Half a minute.

Thirty seconds more, and he would have no choice but to go in after her. Etienne had made no bones about his intentions. The quicker Drake got his wife back up the mountain, the better. She might not recognize the threat the Frenchman posed, but Drake was all too aware.

"Did you place our order yet? I’m starving," Willa said as she came rushing toward him from the restroom vestibule.

He released a breath and some of the tension left him. “No, not yet.”

He wasn't sure what she'd been up to in there, and he was glad she’d come back, but she looked guilty as hell. Luckily, as hard as she was fake smiling, she was also gritting her teeth. Whatever she'd tried to pull had clearly not gone her way. Besides, she hadn’t tried to jump out a window to escape him this time, and that was progress.

He set his focus back on the menu in front of him.

"It's supposed to start storming again and we want to make sure we get back up the mountain before the road floods out. I was thinking we could get some food to go, and we'll eat at home in front of the fire."

Willa's smile faded and her throat worked as she swallowed audibly. "Um, yeah. Sure, okay."

Again, his senses buzzed, a low warning bell. She was looking a little panicky again and a panicked Willa was a reckless one. So what had her all worked up?

Memories of the two of them in front of the fire rose up and singed him with their heat.

Right.

"Or we can eat in the den in front of the TV," he said casually, pinning his gaze to the plastic menu in his hand.

She let out a shaky sigh and sat down in the stool next to him. "That sounds good. I didn't even know you had a TV. Doesn't fit at all with the spooky-ass, Scooby Doo villain vibe of the rest of the place," she said.

She already sounded a little more at ease and he congratulated himself on that.

"You haven't seen most of the place. I assure you, aside from the medieval looking great room, it's everything a person could want in a home. Now that you seem to be feeling a little better, maybe I can give you the grand tour after dinner. We have an extensive library and there is an observatory with the best views in the state, if I do say so myself."

Jesus. He felt a little like a used car salesman who hadn't made his quota that month, and he wanted to bite his tongue.

It was ridiculous.

Having to sit here and pander to this woman in hopes of getting her to what? Like him? Want him? Agree to live in the lap of luxury, fly around the world on a moment's notice, and receive pleasure so intense, she couldn't even grasp the concept yet?

It irked him, to be sure. There were a thousand women that would've killed to be in her shoes. Any one of the human females he'd bedded in his younger days wouldn't have hesitated.

If only he wanted any of them.

He flipped the menu over and continued to stare at it with unseeing eyes, lost in thought. Yes, he'd had loads of lovers who wanted to tie him down before he’d gotten sick of it all together. Sick of being careful. Holding them like fine China. Bridling his dragon to the point that coming was barely a relief. Like the slightest turn of the valve, letting off the barest hint of pressure.

It wouldn’t be that way with Willa.

He shifted in his stool, his cock growing thick again as he imagined it. Burying himself inside her. Rough and tumble, no holds-barred rutting. Plunging in and out until--

"You ready to order, sweetie?" A redhead with a foot-high bun loomed over him, pad in hand, pen at the ready.

He shoved back his carnal thoughts as he faced his bride. "What would you like, Willa?"

"I guess I'll have a meatloaf sandwich with fries," she said, setting her menu down on the counter.

"And I'll take three steak dinners and four slices of apple pie. All to go, please," he said.

If he was going to be fighting back his dragon’s needs all night long again on no sleep, he needed to keep up his strength.

By the time they made it up the side of the mountain an hour later, the predicted rain was coming down in sheets. Visibility was nearly zero and he said a silent prayer of thanks for that. The brutal weather was another layer of insurance that she'd stay put for another day. If he could just string a few of those days together, he was sure he could convince her that she was exactly where she needed to be.

They walked into the house in silence and he led her straight to the media room.

He picked up the universal remote and, with two clicks, the fireplace popped on and the television lit up.

"Here," he handed Willa the remote. "I'm going to nuke our food real quick and get some napkins and utensils."

When he came back into the room, he was surprised to find her sitting on the couch with her legs tucked under her holding a large, leather-backed book in her lap.

“What did you find?” he asked, setting their meals on the coffee table and gesturing toward her book.

“Found it on the shelf over there. It’s about dragons. Eat, I just want to finish this section.”

He nodded and willed himself not to read too much into it. Just because she seemed enthralled with the material in front of her didn’t mean she’d changed her mind about him.

He sat down in a chair across from her and tucked into his meal as she finished what she was reading and set the book to the side.

“So, you’re telling me that male dragon-shifters keep harems?”

He lifted his gaze from his plate of steaks and stopped chewing momentarily at the look on her face. It was as sour as spoiled milk.

Interesting.

“Of all the facts in that thousand page book, you manage to ferret out the most lascivious one? I was only out of the room for eight minutes, little wolf.”

“Spare me the lecture,” she said with a derisive snort. “Is that for real?” she asked, gesturing toward the still-open book in disgust. “Like…that’s got to be back in the olden days, right? People couldn’t possibly still be doing that nowadays.”

He forked up a bite of his steak and chewed thoughtfully. He didn’t like lying to her, but the truth certainly wasn’t going to help his cause.

“Drake?” she pressed, her pretty brown eyes widening incredulously. “Oh my god. You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Clearly, it was time for some damage control. He set down his fork carefully and sat back with a sigh. “The choice to engage a harem might seem archaic, but really, is it any more so than an arranged marriage?”

“No,” she snapped, and leaned over to pick up her meatloaf sandwich. “It’s just as barbaric. If that’s supposed to be a selling point, I’m afraid you’ve struck out there.”

“What I mean to say is that there are some wolves who believe in the old traditions and some that don’t. In this way, we’re no different than you. So, yes. There are some males who keep harems, but they’re rare.”

If only because dragon-shifters themselves were rare, but there was no need to put too fine a point on it with her right now.

She chewed the inside of her cheek as she stared at him for a long moment. “So have you ever had one?” She was striving to sound casual, but the effect was ruined when she paused with her sandwich half-raised to her lips, awaiting his answer.

“No.”

She nodded slowly and then took a bite. When she swallowed she met his gaze again. “Promise?”

And what had started out as an interesting conversation had just gotten even more interesting. Surely a woman who cared about him not at all wouldn’t be soliciting promises from him. Especially ones pertaining to his sex life.

“I do.”

“Would you want one?”

If he hadn’t found Willa, would he have eventually turned to the old ways? Probably, if only to keep his dragon content. But he had found her, and the thought of other women did nothing for him.

Again, he settled for as close to the truth as he dared to go.

“It’s not about want, little wolf. Our kind is different than other shifters. We have needs that become…out of control if they aren’t slaked. Males who cannot find a suitable mate sometimes need to look for human females and, unfortunately, one isn’t enough.”

“Do these women have a choice?”

“Most do, yes. But like men and wolves, there are evil dragons who commit all sorts of atrocities. In the normal course of things, though, there are plenty of women who are happy to sign on for a life of sex, luxury and leisure, even if it means giving up the life they once knew.”

She set down her half-eaten sandwich. “So, is that what you were prepping Raina for before I got here? Was she going to be part of your future harem?”

He eyed her curiously and answered the question with one of his own. “Why do you ask? Feeling territorial?”

Her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink that reminded him of the flush on her face the night by the fire.

“No!” She swiped her napkin over her mouth and tossed it onto the coffee table. “I was just trying to make conversation. She was pretty cute. And she clearly wants you.”

“Aye, she thinks she does. But she couldn’t handle me.”

“You keep saying stuff like that, but I don’t know what you mean. You were gentle. With me, I mean.” She looked away and fingered the yellowing pages of the book.

“I was gentle, yes. That doesn’t mean I am gentle,” he corrected softly. “It’s a choice, most of the time. And then other times?” He shrugged and faced her, letting her see the naked need in his gaze. “I can’t control myself and things get…wild.”

Her breath caught and her eyes went glassy, which sent a bolt of lust rocketing through him.

“W-What do you mean, wild?”

“I mean, there are times that my dragon takes the reins and I can’t be gentle anymore. Humans are fragile, both mentally and physically. It’s exhausting and unsatisfying to have to be in constant check or risk injuring or terrifying someone. I’m not interested in doing that. I need someone who can match me physically. Push back when I push, go toe to toe with me.”

So far, her reaction was exactly what he’d hoped for. Whether or not she would admit it, he could tell the thought of getting wild with him intrigued her.

More progress.

“Which is why I aim to keep you, little wolf. I’ve never met a woman I want as much as I want you. A woman who can also take everything I have to offer.”

She gnawed on her full lower lip before jutting it out mulishly. “And what if I don’t want what you have to offer?”

“Ah. That would be a different tale, then.”

His body vibrated with the need to leap over the table separating them and drag her into his arms. Let her feel how much he wanted her. Instead, he waited, tense and at the ready in case she finally admitted the truth to herself and him.

“Well, don’t hold your breath,” she murmured and pushed herself to her feet. “Now you said you have a library with more books like this one?”

He squashed his disappointment and silenced the roar of despair from the beast inside him, a task that grew more difficult with every passing day. Then, he smiled and nodded.

One step forward, half a step back.

He’d live with it. For now.

“Follow me,” he said as he led her into the hallway and then down another long corridor to the library.

The room was huge, second in size only to the great room. The ceilings were thirty feet high, and the books went nearly to the top. As his species’ chosen Master of Artifacts, he was the keeper of all the ancient tomes, and there were a lot of them. Partly because dragons were proud creatures and often felt the need to commit their deeds to paper, but also because history mattered to a dragon. They were taught about their ancestors from the time they were young. Willa’s interest in learning about his kind thrilled him, but it also made him wary.

The whole harem thing was nothing compared to some of the other stuff she would find.

“Are you immortal?” Willa asked as she strolled the perimeter of the room, stopping to run her fingers over the embossed spine of one of his most-cherished titles.

He stepped over to the mahogany bar in the corner and poured them both a glass of scotch before moving to stand beside her.

“I’m not, no. Thank god.”

He handed her the glass and she took it with a nod of thanks.

“Why do you say that? Immortality is a pretty sought after trait.”

“It is. And, like most shifters, we’re hearty, even in our human forms. That, combined with the fact that we have no natural predators, allows most of us very long lives. Especially now, since humans stopped believing we exist and ceased hunting us. When you have that kind of time, you realize that forever would be far too long.”

She nodded slowly and turned her face up to meet his gaze. “Us too. Wolves, I mean. And I never thought of it that way, but I think you’re right. The idea of never ending, never moving from this life into…something else—if there is something else…” She shrugged and took a long pull from her glass. “It makes me feel kind of sad.”

She looked so contemplative with her brow furrowed in thought. It took everything he had not to reach out a finger and smooth those lines. Erase that worry.

“Would you like to play a game with me, little wolf?” he asked.

The concern in her eyes faded as she eyed him curiously. “A game? Like what?”

He shrugged, suddenly wishing she trusted him enough to fly with him. He could take her on adventures she couldn’t even fathom. But that was for another day, if he played his cards right.

For today?

“How about Truth or Dare?”

She snorted and instantly started to shake her head, but he cut her off.

“Wait a second, won’t you? You haven’t even heard my rules yet.”

She laughed and tossed back the rest of her scotch before setting down the glass. “Okay, Drake. Let’s hear these rules.”

“I’m not trying to pull a fast one on you. I just thought it would help us get to know one another. Nothing sexual. At least, not on my request.”

She mulled that over for a while before finally nodding slowly.

“All right. But I get to stop any time I want to.” She paused and seemed to be wracking her brain for more conditions. “And we each get to pass on one if we don’t like it. Deal?”

“Deal,” he said, gesturing to the large, leather sofa in the center of the room. “Have a seat.”

She did, and he busied himself pouring them each another drink.

“I’ll go first. Truth or dare?” she asked, her gaze pinned on him as he moved.

“Let’s start with a truth.”

She seemed satisfied with that answer and settled more deeply into the couch cushions. “Did you guys really do the whole virgin in the cave sacrifice thing?”

“Well, some of my ancestors did,” he said with a nod.

She gasped and took the glass he handed her. “That’s absolutely barbaric.”

“Hey, if people were going to just hand over their virgins, who were we to argue? And you can’t compare what seems horrific by modern standards to things that happened in history. Think of the Coliseum, or the fact that entire nations were built on the backs of slaves. Dragons weren’t the only barbaric ones. Humanity as a whole was pretty heartless. I’d like to think if I’d been alive back then, I wouldn’t have participated in the whole virgin sacrifice scene.”

“Isn’t that kind of what happened here, though? My parents sacrificed me,” she reminded him softly, those pretty brown eyes drilling into him. “To you.”

The guilt that had become his constant companion pricked him hard.

“Not the same at all. We arranged a mutually beneficial marriage. Granted, it’s old fashioned, but hardly barbaric.”

Which reminded him, he was set to meet with the Stones later in the week to get to the bottom of how they could’ve entered into an agreement without their daughter’s knowledge. But that was a problem for another day.

“I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree,” she said with a stiff smile.

“I suppose we will.” At least, until he convinced her to come over to his way of thinking. “Now you. Truth or dare?” he countered, ready to put that little conversation behind them.

“Truth,” she said, without hesitation.

“Your parents only told me that your engagement was broken. What happened?”

She shifted in her seat and ran the pad of her thumb over the edge of her glass. It took her so long to answer that he started to wonder if she was going to use her pass already. The idea that she couldn’t even talk about her ex without it causing her pain made his guts roil and his dragon fill with a fire so hot it could obliterate a village in one breath.

“He didn’t love me,” she said finally, her tone resigned but matter of fact. She shrugged and met his gaze, a sad smile on her lips. “He was in love with someone else.”

He couldn’t stop the words, as much as he wanted to. “And you? Were you in love with him?” His voice was low. Gritty, and full of unspoken emotion that he’d wished he’d taken better care to hide.

If the previous pause had been long, this one was interminable. His whole body was tense, prepared for the blow.

“No. I never was. In fact…I don’t think I’ve ever been in love before,” she admitted softly.

His relief was so great, his hands shook with it, and he downed the rest of his scotch in one swallow. “Another drink?”

“I probably shouldn’t…” she eyed her empty glass longingly and he picked it up.

“We’re both grown and nobody is driving. I promise I won’t take advantage of you.”

She held the back of one hand to her flushed cheek and then shrugged. “Screw it. Sure.”

Satisfaction coursed through him as he crossed the room toward the bar. There was no question, his little wolf was slowly coming around. The fact that she was willing to sit and talk, and allow herself another drink showed a level of trust she hadn’t displayed before.

For the first time since he’d laid eyes on her cowering on that cliff, the nagging sense of foreboding that had been hanging over him started to fade. With a little more time and patience, he knew he could win her over. He just had to make sure that happened before Etienne made his move. Until she was truly marked with Drake’s mating scent, there were no laws protecting her from another dragon’s attentions.

One thing today’s little discussion in town with his old friend had made very clear. A battle was brewing. A battle he had precious little time to halt in its tracks before it evolved from a pissing contest into an all out blood-letting.

With only a few hundred dragons left in the world, it would be a shame to have to take one out.

But it sure as hell wouldn’t stop him.