Page 42 of The Lost Nation

“Look at the monster you’ve created!” He grumbled. “It will take all three of us in the mateship to lock claws with her now!”

I beamed at the praise, and Enya’s eyes flickered with mischief. “But just think of how exciting the bedroom will be.”

Benedict coughed, and my face flushed. The two of us turned to go, then froze when we saw movement behind Enya’s shoulder.

One of the unmated females stood outside the cave, clutching a large black cloak around her like it would protect her from the world.

Benedict vanished in a whirl of smoke, and I forced myself to tear my eyes from her and meet Enya’s. I had to ignore the new draken.If doing so had gotten us this far, then why stop? My lesson was supposed to over now, but I couldn't waste this opportunity.

I gave Enya a meaningful look.“Could you show me that dodge kick combination again? It’s not as smooth as I would like.”

Enya nodded, both of us ignoring the third draken asshe walked me through the drill. I had already fixed this problem today, but we kept at it.

Enya scowled.“Stop shifting your weight before you attack—a skilled enemy will notice and adjust immediately.”

I nodded, and tried to focus on moving quickly, without any tells. I sparred with her a few more minutes, improving but unable to knock her down like I had Benedict. It was easy to use his size against him after I had a feel for it, but fighting someone my size with centuries of experience wasno contest at all.

Then a new voice spoke softly, but with irritation.“Aren’t you going to tell her to quit looking at her target? She gives away where she will strike with her eyes.”

Enya and I froze. The voice was gravelly and thick with disuse, but it was there.

Enya didn’t bother turning around to reply, instead replying casually.“Yes, I suppose you’re correct. Wren, you can’t give yourself away by looking at where you plan to strike. A—"

“Skilled opponent will adjust and use it against me. Iknow.”I huffed.

The other draken snickered, and I thought Enya would die of shock. She shook her head and faced the other draken. “What do you think, Yazmine? Not bad for a beginner who was taught bymales.”

There was a slight tick of pride in her voice that made my chest swell. Yazmine lowered the hood of her cloak, and I was met by the most mesmerizing pair of rose-gold eyes. They were wide and set deeply in her face, glowing behind her white scales. Strawberry-blonde hair fell down past her shoulders, curling and twisting at the ends.

I could see where she would be afraid of unmated males.She wasdevastatinglybeautiful.

Those eyes squinted harshly at me, and I looked away nervously. Even though I was technically her queen, these females were almost one thousand years older than I was! Well, nottechnically, since I'd been stuck in a regenerative spell that had me live human life after life. Inthislife, however, I hadn’t yet crossed my third decade.

“I expect much more from my queen." Yazmine scoffed.

My shoulders twitched, but I tried not to let my disappointment show. I knew not everyone would like me, but—

“I suppose I shall assist, then.”Yazmine grumbled.

And that’s how Yazmine was welcomed back to the land of the living.

???

Benedict was proud of how Enya and I had coaxed Yazmine out of the cave, and she shocked us all by adjusting rather quickly. She demanded to see the house built for Xana, and raged incoherently when we told her she’d been kidnapped.

“Enemy drakens who are half-breeds! What has this world come to?”

She’d retreated back to the lava tube, overwhelmed by the news. I immediately blamed myself for pushing her too far, but Enya assured me that some days were better than others, and left to tend to her and the remaining female, Mara.

“You’re the perfect queen. I told you so.”Benedict insisted, nuzzling into my neck.

I blushed, and ducked my head. “It wasn’t evenme, Enya was the one who provoked her into helping. I was just the fighter with bad form.”

Kieran came up behind me and tweaked my nose. “But you’reourfighter with bad form.”

I took the arm he’d slung over my shoulder and twisted, using the momentum to flip him over my back and put him on the ground. I put a foot on his chest for good measure, and smirked at him.

“Ouch,” he grunted. “I’ve never been so simultaneously turned on and in pain.”

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