Page 3 of Not a Tribute

Around us, the sounds of the forest fade. I don’t hear the roars from the other Alphas’ dragons or the screams of the remaining females, they fade into nothing until all I can hear is the steady heartbeat of the female before me. For a moment neither of us move, hell, I don’t even think we breathe, both of us waiting for the other to make the first move. And then my dragon does something he never has before.

He bows.

Chapter Two

Seline

The Alpha is advancing on me, forcing me to retreat until my back hits the rough bark of a massive tree. I can see the lust in his dark gaze, and I know he will take what he wants from me. He will easily overpower me with his larger size and there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it.

“Don’t fight me, female. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Liar,” I hiss. “You would love nothing more than to hurt me.”

The dark smile that graces his face has pure, unfiltered fear roaring through me. This man means to cause more than harm, he wants to decimate me, perhaps even kill me. No one will even know where to look for my body, not that there is anyone left to care. I know I need to run but I also know I will never be able to get away from him, not with my injuries.

As I stare at him, I see a stunning green and gold dragon emerge from between the trees. I watch as his massive form moves closer to the Alpha before he grabs him from behind and rips him in two, separating his torso from his lower half. Blood sprays everywhere, coating me in the warm crimson liquid. A strange sort of calm settles over me as I stare up at the gigantic beast before me, his golden gaze searing and locking me in place.

My heartbeat calms back to normal as he breathes smoke through his nostrils, his imposing form looming over me. I feel inexplicably drawn to him, wanting to touch this magnificent beast. Never have I felt the need to be close to any Alpha or a damn dragon, but now I must fight the urge to approach this stranger.

“Who are you?” I ask, my voice nothing but a whisper.

He doesn’t reply and doesn’t shift to his human form. All he does is stare. For long moments neither of us do anythinguntil the enormous beast bows before me. I don’t understand what is happening, nothing makes sense.

I’ve never heard of an Alpha bowing to a female, much less in his dragon form. I must be delirious. My father strangled me, and between the lack of oxygen and my injury, I must be imagining things.

I watch as the magic shimmers over his form, his dragon flickering in and out of reality before my eyes as he shifts back to his human form. Before me now stands a man I have seen before. He is one of the richest and most powerful Alpha Nobles of this generation.

Liam Virago.

He is beautiful in his Alpha power. Dark hair that hangs below his shoulder blades, a muscular frame with broad shoulders and thick thighs, and tattoos that pepper his arms and torso. He is as naked as the day he was born, and I cannot help but let my gaze take in his entire physique, including the impressive erection straining in my direction from between his muscular thighs.

“What are you?” he asks, his deep voice curling around my insides and squeezing.

“I’m Seline,” I reply.

“Not who, female. What?”

“I … I don’t understand the question,” I stammer. I can’t seem to form a cohesive sentence with him glaring at me.

“I could smell you for miles. You have bewitched my dragon.”

I shake my head as he strides up to me, my back pressed harder against the rough bark of the tree behind me. I stare up into his dark gaze waiting for him to say or do something.

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Not a fucking word. I want you to do what females are made for—submit, and spread your thighs,” he replies, sendingfear running through my system once more while arousal simmers in the background.

“I don’t belong here. I didn’t offer as a tribute for the hunt,” I interject, praying I will be able to appeal to him. “He forced me to be here.”

He frowns, glaring down at me. “Why would anyone do such a thing? Tributes are easy enough to find.”

I want to laugh at the fact he believes any female is here of her own free will. I want to say something, but he presses his torso against me, and I can’t hold back the hiss of pain. My side screams in defiance of the pressure. He takes my face in his hand harshly as he continues to stare.

“What is the matter with you? Why do you smell like burnt flowers?”

Flowers? What the fuck is he talking about? It takes me a moment, but I remember something my mother once said. A fated mate would smell different than any other living being, an enticing scent that cannot be denied, no matter what. But that can’t be what is happening here. Can it?

Risking a chance, I take his hand and gingerly place it on the burn my father caused. “I smell like that because he burned me.”