All eyes are on the sway of her hips as she walks to the center of the training room. Up close, I realize it’s her hair that’s white, so bright it appears to glow.

When she speaks, it goes straight to my cock, the sultry sound low and inviting. “Congratulations, boys, on making it through the first night on the guard. It’s no easy feat. Now you’ve had a taste of the rut and experienced the pull it can have on your wolves. Tonight, we will begin our first lessons in controlling your wolves so that you can withstand its pull.”

The dragon looks around the group of gathered wolves. Some of the idiots snort and snicker, boasting about being the one to ride the dragon. The silent wolf who always watches seethes in the corner, his low, menacing growl rolling through the room.

The longer she assesses us, the more the room grows restless. Wolves shift uncomfortably and clear their throats. Still, she doesn’t speak. Only her eyes survey the space, her dragon’s sight sharp.

After what feels like an eternity, her light eyes, almost golden, narrow in on me. “Boy. Come here.”

Fuck me sideways.

I step through the small crowd and awkwardly stand in front of her.

So low that I have to lean in to hear, she asks, “Is it true you made yourself nose plugs?”

Shit. I don’t know what the rules are, and last night, I was only thinking of making it to morning.

“Answer me,” she says with a lift of her brow.

I nod, nervous about opening my mouth and letting something stupid fall out.

Her lips twitch. “Clever.”

Her fingernails rake over my shoulder and down my back as she circles me, her gaze curious.

I don’t have a fully formed wolf. He is a phantom in my mind, little nudges of instinct. Standing like prey before a dragon causes every one of those half-formed instincts to rise. There should be fear, and there is, along with a healthy dose ofdon’tfuck up in front of the new boss, but more than anything, my dumbass wolf wants me to throw myself at her and beg her to let me worship her body.

She finishes circling me, pressing a singular red nail into my chest. The sharp tip digs into my skin as she drags it up my throat. The golden liquid fire in her eyes dances in amusement, and my stomach swoops with nerves.

“Is that a banana in your pocket?”

Of all the things she could have said, that’s what she asked? I know it’s the rut hash this witch has us smoking, but I’ve never been more convinced that this is the woman of my dreams. She’s got me in her sex dungeon, a crowd of wolves about to piss themselves in terror, and she leads with a bad joke?

“You’ve been around a long time, and that's the best line you’ve got?” I lob back sarcastically.

She swallows a half-formed laugh, her lips tugging into a small smile and those eyes dancing again. “No, actually, why is there a banana in your pocket?”

That’s it. From here on out, my new life goal is to get this woman to make a full belly laugh. “Henry likes me, and I like snacks?”

“Is that so?” She raises her brow. “Strip.” Those plush lips quirk. “Leave the banana.”

I obey her command. The only sounds in the room are the rustling of my clothes and the sharp clack of her heels against the stone floor. She busies herself with the torture tools, and my dick jumps, watching her walk back with some kind of steel object.

She speaks to the whole room this time. “The wolf guard at Frenzy is caged for the length of their training. That means your cock is mine. Think seriously about whether you wish to continue.”

My pulse relocates to my balls, imagining just what it would be like for her to own my cock. I don’t have to imagine much. My dick was ready to swear allegiance to the dragon as soon as she walked into the room.

Her golden gaze lands on me, that small lift still tugging at the corner of her lips. “You seem ready for me to demonstrate, wolf?”

“A beautiful dragon just said she’s going to play with my cock. Who can blame me?” I shrug, unable to get the grin off my face.

One of the wolves from the crowd grumbles, “Like an actual cage? For my dick? How do I fuck or take a piss?”

The dragon wraps a small hand around my hard cock, tugging me forward. The contact is a jolt to my system. She squeezes the head, rubbing her thumb back and forth along my weeping slit.

She talks to the crowd as she holds me in her tight grip, but I can’t focus. I know it’s important. She’s explaining shit I probably need to know, but every hair, every muscle, is strained, tense, waiting for her to glide her hand down my dick. I want her to squeeze, to throw me on the floor, to fuck me until the fire she’s ignited smolders to ashes. She gives me nothing but the tight, still hold and her slow stroke back and forth along the head.

It's torture, beautiful fucking torture.