Page 4 of Risking Her Heart

It’s not a threat, only a simple statement, but his imposing size and presence make it threatening, whether by intention or not.

“But our water!” Dan exclaims, shaking his head as he takes a step back.

His voice is tight. I get it. We are royally screwed without that source of water, but rampaging about isn’t going to fix anything either. The anger drains out of him and as it does it looks as if he collapses in on himself. He raises his hands and drops them once again then turns and slowly walks towards the ship without another word.

The Zmaj watches him leaving as do the rest of us. The sensation of being lost and alone almost overwhelms me. Despite the brightness of the two red suns beating down on us, glaring off the sands, the world becomes darker. As if the fiery suns are burning away hope and with it the light that it should bring.

A shadow falls across me again, cooling, and I turn. The Zmaj has moved back close. He smiles his crooked grin and motions with one hand towards the ship. The weight of how screwed we are eases, doesn’t go away, but his easy smile makes it feel likeit doesn’t matter as much. I shrug and take the lead back to the ship.

I hear the others following along though I don’t turn to look. They can do what they’re going to do. I may not be part of the Council that rules the day-to-day life on the ship, but I am at least partly responsible for what happened.

It feels so natural I almost don’t think about it, but the Zmaj is walking at my side. Strange how he seems to fit there in such a way that it doesn’t even seem like a thing. He literally saved my life, laid a claim on me with one word, and we haven’t even exchanged names. Talk about moving fast.

I watch him out of the corner of my eye. He has an easygoing stride that is full of confidence and certainty. His wings rustle as he walks, making a leathery raspy sound. His tail drags on the sand and the two sounds together make his strides almost musical. He glances and catches me looking.

“Treasure,” he says, flashing that oh-too-sexy crooked grin.

I’m suddenly shy. My cheeks warm and I can’t meet his gaze, no matter how good-looking and attractive he is. I drop my eyes and murmur something that isn’t quite words. What am I doing? What am I thinking? He chuckles which makes me blush even harder.

The ship comes closer without either of us saying anything. I’m in this strange place of feeling absolutely comfortable with him yet conflicting with that is this idea that I shouldn’t be. How am I? Is this the after-effects of the adrenaline rush? I almost died. In truth, by all rights, I should be dead.

As we enter the shade cast by the ship, I work up the courage to look at him again. He sees it or senses my gaze or somethingbecause he immediately turns his head and there is that crazy smile, flashing like a brilliant star calling me home.

“I, uh…” I lose my train of thought. I had a plan, all nice and fully formed, but it is gone. I’m left stammering. Blank and stupid.

“Treasure?”

Does he not speak Common? Ah, shit. What if we can’t talk? I haven’t bothered trying to learn the Zmaj language. It seems hard. All those weird sounds and dragging ‘s’es, what am I supposed to do with all that?

“Yeah, uh… hi. Uhm. So,” I stammer.I am making a real shit show of this. Come on!“You speak Common? Human?”

“Little,” he responds, holding up one hand with his index and thumb a couple of inches apart. “You. Treasure.”

He points at me and then presses his hand to his heart. Great. Really helpful. I get it. He’s laying a claim, but how about a name first? Yes, my body very much wants to bang him, got it. But I’m not that kind of girl. I am not going to fuck a guy when I don’t even know his damn name.

“I’m Kat… Katarina,” I say, pointing to myself, then pointing at him. “You?”

“Katssss….” he says, mutilating the short of my name and adding an s sound.

I close my eyes because for some reason it grates on my nerves. I force my eyes open and put a smile on my face.

“No. Just Kat,” I emphasize the ending with a ‘tuh’ sound.

He frowns for only an instant then the smile is back, and he nods.

“Kat-tuh,” he says, emphatically.

“Close enough,” I say. “Now. You? Your name?”

“Zas-tu,” he says, pressing one hand to his chest. “Name. Zas-tu.”

“Zas-tu,” I say, sounding it out. He nods with enthusiasm. “Good. Uhm. Thank you?”

I don’t mean it as a question, but as I try to give him my thanks for saving me, I wonder if he understands the words that make it come out that way.

“Yesss,” he says, ending on a hiss, that wide smile on his face.

My heart skips, my stomach knots, and my pussy all but vibrates with need and desire. This is trouble. Of that, there is no doubt.

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