Page 28 of Queen Takes Queen
I couldn’t even see what the fuck he was after. Urgency hammered through our bond. Rik scrambled toward her, his fists slamming into the ground in rapid succession, but he was too far away. Smoke puffed with each breath I took, but I didn’t dare stream fire at her. She might be able to stand unharmed in my flame, but I wouldn’t know until it was toolate.
The hell horse lifted one platter-sized hoof and slammed it down on the ground with a satisfying crunch.:Done.:
I landed, chuckling out puffs of smoke. We came to her, automatically forming an arc of protection before our queen, mounted on a hell horse, and surrounded by a dragon, rock troll, warcat, wolf, raven, and now, another fuckingfurball.
:That’s grizzly, lizard..:The new Blood snarled in our queen’sbond.
I rolled my slitted eyes and puffed smoke in his direction, making Daire cough and the bear sneeze. Guillaume made a wheezing whinny that startled us all, until I realized he was actuallylaughing.
Crouching, I snapped my jaws, my tail lashing the ground. I’d never eaten a grizzly before, let alone a hell horse, but I was pretty sure they’d both make a tasty snack. At least a hell of a lot tastier than those nastyants.
Rik strode between us. He wrapped one rock-hard hand around my gullet, right below my bottom jaw, and squeezed, locking off my air. Fuck, when did he get so big? So strong? Even as a rock troll, he hadn’t been as big as Leviathan, but the dragon had serious doubts about escapingunscathed.
Which reminded me exactly how he’d pinned me last night. How hard he helped her fuck me. And yeah, my mood shifted mercurially fast tolust.
Shara slid down off Guillaume, holding onto his mane and leaning against him a moment to make sure she was steady. Daire pushed his head under her arm, and she leaned on him as she walked slowly towardus.
Toward Rik. Naturally. She always went to him first. I shouldn’t care. He was alpha. She ought to go to him first of all her Blood. But my tail snaked restlessly on the ground and I jerked my head up, trying to dislodge his grip. Impossible, really. Though I had totry.
She paused, leaning against my side. Concerned, I searched her bond. If she really was so weak that only walking a few paces exhausted her, she’d never be up for taking out another much-older queen. The kind of power she’d need to master Keisha Skye, let alone MarneCeresa…
But her bond felt fine. Much better than before. Her skin was coated with dying, flaking blood, but the awful wound in her chest had finallyhealed.
She leaned. Against me. Leviathan. King of thedepths.
For comfort. Safety.Affection.
All things I felt in herbond.
Mixed with a healthy dose of amusement, granted, but compassion and understanding aswell.
Her alpha released my throat so I could return thataffection.
I curled up around her and lay on the ground, using my tail to lift her up off the dead ant carcasses and shredded earth. Rumbling deep in his chest, Daire hopped up beside her. Uncaring that he lay on top of a mean, vicious, terribledragon.
And somehow I was completely okay withthat.
11
Shara
For all theirimmense strength and protective instincts, each of my Blood had a vulnerable side. Mehen didn’t allow any weakness to show. In his mind, hopes and dreams and hurt feelings were only weaknesses that he refused to admit to anyone, certainly himself. He might be the biggest, oldest dragon in history, but he was still shaken at having a new Blood make an appearance. Even if he didn’t quite realize ithimself.
As Daire had needed some reassurance when Guillaume first came to me, so did Mehen. Only he acted like a fucking jerk instead of letting me see that he needed someaffection.
:I wasn’t a fucking jerk,:he retorted in my head, though he made no move to dislodge me or Daire from resting on hisside.
Still purring, Daire had his head in my lap, pretending to be asleep, though every now and then his tail tapped the dragon’s hideplayfully.
:So you didn’t threaten to eat two of myBlood?:
His side rose beneath us with his breathing.:I was joking:His side sank down, a gentle rocking motion that would quickly put me to sleep.:Mostly.:
Nevarre hopped closer, still in his raven form. Before he could give me an update, I said,:Thank your friends for us. They’ve been immenselyhelpful.:
:They’re the ones who’re grateful.:He replied.:Many of them would like to stay in the new trees you’ve grown, if you don’tmind.:
:It’s up to the trees, but I’d love to have any of the birdsstay.:
