There was no room for a guy in her life. Besides, she was a city girl and she still needed to see the world. A hole in the ground in the middle of the mountains would not cut it, forget it.

“There it is,” Coal said. “My lair.”

Oh joy!

Julie lifted her head from his shoulder. A sheer cliff loomed up ahead. It was immense and at a right angle from the ground. The views from up there must be breathtaking. She looked around the base. There must be a hole leading to his lair. She tried not to wrinkle her nose. At least it was a shelter. She’d experienced worse. At least they wouldn’t have to share with a whole lot of other shifters. At least she hoped not. Julie took a deep breath. She would deal with whatever came her way.

“Isn’t it beautiful.” Coal growled, his voice filled with awe.

“Sure.” She muttered, glancing up at him. Julie felt herself frown. Coal was looking up. Way up.

She followed his line of sight, squinting as the sun caught her eyes. Something reflected. Surely rock wouldn’t reflect like that. There was another glint to the right and more across and above that first one. Then the whole top part of the cliff face glinted. What?

Glass. It couldn’t be. Julie put a hand over the top of her eyes. Yes, it was glass. The whole upper half of the cliff was made up of enormous glass windows. “That’s your lair?” Her voice was filled with amazement. “Wow! The views must be spectacular,” she said, almost to herself.

“Lair, castle…” He shrugged. “One and the same. We are dragons so I prefer to call it by the traditional term.”

“F.Y.I, lair does not do it justice.”

“I’m going to put you down now.” He said, his arms tightening around her which was at odds with what he had just said.

“Okay.” Julie craned her neck to look back up at the tall cliff face. “How the hell do we get up there?”

Coal chuckled. It was a rich sound. His dark eyes sparkled. She found herself smiling as well. “I am a dragon shifter.” His chest rumbled against her as he spoke.

“And that means what exactly?” She asked, even though she could guess.

“We are here.” He turned with his arms outstretched. “I am therefore permitted to shift and fly us to the top, unless you wish to hike around the mountain and slowly ascend from the other side. I estimate that it would take us”—his eyes moved upwards in thought—“two, maybe three days.”

Julie swallowed thickly. She’d been carried by a dragon before…twice. Once, she’d been unconscious and the second time she’d been blindfolded. She wasn’t sure she was ready to watch him… what was the right word for it? Change, maybe?