Page 69 of Sebastian's Secret
Her brow furrowed. “Go on.”
“I’m going to show you.” He grasped her tiny hand softly. “But please understand, whatever happens in the next few moments, I won’t hurt you. I would never cause you harm.”
Dread gleamed in her incredible eyes, and Sebastian saw how she fought to contain it. Rebecca was pushing herself way out of her comfort zone for him, and he had never been more grateful.
“I understand.” She nodded, her eyes widening as he lowered her hand and backed away.
Slowly, he shrugged out of his jacket and stripped off his shirt, never breaking eye contact with her.
“Sir?” Her voice was skeptical.
“It’s okay.” He smiled, suddenly in his element. As he discarded his clothes, Sebastian’s unease fell away with the garments. They were there alone, and he was about to bare his soul, but nothing had ever felt more natural. “Just watch me.”
Pushing off his shoes and pants, he stepped forward onto the grass, concentrating on his dragon. He imagined the turquoise beast swirling, the energy of the creature ballooning until Sebastian’s body trembled.
“Sebastian?” Rebecca’s voice was etched with alarm, but it was too late to stop now. The dragon was coming—whether she was ready or not.
Lifting his face to the sun, he inhaled, knowing the change was close. Heat swirled under his skin, erupting from him as his body transformed. The change came fast and when his eyes opened, it was his dragon’s snout that rose to the light.
“Fuck!” Her shriek filled the air. “What’s happening?”
“It’s okay.” He turned his head at Rebecca’s scream, frantic to reassure her as she stumbled backward, but the voice of his dragon’s was much deeper than his, and her eyes grew even larger at the resonance. “It’s me. It’s Sebastian.”
“S-Sebastian?” She shook her head in disbelief. “What the hell? Are you a d-dragon?”
He marveled at how well she appeared to reconcile to the news, imagining how most people would have either passed out or run at the critical juncture. But not his little girl. Apparently, life as a Monroe had steeled her for shocks and surprises, though Sebastian couldn’t imagine many were as jaw-dropping as his.
“Yes, little girl.” Slowly, he lowered his head, his sole intention not to terrify her any more than he already had. “That’s what makes my family different. We’re shifters.”
“Shifters?” She tried the word for size.
“Yes.”
“Wow.” Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she watched him. “I did not see this coming.”
“No.” Resting his chin on the damp grass, Sebastian chuckled. “I suppose not.”
“H-How?” She pulled in a shaky breath. “How is this possible?”
“I don’t know the biology,” Sebastian admitted. “Only that the gene has been passed from my father to all four of his sons.”
“Bloody hell, Sebastian.” Rooted to the spot, her brows knitted. “I mean, you’re enormous!”
Fresh laughter burst from him, his amusement reverberating around the terrain. “Wanna touch me?” He sniggered at the innuendo in his tone, surprised at how relaxed he was. He’d shown her his inner beast and she hadn’t run for the hills. That was an incredible achievement.
“T-touch you?” She sounded understandably uncertain.
“Yes,” he purred, shifting his attention in her direction. “I promise I won’t bite.”
“Don’t tease me,” she chided, edging closer. “It’s not every day a girl finds out the guy she’s falling for is a fricking dragon!”
“True, but you can trust me,” he breathed. “I’ll keep my teeth to myself.”
“Please.” She was less than a foot from him now, her ragged breaths clearly audible from his position in the sunshine. “I’d appreciate that.”
He waited as she approached, his eyelids fluttering closed as her tiny hand neared and stroked his ear.
“I’ve never seen anything like this.”