Holly
The little dragon raced through the branches of the trees, her distinctive red and green scales sparkling in the sunlight. She arced through the air, her small body zooming higher and higher until she was barely visible among the leaves of the tall trees that surrounded them.
“Adela, it’s time to come back!” Holly called, cupping her hands around her mouth. “You’re getting too high up! And it’ll be dinner time soon.”
But Aunty, can’t I play just a little longer?
Adela’s voice drifted down to her, transmitted over the psychic link that everyone in their clan shared.
No, little girl. We need to get you back to your mom and dad. Now come on, Holly said to her, sending her thoughts up into the treetops.
She was still getting the hang of psychic communication – with Stefan, it had always seemed to come naturally, but with the other members of her clan, it was a little trickier. And Adela was so young that she could sometimes be a little difficult to pin down – she moved so fast that it was like chasing a dragonfly.
Lifting her hand to rub her belly, Holly wondered if it would be the same way when her own little one arrived.
Adela was finally making her way down from the treetops, zipping and zooming between the golden sunbeams of late afternoon. When she finally reached the ground, landing amongst the thick ferns, she transformed into a five-year-old girl, her eyes green and her hair a mass of blonde ringlets.
“I wanted to keep flying,” Adela said, pouting a little as she trotted over to where Holly was waiting for her.
“I know, sweetheart,” Holly said, slipping a dress over the little girl’s head before helping her buckle up her sandals. “But let’s not keep your mommy and daddy waiting.”
She stood, taking Adela’s hand and leading her down the path to where she knew Landra and Marko would, by now, be waiting for them.
“You can keep flying another day,” Holly said, smiling down at her. “I promise you can visit again very soon.”
Adela was silent for a while, clearly thinking this over. “When?”
Holly laughed as they turned a corner, and three familiar figures came into view at the end of the path – Stefan, Marko and Landra. “Well, that depends on your mommy and daddy! Look – I told you they’d be waiting for us!”
“Mommy!” All thoughts of flying suddenly leaving her head, Adela let go of Holly’s hand and raced down the path toward her parents. Holly couldn’t help but grin as Landra, leaning down, scooped her daughter up in her arms.
“I hope she hasn’t been any trouble,” Landra said, turning as Holly arrived at their side. “I know she can be a bit of a handful – you’ve got way too much energy, don’t you, my little firefly?”
Holly laughed, coming to stand beside Stefan and slipping her arm through her mate’s. “No, none at all. She’s been like a dream – and believe me, it’s good practice. Having a baby is nerve-racking enough, but having a dragon…!”
Landra laughed. “I can understand that. But Adela always comes home bursting with eagerness to come back and visit you again. I’m sure you’ll know just what to do when the time comes.”
I sure hope so, Holly thought, as she leaned over to rest her head on Stefan’s shoulder, listening as Adela excitedly told her parents about her day of flying among the trees.
Five years had passed since the battle Stefan had fought against Erik Lukich. In that time, he had reclaimed his family’s ancestral lands, re-established their hoard, and begun the process of rebuilding the Novak Clan.
You should be the clan leader, Marko had said to him, all those years ago. You were the one who beat Erik. You were the one who kept the part of the hoard your mother left you with safe. It should be you. I lost the right. Even though I didn’t mean for this to happen, there’s nothing I can do to make up for it. It should be you. You’ve earned it.
Stefan had been unsure, but Holly had never doubted he could do it. He was kind and strong. There was no doubt in her mind that if anyone could bring the Novak clan back from the brink of extinction, it was him.
And so far, he’d done it brilliantly.
Darklis, now a grown woman, had been sent out to try to make contact with any other Novaks who might have been still living around the world. If their mother had managed to hide both of them, then others might have been able to keep themselves concealed too – and they needed to know it was safe to come out now, and return to the lands of their ancestors.
Landra had happily returned any of the Novak hoard her father had taken for his own. Sometimes, Holly still gasped when she entered the cave where it was kept – a pile of silver and gold coins, precious gemstones of every color under the sun, golden crowns, scepters, strings of pearls and even jewel-encrusted swords that towered far above her head.
She had stood in a daze the first time she had seen it all together, piled high – too stunned to say a word. But then, Stefan had wrapped his arms around her, and told her that to him, she was the most precious jewel of all – and that her worth was a thousand times the entire hoard put together.
You’ll always be the thing I treasure most. My jewel. My pearl. My mate.
Holly shivered to think of it now, a delightful shudder running down the length of her spine. He had claimed her again, there and then, on their newly reunited hoard, and she had told him that she would always be his.
And I will always be yours, my mate.
“We should get out of your hair,” Marko said, interrupting her delicious memories. “It’s good of you to look after her while you’re up here. I know this is your time together.”
Stefan shook his head. “No, it’s more than fine. Adela needs practice flying in all kinds of places. And we’re happy to take her. She’s always a delight.”
“You hear that? You’re a delight,” Marko said, booping his daughter on the nose with the tip of his finger, making her squeal with laughter. “Don’t let that go to your head, now.”
The other reason Adela spent so much time with Stefan and Holly hung in the air between them – it didn’t need to be said out loud. Adela was the first – and so far only – dragon ever to be born with lineage from both the Novak and the Lukich Clans. She was a part of both of them, and needed to be raised by both. She was a symbol of the future – a future in which the terrible mistakes of the past could never be repeated.
Never again would a dragon clan leader declare a blood feud on another.
That was the other thing that Stefan had ensured, through his determined leadership: blood feuds were a thing of the past. In a meeting of the dragon clan leaders, they had been declared illegal – now, nothing like what the Novak Clan had endured could ever happen again.
Holly could not have been more proud of her mate.
He had once told her that dragons could be brutal and medieval in their outlook, and Holly knew that in some ways, it was still true. But they had also shown that they could change, and move past their old ways and toward a better future.
She hoped it would continue.
No – hope was the wrong word.
She would ensure it would continue, standing by Stefan’s side every step of the way, to make this strange new world she had found herself in a better place.
If anyone had told her six years ago how her life would change, she would have laughed until she was sick. Back then, she’d been stuck behind a desk, bored out of her skull for eight hours a day, and dreading the commute home to find that George had, yet again, failed to do even a scrap of housework.
Her life now… well. Calling it ‘apples and oranges’ was the understatement of the century. Yes, it had been frightening and dangerous at times. But it was a world of darkness and light, magic and treasure, and more excitement than she ever could have dreamed of.
Rubbing her belly absently, Holly reflected that soon she’d be embarking on yet another new adventure – possibly the most frightening one yet, but also, the most exciting.
Landra and Marko said their goodbyes. Adela, far from her insistence that she wanted to keep flying just a few minutes earlier, was now droopy-eyed and yawning. She fell asleep before her parents had even finished shifting, curled up safely in her father’s massive forepaw, snuggling up warm against the falling night.
“Shall we go back to the cabin?” Stefan asked, once their flying forms had disappeared into the sunset.
Standing on tip-toes, Holly reached up to kiss him. “Yeah, I think so.”
They came back here every year – back to the place where they’d first met. The Novak lands included a large amount of open desert, which was the kind of terrain that suited Stefan best. But he always insisted on returning here on their anniversary. It was a time and place where their responsibilities as leaders of their clan couldn’t follow them, and they could forget the outside world and focus solely on each other.
His lips were on hers before they had even closed the door behind them. Holly wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close, feeling the warmth of his love wash over her as they kissed.
My mate. My love. My everything.
Holly couldn’t tell whether he had sent it to her or she to him – maybe they had both sent it at the same time. But whatever the case, she felt flooded with emotion, with passion and desire, and she knew that he felt exactly the same way.
Learning to control their mental bond had been one of the best things about their journey together. Being linked mentally as well as physically had only heightened the power of their couplings, until sometimes Holly had honestly felt she might pass out from pleasure.
Stefan’s green eyes were intense with desire when they broke away from each other, raising his hand to stroke her hair.
“I couldn’t have done any of this without you, you know,” he whispered, as they made their way toward the bed. “Your strength, your determination… sometimes I’ve wanted to give up, but you’ve always been there, telling me to keep going, that you know I can do it…”
“That’s because you can,” Holly said, running her thumb over the high arch of his cheekbone. “I can’t imagine the grief you’ve suffered. But I do know you’re strong. And that I’ll always be by your side, no matter what.”
“And I’ll always be by yours.”
Holly knew it was true. Stefan was hers – just as truly as she was his.
An idea suddenly rose up in her mind.
“Stefan – you remember back when we first met, you – you claimed me as your mate. You crowned me, and formally claimed me.”
“Of course I remember,” Stefan said with a smile. “How could I forget?”
Holly took a breath. “Could I claim you?”
Stefan’s answer was warm and immediate, in the form of a kiss.
Of course, my love. Of course.
Together, they moved toward the bedroom. They always brought a few select items from their hoard with them when they came here: enough that Stefan wouldn’t miss it, and that he would be able to draw energy should he need to. Opening the locked case they kept it in, Holly’s eyes flickered over the selection, before falling on a golden circlet at the center. It looked simple at first – until you looked more closely, and realized that it was engraved with an intricate, flowing pattern of swirls and circles, painstakingly picked out of the circlet’s golden surface.
“You said you selected a piece to crown me with, back when you were first learning what a mate was,” she whispered, as she reached down to take the crown between her fingertips. She turned toward him. “But now, I select this to crown you with. I crown you, and claim you as my mate.”
Stefan’s eyes were heavy-lidded with desire. He lay down on his back on the bed, propping himself up on his elbows, a smile on his lips. “Crown me. Claim me. I’m yours.”
Holly grinned as she crossed the room to him, putting the crown down firmly on his head – before adjusting it so it sat at a jaunty angle.
“There,” she said, leaning forward to kiss him. “Perfect. Very regal.”
Stefan’s laugh was like a low growl as he pulled her down against him, wrapping his arms around her waist. She could feel the swell of his erection against her thigh, and she squirmed against it, feeling him gasp in response.
God, I want you so badly, she transmitted to him, kissing him desperately, her mouth open as he slid his tongue inside.
Her hands scrabbled at his t-shirt, pulling it up over his head and tossing it away. For a long moment, all Holly could do was sit back, straddling his hips, to admire the beautiful lines of his body – the dips and grooves of his muscles, the flat planes of his pecs.
Beautiful, she thought, sliding her hands up over the ridges of his abdominal muscles, feeling his skin heating with desire.
His hands were on her shirt in a moment, tearing it off her, before doing away with her bra just as quickly. The sensitive tips of her breasts brushed against the hard muscle of his chest and she shuddered, before his hands came up to cover them, taking her nipples between his fingers and squeezing softly.
In her heightened state of arousal, it was enough to make her cry out, wetness gathering between her thighs.
“You’re s-such a tease,” she mock-scolded him as he gently tormented her, sending flutters of pleasure all through her body.
Stefan’s smile was smug. “What are you going to do about it?”
Holly laughed as she leaned down, catching one of his own pebbled nipples between her teeth and giving it a playful nip. Stefan gasped, his back arching, head falling back.
“You’ll lose your crown if you’re not careful,” Holly murmured as she reached up to set it more firmly on his head. “Then what will we do?”
Stefan laughed, but she could feel the restrained desire in it. “You’re driving me crazy.”
Holly grinned wickedly. “Am I?” She slid her hand down over his thigh, rubbing him through his jeans. His head fell back, a moan escaping from his lips. “Well, we’ll have to see what we can do about that.”
She slowly slid down the bed as she worked open his jeans, before easing his cock free. Hard and thick, it made her mouth water just to look at it – and she knew that right now, what she wanted more than anything was to taste him.
Taking him in her hand tightly, she lowered her head. His eyes burned brightly with desire, glowing with an unearthly green. Holly’s breath caught in her throat, the same way it always did whenever she saw him like this – to know that she alone could produce this reaction in this strong, powerful man.
Leaning down, Holly ran her tongue slowly over the head of his cock, hearing him groan above her. He tasted amazing – it wasn’t something that she’d ever thought about any man before, but in Stefan’s case, it was completely true.
His thighs quaked as she pulled his cock into her mouth, her tongue lapping over him, feeling the hardness and heat of him against her. Stefan threw back his head with a cry as she sucked him, swirling her tongue over his straining flesh. She wanted to explore him, just like she had done countless times before – but every time seemed like a new experience to her, a new way to give him – and herself – pleasure.
His thick cock in her mouth made her feel more turned on than she knew how to describe – as she lowered her lips along his shaft, she could feel wetness soaking through her panties. Every gasp and shudder he made only drove her further and further into wild desire.
Holly kept going, working the base of his cock with her fist as she moved over him with her mouth. She could feel him moving toward the edge, the muscles of his thighs bunched, his back arching off the bed. His growing pleasure seemed to flow through him and into her, filling her with her own building waves of bliss.
Holly… Oh God, Holly…
He jerked up, sinews straining against his skin, and she knew he was close.
And it was only then that she pulled back, releasing him from her mouth. He looked up at her, eyes hazy with lust and desperate need, face flushed.
“Holly… please…”
She grinned at him, appreciating the sight of him – his beautiful, finely-cut muscles bathed in a sheen of sweat, his chest heaving with exertion. His cock, thicker and harder than ever, lay pressed tightly against his abs, still shiny from her mouth.
“Don’t be impatient,” she said lightly, though she knew she simply didn’t have the willpower to tease him for long.
Straddling him once more, she held his erection in her hand, guiding it to the wetness between her thighs. She was so soaking wet, so ready for him, that even for all his size and girth he slid into her easily, filling her to perfection.
She cried out as she slid herself down over him, taking him within herself, squeezing him tightly with her inner walls. His hands came up to rest on her hips, holding her over him once he was all in. For a long moment, they simply stayed where they were, both trembling with anticipation, both simply enjoying the sensation of their joined bodies.
But again, Holly couldn’t make them wait for long. Thrusting herself forward with a clench of her thighs, she began to ride him, leaning forward to fill her hands with the thick muscle of his shoulders.
Bright splinters of pleasure swept through her body, all her muscles straining. Stefan’s fingers on her hips urged her onward, faster and faster, their pleasure growing like a wave within them.
Holly cried out, her hair falling forward over her breasts, her body singing with bliss as she moved closer and closer toward climax. She could feel it building inside her, every thrust, every movement bringing her closer and closer…
Holly… Holly, my sweet, beautiful mate. I’m yours. You’ve claimed me.
Stefan’s mind touching hers sent her tumbling over the edge, her orgasm bursting through her with such force she couldn’t hold back a cry. Beneath her, Stefan let out a long, desperate groan, his body jerking, as they rode out their climaxes together.
When the last wave of pleasure crested and then slowly subsided, Holly at last lowered herself to Stefan’s side, circling his broad chest with her arms. She could hear his heartbeat – but even better than that, she could hear the peacefulness in his mind. It was a mind that was so often busy with thoughts of how best to lead the Novaks, or what decisions he might have to make. But now, here, with her, Stefan was content.
They needed nothing but each other.
“I love you,” she said aloud, when she finally had her breath back.
In response, Stefan turned his head and kissed her, long and slow. His hand came up to cup her face, tucking a few sweaty tendrils of hair behind her ear.
“And I love you.” He looked deeply into her eyes, before kissing her again. There’s nothing we can’t do together. Nothing.
Holly smiled into the kiss, before snuggling back down into his side. A few short years ago, she might have doubted that she was capable of anything much. But since then, things had changed – more than she had ever dreamed they could. The existence of dragons, everything that had happened with Erik, the new steps the Novak Clan was taking in the world…
And the fact that she was the mate of the powerful leader of a dragon clan.
It all seemed incredible.
But Holly knew there was nowhere else she would rather be.
The past might have been difficult, and it couldn’t be erased. The things that Stefan had lost could never be brought back.
Holly knew she had so much more to learn and discover about this new world she found herself in.
But together, she knew that they would make the future a better place, filled with light and happiness – and each other.
Closing her eyes, Holly drifted into sleep with a smile on her face.
Thank you for buying my book! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please to be added to my mailing list. You can also visit, or follow me on or.
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Page down to read a special sneak preview of Lawman Lion, the first in the Cedar Hill Lions series.
The cover of A Mate for the Dragon was designed by Isabelle Arden.
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Lawman Lion
by Zoe Chant
Special Sneak Preview
Just as she’d known he would, Mason had immediately driven out from the sheriff’s office as soon as she’d called him.
Don’t go anywhere, he’d told her. I’ll be right there.
She hadn’t told him everything Jessup had said to her – just that he’d come to the diner, and that he’d told her he wanted to buy it. That had been enough. Mason had told her to sit tight, and he’d be there as soon as possible. She’d sent Bob and Sherri home, over their protests – but she wasn’t having them here to be in danger in case things got ugly.
As soon as possible had turned out to be very soon indeed. Mason had come into the diner as if he expected Jessup to still be there, his fists clenched, eyes narrowed, scanning the room for any hint of a threat.
“Mason,” Charity said, walking toward him. “It’s okay – I’m pretty sure he really left after I told him to.”
Mason seemed to let out a long breath, trying to release the tension from his muscles. “I didn’t see his bike outside, so I guess you’re right,” he said. Finally, he looked down at her, and Charity watched as his face softened. “I’m sorry. I just – the thought of him, here, threatening you –”
“He didn’t threaten me outright,” Charity said. “But he certainly implied it. But he said some other things too – things I think we ought to discuss.”
She started to lead him toward a booth, but Mason’s next words pulled her up short.
“Did he tell you the Reapers are almost all shifters?” he asked, catching her up to walk beside her.
Charity looked up at him, a little surprised. “He did. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Let’s sit down,” Mason said.
Charity nodded, sliding herself into the booth seat. Mason sat down across from her, placing his wide-brimmed hat down on the table.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mention it right away,” Mason said. “I should have – especially seeing as it was the other reason I decided to run for sheriff, George Atwood being such a useless ass aside. I knew the Reapers were shifters from the moment they started moving in here. We’d heard about a gang of them, troublemakers, and I knew that there was no way for human law enforcement to really deal with them. The only authority they’ll listen to is another shifter – but even then…”
Charity looked into Mason’s gray-green eyes, feeling her heart thumping. “I understand,” she said, and it was true. She hadn’t honestly doubted that Mason had noble motives for what he’d done, and she certainly didn’t think he’d meant to deceive her by not telling her the Reapers were shifters. “But he said something else too – something I didn’t really get. He said that – he said that you’d be brought to heel,” Charity said, repeating Jessup’s phrasing.
Looking at Mason’s broad shoulders and biceps that bulged out of the short sleeves of his sheriff’s uniform, Charity had a hard time imagining the person who could do any such thing. But still, she had to know what he’d meant.
Mason narrowed his eyes, cocking his head a little. “Jessup said that?” he asked, and Charity nodded.
Mason looked away, blowing air between his gritted teeth. “Well, that just goes to show what an ass he is,” he said, after a moment. “I’m not going to skirt the truth about it – my uncle Lincoln wasn’t exactly happy about me running for sheriff. But it’s what I wanted to do, and what I knew was the right thing to do. Lincoln might be the alpha of the pride, but he won’t stand for cruelty or anything like it. Plus, I’m my own man, and I do what I want. Jessup’s deluded if he thinks I can be brought to heel – especially when it comes to anything to do with you.”
Mason reached across the table, his massive hand covering Charity’s. His palm was warm against her, and Charity shivered, her skin tingling.
“I never doubted that for a second,” she said softly. Perhaps she’d simply needed to hear Mason say it out loud – but as soon as he had, she realized it was true. She and Mason were mates, in every sense of the word. She trusted him, more than she’d ever trusted anyone. They belonged together.
“We’ll figure this out,” Mason said, squeezing her hand, looking into her eyes. “But whatever we do, we’ll do it together. I won’t leave you. I’ll protect you, no matter what. Jessup can’t hurt you, I promise – I’ll make sure of it.”
Charity blinked at Mason’s last words, biting her lip a little as his voice became a low growl. She couldn’t suppress a shiver, feeling warmth pooling in her belly. The sheer protectiveness in his voice sent a thrill down her spine. No one had ever looked after her like this before – made her feel so safe or protected.
She’d always resisted the idea that she needed to rely on anyone else. She’d thought it would make her weak. But now, she realized that relying Mason wasn't a sign of weakness at all – they were partners. But in this, she needed his help – his protection.
And from the edge of anger in Mason’s voice, she had no doubt he had the power to back up what he said. For the first time, Charity truly began to think about what it meant to be mated to this man – a man who could, in the blink of an eye, turn into a massive, powerful lion.
She hadn’t seen it, but if Mason’s lion form was anywhere near as impressive as his human one, Charity couldn’t imagine Jessup or anyone in his gang being able to put up much of a fight against him.
“Will you show me?” she suddenly blurted, without thinking about what she was saying.
Mason cocked his head. “Show you?”
Charity smiled a little. “Sorry, I was following my own train of thought there.” She drew in a shaky breath. “I meant, will you show me your lion? I’d… I’d really like to see. If you wouldn't mind showing me.”
For a moment, Mason looked searchingly into her eyes, before he nodded. “Of course, Charity. Now?”
Charity nodded. “If you don’t mind.” She didn’t know if it was impolite to ask him if she could see him shift, though she had a feeling that Mason wouldn’t say no. “We could go around to the back – it’s private there.”
“Then let’s go.”
Mason stood, keeping Charity’s hand enclosed in his own. She felt a little light-headed as he led her through the diner, toward the back door. Was this really going to happen? She didn’t doubt for a moment that Mason really was a shifter, but it would be the first time she’d ever seen anyone do this. There had been rumors for so long that shifters existed, but she’d never imagined she’d meet one, much less be mated to one. Excitement thrilled through her.
They emerged together into the soft afternoon sunlight, and Mason released her hand.
“I don’t want to shred up my sheriff’s uniform,” he said, smiling, his hands going to the buttons of his shirt. “Would you mind holding onto it for me?”
Charity watched as his fingers slowly made their way down the front of his chest, opening the buttons, revealing his white undershirt beneath. His pectoral muscles showed clearly through the cotton fabric, while his abs were a series of hard ridges. She swallowed. It was taking all her self-control not to simply go to him and run her hands over his body – but she knew she shouldn’t. If she did that, she didn’t think she’d have the willpower to stop.
“Does that happen often?” she asked, as Mason handed her his shirt. “Your clothes getting all torn up?”
Mason flickered her a heated glance, before he pulled his cotton undershirt up over his head. “Sometimes,” he said, before handing it to her. “If I don’t think before I shift.”
Charity swallowed. Hard. It wasn’t just Mason standing in all his shirtless glory before her, the deep golden sunlight playing over his tanned skin – it was the thought of the raw power and strength that skin was wrapped around. And the knowledge that all that power, all that strength, would be used to protect her.
Mason unzipped his fly, pulling down his pants, taking his boxer briefs with them. Charity found that she wasn’t at all constrained by ideas of modesty as he stood up again – she wanted to look at him. His cock was large where it rested against his muscular thighs, and he didn’t seem at all concerned with her stare.
“See something you like?” he joked as he stood before her.
Charity almost couldn’t answer, her desire roiling up from between her legs, pooling in her stomach and making her tongue feel thick and heavy in her mouth. She wished she could go to him and run it over the sharp V of his hipbones, feel his muscles shifting beneath her hands…
“Come on,” she finally said, yanking her gaze back to his face and smiling. “You better do this, before I lose control of myself.”
Mason laughed a little – that low, deep chuckle in his throat that drove her wild.
But then, he started to change.
Where there had once been tanned skin, there was now golden fur – his hands spread out and became massive paws. A huge black and gold mane sprouted from his head and neck, and his eyes, gray-green in his human form, became a deep yellow.
It all happened so quickly that Charity barely had time to take it in. Almost before she knew it, it wasn’t Mason standing before her, but the largest and most majestic lion she had ever seen.
No, she quickly corrected herself. It was still Mason. Despite the fact that there was a massive lion standing in front of her, Charity could still, somehow, tell it was him. It was something about the way he looked at her – and the knowledge that despite the fact that he was now a fearsome creature, he would never hurt her. The massive muscles in his shoulders and haunches would only ever be used to protect her, and keep away anyone or anything that could bring her harm. The sharp, white teeth in his mouth would only ever come out against Jessup and his crew.
Charity had never felt so safe in all her life.
She’d only ever seen lions – or any kind of big cat – on nature documentaries, and she was mildly surprised at the size of him. But then again, Mason was big in his human body, so it made sense he’d probably be an especially big lion as well.
Reaching out, she stared down into his eyes. Mason stepped forward, nuzzling against the palm of her hand with his velvety nose. It tickled, and Charity felt a smile tugging at her lips.
“You’re just a big pussycat, really, aren’t you?” she whispered, raising her hand to bury her fingers in the thick fur of his mane. It was a little coarse against her hand, but she worked her way down through it until the tips of her fingers found the warmth of his skin, and she skritched him behind his ear.
Mason responded immediately, his eyes half-closing, and a deep, booming purr emanated from his chest.
Charity laughed. “Yep, just as I thought – a pussycat.”
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