Riley's fragile heart was beating so loud he was certain the dragons on the next mountain could probably hear it hammering against his ribs.
But even if they couldn't, he knew the golden dragon in front of him could.
Kael's hearing was too sharp, and his attention too focused. And right now, all that focus was on Riley.
Probing and clear golden eyes were fixed on him, unblinking, steady, and way too intense to deal with. The way Kael stared openly should have driven anyone else insane.
But that was everyone else.
For Riley, whose entire body seemed to scream for this man on a spiritual, physical, emotional, psychological, and metaphysical level, that stare was about a hundred times worse.
And that was just Kael looking at him.
Then, as if remembering they were supposed to be doing something other than staring until someone died of tension, the dazed ex-human finally processed Kael's latest instruction.
"Strip."
"..."
"..."
