Page 3 of Dragons' Bride
Hauck braces his shoulder against the door and licks his canines. The sharp teeth glisten for a moment, sending a shot of arousal through me. I remember what those teeth can do, the sensation they can send along my skin. And other parts. Stars. Before I met the dragon princes I’d have laughed at a suggestion that sharp canines could be anything but terrifying. Now I just press my thighs together discreetly and hope that Hauck can’t scent me.
“I brought a present for you,” Hauck purrs, bringing out a box from behind his back. “I can’t leave without giving it to you.”
Oh no. No no no. Before we left the last major town, Hauck had mentioned gettingtraining aidsto help my body stretch enough to accept the dragons inside me. Our anatomies weren’t incompatible, but it did require preparation – something that Cordelia had, and I needed to get on board with. Hauck had not brought his shopping plans up since, but the threat thereof was alive and well inside my mind, no matter how many miles we covered on horseback.
I really did not want to see what was inside the carved box in his hands. Ever. And certainly not with Nora watching.
“Get out.” I shove Hauck’s chest, only to meet with a wall of solid muscle. “Out.”
He rocks back slightly in clear appeasement, but doesn’t move his feet one inch. His smile grows. The bastard knows exactly what I’m thinking. Holding the box in front of him, but too high for me to reach, he flips open the front latch and pulls up the lid.
2. KIT
Isqueak and close my eyes, which is admittedly pathetic as far as defensive measures go. The sound of the box’s top opening rattles through my bones.
Nora gasps. Apparently, whatever Hauck has commissioned is outrageous enough to spook even the fae.
"These are beautiful. I've never seen anything like them,” says Nora.
My eyes snap open. Still grinning, Hauck holds a velvet-lined box where a necklace, three bracelets, and a pair of hair barrettes sparkle atop the velvet lining. Stars take me, calling the set beautiful is like calling the ocean damp. At first glance, the design looks like a bouquet, with large diamonds and emeralds thoughtfully surrounded by golden leaves. But when I look closer, I realize that the intricate leaves are actually dragon scales. And when I take a step back from the box to take in the set as a whole, the shape of a golden dragon with green eyes emerges in earnest.
I’ve never seen anything like it, not even on the visiting nobility.
"You look surprised, turnip," says Hauck.
"These are... amazing.” I reach out and pull my hand back, afraid to touch the gems.
"Of course, they are amazing. I chose them, after all.” Hauck squints and pulls them up out of my reach. “You know, from that look on your face, perhaps you were expecting me to have something else for you?"
Rut.
I swallow, trying to fight back the heat that is burning my cheeks again. “I never know what to expect from you, Hauck.”
He licks his canines and leans forward. “Hmm… Perhaps you are disappointed that I've brought things to go around your neck and not between your legs?"
The burn along my cheeks flashes through my entire body. Is it possible to die of humiliation? Worse yet, the prince’s words are making my treacherous body needy. Enough so that I have to shift from foot to foot, desperately trying to ease the ache. I think I’m discrete about it, but my scent must give everything away, because Hauck looks like he is enjoying this game more with every bloody moment.
He leans down to whisper into my ear. "Don't worry, I have something for between your legs as well. But this seems more appropriate for the captain's dinner."
“I’m going to murder you,” I whisper back, though I know Nora hears both sides of the exchange just fine. “As soon as I figure out how.”
“I look forward to it,” he says.
I collect what’s left of my dignity and let him place the box into my hands. It feels strange to take the jewelry. I have never held anything so valuable before in my life, not even at the lord's house. This whole box is worth more than I am many times over.
“What was that thought?” Hauck asks.
I shake my head. “Just that this… it’s too much Hauck.”
“I’m a prince of Massa’eve,” says Hauck. “Why should my gifts reflect anything else?”
“Because I’m not –”
“But you are,” says Hauck. “Whatever you were going to claim, you are that. And more. Now, go get dressed before I lose my patience and we skip right to the other box I brought aboard.”
That snaps me out of my temporary trance. I shove Hauck out into the corridor and close the door in his face. “Rutting prince.”
When I turn back to Nora, her face is pale and she stares at me with widened eyes. "You mustn’t speak to him like that, my lady. Not to any of the princes. Do you have any idea of what they can do?”
