Page 58 of Taught By the Dragon
“And female dragon-shifters?”
He shook his head. “They don’t know until they kiss their true mate, which kicks off the mate-claim frenzy.”
“That seems bloody unfair.”
He shrugged. “I didn’t make the rules.”
She looked at him finally. “Well, it’s bloody ridiculous. I should be able to know just as easily.”
So I can stay awaywas left unsaid.
Bronx grunted. “I agree. If—and it’s a big if since sometimes dragon-shifters go their whole lives without finding their true mate—your male recognizes you as theirs, let’s hope they tell you and not just kiss you.”
She wrapped her arms around her torso, as if to protect herself. “Wait. Wouldn’t that force the frenzy?”
What he wouldn’t give to take one of her hands, kiss the back, and try to dispel her anxiety. But he couldn’t. “Yes. There are some who want nothing more than to continue their line, to have their snippet of immortality through creating a child, and don’t care about what someone else wants. Although on Stonefire, forcing a frenzy hasn’t happened in decades. Accidental kisses, yes, which has required separating a pair and talking to each of them about what they wanted. However, Bram would never allow someone to force a frenzy on another, if he can help it.”
Bronx waited to see if she’d retreat, shut down, or ask to go back to the cabin. Some might have coddled her or sugar-coated the truth. But he’d vowed to be honest, and he’d keep to it.
Besides, if she learned later that he’d kept secrets, any and all trust between them would shatter.
And for some reason, the thought of that happening made both man and beast want to growl.
* * *
Percy wasgrateful the conversation had turned toward something serious. Worrying about frenzies, true mates, and being forced into a pregnancy all helped her to forget about how she’d stared at Bronx’s mouth. In that brief moment, she’d wondered what it would be like for him to kiss her.
She’d never been kissed. All of the guards and the males she’d been forced to have sex with for the fertility experiments had been intent on fucking her until they came, and then they’d left. In the early days, she’d cried and tried to fight them. But as time went on, she’d learned that it was easier to just lie there and distance herself until it was over.
Not once had she everwantedto be held, or kissed, or caressed by a male. At least, not until Bronx. And that was bloody irritating because she couldn’t have sex with him once and go back to normal. He was a male who still thought fondly of his late mate. He probably grew attached easily and would want more of her, and to protect herself, Percy would have to run away from him. And she really didn’t want to have a different teacher assigned to her.
So Percy just needed to be strong and stop thinking about Bronx, kisses, touches, and other things like that. Talk of frenzies helped, especially when it came to the arseholes who forced it. And she still couldn’t believe a female dragon couldn’t identify their true mate but a male one could.
Her dragon had come out for a second earlier, back at the landing area. She only said, “I like him,” before disappearing again.
So now Percy was torn—if her dragon liked Bronx, she would have to spend more time with him to appease her beast. But if she spent more time with the dragonman, she might stare at his mouth again and dream of his kisses.
Bronx said, “Percy.”
She looked at him, and his brows were drawn down. “What?”
“You’ve been quiet for a few minutes now. Was it your dragon?”
Sighing, she shook her head. “No.”
He topped up her tea. “Well, let’s finish here, and we can practice. Who knows, maybe it’ll help.”
Meeting his gaze, she couldn’t look away. His gray eyes were so warm, concerned, and almost tender.
Fuck no.She was imagining things. No one looked at her like that. And no one had ever cared about her before, and she doubted it would start now.
After draining her teacup, she stood, nearly tipping her chair in the process. “Let’s go.”
She rushed out of the café. Thankfully, she knew the way to the school. It wasn’t long until Bronx caught up to her. Even with his leg, he was so much taller than her, and his strides were long.
He asked, “Is there anything else you can tell me about your dragon since coming to Stonefire? The more information we have, the more I can confer with the teachers and maybe form a strategy.”
Her heart warmed at how he wanted to help her. And yet, she wasn’t ready to share even the two appearances of her dragon. Percy was greedy for her beast, not to mention that a few weeks hadn’t cured her lifelong cynicism. “No.”
