Firefighter Dragon (Fire & Rescue Shifters 1)

"Oh!" Virginia exclaimed in surprise as they entered the bedroom.

Dai's anxiety eased as she looked approvingly around the light, airy room. Dai's house was small, but he'd converted the entire top floor into one big open space, lit by large skylights set above the bed.

"This is nice," Virginia said. To his amusement, she went straight to the floor-to-ceiling bookcases along one wall, being careful not to drip on the leather-bound volumes as she read their spines. "Vintage atlases and travelogues?"

"They're not particularly valuable, but I like the

m. Most dragons have some sort of personal collection. My father loved science fiction B-movie posters." His mouth quirked in bittersweet nostalgia. "My mother always claimed to hate them, but she still has them all on display."

He took her hand. "But I wanted to show you something else."

Virginia's eyes sparkled as he drew her over to the bed. "I was hoping you—"

Dai put his thumb on the fingerprint sensor hidden in the headboard. With a click and hiss of pneumatics, glass-topped steel drawers slid out from under the bed, display lights switching on.

"...did," Virginia finished weakly. Glittering reflections from the hoard sparkled over her stunned face. "Okay. I have to admit, that wasn't quite what I was expecting."

"Dragons like to sleep on their treasures, so I had the safe built into the bed. It's a bit more comfortable than a literal pile of gold." Dai fidgeted, trying to gauge Virginia's expression as she knelt to inspect his treasures. "Do you like it? I know it's not much, but—"

"Not much?" Virginia cast him a half-amused, half-shocked glance over her shoulder. "If this is what a dragon considers not much, I'm terrified to think of what Bertram's hoard must be like."

She laid a careful finger on the bulletproof glass, over the exquisitely-worked gold torc that took pride of place at the heart of his collection. "Is that what I think it is?"

"The torc of Prince Dafydd ap Llewelyn, yes. A distant ancestor." Dai swallowed, his mouth dry. "Would you...wear it?"

"Oh, no, no, I couldn't." Virginia recoiled, looking as guilty as a child caught eying up a forbidden cake. "An artifact like that shouldn't be handled too much. It should be in a museum, not under a bed!"

Dai had been afraid she'd say something like that. "I know. But...I couldn't give up any of the hoard. It's more than just my dragon's possessiveness, though that's a factor of course." He spread his hands. "These are family heirlooms, collected by generations of my ancestors. They're part of my heritage. Part of who I am."

Virginia bit her lip. "Well...it's not like you personally stole artifacts, like Bertram. And you can't help your dragon instincts." A slow smile crept back onto her face as she shot a sideways look at the torc. "Can I really touch it?"

Dai let out his breath in relief. "I want you to touch it. I want you to touch everything." He drew her to her feet, clasping her tight in his arms. "You have no idea how much."

Virginia's hips pressed against his. "Oh, I have some idea." She plucked at his soaking t-shirt. "Shall we get out of these wet things?"

Dai put his hands on her shoulders, taking a half-step back even though he could hardly bear to tear himself away from her deliciously soft curves. "Before we do, there's something else I need to tell you about dragons."

"Oh." All flirtation slid from Virginia's expression, replaced by a distinct wariness. "Uh-oh."

"This one's actually a good thing." I hope you'll think it is, at least. Dai took a deep breath. "You remember I mentioned that dragons sometimes take a mate?"

From the perplexed crease between Virginia's eyes, she didn't. "A...mate?"

"Yes. All dragons have one true mate, just one person in all the world who's their perfect partner. The mate bond is unmistakable, and unbreakable. Many dragons never even meet their mate, but those who do recognize them immediately."

He gestured at his own heart. "It's...just a bone-deep knowledge, as simple and instinctive as breathing. Just suddenly being totally sure that you've found her. The one."

Virginia had gone very still. Her wide, dark eyes never left his. "You sound like you're speaking from personal experience," she said slowly.

"I am." Dai took both her hands in his own, holding them as carefully as if cradling a bird. "You're my mate, Virginia. There isn't anyone for me but you, and there never will be. I know this must all sound bizarre to you, and I swear it doesn't bind you in any way—"

"Just one question," Virginia interrupted. She looked down at their joined hands. "This mate bond. Does the dragon's mate feel it too?"

"I—" Caught off-guard, Dai hesitated. He couldn't remember his mother ever mentioning how she'd felt when she'd met his father. He sent a mental query to his own inner dragon, but was met with unhelpful silence. "Actually, I don't know."

"Well." Virginia met his eyes. Slowly, the corners of her mouth curled upward. "I do."

Dai's heart missed a beat. Does she...can she really mean...?