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Annwyl didn’t even realize at first that she clasped her hands together Clasping theon placed two of his talons against them, and she realized that only her father ever caused her to feel this way She closed her eyes and willed herself not to cry She’d shed enough tears over that bastard She would shed no on stretched himself out and crossed his forearms over each other He adjusted her so she rested in the crook of his forear her safely He lowered his head until it rested over her outstretched legs She stared at hi moments His eyes closed; he didn’t make any further moves She realized he wanted her to feel safe And she did He was giving her his strength, his power, his protection She didn’t fear the razor-sharp talons that laid so close to her body or the s She didn’t fear Fearghus the Destroyer at all Shesafe It see to her as her desires for the knight And, she had to ads could introduce her to such opposite emotions shocked her to her very core No on and man would forever share a place in her heart

Annwyl reached out her hand and brushed her fingertips lightly over the scales on his snout She let her hand rest there as she closed her eyes and leaned back

She had no idea how long they stayed like that, but when she finally couldn’t stifle a yawn any longer, Fearghus spoke up "You’d best get to bed, Lady Annwyl"

"Aye" Annwyl pulled her legs out fro off the pins and needles that ran through theht you’ve trapped me with is quite the task master" His head still reon on his black snout "Good night, Lord Dragon And thank you"

"For what?"

She s at all Which is exactly what I needed"

Annalked past hiet back to her chamber As she left she couldn’t help but slide her hand across his leathery wings and the scales of his body

Fearghus closed his eyes as her hand swept across his body So to bed Although he didn’t expect her to kiss hiht then and there To kiss her back as he wanted to To do what he could to take away her pain over a cruel father and a sadistic brother

His sister was right, of course Unforgivable brat He did long for the girl Longed to make her his own But the reason she felt so comfortable with him was because he was not a on protected her Cared for her Saved her life

He thought of her touching his hu her hands along his body, the skin sensitive to the touch because of the shifting

His entire body shuddered at the thought, and he headed toward his lake The water, cold and bracing, was just what he needed right now

Hefaidd-Hen glared at the fla on He’d never really focusedinto Dark Glen before He never cared But his instincts, which were never wrong, told hiirl