Bonded with me, Drazak won’t have his own dragon man-free tribe to stake his claim. I look back at him, worry gnawing at me.
Zaeyr will accept him. He’ll have to.
Because if he doesn’t then I can’t stay… We’ll have to leave.
Venture into Venys… Into the unknown where my skills may not be enough against the beasts. I shiver. I’m not frightened of the world, but I never thought I’d ever leave my family, my sisters. And I would leave—I know it without a second thought. I place my hand on my belly. For Drazak, I’d follow him wherever he goes. For all the children we’ll someday have.
I drop my hand and wipe it on my dirty skirt, rising to my feet again. None of that matters if we don’t get out of this cave, and soon.
A distant scattering of rocks pricks my ears. I pivot in that direction. And I pause, startled, as the naga boy stares back at me from behind a boulder. He lingers by the ledge where the cave entrance is. Leaning down slowly, I grab my last ration, all the while keeping my eyes pinned on him.
I’d forgotten all about the naga.
I make my way toward him, holding the ration out before me. As I approach, his features come into view, and my throat tightens. He’s emaciated. Much more now than he was in the jungle. He really is alone. I don’t know why this bothers me as much as it does. He looks no older than Haime, and he’s starving. He could’ve attacked Drazak and I, stolen our food, eaten us too, but he didn’t. It bothers me a lot.
Almost upon him, I offer him the ration. He leans back as if to flee.
“Wait!”
But he pulls himself up the ledge and vanishes into the tunnels beyond.
“Waters,” I curse, knowing I can’t chase after him. Instead, when I reach the ledge, I place my ration upon it, along with the feather I’m still clutching to.
Hands grab my arms and spin me around. The next moment, I’m facing Drazak.
Nostrils flaring, he growls, “You left.”
I grow wet at the sound of his voice.
“The naga,” I say as if that answers everything.
“Him again? You are never allowed to leave me.”
“I didn’t leave.”
His hands tighten on my arms. “You can never leave me.”
“I would never,” I whisper, my brows furrowing.
“If you did leave, I would hunt you down, bind you with rope, and chain you to my side for all eternity.”
He’s desperate. Scared?
He’s afraid of being alone. He’s been alone for so long…
What would I do if I were alone for so long? I know I would go mad.
There’s a wildness in his eyes.
I reach up and cup his cheeks. “Drazak, I will never leave you,” I reassure him. It’s the truth. “And I’ll do the same to you if you ever left.”
He lowers his face to mine and traps me with his gaze. The strain in his jaw eases. “Make it an oath,” he demands.
“Never,” I swear. And right then I realize, he’ll never leave me either. Ever. I won’t be alone anymore, neither of us will. I’ll never be alone again. I’m now certain he would have chosen me over any other female in my tribe. I can see it in his eyes.
First the darkness lifted in the cave, now a burden rises from my chest. But as I study Drazak, I can tell he’ll need convincing every day, all the time, until the lonely cave disappears from his mind. We both will. I’m more than up for the task.
“Say it again,” he says.
“Bond or not, I’ll make sure you’re never alone again.” I lean up on my toes and steal my kiss.
My lips press against his as he begins to speak, cutting him short. Soft and swift, I lower to take in his reaction.
Drazak stares at me curiously, even surprised. It’s better than his fear. “What was that?” he asks.
“I kissed you,” I tell him. “It shows affection. It binds a promise.” I lick my lips. “It’s part of mating. Or so I’ve heard,” I add.
He pulls me up and presses his lips against mine. Hard. I groan from the pressure, and he loosens his hold. “Not so rough. Softer,” I explain.
This time when he lifts me to him, his mouth finds mine like a whisper. I purse my lips to feel his better, but then he pulls away, tickling me with the briefest touch. I groan again, grab his head, and yank him down. “Like this.”
My mouth finds his, and I suck in his lower lip, biting it teasingly. Drazak grunts into me, and our tongues meet when I slide mine across the crease to his mouth.
I taste his saliva and moan, dropping my weight to the wall. He gathers me against him and presses me back, trapping me there. Heat and bitter root flavors my mouth, sweetspice and dew. I grow dizzy, my head lightens. Sucking in his tongue, I swallow him down, needing him inside.
Like he promised he always would be.
His prick rises and hardens between us. My legs climb him to wrap around his waist. Something rubs my buttocks, his tails, only to pull my cheeks apart, opening me as far as my female flesh will go. I think I hear my skirt rip.
He’s baring me, once again.
He’s baring me, and I love it.
His seed is still dripping out of me.
I’m too distracted to care, sucking and licking on his mouth. He grazes me back—and I clench, hard, growing wetter. The dig of his teeth… I need them everywhere. “Drazak,” I breathe his name and my head falls back. “I’ll never, ever leave you.”
His tongue slides up my cheek until his nose is pressed
