Free Matching Dragons Chinese Zodiac Romance Series Book 6 by Rachael Slate Page A

torment-filled future that had flashed before her.
    He had come back. They’d beaten Xur, together.
    But in no way did she feel safe.
    Lok is a dragon. Holy hell.
    Though his skin was warm against her fingertips, he wasn’t human. Kadence stiffened. “Please, put me down.” She forced strength into her voice.
    Lok set her on the ground, taking one step back.
    He might be a formidable creature, but so was she. Too many questions swirled in her mind. “You’re a dragon.”
    “Guilty.” His lips quirked.
    “Can I see you?”
    In answer, a shimmering glow rippled over him, transforming Lok the human into Lok the dragon. She gasped and took a step backward, studying him. He stood as tall as an elephant, his azure-hued scales glistening along his serpentine body. Glowing sapphire eyes fixed on her from within his feline-like head. His body was long and agile, graced by two enormous, leathery and paper-thin wings, four clawed feet, and a spiked tail.
    “You’re…beautiful,” she whispered, awed. Every inch of him screamed power and seduction, calling to some deep yearning within her. His mouth curled in satisfaction, almost like a cocky grin. Yep, that was definitely Lok.
    “This is kind of awkward, but exactly how old are you?” Please don’t be creepy ancient.
    “Old enough to know how to make you scream in pleasure.”
    Not an answer, but judging from his thirty-ish human form, he couldn’t be that old. Her cheeks flushed. Okay, so he did have a point. His age didn’t matter as much as their connection.
    “Can you breathe fire?”
    “Yes, but it requires a ton of energy. We only spew fire as a last resort.”
    That explained why he didn’t scorch the other dragon. Both Xur and the princess had called her a flaming pearl. The term pinged in her mind, conjuring up an image of a dragon chasing a ball of light. “Am I what he said I am?” Biting her lip, she focused on the wall behind him.
    “Yes.” A flash and he shifted into human form once more. “You are a flaming pearl, Kadence. A powerful being that all dragons covet. Though usually, they take the form of inanimate objects, not humans. You are a rare treasure.”
    Wow, that was…a lot to take in. “So it’s true that more dragons are coming for me?” She flicked her gaze to his.
    “No.” He cleared his throat. “They don’t know about you. They’re coming. For me.”
    “Because they think you did what Xur said. Killed your family?”
    He didn’t answer, but grief filled her heart. For his loss. How awful that must have been, to not only lose one’s family, but be blamed for their deaths?
    Mel. Yeah, she could empathize, all right.
    “I’m so sorry.” It didn’t seem like enough. Even though Lok had learned the truth, it wouldn’t change the past.
    “That’s why you’ve been hiding your strength. Why you didn’t save yourself during the Lotus test.” He didn’t answer and he didn’t have to. Her suspicions had proven true. Lok was far more formidable than he’d ever let the world know.
    “What are you going to do now?”
    He strode to a golden chest beside the wall, lifted the lid, and pulled out something. Though his back was to her, she twisted, trying to watch. The point of a needle glinted against the flickering torchlight. She edged backward, but he transformed into a dragon and plunged the needle into his clawed leg, drawing blood.
    Dragon blood. Her lips parted and her hand trembled as she covered her mouth. Shifting back into a human, he faced her, the vial of his blood offered on his palm. “Go and save your sister.”
    She stared at the vial, but something about taking it seemed final.
    Like, if she did, she might never see Lok again. Her sister had been sick for a long time. A few hours wouldn’t make any difference. But if she let Lok walk away without trying to save him, he really would be lost to her. Forever.
    She perched her hands on her hips. “What about after that?”
    Pain flickered across his eyes before