Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 86059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86059 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 430(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
As we walk through the warren of halls, Jurik’s hand tightens on mine. I smell him. He is near.
He’s practically coming out of his skin with unease, and I know this is hard for him. I can feel the madness threatening to surge forward once more, so I think dirty thoughts. Thoughts about all the things we can try when we’re alone together again. Things I’ve read about in books, like blow jobs, and finding my G-spot.
It works, though. Jurik’s fascinated at the concept, the madness receding. I cannot push a finger inside you without hurting you, he admits as we head through another doorway. I will need to shear a claw to do so.
You don’t have to—
I will, though. Why would I miss out on finding a spot that makes you have intense pleasure? I want to find it…for both of us.
I’m blushing as Daniels pauses in front of a door. He knocks, and Jurik tenses again, the madness threatening once more.
“Enter,” Azar calls out.
I give Jurik’s hand one last squeeze. We’re just here to talk, I promise him, and then step inside.
33
RACHEL
To my surprise, Lord Azar isn’t alone. He sits at a long table in an elegantly neat room, full of framed art that I’m pretty sure came from one of the long-abandoned museums. There’s a window built into the ceiling that allows light to pour in, but there are also lit candles dotting the walls and fresh wildflowers in a corner. Food covers the white-tablecloth-covered table in front of us, plates of an astonishing amount of varieties that makes my mouth water at the sight.
I’m not entirely surprised to see Melina sitting near Azar, dressed in another lovely gown, her hair pulled into a thick ponytail. It seems that wherever Azar goes, Melina is nearby. They sit with a pair of strangers, though. There’s a woman—tall and lean, her skin a rich tan and her hair a cascade of thick black curls. I’ve never seen her before, and when she puts a hand on the man at her side’s shoulder, I’m even more surprised.
The man at her side is a dragon. His hair is thick like Jurik’s was before he shaved it, but not nearly as long. His skin is a deep gold and he wears nothing but a pair of shorts. Jurik is tall and lean with sculpted muscles, but this man is all hulking bulk and golden eyes.
I look at them, open mouthed in surprise.
Lord Azar gets to his feet. “Please, come and sit.”
“You didn’t tell me you already had a success with your program,” I protest, more surprised than anything.
“Program?” the woman asks.
“The panty program?”
“Panty program?” Both Melina and the strange woman raise their brows and look over at Azar.
“You didn’t,” Melina hisses at him.
“We will talk about it later,” Azar tells her in a curt voice, and gestures at the table once more. “Sit. Both of you.”
There are two empty seats across from the strangers, and I hesitate, but the scent of Azar’s food is calling me with its siren lure. I smell fresh plums and peaches, and there’s a small bowl of each in the center of the table, along with something that looks suspiciously like pancakes.
I’m weak, I confess to Jurik. Because I really want to eat their food. I let go of his hand and approach the empty seat to the right of Azar.
Jurik slings off the backpack, thumps into the closest seat and pulls me into his lap before I can sit anywhere else. If you want his food, I will feed it to you, but I must inspect it first.
“Ah, the blissful first days of a fresh mating,” Azar says, watching us.
Jurik glares at him, grabs one of the pancakes off of a plate, and holds it up to his nose, sniffing it. After a long moment, he holds the pancake out to me. It does not smell like poison.
“I have no intention of poisoning you,” Azar comments.
I hold the pancake, eyes narrowed. Are you talking to him? I ask Jurik.
Never. Never will I open my mind to him. He is the enemy. One touch connecting my thoughts to his and I will be exposed forever.
I take an enormous bite of the pancake, devouring it as quickly as I can in case we have to run out of here fast.
The tension in the room is overwhelming. Across from me, the woman and her dragon-mate are silent, but after she casts a few glances at Azar, she seems to take the initiative. “I guess we’re not doing introductions. All right then. Hi, I’m Gwen. I’m from Fort Shreveport and this is my mate, Vaan.”
The other dragon just watches me with narrowed eyes. I notice he eats, though, and Gwen’s plate is full of food, too. I swallow around my dry bite of pancake. “I’m Rachel. This is…my dragon.” I don’t know if giving them Jurik’s name makes him vulnerable, so I opt not to give it at all. “What is Fort Shreveport doing here? How did you get a dragon?”