Page 20 of Smoke and Moon

Mate, Aodh had called her.Does the dragon see me in the same way?How will I know if I have its approval?

“Oof.”The sound toppled out when the dragon bumped against her belly, knocking Kai back a few steps.“Hey!”She gave him a look, one that her mother would give to her and her sister when they were acting out of order.It usually made them get in line real quick.

It was apparent to her that the beast was unperturbed by her admonishing tone because he did it again.

“Oof, ah!”This time his head-butting knocked her on her ass.Staring up from the floor, she scowled at the giant guy.“I’d tell you to use your words, but since you don’t seem to have any, we need to figure out how you can get your point across.”

Like one of the stray dogs she would encounter around the district, the beast tilted its head and seemed to give her a perplexed look, as if trying to comprehend her words as its features furrowed a bit between the eyes.

Kai got up to her feet and dusted off her sore backside.This time, she caught his advancing movement and quickly put her hands out, pressing them against the center of his top lips.“No!”

Instead of growling or proceeding to butt against her again, the beast did something she didn’t expect.It bowed its head, resting its gigantic chin on the floor at her feet, then turned left and right as if rubbing along her palms.

The urge to touch him assailed her again.A part of her felt like maybe he also wanted her to do it.Slowly, she slid her hands up along his snout between his gaping nostrils.Thick, coarse leather was the feel of the dragon’s skin.Beneath her palm, it felt impenetrable, like tough as armor.

The beast stunned her again when he laid down on the floor, not only his head but he pressed his underbelly to the ground as well.Even his tail stopped swishing around.Which she was very thankful for since she didn’t want to be impaled or sliced in two by it.

Not lifting her hands away, she stepped to the side and glided along his top lip.She prayed he didn’t open his mouth because she wasn’t ready to be up close and personal with his teeth just yet.His eye closest to her tracked her.She kept her actions slow, not wanting to make any sudden movements.

She dragged her hands closer to the flat circular nodules along the side of his head as she continued.

“Wow, you are one amazing bea— dragon.” She wasn’t trying to offend the massive reptile.

She saw the intense amethyst change to his irises.It fascinated her that the dragon showed his emotions similar to Aodh and his people, but not by flames.And there weren’t any changes to his scales.

Kai realized the beast was offering her a bit of trust when she saw his lid lower as if he were enjoying her touch.

Feeling bolder, she sailed along his side, stroking his broad neck.Then she came in contact with the dense, broad scales covering all his body but his head and wings.By their looks, they were as sharp as a blade.They reminded her of Aodh’s sword that had seemed to cleave through the forest floor as she dragged it behind her.She made sure she petted him in the direction his scales lay.

Now, his wings were folded against his frame but were huge and collapsed, so she could imagine how expansive they would be in flight.She wanted to see him fly one day.There was a horn at the tip of his wing, and since she could not reach the others on top of his head, even with his head resting on the floor, she stepped closer to him and wrapped both her hands around the bulky extension and rubbed up and down feeling the smooth areas in between the roughened spots.

Suddenly, the dragon’s enormous body shook like a shiver had run through him.When she did it again, his mass quaked against her.

Kai laughed.“You like that, do you?”

A rumble sounded within his chest.

She’d take that as affirmative.She stepped around the beast’s big feet with onyx-colored talon-like nails.She figured they could separate marrow from bone with one slice.Kai allowed her fingers to dance over his wings.She would have thought that because his hide was so impervious, perhaps his wings were thin or frail, but that wasn’t the case.They were supple and had some give to them, but they were still highly durable.

She couldn’t go far since he took up so much of the space, but she continued to study him.When she turned and began the trip back toward his front, she became caught in the dragon’s gaze again.This time, his eyes were Aodh’s color once again.

She wasn’t sure when he’d inched his head around to stare at her, but he faced her.

“So, what’s it going to be?”She stepped to the side, no longer touching him.“You going to flambe me or accept me?”

The dragon seemed to respond to her words.All of a sudden, he rose and shifted around.Amazingly, he moved his body in the tight space like it was nothing.

She felt stalked.Kai wanted to stand her ground, but he kept advancing on her, causing her to step back so as not to be crushed under his heavy feet, knocked on her ass again by his head, or, even worse, gouged by his spear-like tail.When her back was to the glass door of the patio, which she now understood why it was enormous, she stopped.There wasn’t anywhere else to go unless she ran out to the balcony and leaped off the ledge.

She refused to do that.So, she waited for the beast’s next move.

The dragon whipped its head to the side toward the living room, and then, in a flash and without preamble, he shot a stream of fire into the grate.Turning back to her, he pulled his lips back into a creepy, sharp, toothy...grin.

Kai’s heart pounded, and she wondered for a moment if his docile persona had been all an act to draw her in and catch her unaware.“So, I guess you’ve opted for eating me instead.”

Aodh said he was there and he would be with her.But, right now, seeing canary-colored eyes surveying her, the man she was beginning to fall for seemed so far away.

When the beast didn’t snap her head off but continued to observe her, Kai dug deep for every ounce of bravery she had left after the day she’d had.She took one step, then two, and finally, a third away from the glass, and said, “If you’re going to make me your snack, let’s get it over with.”She placed her hands on her hips and stuck out her chest.“I know I’ve got some curves, but try and make it over in one bite.”

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