Page 44 of Wings of Ashes
“Self-defense?” Nix scoffed. “What, because that’s the only fighting a female is expected to do?”
Ryker snorted and hid a smile from his gorgeous face, looking at the grass.
Matten cracked a smile at Nix and replied, “No, because the academy only allows self-defense combat.”
“Oh…okay then.”
18
CHAPTER
As soon as Professor Matten walked away to join the other students, Nix glared at Ryker.
Why?he wondered. He had done nothing. Said nothing.
Yet, she glared at him like she found his existence disgusting.
Ryker bit his inner cheek and took a deep breath. “Should start with—”
“No, thank you.”
Ryker lifted his arm to rub the back of his neck, not sure what to do next. Ryker did not have much experience in talking to women, let alone training a female one-on-one. Female dragons were near extinction, after all. And his mother had been taken from him at a young age.
“Did you justflexat me?” Nix, the woman Ryker had been thinking about for the last twenty-four hours, asked in an accusatory tone.
“No,” Ryker grunted.
Well, he had notmeantto flex at her. He guessed he did unconsciously flex just by moving his thick, muscled arms—
“I don’t know what kind of game you are playing here,” Nix said. “But I am not going to roll over because your arms have lickable veins and your dick is hugely noticeable through your shorts.”
Stunned, Ryker did not know what to say, but what was new there? He was not a talker.
Dragons could communicate telepathically with each other. Growing up, he had never needed to talk aloud about what he wanted, how he felt, anything.
But I wish I knew how to talk to her, he thought. She was clearly scared of him. And angry at him. Ever since Bael told her Ryker was a dragon, Ryker saw how on edge she was around him. She watched him closely, with suspicion and disdain. It bothered him.
“I know what you are,” she snarled at him.
Ryker bowed his head and nodded.
“Your kind are violent and vicious and evil. No wonder you can survive flames—you were meant for Hell just like your buddy.”
Ryker blew out a sharp breath as her words sucker-punched him in the gut. “You don’t…know me,” he said slowly.
“I don’t need to.” Nix’s eyes watered, and Ryker felt his heart squeeze in his chest at the idea of her rising tears. “We aren’t going to become friends. Or teacher and student. I will never accept help from a dragon.”
Utterly confused, Ryker asked, “Why?”
“Because I have no interest in learning how to be strong from the creature that will later hunt me for sport.” Nix crossed her arms over her chest. “You could specifically teach me things to leave me more vulnerable to your future attacks.”
“Attack,” Ryker repeated, baffled. She thought he wouldhurther?
Never hurt her, his inner instinct growled.
“Dragons are the reason I will never see my parents again,” she said. “Unless seeing ashes blown by the wind counts.”
Ryker exhaled.Shit. Nix’s parents had been killed by dragons? That…made no sense. “Dragons don’t attack—”
