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)
I don’t know if that’s necessary—
All. Times. This is not up for discussion. He doesn’t let me go, still holding me in his claws. He turns away from the armed soldiers, his back to them.
“Stand down,” one of the militia men calls. Daniels. He yells out to me again. “If you can talk to the dragon, tell him to stand down.”
Stand down, I tell Jurik dryly. You really need to let me handle things—
Jurik shifts in the next moment, and I stumble forward, my balance off now that I’m not held in his grasp. He moves toward me, impossibly quick, and snags an arm around my waist, hauling me back to rights.
Breathless, I let him pull me against him, his cock obvious and hard and I can feel my cheeks heat. “Thanks,” I whisper.
Remember that you are mine, he tells me, nips at my chin affectionately, and then takes the pack from my back. He slings it over his shoulders and then turns to face the soldiers, all naked and erect, wearing nothing but my backpack.
Someone snickers.
Daniels clears his throat and eases his weapon down to his side before stepping forward.
I try to approach, but Jurik immediately steps in front of me again, keeping an arm out so I can’t go around him. He meant it when he said I should stay behind him at all times, and he’s determined to be annoying about it.
“Lord Azar is waiting for your return, Rachel,” Daniels says in a calm voice, trying to look around Jurik’s overbearing presence. “I will escort you inside.” He glances at the dragon-man. “Is he going to attack me?”
“I’m sure he’s not…” I begin and then pause, because there’s a hint of that noisy color and sound leaching into Jurik’s thoughts. I put my hand on his side and push into his mind. Are you okay, Jurik?
I do not like the way he looks at you.
At me? I’m baffled. Daniels is nice.
He is familiar with you. Easy. I do not like it. A jealous, possessive flare shoots through his mind. I want to kill him so the others know not to look at you at all.
I wrap my arm tight around his waist and press my cheek to his shoulder blade, trying to give him as much full-body contact as possible, just because he seems to need me right now. Jurik, calm down. We’re not killing anyone.
The colors bleed in thicker, the noise in his mind growing louder with his agitation. This place is not safe for you—
If you think we’re in danger, we’ll leave. We’re just here to talk, I promise. Remember that he needs us more than we need him. I press my mouth to his skin, kissing. But you have to be calm. We have to show him that you’re in control.
Slowly, the bleed of colors eases from his mind. He grunts aloud. Very well.
“Let’s go inside,” I say, stepping out from his side and into the open.
Jurik immediately snarls and tries to push me behind him again.
Do you want to lose a hand? I snarl back at him. Because that’s how you lose a hand. I deliberately push out of his grasp.
His mouth twitches and I catch a flare of his amusement. I like it when you are fierce to me.
I hold my hand out, indicating with my thoughts that he should put his hand in mine and let me lead. For a moment, I can feel his protective nature warring with my request, and then he grudgingly takes my hand.
If they so much as move toward you… he warns.
I know. But they won’t. I take the lead, heading towards Daniels. “If your men want to keep their lives, they need to stay away from me. He’s very volatile right now and I won’t be able to stop him if anyone even so much as speaks to me.”
Daniels nods, swallowing, and waves for the men behind him to stand down. He opens his mouth, and then thinks about what I just said and focuses on Jurik instead, deliberately not looking at me. “Lord Azar is waiting for you inside. Please follow me.”
He turns and heads toward the main barracks without looking to see if we follow. I’m a little amused by that, and I squeeze Jurik’s hand to let him know we’re going inside.
The interior of the barracks is dark, a few tallow candles on sconces lit to allow us to see. Most of the “barracks” themselves are portable buildings that were moved here not long after the fort was established, but over time they’ve been built up and added onto until they’re a maze of small hallways and rooms, a tumbledown palace in the middle of a tumbledown fort. The portion of the barracks where I stay with the other women is on the far end of the cluster of buildings. I’ve never been on this side. It’s reserved for leadership…aka Azar and his cronies.