Her Dragon Captor (Her Dragon King Duet 1)

Like a dragon, I realize. Even though he looks human, he still moves like a dragon.

“And as for how you fit into my overall plan…” he continues. “Originally you and your sister were merely pawns I planned to murder as part of my vengeance against your fathers. But your visit to my home in Greece changed all of that.”

He stops here of all places. And I’m forced to ask, “Changed all of that how?”

His eyes scroll over me. And even though I’m wearing this billowing nightgown, I can feel his gaze pressing into my skin, like a slow, cold lick. From the bottom of my bare feet to the top of my hair, which I’m sure must look wild and untamed now. Machine straightening doesn’t stand up to shifts.

“If I am correct about our…” he sneers, disgust curling his lip. “…unfortunate compatibility, we shall soon find out.”

I narrow my eyes. “What the hell does that mean? We’re not compatible. Like at all.”

“No, I wouldn’t think so either,” he replies. Then he frowns hard, and I once again feel that weird pressing in my head.

“Okay, is that you?” I demand, raising my non-shackled hand to my temple.

His frown turns into a cold neutral look. “Is that me what?”

“I have no idea. It feels weird. Like someone’s rooting around the outside of my brain. Trying to get in. If that’s you, please stop.”

The sensation suddenly ceases.

I lower my arm. “What were you trying to do? Hypnotize me like Akwasi, Kirk, and that boy you’ve got driving for you?

Instead of answering, he bends down and retrieves the key Kirk dropped on the floor. “It is time to attend to your hygiene, Ola. Unfortunately, Colby is preparing for your lesson, so you will have to see to your own bathing. Please do so immediately. After these days of healing from your necessary punishment, your odor is penetrating even my capped drakkon tongue.”

Okay, I think he’s trying to say I stink, and he wants me to take a shower, so he’s going to let me out of the cuff.

No argument here. Wolves don’t process smells as good or bad like humans and apparently dragons do, but I can feel the days of sweat and grime on my skin. And maybe a shower will clear my head so that I can figure out a way out of this situation.

“I allowed you to heal after your attempted escape. Do you feel that dull ache in your arm bone, Ola?”

I don’t answer, but I do reflexively rub at my arm, which I guess is answer enough for him. “Remember that when you think about running again,” he says.

Then easily handling the silver arm-cuff, he picks it up and turns the key, freeing me with one twist of his wrist.

But before I can feel too much relief, he promises, “My shackle remains even though I’ve freed you from the silver cuff. You are no longer your own person. You belong to me now. And wherever you run, I will catch you. And when I catch you, you will be punished.”

I sit up and rub at the dull, throbbing ache in my arm.

“Good, I see it is beginning to sink in,” he says with a cold smile. “This business between us will go much easier for you if you keep that at the front of your mind over the next few months.”

A deeper fear settles over me…did he say months. Months of what exactly? Being held as his hostage? Or worst?

Questions race through my mind and come tumbling out, one on top of another. “What business? Why did you bring me here? And why are you keeping me alive if the original plan was to kill me?”

“The facilities are that way,” Damianos informs me, nodding toward the closed bathroom door as if I asked him nothing at all.

We stare off for a second or two. He’s not only not going to answer my questions, I sense in those cold, silent moments, he’s also getting a kick out of scaring me.

For that reason alone, I break off the staring contest and push myself off the bed to shove past him to the bathroom. I don’t want him to see how much his tactics are working.

Okay, no more time for freaking out, I decide after the door slides shut behind me.

Escape! Escape! ESCAPE! Figuring a way out of here has to be my number one priority. With that in mind, I look around the wood and stone bathroom. The ceiling slopes on a diagonal angle, so this space must be located directly under one of the gables. But damn! No windows.

I get in the shower, crazy disappointed, but determined to figure this shit out. However, the shower suddenly stops five minutes into my mental analytics. Crap. I’d forgotten that we’d outfitted the entire house with climate-friendly settings. Lights turn off when no one is in the room, the dishwasher only runs in the evening. And in this particular case, the shower stops and automatically begins its dry cycle after only a five-minute rinse. Then it refuses to turn on again for the same user for another couple of hours.