Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107619 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107619 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
We traveled for many hours wading through the water. I did not like the scent much, but it was cool on my scales and Emma was pleased. Truly, pleasing my mate is all that matters. I caught her a fish that wiggled against my claws and she was delighted. We paused to cook it on the shore of the stream, and Emma ate her fill of the white, flaky flesh and then gave the rest to me. It tasted fine, I suppose, but her giggles as I ate were far more pleasing.
Apparently humans do not eat their fish whole, scales and all.
After that, we continued on through the stream until we saw this place—the wholesale club—in the distance. Emma directed me toward it, and I changed to human form so we could enter its doors. They are made of more of the glass that humans seem to favor in their buildings, but heavily cracked and smeared with dirt. Emma picked the locks with ease, and then we went inside. I explored it first to ensure that there were no humans waiting to harm my mate, but the scents here were old and stale. No humans have been here for many, many days.
I expected Emma to rest now that we were relatively safe, but my mate had other plans. She immediately raced through the building, looking for specific items. I was surprised when she grew excited at the discovery of the perfume aisle, and even more surprised when she had me sniff each one until I told her which smelled the worst.
I should have chosen more carefully, because she promptly took several bottles of the foul-smelling perfume and smashed them at the entrance and then insisted we rub ourselves down with it. Even now, I still smell of something called “patchouli” and it makes my eyes water and my snout itch.
She is not wrong, though; no dragon will come near this scent. You cannot smell anything under it. I do not even think I can smell my own hide.
After that, my Emma did not stop. She stripped off her skins—which excited me—and then insisted I change back to battle-form so she could work on my wings—which excited me less. I let her push and pull and stretch them for a long time, and now they ache.
I lift one of my sore wings, examining it. I cannot tell a difference despite Emma’s long hours of work. The wings still look small and crumpled, and the tissues feel thicker than they should. She is wearing herself out for nothing.
“Not for nothing,” she mumbles, yawning. “Give it time. We’re not going to give up on them.”
I want to ask her if she has decided if she is going to stay with me, but I do not press her on it. Instead, I shift to my two-legged form and move to her side, intent on kissing her. I lie down on the hard ground next to her, but when she does not open her eyes, I realize just how tired my Emma is. There will be other times to claim her as mine.
Tomorrow, I think. We have been interrupted too many times, and I want to replenish her scent with mine. A drakoni’s mate’s scent is strongest when she has been repeatedly claimed by her male. Emma’s scent is pleasant, but I want her to be so covered in my scent that I can smell it even through this terrible perfume.
Tomorrow, I vow. Tomorrow Emma is mine.
She turns toward me and slides her arms around my waist, tucking her face against my arm. “Floor’s hard.”
Shall I find you something soft to lie upon?
“Nah,” she says, not moving. Her voice is sleepy. “Just let me use you as a pillow.”
Gladly. I hold her close, tucking her head under my chin.
“How do you think he got her?” Emma asks after a moment. “Azar and the female?”
I think for a moment, tracing my claws down one of her arms. She is so soft and fragile, my mate. Nothing like the fierce drakoni female that attacked us earlier. It would not take much for my human to be injured, and the thought fills me with deep-seated fear. I must find a way to make my Emma safe. As long as Azar exists, he will try to harm her, because he wants to control me. I do not know. Likely he lured her as he did me.
“With scent?” Emma snorts lightly. “I doubt Azar has any male virgins lying around.”
They do not need to be virgins. She would have looked for a challenge.
Her nose wrinkles and she opens her eyes, sitting up to frown down at me. “So he challenged her?”
I do not know if he did. I think all he would need to do is touch his mind to hers, and then he could capture her. The minds of the Salorians are like poison. One touch and they can take over. I tap her temple lightly. If I had connected my mind to the female’s without realizing she was controlled by Azar, he would have trapped me, as well.