Chapter 3: The Girl Who Didn’t Burn
Kane moved with preternatural speed. In a heartbeat, he was out of the river and standing between the trembling woman and the roaring grizzly. He didn’t shift into his dragon form—that would terrify her more. Instead, he simply unleashed a fraction of his royal aura. He flared his golden eyes and let out a low, predatory growl that vibrated in the air.
The grizzly bear froze. Its primitive instincts recognized a predator a thousand times higher on the food chain. Whimpering, the massive bear scrambled backward and fled into the deep woods.
Kane kept his back turned to the woman. He stood rigid, carefully keeping his distance. His skin was radiating an intense, invisible heat.
“Stay back,” he warned, his voice harsh. “Do not come near me.”
He expected her to scream, to run away, or to fall to her knees in terror. But the woman merely let out a long, loud sigh of relief, slumping against a nearby tree.
“Oh, thank goodness,” she breathed, wiping sweat from her forehead. “I thought I was goner. That bear has been stalking me for two miles.”
Kane blinked, glancing over his shoulder. She was practical. Calm. Her dark hair was tied back loosely, and her striking brown eyes held a spark of fierce resilience rather than helpless fear. She was entirely different from the fragile noble daughters usually sent to his palace.
“You need to leave,” Kane muttered, turning to walk away. “It is dangerous here.”
“Hey, wait!” Elena called out. She looked around nervously at the dark woods. “We’re both lucky we didn’t get eaten, but we shouldn’t stick around. Come on, let’s get out of here before another bear, or worse, a river crocodile comes over!”
Before Kane could react, she lunged forward. Her small, soft hand clamped firmly around his bare forearm. Kane’s heart violently stopped. A cold dread seized his veins. ‘No’, he thought in horror. ‘She’s going to burn. She’s going to turn to ash right before my eyes.’
He braced himself for the inevitable scream. But it never came. Seconds ticked by.
The forest was quiet. Elena’s hand remained wrapped tightly around his arm. Her skin didn’t blister. Her flesh didn’t smoke.
Kane stared down at her hand, his breath catching in his throat. He felt the soft, steady pulse of her blood against his skin. It was an intoxicating, impossible sensation.
Elena, entirely oblivious to the miracle she had just performed, tilted her head and frowned. She moved her hand up to press the back of her palm against his neck.
“Wow,” she murmured, her brow furrowing. “Do you have a fever? Why is your body so warm?”
Kane was completely shaken—something utterly impossible just happened.
For the first time in a century… A human touched him—and lived.