He makes a low rumble in his throat, wild and animalistic. Startled, I meet his gaze and realize he’s caught me checking out his junk. And he likes it. The look in his eyes has gone predatory, and they’ve flicked back to black again, which worries me. It worries me even more when he begins to prowl slowly toward me.

Think fast, Claudia, or you’re going to end up flat on your back for that dragon-man. Mind racing, I tap my breastbone quickly. “I’m Claudia.”

He stops. Thank god. His brow furrows as he tries to process my words. He gets to his feet, stretching out and standing tall. He takes a step toward me and gestures at his mouth, as if indicating he wants me to speak again.

All right, communicating is more important than sex. That works. I tap my chest again and enunciate slowly. “Clawwww-deeee-uhhh.”

Gaze fixed on my lips, he repeats it. Or tries to. “Clawwwww-duh.”

“Claw-dee-uh.”

His mouth purses. “Clau-dah.”

Close enough. I smile and nod, gesturing at myself. “Claudia.” Then I gesture at him.

He’s not interested in talking about himself though. His black gaze moves over my naked limbs, and the low rumble starts in his throat again. “Clau-dah,” he says, and it’s practically a purr. I could swear his cock twitches as he says my name, too.

Yiiiikes.

I smile brightly at him again. “Claudia.” Then I point at him all over again and again a second time, hoping it gets the message across.

The dragon-man’s eyes flick back to the deep gold, which makes me sigh with relief. I think that means he’s happy. He puts a large, claw-tipped hand to his chest and taps it. “Kael.” The syllable is quick and hard, almost like a guttural version of ‘Kyle.’ I repeat it back to him.

Pleasure flashes over his face, and I could swear the man practically purrs in response. He creeps a bit closer. “Clau-dah Kael,” he says in a low, rich voice, and moves closer yet again.

I scoot backward and flinch when I run into a wall. Trapped like a rat. Damn it. He moves closer, and I close my eyes, hoping he’s just gonna give me a friendly dragon-hug of some kind.

I feel the warmth of his naked body press against my own. He’s scorching hot, this dragon. Not surprising given that he breathes fire, but feeling it against me is startling. “Clau-dah,” he murmurs in that low, rumbling voice, then leans in and sniffs my hair, practically nuzzling me.

I remain utterly still, not sure what to do.

His claws drag through my tangled hair, and as I open my eyes, I see that he’s got a fascinated look on his face. His eyes are gold, so I relax. His touch is gentle enough, and his eyes are calm. Maybe he doesn’t realize he’s scaring the piss out of me. That people don’t get in each other’s personal space like this. He’s a dragon. Maybe they do things differently.

Up close to him like this, he seems way more human. He looks like he’s about my age, his face unlined. The spicy scent of him is pleasant, and the form looming over mine looks human enough. His golden skin isn’t scaly, but more dappled. It’s curiously appealing, and I kind of want to touch him to see what it feels like, but I’m pretty sure he’d take that as an invitation to do more.

Kael drags a handful of my hair to his nose and inhales sharply, his nostrils flaring. “Clau-dah,” he growls, and rubs his face against my neck.

That…sounds like things just went a step too far. And when he lifts his head, I see his eyes have gone black again.

“You’re scaring me,” I whisper.

When I speak, his attention goes back to my mouth. His claws brush over my lips, fascinated. I’m relieved that his touch is gentle enough. Maybe I need to say more.

“Scary,” I say, not entirely sure how to convey this. I decide to shiver and huddle, exaggerating the movements. I cringe like a puppy and then point at him. “Kael scary.” And I shiver again for good measure. It’s not hard to do considering his eyes are black as he rubs my hair against his cheek.

But once I point at him, understanding dawns on his face. He blinks at me, and the black leaches out of his eyes, returning to gold. “Clau-dah…no?”

Oh, thank god. He understands. “No,” I agree, and put a hand on his chest to push him away.

“No?” He bites out the word.

Fear pools in my belly, but I need to make him understand. “No.” My voice is a little wobbly. “Scary.”

“Clau-dah no,” Kael echoes, his voice flat with anger. He slams away from me so fast that I have to stifle my squeal of fright. He storms away, raging across the room, and then stops, his back to me. As I watch, he clenches his clawed fists. His big shoulders heave, as if he’s trying to contain himself. The low snarl starts in his throat again, and he throws his head back, giving way to a full-blooded roar of fury so loud it shakes glass out of the windowpanes.

I collapse where I stand, drawing tight into a little ball of fear. I wrap my arms around my head protectively, and tears of fright leak down my cheeks. I’m so scared I can’t move.

I’ve made him mad.

He holds my fate in the palm of his barely human hand and I’ve made him mad.

Bad move, Claudia.

KAEL

Clau-dah.

She has a name. My mate has a name. I repeat it to myself, over and over again, and it helps keep the darkness at bay.

Clau-dah. Clau-dah.

I reach out to her mind, to connect with her as I do other drakoni. There is nothing there, only silence.

I close my eyes, fighting off the rage that burns through me. It is a helpless rage, a rage with no focus. I know it—like poison in my mind, it destroys all thought and leaves me nothing but a snarling beast. I cannot be that way around Clau-dah, because she is already scared of me. I must woo her, court her with caresses and gifts of good food. I cannot let the madness cloud my mind.

My reason for existing crouches nearby, trembling. For her, I must be strong.

So I say her name again, chanting it in my mind. Clau-dah. Clau-dah. If she cannot hear me, she will when I claim her as my mate.

I glance over at her. I can smell the fear coming off of her in sheets, overriding my own musky scent of arousal. I want to touch her again. Touch her silky soft hair, her pale skin. See her strange green eyes light up with pleasure. I want her to welcome my touch instead of flinching away.

Clau-dah is not like other dragon-mates. The females of my kind are aggressive. If they wish to be courted by a male, they flare red and attack him to determine if he’s worthy to mate. After many long, drawn-out battles, if the male conquers the female, he will win mating privileges. The mental bond will be formed, and they will make a strong hunting pair, no matter in two-legged form or four. Some drakoni prefer the two-legged form because it allows for clearer thinking.