Taming the Beast

It shouldn't exist, but there it was underneath me, lying there real as could be. I found myself deliriously smiling, unable to do much else. Did anyone else know about the dragon? I couldn't have been the only one who had seen the thing, as huge as it was just flying around the town. Right?

There was no doubt in my mind that the old man I had just come across knew about it, so that was at least a start. Was this like one of those legends that the locals just keep to themselves? I had so many random questions popping into my mind that I nearly shrieked when I looked back down and realized that the dragon was no longer there, and instead, something else was lying in its place.

And not just something, but someone. A certain redhead with a literally smoldering body, soot smeared all across his pale skin. I was in for the surprise of my life when I saw Bram stretch his arms out wide to stretch, small slits right along his shoulder blades slowly closing up until they were no longer there. What the…

All at once, everything was starting to click into place like a magnetic puzzle, finally making sense. So Bram was a shifter…apparently a dragon shifter.

I didn't know what to think, much less what to do, but one thing was for sure. I wasn't about to give up on a chance with him just yet.

Chapter 5

It was the warmest day yet for flying, but my heart wasn't in it. I found myself straying closer to town, not diving past the mountains and flying over to Skye like I enjoyed every other full moon. The change was constantly pulling at me around this time of the month, until my back ached with pains, the dragon desperate to get out.

In all my one hundred and fourteen years, I'd never fought against shifting. It always felt right, even natural, to shed my human self and come back to form in the body of my dragon, my new self dominating over everything else around it. Years of experience taught me that it was a part of me, maybe not the only thing about me, but it wasn’t something I could deny.

But this was different...this was me trying to play protector. With a certain brown-haired lass on my mind, I didn’t want to shift, and my dragon was ready to tear me over, itching to spread its wings. I didn’t want her to find out, no matter the burden it would inevitably lift from my shoulders. The woman had clearly gone through enough in America, having to listen in on stranger’s terrible and mundane thoughts everywhere she went traipsing.

I felt for her, truth be told. I was glad that she was getting a bit of a break here, from all that racket.

After finally giving in to my wilder side, every so often I would fly down and search for the McKinley cottage, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ella and her pale moon face. The hazel eyes that warmed my thoughts days ago, kept haunting my dreams.

I scoffed at the ideas my damned beast kept trying to plant in my head…about mates and bonds that lasted eternally. I didn't want to think too deeply—and the dragon was the perfect way of escaping my own complicated thoughts. That is, until after a while he could only picture her as well, the want I felt over her turning into absolute need in the dragon's eyes.

I had tried taking on a mate before, but that didn't turn out so well. I s'ppose that's what I get for falling in love with a Nazi spy during the war…

The more I thought about Ella, the harder it was to concentrate on the direction I was flying in, or where I was heading. I gave up, frustrated with the damned beast almost as much as I was irritated with myself. I shouldnae be letting some woman get to me like this. As much as I'm gantin' for it, I cannae expect to just show up to her place and take her right then and there.

The dragon felt different, strongly in favor of that very scenario. Keep the heid, you bastard. She'll be gone before the next full moon. But I didn't want her to be gone just like that. And neither did my so-called roommate.

After getting my clothes together, I made the trek back along the lower ridge until I was home. I had accidentally torched the bottom part of my trousers, and rolling my eyes at the pathetic, smoking pile of clothing, I tossed them over my shoulder and headed up the steps.

My dragon was on alert, breathing heavily in the back of my mind. Intruder. Someone is here who shouldn't be, it said, its eyes narrowing at the front door.

I felt it too, although I wasn't exactly shakin' in my boots over it. Nothing tended to scare me anymore these days, much less some dobber who thought it was a good idea to go snooping around someone's house.…

The moment her scent hit me, my dragon reeled, struck by pure lust that tightened every single fiber in my body. I went rigid, afraid to move and lose control over the animal inside me. I never had problems keeping the beast at bay, but when it came to Ella, I was dealing with a dragon untamed.

I cleared my throat, grabbing the doorknob tightly in my hand, willing my body to relax. Regardless of the fact that my dragon wanted to bring Ella to her knees with pleasure—the only comprehensible thought it had milling around in a sea of dirtier thoughts—I had to keep calm. I grit my teeth because it was much easier said than done.

Taking one last whiff of the air, I braced myself as I opened the door, hit by the full force of want that pulled me over the threshold. And the moment I made eye contact with her, her pupils dilated, her pulse rate picked up, and I could already smell her heady scent. My d

ragon was tearing at my insides, clawing and roaring for me to take what was mine.

Ella was sitting on the very edge of a couch cushion, fussing with her hair, twining her hands around it as I walked in. "Hi," she said softly, tugging the corner of her lip between her teeth.

Sucking in a quick breath, I nodded the best I could, wringing my hands behind my back. "I wasnae' expecting you, lass."

She immediately looked away as if she had done something wrong, which pained both me and my dragon. I didn't want her to be upset or embarrassed, and the more I tried to hide it, the more it was made plain clear as day…I cared about her. More than anyone else. Deep inside, the dragon hissed in agreement, ready for what it hoped would happen next.

Patience, I tried to make it understand.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, o' course," I finally added, an easy smile on my face. I couldn't remember the last time I found myself smiling this way.

This seemed to please Ella, and she slowly pulled herself to a stand. "I saw you today," she said, her voice quieter even still. "Out in the valley."

Blood quickly drained from my face. What had she seen? "I dunno…I dunno what you mean, Ella."

Placing one hand on her slim hip, she gave me a knowing look. "You don't need to worry. I know about shifters. I figured it out when I first met you."