Dragon Me to Your Lair: A dragon shifter story (Dragons of Emberside Book 1) Read Free

being a dragon shifter.
    “Here we are.” He made a flourish with his arms, as if inviting his lady into a castle. In essence, he was. The cave of the Emberside Dragons was his castle—the only one Niall had ever known.
    Skye stopped beside him, a puzzled look on her face. “In here? You're joking. Right? It's not safe. There's a sign.” She pointed as if he were blind. He had especially good night vision, he could guarantee that.
    He waved away her concerns and smiled. “It's fine. I've been here dozens of times.”
    More like thousands, since I was born here one snowy night twenty plus years ago now.
    Niall whistled low and loud. Skye jumped.
    “What was that for?” She hesitantly followed him into the mouth of the cave.
    “Just scaring baddies away—unless you want bats and other nasty creatures coming right at you. Just follow me.”
     
    * * * *
    Unease slithered like a worm up the back of Skye's neck. Following a man she hardly knew into a cave that was marked off limits for the public seemed a bad idea.
    It's just the sort of stupid thing one of my heroines would do before she got hit over the head by the villain.
    She stopped. “I...I appreciate your offer and concern, but I think I'll head back out. It's just rain.” Skye eased toward the entrance. She could still see a slit of light back the way they had come in.
    Just then, a huge bolt of lightning shot down and filled the cave with brightness. A roll of booming thunder followed.
    “You sure about that? I promise I won't hurt you. This is just a nice place to wait the storm out.” Niall smiled in the gloom.
    Skye sighed. “Maybe this is stupid, but okay.”
    But she didn't think it was. His voice just then had been...so kind. It was something she had never experienced from a man—kindness. Not in any solid way, beyond someone opening a door or smiling politely. Her own father had walked out when she was very young, and her mother's succession of boyfriends had been sleaze balls—not one of them kind.
    “It's not. Let's explore. It's a great cave, actually.” Niall offered his hand. “Take it. I'm not just being chivalrous. It's easy to stumble here. The light isn't great, and there are lumps and bumps in the rock underfoot. I have a pen light, though.” He took it out of his pocket and shined it on the ground in front of him, raising one eyebrow in her direction.
    Skye took a deep breath and walked the few steps forward to take his stretched out hand.
    Here's hoping I don't end up on the news in a few weeks in some lurid headline like, Body of American Woman Discovered in Off Limits Scottish Cave.
     
    * * * *
     
    Niall felt the jolt of electricity run up his arm when Skye took his hand. He squeezed it gently, hoping it wouldn't give her the wrong idea. He loved being with her, touching her. He wanted so much more from her, and he wanted to give her so much more.
    This is all a dream.
    He scowled at the inner voice, reminding him of Morighan and the complications of his situation. When he had given the low whistling signal, that sent all dragons into hiding. It was a sign from any clan member that an outsider was entering—someone who didn't know about dragon shifters or that they inhabited this place as a home. At least he didn't have to worry about running into Morighan, though she might see Skye with him, and she wouldn't like that one bit.
    He groaned.
    “What's wrong?” Skye's voice held a note of fear.
    “Nothing. Just thinking about something I forgot to do in Emberside proper today. It will wait until tomorrow.” He stopped, still holding her warm hand. “So, what do you think about this place?”
    “It's...magical, somehow. I feel like I've been here before.” Skye shrugged, gazing at the rocks around her and the high top of the central part of the cave, brown and damp from rain and moisture seeping in. “But I've only been to one cave as a child. I don't remember much about it at all.” She smiled.
    “Oh, that's a shame.