Page 17 of Captured By the Dragon Warlord

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“I have to go back to the mines. I need to…work…for the next twelve nova-hours,” Dexx says.

“I think you’ve done enough. You can get someone else to cover for you.”

“No,” Dexx snarls, suddenly animated. “I will work.”

He heaves himself out of the bath, water sluicing from his scales, running off his pants which cling to his muscular body like a second skin.

His wings stay resolutely shifted, meaning he has to clamp them against his body as he stomps out of the bathroom, a trail of water in his wake.

I follow, but I don’t say anything more. If this is how he deals with things, then it’s how he deals with things. I don’t want to admit to myself I’m out of my depth here. So, I stay silent.

As Dexx reaches the door, he grasps the edge of the frame with his huge claws and looks over his shoulder. His strong, serious face gazes at me.

“You looked beautiful for the celebration,” he says. “If we hadn’t already lost so much, I’d be ripping warriors apart just for looking at you.”

The doors snap shut and Dexx is gone.

I genuinely don’t know what to do with what he just tossed at me. The most un-warlord-like compliment, yet the most Sarkarnii thing he could have said.

I pick up my comm device.

Any advice on how to handle a growly Sarkarnii warrior?

Rosalie

Food

Maggie

Show him your tits

Lydia

Run away

Literally none of that is helpful. You know that, don’t you?

Kerra opens up a private chat with me.

You okay?

Yes

I contemplate what to say next. I told Dexx I hadn’t said anything to the others, and I wouldn’t, not unless it impacted them, and this is not their concern.

Dexx is like all the Sarkarnii rolled into one. Grumpy, demanding, insisting I’m his mate. But he just paid me a compliment, and I don’t know how I feel.

Kerra

A compliment?

He said he’d have ripped other warriors apart for looking at me.

Kerra

Oh. That sort of compliment.

It’s standard issue then?

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