Page 14 of Dragon Unhinged

Both of you, stay out of my head. It’s hard enough to think right now without your voices adding to it.

“He doesn’t?” Brianna’s face falls, and I immediately want to pull her into my chest and wrap my arms around her, just like I would do to my sister if she were upset or hurt. “Why?”

I sigh. “He has made it clear he doesn’t want friends here. I think he believes it’s easier that way. No friends mean no chance of having to kill someone you care for to survive.”

She gasps, and once more I’m reminded just how much she doesn’t seem to know about why we’re here. Why we’re prisoners.

“You could give the cookies to Ewan, though. He would appreciate them.”

Brianna looks at the small pile of gifts she dared to bring down here. “I guess that would be okay.” Then she looks back up at me. “How do you know the bear doesn’t want the stuff?”

“Shifters can communicate telepathically. It’s how we talk to each other when we’re animals. He sent me his thoughts on the matter while you were talking to Ewan.” I smile softly. “How come you only brought one brush?”

Her cheeks pinken and she bites her lip. “I thought, if you didn’t hate the idea, I could brush your hair. I don’t know what the others look like, I didn’t know if it would be something they’d want.”

“I would be honored to let you.” I smile softly. “You were very thoughtful to even consider bringing things for us all. Thank you.”

The words stick in my throat a little, partly because it’s been so long since kindness has been part of my life, and partly because I can’t get the bear’s voice out of my head, calling her my mate.

Would I know, even if I don’t have my heartstone? It seems more and more that the heartstone seems to find its way to where it belongs, one way or another.

My brothers seemed drawn to their mates, even before they realized why, even if Ash would deny that to his dying breath.

There’s no denying that Brianna feels different than any other human woman I’ve interacted with, dragon or otherwise.

But is that because she truly is different, or just because she is the first to show me kindness in months?

“I hated seeing how you’ve been living, and how no one seems to care if you heal, or if you get infected. I wish I could’ve brought more, but I didn’t have a lot of time, and my father monitors me too closely for me to sneak off to shop for things.” She purses her lips. “I could probably get a few more things, though, if there’s something you constantly need. It just might take a bit.”

More sweets. These cookies are incredible.

I chuckle. “Ewan suggests more sweets.” Sitting down on the floor in front of my platform that makes up my bed, I add, “I’m happy just to have your company. I…” I swallow again, ignoring the lump, glad I’m staring at the concrete wall in front of me, and not her face. “I was losing myself before you appeared last night.”

Instead of sitting on the bed again, where I hoped she’d sit, she squats in front of me and picks up my hands in hers again. “Oh, Declan. I’m so sorry you’re down here. I swear to you, to all three of you, even if the bear wants nothing to do with me, I will do whatever I can to try to get you free.”

“Sweet princess, do not make promises that you can’t keep.” I reach up and gingerly cup her cheek, still worried about leaving dirty marks on her, but unable to help myself. “We’ve been captives for months. I don’t expect you to be able to do something the rest of the supernatural world hasn’t been able to accomplish.”

Some of us have been captive for years. I have only been here for months, but before that…The bear’s thoughts fade out of my head again, and I want to reach out, to hear more, but I won’t.

Not while Brianna’s here.

“They didn’t have me.” She winks at me, and then stands tall again. “Now, while I brush your hair, I want to know more pleasant things about your life. Where did you grow up? What were you like as a child?”

“I’ll tell you my stories, if you tell me yours, princess.”

Chapter

Six

BRIANNA

Sitting cross-legged on the concrete platform that serves as Declan’s bed isn’t exactly the most comfortable, but it gives me easy enough access to brush his hair, to gently detangle the knots and snags that seem to make up most of the length of his deep brown locks.

As I work to move the brush through and smooth his hair out, Declan tells me about growing up with six siblings, and how his sister, the youngest, is revered, just for being a woman. He tells me about his family, about the peace they lived in, and all I can think is,if it were so peaceful, so perfect, why did you come into the human world? Why are you here now?

I don’t ask my questions, though. I can tell there are parts of his story that he doesn’t want to tell, and I’m not going to press him for information he’s not ready to share.

Instead, I change the conversation to how he would wear his hair before, what sorts of styles are popular among dragon shifters.

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