Page 18 of Dragon Exposed

Almost.

As he bent over to pull a key out from under the mat, I noticed the glint of sun hitting a glass screen from inside the pouch he wore.

A phone, I hoped.

Maybe if I could somehow get it away from him, I could call…

Who? No one was going to come rescue me. Only the audience in Times Square had seen him, and no one was going to come out here to take him on. It had been a long time since we sent knights into dragon lairs, and I wasn’t exactly a princess worthy of saving.

The government would probably be more likely to send a drone to take us both out.

I’d either die as a dragon’s snack…or as collateral damage to take out the beast.

Either way sucked.

“Izobelle? Can you come inside? Please?”

Was he actually pleading? With me? As if he couldn’t just drag me inside and do whatever depraved things he had planned, with or without my consent.

Rather than wait for me, he just strode inside, leaving the door open for me.

I couldn’t exactly blame him. It wasn’t like there was anywhere for me to go.

Following him into the cabin, I didn’t know what to expect. But it wasn’t this.

The whole place looked designed for comfort. Oversized chairs, a fluffy couch, a fireplace with a whole wall of books next to it.

Hopefully for reading, not for burning.

Although, with a dragon, I couldn’t discount anything.

“Make yourself comfortable.”

His voice made me jump, and I spun around so fast I almost twisted my ankle.

I really wished I’d opted for flats today. Or at least wedges.

“What…what do you want with me?” I stepped backwards, until I was flush against the bookcase.

“I want to keep you safe.” His brow furrowed into an expression that I’d almost think was confusion or concern.

Except that he was what I needed to be kept safe from.

He took a step toward me, and the man from this morning warning us, telling us to fear them, flooded my thoughts and I jerked back against the bookshelf like I had anywhere to go.

“Just don’t fucking touch me. I don’t know who, or what you are, but I’m not going to just get eaten quietly. I’ll scream. I’ll fight.” Not that anyone would hear me. I wasn’t exactly enjoying trying to scout the terrain from his talons, but I hadn’t seen a single other property for way too long to trust that I wouldn’t die here.

“I don’t want to…dragons don’t…” He shook his head. “What’s happened to you, Izobelle? It’s me, Levi. You know me. You know I wouldn’t hurt you.”

Shaking my head, I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to exude more confidence than I really felt. “I don’t know you. You’re a fucking dragon.” I skirted my way around the fireplace and darted for the stairs, hoping I could find a room to lock myself in before he caught me.

If he even tried.

Fuck me, what was I going to do if he didn’t let me go?

My head felt like someone had taken an axe to it, cracking open my skull and making my brain throb, and I still hadn’t quite lost the chill from the flight over, so when I stumbled into the master bedroom with a huge bathtub and what had to be a California king sized bed, I quickly locked the door and looked around with a little more curiosity.

“Izobelle? I’m going out for a few hours. Just stay in the cabin, okay? The kitchen’s fully stocked with non-perishables, and if you want to make a list of things you like, I’ll go out later and pick them up. Anything you want, anything at all.”

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