Page 67 of The Dragon's Mate

She stretched some more, warming up her musclesfor the training that was about to happen. It was Sunday afternoon. Tyler hadtexted her this morning asking if he and Corey could come by for anothertraining lesson. Her stomach in knots, her dragon itching to see Bren again, shehad texted yes.

Ten minutes before they were supposed toarrive, she’d asked Gram to meet the boys at Kaida’s cabin and send them her way,and then fled like a scale-covered chicken to the training circle. She washalf-hoping that Bren would just drop the boys off. He had to, right?

He had to be pissed at her after what shedid yesterday at Bishop’s party. He hadn’t texted her once and that was a goodthing, right?

What guy liked a woman who ran hot andcold? It didn’t matter if they were human or shifter, a guy didn’t want a womanwho couldn’t make up her damn mind about whether she wanted to fuck him or not.

We want to fuck him, her dragon said with a sullen scowl.You’re just beingdifficult.

“We can’t,” she muttered.

Allowing her lust to get the best of her onSaturday had been a mistake. One she couldn’t make again. She would have tobe firm and clear with Bren that while she wanted him, it wasn’t a good ideaand they could only be friends.

What happens the next time you see himwith another female?

Her stomach dipped and the yogurt she’deaten for lunch suddenly felt like it was curdling. The way her dragon hadreacted to seeing Bren with another female had been very bad, catastrophicallybad in fact, but she had to hope that once she stopped seeing Bren, her dragon’sweird obsession with him would end.

Nope. Not gonna happen.

She ignored her dragon. It needed to get usedto the idea of never seeing Bren again. He wouldn’t want anything to do withher after last night and that was a good thing. That was a very good thing becauseif she kept seeing him –

“Hello, Kaida.”

She spun around, her dragon purring with delight,and the yogurt going full on sour cream in her guts. She stared blankly atBren as he joined her in the soft sand of the training circle.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

He frowned. “Tyler said you were availablefor a training session this afternoon. Did that change?”

“No, I … where are the boys?”

He glanced behind him at the path that woundits way through the woods. “With your grandmother in your cabin. I asked themto give me some time to talk with you before they came to the training circle.”

She swallowed hard, ignoring her urge toback away from the delicious smelling human. “Why?”

He arched one eyebrow at her, his eyesfilled with amusement and maybe the smallest amount of lust. “Why do youthink?”

“What happened yesterday at the party was amistake. I’m sorry, but it can’t happen again. I think it’s best if we stay awayfrom each other. All right?”

“Because you’ll hurt me,” he said.

“Yes.” She could hear the impatience inher voice. “I’m strong, Bren. Stronger than you think.”

He cocked his head at her. “Bishop warnedme to stay away from you yesterday. He said you were a powerful shifter.”

She didn’t reply, and he studied her with adirectness that made her nervous. “You know what I think?”

She remained silent and he said, “I thinkyou’re lying to me, Kaida.”

“I told you I wanted you,” she said, “but Ican’t -”

“Not that,” he said. “I think you’re lyingto me about what you are.”

Her body stiffened and her dragon squealedwith excitement.

Tell him! Tell him what we really are!

“I’m a bear shifter,” she said.

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