Page 109 of Shifter Marked and Claimed

My nose started to tingle, and my eyes watered.

“I’ll wake Zoe,” he said, already moving away.

“No. Wait.”

He paused and looked back at me, his worried golden gaze sweeping my face.

“Could you, maybe, just hug me?”

I was in his arms a second later. An immediate sense of relief and calm filled me. Vedar was different. So different. But not scary. Far from it. When he held me like this, I felt safe and protected and wanted. Treasured.

Vedar felt like home. I exhaled shakily, and he rubbed his smooth cheek against mine as he clicked slowly.

“Our hearts are one,” he said softly against me. “What you feel, I feel. I grieve for a man I never knew and a life I never had, but I don’t know how to help you find joy and peace.”

My arms snaked around his waist and under his shirt. The feel of his skin under my fingers soothed me.

“You are fixing it. Just like this,” I said.

The clicking picked up a little.

“What happens now?” I asked. “I mean, I know I’m staying with you. But what about Zoe? Will she go back to the other house?”

“Do you want her to leave?”

“No. She’s the only family I have left.” I paused to trail my fingers along his sides, the contact soothing me. “And finding out that another dragon was behind that whole thing with Joey is messing with my head in so many ways. Humans aren’t safe, no matter where they live. But I know she’d be safe here with us. I don’t think I could live with myself if anything happened to her.”

I pulled back enough so Vedar could see my face and know I wasn’t exaggerating.

He studied my eyes and trailed his fingers over my cheek.

“Then she will stay.”

“Not locked in her room?”

“No, not locked in her room.”

“Thank you.” The relieved smile I gave him turned troubled. “Why did the other dragon want me but not Zoe? I’m nothing special.”

Vedar snorted a plume of smoke and pulled me close to rub his cheek against mine. I felt myself melting into him.

“You are very special. Not every human can accept a dragon’s heart, and you responded to me long before you agreed.”

“So you liked me because you turned me on?”

His clicking exploded into a purr, and it wasn’t only his cheek he rubbed against me. His chest and hips made enough contact that my mind short-circuited. I gripped his shoulders and rubbed back. It wasn’t enough. Panting, I rose on my toes and kissed my way up his neck.

He trailed his nose along mine and paused when our lips were almost touching. I opened my mouth and flicked his lips with my tongue. His hands grabbed my backside and hoisted me up.

“I liked you because you call to my soul in a way no other human or creature ever has. Your scent teases me as effortlessly as your smile, wit, and temper. You are more dear to me than you yet understand. But you will. With time.”

Then his lips were on mine, claiming them in a kiss that erased all doubt and fear. There was nothing but Vedar and the amazing way he made me feel. I wrapped my arms and legs around him and held on for dear life.

“Dragon-man, if you don’t step away from my sister now, I’m going to spatula whip your testicles until they pop out of your mouth.”

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

The insanely wordedthreat was enough to pierce my Vedar-haze. His too, apparently, since he turned his head in Zoe’s direction and snarled at her.

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