wanted to be a Draconi.
Lily bent over, picking up dried sticks, the firm globes of her arse beckoning, and faster than he could blink his thoughts fled, replaced by a longing that made his balls ache. He wanted her. Wanted her to care for him, wanted her to need him like he needed her.
Goddess’s teeth, what was wrong with him?
He’d obviously been around Thoren too long.
Keara joined Lily in her quest for sticks. It seemed as if the red-headed Halfling had recovered from her ordeal. Bruises dotted her face and he felt a cold ball of rage twist in his stomach. He understood the battle Thoren must be going through, the fight within to stay and kill the ones who harmed Keara warring with the urge to get her to safety.
If Lily had been kidnapped instead of Keara, he wouldn’t have hesitated to unleash his anger on the ones who hurt her. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think he was falling for his claim.
What a thought.
Throughout dinner Enar stared at Lily, unable to get her questions out of his mind. He refused to tell her what things were like in his village, how Watchers treated their women. But how long could he avoid her questions?
Lily’s white head bent toward Keara’s red one as they sat together on a log, chewing on their dinner of jerky. Undoubtedly sharing secrets he wished she’d share with him.
He mentally banged his head. Why did he have such feelings for his claim?
Luckily Thoren slammed a hand against his knee, derailing his thoughts.
“What’s going on, friend?”
Oh, let’s see, I care about my claim and it’s scaring me half to death. “Nothing much. Glad to see Keara’s better.”
“So am I. They’ll die for it.”
“As it should be.”
Thoren ran a hand through his hair. “How’s Lily?”
“Fine. She seemed to like flying.”
“Good.”
Thoren did another hand-through-the-hair routine. Since when did his best friend get nervous? He followed his friend’s gaze until it landed on Keara. Oh. That explained things. No doubt Thoren had the night’s activities front and foremost in his mind.
“Keara,” Thoren’s voice broke through the flickering flames of the fires, causing all sets of eyes to turn to him. “I need to speak to you. Would you follow me?” Standing, he gestured toward the woods behind the campsite.
With any luck, tonight Thoren would realize Keara was his mate. Provided the knowledge got through his best friend’s thick skull.
A hiss and barely audible growl snapped his head toward Fafnir. The dragon stopped munching on a deer carcass, staring at where Thoren and Keara disappeared into the wooded darkness. A small stream of smoke trickled out his nostrils. Growling again, steam circling his snout, the dragon grabbed his dinner and leapt into the air, wings flapping eddies of dirt and grass.
“What’s wrong with him?” Lily sat across the flames from Enar.
“Why did he fly off like that?” Jamie asked.
“Why do you think I know?” Enar shrugged, wondering the same as the others. He didn’t know Fafnir, but the dragon’s actions seemed strange.
Maybe it had something to do with spending all those years locked in a cell.
Enar shivered. How the dragon managed not to go crazy from years of no exercise was over his head. So if Fafnir wanted to fly off in the middle of dinner, more power to him.
“I’ll go refill the water bags.” Lily gestured in the direction of the stream flowing several yards past the tree line as she rose and grabbed the bags.
Her dark clothing disappeared into the shadows, her white hair bobbing like a lantern in the darkness until the thick trunk of a tree swallowed her from view. Enar felt a cold pit form in his stomach. What if something happened to her? What if the Draconi Keara saw in River’s Run followed them and took Lily?
“Jamie, you are not allowed to leave this campsite. If you need to relieve yourself, go no farther than that tree there,” he pointed to a tree at the edge of clearing, one that
Lily bent over, picking up dried sticks, the firm globes of her arse beckoning, and faster than he could blink his thoughts fled, replaced by a longing that made his balls ache. He wanted her. Wanted her to care for him, wanted her to need him like he needed her.
Goddess’s teeth, what was wrong with him?
He’d obviously been around Thoren too long.
Keara joined Lily in her quest for sticks. It seemed as if the red-headed Halfling had recovered from her ordeal. Bruises dotted her face and he felt a cold ball of rage twist in his stomach. He understood the battle Thoren must be going through, the fight within to stay and kill the ones who harmed Keara warring with the urge to get her to safety.
If Lily had been kidnapped instead of Keara, he wouldn’t have hesitated to unleash his anger on the ones who hurt her. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think he was falling for his claim.
What a thought.
Throughout dinner Enar stared at Lily, unable to get her questions out of his mind. He refused to tell her what things were like in his village, how Watchers treated their women. But how long could he avoid her questions?
Lily’s white head bent toward Keara’s red one as they sat together on a log, chewing on their dinner of jerky. Undoubtedly sharing secrets he wished she’d share with him.
He mentally banged his head. Why did he have such feelings for his claim?
Luckily Thoren slammed a hand against his knee, derailing his thoughts.
“What’s going on, friend?”
Oh, let’s see, I care about my claim and it’s scaring me half to death. “Nothing much. Glad to see Keara’s better.”
“So am I. They’ll die for it.”
“As it should be.”
Thoren ran a hand through his hair. “How’s Lily?”
“Fine. She seemed to like flying.”
“Good.”
Thoren did another hand-through-the-hair routine. Since when did his best friend get nervous? He followed his friend’s gaze until it landed on Keara. Oh. That explained things. No doubt Thoren had the night’s activities front and foremost in his mind.
“Keara,” Thoren’s voice broke through the flickering flames of the fires, causing all sets of eyes to turn to him. “I need to speak to you. Would you follow me?” Standing, he gestured toward the woods behind the campsite.
With any luck, tonight Thoren would realize Keara was his mate. Provided the knowledge got through his best friend’s thick skull.
A hiss and barely audible growl snapped his head toward Fafnir. The dragon stopped munching on a deer carcass, staring at where Thoren and Keara disappeared into the wooded darkness. A small stream of smoke trickled out his nostrils. Growling again, steam circling his snout, the dragon grabbed his dinner and leapt into the air, wings flapping eddies of dirt and grass.
“What’s wrong with him?” Lily sat across the flames from Enar.
“Why did he fly off like that?” Jamie asked.
“Why do you think I know?” Enar shrugged, wondering the same as the others. He didn’t know Fafnir, but the dragon’s actions seemed strange.
Maybe it had something to do with spending all those years locked in a cell.
Enar shivered. How the dragon managed not to go crazy from years of no exercise was over his head. So if Fafnir wanted to fly off in the middle of dinner, more power to him.
“I’ll go refill the water bags.” Lily gestured in the direction of the stream flowing several yards past the tree line as she rose and grabbed the bags.
Her dark clothing disappeared into the shadows, her white hair bobbing like a lantern in the darkness until the thick trunk of a tree swallowed her from view. Enar felt a cold pit form in his stomach. What if something happened to her? What if the Draconi Keara saw in River’s Run followed them and took Lily?
“Jamie, you are not allowed to leave this campsite. If you need to relieve yourself, go no farther than that tree there,” he pointed to a tree at the edge of clearing, one that
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