Page 41 of The Dragon's Captured Heart
“Whatisthis?” I asked as I unfolded the garments on the bed.
They were all a deep forest green. The pants were fleece-lined and stretchy. As soon as I slid them on, I knew I could live in them if needed. They were that comfortable and, best of all,warm.
“You’ll see,” Cal replied.
I did. After tugging the pants into place, I noticed the extra padding on the thighs. Although I’d never been a horse girl, I could make the connection between riding pants just as easily.
The shirt was form-fitting and fleece-lined as well, but it also had two loops sewn very tightly down the sides, and under thefleece, I could feel the bands they were attached to around my waist and back as well.
“Cal,” I said, pulling open the door to find him leaning against the wall, waiting. “What are you planning?”
He grinned, casually looking me up and down. His gaze didn’t linger, but neither was it rushed. I bit down, clenching my jaw so as not to bite my lip while he blatantly checked me out.
“Since you got here, I’ve spent most of my time inside. Doing things to make you more comfortable.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, drawing it out into a suspicious half-question.
“Now, it’s my turn. I need to stretch my wings. And you’re coming with me.”
“I am?”
“Yep!” he said with a laugh. “I’ve seen you watching us on the roof. Staring. I can tell you want to see what it’s like to fly, so let’s go.”
He casually snaked one hand around my waist and propelled me toward the door. I tried to speak up, to tell him he had vastly misunderstood why I was on the roof, but I couldn’t get a word in. He just overrode me, stating how it was going to be great and so much fun and that I would love it.
We got onto the roof and moved off to one side, out of the way of the incoming traffic. The wind had picked up, but under the riding suit, I was perfectly comfortable, the air unable to penetrate the thick material.
“So, the way to get up is, once I shift, I’ll stick out a wing, nice and straight. You use it just like a ramp, okay? Climb onto my back and then sit at the base of my neck.”
“What about a harness?”
Callum shook his head, jogging to the side of the roof, where he retrieved a spool of rope dangling from a hook. “Here, hold this. It’ll go around my neck, double-looped. You pull an end through each of those loops on your shirt. Then you stick your arm through the loop. It’ll keep you locked in tight.”
“Wait, what?” I yelped as he moved into an open space, ignoring my protests.
Then Callum was gone, replaced by the giant red dragon that had haunted my nightmares for weeks.
I stiffened, staring up-up-up as his snout towered far above me. Ruby red scales blinked and glittered in the early afternoon sunlight, creating a blinding array of colors and brightness that lent the massive dragon a shimmering aura around him.
“Well, come on,” Callum urged, his snout parting as he spoke, revealing twin rows of massive reverse-curved teeth.
I shuddered at what they would do to a body if he chose to attack.
“Maddie, I’ll keep you safe. You won’t fall, I promise.”
Falling was the least of my worries.
“Cal, I …”
“You can trust me, Maddie,” he said with a soft promise that rang clear and true.
“Okay,” I heard myself whisper, somewhat reassured.
Perhaps because I knew I could? My life was turned on its end. I was in the Dragon Isles against my will, and yet, through it all, Cal hadn’t once led me astray, lied to me, or treated me poorly.
He was right. Icouldtrust him.
With my hands shaking so bad I nearly lost my grip and fell off, I somehow made it up his extended wing and into the natural seat at the base of his neck just like he’d talked about.
