Page 18 of Lachlan

Emphasizing how different their sizes were in human form.

His dragon stood as tall as this house, with fierce eyes and face, a wingspan as wide as a small jet, and razor-sharp teeth that could rip his prey to pieces before he ate it. A terrifying sight at the best of times, but it would probably traumatize a small human female. Even one as brave as his Belle.

“Stay strong, brother,” Ranulf soothed. “For all our sakes.”

Lachlan’s nostrils flared as he drew in several calming breaths. Fate wouldn’t be so cruel as to give him a true mate who would be scared of him. In either of his forms.

The fact that Belle was now touching him in his human form, of her own volition, proved that at least half of that was true.

He turned his hand over to grasp her fingers in his. “I do not consider the McGregors to have been caring or considerate hosts toward you.”

“To be fair, I don’t think Ben was too happy with the way I kicked him out when he came to my bedroom expecting— Ow, Lachlan, that hurts,” she protested as his fingers tightened—obviously painfully—about hers.

He eased his grip a little, but his jaw remained clenched. “He came to your bedroom?”

She nodded. “New Year’s night. I asked him to leave.”

“And did he?” As far as Lachlan was concerned, the McGregors youngest child’s life depended on Belle’s answer being in the affirmative.

“Yes,” she confirmed. “I didn’t come to Scotland for that.”

“Then why did you come here?”

A low growl rumbled in Lachlan’s chest at Hunter’s question and the way his brother was looking across at her from between narrowed lids.

“Calm it, big bro,” Hunter derided. “I’m just curious.”

“How do you do that?” Belle had turned to look at Lachlan with big eyes.

“Do what?” he rasped.

“Growl so convincingly.”

“Because he’s a grump,” Hunter dismissed. “And you, little Belle, are trying to change the subject.”

Was she?

Perhaps.

Because she knew, despite her ridiculous thoughts a few minutes ago regarding these three men and the Drake name, that most people would think she was slightly deranged for believing dragons had ever existed, let alone that the Drake brothers might somehow be related to the three Sister Agnes claimed to have seen all those centuries ago.

Belle still wanted to know how Lachlan could growl so low in his throat it literally sounded like a wild animal. Even if that ability didn’t mean he knew anything about the dragons Sister Agnes said had once lived in this area.

“Which was?” she now prompted Hunter.

“What’s in your backpack that you’re clinging to it as if it holds the crown jewels?”

“I’m not,” she defended.

“You are a little,” Lachlan reasoned.

All three Drake brothers were now watching her with varying degrees of curiosity.

Could she tell them about the journal? About the dragons Sister Agnes claimed to have seen?

If she did, would they politely dismiss it all as superstitious nonsense from centuries ago, maybe even laugh at her? Or would they, like her, want to know more?

None of the Drake brothers looked as if they would be mocking or deliberately cruel.

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