Part 13 (2/2)

If dragons could roll their eyes, Nikki's expression told him she would. But a few seconds later, she opened her mouth. Trusting Nikki, he gently touched the sharp point of one and p.r.i.c.ked his fingers.

With a curse, he put the finger to his mouth. The purple dragon chuckled before standing on her hind legs and extending her wings to their full span. She beat them once and Rafe landed on his a.r.s.e. ”I guess these are some of the moves you talked about?”

Swiping him up gently in one of her front paws and raising him to eye-level, she grinned.

He shook his head. ”Remind me not to get on your bad side.” He looked over his shoulder. ”It's beautiful from this height, although I'm sure it's even more so when you're flying.”

Before he could take in the hills and lakes in the distance for more than a few seconds, Nikki jumped into the air and pumped her wings. His stomach dropped as she ascended into the sky. Only when she hovered in place did his stomach catch up with the rest of him and he found his voice. ”You know I'm getting you back for that, right?”

Nikki motioned with her other front paw and turned him around. Rafe followed the direction with his eyes and sucked in a breath.

Streaks of sunlight danced off the nearest lake and mountains, creating a striped pattern of light and shadow on the ground. The cottages looked as if they were tiny dollhouses. Sure, Rafe had seen houses from a height inside an airplane. But with the wind blowing through his hair and nothing separating him from the view, the sight was magical.

A rumbling sound came from behind him, breaking the spell. Looking at Nikki's face, she nodded down and waited.

The corner of Rafe's mouth ticked up. ”Asking my permission is definitely new.” She growled and he laughed. ”Let me rephrase that: I am honored that you would ask permission, oh great dragon lady.”

Amus.e.m.e.nt flickered in Nikki's eyes.

Then she dove downward.

Rafe yelled as their speed increased. They had to be approaching terminal velocity, but he had no b.l.o.o.d.y idea how fast that would be for a dragon in full dive. He was army, not Royal Air Force.

About twenty feet from the ground, Nikki extended her wings and then surged upward. As they glided on the currents, Rafe's heart beat hard. He was definitely getting Nikki back for her little trick.

Yet as he looked up at her face, the sun glinted off her hide, and his irritation eased a fraction. To a stranger, Nikki in dragon form might look fierce and maybe even scary. But Rafe knew the woman inside and the display of skill in dragon form only added to his fascination with the woman.

He decided then and there that he wanted to keep her.

Nikki tilted her body and wings, turning them around. As they headed back toward Stonefire, Rafe tried to think of the best way to accomplish his goal.

Chapter Eleven.

Nikki had barely prevented herself from shaking as she'd s.h.i.+fted and watched Rafe a.s.sess her. But between him petting her snout and his teasing, her worry had eased. The worst thing for a dragon-s.h.i.+fter paired with a human was for that human to be afraid of them in their dragon form. Rafe, true to his character thus far, wasn't fazed by her altered appearance.

Her beast spoke up. You should've known better. Rafe doesn't scare easily.

You just say that because you think everyone wants to adore you.

For the most part, they do. We're special, after all. You might not like all of the attention connected to being the child of Stonefire's first sacrifice, but I enjoy it.

Not wanting to repeat the discussion they'd shared a million times before, Nikki blocked out her dragon's voice and merely enjoyed flying. Even if her beast was in control of their body, Nikki loved the feel of the air against their wings. More than that, she loved watching the fascination on Rafe's face play out.

Kai would scold her later for taking a human up without a basket, but Nikki had spent many an hour training with the army when it came to carrying special packages and not dropping them. Compared to supplies weighing over a thousand pounds, a 200-plus pound male was nothing. She wouldn't drop him.

Although, maybe once they were more familiar with each other, she'd let go and catch him for fun.

Both dragon and woman looked forward to that day.

Stonefire's most protected landing area came into view, and she angled them in for descent. However, as she prepared to gently maneuver her way down, a gold dragon and a purple one with scars on her hide were already standing in the middle of the landing area.

Finn and Arabella had arrived. No doubt, for Jack and Annabel MacLeod's birthday celebration the next day.

As the two dragons began to shrink into their human forms, Nikki turned Rafe toward her. When he looked over his shoulder, she made a rumbling sound deep in her throat.

Rafe didn't need to see Arabella naked.

Her beast chuckled. For someone who tries to act as if she doesn't want to claim Rafe, you're fairly possessive. Maybe even jealous.

I'm not jealous. Arabella sometimes has lapses of confidence about her appearance still. She's also moody from her pregnancy. I'm actually surprised Finn allowed her to s.h.i.+ft and fly here. She's nearly five months pregnant with triplets, no less.

Arabella went without her inner beast for a long time. He probably doesn't want to deny her until the last possible moment.

Her dragon had a point. Arabella MacLeod had been attacked and tortured by dragon hunters as a teenager. For a decade after the attack, Arabella had done everything possible to suppress and distance herself from her inner beast. Only in the last six months had she really learned to embrace and love her dragon half again, thanks to Finn Stewart's support and encouragement.

Rafe wiggled in her grip, garnering her attention. She met his gaze, and he shouted against the wind. ”Are we going to land anytime soon? Otherwise, I'd rather you fly than hover in place.”

She wanted nothing more than to show her human the surrounding area from the sky. However, they would soon need to meet and discuss the security detail for the next day. Not only that, she had a feeling they'd have to look after Finn and Arabella, too.

With the landing area clear, Nikki guided them down until she could gently place her forelegs on the ground. Folding her wings to her back, she put Rafe on his feet and imagined her body changing back to her human form. Her face shrunk, her tail disappeared into her back, and her talons retracted to nails and fingers.

The second she was fully human, Rafe tossed his coat at her. ”Hurry, before someone sees you.”

She slid her arms into the holes, enjoying Rafe's lingering warmth in the material. ”Dragons don't view nakedness the same way humans do.”

”Oh, really? Then why did you turn me away from the s.h.i.+fting couple a minute ago?”

”Because Arabella doesn't like to be seen naked.”

”I wondered who they were,” Rafe answered. ”Despite the months I've been working with Bram and Finn, I rarely see the Scottish leader.”

Nikki finished the last b.u.t.ton of Rafe's coat. The hem went to her midthigh. ”Considering Lochguard was attacked a few weeks ago, I'm surprised he's even here.”

Rafe looped an arm around Nikki's waist. ”The DDA is still patrolling the area around Lochguard, looking for any lingering traitors or American dragon rebels. Finn also trusts his head Protector. I'm sure that combination has something to do with it.”

Lochguard had been attacked by enemy dragons dropping bombs on their land. Not only had the attackers been comprised of former Lochguard clan members, but also a few American dragons after an American human female. While the human female was now mated to Finn's cousin, Fergus, it was still a risky move to visit Stonefire. The Americans could strike again.

Nikki started walking and Rafe kept up pace. She finally replied, ”It might also be because this is probably Arabella's last chance to visit her brother and her niece and nephew until after she gives birth. No matter how progressive Finn might be on issues of female dragon-s.h.i.+fters, he will want his babies born on his land, which means Arabella stays put. Especially since she's had a rough time of it.”

Remembering how ill Arabella had been during the first few months of her pregnancy made Nikki wonder if she'd be the same way. If she made it to Ireland only to be sent home shortly after, she wouldn't know what to do with herself.

Rafe's voice filled her ear. ”Hartley babies tend to be good babies, so you shouldn't have to worry.”

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