About a Dragon (Dragon Kin #2)(11)

Talaith had loved only one man before and lost him at sixteen. After, they handed her over to the one she now called “husband”. Since that man knew she was his as wife, he never bothered pursuing her. She had a feeling he wouldn’t have appreciated it one bit if he’d been forced to either. Yet the more she fought the dragon, the more he seemed to be enjoying himself.

True, she could just give herself to him and get it over with. But something, that inner voice that had never steered her wrong all these many long years, told her she’d never recover from her time spent in this dragon’s bed. And did dragons even have beds? Would she have to mate with him on the cave floor? None of that sounded very comfortable.

“This isn’t fair.”

“What does fair have to do with anything?”

“I’m tired and freezing. I can’t fight you right now.”

“Why does everything between us need to be a fight?”

Because she enjoyed it? No. Probably not a good idea to say that. She’d never get rid of him then. She could tell he liked their fighting just as much.

Shaking her head in exasperation, she snapped, “Everything between us? What are you talking about? We’ve known each other since this morning.” She slapped at his tightening hands on her waist. “Stop that!”

Talaith pushed hard against his chest, but his arms wouldn’t budge. Still, she kept trying. And, finally bored with the struggle she assumed, he released her. Since she didn’t expect that, Talaith shoved herself backward and landed hard on the ground.

“Ow!”

He didn’t even apologize as he sat up, staring down at her. Was he angry? She guessed not when he began to speak to his erection.

“I know. I can’t believe she left us like this either. Cruel wench, isn’t she?”

After the long, frightening, horrible day she had, this was not remotely how she expected to end it. And, against her will, she smiled.

“Look. Now she’s laughing at us.”

Desperately fighting a bout of laughter, she ordered, “Stop talking to it.”

He shrugged. “Well you won’t talk to him…and he’s feeling awfully lonely. And I think you hurt his feelings.” Then he made it bounce twice in agreement.

Talaith covered her face and sighed. What exactly did her mother tell her the seven signs of madness were? Well, a dragon talking to his own shaft had to be one of them.

* * *

“Are you going to answer any questions this evening?”

“No.” She wouldn’t even look at him. For her, he’d shifted to human when they’d first arrived and had remained that way ever since. Yet still she wouldn’t look at him. If she didn’t like him human and she didn’t like him dragon, then what exactly did that leave?

“I don’t understand—”

“Please,” she sighed. “I am so tired. Can we not simply go to sleep?”

He gazed at her across the campfire and she did truly appear worn.

“Of course.”

He patted the ground next to him. “Come. You can sleep here.”

“Oh, you must be joking.”

“No. I’m not. I don’t have blankets for you. My body will keep you warm.”

“I just bet it will,” she muttered to herself. She seemed to do that a lot. Talk to herself. He found it…odd. To him she said, “Do I look that stupid to you?”

“You don’t look stupid at all. I don’t waste my time on stupid people.”

“Well that gives me ease.”

“I’ll make a promise to you. You’ll sleep here and I promise nothing will happen except sleep.”

“And you expect me to believe that?”

Briec, for the first time in a very long time, became a little angry.

Slowly, he pulled himself up and walked across the burning campfire, enjoying the warm flames briefly surrounding his body, until he stood over her. Brown eyes stared up at him, and he no longer saw any fear. Most likely because now she spent most of her time hating him instead.

“Are you questioning the word of a dragon, little human?”

She stood, looking much less fierce in her now filthy nightdress. “No. I’m questioning the word of you. You just happen to be a dragon.”

“My promises are much more reliable than some human might make.”

“You took me from my village…”

“I rescued you.”

“…and now you won’t let me go.”

“I break no laws, m’lady.”

“Dragon laws, which don’t affect me.”

“They affected you as soon as I saved you from those villagers.”

She stared up at him for several more moments then, growling, she turned from him and stepped away. “Thank you, but I’ll be fine on my own.”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“It’s my right, or have I lost the ability to make all my own decisions?”

“Fine. Freeze in the night then. I don’t care.”

He turned from her and walked off into the woods, allowing his body to slowly shift back to dragon as he did so. He’d watch her and keep her safe, but he’d do it from a nice, respectable distance.

Briec didn’t understand this woman. Not at all. Even for a human she seemed damn strange. Was it not a mere hour or so ago she’d been laughing and smiling at his jokes? And now she’d returned to treating him like he’d wiped out her whole family.