Chapter Six
Bloodaxe stared at Georgiana, more confused than ever by the despair he saw in her eyes. Did she wish to stay with him?
Sweet madness! The fiery urge to mate with Georgiana already consumed him with a hunger that ate him raw. He needed no encouragement from her. Indeed, he wanted this innocent in his life for all eternity. He wanted her to stand by his side as she was now. He wanted to talk with her and look upon her beautiful face.
He simply wanted to be with her, that desire so desperately painful, it tore at his already aching heart.
But what he spoke and what he felt were different matters. He’d told her that he would help her escape and he meant it. The Stone of Draloch might prevent her leaving, but he didn’t care. It was important that he follow his instincts to whatever fate was intended for them.
However, he would not allow any harm to befall Georgiana.
Not ever.
Necros did not know it yet, but he was a dead man… a dead goblin, for he had tried to harm Georgiana, and in that moment, had sealed his doom. Revenge would be exacted. But he would not go after Necros until this beautiful innocent was safely back in her realm. He did not want Georgiana to see him for the cold-hearted, bloodthirsty beast he truly was. He growled softly. “Don’t look at me that way.”
Her moss-green eyes widened. “How am I looking at you?”
“In a soft, adoring way.” They were still standing in his garden, green grass all around them and green leaves above them from the overhanging tree branches, yet all he noticed was the green of her eyes. Her hair was a wild, tumbling gold that fell down her back and over her shoulders, a reminder of the sunlight he’d forsaken decades ago.
“Then how am I to look at you? By your own words, you’ve told me not to pout and now you don’t want me to smile. I can’t be angry with you and I refuse to cry. I’ve run out of suitable expressions.” She frowned lightly and began to nibble her fleshy lower lip, the casual gesture sending flames of desire shooting through his body. “I’ll do my best to look indifferent.”
She trailed her fingers along the broad length of his chest. He almost leaped out of his skin. “What are you doing?”
“You didn’t say not to touch you.” She cast him an impatient look. “If you must know, I’m still concerned about the wound to your arm. The dried blood is sticking to your shirt and will start to bleed again when you take it off.” She carefully began to poke around it. “It ought to be cleansed before infection sets in. Is that not what you said about my injuries?”
He glanced around and saw that they were alone for the moment. “Very well, let’s sit over there.” He pointed to a wooden bench under a willow tree and motioned for her to sit. He sank down at the other end and carefully removed his shirt. The blood had indeed caked and the fabric was now stuck to his flesh. The wound began to bleed the moment he threw off his shirt.
Sweet mercy. He felt the heat of Georgiana’s gaze on him. She was dangerously arousing the dragon within him. Were he not bleeding, he’d be drawing her onto his lap right now and kissing her with dragon greed.
He’d be doing a lot more than merely kissing her. The overhanging branches of the willow would afford them privacy even if others came in search of him.
He wanted her.
His body cried out for her.
She was meant to be his dragon mate.
The urge to couple with Georgiana gnawed at his insides, but he was determined to resist temptation. He gave his back to her and spoke sternly. “I’ll treat my wound now, but you’re not to touch me or sit close to me. There are soul trappers in every demon’s blood. They’re harmless to us, but might leech onto you and bury themselves deep under your skin. They’re deadly to you. Few mortals who are infected ever survive.”
He heard her slide back to the very edge of the bench, her gasp betraying her alarm as he spoke his warning. “What can I do if one gets inside of me? Is there a cure?”
He nodded and turned to face her. “Aye, there is for you. But you will not like it.”
“How bad is it? Very painful?” She shook her head as though dismissing the concern. “Worse than death itself?”
Not to him, for he could think of nothing better than to complete their joining. “Perhaps, if you’re unwilling.”
He glanced back at her and saw that she was shaking her head vehemently. “Why would I be unwilling? Am I to simply allow myself to die? I don’t think so. What is the cure?”
“For you, the cure would be to mate with me.” His loins responded at the mere thought of Georgiana pink and naked beneath him.
She shook her head once more in dismissal. “No, really. What is the cure?”
“No jest.” His skin began to turn to scales, but he fought to regain control of his own traitorous body. “You and I would have to mate. I would have to spill my seed inside you in order to save you. It would not be gentle. Once aroused, I might become frenzied and unwittingly hurt you.”
“Mating?” She regarded him as though he were mad. “So, if I were infected by a soul trapper, I would need to… um, do that with you, and I would be saved?”
He nodded.
“And you’re not jesting?” Her voice was laced with doubt, not that he blamed her wariness. Not even he had believed such a cure possible, but it was the wise faerie, Ygraine, who had gone out of her way to tell him of this method of healing shortly before her death at the hands of Brihann.
Ygraine had powers beyond anyone’s comprehension. Bloodaxe knew this healing wisdom had to be true. Even the Fae king had saved his queen in this way. Cadeyrn’s love for Melody was boundless, as foretold in the prophecy etched in the Stone of Draloch.
Bloodaxe didn’t know whether his heart was too damaged to save Georgiana, but whatever was left of that beating organ drew him to her with an overwhelming force. Was he capable of love, much less a boundless love? He had yet to join with Georgiana, but already his need for the girl was embedded within every beat of his heart and his every breath. “No. Unfortunately, there is no other way. As I said, I would try my best not to hurt you.”
“Must it hurt? Is it different from the way people in my mortal realm mate?”
“No, it is the same.”
“Then why do you think I would find it painful or objectionable?” She opened her mouth to say more, then changed her mind and snapped it shut. After a moment, she nodded and proceeded. “What if I were to become frenzied, too? Is this possible? Would I hurt you if I did?”
“By the Stone of Draloch,” he said, laughing and groaning all at once. “Yes, it’s possible you would feel this same frenzy. Sweet mercy, it’s possible. And no, you would not hurt me.”
He was still laughing and groaning as he quickly worked his magical incantation to stop the bleeding and heal his wound. The girl had never experienced the sexual ardor of which they spoke.
He wanted to be the one to show her.
He wanted to be the only one ever to touch her in that way.
Her betrothed, be damned.
But to claim her and bind her to him in this way was impossible. Were she anyone else, he wouldn’t care, for the act would be a physical release and nothing more. The meaningless act was one he’d performed often enough with his nymphs.
But this was Georgiana.
If they mated, he could never let her go. It would be the same as taking a knife to his own heart and ripping it from his chest.
If they mated, they would be bound to each other for eternity.
If she did leave, the sorrow would kill him.
*
Georgiana held her breath and gaped as Lord Bloodaxe twisted his lean torso this way and that, flexing his broad, muscled back and shoulders while he quietly worked on his wound until it had completely healed. She shook her head in wonder. “How did you accomplish this?”
“Dragon Lords have magical powers, as do the Fae. It is something all higher demons have acquired. But there are limits even to these powers. I can heal my own small injuries. Had the damage been greater, I would have needed a Fae healer to attend to me. I have no healing power over others. That is why I could not repair your injuries, much as I wanted to.”
“Please tell me more.” She was still seated at the far end of the bench watching him as he muttered a quick incantation to repair his shirt before he donned it. His body was now properly covered. She considered that a terrible shame. Such a body was a treat for the eyes. “Can someone like me acquire such powers?”
He shrugged his massive shoulders. “If the Stone of Draloch wishes it. Many believe that the Fae queen, Melody, is more powerful than all of us. Yet, she knew nothing of her powers before meeting King Cadeyrn. Even Anabelle–”
“Who is Anabelle?”
He refused to answer, now frowning as though irritated by the question. More likely, he was irritated with himself for allowing the woman’s name to slip from his lips. “Is Anabelle the one you wish to claim as your dragon mate?”
Georgiana swallowed hard, determined to suppress the ache now gripping her like an iron clamp.
Did he love this woman? No doubt, she was beautiful and noble.
He regarded her with some surprise. “Anabelle?” He laughed and shook his head. “No, Georgiana. You have no competition for my affections.”
She blushed.
He tipped a finger under her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. “But once you’ve escaped this Underworld, if you ever find yourself in trouble, seek out Anabelle.”
“Who is she?”
“At the moment, the only person in your mortal realm who trusts me.” His dogs suddenly scrambled upright and began to bark at the sky. Lord Bloodaxe glanced up and muttered an oath. “Brihann is circling overhead. He thinks I can’t see him.”
She followed his gaze. “Where? I don’t see anything.”
“You wouldn’t. It takes the sharp eyes of a dragon to know he is soaring high above the clouds and plotting his next attack.” He took her hands in his and nudged her to her feet. “Time to get you safely back inside.”
She didn’t resist, but one dragon had already destroyed his tower chamber. The mighty Brihann might bring the entire fortress down upon them. “Isn’t there a safer place to go? He’ll turn your home to rubble and who knows how many of your subjects will be killed in the attack?”
“I’m not staying, merely delivering you to safety.” He turned to his dogs. “Charon. Styx. Protect Georgiana.”
“Then where will you go? What are you going to do?”
“Kill him before he kills you,” he said with a cold determination that chilled her bones.
His steward happened to be in the great hall when they hurried inside. “Thomas, is the south chamber in readiness?”
Thomas nodded. “It is, my lord. I was just about to go in search of you to report the news.”
“Good. Take Lady Georgiana and my dogs there.” He turned to Georgiana and took her hands in his. He frowned. “Your hands are cold.”
She nodded. “I’m not all powerful. Your world frightens me. In truth, you frightened me just now.” She’d seen the demon in him for a moment. It was foolish of her to be surprised, for that’s what he was. He’d warned her repeatedly, but she hadn’t seen the evil in him until he’d spoken of killing Brihann.
This new knowledge only filled her mind with more questions. Why hadn’t she seen this dark part of him before? Why was she seeing it now? These demons spoke of the Stone of Draloch as though it were a divine, spiritual force. Was it manipulating her? If so, she had to find out the reason. “Be careful, my lord.”
He nodded. “I always am, Georgiana.”
She was not quite certain about that. Although he was obviously intelligent and a brave fighter, there was an element of recklessness in him that worried her. Perhaps this recklessness went hand-in-hand with bravery, for it took a certain fortitude to plunge into battle knowing the odds were against you.
If this is what it took to hold his own against Lord Brihann, she was not about to undermine his confidence or distract him.
“This way, my lady,” Thomas said, escorting her and the dogs up the stone steps to the south chamber. Although not as high up as Lord Bloodaxe’s tower bedchamber, it was an elegantly appointed room with a very good view. “I hope you will find these quarters to your liking. I’ll have supper brought up when his lordship returns. You needn’t worry that harm will befall him. He will return to you, my lady.”
“Thank you, Thomas.” In truth, that his steward had faith in his abilities lightened her spirit. He’d also spoken kindly to her, with a gentle concern not expected in a demon. This world had many layers to it and she hoped to learn more before she made her escape. It felt important to do so, but she didn’t know why.
He gave a quick bow. “You have only to tug on the bell pull if you wish to summon me. Please stay away from the windows, my lady. We all know it is you Lord Brihann wants. It is you he fears.”
Once alone, Georgiana began to pace across the beautifully patterned Persian carpet that covered much of the stone floor. The dogs quietly paced behind her. “Are you worried about him, too?”
Styx nodded.
Charon barked and then nodded.
“I wish there was something we could do,” she muttered. “I don’t like feeling helpless. My father often took me out with him to inspect his fields and visit the local tenant farmers. If the weather was decent, we’d ride into Penrith together and attend to business with the local merchants. I am an only child, you see. My father never had a son, so I think he resigned himself to teaching me whatever he would have taught his son.”
The dogs listened attentively.
She wondered if they truly had the ability to understand her. She hoped so, but it didn’t really matter. She needed to confide in a willing listener. Charon and Styx were more than suitable confidants. “I enjoyed being kept busy. I learned the proper duties of a lady, too. My mother insisted upon it.” She grinned. “And then there was the training I endured, as all debutantes must, in order to make a proper entrance into Society.”
She rolled her eyes, recalling those dull lessons.
Charon and Styx rolled their eyes as well.
She burst out laughing. “Yes, they were deadly dull.” She stopped pacing and was about to kneel to pet her companions who had stopped following her and were seated like bookends in the center of the room. As she was about to bend on one knee, each grabbed a sleeve and tugged hard so that she lost her balance and fell atop them. “What did you do that for?”
She’d hardly gotten the words out before one of the windows shattered and an arrow flew across the room directly over her head. It lodged with a thwack upon the mahogany headboard of the enormous bed. “Mother in heaven,” she whispered breathlessly. Had she not been forced down at just that moment the arrow would have struck her between the eyes.
Charon and Styx, having released her, were now barking furiously. In the blink of an eye, they’d transformed from companionable dogs to growling, salivating beasts. They bared their sharp teeth and sprang through the window, shattering the remaining shards of glass jutting from the panes. “No! Stop!”
But her shouts were to no avail. Had they just jumped to their deaths? This chamber was on the uppermost floor of the fortress, only Bloodaxe’s ruined tower and the parapets above this south chamber were higher.
She knew it was foolish to peer through the window, but she had to know his dogs were safe. The breath rushed out of her in a sigh of relief as she saw them tearing through the courtyard toward the main gate. The men-at-arms hurried to raise the gate, allowing Charon and Styx to cross the drawbridge and run toward the distant woods. In the next moment, an unearthly shriek filled the air.
Georgiana fell to her knees, trembling.
The dogs had found the assassin.
But she had no time to feel relief before the red sky suddenly turned dark and a great roar split the air. She covered her ears and peeked out the window in time to see two black dragons charge at each other. She knew Lord Bloodaxe was the smaller dragon, yet what he lacked in size was more than made up for by his speed and agility.
To Georgiana, they both appeared enormous and fierce.
Angry roars filled the air, and when they snapped their tails, she felt the cracks as sharp as bolts of lightning shoot through her own body.
Lord Bloodaxe suddenly soared high above Brihann, then turned and dove straight for him. Brihann avoided him and turned his body to do the same. Each spread his enormous black wings and soared effortlessly in and out of the clouds, but Bloodaxe was more adept and relentless in pushing Brihann away from his fortress and back toward their shared borderlands.
In truth, Bloodaxe almost seemed to be toying with Brihann. He was flying circles around him, bumping him off balance, and not a moment later, swooping across the border onto Brihann’s land and emitting bursts of fire aimed at Brihann’s minions.
He was skilled at that tactic, the bump and swoop accomplished with a balletic grace. However, she knew better than to impute nobility in his actions, for just like Brihann he was a hunter, a skilled predator and killer.
She covered her ears once more as Bloodaxe turned to face Brihann and roared to proclaim his dominance. Brihann roared back, and then both snapped their spiked tails. They reminded her of two knights preparing to joust, their tails serving as lances and their dragon scales used as protective armor.
They hovered motionless in the air for a long moment, then with a great roar and a quick flap of their wings, the two dragons flew toward each other. The ground beneath Georgiana’s feet shook as each dragon landed a solid blow.
This jousting battle waged for a few minutes, although it felt like an eternity to Georgiana. Violent tremors rocked the solid fortress each time their bodies collided. Suddenly, Bloodaxe got the angle he desired and was about to sink his teeth into Brihann’s thick neck, when the yellow and green dragons appeared. Their roars sounded more like shrieks of alarm than cries of war. But they managed to slam their dragon bodies into Bloodaxe and kept doing so in a frenzied onslaught until Brihann escaped.
Once their High King was safely away, they fled as well.
It suddenly turned quiet.
Only the smaller black dragon remained, his wings outstretched in a challenge no other dared take. “Bloodaxe,” Georgiana whispered with relief, knowing it must have taken much out of him to battle three dragons. If they hurt him, he’d never show it. He was too proud to show his pain.
He’d fought for her.
He’d risked his life to save her.
Perhaps he’d been commanded by the Stone of Draloch to do this, but she indulged in the notion that he’d done it because she meant something to him.
After taking a majestic turn across the red sky, he flew toward the fortress, his sleek body gliding low. He landed silently on the parapet immediately above her chamber. Georgiana knew he would come to her as soon as he’d shifted back into his human form.
She hurried to the door, about to lift the latch to allow him in when it suddenly lifted by itself. “Lord Bloodaxe?” Was he using his magic to raise the latch with the simple wave of his hand?
She stood back, expecting him to storm in, cursing and in a temper. He did exactly that, striding in with ten of his soldiers beside him. To Georgiana’s surprise, they were disciplined men and did not so much as blink an eyelash upon seeing her standing in the center of the room.
Bloodaxe paid her no notice as well as he began to command his soldiers, giving them more orders. Some were to secure his fortress and realm, while others were to push Brihann’s forces back. “You have my authority to cross into his realm. March deep into his territory, as far back as his castle. But do not attempt to breach it. Lay siege to it. Keep him occupied, defending himself.”
“Aye, my lord,” several of his men said at once.
“Go now.” He looked to his steward. “Give them all the supplies they’ll need. Do not disturb me unless we are once again under attack.”
He kicked the door shut in frustration once Thomas and his men had disappeared downstairs. “Bloody demented faerie!” He winced as he landed the kick and clutched his side.
Were his ribs broken?
Georgiana hurried forward. “Let me see.” But she knew better than to touch him without his permission. Not that she was being obedient. She merely needed assurance that he hadn’t been cut by Brihann’s dragon tail. She had no desire to be infected by his soul trappers. “May I?” she prodded when he failed to immediately reply.
“Hell, no. I’m fine.”
She rolled her eyes. “I can see that you are in the pink.”
He growled to mark his annoyance, but took only a moment to calm. He managed a wincing smile in response to her dripping sarcasm. “Perhaps I’m not at my best just now.”
She nodded. “Are you bleeding?”
“No. Just bruised.”
“Will you let me see? Take off your shirt. Can you manage it without my help?”
He chuckled. “Georgie, are you asking me to strip for you again? I know how much you delight in seeing my body.”
She meant to frown, but was too worried about him to be riled by his teasing. “Truly, my lord? You’re hurt. Let me help you.”
He shook his head again, this time quite serious. “No, you mustn’t touch me just yet.”
“Oh.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “Then you are bleeding. I don’t see where.”
He ignored her and turned away, his gaze now falling on the headboard and the arrow protruding from it. He turned back and noticed the shattered window. “Where are my dogs? What happened here?”
“Someone tried to kill me again. Charon and Styx pulled me down in time, and the arrow merely sailed over my head.” But she knew there was nothing harmless about the incident, and by his darkening expression, he didn’t consider it harmless either. “They ran off in search of the assailant. I think they found him. They’re not back yet. Perhaps still chasing others.”
He leaned out the window and gave a whistle.
In the distance, two dogs barked.
He nodded and then turned back to her. “They are safe. But you’re not.” He waved his hand toward the window and the shattered panes of glass were suddenly repaired.
“What did you just do?” Her eyes widened in confusion. “Can you repair your tower bedchamber as easily?”
“Yes.”
She fixed her gaze on his hands, wondering whether lightning bolts would next shoot from his fingers. “Then why did you not simply do it? Why make your subjects toil on repairing the stonework?”
“Because this is a dark magic to be used sparingly. I should not have used it just now, but I was still enraged and could not stop myself. I have no wish to become what Brihann is, but I know it is my cursed fate. These tasks I assign to my subjects help to remind them and me of the men we once were. Brihann has lost the memory of his heritage. Look at what he has become. I will not go willingly down that path.”
He stepped closer and ran his thumb along her cheek. “Perhaps you are the one meant to keep me from this dismal fate. Will you lead me down a new path? Or will you be the one to send me tumbling to my soulless destiny?”
“I would never hurt you.” She meant it with all her heart. He was her protector, but he was so much dearer to her than that. That his every touch set her body tingling was only a small part of what she felt for him. He called to her heart, and perhaps had already conquered it, but she dared not answer to his call yet. “Come, my lord. Sit on the bed while I see to your injuries.”
To her surprise, he did as she asked with no more than a deep, throaty grumble. She helped him off with his shirt and immediately noticed the reddened welts along his ribs. These would soon form bruises.
She was about to step back while he tended to himself, but he took her hands in his and set her hands, with palms down, upon the welts. “What are you doing?” she asked, immediately responding to the warmth of his skin and the sensual tautness of his body.
“Finding out if you have the power to heal me.”
The notion was ridiculous, but he did not appear to be in jest. She nodded. “I suppose there’s no harm in trying.”
He arched an eyebrow and frowned. “Let’s hope not.”
He drew a long, obviously painful breath and closed his eyes.
Georgiana did not know what she was supposed to do. Just touch him? That was easy enough. However, she knew there was nothing special about herself. She had no wizard’s magical powers. Surely, she would have noticed it by now if she had.
At first, the tingling in her hands was the same sensation she always experienced whenever she touched him. Then the warm tingles began to spread through her body in gentle waves. Still, she thought nothing of it.
He had a splendid body.
Any woman would respond to him this way.
He grinned. “I see you’re enjoying yourself. Immensely.”
She gasped. “I am not. How dare you–”
She had no chance to finish the thought before her entire body was suddenly sent atilt by a powerful, fiery surge that would have dropped her to her knees had Lord Bloodaxe not caught her in time.
He drew her up against him to steady her. “By the Stone of Draloch! Georgie, you’re pale and trembling.”
She tried to pull away from him before he was drawn into this maelstrom of sensations, for the room was spinning all around her and sparks were shooting back and forth between his body and hers. Her heart was pounding, its beat intense and frightening. Her limbs were tingling and her throat constricted so that she could hardly speak. “Am I hurting you?” she asked, her voice so hoarse she wondered if he understood what she’d said.
“Hold onto me, Georgie. Don’t let go.” He held her tightly against his chest as the room continued to spin and gusts of warm air swirled all around them with the force of a typhoon. Her hair whipped wildly about both their shoulders, the loose strands blowing into his eyes. She closed hers and hoped he’d done the same with his. She didn’t want to hurt him.
“My lord, what’s happening to us?” She held onto him desperately, as though her life depended on it. No doubt, it did. She felt tossed upon a stormy sea, and he was her saving anchor.
He responded by burying his fingers in her hair and tipping her head upward so that her lips met his. His mouth pressed down on hers with blazing urgency, sending the room into a faster spin. Or was she the only one spinning? He dipped his tongue between her lips and then began to swirl it within the warm cavity of her mouth. The movement of his tongue matched the crests and ebbs of her own body with such fervent yearning, that moans of desire suddenly exploded within her and she could no longer keep silent.
She moaned against his mouth, crushed her lips and body to his and would not let go.
“Georgie, I have you. Be still, my beauty. You’re safe.”
Mother in heaven. Her heart would never be safe from him. She wanted to draw him inside of her and share the intimacy that should only be reserved for a husband and wife. But he didn’t want her as his wife.
Nor should she want to be a dragon’s mate.
She circled her arms around his neck. If she was going to lose him, then she wanted this moment together. He wanted it as well, she could tell by the gentle desperation in his touch and kiss.
In the next moment, he broke that kiss and stared at her. His eyes were wild and smoldering so that she knew this thing that had passed between them had affected him as deeply as it had her.
He eased her arms away, giving each a light caress as he set them off his body. “Forgive me,” she said. Heat shot through her cheeks now that her mind was clearing and she realized how wanton her behavior had been. “I didn’t mean to be so, um… frenzied.”
He grinned.
She melted a little inside. “Are you healed?”
To her dismay, he wasn’t. The red welts still ran along his ribs and were beginning to form purple bruises. Her shoulders slumped, and she responded to his grin with a look of dismay. “It didn’t work.”
“It did, Georgie.” He tweaked her chin and kissed her lightly on the nose.
“You’re only saying that to make me feel better. It’s obvious that I failed miserably. Not a single red welt has disappeared.” She traced her finger along the outline of one bruised rib. “See.”
His hand still rested on her chin, but he now moved it up to cup her cheek. “Georgie, you healed the part of me that needed healing most. The injury to my ribs is nothing and will quickly repair on its own.”
Her eyes widened. “Then what part of you did I heal?”
He lifted her off his lap. How had she gotten there? No matter, she watched him move away to walk to the window. “There’s a secret passage out of this fortress. We’ll leave upon the darkening of the two moons. We’ll travel by foot. No magic will be used for Brihann to track us. Charon and Styx will remain here for now. Brihann knows I never travel without them. Their presence here will distract his spies long enough so that we can escape unnoticed.”
“I healed your dragon heart, didn’t I?” she said in a reverent whisper. “That is the part of you that needed healing most.”
He turned back to her, his handsome face expressionless. “We will travel by night and hide by day so that we are seen by no one, not even my own loyal subjects. Brihann cannot torture information out of them they do not know.”
He must have noticed the anguish in her eyes, for his expression softened a little. “My soldiers have already been stationed along the borders of my realm and throughout the hamlets that populate it. Brihann’s soldiers will not slip in without notice. They’ll be stopped before they can hurt anyone. My captains can be trusted to crush them if they dare trespass onto my land.”
He paused a moment, and then a grin spread across his finely shaped mouth. “As for Brihann, I heard the crunch of bone as I slammed into him. He may have bruised my ribs, but I’ll wager I broke his.”
“You almost had him by the throat. Would you have killed him had the green and yellow dragons not arrived in time?”
Bloodaxe nodded and his expression turned serious once more. “Yes. I’ll kill anyone who tries to harm you. I’ll smash the Stone of Draloch to bits if that is the fate it intends for you.”
Georgiana moved to stand by his side but did not touch him. She did not dare after the intense exchange that occurred when she’d placed her palms on his skin. “That’s an awfully passionate declaration from the lips of a soulless creature. Are you certain that I’m not your dragon mate?”
She sensed his anger, although he did not show it. “Do you wish to be my mate?” He gave the low, throaty growl she was coming to recognize as a mark of his frustration. “Mine for eternity?”
“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “Not unless you love me.”
He peered out the window as though studying a distant point. “Get some sleep, Georgiana. We will be up all night and traveling fast. I need you to be alert should we encounter a problem.”
“Then you don’t love me.”
He took her by the shoulders and gave them a light shake. “By the Stone of Draloch, have you been sent here to plague me? I’m a demon, not some mewling beau paying court to you. Forget your fancy balls and elegant tea parties. Love has no place down here. I do not love you. I will not love you. Have I made my meaning clear?”
She turned away. “Not in the least.”