Page 61 of Kiss of Embers

Struan drifted closer, fascination in his eyes. “Don’t I get a greeting?”

Zara pulled away from me. In one powerful move, she went onto her hind legs and slapped two claw-tipped paws on his shoulders. Then she swiped her tongue over his face.

Laughing, he staggered backward under her assault. “All right! You’ve proved your point, lass.”

She bumped her snout against his nose, then dropped to all fours and trotted a few paces away. Looking over her shoulder, she gave a playful, high-pitched yip. Then she plunged into the jungle.

I looked at Struan. “I think you’ve been challenged.”

He stared after Zara, anticipation lighting up his features. “It’s on.” He grinned. Then he twisted into shadow form, his clothes spilling to the ground. For a moment, he hovered in the air as a column of smoke. Then he shot into the sky and burst into dragon form. With a flick of his tail, he spread his wings and took off after our mate.

I winked at the moon. “Keep an eye on them, will you?” It was probably my imagination, but the silver orb seemed to glow just a little bit brighter.

Smiling, I pulled the tent from my pocket and set about making camp.

Chapter

Seventeen

ZARA

It had been so long since I hunted with someone. I hadn’t realized how much I missed it.

Wind whipped through my fur. Soft earth flew under my claws. The moon sang through my veins, but this time, its music throbbed in sync with my heart. In my human form, I resisted its call. Now, I gave in, exhilaration pumping hard and fast.

Above me, Struan’s exhilaration was just as powerful. His joy flowed in a continuous arc between us as he swept through the sky, his wings dusting the tops of the trees. If someone had told me a month ago that I’d answer the moon’s call with a dragon in tow, I would have questioned their sanity.

Now, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. We pushed each other, racing over streams and clouds. Eventually, our sprint turned into a game of one-upmanship. When he released a stream of fire, I responded with a howl that scattered a family of capybaras. When I jumped a fallen log, he did a tight barrel roll in the sky, and my laughter emerged as a series of low barks.

The jungle blurred, and time ceased to matter. I raced along the edge of a meandering stream, Struan’s bright, glittering form reflected in the water beside me. The moon’s warmth seeped into my fur, draining the tension from my muscles.

But something was wrong. The second time I stumbled across my own paw prints in the mud, I realized the scenery repeated, the same trees and flowers appearing over and over. We were stuck, doomed to travel identical terrain no matter how fast we ran (or flew) or which path we took. Overhead, Struan appeared to reach the same conclusion. His roar of frustration echoed through the air, and he blew a stream of fire that lit up the night.

Eventually, I slowed, my chest heaving and my tongue lolling from my mouth. As I bent my head over the stream and lapped the water greedily, a narrow stream of black smoke fluttered around me like a ribbon. Seconds later, Struan stood beside me without a stitch of clothing—and an anaconda between his legs.

I choked, water spraying from my mouth as I sputtered and coughed.

Struan was on his knees at once, one big hand buried in the fur on my back. “Och, lass, you drank too quickly.” He rubbed vigorously, sympathy stamped on his face.

I’m okay, I tried to say, temporarily forgetting I was on four paws. Without human vocal cords, the words emerged as a jumble of growls and barks. Struan snatched his hand back, clearly misinterpreting the sounds.

Shaking my head, I dashed behind a tree and let the shift roll through me. It flowed more easily now that I’d run, my limbs sliding and reforming in under a minute. Then I was naked, without a scrap of clothing to my name.

No big deal. Nudity was a non-event among werewolves, where shifting was an ordinary part of life. The pack hunted together during the full moon and special occasions. Everyone had seen everyone else without clothes hundreds of times. So why was my stomach doing weird little flips? I put a palm over the fluttery feelings. Gods, my nipples were hard. I moved my hands to my breasts, willing them to behave themselves.

“You all right over there, lass?” Leaves crunched as Struan approached.

Clearing my throat, I stepped out from behind the tree.Act natural.Things would only be weird if I made them weird. Putting my shoulders back, I strode forward.

“I’m fine,” I said. “Just thirsty.” Immediately, heat rushed to my face. Of all the phrases I could have picked…

Struan’s lips curved. “Understandable.” He looked toward the stream behind him. “Probably smart to drink in beast form, though. There’s no telling what’s in this water.”

“I can handle it in wolf form,” I said, stopping a few feet away.

He swung back to me, his smile still in place. “Same. As a dragon, I can eat just about anything. Cooked or raw, it doesn’t matter.”

Curiosity sparked. “Your mother was a werewolf. That’s why you’re called by the moon, right?”