before she smiles up at me. “Hi, Halki.” She gently escapes my hold by pressing against my chest. I find myself releasing her simply because she indicated that she’d like me to do so. She makes a gesture to indicate the cookware. “In exchange for your help rescuing my brother, it’s only fair that I feed you. What do you like to eat?”
I eye the pots in this place. Piled full, they won’t do more than take the edge off of my hunger. I give her a polite nod. “I will have whatever you would prepare for yourself. I’ll also step out for the quickest of captured meals.”
Her eyes widen. “You can’t make dinner out of any of our animals—only certain ones are meant for food.”
“I understand. And don’t fret, I won’t eat any of the clan’s livestock.”
She sighs in relief. “Good.”
Reaching out, I wrap my hand around the back of her head and bring her face to mine. “I will return, my lovely Nalle.”
Her eyes drop to my human lips. “You think I’m… lovely?” she breathes.
Desire heats my skin. “You have no idea.” I step back from her before I ignore my need for food and devour her instead.
Just before I reach the door to exit our home, I twist my neck so I can send her one last look before I take my leave.
Her eyes are fixed on my hindquarters.
I stop walking and try to turn enough to properly see them too.
Behind me, she makes a choked noise. “What are you doing?”
I frown. “I saw you gazing at my flanks, and I thought it was with admiration.”
She sounds almost hoarse as she replies, “It… was.” She clears her throat. “You could bounce a silver five-piece off your rear end.”
I look to her. “I gather that a five-piece is money. I’m confused as to why you would throw coins at my back.” I glance back down at myself, feeling a strain cramping through the muscle that attaches my shoulder to my short human neck. “What an odd view. Without a good long tail, my lower half seems somewhat plain.”
“Your front half makes up for that in spades,” she mutters.
“What was that?”
“I said hunt fast or you’ll risk getting caught in the raids?” She clears her throat a second time, and her gaze skitters away from mine. “Good luck hunting!”
I smile at her, wondering at the way her eyes go straight to my mouth as I do. “Thank you for the well-wishes, my drhema.”
CHAPTER 8
Nalle
The goose feathers that the dragon collected are decorating my bench, looking like Otherworld flowers, all silky and frilly and pretty.
My gaze keeps getting drawn to them.
All my life, the best connection I could hope for with a man would be a fleeting encounter with a tribesman who I’d have to share between all the other women of my tribe. I would get occasional turns with him, and I couldn’t hope to be special.
I’d be just like everyone else to him. Worse, I’d essentially be a job. A duty-bedding.
Now I have a man who will protect all of my people just to see that I’m happy.
He treats me like I’m his focus, and it’s exciting in a way I never expected. It’s almost… arousing. It affects me in a way I wouldn’t have dreamed possible, couldn’t afford to consider, knowing that I’d never have a man whose body would belong only to me. Who must see me as unique, worthy of his sole attention.
The dragon better be prepared for what he’s stirring in me. Because the more time I have to consider the wild events that began the moment I hooked the dragon in his cave, the more I feel myself becoming persistently attached to the idea of having him all to myself. A fierce dragon who turns into a massive, muscled man. A man who looks like he wants to devour me, one who has pledged to help me.
He called me lovely. I bask in the dreamy feeling that hit me the moment he uttered the word… but I only bask for the moment and a half it takes for me to recall that I haven’t brushed my hair today and I fell in the muck of a goose pen.
Eyes popping wide, I sniff myself—and grimace. Is the dragon daft? How could he have stood to even hold me?
“Nalle, you better take the world’s quickest bath,” I mutter to myself as I begin stripping and kicking more sticks into the fire under the water pot.
***
Face