Lord of Destiny (The Dragon Demigods #6) - Charlene Hartnady Page 0,55

have no control over it, which is a pain in the ass.”

I nod. “I’ll keep it in mind. Take care of yourself.”

“Thanks, I will.” Raven stands. “You too.” She peels her shirt over her head, turning away.

Jesus fuck, but she’s beautiful. I can’t stop staring. I should stop. I really should. Her legs would be considered muscular for a human. I can picture them wrapped around me. Her hips are flared. Her ass… Holy fuck! It’s full and yet pert. Raven turns around again. She must be able to hear how my breathing has changed. I sound like I can’t get any air into my lungs. Her stomach is flat and toned. Her tits. Lord, up above. They’re heavy. So lush that I want to groan. Her nipples are like ripe cherries. My mouth waters for a taste. My cock is filling. My balls are tightening.

“You shouldn’t look at me like that.” She’s smiling.

“You’re so fucking beautiful.” I savor the sight of her for a few more seconds. “Maybe it’s a good thing you’re going, Raven. My willpower is at zero.”

“You’re injured.”

“Some parts of me. Others are just fine.” My voice is deep.

She laughs softly but then her eyes cloud with sadness. “I had hoped we’d be able to settle down. To stop running.” She gets this wistful look. “I see now that it can’t happen. I need to fix this, and then we need to leave. We need to get as far away as possible and stick to ourselves.” She sighs. “The last thing I wanted was for you and the others to be pulled into our mess.”

“We’ll talk about it when we get out of this.”

Raven shakes her head. “There won’t be anything to talk about. We need to leave. I’m hoping they don’t know where you live or who you are. I’ll see you soon, Stephan. You rest and heal.”

“Be careful,” I whisper. The thought of something happening to her has adrenaline coursing through me. “Promise me.”

“I will. I’ll see you soon.” She waves a hand. Then she’s walking through the thick undergrowth. I’m amazed at how silent she is. I know she’s looking for somewhere to shift. A break in the trees where she can take to the sky.

I fucking hate this.

16

Raven

I walk for ten or fifteen minutes before I find a big enough clearing. It takes me less than a second to shift. I stretch my body, hearing my back click. I mutter under my breath to myself. Being tied up and made to sleep on a cold hard floor will do that to a person. Tarek is crazy. I can’t believe no one has seen that. That no one but our small group has retaliated against him.

Then again, that’s not completely true. There have been small acts of defiance over the years. Some were not all that small…my mind wanders to my mom for a second.

I’m about to launch into the sky when I hear it. A soft rumble from somewhere up above. There’s an answering call. Soft, easy to miss. I crouch down, spreading my wings as cover. Thankful that my scales are black as tar. Hopefully, I’ll blend in with the surroundings.

I hear the almost silent flapping of wings. More than one pair. I’d go so far as to say that there are at least five or six of them. I stay completely still. I don’t breathe. I will my heart to beat softer. They’re already looking for us. So soon! Too soon!

I’d say that it’s three or four in the morning. Too early for anyone to be up. It makes me worry about Star. Was she caught red-handed when she returned? Do they know she helped us? I’m hoping that our absence was noted because the guard was told to check on us at certain intervals. That my friend is in the clear.

There’s another rumble, further away this time. I stay down long after the sound of wings has abated. I remain until my limbs start to tighten. I have to be sure. If they find me here, they’ll know that Stephan is close, and then we’re screwed.

I pull my wings in and slowly stand. All of my senses are on high alert. What should I do now? How many search parties are out there? I’m still contemplating when I hear them again. They’re circling back. That, or it’s another group.

Crap!

I hunker back down, my mind in turmoil. Do they know that we’re here, or are they guessing? They’re probably patrolling