave him hope. He believed their destinies were written years ago when Wynter first appeared, and their intense chemistry yesterday was yet another sign that they were meant for each other. If Adham hadn’t interrupted them, he suspected she would have fully belonged to him.

“Your Highness.”

Khalid groaned when he heard Colonel Giaffar Gindibuh call out to him. He wanted to ignore his friend. He was exhausted and more than a little impatient to see Wynter. Breathing deeply, he slowed his pace, allowing Giaffar to catch up with him.

“What is it, Giaf?” he wearily inquired.

Giaffar was the same age as he was. The son of a Boeheim sheikh, they were childhood friends. Giaf had planned and fought beside him every step of the way over the last ten years.

“Is it true? About the girl,” Giaf asked.

“Is it true there is awomanhere in the palace, in my quarters, then yes,” he replied in a short tone.

Giaf eyed him with a steady stare that made his cheeks darken. Thanks to the events in his life, romantic relationships had been limited to a few awkward kisses and a lot of wishful thinking. Giaf had a slightly more expansive experience but not by much.

“Who is she? Adham is tightlipped. Some guards have been saying—”

Khalid stopped and faced his friend with a scowl. “What have the guards been saying?” he demanded.

This time it was Giaf who flushed. Giaf’s face was tense and his shoulders stiff. Uncertainty flashed through his eyes.

“I saw the marks in the wall and read the report of Inarus’s death. Farid and Mousa swear they saw a… dragon. Doctor Baqir’s medical report states Inarus suffered multiple lacerations that went completely through his body, and that his head was ripped off, his skull crushed,” Giaf warily replied.

Khalid stood frozen for a moment before briefly closing his eyes.

“I want all reports of what happened to my uncle contained,” he ordered.

Giaf uttered a low curse and gripped his arm. “Are you telling me what Farid and Mousa reported was true? That there was a dragon… and the girl speaks to it?”

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