“He can’t.” The Dragon swayed from one foot to the other. “Unless yous cans helps him.”
I met the shining metallic gaze. “I would do anything for Matt.”
“Cans you reallys talks to him, ins his head?”
“Yes. When he’s listening.”
Talakai clacked his toothy jaws together. “Ifs yous can bes withs him, whens she—whens she demands its of him. Sos thats his body thinks it’s you, nots her...”
I swallowed. “Will that work?” Could I do it through the link?”
“It’s his onlys chance,” the Dragon said.
I stepped toward him. “What about you, Talakai?”
He shuffled a step back, his wings spreading wide as he did an odd, ducking motion with his head. “Do nots worrys about me.”
But his torment radiated from him. He was a Dragon on the edge, I could feel it. I also guessed his intent—he was preparing to launch into the sky.
I stepped straight into him and placed my hands on each side of his long muzzle.
He froze.
“Talakai, shift for me,” I whispered.
He tried to pull away, but I grabbed hold of his lip and refused to let go. He actually dragged me about ten feet before coming to a stop.
“No,” he hissed.
I reached into myself, past the shaking wreck I was on the surface, to the calm, deep well beneath. I opened to it and pumped it into my words. “Talakai. Shift. Now.”
A shudder passed through him, but the bones moved beneath my hands. I laid them against his cheeks as the head shrank, the muzzle flattening to a human jaw.
I watched as the man emerged through the Dragon. Within moments, Talakai’s handsome face stared down at me.
I’d forgotten how tall he was. And how ripped. He’d left his wings, though, and they arched over us as though he was ready to take off the moment I removed my hands.
I smiled up at him. “Hello, Talakai.”
“Anna,” he said, and my breath left me in a rush. My name on his lips was enough to send me into spasms. “You have to let me go.”
My fingers slid up to his ears, and I pulled him down to me.
“I am not letting you go,” I said.
“You belong to Matt,” he rebutted.
In answer, I kissed him.
I had to stand on my tiptoes to do it, but my warm lips on his seemed to ignite something inside him. His arms came around me, and he devoured me with teeth and tongue. I moaned, the assault lighting fire within me as I caressed the smooth sides of his shaved head. Finding the long braids trailing, I wound my fingers in, and pulled on them.
The moment I did so, he reared back, so swiftly I tasted metal on my lip—his canine had cut me.
His eyes dropped to it, and his face twisted. If my hands weren’t wound into his hair, he’d have taken off—I felt the urge pass through him.
“I’m damaged,” he whispered. “Let me go.”
I yanked hard on his hair until his face was inches from my own. “You are mine, Talakai.”
