Page 67 of Claimed by the Savage Dragons
I nod hesitantly.
The one on the right pinches the bridge of his nose. ‘That was a close one. Let’s take her to the Commander’s rooms before we get accused of stealing a claimed female, human or not. I’m not getting on the wrong side of Tor.’
His friend laughs. ‘You mean Brax, right?’
‘Nope,’ his friend mutters, pulling me along. ‘I mean Tor.’ He glances at his friend. ‘You’re too young to know. Tor was in the running for Commander once. Before the Fall. He was even more powerful than Morcai.’
‘If he was so strong, why didn’t he fight to be Commander then?’
The one on the right shrugs. ‘Never wanted it. Then, he left for a long time. When he came back he wasn’t the same drake.’
We get to a door and they both look at me expectantly. ‘This is you, Tribute. Open it.’
I look at them blankly.
‘I don’t have a key,’ I mutter, peering at the door and not seeing a hole. ‘How would I use one anyway?’
Then I see another of those black box things with the red light.
‘Jesus, call Dominick. He can let her in.’
The other one takes a phone out and punches some numbers.
‘It’s Seamus. Yeah I know what time it is. You missing a Tribute?’
He rolls his eyes and puts the phone away. ‘He’s coming.’
‘Thanks for your help,’ I say, trying not to think about what they might have done if they hadn’t realized who I was.
They both shrug and a moment later Dreythos’ aide comes striding down the corridor. He snarls as he waves the other two away and swipes a plastic card on the black box. The light turns green, and he pushes the door.
He pushes me inside. It’s not until the door closes that he growls at me. ‘Where the fuck have you been?’
‘Th-the kitchen,’ I stutter as he advances on me.
‘No, I mean after dinner. Someone was tasked with bringing you back here.’
‘I was washing dishes. All the others left. I was trying to find my way back.’
He slaps me hard across my face.
‘Don’t lie to me, underling!’ he hisses, grabbing me by my dress.
‘I’m not!’ I cry.
‘Bullshit! I’ve been tasked with your day to day life. Don’t fuck with me, Tribute, or you’ll find yourself punished severely.’
He hits me again, harder this time, and I fall to the floor, stunned.
And then he’s gone, and the door is clicking closed like I imagined the whole thing.
Breathing fast, I stay on the floor for a few minutes as I slowly come back to my senses. My head hurts and I wonder if it hit the floor when I fell. I stand slowly and awkwardly make it to the sofa I spied from the office earlier. Sinking down, I lay my head on the arm and close my eyes just for a minute.
As soon as I enter my apartments in the early hours of the morning, I know she’s there. I can smell her, Brax, and Tor’s scents permeating the space. But it’s what’s underneath that hasme taking a deep sniff of the air. I smelled this earlier in my office. I don’t know what it is, but it’s coming from her.
I stop short as I notice her lying on my couch.
For fuck’s sake, couldn’t Dominick at least spring for a cot in a corner somewhere? With a roll of my eyes, I drift closer, noting her slight form shivering in the thin slave dress the humans are supposed to wear.
