Page 4 of Kell
She snatched the circle from his hand. “I’m not your mate. Don’t be an idiot.” She pushed on his chest when he leaned toward her. Heat enveloped her, and she took a stuttered breath. “Don’t touch my circle again.”
Kell’s crystalline blue eyes roamed over her body, resting on her lips. “As long as you understand that all your future acquisitions will no longer be acquired alone.”
Her first instinct was to tell him to go to hell, but the warmth and safety of his body were intoxicating and the icy darkness in her soul needed a recharge. Just for a few days. She told herself that, though, she wasn’t sure she believed it. “For now.”
His smile was slow in coming. “Agreed.”
She placed the circle back in her pocket, attempting to discern the connection he’d created. There was no feeling of magic. No spell she could detect.
“Our connection is that of a mate. It is not a binding you can break.”
She wasn’t sure if she was mad Kell had figured out what she was trying to do, or that she couldn’t break it. “How did you do it?”
“Bind the circle to me?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“I simply revealed myself. It knows where you belong, even if you don’t.”
She swallowed hard, and the dirt in her mouth scratched her throat. “I don’t belong anywhere.”
The muscle in his jaw ticked, but he glanced around the cave. “I realize you are the seeker. We assume you have a list of artifacts you are required to return to the temple in order to ensure her return, but why do this alone? Once you realized your sister was the seer, you should have utilized her power to help you.”
She shivered as the cold seeped back into her bones. “I can never turn to Mara.”
He focused on her. “Why?”
CHAPTER3
Alana flipped off the bed and put her hand on the rough rock to steady herself when she stumbled. “I don’t answer to you.”
Kell’s eyes flickered with fire, but his eyes roamed over her body. “You need to rest. I have healed your injuries, but you need to take better care of yourself.”
She kept her hand firmly anchored on the cavern wall. “Again, it’s not your problem.”
Kell kept his eyes on her as he gracefully rose from the bed. It shimmered and disappeared as he approached her. “Anything and everything to do with you is my problem and there is nothing you can say to me that will change that.”
She poked her finger in his chest. “You say that, but you have no idea what you are up against.”
“Then tell me.” He wrapped his hand around her finger and heat bloomed in her veins. Say what you will about dragons. They ran hot. How she craved that warmth. But she knew full well what had happened when she let her guard down.
“Just because you say I am your mate doesn’t make it true.” While she attempted to pour conviction into her voice, it lacked the waspish nature of her former comments. What was wrong with her? She knew she needed to push him away.
“You are.”
“I am trying to protect you.” The power rose inside her like a cauldron of fire. It exploded out of her like a nuclear magic bomb. She slammed against the wall as Kell stumbled backward. Her legs gave out, lacking the strength to hold her, and she crumpled to the cave floor.
Kell scooped her from the rubble, and the bed shimmered back into existence. How handy would that skill have been in the last four years? She had slept in hostel after hostel and those were the good nights’ sleep. The caves and tents in sub-zero weather had been torture. Despite her penchant for climbing and spelunking, she preferred the warmer weather.
He lay her down on the bed as he cursed under his breath. She didn’t know what he said, but noticed the Scottish brogue. You could take the dragon out of Scotland, but you couldn’t take Scotland out of the dragon. How long had they pretended to be something they weren’t in order to survive? Despite her irritation, she didn’t want to hurt him. She didn’t want to hurt anyone, but that was the inevitable result if she stuck around.
“I’m sorry. That has never happened before.”
“Aye. Your magic is emerging. The coming days will be difficult for both of us. But you needn’t worry. You cannot hurt me. That blast could kill a human, though, so I will monitor your power and shield it if needed.”
She was too exhausted to lift her head and Kell’s body created heat, infusing the down blankets like a cocoon of warmth. “You are not safe with me,” she whispered.
“But you are safe with me. Your days of running are over, little fox.” His lips were at her ear when he spoke.