Page 13 of Don't Fae With Dragons

Max smirks. “I think once the faery has had his way with her, I’ll go to town and bed her. Since, well, you apparently won’t. I anyway wanted to venture into town, rules are meant to be broken, eh!” He takes a few taunting steps towards me, and my fists clench furiously at my sides. He glances down at them and smiles wider, apparently relishing my rage. “What did you say her name was, Port? Milica?”

“Milica?” I say, stunned at the sudden revelation that they’ve talked about her behind my back and know her name.

“He had a wet dream about her in the bathing chambers. Didn’t you, Port?”

Port’s gone pale, but still nods at Max’s encouragement. I swivel my head to face him. “That’s the side you’re taking, then? Your dear Maximillian’s?”

“It’sMaxenthius, you madman,” Max laughs.

At that, I lunge for him, throwing us both across the hall and tackling him into a far wall. The wall splinters around us and we fall to the floor. Max crumples for a moment, out of breath, and I whirl around to face Port. “Well? Have at me, then!”

It’s clear that Port is recognizing the error of taking Max’s side, but he shifts into his dragon form nonetheless (his eyes wide with fear all the while). I morph into my own dragon form, then, scales hard with righteous fury. I stretch quickly, and they click into place all along my spine and shoulders.

Max calls to Port, “Get him, fool!” and Port launches into a sprint towards me. I fling him over my shoulder easily, dragging a wide gash into his shoulder as I do. Port cries out in pain as I see Max’s dragon form flinging itself at me. I roll my eyes and swiftly dodge, letting him slam himself into a slab of obsidian. Splinters of black rock fly everywhere, and I launch myself across the room to evade them. Max cries out “Godsdamnit!” as shards bury themselves in his arms and legs.

“You forget yourselves, fools! I am the ruler of this volcano. You cannot best me!”

At that, Max laughs raucously, and rips a glassy fragment of obsidian from his shoulder. “Doubtful!” he cries out.

Enough dodging,I decide.Time for destruction.I let out a vicious roar and sling a pillar of flames at Max.

“Oh, I’m in a fix!” he screams as he barely dodges in time. I spin around to face Port (who’s foolishly running to attack me) and kick him ferociously in the gut. He flies back into the wall and crumples to the ground. I’m not satisfied, though, not while they’re still conscious. I go to Port and slam a wing into him, sending him flying down the hallway. He slams into Max and the two of them topple to the ground, an embarrassing mess of scales and wings.

“You look like morons,” I growl.

Max stands, leaving Port lying prone on the ground. It’s clear that he’s injured, but he hasn’t given up yet. “Let’s have it out,” he says. “You haven’t beat me yet.”

“Your imminent loss is not an excuse to be late to dinner,” I taunt. “Be there on time, or reap the consequences. It won’t be pretty.”

Max seethes, his scales pricking up. “We’re not children.”

“You act like them.”

He hurls flames at me, but I anticipated as much –I press my wings down sharply and fly easily above them before landing on top of him. I throw down one hard punch, and he’s on the ground. He breathes shallowly, but he stares up at me anyways. His eyes are wide as I say, “Never speak of the faery girl that way again. She ismine.” Then I punch him once more, and he falls unconscious.

I look at Port and Max’s slumped dragon forms as they slowly morph back into humans, and quietly smirk. I didn’t mind fighting them, to be honest. They’re decent opponents, although I’d never admit it. Luckily for me, if they’re late to dinner, I’ll get to beat them once more.

–––

A few hours later, Port and Max practically crawl to the dining hall. I raise my glass to them, laughing at their state. They’re both bruised and scraped, but I don’t regret it –someone has to rule the house, after all. Better it’s me.

“Don’t laugh,” Port almost whimpers. “It hurts.”

“Need I remind you that you did this to yourselves?” I ask, cocking an eyebrow.

Max rolls his eyes, but shrugs as if to say,You’re not wrong.At the conciliatory gesture, I smile warmly and gesture for them both to sit. Max looks skeptical, but I motion again, and he and Port both take their seats.

“Relishing your victory, then?” Max asks, smirking self-deprecatingly.

I shake my head, smiling. “I relished the battle more than anything. You’re decent fighters. I haven’t fought alphas in a very long time. I’m lucky to have ... met you.” Port chokes on his wine and I laugh. Even Max is wide-eyed. Better to ask them my question now, while they’re taken aback, than later. So I ask, “Have you two ever had a pack?”

They look at each other, neither of them speaking for a moment. Eventually, Port looks at me and shakes his head. There’s a certain sadness in his eyes. I humph quietly and sip my wine, waiting for one of them to speak.

When neither of them does, I say, “Well, that’s a surprise.”

“Why?” Max asks, incredulous.

“I think you’d be good to have around, is all. You seem loyal to each other, you can fight, and now–” I smirk “–that you know you can’t beat me in combat, you’re sure to not challenge my status as the Alpha leader.”

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