Page 7 of Alpha Dragon's Wings of Love

“The salt in there should act as an electrolyte.” He set the bowl down. “I’m Nolan, by the way. I should’ve led with that, but honestly, I’m not sure what I’m doing.”

As if I did.

“I’m going to ask you something, and I don’t want you to be offended.”

Whenever anybody said that, I was always offended. But I listened because he didn’t come across with mean-girl vibes, so maybe he was going to be the exception.

“Are you scared of me?”

That wasn’t the direction I thought he’d been heading. I did the best I could to shake my head in a “no.” I had a ton of emotion running through me, but none of it was fear based, at least not fear of him. Fear of never shifting back? That was a different story.

“Are you stuck?” he spoke, barely a whisper.

I wanted to shrivel up and disappear, telling my mate—who I had only just met and still had yet to say a word to—that I was stuck in a shift, and unable to move was embarrassing. Mortifying, even.

And finally, I gave in. Gave a nod. He deserved to know.

“I’m going to get a healer.”

A healer couldn’t help me. But even if they could, it meant that this man, this wonderful man, this wonderful shirtless man who just fed me and saved me, and who Fate had sent for me, was going to leave. I couldn’t let that happen.

I jumped onto his lap, shocked I had the strength.

“You want me to take you?”

No. I very much did not. We had to stay here. I tried to indicate that by shaking my head and that only seemed to confuse him more.

I jumped off his lap and onto the floor, running toward the door where I planned to block him from leaving. As if my small adorable beagle could stop him if he was determined. But a mate’s gotta try.

He couldn’t leave. I wouldn’t let him.

My mate came over and sat on the floor. He wasn’t pushing me. He was being patient and kind, just sitting there watching me and looking at me like he was trying to figure out what I needed and how best to give it.

Why couldn’t I talk to him?

Why couldn’t I shift back?

Why couldn’t I be the kind of mate he needed instead of one that he was going to be burdened with?

Fate wasn’t fair.

Chapter Seven

Nolan

“What’s wrong?”

My mate’s pup pulled himself into my lap and whimpered.

“I’m just going to go down and call for the healer, mate.” I caressed his ears again and he relaxed against me. “Do you not want me to leave?”

That had to be it. He had been so out of it, he was afraid to be left alone again.

“How about if we go outside and I’ll shift and we’ll see how that goes?” I had a faint hope my dragon would be able to communicate with him even if he wasn’t hearing me in this form. “Are you up to walking, or should I carry you?”

My mate turned the most soulful eyes up to me, and I couldn’t help laughing. “I’m not sure if you can’t walk, but I think you’re asking me to carry you. I never dreamed my mate would be so adorable in his beast form.”

At a pitiful whine, I kissed him on his shiny black nose. “Don’t get all sad. I just expected some old scaly guy, and look who Fate set me up with. Are you this cute in two-legged? Don’t you want to show me?”

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