by Rinelle Grey
What was going on? Rita looked over at Warrian to see if he knew.
His eyes were narrowed, focused on the birds. “They’ve spotted something. A lizard or snake probably.”
“A snake.” Rita jumped up quickly and looked around her, but the ground was clear.
She wasn’t afraid of snakes. Not exactly. But she really would rather not be near one.
“It’s near the tent.” Warrian rose and padded softly towards where the birds were focused.
Rita followed at a safe distance. She’d rather not get any closer to the snake, if that’s what it was. But if it was heading for their tent, if it got inside, that would be a problem. Hopefully it would just be a lizard. That would be much better.
But Rita somehow suspected that the agitated squawking indicated something bigger.
“There.” Warrian pointed.
It took Rita a few seconds to make out the dark patch trying to hide in the shade of one of their boxes of supplies. It was only when the snake moved that she saw it. Then she winced. “It’s a big one.”
Warrian nodded. “A brown, I think. They’re very venomous. One could take down a dragon if they bit him in human form.”
Rita had never stopped to consider that a dragon could be susceptible to a snake bite, and she mentally took note, even as she worried about more pressing concerns. “What are we going to do about it?”
As she spoke, a magpie swooped down at the snake, and it slithered out of the way, heading straight for their tent, reaching the edge and trying to burrow under it. It couldn’t get inside, the edge was sealed, but that didn’t make Rita feel any better.
“I can take care of it, but I’m going to need some help.” Warrian’s voice was solemn, but the expression in his eyes when he met hers was all heat.
Rita was at a loss as to why. “What kind of help?” She really didn’t want to go any closer to that snake. The only thing she wanted less was it in her tent. And none of the ideas she could think of to get rid of it involved anything that matched with the look Warrian was giving her.
“One of my dragon powers is the ability to coat my skin in metal. That will protect me from the snake’s bite, so I can move it without danger. But right now, I don’t have the strength to do that.”
Oh. Rita felt her skin flushing. That explained the look.
And it seemed a little extreme. “I’m not going to mate with you just to get rid of a snake. Besides, we hardly have time to stop and do that now. It could get anywhere by the time we finished.”
Especially since she suspected that if she did sleep with him, she’d want to take her time and savour the experience. And not be worried about where a snake was the whole time.
Warrian though, looked amused. “We don’t need to mate. This is a simple use of my magic. A kiss should suffice.”
A kiss.
A thrill ran through Rita at the thought. A kiss would only take a few moments. And seemed a reasonable price to pay to get rid of a snake. She could hardly say no. It was a completely rational choice.
Wasn’t it?
As Rita stared into Warrian’s eyes, she knew the decision was far riskier than it appeared on the surface. She somehow suspected that once her lips touched his, she wouldn’t want to stop. In fact, deep in her heart she knew she wouldn’t.
But she’d have to. Because there was still a snake to deal with. Right? That would be enough to remind her not to take things too far. And that pause would be enough to remind her of why she needed to return to maintaining an appropriate distance.
She could do this.
Before she let herself think about it too much, and maybe come to the realisation that the memory of that kiss would make future resistance all the harder, Rita took a step closer. “Okay.”
Her whole body trembled in anticipation. That should have been enough warning.
If it wasn’t, the look Warrian gave her, uncertainty mixed with longing, should have rammed it home. She didn’t even need his question, “Are you sure?”
Rita nodded firmly. “We need to get rid of that snake. We’re both adults. We know this doesn’t mean we have to take things further. Right?” Her words might have sounded strong and certain, except for the uncertain wobble on the end.
Warrian’s eyes were serious, and for a moment, Rita thought he was going to be the one to hesitate again. She could have screamed in frustration.
But before she could, he stepped forwards, closing the distance between them. His hands closed over her upper arms, keeping her body close, but not quite touching. As if he thought the respectable distance between them could somehow prevent what was coming from taking over.
Then all rational thought fled Rita’s mind as Warrian’s head lowered towards hers.
His lips met hers, soft and warm, firm and yet gentle. They brushed across her mouth in the most chaste kiss she’d ever received.
And yet somehow it set every nerve ending in her whole body alight. An uncontrolled moan escaped her lips, her breath mingling with his. She felt herself swaying towards him. The only thing keeping them apart was his firm grip on her arms.
Warrian pulled back, staring down at her, his eyes dragon slits. His breathing was ragged, desperate, as though he were holding himself back with great effort.
It only made her want him all the more.
Rita wanted to tell him not to hold back. She wanted to push past the barriers he’d erected and throw herself against him.
She wanted a proper kiss, damnit. Was that really all he could manage?
“If I kiss you again, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop,” Warrian gasped out.
Rita knew the feeling. I don’t think I want you to stop. She thought the words but didn’t say them out loud. She knew if she did, the last bit of his self control would slip away. Or maybe that was her self control she was thinking of.
“Do you have enough energy to deal with the snake?” she forced out, knowing her words were as breathless as his.
That seemed to snap him back to the present. He glanced towards the tent, and the squawking of the birds filled Rita’s ears again, as though her desire had blocked it out temporarily.
Warrian released one of her arms and held up his hand. As Rita watched, it turned a dark grey, then grew scales and claws. Finally, molten steel seemed to seep out of the scales and cover it in a shiny protection.
“That’s a yes.”
Was there disappointment in Warrian’s voice? Rita could feel the frustration in her own heart. So much for an excuse to kiss him again.
Warrian released her other arm and turned away, striding towards the tent—and the snake.
As though the creature saw him coming and felt some threat, it turned away, slithering back towards the boxes.
The birds swooped at it, and it cowered there, afraid to move. Rita even felt a little sorry for the cornered creature.
Warrian bent down towards it, grasping it just behind the head with his steely hand. Rita expected him to kill it, he was a dragon after all, but to her surprise, he picked it up, grasping its strong, writhing body with his other hand. Then he began to walk towards an old log near some bushes a fair way away from their camp.
She watched him go, knowing she needed to keep her distance. Knowing she needed this time to re-erect the barriers their kiss had pulled down.
With every step he took away from her, it was easier to tell herself that she could do this. That she could keep her distance and deny the fact that she wanted to kiss him again.
And again. And again.
With every step away from her he took, the itch between her shoulder blades grew. That made it easier to remind herself these feelings were inspired by dragon magic. Not love. Not even real lust.
By the time Warrian returned, his arm was completely human again.
And she was back in control. But she deliberately didn’t meet his eyes as she asked, “Shall we play some more cards? I’ll teach you a new game.”
One that didn’t inv
olve touching.
Chapter 8
Warrian lay still in the tent, despite the fact that it was already uncomfortably hot, even though the sun had been up for less than an hour. A wind whistled around the outside, but it brought no relief from the heat. Not surprising considering it had washed over nothing but hot bare dirt.
He lay there anyway, ignoring the heat and the fact that one leg had gone to sleep, because if he moved, then Rita would wake.
If she woke, she’d realise that during the night, when her inhibitions were down, she’d snuggled up close to him, and even thrown an arm across his chest. And if she realised she’d started cuddling him in her sleep, she’d quickly pull back and try to pretend it hadn’t happened, just like she had every morning for the last few days.
And Warrian would rather continue to enjoy the surge of energy her closeness gave him.
After five days of this maddening craving, he couldn’t help wishing she could just accept this and stop trying to pretend she felt nothing. Especially not after that amazing kiss a couple of days ago. His body heated instantly at the memory.
He understood why she didn’t want to mate, he accepted it. He even kind of liked it, in a strange, twisted way. He relished the constant tease of the Mesmer bond because it meant she was still here. That he’d have another day with her, then another.
When the bond was fulfilled then this connection between them would be gone. He wasn’t sure what would happen between them then. He knew he would have to find his clan, and get caught up on all that had happened in his absence.
But he couldn’t help hoping it wouldn’t be the last he would see of Rita. These dragon lovers of hers could be a valuable resource. They could also be an excuse to continue to see her even after the magical tie was gone.
And he couldn’t help being aware that time was swiftly drawing closer. Five days had flown by in a haze of heat and flashes of blindingly strong desire. Despite the fact that Rita kept her distance, Warrian could feel himself growing stronger with each touch. Soon he would have enough strength to shift into his dragon form.
Then not long after that, he wouldn’t need her anymore.
Not to fulfill the Mesmer bond anyway.
Beside him, Rita stirred, her breathing hitched, and for a brief moment, before she was fully awake, her arms tightened around him.
Warrian took advantage of the moment to let his tighten around her too. “Morning,” he said, his voice husky with sleep. Yes, that was the reason.
“Morning,” Rita muttered sleepily.
He could feel the moment she realised where she was. Knew exactly when the memory of the last few days came rushing back to her. Her whole body froze, stiffening against him, and then she stealthily moved back to her side of the tent as though she thought he might not notice.
Despite the fact that every cell in his body called out to him to stop her, to pull her closer, Warrian forced himself not to fight her withdrawal. He didn’t mention it either because every time he did, she only grew defensive.
Instead he bottled up the feeling of closeness and then sat up. “What are we going to do today?”
It was a pointless question. There was little to do in their small camp in the middle of nowhere. Warrian knew they’d play some more card games, hopefully Snap, as it was the only one that gave him an excuse to touch her. If the wind didn’t blow away the cards before they could find a pair.
Rita would probably come up with some questions to ask him about dragons at some point. She seemed to constantly have new questions. They’d eat and drink and then as the sun went down, they’d sleep.
He should have been completely bored. He should have been chomping at the bit to return to his clan, to return to the war he knew was still raging.
But he was unexpectedly calm. These days with Rita had been some of the most pleasant of his life. And he was strangely reluctant for that time to end even though he knew it must.
The Mesmer ritual would be complete, and it would be time for him to return to his clan. And for Rita to return to… whatever she was returning to. He actually had no idea. She’d spoken little of her own life, focusing instead on him and his life.
The thought made him curious enough that as they rose together and made breakfast, tinned fruit and some dry kind of biscuits, he jumped in before she could ask any questions of her own. “So, do you have any brothers or sisters?”
Rita froze for a moment, the can half open, and Warrian wondered if he’d hit a sore spot.
“A sister.” She continued opening the can, though her movements were jerky. “I haven’t seen her in ages though. She lives in the city.”
Ahh. A clue. Though Rita was clearly trying to keep her voice even, she couldn’t completely hide the undertone of bitterness. So there was some jealousy there.
Warrian knew he should probably drop the subject. Rita clearly didn’t want to talk about her sister or whatever had happened between them. But it was the closest he’d come to learning something about her, and he couldn’t resist probing a little.
“Is she older or younger?”
For a moment, he thought she wasn’t going to answer. She was silent for a very long time, then she gave a sigh, and it was as if the floodgates had opened. “She’s three years older than me, and she always managed to do everything perfectly. She completed a degree in teaching, got a job, met someone, got married, and now she has three perfect kids.”
There was a lot of resentment in her voice for the happy life she described her sister as having, and it intrigued Warrian. “Is that a problem?” If his sister had a life as perfect as she described, he would be happy for her. Wouldn’t he?
For some reason, a hint of sourness filled Warrian at the thought. He’d tried to help make Sarian happy. She could have had all that. The mate, the life dragonetts, she could have been the perfect princess.
But she’d been ready to throw it all away. To throw everything their family had worked for in his face.
Perhaps he did understand Rita’s bitterness at least a little bit.
“Does she appreciate what she has?” he asked softly.
Rita shrugged, her shoulders hunching in. “Of course she does. She’s endlessly thankful. Perfectly sweet and grateful. Everyone loves her.”
“She was the favourite sister?”
He got that too. He knew all about playing second fiddle to the perfect child. It didn’t get more second fiddle than being the younger brother to the future queen.
Rita nodded. “Of course she was. She made all the right decisions and was justly rewarded. My parents held her up as an example my whole life. And I’ve never once managed to live up to anything she did. I doubt I ever will either. They’ll never understand…” She broke off abruptly, focusing on her breakfast, eating so silently Warrian was confused.
Just as he was about to ask what they wouldn’t understand, Rita spoke up again. “They’ll never understand why I feel the need to search for the truth. They’re quite happy with the lies.”
Her eyes met his, intense and focused, and he could almost see them begging him to understand.
The trouble was, her words made him feel guilty.
It wasn’t that he didn’t agree with them in theory. He just didn’t think the world was that simple. Sometimes the truth on the surface wasn’t the truth underneath.
Or something like that.
Or maybe he was just trying to justify his own mistakes.
None of that was going to help Rita. She was staring at him, waiting for his answer. And he had no idea what to tell her.
“I’m sorry your family didn’t understand or appreciate you. But they’re the ones missing out.”
Warrian’s own words surprised him. Where had that come from? It had been what he’d been thinking in his heart, but he hadn’t even considered how to put it into words.
But it seemed to work. The smile Rita gave him pushed his fears and doubts aside, and even seemed to suspend the guilt, temporarily at least. He f
ound himself smiling back at her, completely and genuinely happy.
He wasn’t sure how long they sat there, staring at each other, a connection even deeper than the Mesmer bond seeming to pass between them. Warrian suspected they might have stayed there for hours, except that the howling of the wind was growing stronger.
Rita was the one who broke away, her eyes flashing towards the horizon, then widening. “Oh dear.”
The concern in her voice was enough to push through Warrian’s own stupor to follow her gaze. Despite thinking that nothing could affect him as much as staring into Rita’s eyes, his heart skipped a beat.
The entire horizon was covered in what looked like huge, low, red clouds. And they moved towards their small camp at a concerning speed. “We need to get out of here,” Warrian said, having to raise his voice to be heard over the wind. “Before that dust storm hits.”
He’d seen dust storms before, of course. Wild, crazy, terrifying things. As a dragon, he’d flown over them, skimming the tops, feeling the swiftly moving sand particles sting his legs. They’d been a delicious fury to flirt with.
In the air. On the ground, stuck in human form, was a different matter entirely.
His heart hammered in his chest, and he tried to calculate how long they had to escape before the storm hit their small camp. Was it long enough to complete the Mesmer ritual so he could fly Rita to safety?
Rita was staring at the storm too, her expression as concerned as his. She glanced around the campsite, and then began to move. “We’d better get everything packed up before that wind hits, or it’s going to scatter it everywhere.”
Scattering their belongings seemed the least of their problems. “I’m more concerned that it’s going to make it hard to breathe,” Warrian said flatly.
Rita didn’t look too happy either. But she said, “If we get into the car and wind the windows up, we should be fine. We can put the air on recirculate, and it will filter the air already in the car and not let any of the sand in.” She shrugged. “It’s not like we have much choice, we can’t outrun it.”
She couldn’t outrun it, and her car probably couldn’t either. But Warrian knew he could fly above it. He hesitated. He could protect her from just about anything this storm could throw at them, but not without completing the Mesmer ritual.
