Chapter 11

Bastian

She passed out, which was usual for the first time. I should have warned her, but I was too impatient to make her mine. I stood up and moved away, shifting to dragon so I could fly her back to my lair. I lifted her, snagging her dress in a talon and taking off. She stirred as I entered the tower.

"You cleaned it," she said in a dreamy voice.

"I did. It was time. The smell repelled me."

I loved her laugh. So full, so perfect. I released her on the perch at the top of the stairs and shifted to my human form. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

"I shall eat with you."

She gave me a quizzical look. "You can eat human food?"

I laughed at her funny face. "Yes. I like to hunt as dragon, but I like the finer foods also."

"Do you cook?"

I shrugged. "No, I have servants for that."

"You mean there are other dragons here?"

"No." I removed a piece of grass from her hair. "They are human."

"Human. You have humans here?"

She wouldn't like this. Most of the brides did not. "They serve me and now yo