Page 73 of Monsters of Air

“Back up Zilon or I’ll have no choice to rip your head off,” Philit growled out.

Zilon snorted. “Doubt you’ll succeed.”

By the goddess, this was going nowhere fast. Stupid men!

Philit straightened, his wings ruffling behind him. “Do not test me right now. What happened to the two of you should have been impossible. I can feel it. That connection. My dragon wants to burn the world down.”

“What happened to hating me?” I snarled, dropping my hands from the two of them and sending them stumbling forward. It was enough to pull his focus, at least for a minute.

“You are my bonded. My rider. I cannot hate you,” Philit’s voice was that same gravelly softness it had been right after I had ridden him for the first time. It almost melted me. Almost. “I realize that now.”

I batted the hand away that had been trying to brush down my cheek.

“What kind of cock measuring contest is this?” I yelled, stepping back. “You all want me, or don’t want me,” I said, facing Landers and Philit in turn. “But the second someone else gets me,” a gesture to Zilon, “It’s all fury or jealousy. Landers got his cock in a knot because he couldn’t have me, and now you are trying to act like you wanted me all along because someone else has me. I’m not something to claim!”

“My dragon has–” Philit began, I stopped him with a growl.

“You don’t get to fuck me with your dragon spines and lay claim. This isn’t lick it and it’s mine. I’m not a toy.” Both Zilon and Philit blanched at the mention of what exactly their dragon’s do to connect to a rider, Landers however perked up, taking a wide step closer.

“You know, I did see you first,” he began, straightening the front of his pants, and his cock that was swelling there. “I demand a chance too. To see if she can bond with me too.”

“Did you even listen to what I said?” I groaned, no one listened.

“Fuck no.” Zilon and Philit both responded to Landers, moving so that they were between me and Landers.

“Why not?” Landers asked, eyes growing dangerously dark as his tail whipped around behind him in agitation. He looked like he was ready to shift. “How is this fair?”

“This isn’t about fairness,” Zilon said. “Did you hear anything she just said? Rayna isn’t some kind of cattle to be passed around. She’s a rider, someone to be treasured. Do not talk about her like she isn’t worth anything.”

Okay, I guess someone did listen. No surprises it was Zilon.

“So you guys both get a chance with her and I get nothing?” Landers growled out. “That’s bullshit and you know it. What? Afraid she’ll come to me and realize she doesn’t need either of you? Maybe that’s why she bonded with the two of you, because both of you aren’t enough and she needs a real dragon.”

Philit was there in front of him in a moment, holding Landers’ neck and lifting him off the ground.

“By the goddess. Will you put him down?” I grumbled. I probably wouldn’t have said anything except Landers’ face was growing red as he tried to claw his way free. Philit wasn’t budging.

“I suggest you watch what you say, Landers. I have killed plenty of Fae, so don’t think I’m incapable of twisting your neck right this moment. Do not talk about Rayna like that ever again. Not once have you shown her any respect, what makes you think you’re worthy of her?”

“At least I didn’t reject her,” Landers gasped out, his voice broken and scratched from the pressure. He had chosen the wrong this to say.

Philit slammed his fist into Landers face before letting him fall to the ground. Landers landed in a heap, tail and wings fluttering as he drew in wheezing breath.

“You know it’s the truth,” Landers said between gasps. Because of course he had to go and make things worse.

Philit’s rage erupted in my chest, but so did a panic that didn’t belong to either of them.

“Enough!” I shoved Philit aside with every bit of strength I had. He didn’t move, but he did twist away from Landers at least. “You all have big cocks, and you are all jealous of where others have put your dicks. I get it. Now can we stop acting like kids fighting over sticks and focus on the bigger picture?”

I was screeching, my hair fanning around me in both wind and fury. They all turned, eyes wide. They were looking at me with a mixture of awe and concern, but I really didn’t care as long as they stopped their fighting.

“What do you mean ‘the bigger picture’?” Philit asked. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. He really had been focused on laying his claim if he hadn’t even stopped to think about this.

“No one fucking knows anything about being a dragon and rider. I was able to bond with both Philit and Zilon, but from what we’ve been told that shouldn’t be possible.” I paused, all of them were staring at me. “But Landers, you are a complete bastard, and I’m not going to ride you in any shape or form, not until you stop being a bastard. Get over yourself. That is where I stand, and that is all that matters in these decisions. No one else gets to speak up for me. I don’t care who the fuck you are or what standing you have or what knowledge you think you know.” I glared hard at Philit who was already ready to speak up with some kind of rebuttal. “As far as I know, we all know shit. Until we get to the academy and get some real answers, we’ll only continue to know shit. I refuse to die because you guys can’t seem to pull your shit together and keep fighting over me, rejecting me, or getting pissed that someone other than you found their way up my skirts. I’ll fuck all of, or I’ll fuck none of you. But that’s my choice. So, sort your shit out.”

I waited for some apology, or acknowledgement, but they all stared at me.

I threw my hands up, growling in frustration and stomped into the woods. I needed space from them. All of them. I was tired and hurt from it all, my emotions swinging from one end of the spectrum to the other, and all while I never get a chance to take it in and understand it all. I should be over the moon about having a dragon, about experiencing my first ride. But I wasn’t, not for either of them. That was the worst part of it all.

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