Chapter 7

7

MARIELLE

" M ate?" My brows drew together. "You don't have an accent, but are you Australian?"

He shook his head with a deep laugh. "No, but that would be a fuck of a lot easier to explain."

I blinked up at him, biting my bottom lip. "I don't understand."

"Let me pull the pizza out, and then I'll fill you in."

The rumble of my stomach had more to do with nerves than the delicious smell coming from the brick oven as he took out the pizza and set it on the table. I'd been looking forward to devouring about half of the pie just a moment ago, but now I was too anxious to take even a small bite.

Spotting my trembling fingers, Artemis wrapped his hands around mine and tugged me over to a chair. After helping me settle, he yanked another seat closer and dropped onto it. His thick thighs bracketed my knees, and even though there was space between us, I felt surrounded by him. But in a good way.

"What did you need to tell me? Are you in the witness protection program or something like that?"

He chuckled again and squeezed his knees. "I'm glad you have a good imagination because you're going to need it with what I'm going to share with you."

I was acutely aware of the heat from his palm as he rested his hand on my leg, but it didn't distract me from the conversation we were about to have. "I don't think I can take any more buildup, so please just spit it out. Whatever it is that you need to say can't be any worse than the scenarios running through my brain right now."

He scrubbed his other hand down his face before he blurted, "When my kind uses the term mate, it's different from what the Australians mean."

"Your kind?" I echoed, not understanding what he was talking about.

"Shifters."

His one-word answer didn't help at all. "I'm going to need you to be more specific because your explanation isn't clearing anything up for me."

"Shit, sorry." He raked his fingers through his thick hair with a grimace. "I'm usually a man of very few words, and I never really thought about how to explain this if my fated mate was human."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You say that as though you're not a human, too."

"I have a human side, but I'm also a dragon."

His confession still didn't make any sense to me. Instead, it just left me feeling more confused. "A dragon as in a mythical beast with scales and claws that can fly and breathe fire?"

"Not so mythical since I can shift into one."

My imagination apparently wasn't good enough because I just couldn't see how that was possible. "You're a big guy, but dragons are supposed to be huge. From a scientific standpoint, there is no way one would fit inside you."

"The laws of physics don't really apply to those of us who carry a beast inside them."

"Us?" I shrieked, my gaze darting around. "More people here think they can change into a dragon?"

"We call it shift, baby. Not change," he corrected, shaking his head. "And I'm the only dragon in this part of the country. The other shifters in my pack are grizzly bears, wolves, and a cougar."

His green eyes held only sincerity, so I was pretty sure he believed what he was saying. "Is Leyton a shifter too, then?"

"Yeah, he's one of the grizzlies, along with his brother. Keane is our alpha, which was why I thought he was the person who'd given you permission to hike in our territory."

I thought back to that conversation. "And when you called Leyton his second-in-command, you really meant…"

"He's the pack's beta."

Leyton had seemed so normal when we met at the gas station, but so had Artemis until now. "Um…does Evette know that her husband is a…a…shifter? Because that's something a woman should know before she makes a commitment like that. Especially before getting pregnant. Unless she's not completely human like me and can shift into a bear too?"

"Yes, Evette knows that she's Leyton's fated mate, and he's a grizzly shifter," he confirmed. "And yes, she's also a human. Keane's and Rome's mates are human, too. Booker and Garner haven't found the women destined to be theirs yet. Now that I've found you, I understand even more what they're missing out on."

"So mates are like…wives?" I asked.

"More than that. They're the other half of a shifter's soul."

I placed my hand on top of his, where it still rested on my leg. "You have to understand this is all very difficult to believe."

"Absolutely," he agreed, getting to his feet. "Which is why I have to show you."

"Show me?" I gasped as he kicked off his shoes and yanked his shirt over his head. The muscles bulging beneath his tanned skin distracted me from all the questions bouncing around my head, and then my attention was focused on his fully hard dick when he shoved his jeans down his legs. "Holy crap. You're huge."

His lips curved into a cocky grin. "I thought you said dragons were huge while I was only big."

"If you're trying to sidetrack me from what you just told me and everything I've ever learned about science"—I pointed at his hard-on—"that just might do it."

"I'm glad you like what you see, my treasure. But I can't do anything about my cock until you accept what you're getting into with me."

I seriously considered skipping the rest of this conversation and heading into his bedroom to explore every inch of his body when the air was filled with cracking and popping sounds…that were coming from Artemis. My eyes widened as his skin took on a black sheen, changing into scales right before my eyes as he grew in size. I blinked a few times, and then a giant dragon stood in front of me—one with the same emerald-green eyes that belonged to Artemis.

"Holy crap," I rasped, my gaze scanning him from snout to tail. "You were telling the truth. You really are only half human and can shift into a dragon. A freaking gorgeous black dragon that's even bigger than I imagined."

His snort sounded suspiciously like laughter, and a puff of smoke came out of his nostrils. "And you can breathe fire? Whoa."

He dipped his head so I could trace my fingers over the scales on his face and stroke his snout. "You're as gorgeous in this form as you are when you're a man."

The popping sounds returned, and he shifted back to human, my eyes gobbling up every bare inch of him. There wasn't anyone nearby, but I didn't want to risk Artemis being out here while he was naked. Tugging on his arm, I flung the French door open and pointed. "Inside, now."

"You're sexy when you're bossy."

"You're sexy all the time, so that's only fair."

His deep chuckle sent a sensual shiver down my spine, and I wanted to do something about it now that I knew he wasn't delusional. His bravery in showing me the animal side of his nature gave me the courage to go on my toes to twine my arms around his neck. When his head dipped lower, I tilted my face up and pressed my lips against his. Initiating my first kiss felt daring, but it quickly spiraled out of my control.

Artemis's large hands cradled the back of my head as he held me in place, his tongue taking advantage of my gasp to slide between my lips and tangle with mine. Deepening the kiss, we breathed each other's air, and my heart raced so hard that it felt as though it was about to beat out of my chest.