“Thank you,” Zaeyr mumbles. “What is this used for?”
Delina chuckles softly. “That’s a headdress. It’s an adornment—” Delina moves “—a female wears during the mating celebration. I wore this not long ago. Here, let me show you.” There’s a rustling sound. “See? Isn’t it beautiful? Those pieces there are the dress and these are the accessories. I could put those on too?”
My heart hammers. What’s my sister doing?
“Mating celebration?” Zaeyr asks.
“You don’t know anything, do you?” Delina teases.
“Not when it comes to humans,” Zaeyr’s voice is low and gravelly, almost curious. It floods me with renewed warmth, but also mortification. “Dragons do not celebrate mating,” he says. “A femdragon goes into heat, more so during the red comet, and calls out for a male to nest with her. She seeks the best, denies the weakest, and if more than one finds her at the same time, we fight to the death for her attention. It becomes increasingly painful for a male dragon to be in heat from a femdragon’s pheromones without seeding. Oftentimes, those that survive a battle for a femdragon will perish without satisfaction. Or, if they are lucky, find a female drake or wyvern of the lesser species to empty their shafts, so they may live.”
Oh.
My… that’s nothing like humans.
My sister echoes me. “Oh… Males fight over females?”
“Yes.”
“That’s amazing! I can barely imagine it. To have such a choice…”
“I would not describe it that way. Why do you?”
Delina coughs. “Human males are rare, very rare. The elders between tribes fight for them, and when they come of age, they’re given as mates to the most fertile, deserving female of the chosen tribe. We don’t have a choice, like your males, I suppose. It’s why we celebrate such an event.”
My sister’s words hurt, bringing back bitter memories of all that happened between us in the past month. How the elders picked her over me when I had been chosen and prepared for the honor and responsibility since childhood.
I don’t want Zaeyr to know.
My chest tightens.
But Delina continues, her voice softening. “The elders chose me to be the best mate, the best female. Aida was supposed to be given the honor, but they decided that I’m better able to carry children, perhaps more desirable to a male—the strongest male.”
Trying with all my might to rise, blood rushes through me, straining. If not to stop Delina, then to run away. I hear her move closer, approaching where Zaeyr breathes. I would know where he is even if he didn’t make a noise. The bond, it’s because of the bond.
Even bonded, I don’t know if Zaeyr would not take another—perhaps more—if offered. Would he?
“Backwards,” Zaeyr spits. “Elders should not choose who mates. How can they know what others want?”
“It’s not about what others want, dragon, but about ensuring our survival,” my sister whispers. “Your survival too. Look at me.”
A grunt. “Why?”
There’s a rustle of cloth.
“What are you doing, human?”
I want to cry.
“Unlike Aida, who passes out, I know how to mate. I see your cock—it’s hard, it can’t feel good like that, but I can help. Let me give you relief, and I’ll show you what Sand’s Hunters chosen female can do. The strongest male should be with me. And you are the strongest, are you not?”
“Is this what you human females do? Battle for the best male instead? Even when your opponent is down?” he snarls. “Do you dare to presume that an alpha dragon does not make his own choices?”
My hands finally move. I clench my fingers to my palms, finding the movement difficult but manageable. My eyes snap open and I scan Delina’s hut, finding her bare-chested and wearing the mating headdress. She’s sitting right before Zaeyr by the fire.
“You understand it, don’t you?” Delina hums, reaching up to rub her breasts. “This makes sense.”
I look away when Delina reaches for Zaeyr. I wish I was still sleeping. I don’t want to see this. Pain constricts my chest.
If Zaeyr allows my sister to have her way, I won’t recover. I won’t. Not this time.
And what makes it worse, I know, is that I’ll still want him afterward, against my better judgment, always remembering that moment on the beach. Even now, the sensation of my innocence broken is there between my legs—the stretching, the needy ache building untoward. His smell fills my nostrils with every breath, making everything worse.
My head falls to the side, pulling my arms instinctively into me when noises I don’t want to hear reach my ears. I realize I’m moving. The feeling of betrayal is helping me rise.
“Zaeyr, please,” Delina whines as I sit up straight.
Jumping to my feet, I pivot to them.
Delina is sprawled on the ground, legs open and on her back, dark eyes wide, and Zaeyr… He’s baring his teeth, his arm on her shoulder over her, eyes wild. They turn to me at once.
My cheeks redden at the sight. My chest is going to explode from indignation.
“Aida,” Zaeyr says, dropping his hand from my sister’s shoulder, rising to his full intimidating height. His horns scrap the ceiling, his tail twisting behind him and the sapphire scales on his body twinkling. The sight of him twists my gut.
Knowing that Delina is scrambling up, holding her shirt to her chest, twists me further.
How dare they?
And, though paralyzed, I was right here beside them.
“Don’t!” I snap. “You’ve made your choice. Don’t let me stop you now.”
The next instant, I’m out the door and running away, my heart unraveling.
13
Red Comet Rays
I run through the village and to my hut, where I hurry to gather my things. I had already been packing for my now-absurd search for a dragon and still have enough
