The Dragon's Heart (Dragon Lore) Read Free Page B

it was driving him fucking insane seeing her lying there so still. “I didn’t know she was my mate at the time.”
    Seren hesitated for a long moment, before she finally blurted out, “ Why don’t you know she’s your mate? What happened to you tonight? Where were you when I called?”
    He snarled. “Why are you acting like I’ve got brain damage? I started a bar fight when some asshole couldn’t keep his mouth shut about Shelby. Since I couldn’t kill anyone, I headed home with plans of doing my damndest to get shit-faced drunk.” He knew what she was getting at, and it pissed him off. “I didn’t mate to her, Seren. I know the rules. I only fucked her twice.” His gaze shifted unwillingly to Shelby, and he shook his head. “I swear it was only twice,” he whispered as the pain in his chest threatened to explode. He growled against it, a long, dark rumble that reverberated through the trauma room. Almost instantly, the irregular beating of her heart steadied.
    “That’s odd,” Seren murmured softly, pulling back to study the monitor.
    “What? What’s odd? Is she alright?”
    She shook her head, her hand rubbing at her belly as she watched the machines. “For someone who tried to have you killed, she likes your growl. It calms her.”
    Daniel dropped his gaze to Shelby’s face. Though he was sure he was imagining it, she did seem more peaceful.
    It was his turn to be confused. “Seren, are you sure she’s alright? She’s not going into shock or something? Or, I don’t know, fading out?”
    Seren looked as confused as he felt. “She’s your mate. You’re supposed to be able to calm her. It’s why you’re here.”
    He swallowed hard, and too fuzzy to piece together what was happening, he repeated the sound like the goddamn purring pansy he was.
    Her hand tightened around his.
    “Seren–”
    “I saw it,” she murmured. “Why don’t you try talking to her? Your voice seems to have the same effect on her as your growl.”
    He shook his head, panicking. “Talk to her? What the hell am I supposed to talk to her about?”
    A ghost of a smile tugged at Seren’s mouth. “You did say she was easy to talk to before everything, ah, went south.”
    “When she’s conscious, damn it, and in case you didn’t hear me the first time, she fucking tried to have me killed. We both know I could have said something to piss her off badly, so why the hell would I want to talk to her?”
    Seren winced. “I don’t know, but she’s responding to your voice. You need answers, so talk to her.” Her voice gentled as she concentrated on what she was doing. “She wants to fight. I can feel it in her. So give her reason to, even if you plan on walking away.”
    Seren was out of her mind. Daniel was sure of it. He didn’t know if the pregnancy hormones had addled her usually sharp mind or what, but the woman had lost it. But even he had to admit, as he took in every inch of Shelby’s beautiful face, he was having a hard time seeing the cold-blooded woman who’d set him up. This was the woman who’d made him smile against all odds, who had set his very blood on fire until he was sure no matter how many times he had her, he’d never get enough.
    His chest constricted painfully. Which shouldn’t have surprised him. If her hired gun couldn’t get to him, why wouldn’t this finish him off?
    “You have to save her,” he said hoarsely as he reached out with a shaking hand, brushing a pale curl out of Shelby’s eyes. “People go insane for her smile.”
    As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Daniel realized how stupid he sounded. Ryuu . It wasn’t enough the woman had tried to have him killed, but she was turning him into a goddamn pussy while she was at it.
    His heart, which never got involved in anything or anyone, had picked one hell of a fucked up time to go to war with his head.
    He surged to his feet and pointed a finger at Seren. “Just fucking fix her, alright? And stay out of my goddamn head