Free Dragon's Blood by Brynn Paulin Page A

You’re both…men,” she said, blinking at Jonah in shock, no doubt stunned as much by his dark good looks as by his change. Scarlett thought Jonah dimmed beside Janos, but he was still a pretty hot guy.
    “Yes, and you are apparently half shrew. Janos, I’m going to my rooms. Where do you want me to drop her?” he grated as Athena sputtered.
    “You don’t have a feeder right now. Install her in your blood-letter’s quarters.”
    “Oh, hell, no!”
    “By order of your elder.”
    Jonah scrubbed a hand over his face. “Janos, no,” he pleaded. “You can’t pull rank on me like that. I’m your scion.”
    “Do it.”
    “Yes. My. Elder.” Jonah swore under his breath in that same language Janos had used last night, then grabbed Athena’s arm. “C’mon. I’ll set you up in your rooms then find someone to deal with you.”
    “What’s a blood-letter?” Athena screeched.
    With jaw set, Jonah pulled her from the courtyard, her protests coming long and loud behind them until Scarlett heard an inner door slam. She looked up at Janos. “I should go explain things to her. I doubt Jonah will be as gentle with her as he was with me.”
    “I’ve instructed him to be kind. Her induction to the Dragon community will

    determine the success of her induction to our clan.”
    “Your telepathic connection… I forgot the two of you have that. Why did you send Athena off with him, by the way? To Jonah’s rooms, I mean.”
    “Didn’t you see his arm?”
    “His arm?”
    Janos smiled and lifted his right arm, turning it to wave the spiraled mark before her.
    “Mates? No way. Oh man…”
    “Should be fun to watch.”
    “You’re wicked,” she said when he grinned at his scion’s predicament. “How long before Jonah figures it out?”
    “I expect we’ll hear him roar. After the ribbing he gave me, turnabout’s fair. I have better things in mind than my wingscion and your cousin.”
    She leaned close to him. “Like what? And if you say punishment, I swear I’ll be sharing quarters with Athena, and both you and Jonah will be miserable.”
    “We can’t have that.” He lifted her into his arms. “How about if we start with the tour of your new home—our personal portion anyway? I’ll show you the rest of the compound later, after we spend some time together.”
    She noticed he didn’t rescind the threat of punishment, but she was sure he didn’t intend that. The look in his eyes spoke of sex, sex, and more sex.
    “What’s a blood-letter?” she asked before he could drag her into the whirlpool of lust once more. While she wasn’t screaming her question like Athena had, the term troubled her enough she wanted answers before she forgot herself. Blood-letter filled her with all kinds of gory B-movie visions. While she felt relatively safe, could she live side-by-side with creatures who victimized other humans to survive? And would she be safe if she refused to be one of them?
    For the first time, a shaft of terror pierced through her. She quickly looked away to hide it from Janos, but there was no hiding her intake of breath or her tremble.
    “Hush,” Janos murmured, sensing her fear. He’d have to be stone not to notice her sudden unease. “A blood-letter is what you think, one who gives us blood, but they give it to us willingly without any sort of coercion. Most of them are Dragon mates who’ve yet to find their match.”
    “So if I hadn’t been yours…” She trailed off as Janos’ arms tightened and a bloodcurdling growl rumbled in his throat. And she knew. Any Dragon, any man, who dared touch her would be dead. Janos wouldn’t tolerate infringement on what he considered his.

    She turned back to him and once more found lust boiling in his eyes. It filled her, eliminating the chill of her terror. His arms loosened as she shifted to face him. Her legs circled his hips and her arms went around his shoulders. His mouth covered hers, ferocious in his need. She was equally hungry. It had nothing