Page 38 of The Exiled Dragon

“No, this one is trained. Maybe we can have it trained to listen to us.”

“Doubt that. They stick to one master.”

“Quit getting ahead of yourselves,” the head guy spoke. If my neck could turn, I would get a better look at him, but unfortunately, that would not happen.

“We will find out why a human is here, alone and unmated. Mates are supposed to be the only humans allowed. Let’s take her to the tribe leader and find out what he wants to do.” All of them grunted as my eyes were forced closed.

I never slept, but my eyes were pushed down harshly. Some barbarian stuck his two fingers in my face to close them so I wouldn’t open them. My muscles were so heavy, that I couldn’t lift a finger if I wanted to, and my breathing had become labored. Feeling dizzy from being hung over the back of someone’s shoulder, I began to cough violently. At least my insides were still working.

“Put her down!” I was pushed to the ground quickly, knocking more breath from my lungs. My mouth, begging to open to grasp more air, was forcefully opened again, and a liquid was shoved down my mouth. Choking, and coughing, I felt the effects of the drug that made my muscles initially weak lessen, and I regained my ability to move.

Grasping my neck, I coughed more until I could fully take a breath. “What did you inject me with? You almost killed me!” I yelled out.

“Shit.” One stepped back, throwing the glass vial to the ground. The other men looked confused as I sat up, holding my arms around my knees.

“What is it?” One of the fair-skinned men came beside me, patting my back until his hand stopped mid-air, falling on his behind, scooting away.

The leader of the group came closer, sniffing around my body. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, I wrapped Creed’s cloak around my body. A frustrated groan ripped through him. “Could you not smell it!?” the leader hissed, pulling the pointy ear guy that held me through the forest.

“Smell what?” He rolled his eyes. “Just the stink of the soil and rogue.” The head of the group’s blackened braid swung to hit another in the face. “She has the Dragon’s smell, the Black Dragon.” The one that held me, who’ve I’ve dubbed the village ‘idiot’, shrugged his shoulders.

“THE Black Dragon, the Dragon,” he drawled, “with the disfigured face, the jealous brother of Alpha Adam of the Toboki Tribe, the undefeated fighter of the underground Shifter ring? His temper is ferocious, he kills everything in sight and gives no mercy to those who dare to challenge him. He’s wiped out thousands of rogues with a single blow of his breath.” The leader took a breath. “He is said to be so heartless he left his own tribe to burn to the ground, sitting off somewhere hearing the screams of his parents as they died in the fight to defend their tribe’s homes.”

My grip on my neck loosened, my eyes wide with bewilderment. This didn’t sound like Creed at all. This was not my Dragon.

“Worst of all, the Moon Goddess cursed him for even coming into this world, never allowing him to have a…” A punch to the shoulder came from another, scowling at him.

“That’s enough,” he hissed. “You are scaring the poor girl.”

“I’m not scared,” I stood up, staring him in the eye, “and the ‘Black Dragon,’” I held up quotation marks with my fingers, “has a name.” Wrapping my cloak around me, they continued to stare in amusement. “His name is Creed. He has done none of those things.”

“Oh, really?” a sassy brown-haired one jumped in front of the leader. “How would you even know? Most of this happened forty years ago, and I doubt you were even alive, right? Humans don’t live so long nor look as beautiful.” His finger goes up to trail my cheek, but I slap his hand. Chuckles were heard around the group.

“So, how is it that you lived?” the leader asked, crossing his arms. “Did you steal that cloak from him, or were you imprisoned?” I scoffed, giving him a frown.

“Neither. He rescued me! He’s been taking care of me, ensuring I’m all right since coming here,” I said confidently.

“Ah, she has fallen in love with her captor. I’ve seen this many times,” the sassy one rubbed his clean-shaven chin.

“What, no!”

“Stockholm Syndrome. I think that is what humans call it. I’ve seen their literature when visiting the Cerulean Moon Kingdom.” They all nodded, staring at me with sympathy.

“That is not it! He really saved me!” I argued, but the leader stopped me by laying a hand on my shoulder.

“Let’s talk about it more soon. My wife is excellent with medicinal herbs. Since you are mentally damaged, I think we should take her and her pet back with us. I’m sure she can produce something to make you forget this fake love spell he has on you.”

“No-”

“That’s enough now. I’m Jhaan, second in command of the Elven Territories,” the one in front of me spoke. The sassy one pushed him out of the way, bowing slowly, gripping the back of my hand, and placing a chaste kiss.

“And I’m Daine, the only other male elf you will need to know.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Odessa

Myeyestwitchedinannoyance. Daine’s hand came impossibly closer again, and I slapped it away. “I don’t need to know any of you. Let me and Fluffy go, and we will go back to our own territory.” Jhaan chuckled, nudging the village idiot who was tickling the little boy who said I smelled funny.

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