Fury of Fate: A Dragonfury Short Story by Coreene Callahan Read Free Book Online Page A

accepted without hesitation, and hand cupping his forearm, hummed in bliss as strawberry flavored perfection hit her taste buds. Watching her eat, Ivar fed himself from the same spoon. Such an intimate gesture. One Sasha wasn’t sure how to handle. He was a stranger, but...she frowned. Weird, but for some reason, he didn’t feel like one. He felt familiar and safe. Good in a way she didn’t understand and couldn’t explain. As though, she’d known him all her life.
    Ivar fed her another spoonful. She moaned in culinary delight.
    His lips twitched as he eyed the table across the room. “What’s with all the bats?”
    Licking ice cream off her lip, Sasha followed his line of sight. Her gaze landed on her work station. Shoved up against the far wall, the large table doubling as her desk bowed beneath open text books, piles of maps, her laptop and...oh, yeah. A few bats—three full endoskeletons to be exact—mounted on wooden supports. “Research. My latest project.”
    Twirling the spoon in his hand, he raised a brow. “What kind?”
    Passionate about her field of study, she didn’t mind his curiosity. Or shrug off his interest. She loved talking about her job. “I’m an ecologist with the Department of Fish and Wildlife. I work as a wildlife conservationist. Right now, I’m tracking bats, trying to nail down numbers...animal population, breeding grounds, the effect of environmental erosion on different bat species nesting in the state.”
    “Important work,” he said, taking another bite.
    An understatement. Huge in so many ways. Particularly since bats affected the agricultural industry, keeping insect populations in check for farmers. All of which impacted the economy. Strange, sure, but true nonetheless. The domino effect came into play with the environment involved. Fewer bats equaled more pests, and that in turn, diminished crop count, the amount of food that made it onto store shelves and people’s tables.
    Direct correlation. Big impact.
    “Difficult work, but I’m making headway,” Sasha said with a shrug. “I landed some important funding this week...a couple of big companies have agreed to help pay for the project. Pretty significant. One of my goals is to bring everyone together over the issue. Conservation needs to be a community effort...individuals, corporations and big government all working together to safeguard the environment.”
    “You’re trying to change the world.”
    “One bat at a time.”
    “Jesus, Sasha,” he murmured, awe in his voice. “You’re amazing...just fucking incredible.”
    The compliment sank deep, making her chest go tight. He meant it. Every single word. His tone, the look in his eyes, didn’t lie. He respected what she was trying to do and...oh mercy. She was in trouble. So much for her wham, bam, thank you man attitude. Ivar was ruining her get-out-quick-in-the-morning mentality by being so freaking nice. Which meant she should kick him out...right now. Before things got serious and the night went to hell in a hand-basket. But as she held his gaze—heart pounding, admiration and need for him rising—Sasha committed the cardinal sin of one night stands. She whispered his name, and stepping away from smart, leaned in to kiss him stupid instead.

CHAPTER FIVE
     
    Flaked out on the couch in the smallest living room he’d ever seen, Ivar watched Sasha sleep. Eyes closed, tucked up against his side, her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. His throat went tight as he studied her face. Precious kitten. So fragile in his arms. So trusting in his presence. Such a gift to his battle-hardened senses. More than he’d expected—or deserved. Fate, though, worked in mysterious ways, ensuring he collided with Sasha when he needed her most. In the space of a few hours, she’d done what no one else ever had and lifted the heaviness inside his heart. Banished the shadows too, helping him forget his despair...if only for a little while.
    Strange in every way that