Wicked Dark Dragon (Dragon Heat) by Lolita Lopez Read Free Book Online

so much pain and in this awful situation because she had lured him here, Ivy rubbed the back of his neck and worked up the courage to kiss his cheek. “Sleep,” she urged. “They won’t bother us tonight.”
    “How can you be sure?”
    “The Seer is sleeping now. Her presence is dormant and cold.” She let him pull her head down to his chest and found such incredible comfort in having his strong arms curled around her body.
    “Do they come during the day?”
    “Sometimes they bring me food and water or an extra bucket to bathe.” Glad for the darkness of the cell, she added, “There’s a metal toilet in the corner if you need it. There’s water in the faucet but I wouldn’t drink it.”
    “Good to know.” He grunted as he shifted his position. She started to climb off his lap but the steely bands of his arms clamped down on her. “Don’t even think about it.”
    “But you’re hurt,” she protested. “You don’t need my weight on top of you.”
    “I know what I need.” He tucked her head into the curve of his neck. “Now close your eyes and get some rest. We’re both going to need it.”
    Relishing the strength and heat of him, Ivy feared he was right.

Chapter Three
    Three Days Later
    C hocolate or vanilla ice cream?” Mad picked up one of the cement chunks they were using as a makeshift chess piece and made a move on the hand-drawn grid she had put on the floor. With so many hours to fill, they had been forced to get creative with their entertainment. There were only so many games of tic-tac-toe and hangman scratched out with rocks against the floor two people could take.
    They had settled into a familiar routine during their short time in captivity together. A guard banged on the door early in the morning to rouse them from sleep and shove food into the cell. With few choices of entertainment, they talked a lot. Mad tried to keep fit by putting together a circuit of exercises that he repeated three times a day. She sat in the corner and watched him, sometimes asking him about the gym he owned with Griff. She seemed genuinely interested in his tales so he indulged her endless questions.
    There were hourly checks by the Knights throughout the day and another meal at sundown. Mostly, they were left alone. He had wondered about that strange tactic at first, but now he had his suspicions. During her nearly four weeks of imprisonment, Ivy’s captors had worn her down, mentally and physically. He hadn’t managed to save her yet, but that didn’t stop her from looking at him as if he were a damned hero. That was exactly what the Knights and the Seer wanted. They needed Ivy to trust him and fall for him.
    This was all a game to the Knights and their Seer. Just as they hoped to encourage Ivy’s gratitude toward him by allowing him to infiltrate the prison after weeks of shared dreams, they provoked his protective instincts by keeping her chained with that collar wrapped around her neck. He was forced to behave himself, but he remained on edge and alert. His dragon recognized Ivy as his mate, and it was getting harder and harder to keep the primal side of himself suppressed.
    His gut churned at the idea of Ivy being manipulated into caring for him. There was no denying their growing connection or his tender feelings toward her, but he wasn’t sure how much of her interest in him was real and how much of it was forced by their dangerous situation. He wanted her to like him and return his affection, but on her own terms.
    Hoping to show her that she really could trust him to care for and protect her, Mad had gone out of his way to do whatever nice thing he could for her. The guards had allowed her to keep the shirt, and she had thanked him again and again for it. When possible, he tried to sneak her bits of his food, but the guards had used the threat of that shock collar to dissuade him from trying that too many times. At night, he shared his warmth with her, holding her close and making sure she felt