Page 90 of The Dragon's Mate

“I’ll convince them,” he said with aconfidence he didn’t feel.

“No, you won’t,” she sighed.

He’d always admired her bluntness in the past,but now it was like a hard punch to the gut. “Then I guess this is my dead manwalking moment.”

Her body stiffened and her eyes glowedbright. Smoke drifted from her nostrils as she cupped his face. Her touch wastender, but the voice that rumbled out of her throat was thick and inhuman andso disconcerting sounding that goosebumps erupted across his flesh and his ballsdrew up tight against his body.

“I will not allow them to hurt you.”

That thick, gargled voice was even more unnervingbecause he could hear traces of Kaida in it.

Her hand tightened on his jaw and then shereleased him. She waved away the smoke that was almost obscuring her face andgrimaced. “I’m sorry.”

“That was your dragon, wasn’t it,” he said.

She hesitated and then nodded.

“Dragons can speak the human language?”

She nodded again and even though he was mostlikely about to die, he couldn’t help his fascination with the new information.“Can any other shifters do that?”

“No,” she said. “It is unique to dragons. Come,they are waiting for us.”

He followed her past the other cabins tothe largest cabin in the clearing. Light glowed from the windows and as theyclimbed the steps, he said. “Whose cabin is this?”

“It’s the community cabin,” she said. “Weeat our meals here together, hold the mating ceremonies here, and the council hastheir monthly meetings here.”

They stopped at the door and she smiledweakly at him. “Do not speak unless spoken to. Keep your answers short andtry not to anger any of the clan council. All right?”

“No problem,” he muttered.

His heart was threatening to beat its wayright out of his chest and his breath had turned short and shallow. He could feelthe pulse throbbing in his temple and his legs were rubbery. Kaida reached upand cupped the back of his neck, pulling his head down a little so she couldrest her forehead against his.

He closed his eyes, breathing in her scent asshe kneaded the back of his neck. “Kaida, I…”

“Be brave, my human… my mate,” she whispered.Her mouth pressed against his, her lips cold and tasting like fear.

Chapter Sixteen

The cabin was warm and brightly lit and -Bren swallowed hard - filled with dragon shifters. He supposed filled was abit of an exaggeration. Including the shifters sitting behind the long table atthe front of the cabin, there were only about twenty shifters in the spaciousmain room.

Only? All twenty of them can burn youto a crisp with a single breath.

The main room had chairs set up in neatrows with a narrow aisle in the middle. Very aware of the dragons staring athim, he followed Kaida down the aisle toward the table at the front. Bones wassitting in an end chair near the back. A dark-haired woman with dark redstreaks woven throughout her hair, sat next to Bones, her hand clasped in his.Bones nodded to him and Bren returned his nod as the woman stared sympatheticallyat him.

Drago sat in the front row on the right. Hegave Bren a barely concealed look of contempt before staring stiffly ahead. Sikaand Jarvis sat in the front row on the left. Sika held the baby in her arms andBren glanced at him. He was still covered in shimmering green scales and histiny fist was curled up against his face.

“Good evening, council.” Kaida’s voice wasstrong without a hint of anxiety as she made a short bow.

Bren studied the six dragon shifters sittingbehind the table. Cadmus sat at one end, an empty chair between him and the femaledragon shifter next to him. Cadmus smiled serenely at him as an ancient lookingshifter with white hair streaked with light purple said, “Good evening, Kaida.”

There was a moment of silence and then acouncil member with greying hair and orange streaks, said, “You have beenbrought to the council for the crime of revealing our true nature to a human.”His gaze flickered to Bren and then back to Kaida. “You will be given theopportunity to explain your actions before the council votes on banishment.”

“Wait, what?” Bren took a step forward,his stomach flip flopping like a fish in the sand. Kaida’s hand curled aroundhis arm and held him still as Drago immediately stood.

“Do not go near the council, human, or I willsave us all the trouble and set you aflame right here and now.”

“Enough, Drago,” the ancient shifter saidsharply.

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