Marked Prince - Michelle M. Pillow Page 0,49

flew through a canopy of leaves.

When they were alone, she turned her attention to Jaxx. He dipped his head and crouched low to the ground to give her a way to climb on top of him. She drew her hand over the bumpy texture of his neck. The hard layer of flesh didn’t mold to her fingers, not like when she touched his muscles.

Jaxx lifted his wing out of her way so she could walk under it. Fiora ran her fingers along the underside. His wing shook and twitched. He snorted a short blast of smoke.

“Did that tickle?” She asked, already guessing the answer.

He gave a small nod.

Fiora smiled, resisting the urge to do it again.

This was another of those moments she wanted to hold on to forever, like being naked in his arms.

When she touched his side, she felt the rise and fall of his breath. The rhythm calmed the tiny jump of fear in her chest as she took hold of the base of his wing and pulled herself onto his back. He rocked to the side to help her find her balance.

Fiora sat with her legs to one side before leaning over to straddle his back. One of the short spikes near the base of his tail poked her thigh. She fidgeted with her positioning, unsure of what would be best.

Fiora glanced up at the sky before burying her head in his back and holding on to his wings. She tightly closed her eyes. Jaxx slowly straightened. His wings moved, and she bit the inside of her mouth to keep from yelping. He shifted beneath her, his body undulating with each beat of his wings. She felt the moment they lifted from the ground.

Fiora turned her head to the side and peeked through narrow slits of her eyelids to see that they moved past the tree trunks into the branches. She gripped him tighter. She kept her head turned to keep from looking down as they went higher. Unlike Grier who had angled upward to fly through the treetops, Jaxx kept her parallel to the ground. Leaves hit her back and brushed over her skin before sliding past her as they broke free of the forest ceiling.

A sea of dark green leaves spread out before her, mimicking a strangely dancing carpet next to the green-blue sky. They led to the peaks and cliffs of distant mountains. The clouds drifted above them. If she ignored the fact that they were high above the ground, the view was almost serene.

Grier flew with Salena in the distance, circling in the air as if waiting for them to join them. Seeing him in flight caused her stomach to do a tiny flip of apprehension, and she strengthened her grip on Jaxx. When her fingers began to feel numb, she forced them to ease up, worried that she might somehow injure him—which was probably ridiculous because his skin was like armor.

He hovered for a moment as if giving her time to adjust. When finally he moved to follow Grier, he took it slow and steady. The sound of the wind drowned out all else. Jaxx’s body heat staved off the cooler temperature.

She watched her sister, seeing her outline against Grier’s back. Salena stayed low, much like Fiora against Jaxx.

Never would she have predicted that one day she’d be riding on a dragon’s back…or that she would be in love with that dragon.

Love.

That one thought caused her to relax. She loved Jaxx and trusted him.

Her legs loosened their tight grip. Jaxx began to fly a little faster. He stayed parallel to the ground, turning on a wide angle. She slowly pushed up from his back, still holding onto his wings. The treetops moved beneath her, blurring.

The wind whipped her hair back from her face. She felt the pressure of it along her torso, molding her clothing. The beauty of the scene was undeniable. She could see why Jaxx loved his planet so much. The cold air got to her, and she wasn’t able to sit up for long.

Fiora leaned down against his body, pressing her breasts and stomach tight to soak in his heat. Riding on his back was nothing like dangling from talons. She much preferred this method.

They headed toward the distant mountains. Eventually, the tiniest outline of the watchtower appeared along the edge. Then hints of the Federation stronghold over Shelter City.

Fiora pushed up again to try to get a better look at the city below. Suddenly, a rush of emotions