Page 7 of The Exiled Dragon

"Well, I can't call you ‘big boy’ now, can I?" I chuckled, and his eyes lit up in surprise, and he shook his head. "Should I come up with a name for you?" He blew some air through his nose, his brows furrowed. He didn't like the idea, but I couldn't call him, "hey you!"

I scratched my chin, thinking carefully. "I'll call you Prince Charming, Prince for short," I decided. He had rescued me from the tree, cleaned me, fed me, and given me a bed to sleep in. I felt like he did nothing but save the defenseless woman. He had a heart of gold, I felt it.

Prince's hips bent over while he held his sides. His voice let out a cough-growl noise, and his mouth opened wide. Laughing! He was laughing. The loudness of his voice caught me off guard; it was deep and guttural, and the animal by the bed took cover under the table. The fuzzy creature didn't like it.

My smile from watching both Prince and his pet hurt my face. I couldn’t remember the last time I had smiled; these muscles hadn't been used in so long. Touching my lips, I patted it, feeling the slightly chapped skin. Things were going to be all right. From here on out, they would be.

Once I was healed, I'd find a new home in this strange place. I wouldn't be able to rely on Prince for long.

Prince walked over to me, his hand almost shaking. His eyes were even glassy. Pointing to my hand with his heavily calloused one, I nodded. I lifted it and placed it in his. Rough fingertips brushed against my palm. It was soothing, warm, and had a hint of tingle. His eyes stared, fascinated with it, but I couldn't see what was so amazing. "I have four fingers and a thumb, same as you," I spoke.

He was a beast. His body was immense; he may stand close to seven feet tall. Along with his tattooed skin, it was different. It looked hard, not just with muscles; it was a thick skin, lizard-like, almost scaly, just like when you don't put on enough lotion in the wintertime. His tattoos hugged his body; many did, in fact, cover large holes, lines, and bites. He must be a great hunter to withstand some of these wounds.

My fingers absentmindedly trailed one of his deep scars, hidden beneath the ink of his skin. Prince's body stiffened, sucking a breath in. I should stop, but my hand had a mind of its own. It traced his pectoral muscle, going upwards around his shoulder and then to his neck. The scar was huge; he shouldn't have survived such an attack, whatever it was. It was deep; his swallowing motions were labored while he watched me.

Prince hadn't pushed me away while I continued to trace right to his lip. His face was bronzed with the wind and sun when he looked down at me. There were unspoken words between us. A mutual understanding. At the same time, I had traced his scars, he was touching my hand and my arm. His finger was touching each one of the Vampire marks on my skin. It hurt to know they were there; I assumed Prince thought the same when I traced my finger across his chest and face.

"I think you have been through more than I have," I whispered. "Are you all right now? Does it hurt?" He shook his head. Beginning to take my hand down, he gently took it in his and put it back to his face, cupping his cheek. The eyes that I thought to be dark were actually deep rustic honey. This man was lonely; he didn't have anyone. I knew what that felt like, but he had felt it much longer than I had.

The warmth of his hand calmed me until we heard a growl from his furry pet. Prince stood up hurriedly and clicked his tongue several times. The beast darted down the dark cave until the patter of his feet faded.

Prince wistfully grabbed a spear and knife; his movements were light and swift as he hung his leather bag across him.

He raced to me much faster than I anticipated, and I fell back into the bed. His eyes held so much emotion and worry as he gently pulled me back to sitting. Checking for anything wrong with me, he looked out the dark cave and pointed. "You're going out?" Nodding, he put the blankets up to my chin, tucking me in like a child. I wanted to laugh, except his motions' urgency didn't deem that appropriate.

His hands were palm down, and he repeated the pushing down motion. "You want me to stay?" I questioned. Nodding his head, he looked back down the cave. "I'll stay. Can't go anywhere anyway." I wiggled my toes. The skin wrinkled around his eyes.

Smiling, I thought. He was smiling.

Prince Charming dashed down the hallway. Not a sound left his body, even with his spear and knife in hand. He was deathly quiet, like an animal.

How far back did this cave actually go?

Chapter Six

Creed

MylittleFawntoldme her name, Odessa.

Sweet sounding, like the sirens of the blue waters of the east, her laugh was inviting. Everything about her was perfect. If I was allowed to have a mate, it would be her. The epitome of perfection. My Dragon thought so while she stroked our scars. Her fingers trembled at first, but they radiated warmth as I relaxed. My Dragon purred silently, not to scare her. Would she leave once she knew what I was?

She commented on her scars while we both traced each other's hardships. Odessa remained light and airy, pushing the memories away. My Dragon was only outraged at the thought of someone hurting her.

Razak's growl was a good distraction; any longer, I was afraid my beast would rear his ugly head.

Razak is a quiet creature when in the cave. It is his home and solitude. When he was just a kit, I taught him that he should respect the home or spend his nights outside the cave. It happened once and never again. One night alone was enough to reverse his behavior.

His growl could only mean someone was at the front entrance of the cave. Even with my excellent hearing, I was distracted. I listened to Odessa's breathing, checking for any rattles in her lungs. She had spent many days running; I know that now. Looking closely at her arm, I could certainly tell she was not just a blood bag for a Vampire but for multiple Vampires. Her arms were littered with tears.

I had hoped against it, that she was fed on just by a rogue family, but this was extensive scarring. Not only that, but they were also rough with her. Violent even. The rips in her skin, biceps, and legs were full of gashes. Not once did they use their venom to help heal her. She may have bled for hours afterward because they didn't seal the wound.

My grip tightened on my spear, running down the passage until I hit the gate. Razak was pulling, trying to get free on his own. Pulling it forward to leave, my mind continued to race back to Odessa. If I was to fight any intruder, I needed her off my mind, but my Dragon wouldn't allow it. He forced her face into my line of vision, unable to forget each curve of her tear-stained cheek from two days ago.

Odessa should fear me, but her fingers traced my scars without care. Above anything, she should fear me. I was grotesque. She didn't fear the monster, the exiled. Odessa took me as I was, just another ordinary person, making my Dragon purr. He wanted to feel included, to find a mate, but that was next to impossible. This had to be reminded to him daily; no woman would ever come to love a monster, not one born out of a bond. We were cursed and doomed because our mother couldn't take our lives once we were birthed. Mother thought she did us a favor, perhaps not.

My Dragon's fangs leaked its venom. He had an attraction to Odessa, that was certain. He stirred every time she touched me. The hand that she let me nestle into my scarred face was proof of the warmth he craved. Odessa was everything we were not. She was soft, small, warm as the two light sources in the sky, yet she was strong. She fought against many to be able to run to the mountains and just a human at that. Fearless, she was fearless.

My steps were hurried once the light hit my feet. Razak growled immediately, running around the bend of the cave. There stood two dark Fairies. They were a rare sight to see, only coming out of the Southern Dark Wood to try and find their mates or to do bidding for Vampires who are not allowed in the northern mountains.

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