E R I K

The fox was alive, and she was my mate.

I massaged the spot the wisp had touched me with the palm of my hand. This had to be a cruel joke. Why had the universe chosen her, of all people, to be my mate?

My heart thundered in my ears. What was I going to tell the others? They all thought she was dead! But here she was, lying on the ground, helpless and injured.

An ache deep inside me demanded that I go and pick her off the ground. It was the same ache that had compelled me to try and save her from that fall.

I ignored it. It didn't matter if she was my mate or not. She was a fox. She deserved to suffer.

The sound of broken twigs echoed across the forest. Someone was coming.

A young man walked into view and rushed to her side. Instantly, angry heat prickled across my skin. Was this her lover?

My fists tightened into angry balls as the young man dropped beside her.

"Morgan, put your hands around my neck," he said softly.

I prickled at the tone of his voice and gritted my teeth when the little fox reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I busted my ankle," she explained, wincing in pain.

He smiled at her sympathetically, and I had to fight the urge not to march over to this young whelp and punch him in the face for touching my woman.

My woman.

I bit back a humourless laugh. I would never accept her as my mate. I'd rather die alone and unmated than take a fox for a bride.

However, I can't stop my heart from clenching each time she gasps in pain.

"I'm sorry, but it really hurts," she winced.

"It's okay. I'll take you back to Thorsbury Hall," he replied.

Morgan's eyes suddenly widen in panic, and I feel myself leaning forward, preparing myself to rush out of the shadows and take my injured mate out of the arms of this man-child.

"You mustn't take me back to your parent's house. I don't want to cause any trouble between your family and mine. Please, Eli. Take me back to the pub," she asked.

The young whelp stared back at her like a love-struck fool. He then leaned forward and pressed his nose against her mane of beautiful red hair and inhaled deeply.

The little fox frowns unhappily and presses the palm of her hand against Eli's forehead.

"Please stop this," She snaps.

But Eli doesn't stop. He had a look in his eye that I'd seen a hundred times as a soldier while watching enemy raids on villages.

Eli lowered her to the ground and stood over her.

"What are you doing? Take me back to the pub," she protested.

Eli said nothing. Instead, he took off his jacket and t-shirt and then started to fumble with his belt buckle.

I couldn't allow this to continue. I didn't care if she was my mortal enemy or not. No woman deserved this.

"Boy," I said and stepped out of the shadows. "Put your damn clothes back on."

The young man froze and jerked his head towards me. I strode over to him and grabbed his jacket off the floor.

"You touch her or any woman in that way again. I'll cut you in ways that would make you useless to a female," I growled and threw the jacket at his face.

Eli staggered backwards away from me. His mouth opened and closed as his brain tried to dream up an excuse for what I'd just seen.

He gazed down desperately at Morgan, half-hoping that she would come to his defence.

"Don't look at her," I snapped. "Don't ever fucking look at her again."

His eyes lifted up, and he quickly backed away from her.

"I'll just get out of your way," he muttered.

"Kid, that's the best fucking idea you've had all night," I replied.

He nodded in agreement and proceeded to run in the opposite direction. Smirking with satisfaction, I watched him until he was out of sight.

Finally, I lowered my gaze to the little injured fox. My heart swelled in my chest when I saw her gazing up at me with her pale blue eyes.

"Thank you," she said.

I suppressed a groan and forced myself to look away. This wasn't happening. I wasn't going to fall for her tricks again.

"Don't thank me. I don't ever want your thanks," I replied harshly.

She winced at the sharpness of my tone and innocently bit down on her lip. My concentration wavered, and for a second, I nearly forgot who this woman really was and the crimes she had committed.

"Drop the innocent act. It won't work on me," I snapped.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise and replied, "I'm not putting on an act. I'm truly grateful for your help."

The sincerity in her voice was so convincing. Clearly, she was a natural actress. However, I knew my enemy well, and I wasn't about to let her play on my feelings to elicit some kind of pity.

I folded my arms across my chest and regarded her coolly.

"How long have you been living amongst the country bumpkins?" I drawled.

"I've lived in the village for four years," she replied stiffly. "The village is small and out of the way, but the people are kind."

"Or incredibly stupid," I muttered under my breath.

"Excuse me?" She frowned.

"It doesn't matter," I sighed impatiently.

What was I supposed to do with her now? I couldn't stay here chatting with her. What if Ranni or Byron came looking for me? If they saw that she was alive, then they'd kill her.

I didn't like that thought.

But neither did I like the thought of all the dragons in the village feeding, sheltering, and clothing our enemy.

Something had to be done.

I gazed back down at the fox, lying injured in the mud. Her teeth gently chattered together, and her pale skin was slowly turning blue from the cold.

"Can you walk?" I asked.

She shook her head.

I let out a low hiss through my teeth. I should leave her here to freeze death, but I couldn't.

"I'll help you out this once," I grumbled.

"Thanks," she shivered.

I knelt down and lifted Morgan into my arms. Her hand slid around my neck, and I immediately felt the coldness of her skin. My traitorous body recognised that she was cold and started to pump out heat like it was a nuclear reactor.

Morgan buried her face into my chest, seeking out the warmth. I wanted to moan in sweet agony when her fingertips slid underneath my shirt and glided over my bare skin.

"You're so warm," she said sleepily. "So freaking warm."

"Don't get comfortable," I growled.

This kindness wouldn't last. I planned to dump her on the side of the road and head back east, away from the village. I'd then sleep on this problem and decide what to do in the morning.

Maybe I could forget about what had happened tonight. Maybe, I could take Ranni and the others north. There may be other dragons out there that hadn't gone soft like the dragons of this village.

I glimpsed down at Morgan and noticed her eyes heavy with tiredness. I shifted her in my arms and snapped, "Hey, you better stay awake."

Her eyes fluttered open, and she yawned, "Sorry. I couldn't help myself. You are so toasty."

"Remember, we are enemies, and you shouldn't drop your guard when you're around an enemy," I explained.

Morgan half nodded in agreement and then paused.

"So, I guess we are not going to talk about the whole wisp thing?" she said.

I stiffened and replied, "There is nothing to talk about. Nothing happened."

"I'm pretty sure a little wispy reached out and touched our hearts," she replied.

"The cold is screwing with your brain," I replied.

I wasn't going to feed into her delusion that somehow I'd forgive her and make her my Queen. There was no way I would let her become the Queen of a people that she had helped to annihilate.

Morgan shrugged her shoulder and yawned, "Well, I swear a wisp touched my heart."

"You're hypothermic. You imagine things," I countered.

She fell silent, and it wasn't long before her eyelids started to droop.

This time I didn't bother trying to keep her awake. I wouldn't have to answer any more of her questions if she was asleep.

Instead, I would let her sleep and take her back to her precious pub. I'd dump her on its doorstep and pray that I would have the strength to walk away and forget tonight ever happened.

I gaze down at her sleeping safely in my arms. My heart turns over inside my chest. Damn that wisp for choosing her as my mate. 

I couldn't kill her. 

But I couldn't let her live either. 

So what the hell was I supposed to do?