His gaze studied her tight expression. "What is the point?"

She licked her lips. She had a point. Of course she did.

"I came here to search for my mother," she at last muttered. "It's more important than ever that I find her."

"And how do you intend to do that?" he pressed. "We can't force our way through the ice, and your powers don't work here."

She turned on her heel, pacing toward the large fireplace. "I have to do something."

He moved so silently she didn't hear him. It wasn't until she felt his fingers skim lightly up her arms that she realized he was standing directly behind her.

Astonishingly, the feel of his gentle touch sent a soothing warmth through her. As if his mere presence was enough to banish her looming freak-out.

On cue, the tension melted from her muscles and the claustrophobic fear that was gripping her began to ease.

Dear G.o.ddess. He was better than a shot of Prozac.

"Listen, we're both exhausted. We'll take enough time to regain our strength." Tightening his grip on her shoulders, he firmly turned her to meet his steady gaze. "If the dragon hasn't returned then we'll consider how we can continue your search."

"I..." She grimaced. Now that Torque had eased her panic attack, she could think clearly again. Which meant accepting that he was right. She was still weak from her attempt to use her shadow to find a way out of the ice. It would take time to regain command of her magic. "Fine."

His lips twitched. "Was that so hard?"

She heaved a deep sigh. "We've already established that I'm not very fond of waiting."

His hands slid beneath her hair before exploring down the curve of her spine. The dragon tattoo that spread across her back tingled. As if the mating mark recognized Torque's touch.

"How did you spend your time in the harem?" he demanded.

The temperature in the room amped up by several degrees, evaporating any lingering anxiety. Was it her dragon or his causing the heat?

Did it matter?

Suddenly her racing heart had nothing to do with fear.

She cleared her throat, trying to ignore the fire that smoldered to life in his sapphire eyes at her ready response to his touch.

"When my mother was there she trained me to use my magic," he told him. "I was also her scribe. She would bring me texts from endangered fey she'd studied and I would translate them so they could be preserved in the Shinto library."

An unmistakable pleasure raced over his face at her words. "A scholar?"

"I find it fascinating to learn about other species," she admitted. "Although I'm not sure I would qualify as a scholar."

He gave a slow nod, his gaze resting with a brooding intensity on her lips.

"I would enjoy reading your mother's stories," he murmured. "I've been fortunate enough to have Baine as my master. He encourages all of us to make use of his extensive library. He believes knowledge is the greatest of weapons."

"I've heard he's dangerously intelligent."

"Without a doubt."

Rya had encountered Baine once. She'd been very young, but she'd never forgotten the male's choking power when he'd entered the room. She'd been frankly terrified of him.

"What about his mate?" she abruptly asked.

"Tayla?" He looked confused. "What about her?"

"How does she deal with being mated to such a ruthless predator?" she clarified. "She's a purebred fey. He could crush her without even trying."

Torque's gaze widened before he released a low chuckle. "Trust me, Baine would destroy himself before ever harming one golden hair on Tayla's head." He shrugged. "If anyone's terrified, it's poor Baine. I've never seen a male so anxious to ensure his mate's happiness."

Something perilously close to jealousy speared through Rya.

What would it feel like to know her mate was desperate to please her? That his very existence was meant to bring her joy?

"She's a lucky female," she muttered.

"Yes," he agreed without hesitation. "Baine is a mate who will keep her well protected."

She rolled her eyes. "I meant that she's lucky to have a mate who clearly feels an affection for her. It's what most females hope for."

He stilled, a sudden suspicion darkening his eyes. "Did you ever leave the harem?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you travel from your father's lair?"

"I wasn't a prisoner," she told him, caught off guard by the sharp edge in his question. "I often visited my mother's tribe in Hong Kong."

"Were there males?"

"Male Shinto?" She sent him a confused frown. "Of course."

"Did they give you the affection you say you believe is so important?" he said in dark tones.

She jerked at the unexpected attack. Was he mocking her? Just because he was a dutiful warrior who had no interest in tender feelings didn't mean she hadn't hoped she would be cherished by her mate.

"That's none of your business," she snapped.

"It is now." His hands gripped her hips as he pressed her against his hard body. "No more."

Stunned by his unexpected flare of anger, she watched in fascination as a curl of smoke escape his nostril.

"Excuse me?" she at last demanded.

Tiny flames danced in his sapphire eyes. "I don't like the thought of you with other males."

"Why not?" she demanded. "It's not as if you've ever actually cared about me or my feelings."

Without warning his hand slipped beneath her sweater, touching the tattoo on her back.

"You carry my mark," he husked.

The air was jerked from her lungs at the feel of his fingers pressed against her bare flesh. The mating tattoo tingled, the searing heat of his touch sending tiny jolts of excitement crackling over her skin.

Oh, yes.

This was it.

This sizzling desire was why she hadn't been able to banish him from her thoughts since their betrothal. And why she trembled whenever he was near.

"Because you were forced to give it to me," she said in husky tones.

She sensed his anger easing as he stroked his hand up her spine, inching her sweater upward.

"Ah, Rya." He bent his head downward, wrapping her in the power of his dragon.

Inside, her own beast stirred. Her fey blood might sparkle through her veins, but deep in her soul, she was still a dragon.

His lips brushed her forehead. "I've been a fool."

"True," she agreed, although she wasn't sure what exactly he was referring to.

He'd been a fool about so many things.

He nuzzled a path to her temple. "It's going to be different from now on."

Rya shivered, shocked by the need blasting through her.

Dear G.o.ddess, she wanted him.

She wanted to arch against his hard muscles. To feel his lips exploring her bare skin from head to toe. She wanted to drown in the flames of his desire as she pleaded for him to ease the ache that was becoming unbearable.

It was the sheer intensity of her craving that had her jerking away from his roaming hands.

Nervously tucking her hair behind her ear, she turned to pace toward the well-worn leather chair set near the fireplace.

Torque might tell her that he regretted treating her like an unwanted burden, but she'd been an idiot to forget that she was still nothing more than a duty as far as he was concerned.

The thought of exposing her most raw, vulnerable emotions was...unnerving.

"So, this is your lair," she inanely muttered.

She could feel his heat beating against her back before he was leashing his dragon and moving to stand at her side.

"An illusion of it," he said, his voice deliberately light.

She breathed a sigh of relief. He had to sense that her withdrawal from him was nothing more than a fragile pretense. He could easily vanquish her resistance. But instead of pressing his advantage, he allowed her a graceful retreat.

The knowledge chipped away a little more of her lingering resentment.

"It's very..." She faltered as she struggled to come up with the proper word.

"Yes?"

"Stark."

He arched a brow, casting a glance around the barren room.

"It's functional," he corrected. "I have my books and a small gym where I can work out in private if I want." He waved a hand toward the door at the back of the room. "I also have a sleeping chamber. What more do I need?"

She studied his lean, compelling features. He was serious. Unlike most dragons, he wasn't motivated by avarice, or the l.u.s.t for power.

Instead he honored things like loyalty and integrity.

"There's nothing on the walls." Her gaze skimmed around the room before lowering to her feet. "Or the floors. It's just plain stone."

He shrugged. "I don't spend a lot of time here."

"Why not?"

"I'm usually on guard duty," he paused, as if having to consider what he did with his time. "Or I'm training."

"Or visiting the harem?" The words left her lips before she could halt them.

"Ah." A slow, satisfied smile curved his lips. "I'm not the only one troubled by the thought of sharing."

She tilted her chin. She'd have her tongue cut out before she would admit she was jealous. "As you said, we're betrothed."

"Hmm. So we are." His gaze swept downward, taking a slow, disturbingly thorough survey of her body. "And soon to be mated."

A treacherous thrill of awareness curled through the pit of her stomach. Yeesh. He wasn't even touching her and she was aroused.

Time for another distraction.

"What then?" she asked.

His gaze snapped back to her face. "I don't understand."

"After we're mated do you intend to stay with Baine?" she asked. "Or will you join my father's guard?"

"I a.s.sumed that Synge would send us in search of his lost treasure." He shrugged, as if he hadn't given the question much thought. And in truth, he probably hadn't.

It was obvious that he had done his best to block out their future together.

The fluttery awareness remained. He was a gorgeous, impossibly s.e.xy male. That didn't mean, however, she wasn't tempted to give his dangly male bits a good, hard kick.

"If my father knew where to send us, we'd already be there," she pointed out between clenched teeth.