Page 31 of The Lost Princess

With a grunt, I heaved my wings off the ground.

“Good,” Nasi noted. “Now hold them there.”

I nodded, too focused to verbally respond. It took effort to keep them off the ground, and after a few moments my back muscles started to twitch and shake.

“A little longer,” Nasi urged, watching my wings with sharp eyes.

I bit back a curse, clenching my teeth as my wings and back felt like they were on fire.

“Push. A little longer.”

Impossible. I grunted, and sweat broke out down my back, my whole body shaking with the effort to keep them off the ground.

“Good girl,” Nasi praised. A wave of sharp arousal overcame me when he said that, and it broke my concentration. My wing and back muscles spasmed in protest, and I cried out in pain. Nasi was there in a flash, catching me as I fell to my knees and immediately kneading the knots in my wings with careful, firm fingers.

I literally melted against him, groaning in relief.

“I’m pathetic,” I whined against the expanse of his chest. His dark chuckle reverberated around me.

“You are not weak,” he protested. “You simply have years of muscle building to catch up on. Draklings fly as soon as they walk. You have not had the same chance.”

His fingers flew across the skin of my wings, and I shivered at the wonderful feeling. Nasi was right; wings were sensitive.

I wondered again what he might do if I were to twist around and kiss him while he held my wings in his hands. The thought sent my stomach twisting delightfully.

Nasi stiffened against me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

He dropped my wings like I’d burned him. “Nothing. Let’s try again.”

Oh no, he didn’t. I got to my feet, shooting him a challenging look. “How am I supposed to learn about being a draken if you keep lying to me?”

Nasi went so still I had to watch his chest to ensure he was still breathing.

“Well?” I demanded, barely managing to not stomp my foot.

His lips tightened into a thin line. “My apologies. You are correct. I will be honest with you. You’re … you’re releasing mating pheromones. It is incredibly distracting.”

“Mating pheromones?” I asked, the pitch of my voice rising. I took a bold step toward him.

He stepped back, maintaining a respectful distance. “Yes,” he confirmed. “You are a young, unmated female. I am an unmated male. When you do this, my draken will naturally be affected.” His wings flared slightly, belying his agitation.

“Ah,” I whispered, my cheeks blushing. I was bothering him with my naughty thoughts. How embarrassing. That last thing I wanted to do was make him uncomfortable. Yet at the same time, I was intrigued by it. Could I break through that rigid exterior and bring back my passionate dragon man?

“That was about what? A thirty count? I shall try for forty this time,” I proclaimed loudly, lifting my wings again. Nasi nodded, his shoulders relaxing at the change in conversation. He started counting.

“One. Two. Three,” he intoned.

If I was bothering him so much, why had he asked me to stay the other day? He didn’t seem to mind being close to me at night when we slept side by side on the fur pile. That seemed more practical than anything. His heat helped keep me warm along with the blanket he’d made me from the sheep’s wool.

“Ten. Eleven. Twelve.”

My muscles burned, but I kept going. The sooner I mastered this, the sooner we could each be on our way. Me home to my kingdom, and him to his people. I hated it, but it had to be done. This wasn’t a stupid fairy tale, after all.

“Twenty-one. Twenty-two. Twenty-three.”

I grunted, accidentally biting my bottom lip with my fang. That was something I would have to practice as well—not constantly nicking myself with my new claws and teeth.

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