Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
A s soon as Hayley left, Nathan’s dragon spoke up. You saw and heard it too, didn’t you?
Her pupils dilating and heart rate kicking up? Yes. But it doesn’t mean I’ll do anything.
You’re so bloody stubborn.
Someone has to protect us. And if you bring up how she’s probably our true mate again, I’ll toss you back into a mental maze.
You can’t keep doing that and hope things will change.
Maybe not. But the more time Nathan spent around Hayley, the more he wanted to act on the urge to kiss her. Getting out of this place is our top priority. You should remember that, given how we might not be able to shift until we’re either rescued or find a way out.
It hasn’t even been a day. There’s plenty of time to worry about that.
Typical dragon, thinking about the now and not the long-term.
His beast sniffed. You think too much about the long-term. To the point you have our entire future planned out—one where we’re alone because you’re afraid of risking anything again.
Ignoring his dragon, Nathan finished cleaning up and then went to the pantry. He found Hayley bent over some boxes, reaching for something in the back. For a few beats, he couldn’t drag his gaze from her arse. Given how she wore trousers, they highlighted her every curve. Fuck, what he wouldn’t give to rub one cheek and then the other before he reached down to see if she was wet for him.
“A-ha!”
Hayley’s voice snapped him out of his head. After readjusting himself, he asked, “What did you find?”
She shrieked and spun around, her hand over her chest. “You scared me. Don’t do that!”
After crossing his arms over his chest—to ensure he didn’t reach for her—he shrugged. “I just walked normally. If I really wanted to sneak up on you, you’d never hear it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Dragonmen and their cockiness, I swear.”
“Comes with the territory. After all, I can change into a massive beast.” She stuck out her tongue, and he nearly burst out laughing but resisted. “What did you find?”
After staring at him for another second, she turned back around, grabbed something, and lifted it. “It’s a box of chocolates!”
He raised his brows. “That’s why you cheered? It’s not exactly at the top of my list of supplies for a cavern exploration trip.”
“It should be. Snacks are important, plus chocolate just makes everything better.” He grunted, and she stepped closer to him, close enough he caught her scent again. Thankfully, she spoke, and he focused on her words. “Finding this isn’t just about my cravings, though, and has significance. Chocolate doesn’t last as long as army rations. And since these haven’t expired, it means someone was here in the last year.”
“That’s…perceptive of you.”
“I’m not sure if I should say thank you or be offended.”
Sighing, he uncrossed his arms. “I’m not trying to point out your every flaw, Hayley. I promise. But I’m not a charmer like my cousin and instead tend to say what’s on my mind, often without thinking. So if I offend you and we’re not having a proper row, then I apologize in advance.”
Her face softened. “Few guys would do that, you know.”
“Do what?”
“Both admit a flaw and apologize to me.”
“Then you’ve spent time with the wrong kind of males.”
He only caught her next words because of his supersensitive hearing. “Yes, some of them were the wrong kind.”
His dragon spoke up. Someone hurt her, or multiple someones have. Once we’re out of here, we need to figure out who and punish them.
Since Nathan could make their lives a living hell from his computer, it was so fucking tempting.
Hayley laughed nervously. “Don’t worry about those guys. They’re long gone.” She hesitated and then blurted, “But if we’re being honest about faults, then my experience with those awful men has made me a bit defensive.”
“You don’t say.” She glared, and he softened his tone. “I’m sorry they were arseholes to you, Hayley. You deserve better.”
Her breath hitched and, without thinking, he reached out and tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear.
They stared at each other as he lightly stroked her skin. Nathan’s heart raced, and he couldn’t seem to remove his hand from her cheek.
Hayley bit her bottom lip, and his eyes zeroed in on it. Fuck, it would be so easy to lean in and kiss her and make her forget all about the bastards from her past.
His beast hummed. Yes, yes, kiss her. I like that idea. Then she’d be ours, for always.
As if burned, Nathan dropped his hand and retreated a few steps. Hayley’s expression was a mixture of confusion and hurt.
He hated that he’d hurt her. And yet, it was better this way. Kissing the human would make them both unhappy. Not to mention it might terrify her, if their kiss started a mate-claim frenzy.
Instead, he focused back on the pantry and went looking for a few things. They worked in silence as Nathan found a pack and some basic supplies. Hayley added chocolate and candles to his stash, and eventually she asked, “Is that enough for a quick trip?”
He slid on the pack and then hoisted up two huge bags of rice. “Yes. And we’ll use these to hold open the door. Come on.”
She held an unlit candle close to her chest and followed him out of the pantry and into the bathroom. The door was still open, which was a good sign. However, he wasn’t taking any chances and placed the two twenty-pound bags of rice in front of it. “That should keep it from closing. Do you want me to lead the way or for you to do it?”
She blinked. “You’d let me?”
“Only if you want to. You discovered the door, after all.”
“It’s probably better if I follow you, given how you can see in the dark, even without a candle. There are a few electric lights, but I don’t know how far they go.”
He patted his pack. “Hold on to the back for now. That way, even if it’s dark, you won’t be alone.”
After she lit the candle and gripped his pack, Nathan walked slowly, doing his best to ignore Hayley’s breathing and scent, and focused on the tunnel leading downward.
Hayley held onto both the candle and Nathan’s pack as if her life depended on it. Which it just might, given they were going into the unknown.
True, she’d wanted a little adventure while working on Stonefire, but cave exploration hadn’t really been her first thought. Hell, not even her tenth.
Still, she had learned to be flexible early in her career, and that trait came in handy now as they walked along the tunnel. It widened every five or so feet until it opened up to a giant cavern filled with stalagmites, stalactites, and even a lake.
Wait, a lake? But yes, it was a large body of water that went so far into the distance that she couldn’t see the other side, not even with the dim lights overhead. She finally found her voice. “Did you know this existed beneath your clan?”
He shook his head. “No. And you think I would. But maybe there’s a reason Kai and Bram kept it a secret from everyone else. And yes, I’d bet everything I own they know it’s here.”
She released his pack and walked closer to the shore. “It’s massive. Can you even see the opposite shore or wall?”
“Not even with my keen eyesight. Maybe I could go for a swim to determine just how far back it goes.”
“Don’t leave me!”
She slapped a hand over her mouth, mortified at how needy she sounded.
Nathan turned to face her and took her free hand. “I won’t, Hayley, I promise. But there is a way we can both go.”
“If you suggest I try to match pace with a dragonman in the water, then that’s not going to happen. I can swim, but not overly well.”
“No, not that.” He gestured up. “Look at how tall this place is. I can shift into my dragon form, float on the water, and you can sit on my back, holding my neck so you don’t fall off.”
She blinked. “Um, what?”
“Haven’t you ever wanted to ride a dragon?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to make a dirty joke, but she resisted. Focus, Hayley. A way out might be close by. She replied, “I thought dragon-shifters found it beneath them to allow humans to ride them.”
“For strangers, yes. But we’re a team, you and me. And we need to stick together. I can swim faster as a dragon, and so it makes sense for you to hold on, allowing us to explore as much as possible before we need to head back.”
As a little girl, she’d watched the young dragon girl swim in the sea at Brighton. Martha had looked so carefree as she played, and her joy had been the reason Hayley had approached her. For a brief few minutes, she’d thought that maybe the dragon girl would take her out with her, and she could finally pet a dragon’s hide.
But that dream had been cut short less than an hour later, when Martha was taken away and confined to her clan.
Hayley’s first impulse was to say no, she didn’t want to ride Nathan’s dragon. However, as she glanced around the massive cavern, she knew Nathan wouldn’t be arrested or detained since there was no one to see them. “Okay, let’s do it. Although maybe I can practice sitting on your back first before we get into the water. Given my clumsiness, I might fall the first few times.”
His gaze turned fierce. “I will catch you, Hayley. Always.”
Silly as it was, she believed him. She nodded. “Okay.”
After shrugging off his pack, he took out a few things and stuffed them into a strange-looking satchel. Nathan then moved away from her and motioned his finger in a circle. “Turn around so I can shift.”
Even though she was curious about what Nathan might look like naked, she twirled and faced away from him, her cheeks hot. “How will I know when you’re done?”
“I’ll nudge you with my snout.”
She heard the rustling of clothing. Was it his top? His trousers? Was he already naked?
His voice garnered her attention. “I won’t be able to talk in my dragon form, but simply say the word, and I’ll shift back as quickly as I can. Maybe later I can teach you the wing signals we use to communicate, but we don’t have the time right now.”
“Sounds good.” She stood a little taller and resisted fiddling with the button on her cardigan. “It’s showtime.”
He chuckled, and her lips curled into a smile. It made her want to tease him even more.
However, movement against the small stones on the ground reached her ears, followed by something that sounded like faint popping. Eventually, beating wings sent air rushing over her, but Hayley didn’t turn around. Not yet.
A large thing gently touched her back. This was it. She was finally going to see a dragon up close for the first time.
Slowly, she turned around and came face-to-face with a large, slitted dragon’s eye. It was huge, bigger than her head, and intense. “Um, hi.”
He leaned back, and she took in his tall form. His scales were red, dim in the faint light, but she could just imagine them glinting in the sunshine. His wings were slightly opened behind him, and the membrane was thin enough for some light to show through. Then his tail flicked back and forth, reminding her of a cat.
Nathan’s dragon tilted his head, as if to ask, “Well?”
Without missing a beat, she rushed forward and reached up. The dragon lowered his head, and she stroked his snout. The scales were warm but smooth, and she soon heard humming. “I’m guessing that means you like it?”
The dragon grunted and leaned his head ever more toward her. She reached up, petting between his horns and ears, and then back down again. The humming grew louder, to the point something small fell from the ceiling.
He raised a wing over her and the rock bounced off and into the water.
They stared at one another, and she smiled. “Thank you. I never thought I’d need a dragon’s protection, but your giant wing came in handy, even if it was your fault that the rock fell in the first place.”
He looked upward and then back again. After scanning the cavern, he lowered his wing and settled down onto his stomach. Even with him lying on the ground, his shoulder was still up higher than she was tall.
Before she could ask how she was supposed to get up there, his tail gently wrapped around her middle and placed her along his spine. Even though he released her, his tail stayed close, no doubt ready to catch her if she fell.
Hayley leaned forward and braced her hands on Nathan’s back. She couldn’t help but stroke his scales a few times before scooting forward toward his neck. His scales were slippery, though, and she nearly fell off twice.
Out of breath, she finally reached his neck and wrapped her arms around it. Then she laid her cheek against his scales, closed her eyes, and simply reveled in living out her girlhood fantasy of riding a dragon.
A grunt made her open her eyes again. She found Nathan’s giant dragon eyes staring at her, and she swore curiosity danced in them. Maybe it was possible to read a dragon’s thoughts in their gaze. She’d just have to mentally keep track of what she noticed.
Nathan tilted his dragon head, and she finally found her voice again. “I’m fine. You’re much warmer than I thought you’d be in your dragon form, and I just wanted to absorb some of your heat.”
He glanced at her, to the water, and then back again.
She replied, “Oh, we can still go exploring. It’s not really cold, just a bit cool. Besides, there’s no way I’ll be able to sleep until I know more about what’s down here.”
The dragon huffed, almost like a laugh.
She scowled. “Are you laughing at me?”
He flicked his tail, as if to say maybe.
Wait, was she now making up responses?
The dragon slowly stood, and she held onto his neck. It was thicker than her arms could wrap around, but she did her best not to lose her grip.
Once Nathan’s dragon stood on his feet again, she glanced down. “Oh, dear. That’s fairly high up.” His head whipped around again, but she spoke before he could do anything else. “I’m not afraid of heights, though, so don’t worry about me. Let’s go! I want to see what’s out there.”
He studied her for a few seconds before swiveling his head back around and walking slowly toward the water.
Riding a dragon was…odd. So different from a horse, and yet Hayley definitely had to concentrate on moving her body with his gait, so she didn’t fall off. Some sort of saddle and stirrups would make the experience a lot safer. However, given that there was little need for humans to usually ride dragons this way—dragon-shifters used baskets they carried in their talons if they transported a human in the air—she doubted anyone would ever make them.
Although maybe in the past, if dragons were injured and couldn’t fly or shift back into their human forms, maybe they had carried humans this way. She’d have to ask about that.
However, as soon as Nathan made his way into the water, her wandering mind focused again. She mentally prepared to get wet. However, Nathan’s neck and top part of his back stayed above water as his wings extended partway across the lake’s surface, almost as if he were deliberately trying to keep her dry.
She patted his neck. “I can get a little wet if it means we can go faster. I don’t know how far the lights go back and it’s not exactly like I can carry a candle right now.”
Nathan’s dragon head turned and grunted, most likely asking if she’d be okay. Hayley bobbed her head. “Yes, I’ll be fine. Mostly. Just don’t leave me, okay?” He shook his head fiercely, and she tightened her hold on his neck. “Right, then let’s go! Maybe there’s an exit on the far side.”
The dragon kept his wings mostly in the water and slowly moved across the lake. Faint lights continued to illuminate the way, even five minutes later.
And so they kept going, the rhythmic noises of a swimming dragon somewhat calming. Combined with the warmth from his body, she’d have to be careful not to fall asleep.
As the lights grew fewer and farther between, Hayley became more alert and did her best to keep her breathing even. After all, Nathan had promised to look out for her. And despite how it was mad to do so after such a short time, she trusted him.